"Boom--" Intensive artillery fire exploded in the city of Tokyo, and Wu Deren, who had gone crazy, vented all the anger he had held back for more than a month on the citizens of Tokyo. Fortunately, he was still a little sensible and didn't shoot the cannonball towards the embassy area, otherwise he would really have to be beheaded when he returned to Beijing. It's just that poor Tokyoites were burned by the fire ignited by the airship, and they were blown up by the Qing fleet.

Run, flee north, escape from Tokyo. The Qing army, which had been going well all the way at the time of the landing, was finally held back by the Imperial warriors outside the city of Tokyo, and ordinary citizens believed the government propaganda. But now, the Qing navy has invaded the Gulf of Tonkin, and the empire has no more fleets that can stop the Qing navy. Their homes had already been burned to the ground, and the people of Tokyo, who had survived the fires and explosions, took up their possessions and gave up the fruits of their years of hard work to head north.

People can run away, but the government can't.

"Tokyo must be the capital of the Great Japanese Empire, and it cannot be easily abandoned just because the Qing Navy is approaching, otherwise the reputation of the empire will be nothing, and it will have no place in the international arena. We will at least fight the Qing navy, repel their landing, and secure a favorable diplomatic situation for the Empire. "Yama Prefecture Youpeng roared to speak at the Diet, and the news that the Qing Navy appeared in the waters of Tokyo Bay became the last straw that overwhelmed the Japanese government. Empire defeat was inevitable.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, the lower officials believe that there should be no more head-on clashes with the Qing Navy. The empire should show its willingness to negotiate a thorough peace and ask Britain and the United States and other countries to mediate. The citizens of the Reich had already been traumatized by the war. The war cannot be allowed to expand any longer. Admiral Minister Saigo retorted.

"You want the empire to surrender to the Qing state? Where does the empire have face, and how will diplomacy be conducted in the future? Do you want the empire to become a vassal state of the Qing state? Yamamoto on the stage was furious.

"The empire is negotiating peace with the Qing state, not surrendering. And the empire has long been shameless when it was invaded by the Qing State—"

"Two. Two digits. Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu came to persuade him: "From the news from the British minister, the Qing Emperor still adheres to the original three peace terms. However, unreliable information came out from the Qing Prime Minister's Office that in addition to the six warships of the empire as compensation, the Qing court could negotiate the compensation without the need for His Majesty the Emperor to come in person. But the information has not been confirmed at the moment. ”

"Your Excellency Shan County, we should immediately contact the Qing generals to show the sincerity of the empire's armistice, at least we should listen to the Qing country's request first." Saigo stood up resolutely and said.

"How is not firing a shot different from surrendering? In this way, the Qing State surrendered, but what sky-high compensation was proposed. Do you let the empire agree or not? ”

"If the empire really blocks the landing operation of the Qing state, it will be a disaster for the empire. Don't forget that the Qing navy was commanded by that Eastern Barbarian Bull. He's a man who does everything—"

……

The Diet meeting to discuss the national fortunes of the Japanese Empire became the venue for a quarrel between Aritomo Yamaguchi and Saigo. Except for Mutsu Somitsu, who intervened from time to time, everyone else listened quietly. The army scoffed at Prime Minister's proposal. The reason why the empire was able to hold on to Tokyo with 300,000 troops was not because of the heroism of the imperial warriors. It's that the Qing and Ben have no intention of attacking, otherwise Tokyo would have been occupied by the Qing State a long time ago. A single Qing army can't deal with it, and now that the Qing has naval artillery support, what else can the empire do?

Seeing that he couldn't convince Youpeng in Shanxian County, Xixiang threw away from the anger of Dao. He left the conference room, turned around and rode to the beach.

Report. A Japanese fishing boat with a white flag was heading towards our troops. "The lookout of the Ryuyin reported to the bridge.

"Regardless of him, has the 2nd Marine Division been on board?" Wu Deren raised his legs and asked indifferently.

"Six landing craft have been equipped and are moving in, but other cargo ships are still unloading supplies. It's time to finish loading today. The marching staff reported.

"Six landing craft are enough, tell them to put on Lao Tzu. The fleet is ready ......" Wu Deren jumped excitedly.

"Let's stop it. If you do that, the General Staff Headquarters will definitely impeach you. Before Wu Deren finished his excitement, Chief of Staff Feng Qi interrupted Wu Deren's words.

A landing campaign was launched on Tokyo. It's not so much a tactical need for a quick fix as it is a strategic scam. No one knows that Japan's defeat is certain, but no one knows how long Japan will hold out before formally surrendering, and the current international situation does not allow the Qing to occupy Japan. When the General Staff Headquarters ordered the 2nd Marine Division to load ships, it asked the Navy to prepare for the Tokyo landing battle, in the hope that Japan would see the situation clearly and hold peace talks as soon as possible. For this war against Japan, the little money that the Qing Dynasty had saved was spent. Ending the war as soon as possible was tantamount to saving the imperial court a lot of money. This is also the reason why there has been no large-scale military operation since the army annihilated the Japanese Fifth Division -- the imperial court has run out of money. This is the same as that of the Japanese government in the first year of the First Sino-Japanese period, which hopes for peace talks as soon as possible. But here's the difference. At that time, Japan had no choice, and in order to end the war as soon as possible, it chose to storm Ganodai, but the final blow failed and put itself in a dilemma. The Qing Dynasty was also poor, but it could also last for a while by smashing pots and selling iron. Therefore, the Qing Dynasty is not intense, and the strategy and tactics have not changed with this.

However, the strategic direction of the General Staff Headquarters is not something that the combat units can violate, and if the Tokyo Landing Battle could have been carried out without the order of the General Staff Headquarters, but the Navy had carried out it, Wu Deren would not have been able to bear the responsibility of violating the order no matter how great his contributions in the past.

Feng Qi didn't take Wu Deren, who was a haircut, and picked up the phone to connect to the lookout: "Who is here?" ”

After a while, Feng Qi put down the phone and said: "It's the Japanese Navy Minister Saigo Minamichi, who said that he asked to see the commander on behalf of the Japanese Navy." ”

"Does Japan still have a navy?" Wu Deren glanced at the five Japanese warships docked on the pier and did not move, if it were not for the Shikishima blocking the outermost, these five warships would have been captured long ago.

The meeting room of the Dragon's Yin.

Saigo walked into the gate under the guidance of the guards, and at the other end of the conference table sat Wu Deren, the commander-in-chief of the Qing Navy. Saigo took out an answer document from his bag and bowed deeply: "Your Excellency General." I am the Minister of the Japanese Admiralty, Saigo Tomichi, and I surrender to Your Excellency on behalf of the Japanese Navy. ”

Wu Deren frowned: "On behalf of the Japanese Navy?" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency. I couldn't convince the Japanese Diet. So it can only represent the withdrawal of the Navy from this war. Saigo's respectful waist has never been straightened.

At this moment, an informal reception was held in the Sihai Hotel in Beijing. Today is the day of the recess of the court, which was originally just a dinner party for the eight ministers and ministers of the Central Committee of the DPRK and the Qing Dynasty Premier Li Hongzhang to personally invite, because the Four Seas Hotel has launched a new Manchu and Han banquet. As the premier, Li Hongzhang believed that the ministers and workers had been tired recently, and took this opportunity to charter the Sihai Hotel to entertain the ministers of the DPRK and the Central People's Republic of China to express his gratitude to the ministers for their trust and support for him as prime minister. Why don't you participate in the invitation under the prime minister, and all the ministers who are invited are here. This is the most complete gathering of the courtiers and workers of the Great Qing Dynasty except for the previous dynasty.

It's just that. As soon as the news came out, the German minister Barand hurriedly roared at the Four Seas Hotel. If he can't do it, he will call the name of the German legation and ask for the conference to participate. Yesterday, the news that the Qing airship blew up and sank the Japanese battleship made Barand unable to sit still any longer, Germany was not blocked because the navy was not as strong as the British, if the airship patent could be purchased from the Qing country, then what was the British fleet? Although the telegram he sent back has not yet received a reply. But Barand was confident that His Majesty the Kaiser would definitely want an airship. If he can negotiate an agreement for the sale of the airship in front of His Majesty the Kaiser, will his title be raised by one liter? Now, a banquet convened by the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty and attended by all the ministers, although the Qing Emperor did not attend, Barland believed that this meeting was enough to determine the national policy of the Qing Dynasty.

But Barland's actions irritated Ogne, and the British could not sit still.

The airship, which was originally thought to be insignificant, is now showing great force in the hands of the Qing State. Not only can it replace the army's artillery, but it can also blow up and sink warships. This is undoubtedly a threat to the world's number one naval power. It is a weapon that fires cannonballs from the sky. It's a weapon that no country else can fight back, so what does that mean for the world? This meant that the Qing had the capital to negotiate with the Western powers. Isn't Britain, the number one power in the Far East, just because it has a fleet with the most strength in the Far East? Today's Qing fleet has the strength to challenge the Far East Fleet of the British Empire, plus airships that cannot be countered......

There may be provocations from China. But Ogner did not think that China would dare to go to war with the British Empire, and the British Far East Fleet was only the second-largest fleet of the six fleets of the Empire (only stronger than the Australian fleet). As for airships, Europe had small airships more than a hundred years ago, and with the strong industrial capacity of the British Empire, it was only a matter of time, and Ogner did not think that this would be a problem. Ogener also thinks that both Germany, France and Italy should have the same idea. That's why I don't care about China's intention to sell airships.

However, it was only on the Qing side that the British-built warships were sunk. After the news came out from the Qing court that the Qing State could train airship pilots for free, the situation was a little different. The Qing Emperor scolded Li Hongzhang bitterly and did not allow the sale of heavy weapons of the military state, which made Germany, the first to contact the Qing State, touch the ashes. But this matter is not over, Qing * Fang saw that the airship was so powerful, and wanted to purchase another 180 ships to expand the army. However, it is rumored that because the airship is extremely expensive, plus the cost of training and so on, it will not be less than 500,000 Singapore dollars, which will be converted into more than 10,000 pounds. For this reason, the Qing Minister of Finance not only demanded that no more airships should be built, but also that the existing airships should be bought to compensate for the deficit of the state treasury.

Nowadays, there are all kinds of news in the city of Beijing, from the imperial palace, from the imperial court, from the homes of ministers, some say they are selling, some say they will not sell, and some say they want to sell at a price, in short, no one knows which one is true. And it only took one afternoon for the news to get out. What Qing Guozhi thought, Ogne has no way of knowing. Eugene also made appointments with ministers of various countries, hoping to maintain unity with China, but the attitude of German Minister Barand was very ambiguous. Eugene knew that Barland's attitude actually represented the attitude of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and that Germany, which was trying to break through the naval blockade of the British Empire, could not be moved by the discovery in the Far East of a sharp weapon that could restrain the fleet of the British Empire.

It was just an ordinary banquet, and Barand actually asked to participate in the name of the German legation. Perhaps this is exactly what Barand wants to meet with Li Hongzhang in private, and maybe Barand also came with the Kaiser's opinion. This had to make Ogne pay attention. As a result of the attention, Eugene also participated in the name of the legation, and then the other countries also came to participate in their own purposes. So it was supposed to be only a pure banquet, because of the sudden arrival of ministers from various countries. As a result, the major media also rushed to attend the press conference, and perhaps something special could happen at this press conference, and Japan would have to surrender. As a result, the nature of Li Hongzhang's private banquet became an informal gathering of the Qing court.

There is an unwritten custom in China that the later a distinguished guest arrives at the venue. But in Europe, it's the opposite. Therefore, the ministers of various countries who arrived in advance wanted to meet the ministers of the Qing Dynasty at the venue.

When Li Hongzhang was the last to step into the venue with a smile, the audience stood up to greet the Qing premier who was on the cusp: "This time the imperial court is fighting against Japan. It is not only an action to promote the prestige of our country in a foreign land, but also a revenge for the invasion of the Japanese in the first year. All of you are working together to ensure that there is no shortage of supplies at the front. So that the soldiers on the front line do not need to worry about the shortage of supplies when they fight with their lives. The meritorious deeds of the soldiers have been rewarded by the emperor, and the old man, as the prime minister of a country, is taking this banquet today to thank you for your hard work. Gentlemen, drink to win-" Li Hongzhang at the main table held his wine glass high. After saying that, he drank it all.

The others also stood up and answered in unison, and after drinking, they also drank all the wine in their cups. Everyone knows that Japan has reached the end of the road, this is the first extraterritorial conquest of the Qing Dynasty, and there is naturally no shortage of rewards from the emperor for such a big victory, so they also have the merit of ensuring logistics and supplies. It has long been rumored that the emperor will have a big reward, and whether he can take the opportunity to seal his wife and son depends on this time.

The sound of laughter in the whole hotel was endless, and Li Hongzhang was full of red light, walking between the tables with a wine glass and laughing energetically. He never talked about government affairs, but only about the delicious food. Talk about physical well-being.

The German Minister Barand was anxious, and he had no intention of tasting the Chinese food he had always liked, and always took the opportunity to talk to Li Hongzhang. was quietly pushed away by Li Hongzhang.

On the one hand, he was angry that the Germans had broken the consistent code of conduct with China, and on the other hand, he also wanted to get the airship manufacturing as soon as possible to counteract Germany, but he also wanted to pay as little as possible, and he also wanted to repair the relationship between Britain and China. If you want to talk and stop, Ogne's heart at this moment can be described as full of flavors.

The French minister Schalain was very entangled, and the intention of the Germans to buy the Qing airship was already obvious. The British also have this idea. So does France want it? It's not that you can't afford it, but the airship was invented by the French. Self-development does not mean that it cannot be developed. But don't you, once Germany and Britain buy it, this is a huge threat to France, can you catch up with Britain and Germany by developing it yourself? Shi Alan's mood at the moment is the same as the report he wrote to the government - really tangled.

US Minister Tian Bei was indifferent, money is not a problem for Americans, and airships are not a problem. The U.S. Pacific Squadron also set off for the Far East on the day the Japanese fleet returned home, and is now about to arrive in Japan. The Americans were very disgusted with the British, and in the last Qing-Japanese war, the Americans paid reparations to the Japanese, but American goods were under pressure from the British when they entered the Japanese market. For this reason, he wanted to take advantage of Japan's defeat to let the United States completely control the Japanese market through the hands of Qing Guo.

The Russian minister, Cassini, looked helpless. His Majesty the Tsar, despite the domestic economic pressure, built a new Taiping Fleet by means of borrowing, just to take revenge on the Qing people. Now that Russia wants to expand its docks in the Baltic Sea, repair the Far Eastern Railway, and rebuild its army, if the Qing take the opportunity of this great victory to turn around and attack the Russian Far East, the Far East, which has no defense capabilities, will instantly fall into the control of the Qing people. Moreover, Qing's move would be supported by Britain and France, and even the Germans would not necessarily oppose it. So how can we repair relations with the Qing and buy at least 5 years for Tsarist Russia? But thinking of the attitude of the Qing government, Cassini's mouth was full of bitterness.

In contrast, the Italians were very happy, because there were always many orders for cargo ships in the Qing Kingdom. Britain, Germany, the United States, France, and Russia all have warships to build, so it is cheaper for Italy. The Qing wars against Japan highlighted the lack of long-distance transportation capacity, and the Pacific Freight Company has already asked for prices around the world, and this time it must win the order, and the Italian shipyard has been idle for a while.

It doesn't matter to the ministers of other countries, just enjoy the food, and the expressions on their faces will be much more natural.

In the midst of the laughter in the hall, Li Hongzhang glanced at the faces of the ministers of various countries from time to time, which made him even happier. It has always been the Qing Dynasty that lives by looking at the faces of foreigners, and now the Qing Dynasty also has the capital to let foreigners see our faces. It's still good for the emperor to say, it's right to raze and raze, but it also has to be tough, and now the army of the Qing Dynasty has played its own toughness in a bloody battle, and this diplomatic means of razing and razing depends on him Li Hongzhang.

"Newspaper-" An urgent sound interrupted the noisy banquet, and everyone quietly watched as a guard from the Qing Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a telegram to Tang Shaoyi. After reading the telegram, Tang Shaoyi's face changed greatly, and he anxiously presented the telegram to Li Hongzhang.

"Hahahaha-" Li Hongzhang waved a telegram and laughed: "Two warring countries, in the case that the government has not surrendered, one of the arms of one of the parties surrenders to the other side. This is probably unprecedented. After speaking, he glared at Tang Shaoyi quietly, complaining that he was so shocked in front of the ministers of various countries, and it was a loss of the prestige of the Qing Dynasty.

Tang Shaoyi bowed his head to be taught, but Lin Qizhao on the side asked in surprise: "What do you mean, my lord?" ”

"On behalf of the Japanese Navy, Japanese Navy Minister Saigo surrendered to General Wu Deren, commander-in-chief of our Qing Navy, at 10 o'clock this morning. Now that the Japanese Navy has completely ceased to resist, the Qing Navy is receiving the remaining five Japanese warships. After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he motioned to Tang Shaoyi: "Tang Shangshu, immediately send China's ultimatum to Japan." ”

Tang Shaoyi bowed and quickly left the banquet. Ministers from various countries asked Li Hongzhang one after another what the ultimatum of Qingguo was, but Li Hongzhang said: "Our Japanese expeditionary force in China will launch an all-out attack in 24 hours, and will no longer accept any mention of Japan until the Japanese capital is completely occupied." ”

Eugene's face was gloomy, and the attitude of the Qing State was already clear: Japan would either surrender or perish. (To be continued)