Hearing Kawakami Caoliu say Lin Yizhe's name, Yanagihara Maemitsu's face looked a little uncomfortable again.

"But Lin Yizhe still failed." Kawakami Caoliu continued, "The Qianguo court did not trust him, and the conservative forces were very strong, so he offended too many people, and as a result, he was killed. ”

"How do you know he was killed?" Yanagihara asked in a hoarse voice.

"Isn't it?" Kawakami Caoliu's eyes were still staring at the stage, "His death was too sudden, and it was too bizarre, I don't think he died normally, of course, he may have been attacked by miasma when he was commanding operations in Taiwan and contracted the disease, but I still think that he may have been killed by his enemies." ”

Hearing that Kawakami Caoliu did not know the real cause of Lin Yizhe's death, Yanagihara Maeko secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"In any case, his death was the removal of a great enemy for the Empire. If he is still alive now, it will be a great obstacle to the rise of the empire. ”

"That's right. However, I still feel that this Lin Yiqing is a greater threat. ”

The drama on stage ended, and the audience let out a frenzied shout, drowning out the conversation between the two men.

"Look, Yanagihara-kun, Lin Yiqing will definitely pass this liberal arts exam." Kawakami said, "I can bet with you. ”

"Well, I believe you." Yanagihara Maemitsu was not interested in betting with Kawakami Caoliu, he was more concerned about what Lin Yiqing would do after passing the imperial examination.

"In addition, Qianguo has built another shipyard in Xiamen, which is much larger than the Fuzhou shipyard and the Jiangnan shipyard." Kawakami Caoliu changed the topic away from Lin Yiqing, "There is news. The Qianguo people planned to build their own large ironclad ships there. ”

"They still have technical and financial barriers, right? The largest ship they are building now. The tonnage did not exceed 5000 tons. In addition, the financial situation of the Qianguo government has not improved much, and it is difficult to provide financial support. Yanagihara Maemitsu shook his head, "As far as I know, the Qianguo government has just approved a plan to build a new torpedo gunboat, and they have been discussing the construction plan for ironclad ships for several years, and there is no real action now. Over the years, they have been building small ships to barely make ends meet, but merchant ships have built a lot. Don't forget, now presiding over the shipbuilding of the Qianguo. He is a son of the Boren royal family, this man is uneducated, and very greedy, I don't think that during his tenure, a large ironclad ship will be built. ”

"But if this new shipyard is built, the Qianguo people only need to hire some foreigners to guide them, and they can build a large ironclad ship of 10,000 tons." Kawakami Caoliu said, "Once the ironclad ship built by the Qianguo is launched, it will be the most terrible threat to the empire. And the empire can only build its own ships of about 1,000 tons, and its shipbuilding capacity is too far worse than that of Qianguo. ”

"The economy of the empire has recovered. At present, we are also vigorously building a shipyard, which will soon catch up with and surpass the Qianguo. Yanagihara said. Moreover, it is very likely that the empire will have an ironclad fleet capable of fighting before the Qianguo ironclad ship is built. ”

"Oh? Why do you say that? A look of surprise flashed in Kawakami's eyes.

"The Imperial Government has raised enough money and is preparing to buy new ironclads in Europe." Yanagihara Maemitsu said calmly, "At present, there is a delegation sent by the government to carry out activities in Germany. Two other missions visited England and France, respectively, to seek their help in the construction of the shipyard. ”

"This is really exciting news." Cao Roku Kawakami looked very excited, "I bet that the rise of the Imperial Navy must be much faster than that of Qianguo!" ”

"There is no need to bet that at the current rate of development, the Imperial Navy will definitely be ahead of the Qianguo Navy, this is an obvious fact." Yanagihara Maemitsu nodded, "I only hope that the next war with Qianguo will begin, and there will be no more situations like the Taiwan Campaign." ”

Hearing Yanagihara Maemitsu mention the defeat of the famous "Saigo Riot", which was very humiliating to Japan, Kawakami Koroku also sighed, "That time, the strength of the Imperial Navy was not as good as that of the Qianguo Navy, so it led to the defeat, otherwise, that battle would have been very successful." If it succeeds, maybe there will be no rebellion in the southwest, and General Saigo will not die, and the samurai of Kyushu may defend the territory of Taiwan for the empire, and they will not die on the battlefield of cannibalism......"

Kawakami Caoroku's words were full of regret, and Yanagihara Maemitsu suddenly realized that Kawakami Caoliu was also from the Satsuma domain.

Kawakami was the third son of Satsuma Domain's Kawasama Saemon. In his early years, he studied at the Faculty Building. In the Japanese Boshin War, he joined the army as a squad leader in the battles of Toba and Fushimi, and later served as a lieutenant in the army, deputy of the 2nd Brigade of the Imperial Soldiers, captain of the 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade, captain of the 2nd Guards Infantry Wing, and staff officer of the 2nd Bureau of the Ministry of the Army. He once went abroad with Secretary of the Army Oyama Yan to inspect the military system in Europe and the United States, and after returning to China, he implemented the "reform of the military system" and advocated the reorganization of the Japanese army according to the German military system. During the Southwest War, he acted as Commander of the 13th Infantry Wing, later as Commander of the 8th Infantry Wing, Chief of Staff of Sendai Jintai, and Commander of the 1st Guards Infantry Wing. After the end of the Southwest War, he was transferred to the War Ministry, but soon after he left his post and went to Qianguo to start a business.

And only a few people, including Yanagihara Maemitsu, who is a relative of the Japanese emperor, know what the true identity of Kawakami Caoliu is.

"By the way, I have already found out the whereabouts of the woman from the Shimazu family who escaped, and she is hiding in Fuzhou." Kawakami the six elephants because he remembered something, and said to Yanagihara Maemitsu with some amusement.

"Lin Yiqing is also in Fuzhou, does she want to defect to Lin Yiqing?" Yanagihara Maemitsu frowned, "I heard that when she escaped, she took some of the Shimazu family's property with her?" ”

"That's right, I think she may have planned to do so, but she didn't take much property with her, and after arriving in Fuzhou, she has been practicing medicine for a living." "According to our people in Fuzhou, she has never been in contact with Lin Yiqing. ”

"That is, she herself is of no use to Lin Yiqing, so Lin Yiqing did not keep her." Yanagihara Maemitsu said.

"Not so long ago, though. I heard that Lin Yiqing went to Beijing. Yoko Shimazu also left Fuzhou. The destination also seems to be Beijing. Kawakami mentioned another situation.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence." Yanagihara Maemitsu didn't seem too interested in the situation, "This woman won't make any waves, so there's no need to waste time and energy on her." ”

"However, her status as a woman of the Shimazu family may have a certain appeal among the exiled Satsuma." "I think we should eliminate all potential dangers, and this woman should be eliminated." ”

"Get rid of her now, with your Kawakami-kun's power. Of course, it's not a problem, but if you expose the organization you have worked so hard to run, I'm afraid the gains outweigh the losses. Yanagihara Maemitsu said coldly, "Although the government of Qianguo is stubborn and stupid, not all people are like this. ”

"You're right, Yanagihara-kun." Kawakami smiled, "We must be cautious in our actions, and we can't afford to lose big because of small things. ”

"The play is over, let's go." Yanagihara Maemitsu said as he stood up, picked up his bowler hat and put it on. Kawakami also got up, and the two walked out of the box together.

After sending Yanagihara Maemitsu back to the Japanese Legation. Kawakami returned to Rakuzendo, it was already late at this time, and he came to his room, but he didn't feel sleepy at all.

Some manuscripts were placed on the table, and the cold wind outside the window blew, and the paper made a rustling sound, and Kawakami walked to the window, closed the window, and then came to the table and sat down.

His eyes fell on the article that Arao had copied to him that had caused a huge repercussion in Japan.

"With the convenience of the world's means of transportation, the wind of Western civilization is gradually becoming eastward. Everywhere it went, even the grass and the air were overwhelmed by the wind. Generally speaking, although the Westerners of ancient times were not much different from those of today, their actions were relatively sluggish in ancient times, and they have become active today because of the use of transportation as a sharp weapon. The eastward spread of this civilization is so strong that it is not impossible to do so if we are determined to stop it, but if we look at the current state of the world today, it is in fact impossible. It is better to keep pace with the times, rise and fall in the sea of civilization together, set off the waves of civilization together, and taste the bitterness and joy of civilization together, and there is no other choice. ”

"Civilization is like the measles epidemic. At present, measles in Tokyo initially spread eastward from Nagasaki in the west, and gradually spread with the warm spring weather. At this time, even if you hate the dangers of the epidemic, if you want to defend against it, is there a feasible way? I am sure that there is no such means. Epidemics that are purely harmful are as intense as they are, not to mention civilizations that have more interests or interests. At present, instead of stopping civilization, we should do our best to help the spread of civilization and let the people bathe in the atmosphere of civilization as soon as possible. ”

"The modern civilization of the West entered Japan with the founding of the country in the Kaei period, and although the people gradually understood that it was necessary to adopt Western civilization, and the atmosphere gradually became lively, on the road to progress, there was an old-fashioned and decrepit government, the Tokugawa shogunate. What should I do? Civilization will never be able to advance if the government is preserved, because modern civilization is incompatible with the old rules and conventions of Japan. And if we want to get rid of the old ways, the government will have to be abolished at the same time. If we try to prevent the invasion of civilization, Japan's independence cannot be guaranteed, because the noise of world civilization does not allow an isolated island in the East to sleep alone. ”

"In this regard, we, the people of insight in Japan, based on the general principle of 'putting the state first' and 'the government first,' and relying on the sacred dignity of the imperial family, resolutely overthrew the old government and established a new government. In China, both the government and the opposition, everything is done with the modern civilization of the West, and it is necessary not only to get rid of the old Japanese conventions, but also to create a new pattern in the whole of Asia. The key lies in the word 'de-Asia'. ”

Every time I read this, Kawakami can't help but want to applaud loudly.

"Although Japan is located in eastern Asia, the spirit of the people has begun to shift away from the stubborn conservatism of Asia and toward Western civilization. Unfortunately, however, there are two countries in the vicinity, one is called Qianguo and the other is called North Korea. The people of these two countries have been influenced by Asiatic political and religious customs since ancient times, and this is no different from that of Japan. Perhaps it is because of the differences in the origins of human races, or perhaps because although we all share the same political and religious customs, there are differences in genetic education. Japan, Qian, and South Korea are relatively compared with Japan. The similarities between Qianguo and Korea are much closer. The two countries are the same. It doesn't matter if it's an individual or a country. I don't think about how to improve. ”

"In today's convenient world, it is impossible to see and ignore civilized things. But what you see and hear is not enough to impress people's hearts, because nostalgia for old habits is a constant principle for the ages. If we talk about education in the confrontation of civilizations with each passing day, we must talk about Confucianism. The school's teachings, called 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom', are nothing more than outright false appearances. In fact, it is not only the knowledge and insight of the truth and principles, but also the pride of a person who does not know how to introspect even when his morality has reached the point of being shameless. ”

This paragraph of the article directly rebukes the non-sacredness advocated by the Eastern Empire, the Qianguo, which makes Kawakami Caoliu feel happy.

"In my personal opinion. The two countries of Qianguo and Korea cannot even maintain their own independence at a time when civilization is spreading eastward. Of course, it is a different matter if the following situations occur. That is, in these two countries, there are people of insight who are the first to take the lead in promoting the progress of national affairs, just like the Restoration of our country, to carry out major reforms to their governments, to plan national plans, to take the lead in carrying out political changes, and at the same time to refresh people's hearts. If this is not the case, then there is no doubt about it. In a few years from now, they will be gone, and their land will be divided among the civilized nations of the world. ”

"In the face of a civilization as prevalent as measles. In violation of the natural law of contagion, the two countries of the two countries have closed themselves in a room to block the circulation of air in order to avoid contagion. Although the phrase "interdependence" is often used as a metaphor for the mutual assistance between neighboring countries, the current Qianguo and the DPRK have not been of the slightest help to Japan at present. Not only that, from the perspective of Western civilizations, because of the geographical proximity of the three countries, they are often treated in the same way. Therefore, criticism of the two countries is equivalent to criticism of Japan and China. ”

"If the old autocratic system of the Qianguo and Korean governments has no law to follow, Westerners will suspect that Japan is also a lawless country; If the intellectuals of Qianguo and Korea indulge themselves in not knowing what science is, Westerners will think that Japan is also a country of yin and yang. If the Qianguo people are humble and shameless, the chivalry of the Japanese will be covered up; If the Korean state were to torture people, the Japanese would be presumed to be equally inhumane. The list goes on. ”

"For example, when a group of people in a village adjacent to a house are lawless and cruel, even if there is an occasional family in the village who pays attention to good conduct, they will be overwhelmed by the ugliness of others. As in this example, the influence of the two countries has become a fait accompli, and it has indirectly hindered Japan's diplomacy. ”

"That being the case, as a policy of the present, Japan should not hesitate to break away from its neighbors and advance and retreat together with the Western civilizations, rather than waiting for the enlightenment of its neighbors to jointly revitalize Asia. There is no need to be particularly sympathetic to the Qianguo and the DPRK because they are neighbors, but it is enough to imitate the attitude and way of dealing with them by the Westerners. Those who are close to bad friends will inevitably be close to the ink, and we must reject the bad friends of Asia and the East from the heart. ”

Seeing this, Kawakami Caoliu couldn't help but nod again and again.

"Some people will say that Qianguo has been carrying out foreign affairs for many years and has made considerable achievements, that Qianguo's navy is the largest fleet in Asia, that Qianguo's army is equipped with the most Western guns and artillery in Asia, that Qianguo is the most powerful country in Asia, that it is like a sleeping lion, that is slowly waking up, and that it wants to wake up Asia, and that the countries of the east of Asia should form an alliance to jointly resist the invasion of the Western powers. Koya's theory says that this is the best national policy of Japan, but I would say that this is the worst national policy. All the achievements made by the Qianguo are only superficial, and the reform of the Qianguo has always remained only at the superficial level and has not touched the depths in the slightest, so it is doomed to failure. The current Qianguo is like an ancient house, although the surface has been repaired and looks very bright, but the inside is still decayed. The capable people of the Qianguo are working on how to make this house beautiful on the outside, and they do not plan to renovate and strengthen it from the inside, so the collapse of this house is completely predictable. And Japan and North Korea, as its neighbors, will suffer almost inevitably at the moment of their collapse. Therefore, Japan must abandon the 'theory of rejuvenating Asia' and use the theory of 'de-Asianism', and only in this way can future disasters be avoided." ”

So, what exactly is Japan going to do?

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