readx;?“ I see! ”

Okubo Ritsu nodded heavily, and glanced at this Okuma Shigenobu who had joined the Ming nationality, and felt a little regretful. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info such talents are exactly what Japan needs. How did you join the Ming nationality?

But he thought again: "This Okuma was just born in the family of Saga clans, and he is not a famous family. What can you do if you stay in Japan? In today's Japan, birth is everything! If you don't have a daimyo family, you can't become a minister or a prefectural governor. If Okuma, who was born as an ordinary feudal lord, returned to Japan, he would probably not even be a consul in a foreign embassy, but at most a small secretary. There's really no hope for Japan right now......"

Yes, today's Japan is much like China's Two Jin Dynasty, where the hundred scholars monopolized power. More than 300 samurai families with a daimyo's personality and above completely monopolized political power. Only those who came from a daimyo family could hold important positions in the Japanese government and the Japanese army. Otherwise, even if you get a doctorate from eighteen Jishi University, you will still be a small official. Therefore, many Japanese from humble and talented backgrounds have gone to China to study and work, and many simply became Chinese nationals and became the subjects of the Ming Emperor.

Of course, there are some new Ming citizens like Okuma Shigenobu who still have their hearts pretending to be the old country of Japan. But what about their children and grandchildren? And those talented people who are not even samurai, and who have never made their mark in Japanese society?

Thinking of this, Okubo Ritsu felt a sense of powerlessness. Originally, it was thought that the combination of public and military forces could unite a divided Japan and become a great power like the Ming Empire. But as a result, Japan has become a hopeless country. There is no way for talented people to get ahead, and stupid people from wealthy families occupy important positions in a country's government.

And the country's economy is also hopeless. The new government is heavily indebted. Half of the annual revenue is used to pay interest. The rest is just to pay the officials and the army, and there is no money to invest in railways and factories. Businessmen also have no enthusiasm for running industry, even if they invest in industry, that is, opening a sugar factory or a fruit canning factory, or a candied fruit factory, it has nothing to do with power! Of course, this situation cannot be blamed on the merchants, in the final analysis, Japan has joined the Greater China Customs Union, and the industrial products produced by the Ming Dynasty can be sold on Japanese soil with zero tariffs without hindrance......

The most speechless thing is that the Japanese Empire, which is known as the first one, actually has no coinage rights. The domestic circulation is the coins and banknotes of the Daming HSBC Bank, and the interests of the coinage are completely attributed to the Daming. And those people of insight in Japan who proposed the establishment of a central bank were all severely reprimanded by the new government for disrupting finance!

Saigo Takamori seemed to see through Okubo's heart, and said softly: "Okubo-kun, there is no hope for Japan, because Japan is too close to the Ming Dynasty, if you can't knock the Ming Empire to the ground, you will only have to be enslaved and oppressed by it...... But the Ming Empire has the pride of the Emperor of Guangfu, what choice can I have in Japan except to bow to his feet? Fortunately, God has not abandoned our Japanese nation. On the other side of the ocean, it gave us a new home. If the Kingdom of California is the chosen nation for the Chinese, then this new Japan will occupy the southernmost rich land in South America. It is the chosen nation of my Yamato nation! In order to get the new Japan, it is necessary to abandon the old Japan now! Even if you hand over the old Japan to the Emperor of Liberation and become a part of the Ming Empire, you can also do it! ”

Saigo's voice, as if he was convincing Okubo, was more like convincing himself, and the other two people in the room were listening quietly.

“…… Therefore, we must decisively seize the current opportunity and come up with enough conditions that the Emperor of Restoration cannot refuse in order to gain his support. That's what it is...... Let Japan become a vassal country of the Ming Dynasty, and let Koyoshiko become the king of Japan! Let Ieyuki become the new king of Japan, and lead the people of all Japan to open up a new and broader world......"

As he listened, Okubo imagined in his mind a strong, prosperous, and new Japan, a Japan that would sit on the other side of the Pacific. Like the Kingdom of California, the new Japan will have an ideal system that will no longer be bound by the rules and regulations of the old Japan...... In fact, such an idea was not only born in Saigo Takamori's heart. At present, people of insight in Japan have realized the fact that the old Japan was completely hopeless, and becoming a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty was the only way out! And the new Japan, far away on the other side of the Pacific, is where the hope lies!

“…… What we need to do now is to convince the Tokugawa family, especially His Royal Highness Akiko, to accept this plan of exchanging the old Japan for the new Japan as soon as possible! We must take advantage of the fact that the North American war has not yet been decided, and unite with Paraguay to strike decisively! If France is able to withdraw from North America, the time for the partition of Argentina and Chile will be missed, and it will not come again. This time, Okubo-kun, what we are doing is what will determine the future millennium of the Yamato nation. That's why I'm going to come back and work with you personally. If it succeeds, Japan will be able to get a new lease of life! ”

Saigo Takamori's voice is like iron, and the last sentence is like a knife splitting a golden stone, and sparks are splashing everywhere. Shigenobu Okuma, who had been silent, also added coldly: "Time is running out, the North American War is likely to end in 1863, and then Japan will have no future!" ”

Okubo Ritsu took a breath and nodded heavily: "Okay, let's work together to promote this great cause of saving the Japanese nation!" He stood up with difficulty, looked at Saigo Takamori and said, "Saigo-kun, now come with me to Nijo Castle to meet His Highness Ming." ”

Okubo Ritsu could meet Tokugawa Akiko at any time, because in addition to the Gakuin Academy, he also had another identity, which was the teacher of Tokugawa Ieyuki, the minister of the Imperial Regime. When he rushed to Nijo Castle with Saigo Takamori, Tokugawa Akiko was talking to his brother Tokugawa Yoshiki. Today, the brother and sister seem to be incongruous, and there is always a sense of indifference in their words.

"Shouldn't I stay in Japan?"

"Needless to say. You are the concubine of the Ming Emperor, and it is your responsibility to serve the Ming Emperor. ”

"But I'm also Jiayu's adoptive mother, without me, he wouldn't have been able to become a Taiko, and Japan would not have been able to complete the combination of public and military!"

"But Lord Taiko will soon grow up, and the country after the combination of public and military forces is also desperate......"

The brother and sister said bluntly and uncommonly, and the atmosphere in the Nijo Joguro Academy was also gloomy, and it was almost chilling. Fortunately, there is no third person in this room, otherwise when you hear these words, you will be ordered to be killed by Akiko if you don't scare to death.

"Despair? If there is no combination of public and military, it is not only Japan that is desperate, but also the entire Tokugawa family! If you let this weak guy lead the Tokugawa family, the inheritance left by Lord Kami-kun will be ruined! ”

Seeing that her brother was speechless, Akiko's complexion also eased. Her father, Tokugawa Saiaki, died three years ago, and Keiki replaced her father as Tokugawa Ieyuki's agent, and as Minister Zuo, he premiered everything in the Japanese Cabinet Office. In fact, he and Tokugawa Akiko jointly hold real power.

However, the relationship between the brother and sister has always been bad, Tokugawa Akiko is bent on eradicating the descendants of the Emperor, and Tokugawa Yoshiki is bent on protecting them. For this reason, the two sides often quarrel. In addition, Keiki is also very worried about Akiko's control of the Imperial Court and the new group. I'm afraid that this sister who has tasted the sweetness of power will refuse to hand over the power and let the family be in power.

However, the two brothers and sisters quarreled, but neither thought of eradicating each other. Tokugawa Akiko is bent on preserving the Tokugawa family and her father's bloodline, which is also the basis for the Tokugawa family to support him - at the moment, the Tokugawa family does not have many bloodlines, and the sons of Tokugawa Saiaki account for a large proportion. Akiko is in great need of the support of these brothers. And Tokugawa Keiki's courage is a little small, and he doesn't have much responsibility, so he doesn't dare to move Akiko at all. Even as soon as Akiko lost his temper, he didn't dare to talk back, Tokugawa Akiko could hold the Japanese regime for a long time, probably inseparable from Tokugawa Yoshiki's weakness.

"Brother, now many people are suggesting that Japan surrender to the Ming Dynasty, do you think it is feasible?" Akiko Tokugawa looked at her brother and brought the topic back to business. (To be continued.) )u