Chapter 31 The dark tide is surging

Looking at the figure walking away not far away, Ito Hirobumi was shocked, "That... Isn't that a sage from Yokohama, Yukichi Fukuzawa? ”

"It's Mr. Fukuzawa," the guard replied with a slight affirmative, and continued to guide the guests without looking back.

"He usually never deals with political axes, and he despises politicians and actually comes to the palace today"

"What is it for?" Ito Hirobumi shook his head, put aside the doubts in his heart, and followed the guards into the inner sanctum......

"'Monarchy'? What do the Admiralty people want to do," Muren frowned and stood up from the side, "Last year's military budget was already raised to 30%, and my people are already overwhelmed. ”

"If the council can't pass it, I must not force it."

Hirobumi Ito said helplessly, "The Minister of the Navy means that the Navy must have a flagship commensurate with its status."

"Heh, I've heard that the Admiralty has issued three 'monarchy'-level budgets to the Parliament at once," Muren mocked, "You have a message for my Minister of the Navy, His Excellency Shikinori Kayama, and ask if the Navy would not have the courage to go to war with the Qing Kingdom without these warships?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Hirofumi Ito, "Farewell below-"

……

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Qing Kingdom, Yanjing Forbidden City, noon

“… One hundred and ninety-nine, two hundred, two hundred and one, two hundred and two...... Two hundred eighty-seven, two hundred eighty-eight. ”

With the voice of the little eunuch to report the number, the staff of the Qing Palace's imperial dining room brought dishes of different colors to several neatly arranged sandalwood tables in the body and hall.

"The imperial diet is complete, please invite the Queen Mother to eat! ――”

Under Li Lianying's service, Cixi cleaned her hands, and walked to the exquisite chair in front of the dining table and sat down with the support of the palace maid.

"It's just such a dish, it's really impossible to put down chopsticks"

Cixi's slightly complaining voice frightened everyone in the imperial dining room who was waiting below and quickly knelt on the ground one by one.

"The minions are incompetent—"

Cixi Feng gestured to the eunuch on the side and ordered a few side dishes that he liked to eat, "That's it, why do you just order dishes like this today?" ”

"If the slave returns to the Queen Mother, it is the emperor who said that he will issue an edict in the palace to save money in the palace."

Cixi glanced at the people kneeling on the ground expressionlessly, "He~ They are all thrifty to the head of the mourning family, and he is really competent enough as the emperor." ”

The crowd knelt on the ground, and none of them dared to pick up the stubble.

At this time, Li Lianying, the chief eunuch who was waiting, walked up to Cixi's side lightly and said, "The servant heard that it was Ding Ruchang of the Beiyang Navy Division who gave the emperor an excerpt, saying that the sailor wanted to buy ammunition and replace the cannon, and the emperor ......."

"That's it!" Cixi slapped the table, "Isn't it just to build a garden, I finally had a sixtieth birthday, they insist on being angry with the mourning family, right?!" When will the sailor not be able to add ammunition and repair the artillery, it will have to be in the past two years?!! ――”

"Yes, the slave said the wrong thing" Li Lianying quickly knelt on the ground and slapped herself twice.

"That's it," Cixi glanced at him, "you are also loyal, take these dishes down, I see it in a sight." Let the imperial dining room make a new one according to the old system......"

"Zha! ――”

……

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The official residence of the Admiralty in Tokyo

Navy Minister Shiki Kayama shook his head slightly, "Sure enough, it still doesn't work, and Your Majesty doesn't agree." ”

"The displacement is 14150 tons, the length of the ship is 125 meters, the width is 23 meters, and the draft is 8. 4 meters. Well, armed with four 343 mm large-caliber naval guns...... In terms of tonnage and armament, it is more than twice as large as the Qing State's 'Dingyuan' class, and it is really a mythical warship. If there are three, no, even if there is only one, our navy can completely overwhelm the Beiyang fleet of the Qing State, and even the fleet of the Russians. ”

"Your Excellency, wasn't this outcome expected a long time ago? To be honest, none of the British will necessarily sell us such a battleship. Kato, who is an adjutant, doesn't care.

"The navy is ready, whether there are these 'monarch' class ships or not, our strength is enough to compete with the Beiyang Fleet."

Shiki Kayama nodded and replied, "It's time to compete with Beiyang, I really hope that this day will come soon." ”

"Yes, I really want to take off this clothes and run to the battleship, even if it is an ordinary sailor" Kato Yuzaburo pulled his collar a little helplessly.

"Haha, you're really interested."

At this time, the new commander of the standing fleet, Yuhiro Ito, walked in with Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu.

"As a descendant of samurai, the warlike bloodline has not changed," Mutsu said teasingly, "but our Commander Ito will not dare to accept you, and he will not be able to explain to the people if there is any damage to the two of you." ”

Ito Yuheng laughed and said, "I can understand the enthusiasm of the two Your Excellencies, since the Imperial Navy has fully added rapid-fire naval guns and purchased warships such as 'Yoshino', it has surpassed the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Kingdom in terms of total tonnage, fleet speed and naval gun rate of fire. ”

"War is not something that can be fought," Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu shook his head, "and all aspects of the book are still making preparations, producing ammunition and stockpiling food ......"

"Haven't we been preparing for this day?" Kayama Shikiki interface.

"When the time is ripe, we will find another excuse, and we can start a war against the Qing Kingdom!"

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South Seas, Republic of Seris

"Bang! Suddenly! Dodo!! Dodo!! ――”

"Hahaha~, Hanyin, your iron machine is really moving" Seeing the tractor in the manor with the ploughing machine starting, Wu Xiatong grabbed Chen Zeyu and jumped happily.

Chen Zeyu smiled dumbly, "Of course we have to move, not only this one that can move, but also in the future, we will build a machine that can fly." ”

"Hmph~ Blowing the atmosphere", looking at Wu Xiatong's expression, he obviously didn't believe it.

Chen Zeyu, who has always wanted to maintain a glorious image in his fiancée's heart, was anxious, "Don't believe it, I'll tell you ......"

"Hee-hee, okay~" Wu Xiatong laughed narrowly, "I'm kidding you"

Chen Zeyu, who reacted, naturally came to another fragrant action to seek justice.

Speaking of which, his beautiful fiancée, who is only one year older than him, although she is only 19 years old, she may not be much worse than her double master's degree in terms of knowledge. When I was running around all these years, my fiancée was not idle. Wu Xiatong, who graduated from a girls' high school in Hong Kong in her early years, went to England with her family elders when she was 16 years old, that is, the second year after Chen Zeyu's return, and later returned to China until she graduated from Oxford University three years later.

Chen Zeyu hasn't seen his "beloved wife" for a few years, so he naturally wants to spend time with her.

……

"Führer, Dr. Sun has come to see you again."

Chen Zeyu, who was holding his fiancée in his arms and teaching her to be a tractor, raised his head angrily when he heard this, and said to the guards on the side, "Just say that I'm not there, this Sun Cannon, it's not good to work in the hospital, and it's really annoying to me to mess around all day long!" ～”

"Hanyin, is it Sun Wen?" Wu Xiatong wondered.

Chen Zeyu shrugged his shoulders, "Who else besides him?" ”

"Urging the political axe to use troops against the Qing State all day long, the one of the Northern Expedition?"

"What's the matter, you're interested in him again?" Chen Zeyu looked at his fiancée and said.

"I hate it, people are only interested in you, okay, stingy! ~" Wu Xiatong shook his shoulder and said coquettishly, "I just think that what he thinks is exactly what you have always wanted to do?" ”

When Chen Zeyu heard this, he narrowed his narrow eyes and looked into the distance and smiled, and said, "Hey~, is it very easy for him to fight, the time has not yet come......";