On January 2, 4608 (10) of the Yellow Emperor Era, Japanese Prime Minister Saionji Kotozo led the five ministers of the cabinet to the Japanese Imperial Palace, met with Emperor Meiji, and asked His Majesty the Emperor to issue an edict to start war against China.

In the Imperial Palace, Saionji Konozo and others met the pale Emperor Meiji. As the leader of Japan to prosperity and power, he has been deified as the emperor. Emperor Meiji had a high influence in Japanese society. It's just that even if he is deified, he is not a god after all. At this moment, Emperor Meiji was plagued by illness and seemed to have many years to live.

Emperor Meiji suffered from a severe uremia, which is almost incurable in terms of current scientific and technological prowess. Even if he is the emperor, he will inevitably die in the end.

Emperor Meiji sat on his throne and looked at the people of Saionji Konobu and others kneeling below. The Minister of the Interior, Hara Kei, knelt on the sidelines.

"Your Majesty, since the change of dynasties, the nascent Chinese Empire has been ambitious and bent on replacing the Great Japanese Empire in East Asia. Not only did they develop a strong army, but they also developed an extremely powerful navy. Although the Imperial Navy still occupies an absolute advantage, no one dares to guarantee how many years the Imperial Navy's superiority will be maintained with the vigorous investment of the Chinese people. For the sake of the Empire, the Cabinet decided to preemptively wage war against China, destroy their navy, and ensure the security of the Empire. I beg His Majesty the Emperor to issue an edict authorizing us to fight against Hichina. Saionji Gong looked at Emperor Meiji and said.

"Ahem." Emperor Meiji coughed twice before he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, is the situation really so critical that it is necessary to use war to solve it?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty. The current situation can only be resolved by war. The East Asia-Pacific region is too small to accommodate two powerful countries. Between the Empire and China. There will be a war. The victor will be able to dominate East Asia. And the loser can only prostrate at the feet of the winner. If we go to war now, the Japanese Empire will be able to occupy more advantages, and if it drags on for a few more years, our advantage will be lost. Xiyuan Temple Gongwang said.

Emperor Meiji nodded. He trusted the judgment of the ministers. Since everyone thinks that war is inevitable, he will not stop it. What's more, Emperor Meiji was absolutely unwilling to watch Japan sink step by step.

"In that case, gentlemen, go down and prepare. I have only one request, and that is to win the war with all my might. Japan, can't afford to lose. It's like the Japan-Qing War more than a decade ago, and we've been cornered. There is only one way to fight. The future of Japan is in the hands of the monarchs. Emperor Meiji said solemnly.

"Hey! The ministers will live up to the great trust of His Majesty the Emperor, defeat Shina, and ensure the foundation of the Great Japanese Empire for generations to come! The ministers replied one after another. It is clear that the Emperor has approved of war against the Chinese Empire. Well, their preparations for war with the Chinese Empire have been completed.

Subsequently, Xiyuan Temple Gongwang and others left the palace. There is still a lot of preparatory work to be done to fight against China. War. It's not a decision, you can leave and start fighting. If you want to win the war, you must be well prepared.

"Yuan Jun, you say, can we win this battle?" After Saionji Konobo and the others left, Emperor Meiji sighed.

"Your Majesty. With the blessing of the gods, the Japanese Empire will surely be able to win this battle. In particular, we have the full support of the British, and our chances of winning this war are still very good. As far as I know, although the navy of the Chinese had several new types of battleships. However, the Imperial Navy had as many as 12 capital ships. In addition to this, we have eight armored cruisers. In terms of the number of capital ships, the Great Japanese Empire had an absolute advantage. Home Minister Takashi Hara said.

Emperor Meiji nodded, indeed, the Japanese navy now has a very large advantage. Almost everyone believed that in the event of a war, the Japanese Navy would win. However, Emperor Meiji was always a little uneasy. A few years ago, the Japanese Army also swore that it would definitely defeat the Ji Provincial Army and seize the entire northeast. However, the end result was a crushing defeat for the Japanese Army, which eventually had to pay a huge price to end the war. Emperor Meiji was afraid that this war would repeat the history of the previous one.

"I hope that Amaterasu will bless Japan so that Japan can win this war!" Emperor Meiji said secretly in his heart.

The Japanese Admiralty Building, the three commanders of the Japanese Navy, has been assembled here. This time, the Japanese Navy's war against the Chinese Navy is not only related to the life and death of Japan, but also to the prestige of the Japanese Navy.

The Japanese Army suffered a crushing defeat in the last war, resulting in a huge loss of profits for Japan. At the same time, last year, the Japanese Navy's destroyer Fukiyuki was sunk by the Chinese Army in the Yangtze River, which has always been a great shame for the Japanese Navy. Now, they've finally found a chance to make a fuss. If the Japanese Navy can win a big victory, it will inevitably enable the Japanese Navy to gain more prestige, or even comprehensively suppress it, and occupy an absolute upper hand in Japan's land and sea struggle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Imperial Japanese Navy. As long as we can win this war, then we will be the heroes of the Great Japanese Empire. The Navy will enter an era of rapid development. And the army, it will no longer be able to confront us. Minister of the Navy Minoru Saito said excitedly.

Japan's land-sea dispute has been going on for a long time. In order to compete for more military spending, compete for more power in the cabinet. The Japanese army and navy will always engage in open and covert battles. This also greatly weakened Japan's military strength.

The three commanders of the Japanese Navy, including the Minister of the Navy, the Minister of Military Orders, and the Commander of the Combined Fleet. However, unlike the three commanders of the Japanese army, the Japanese war minister has the highest authority within the three chiefs. But the Minister of the Navy, among the three commanders of the Navy, is only the nominal supreme guide. In fact, the status of the three is equal. However, within the Japanese Navy, only the Minister of the Navy was allowed to participate in politics.

For example, the previous Minister of Military Command, Gonbei Yamamoto, has been coveting the position of Japanese prime minister since he left office. If the Japanese Navy can win this battle. Well, it is still very likely that his dream will come true.

"Yes, the Chinese were so ambitious that they actually ordered four cutting-edge battleships from the Germans. That's a dreadnought! Armed with a unified 305 mm gun, it also had extremely high speed and armor, for the capital ships of the Great Japanese Empire. Possess a deadly threat. The commander of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Goro Ijiin, also said. As the commander of the Combined Fleet, he knew that although the Japanese Navy had 12 battleships and eight armored cruisers, they were all old ships. Like the 'Fuji-class' battleships and the 'Shikishima-class' battleships, they are all old ships that served before the Russo-Japanese War. As for the six battleships of the Russian Navy captured in the Russo-Japanese War, they are also old warships, and there are even old warships that have been in service for more than ten years. The latest battleship is undoubtedly the 'Katori-class' battleship that was commissioned only in 1906. It's just that the 'Katori-class' battleships are also former dreadnoughts. Although the displacement is as high as 16,000 tons, the maximum speed is less than 20 knots, and the armament is only two twin 45 times the caliber 305 mm main gun, and four 254 mm secondary guns.

Although the power of the Katori-class battleships was slightly more powerful than the 40-caliber 305 mm main guns of the Shikishima-class battleships, they were also limited in strength. It simply cannot be compared with the 50-mm guns of 305 calibers that the Chinese Navy is equipped with.

As for the eight armored cruisers of the Japanese Navy, they were equipped with 203 mm guns of 45 times the caliber of the main guns, and only the main guns of the armored cruiser 'Kasuga' were a twin 254 mm gun of 40 times caliber and a twin 203 mm gun of 45 times the caliber of the twin. The speed of these armored cruisers. It was less than 21 knots, and even the battleships of the Chinese Navy could not catch up. Not to mention the comparison with the 'Longyao-class' battlecruisers of the Chinese Navy. In the event of a war, the Japanese navy would have a numerical superiority, but it would undoubtedly be very difficult to defeat the Chinese navy.

It's just that now the Japanese Navy has absolute superiority in numbers, so they confidently believe that. Even in the event of a war with the Chinese Navy, they will have the upper hand.

"Gentlemen, it is impossible for the Great Japanese Empire and Shina to live in peace. As long as the Great Japanese Empire does not give up its ambition to dominate the world, there will be a war between us and China. Right now. Our navy still has the upper hand. Therefore, we must seize this opportunity to wipe out the Shina Navy in one fell swoop, and completely cut off their ambition to compete with the Japanese Empire for maritime supremacy in East Asia. Strive for as many benefits as possible for the Great Japanese Empire. General Heihachiro Togo, Minister of Military Orders, said. As the commander of the Combined Japanese Fleet, which defeated the Russian fleet at the Battle of Tsushima, Heihachiro Togo had great influence in the Japanese Navy. Even together with Gonbei Yamamoto, who created the modern navy, he is called the spiritual pillar of the Japanese Navy.

"Yes, in this war, we will definitely send the Shina Navy to the bottom of the sea again in one fell swoop, just like in the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Navy is invincible in the world. Admiral Minoru Saito's eyes shone with excitement.

Like the three commanders of the Japanese Navy, the other generals and officers of the Japanese Navy also believed that they would surely win. (To be continued.) )

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