When the ship sinks, there are people who choose to live with the ship, and there are people who choose to flee. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

Although the artillery fire has gradually died down in the East and peace seems to be coming, it is not the peace that many people yearn for, and for many Japanese, at least emotionally, they cannot face it calmly.

After the armies of Japan and Japan were put on the battlefield because of the opening of the negotiations in St. Petersburg, many Japanese chose to leave Japan and left Japan on ships, knowing full well that soon, Japan would no longer be the Japan they were familiar with. Even Japan, along with it, will become a name for history.

In the fall of the empire, more and more people chose to flee, but most of them were rich and scholars, and their education made them understand that leaving might be a better option, and their chosen destination was China. If there is anything that this war has taught Japan, it is to tell them that Western ghosts and animals cannot be trusted.

Compared with Western ghost animals, the Chinese are undoubtedly more reliable, after all, the Japanese are of the same language as the Chinese, and naturally they will not be discriminated against by the Chinese there. There are three liners to China, one per week, one to Shanghai, one to Yingkou, and one to Tianjin.

In fact, these three merchant ships with different destinations determine people's very different choices. Most of the people who went to Shanghai were businessmen, and most of the people who went to Yingkou were scholars, and politicians often chose Tianjin. Businessmen go to Shanghai to do business better, and students go to Yingkou because all schools in Northeast China need a large number of professors and scholars, as for politicians. The reason why they went to Tianjin. That's because there was a great Asian man in Tianjin.

But. At this juncture, ships are hard to come by. From the invasion of the Kanto Plain by the Lu army, more and more people wanted to escape from Japan. With the exception of scholars and their families who had obtained passports at the Qing Legation, it was difficult for anyone else to buy tickets at the price printed on them, and with the daily depreciation of Japanese paper money, it was often necessary to use gold to buy a ticket.

When leaving Japan, people have inexplicable fears, but also hopes and imaginations for the future. But in anticipation, he had to face the fact that the ship was seriously overcrowded. In order to earn the fare, the shipping company oversold the tickets, and there were so many people on board that the deck was so full of people that they couldn't lie down, and it was difficult to even move to the toilet. The people who got on the boat had no shelter, and many could only nest in the corner of the aisle, vomiting to death because of seasickness.

In the crowded cabins and on deck, after a long journey, passengers were finally able to experience the tension and panic that characterized the war years. The ship has been moving smoothly, but in order to avoid being intercepted by the army of the open country. At one point, it turned off its lights and didn't honk its horn. They also change their routes from time to time and drive on small roads.

It wasn't until the merchant ships sailed into the Bohai Bay that the nervous people who had been made by the war really relaxed.

"Look, Continental!"

Suddenly, with an excited shout, the people crowded on the deck raised their heads and looked in the direction of the land, looking at the strange but familiar land with anticipation, which was the land of China!

When the steamship with the dragon flag of 1,000 tons slowly sailed into the port of Tianjin, above the crowded and noisy deck, beside the bridge of the much spacious ship, Hiroyuki Kato looked at Tianjin with complex eyes, could this be the place where he would settle in the second half of his life?

"Father, when we arrive in Tianjin, we can live in the Mitsui Kaisha Company, whose president was a student at Kaesong School."

Hiroyuki Kato's eldest son, Teruki Kato, a medical doctor, has already arranged everything for the family. Unlike the others, Hiroyuki Kato, a member of the House of Nobles and a scholar, was the president of the Tokyo Academy and the president of the Tokyo Imperial University, and his protégés naturally had a lot of old friends, which is why he didn't need to stand on the deck.

Even the tickets that need to be bought in gold are personally delivered by others, and as a big man, even when the country is about to fall, Hiroyuki Kato still enjoys the power of a big man.

"It doesn't matter where you live, the most important thing is ...... future"

After a pause, Hiroyuki Kato turned his gaze to the people on the deck, who were both afraid and looking forward to the future, where would their fate be?

But now Kato Hiroyuki has no way to care about the fate of these ordinary people, for him, this trip has a more important mission, the reason why he came to Tianjin, and in the future, like everyone else, to Incheon or Northeast China, is because he values Li Hongzhang more than Tang Haoran.

In Kato Hiroyuki's view, the most respectable figure in East Asia now is only Li Hongzhang, who is the one who has saved the Qing Dynasty with his own strength, and is the person who can save Japan in the future.

Li......

While reciting the name in his heart, Hiroyuki Kato held on to the railing with both hands, silently staring ahead, staring at this strange city, which would not only be his future residence, but also the shelter of tens of thousands of Japanese refugees.

But what awaits you?

Although it is impossible for Hiroyuki Kato to live in a cramped room like other Japanese refugees, let alone survive in a refugee camp converted from a storehouse, on the other hand, he shares the same fate with those refugees, who are now all lost dogs and will be sent to Tianjin under the fence.

Even the Oriental hero in his eyes, how will he treat him? Thinking of these questions, Hiroyuki Kato's mind couldn't help but sink, and even like many ordinary refugees, he began to worry about his future fate.

"What can you do when you get to the Qing Kingdom?"

Furukawa's words changed at the sound of the whistle, but suddenly fell silent.

Nakamura waited for Furukawa's next words, and when he saw that he didn't speak, he said,

"At least there is no oppression by the Lu people here!"

There was no oppression by the Lu people, which was the reason why they fled Japan, as university students at Imperial University. They were well aware of the outcome of Ito's trip to the country of Lu to negotiate. Most likely, it will come at the cost of Japan's demise. Japan will become another India, and they will all live under the colonial rule of the Lu country, just like the Indians. This is undoubtedly unacceptable to them, and it is also the reason why they fled Japan. Because they didn't have much money, they only bought tickets without cabins, and after enduring the wet cold of the sea on the deck for many days, they finally came to Qingguo.

"Even if there are no Lu Guoren. We are also slaves of the country! ”

After sighing, Furukawa closed his eyes in pain. What a sad title for the slave of the dead country!

"It's like this when I think of Japan...... It's really unwilling! ”

How can you be willing?

Three years ago, Furukawa, who was admitted to Imperial University, like everyone around him, dreamed that Japan would become a great power in his own hands, but now this dream has been completely shattered, not only is it shattered, but even Japan as a country is about to become history. Soon, as soon as Ito Hirobumi reached an agreement with the people of Ru, Japan would disappear.

"That's what I thought when I first entered Imperial University......"

Furukawa looked at the somewhat muddy Haihe River and continued.

"I want to one day. We can see Japan rise in this world and make all Westerners who despise us respect us......"

Once upon a time, this was the dream of countless Japanese people. And now this dream has become a joke, the former dream of prosperity and strength is just a fool's dream.

"It's the same for everyone, that's what everyone thinks!"

Nakamura nodded, this is the idea of every Japanese person.

"But what now? Everything is gone, Japan is gone, what is there to talk about respecting the Japanese, now ......"

Turning around and pointing to the compatriots around him with complicated expressions, Furukawa said in a painful tone.

"We are all slaves of the country, even if we go to the Qing Kingdom, without the oppression of the people of the country, we can't change this identity......"

In that case, why didn't you stay in Japan and live with Japan in the first place?

Of course, Furukawa didn't think about this problem, in fact, even if he thought about it, he would have too many reasons to convince himself, first of all, he was a college student, he was the elite of the country, he should not be like a martial artist, sacrificing his precious life on the battlefield, there are too many places in the future Japan that need him.

What will Japan look like in the future? Furukawa didn't know, but he knew very well that his life was extremely valuable to the future of Japan and should not be given up in vain.

"That's true......"

Nodding earnestly, Nakamura glanced into the distance, and at this time the boat had already docked.

"That's why we're here, that's why we're coming to Qingguo, you know, Qingguo is Japan's last hope. Like His Excellency Kato and Mr. Yamakawa both think so, you see......"

Mr. Kato was referring to Hiroyuki Kato, the current president of Tokyo Imperial University. He was a feudal priest from the Izushi Domain of Tajima Province, and at first he studied "Rangaku", which was the study of Western studies in the Netherlands, and because of Rangaku, he was used by the shogunate and became a professor at the "Banshu Shosho". Later, he accurately judged the situation and taught himself German during the turmoil at the end of the shogunate. At that time, Hiroshi Kato was the only one person in Japan who had ever learned German. After the Restoration, he abandoned Lanxue and became the first authority on German scholarship in Japan, and was recruited into the new government, and then took the lead in introducing German philosophy. It is precisely because of its contribution to higher education that it has a reputation as one of the "six great educators" in Japan.

He was joined by Kenjiro Yamakawa, a professor at Imperial University. He was born into a family of feudal clans in the Aizu domain, and after the destruction of Aizu Wakamatsu Castle, he came to Tokyo without eating or drinking, and then went to the United States to study physics. As the founder of Japanese physics, he was also on this boat, and he was on the same boat as Mr. Hiroyuki Kato. Like every Japanese with hope, everyone came to Qingguo. Apparently they all saw the Qing Kingdom as the hope of Japan.

"They're all big shots!"

Looking at Tianjin Port, Guchuan's voice sank slightly.

"We're all little people, we don't even speak Chinese, let alone we haven't graduated from college, what's the use here?"

Yes, Hiroyuki Kato, they are big shots, whether they are in Japan or in the Qing Kingdom, they will be welcomed by others, but in comparison, as small people, what will they need to face after coming to the Qing Kingdom? If nothing else, I'm afraid that even eating will be a problem at that time.

"They're all feudal clansmen, so they naturally speak Chinese, but do you think this is Japan? There are more and more bachelor's degrees (1) graduating in Japan every year, so it doesn't seem important to us in Japan. But what about Qingguo? Under Li Hongzhang, there are really not a few bachelors, and in terms of academics, the current Qing Kingdom, just like Japan during the Restoration, don't you often lament that we were born too late? So we lost the opportunity to be like Mr. Kato, like Mr. Yamakawa, and now, in the Qing Kingdom, isn't it exactly that opportunity that we are facing? ”

In fact, the two have talked about this conversation many times in the past few days, and now Furukawa does not need Nakamura to lobby at all, and he does not regret leaving Japan.

The silence of his friend made Nakamura say in a more accentuated tone.

"Perhaps, when we get to Beiyang Yamen, we can get a good job! You know, Li Hongzhang is the real Oriental Bismarck! ”

When Li Hongzhang was mentioned, Nakamura's tone was completely admired, in the past he despised this guy extremely much, and it was difficult to understand some of his diplomatic concessions, but now he admired him for his five bodies, and it was precisely because of him that the Qing State, a weakened power, still stood in the East.

If Li Hongzhang were in Japan, he might be able to restrain the foolish guys! Like many Japanese, both Furukawa and Nakamura blame the reason for Japan's coverage on those stupid and self-conscious guys, and even blame it on the Japanese character, always arrogant and ignorant of reality, and only after suffering a harsh lesson will they wake up, but Westerners are not Chinese, China will tolerate their arrogance, but Westerners have brutally turned Japan into history.

"Li Hongzhang ......"

In the commotion caused by the start of disembarkation, Furukawa couldn't help but sigh in his heart while looking at Tianjin,

"A great Oriental character indeed!"

After this exclamation, Furukawa asked his friends again.

"Nakamura, do you think that when we arrive in Tianjin, will we have the opportunity to meet Li Hongzhang?"

Although he knew that it was impossible for him to ask to see Li Hongzhang as a small person, he was still full of expectations for all this.

"Perhaps, when the time comes, we should go and ask him to pay our respects, don't you think? Nakamura! ”

(1) Bachelor's degree: The old Japanese term for college students.

(Now that the butterfly's wings have flapped, the mainland is also changing as the protagonist forges ahead, which is just a normal deduction, not a reverse golden finger.) "You read the book, I pay", that's right, you read it right, it's "you read the book, I pay", once willful to the end! The group sends red envelopes every day...... The Empire's Sunrise Reader Exchange Group: 150536833 You read the book, I will pay...... Countdown to the fifth day! Welcome to join and grab the red envelope haha, hurry up and grab it...... (To be continued.) )