In the mansion, the cabinet of Saionji Temple, which was not in serious trouble, was directing the post-disaster work, but because the earthquake happened to be the time for the Japanese to cook, and the Japanese buildings were made of wood, as a result, the Saionji Gongwang and others, who were stunned by the earthquake, had already been burned by the fire not long after the disaster.

"Amaterasu, have we done something wrong!"

Because of the earthquake, all the cabinet members of Xiyuan Temple have left the room and come to the open space in the mansion to go to work, but looking at the sky that has been dyed red by the fire in the distance, Xiyuan Temple Gongwang said in despair.

After all, after the defeat of the Battle of Shandong and the Battle of Sakhalin, Japan's national strength had just recovered a little thanks to the efforts of Saionji and others, and it was actually encountered such a major earthquake that is rare in decades...

In addition, the earthquake covers a wide range of areas, and the place where it occurred is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the heart of Japan...

But the most fatal thing is the fire after the earthquake...

"Can't the fire be extinguished!"

After wiping his face with a wet towel, Ichirai Otsuhiko, who no longer looked embarrassed, asked.

"No..."

War Minister Hanzo Yamanashi and Navy Minister Yuzaburo Kato both shook their heads.

"We have sent the army and navy stationed near Tokyo to help with the rescue, but a strong wind has just blown outside, factories, schools, residential houses, and now there are fires burning all over Tokyo, plus there are already a lot of flammable and explosive items in Tokyo..."

"That's right." Yuzaburo Kato nodded. "The current firefighting operation is not only dangerous but also troublesome, in the process of fighting the fire, soldiers and firefighters may come into contact with explosives ignited by the fire at any time, in just a few hours, we have even received hundreds of incidents of soldiers killed or injured due to the explosion of explosives..."

"In addition, because of the earthquake, many underground water pipes were damaged, and there was no water source at all. Firefighters can't put out fires with their bare hands. Coupled with the fact that the collapsed houses have blocked the streets, fire trucks are simply impassable. It was even more difficult for the fire truck to move when it entered the fire..."

But that's not all. At present, the most serious thing is that because of the fire, many emergency supplies have been burned.

A considerable part of Japan's supplies were already stockpiled in Tokyo, and the scope of the earthquake was quite extensive, so it may not be enough to mobilize supplies from other regions...

And at this time Tokyo and other disaster areas. Not only is there a lack of food, but also a lack of medicine...

Especially because of the fire. In the course of the earthquake, many victims, soldiers, and firefighters were burned, but there is no such thing as scalding medicine in Tokyo today...

After all, no one expected that such a large-scale fire would occur in Tokyo...

"It's a mess..."

Now the only thing that makes Xiyuan Temple Gongwang happy. I'm afraid it's still September. It's not as cold as it was during the Haiwon earthquake, otherwise the Saionji Gongwang would really have to hit the wall with his head.

"In any case, we must minimize the damage caused by the disaster, gentlemen, work hard!"

Looking at the appearance of Saionji Gongwang, Yuzaburo Kato, who had just taken office, and others bowed their heads one after another.

"Yes!"

But while the people in the open space were cheering each other on. A foreign minister, Yasuya Uchida, suddenly walked over quickly.

"Your Excellency, the Chinese have just received news. Said that he was willing to provide a certain degree of personnel and material help! ”

"Oh?"

Hearing Uchida Yasuya say this, the faces of Saionji Gongwang and the others suddenly became very complicated, but in general, there was still a lot of joy in it. After all, Tokyo is short of everything now, and if you can have a little more life-saving supplies, you can save the next person. …,

However, Saionji was still relatively sharp-eyed after all, and it was soon seen that there was something wrong with Yasuya Uchida's face.

"Anything else?"

"Yes..."

When he said this, Yasuya Uchida's face was ugly.

"In addition, the Chinese also asked us to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel in Japan, and that all those personnel and materials were transported by warships..."

"Warship!"

The faces of Saionji Gongwang and Kato Yuzaburo and others changed.

As for the material aid, although the sense of China is not very good, but Xiyuan Temple Gongwang and others are still happy to be prejudiced, after all, these aids are urgently needed by Japan, and they don't need money.

As for ensuring the safety of Chinese in Japan? This is more difficult, because now there are fires everywhere, and there is really no time to care about those Chinese. However, now that China is the third largest power in the world stronger than Japan, and the Chinese are also preparing to send some relief materials, it is not unreasonable to take care of those Chinese in Japan for the sake of the materials.

However, it was the warships that delivered the supplies ...

Leaving aside the black ship incident of the Americans, the humiliation brought by the Beiyang Navy to the Japanese in those years directly caused Japan's subsequent efforts to become strong. And now let the Chinese warships sail into Tokyo Bay? This is by no means something that Gongwang and others of Saionji Temple can endure.

"Your Excellency, even if you have the supplies for assistance, you must not agree to the warship!"

Before Saionji Gongwang could say anything, Yuzaburo Kato, as the Minister of the Navy, had already said loudly. Although he had just taken office not long ago, Yuzaburo Kato had to express his position at this time.

At this time, the Minister of War Hanzo Yamanashi also spoke.

"That's right, and who knows if those Chinese came to take advantage of the fire!"

In fact, everyone present knew that it was impossible for the Chinese to send warships to Japan at this time to take advantage of the fire, but letting the Chinese warships sail into Tokyo Bay was always an unacceptable thing for the Japanese government, so everyone else accepted Yamanashi Hanzo's view.

In fact, in history, during the Great Kanto Earthquake in Japan, China also sent warships to Japan to deliver some urgently needed supplies for the Japanese.

At that time, China's political situation, like Japan's, was in turmoil. In June of this year, under the persecution of Cao Kun and others, President Li Yuanhong was expelled, and Premier Zhang Shaozeng, who participated in the expulsion of Lebanon, also resigned. In accordance with the law, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gao Ling, was regent. Acting Prime Minister.

The regency cabinet was held on September 2, the day after the earthquake in Japan. He immediately sent people to the Japanese Embassy in China to express his condolences, which showed extremely rare efficiency. On September 3, the cabinet convened a meeting, and Foreign Minister Gu Weijun proposed. Regarding the earthquake in Japan, "our country is committed to disaster relief and compassion for our neighbors." There should be no inaction, and the government should order the people to join in raising funds for relief."

The Cabinet unanimously approved five resolutions on disaster relief in Japan: In addition to sending telegrams to Zhang Yuanjie, the chargé d'affaires in Japan, and the Consulate General in Kobe, they urgently investigated the disaster. Allocate 200,000 yuan to Japan. He also demanded that "the governors of the provinces, together with the gentry and local organizations, organize a meeting for the relief of the Japanese disaster and carry it out in concert with the government," and at the same time "send merchant ships to transport food and medicines, and the Red Cross Society to Japan."

Japan, which made the Chinese weak at that time, was still making the Chinese gnash their teeth not long ago.

This year, Japan was supposed to return Lushun and Dalian, whose leases had expired. The University was forcibly leased by Russia in 1898. The lease was for 25 years, which expired exactly in 1923. After the Russo-Japanese War. Japan defeated Russia and inherited the lease. However, the Japanese were not satisfied with the 25-year lease period, and they wanted to hold these two strategically important military port cities in perpetuity. In 1915, Japan forced Yuan Shikai's government to sign the "Twenty-one Articles", which was skillfully delayed by Yuan Shikai. Under international pressure, Japan gave up some of its demands, and finally forced Yuan Shikai's government to sign a treaty backed by force, which is the so-called "Fourth Treaty of the People" (signed in the fourth year of the Republic of China), which stipulates that "the lease period of Luda and the management period of the South Manchurian and Anbong railways will be extended to 99 years". …,

With regard to the "Fourth Treaty of the People's Republic of China" signed under the threat of bayonets, successive Chinese governments, starting with Yuan Shikai, have resolutely refused to recognize its legal effect. At the Paris Peace Conference, which triggered the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese delegation also vigorously rejected the legitimacy of the "Fourth Treaty of the People's Republic of China." At the end of 1922, before the expiration of the lease of the University, the Chinese House of Representatives and the Senate passed bills reaffirming the invalidity of the "Fourth Treaty of the People's Republic of China", which was supported by countless civil organizations and demanded that the central government negotiate with Japan as soon as possible and take back the University.

At the same time, various activities to boycott Japanese products have also been carried out in the private sector.

However, after the news of the earthquake reached China, the people of the whole country responded positively under the call of the Beiyang government. China, which has been falling apart since entering the Republic of China, has seen a rare cohesion, with one heart and one mind, and the north and the south working together.

The Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce decided to "purchase 10,000 bags of flour and 3,000 bags of rice", and paid 6.11 million yuan in advance, Gu Xinyi and Rong Zongjing purchased flour and loaded it on the ship, and Yu Qiaqing handled the customs declaration. China Merchants sent the "Xinming" steamer to deliver it free of charge. Their efficiency was very high, and on 3 September, the "Shinmei," loaded with the first batch of relief supplies such as flour and rice, set sail for Japan, which became the first international aid Japan received and the first batch of international ships to arrive at the same time as the US warship.

Zhuang Dezhi, chairman of the General Office of the Red Cross Society of China, and Niu Huilin, chief medical officer, personally led "four male and female doctors, eight ambulancemen, one secretary and one accountant, four female nurses, four team servants, 20,000 yuan in cash, and more than 10 large boxes of medicinal materials and other products", and set off for Tokyo, Japan on September 8 to participate in disaster relief work. This is the first international medical rescue team to reach the disaster area in Japan.

Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang initiated the establishment of the "National International Donation Conference for the Arts Circle", and stars such as Yu Shuyan and Yang Xiaolou participated in the charity performance, raising 50,000 yuan for Japan's disaster relief. The "Shanghai Lingjie Federation" also carried out a two-day charity performance on the "New Stage", sponsored by He Fenglin, Sheng Zhushu, Wang Jingwei, Shi Liangcai, Yu Qiaqing, Ye Chuling, Zhang Jiluan and others. The Shanghai Society for the Preservation of Paintings and Calligraphy raised funds for disaster relief in Japan through auctions, which included paintings by members such as Tang Yin (Tang Bohu), Liu Yong, Wu Changshuo, Li Mei'an, and Qian Jiyin.

Wang Yiting, a businessman, painter and leader of Buddhism in Shanghai, raised 6,000 quintals of rice, more than 2,000 bales of flour and various urgently needed items, which were the first batch of relief materials from abroad. Wang Yiting is known as "Wang Bodhisattva" by the Japanese.

China's Putuo Mountain and many monasteries hold 49 days of dojo ceremonies, chanting scriptures and reciting Buddha, and paying tribute to the Japanese victims. The bell was cast in Hangzhou and is still stored in the Tokyo Memorial Hall.

Even the then Minister of the Navy, Li Dingxin, a naval commander who had participated in the First Sino-Japanese Naval War, dispatched two warships carrying food to Yokohama to rescue the victims.

At that time, China could only be described as kind...

After all, not so long ago, China was still because of the relationship between Shandong and other places. The May Fourth Movement broke out in Beijing.

However, when the news of the earthquake in Japan came, the Chinese people at that time repaid their grievances with virtue.

But how did the Japanese repay the Chinese?

"But in the chaos after the earthquake. Japan spread rumors that the Koreans were going to riot. The army, police and citizens killed thousands of North Koreans and hundreds of Chinese. ”

"Later statistics show that a total of 716 Chinese were killed in the earthquake in Japan, of which 622 died on the spot, 11 were missing (some were found to have been killed later), and 83 were injured (some died of serious injuries afterwards). Among those killed. A total of 658 people from Wenzhou and Chuzhou, Zhejiang, 605 were killed and 53 were injured. In addition, there are 42 Chinese workers from Wenzhou (including 34 dead and 8 injured). Although there were witnesses in the same group, they were not counted because their names were unknown. The total number of Chinese workers killed in Zhejiang is 700. Of these, 639 were killed and 61 were injured. The news was transmitted back to Wenzhou and Chuzhou. From the thoroughfare to the country village, crying almost everywhere..."...,

Although the Japanese government later insisted that it had "mistakenly killed" the Chinese in the process of suppressing the Koreans, many of those Wenzhou workers had not yet shaved their Manchu braids and were wearing Chinese-style clothes, and they knew at a glance that they were Chinese. As a matter of fact. In addition to attacking Chinese workers, many Chinese students studying in Japan have also been poisoned. ”

――――――――――

"Good" Chinese after the May Fourth Movement. Treat the Japanese with the spirit of retribution with virtue, but how do the Japanese repay the Chinese? Only slaughter ...

Not only during the Great Kanto Earthquake, but also in the future...

And more than a decade later, the means used by the Japanese to reciprocate are even more outrageous.

There is no one in this world who knows this better than Yan Guang...

Because that's in the tens of millions...

"Therefore, the safety of the Chinese in Japan must be guaranteed..."

Rubbing his head, Yan Guang said silently in his heart.

At this time, Gu Weijun suddenly appeared.

"President, the Japanese have just called to welcome our aid operation, but have refused to allow us to send supplies by warship..."

"As expected..."

It is not surprising that in history, China's strength was only a little, and it was simply at the role of Japan's bullying, so even if the Beiyang government at that time sent naval warships to Japan to transport weapons, the Japanese would not particularly care.

However, the current Guoshe government is completely different from the historical Beiyang government, and it would be strange if the Japanese would agree at this time, not to mention that Yan Guang was going to send to Tokyo, or the main fleet of the Ocean Fleet...

"Sa Lao, this time it's up to you to lead the team..."

Without waiting for Sa Zhenbing to answer, Yan Guang had already turned his head to Gu Weijun and said.

"Tell the Japanese that the safety of the Chinese in Japan must be guaranteed, and that the fleet is just escorting the hospital ship to Tokyo, so that they don't have to worry too much..."

Although the Japanese government has been warned, in addition to the indulgence of the Japanese government, another reason for the massacre of Chinese and Koreans is the discrimination and hatred of the Japanese against the Chinese.

So Yan Guang doesn't trust the Japanese government, doesn't they all say that the truth is only within the range of artillery?

Then Yan Guang drove the fleet into Tokyo Bay, and he didn't believe it, the fleet had entered Tokyo Bay, and the Japanese dared to do anything to the local Chinese.

"If they dare to do it, I will dare to shoot!"

However, blatantly sailing a warship into a country's waters is not a thing worth publicizing after all, which is why Yan Guang will let the fleet take the hospital ship to go, after all, the hospital ship is used to treat the wounded, and in later generations, there are even some countries' navies that will use their own country's hospital ships to go to other countries to carry out treatment activities.

So if you bring a hospital ship, it's more or less cover.

As for the question of the Japanese letting not let the fleet into the Gulf of Tonkin ...

"Just drive the fleet in, can they still drive us out?!"

Yan Guang did not believe that after the fleet was driven into Tokyo Bay, there was any other way for the Japanese to drive the fleet out. After the signing of the Washington Naval Treaty in 22 years, although the Japanese also started a capital ship replacement program, that is, to build several capital ships with similar performance to the [Xingri Ma] class and the [Kui Wood Wolf] class to replace those old former dreadnoughts with outdated performance.

However, it has only been a little more than a year since the "Washington Conference", and in addition to the financial difficulties of the Japanese government, the latest battleships have only reached the preparatory stage.

So the current Japanese Navy is not an opponent of the Chinese Navy at all. Of course, there are also Japanese shore defense runs in Tokyo Bay. Use warships to deal with shore defense artillery. Even a battleship was not a cost-effective thing. ..., but the Great Kanto Earthquake, a time of panic in Tokyo and other places, Yan Guang did not believe that the Japanese government had the courage to open fire.

After all, although it may not be possible to capture Tokyo, it is still no problem for the fleet's capital ship to leave.

Now sail the fleet into Tokyo Bay. At the end of the day, it can be regarded as having informed the Japanese government, and in the eyes of outsiders, it can be regarded as the permission of the Japanese government. But if the Japanese government fires. That would be tantamount to tearing the skin, and if the Japanese government had not been able to keep the fleet, it would be a real shame...

――――――――――

is different from Yan Guang's single-minded desire to protect the Chinese in Japan. Sa Zhenbing and other government officials really feel some pity for the victims of the earthquake in Japan.

Not. Just like the Chinese government and people in history.

In the final analysis, although they experienced the Battle of Shandong and the Battle of Sakhalin, there were still many people with pro-Japanese tendencies in China. Even though Japan at this time was completely inferior to China in terms of strength, because many government figures had studied in Japan in the early years, pro-Japanese and pro-German people always occupied a certain proportion of the national government.

On the contrary, there are far fewer pro-US people.

Plus what the Chinese in Japan will be in danger. It's just Yan Guang's words and deeds, in fact, Sa Zhenbing and the others are very disapproving.

In particular, warships were sent to Tokyo Bay. In the eyes of Sa Zhenbing and others, Yan Guang deliberately provoked the actions of the Japanese...

It's a pity that the current national defense navy is no longer the Fujian navy of the past, and the influence of Sa Zhenbing, Liu Guanxiong and others is not as great as in the past. Therefore, after listening to Yan Guang's order, Sa Zhenbing could only nod in agreement.

However, while nodding in agreement, Sa Zhenbing also thought in his heart.

"If I go, I can at least grasp the scale, if others go..."

In the past, naval veterans like Sa Zhenbing and Liu Guanxiong had even greater influence in the navy than Yan Guang, the great president. However, since the establishment of naval schools in the coastal provinces and the introduction of personnel into the navy, the influence of Fujian generals such as Sa Zhenbing has become less and less.

Today, the influence of Sa Zhenbing and others in the navy is even less than one-tenth of what it used to be.

Just because Sa Zhenbing is a navy veteran, because of the past to reduce the influence of the Fujian navy, Sa Zhenbing once supported Yan Guang, so Yan Guang has always respected Sa Zhenbing and left him in the position of the Minister of the Navy...

In the navy, the admirals from Yan Guang's line account for the vast majority, and most of these admirals belong to the Shaozhuang faction, not only obeying Yan Guang's orders alone, but also being extremely belligerent in the eyes of Sa Zhenbing and other old navies.

If it was Yan Guang's Shaozhuang faction general who was sent out to command the fleet, then when the fleet sailed into Tokyo Bay, it was really unknown whether something would happen because of friction that Sa Zhenbing didn't want to see...

It was also for this reason that although there was some resistance in his heart, Sa Zhenbing still nodded.

After all, if he goes, he can still grasp it somewhat.

But if it's the generals of the Shaozhuang faction who go, it's really heaven who knows what will happen.

"But President, didn't you say you wanted to ease relations with the Japanese?"

Just as Sa Zhenbing nodded in agreement, Xu Shichang on the side suddenly came out and said.

"I naturally want to ease relations with the Japanese, but the problem is that I am afraid that if we do not force the Japanese to do their best to ensure the safety of the Chinese in Japan, I am afraid that our relations with the Japanese will not be able to ease at all in a few decades..."

Yan Guang did not lie, he really wanted to ease relations with Japan.

After all, Japan is now equivalent to a means used by Britain and the United States to contain China, and if the threat posed by Japan can be resolved, then China's threat at sea will be reduced by half.

But more importantly, with the opportunity of détente with Japan...

"Raise Japan as a vicious dog to deal with Britain and the United States..."

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Both Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia are under the responsibility of the Beijing Military Region

Of course, the Lanzhou Military Region and the Shenyang Military Region also have the responsibility of assisting in defense