The official residence of the Prime Minister in Tokyo

Ito sat on his knees as usual, but the anxious look on his face was still there. Seven days ago, the base camp suddenly discovered that they could no longer contact the troops in Liaodong and Shandong, and after many investigations, they could not find the reason. After a first try, I found that not only the base camp was like this, but also all radio stations in Tokyo could not be contacted by the outside world, including North Korea. As a last resort, I had to borrow the telegrams of the British and French legations, and only then did I find that the entire text had disappeared from the earth in an instant.

After inspection, it was found that all the telephone and telegraph lines from Tokyo to other places had been vandalized. Shocked by this, the Tokyo base camp began to investigate the matter thoroughly, but after seven days of investigation, it could not find the person who destroyed it. What made the base camp even more angry was that the personnel sent for maintenance reported that a line had been damaged several times, and the largest line had been cut into dozens of breaks. And it was finally repaired, but I still found that it couldn't be used. When I looked back, it was cut off again, or it was cut into several pieces. As a result, Ben was repairing this side, and that side was cut off. Finally, both ends were repaired, and when I turned around, I found that the newly repaired side had been cut off again. The soldiers sent out to protect them were like being played, and the only gain was to pick up countless bows and arrows and throwing knives that were used to destroy the line, even without anyone seeing them. Pervasive saboteurs keep the soldiers repairing the line running back and forth.

Sitting opposite Hirobumi Ito was Prince Arisukawachi, chief of staff of the wartime base camp, chief of staff, and army general, and at this moment asked the deputy chief of staff and army lieutenant general Kawakami**6, who was sitting on one side: "Kawakami-kun, hasn't your intelligence department been able to find out?" ”

"Your Excellency, we have preliminarily confirmed that the saboteur is a ** person. At the moment when I just arrived, we had identified a ** spy. The gendarmes are now arresting. I believe that the results will be available soon. ”

"Baga, when did the ** person have the ability to send spies?" Prince Arisu Chuanchi was very angry, the Qing State gave him the feeling that he was so weak and cowardly, the imperial spies almost walked sideways in the Qing Kingdom, even if they were caught, the Qing State political axe had to pay the spy for the passage to let him come back. The sudden discovery that Qing was able to lurk spies in the empire made Prince Arisugawa angry in surprise.

"Kawakami-kun, please tell me more about what you know." Hirobumi Ito said with a frown.

Then Kawakami **6 told a true story that sounded like a fantasy.

The cause of the incident was inadvertently discovered by a general staff officer who was drunk. It is well known that I like to soak in the hot springs, so there are all kinds of bath pools in Tokyo. Last night, after drinking and paying for the soup in the soup pool nearest the staff headquarters, one of the big assistants of the staff department was customary to tease the proprietress who had just passed away and had a good reputation.

After not seeing the proprietress at the cash register, this big Zuo went straight into the proprietress room, but saw the proprietress humming a little tune in the bath. This Dazuo is the most fond of the proprietress of flirting with him, but he is only limited to verbal flirting and has never done anything, because he is not married so far, he is really in love with this proprietress. The proprietress never takes a bath at this time, and Dazuo, who is used to coming in, is ashamed to leave this time amid the screams of the proprietress this time.

When he went to work the next day, this Dazuo suddenly recalled the little tune humming by the proprietress last night, and he hummed unconsciously when he felt good. When his colleagues knew from him that he was the proprietress of the soup pool, they kept laughing. At this time, after a Shao Zuo suddenly finished singing this minor tune in its entirety, Da Zuo asked, "Why do you know this song?" ”

"Your Excellency Dazuo, this song is what I learned in **, and it is a **Shanxi folk tune." Shaozo replied.

"Yo Xi, Your Excellency Shaozuo, can you please teach me this song?"

"Absolutely. It's just that as far as I know, this proprietress has never left Yuben, how did she learn the folk tunes of the Central Plains? ”

"Perhaps...... Maybe she learned it from the ** person in the book, right? "Mr. Osa, who has a deep impression of the proprietress and carefully defends the proprietress carefully.

"Absolutely. But I would like to remind Your Excellency Osa. We often discuss intelligence in Yuike, if she's really a ** spy......"

"I'll ask her myself."

Osa went with the gendarmerie, and the news was also reported to Kawakami **6. And as soon as Kawakami got the news, he immediately came to report to Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito. Hirobumi Ito was shocked by the news and asked, "Have you ever found anything like this?" ”

"No, Your Excellency. This is my rerequiretion. Kawakami **6 stood up and lowered his head: "I suspect that the spies of the Qing people have infiltrated the empire very early. As for the Qing State's tolerance of imperial spies all along, it was only to cover their spies' lurking in our country. Since the start of the Qing war, all the Empire's liaison offices in the Qing Kingdom were destroyed on the night of the declaration of war, which was a long-planned plan of the Qing people. Your Excellency is to be given a close check on the Empire, and as an intelligence officer, I am willing to take responsibility for my dereliction of duty. ”

Hirofumi Ito just waved his hand and motioned for Kawakami **6 to sit down: "It's not your fault alone. It was we all who underestimated the strength of the Qing State. The Qing State is still too big for the empire......"

A hurried knock on the door interrupted the conversation, and Shao Zuo, who came in, reported that he was not happy: "The proprietress of the soup pool is indeed a ** spy." However, we failed to catch her, and the explosives that detonated committed suicide, killing more than a dozen warriors of the Empire. ”

"Yaga, what the hell is going on?" Kawakami**Six asked angrily.

When the gendarmes surrounded the hot pool, Osa who rushed in found the proprietress and said, "I'm sorry, we need to ask you to go back and interrogate." ”

The proprietress who was leading the workers to clean up the soup pool to prepare for the evening welcome was very calm, "Can you let me change my clothes?" ”

The proprietress who got the consent went back to her room and changed her clothes, this time she changed into a cheongsam instead of a kimono from Yumoto. Then he opened the drawer and took out a pistol that had not been used for two years. An inadvertent mistake in espionage work will expose and ruin oneself, this is what the gentleman taught in the training class. Now it has been fulfilled. She had evacuated all the people in the vicinity, leaving her alone.

Yesterday she took a shower because she was ordered to suspend all actions that might reveal her identity. This order meant that the Qing Dynasty had won a decisive victory. So she bathed and changed her clothes in advance, because she would soon hear with her own ears that she had announced defeat. But she didn't expect that the hometown tune that she was humming happily for a while was inadvertently heard by herself, so she was ready for today yesterday. The moment she opened the door, she lit the fuse of the explosives buried in the ground.

The door opened, and the proprietress in front of Dazuo was so beautiful and moving. But his heart sank: "Why do you want to wear ** people's clothes?" Are you a spy on the hell or not? ”

"First of all, I would like to thank you for taking care of me all the time. But to be clear, I'm not a ** spy, I'm a Chinese spy. After saying that, the proprietress raised her hand, and the pistol continued to fire until all the bullets were gone.

Five of the soldiers fell, and the proprietress also fell in a pool of blood under the sound of her own gunfire. The soldiers rushed into the room.

Dazuo, who was standing at the front and was not shot, rushed forward and held the proprietress in his arms: "Why are you a Chinese spy." Why do you want to be a Chinese spy......" I couldn't cry for a while.

"But the Qing said that the two countries still went to war." The proprietress used her last strength to say, "Actually, he is not my husband, he is just a spy." ”

Osa hugged the proprietress tighter. The proprietress had her head resting on Dazuo's shoulder, and then the proprietress said in Dazuo's ear, "Hurry up, there are explosives buried here." Remember my name. My name is ......"

The loud explosions and soaring flames turned the entire soup pool to ashes, and also made this foreign love turn into nothingness.

"The spy of the Qing people is hiding too deeply, if it weren't for the proprietress of the soup pool who inadvertently revealed her identity, if it wasn't for the fact that His Excellency Dazuo happened to hear it, if His Excellency Dazuo didn't sing it or no one happened to know that tune. Then, the identity of this boss lady's ** spy may never be known, and the secrets of the empire will also be passed back by this boss lady**. After all, this proprietress has always had a very good relationship with many officers of the General Staff, and the Chief of Staff has always protected this soup pool. After Shao Zuo finished reporting, he turned around and went out.

"Yaga. It must be rigorously investigated. Prince Arisugawa stood up patting the table: "I personally went to order the imposition of martial law on the city of Tokyo. As he spoke, he walked outside.

On the corridor, a young man ran briskly, knocking the crowd in and out of the way. At this moment, he had no more to worry about, and he had to hand over the letter in his hand to the Prime Minister and His Royal Highness the Prince who were talking.

"Report." After Shao Zuo arrived at the door, he shouted and didn't wait for a reply from inside, he quickly pushed open the door and was about to rush in, but he didn't expect that someone inside just came out, and with a "bang", the door that was pushed open hit the face of the person who opened the door and fell down heavily. Shao Zuo hurriedly picked up the person who was hit and shouted: "Your Excellency the Prince, Your Excellency the Prime Minister, something has happened."

"Yaga-" Prince Arisugawa stood up with his nose covered, blood flowing from between his fingers. The door that crashed open hit his nose: "Baga, who let you break in, have you forgotten the etiquette of the empire?" Do you want me to gouge out your eyes? ”

Prince Arisu Chuanchi was already very unhappy about the matter of the Qing espionage, but now he was hit by someone and got a nosebleed. was so angry that Prince Qi Chuanchi wanted to kill.

"I'm sorry. I ask Your Excellency the Prince to forgive your sins, the situation is urgent. Shao Zuo lowered his head and apologized.

"Okay, tell me what you have to be so flustered?" Hirobumi Ito was still seated.

"I just received a letter from Miura City. The city of Miura reported that the Kannonyama battery was attacked by an unknown fleet, and the enemy had been repulsed. As of yesterday's nightfall, it was confirmed that the enemy fleet had a total of 18 ships of various types, including a fleet of 2 battleships of more than 10,000 tons, and that the enemy fleet had now completely blocked the Uraga waterway......"

"This can't be the Qing fleet." Kawakami said with some doubts: "As far as I know, the only one in the Far East that has more than 10,000 tons of warships is the British Far East Fleet. Could it be that something went wrong with the front-line troops that led to the retaliatory attack on the British side? ”

Before everyone could react, Shao Zuo, who reported the report, said: "The front-line batteries can confirm that the enemy fleet is flying the flags of other countries' fleets, including the Qing North and South Ocean Fleet. The hanging blue-background military flag depicts a golden dragon from Chinese mythology, so Miura City suspects that it is the hidden fleet of the Qing Dynasty. After all, only the Qing people used the dragon as a symbol. ”

"Nonsense, it's fake." Prince Arisugawa immediately asked out loud: "Why did the report sent out last night only arrive now?" ”

"Due to the damage to the communication line, the city of Miura could only send cavalry to report the news. But the search for telegraph machines along the way delayed time. ”

If it was the British Far Eastern Fleet that would have been fine, perhaps the front-line troops offended the British. Even if the front-line troops killed the Qing Emperor, it was nothing more than the empire giving up some of the benefits to the British. But if it is the hidden fleet of the Qing State, then the problem is difficult to say.

"Yaga, this can't be." Ito Hirobumi, who has always been steady, was also shocked into a cold sweat: "If it is the hidden fleet of the Qing Kingdom, why did it wait for the Qing Emperor to appear after he was besieged?" The telecommunications department was immediately ordered to repair all telephone and telegraph lines at once. ”

"Hey." Shao Zuo agreed, turned around, and walked out.

Another Shao Zuo in the corridor rushed over, and when he saw that the door of the hall was not closed, he rushed in without thinking about raising his feet. Collided with Shaozo who was coming out. There was a "pop" sound, and both of them fell to the ground at the same time. The newcomer didn't bother to pick up the other, so he got up and said, "Report, just after repairing the telegraph line with Mito, I received an urgent telegram from Mito." An hour earlier, the city of Mito had been shelled by an unknown fleet, and the shelling was continuing at the time of the report. It can be confirmed that the enemy's fleet is flying the painted dragon flag with gold on a blue background. ”

What happened? Hirofumi Ito, Prince Arisu Kawachi, and Kawakami**63 looked at each other.

"Report." A Nakasa walked in quickly: "I just received a telegram from Shizuoka who repaired the line. Two hours earlier, an unknown fleet flying the blue golden dragon flag had shelled Shizuoka. The main shelling has ended, and now the enemy is doing artillery training with Shizuoka. ”

"Yaga, what the hell is going on?" Ito Hirobumi was furious, the bay was blocked, and the city was shelled. But I can't even figure out who the enemy is.

"Report ......" before the voice arrived: "Nagasaki 800 miles urgent." ”

After a week of damage to the Empire's communication lines, has it become a communication method to use in the era of cold weapons?

Outside the gate, a large Zuo with a second lieutenant stood at the door. I saw Dazuo step into the gate and kneel on the ground: "Ladies and gentlemen, save the empire quickly." ”

"What the hell is going on? Who are you. Kawakami's voice trembled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Second Lieutenant Akiyama, the leader of the cavalry squad of the Nagasaki garrison wing. Four days ago on the night, an unknown fleet raided Sasebo. Two hours later, Sasebo was completely destroyed. Since all telephone and telegraph lines in Nagasaki were not available for communication, the Nagasaki Prefectural Commander asked me to lead a cavalry squad east to look for a telegraph that might communicate with the base camp. Finally, we came to Tokyo. Akiyama took out four official letters: "This is the official letter of the four prefectures of Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Osaka, and Nagoya, which were destroyed by artillery fire." ”

"Is the enemy fleet flying the blue dragon flag?" Prince Arisugawa still has a glimmer of hope. But it was quickly shattered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see it with my own eyes. However, the descriptions of each county are basically the same as those of adults. ”

"Don't look at it, you can talk about it." Ito sat down because he thought of a place that was the hope for the future of the empire - Etajima.

"It's my lord. Four days ago on the night, after Sasebo was destroyed by the enemy. I led the team to set off overnight, and all the way east to Kure Port, Kobe, and Osaka were all destroyed. Just after I left Nagoya, Nagoya was destroyed. In particular, according to reliable sources, the enemy has already sent an army to land. ”

Hearing this, Ito Hirobumi could no longer hold back the urge in his throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. The landing of the army means that the enemy will kill all the students of the naval school, and without this group of naval talents, it is equivalent to losing the navy, and if the naval empire is lost, the future will be lost. Ito Hirobumi said in a weak voice to Kawakami **6, who was holding him: "Immediately, carve, contact Miura City, and ask them to send a small boat to meet the enemy." Figure out who the enemy is and ask them why they are attacking the Empire. Hirobumi Ito suddenly exclaimed, "Why is that......" (To be continued.) )