Okubo Ritsu and Saigo Takamori had been friends since their youth, and like most young people at the time, they were always looking for a way to save the country and realize their own worth. At that time, the Satsuma clan happened to provide them with a master, that is, Shimazu Saibin, who was known as "unmatched among the three hundred princes in the world". Shimazu Kibin was determined to reform the feudal domain, modernizing all aspects of the feudal domain, and recruiting a wide range of human resources. Saigo Takamori was very appreciated by Shimazu and became his favorite general. Shimazu often praised Saigo Takamori as "the treasure of Satsuma", but Shimazu died soon after, and the movement he advocated for the "Gongwu Alliance" (the unity of the power of the emperor and the shogunate) was abandoned halfway. Saigo Takamori was first exiled, and later he was pardoned and recalled to the Satsuma Domain, thanks to the power of Okubo Ritsu. Okubo Toshimitsu had become an important advisor to the feudal clan at that time, and under the influence of Okubo Ritsu, the new feudal lord sent Saigo Takamori to Beijing to use his previous prestige to continue the "public and military combination". At this time, the feudal lord was also preparing to lead his troops into King Kyoken like Shimazu Saibin. However, Saigo Takamori pursued a different career this time, and as a result, the feudal lord was furious. Okubo Ritsu learned of this, speculating that the feudal lord would not spare Saigo Takamori, but he could not abandon Saigo Takamori, between the word loyalty, it was really difficult to choose, so he proposed to stab each other with Saigo Takamori to death, but at this time Saigo Takamori "is thinking about doing something", and is unwilling to let his friend die with him (the same thing has happened once, it is estimated that Saigo Takamori feels that he has already borne the sustenance of the monk of the moonlight, and then adds the life of Okubo Ritsu, I really can't afford it). Saigo Takamori asked Okubo Ritsu to intercede for himself in front of the feudal lord, and he also made a look of introspection, so he was able to escape severe punishment and be exiled to Kojima again.

After the victory in the Shogunate War, Saigo Takamori did not serve in the new government, but returned to Kagoshima with some of his cronies to promote the reform of the feudal government. Later, Okubo Toshitsu went to Kagoshima and invited Saigo Takamori to come out of the mountains, and Saigo Takamori and Okubo and other reform figures took a series of measures to eliminate feudal separatism, establish centralized power, issue a decree on the abolition of feudal domains, abolish the ban on land sales, and establish a new military system (government troops were recruited from among the civilian population, and the old samurai formed the Guards). At that time, Saigo Takamori was also an army general, governor of Konoe, and a senator, and made outstanding contributions to the military and political reform of the Meiji government. At this time, it can be said that the relationship between Okubo Ritsu and Saigo Takamori is the best.

The conflict between the two began with Okubo Ritsu's insistence on opposing Saigo Takamori's rush to "conquer Korea" with samurai. The failure of Saigo Takamori's rapid advance "Theory of Conquering Korea" in the court meeting made him run away in anger. Saigo Takamori's resignation and defection was a major event that shocked the government and the opposition at the time, and was even called the "Meiji 6 Coup d'état", and soon after, Eto Shinpei, who laid the foundation for Japan's legal system and served as a justice and secretary of justice, because Saigo Takamori's "Theory of the Expedition to Korea" was not adopted, and because some of his own legal concepts were not accepted, and because some of his own legal concepts were not accepted, Eto Shinpei, supported by the 3,000 Saga clan on Kyushu Island, rebelled, but was quickly suppressed by Okubo Ritsu, and was executed to the public with the head of the capital punishment, which was the "Saga Rebellion". Although Saigo Takamori did not respond to Eto Shinpei's rebellion, it aroused the suspicion of the Meiji government even more. And Okubo Ritsu's categorical rebuke to Eto Shinpei actually has the meaning of shocking Saigo Takamori, and it is impossible not to see Saigo Takamori's cleverness.

The two of them were relatively silent, and the captain of the "Settsu", Captain Tsuboi Han, came over.

"Is Tokyo Bay coming? Tsuboi-kun? Hirobumi Ito asked, seeing the coast appearing in the distance.

"Yes, Your Excellency." Captain Tsuboi replied.

Ito Hirobumi looked at the simple-looking naval officer and smiled with gratitude.

At the moment when he saw the sailors on the ship "Settsu" busy with their duties, Ito Hirobumi had a great impression of the naval officer who had studied in the United States - although the old gunboat with a displacement of only 920 tons under his command was now in old condition, the "Settsu", which had been in service since 1868, was still in good condition with its engines and guns in good working condition.

The reason for this, apart from the captain's personal sense of responsibility and professionalism, does not seem to be better explained.

Kozo Tsuboi was born in the 14th year of Tenbo, Japan, in Mitajiri, Zhou Defense Province (now part of Yamaguchi Prefecture). His father was the doctor Hara Kenmichi, who was the second son in the family and later became the adopted son of the feudal doctor Tsuboi Shindo. At the age of 20, Tsuboi Kozo took part in the war against the bombardment of Shimonoseki by the Western Four-Nation Alliance, joined the Choshu Navy in the same year, studied English and navigation in the second year of Genji, and was responsible for transporting troops from the Seto Inland Sea during the Boshin War. Meiji was promoted to captain in the fourth year and studied aboard the USS Colorado, the flagship of the U.S. Far East Fleet, and because of his outstanding performance, he entered George Washington University in the District of Columbia to study naval technology on the recommendation of Rear Admiral John Rogers, the commander of the fleet. After returning to Japan at the beginning of the seventh year of the Meiji era, he served as the captain of the ship "Settsu".

Because Kozo Tsuboi was born in the Choshu domain, and although he was very capable, he was very hostile to the navy controlled by the Satsuma faction, and he and the ship "Settsu" under his command were excluded from the previous battle against Moss Bay, and they narrowly escaped the catastrophe.

Now he is one of the few outstanding naval officers left in the Japanese Navy.

"Tsuboi-kun, do you know everything about the Navy's operations in Moss Bay?" Ito Hirobumi had been trying to figure out the reason for Japan's defeat this time, and when he saw Kozo Tsuboi, he asked.

"I've gathered a lot of information about the Imperial Navy's Moss Bay operations, Your Excellency." Tsuboi nodded, "It's still being studied." ”

"What mistakes do you think the Imperial Navy made in this operation? Is there a chance of victory? Hirobumi Ito asked.

Hearing Ito Hirobumi's question, Kozo Tsuboi looked a little excited, and his face turned red.

"I don't know much about the technical side of the Navy, so I'd like to hear your opinion." Hirobumi Ito said again.

"Your Excellency, I don't think there is anything wrong with our navy in terms of command and operations!" Tsuboi replied in three voices, "The loyal and courageous performance of the naval officers and men can be regarded as a model for soldiers!" ”

――――Dividing Line――――

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