H2> Shigenobu Okuma and his entourage drove to the Imperial Palace of Japan in the center of Tokyo, and after getting off the car, they saw a "green island" surrounded by water, an isolated city on an isolated island, where the residence of the emperor of Japan Miyagi, the Japanese Imperial Palace is located.

Several people crossed the stone bridge over the moat and entered the palace, which covers an area of only more than 30 acres. ”

"How is the situation of the Majesty today, we have something important to report to the Majesty." Shigenobu Okuma asked.

Because Emperor Taisho had been sick since childhood, he had suffered from meningitis and his mental condition was very bad, and the emperor often made some ridiculous behaviors before the public. For example, when watching a military exercise, he would suddenly run down the review stand, open the soldier's backpack and rummage through it. Once, when he attended the opening ceremony of the National Assembly, on a whim, he smirked and rolled up the speech into a cylinder, put it on his eyes, and shone it in front of the foreign envoys. And he was often irritable, and even whipped the guards with a leather whip. Therefore, Okuma Shigenobu first asked the emperor how his mental state is today, which is also the favorite question of all people when they meet Emperor Taisho.

The royal officer on duty hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty is in a good mood today, and I had breakfast with His Royal Highness Hirohito and the other four His Highnesses just now. ”

"Then you go and report it, just say that I have something important to report to Your Majesty." Okuma Shigenobu instructed the imperial official to hurry up and report, but the imperial official did not dare to delay, so he invited a few people into the main hall of the palace "Matsuno Pavilion", and then quickly went to the inner palace to report.

Sandalwood burns inside the Pine Pavilion, and a simple and rich spicy fragrance comes straight to the mind, making people feel refreshed.

"Your Majesty has arrived." The guards shouted outside the door, and Okuma Shigenobu and a few people quickly stood up to greet them.

Emperor Taisho, dressed in a dark yellow kimono and wearing a high crown, walked slowly into the hall, and several people hurriedly greeted him. Emperor Taisho waved his hand and said, "A few of them are really diligent in their administration, and they came over early in the morning." After speaking, he sat on the main seat, and his face showed a stern expression.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report to you, in the early hours of this morning, the Japanese area of the public concession of the empire in Shanghai, China, was broken into by the Chinese army, killing 5 of our nationals and arresting 8 people, we specially report this matter to you." Shigenobu Okuma said.

Shigenobu Okuma's words also caused Emperor Taisho to solemnly, "When did the army of Shina become so bold, tell me the details." The Emperor said softly.

"Let's let Foreign Minister Kikujiro Ishii report on this." Kikujiro Ishii couldn't shirk it, so he had to tell Emperor Taisho the whole story.

Emperor Taisho listened to Kikujiro Ishii's narration, gradually frowned, and after listening to the whole thing, he said: "The public concession belongs to the territory of Britain and the Americans, why don't they stop the actions of the warlord of the Republic of China, is it possible that the British and the United States have reached some agreement with this warlord named Guo Yu, or is there something involved in this that we don't know." Then there is the fact that the other side has already arrested eight of our expatriates, will they get their confessions, and if the other side really comes up with evidence in this regard, it will be very unfavorable to us. Emperor Taisho offered several points of his own.

"Your Majesty, for the time being, we don't know the intention of Britain and the United States to let Guo Yu's army enter the public concession, but we guess that they are ready to see us and China and Japan compete with each other, and they will have a fisherman to profit. As for the confession, we are going to let the Shanghai consul Takeshi Harada disappear at the appropriate time, and it is useless for the other party to come up with the so-called confession after this clue is broken. Shigenobu Okuma explained.

"What is your opinion on this matter?" Emperor Taisho asked.

"We are ready to dispatch the Second Fleet of the Japanese Combined Fleet to put pressure on the government of the Republic of China and strive for greater benefits." Okuma replied.

Emperor Taisho thought for a moment and said, "Although we have signed an offensive and defensive alliance treaty with Britain and have a certain amount of support for the empire, they are also constantly guarding against us, and it can be seen from the fact that Britain and the United States let the army of the Republic of China enter the public concession to search, Britain and the United States are playing a balancing tactic, and now our country is still vigorously developing and building, and I very much agree with the interests, but we must try to avoid heavy conflicts with Britain and the United States and even the Republic of China, and it is not yet the time for a full-scale war." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, we have also considered these, the government of the Republic of China is now seeking funding from our empire, and in terms of the handling of this public concession incident, judging from their previous weakness and incompetence, as long as we put a little pressure on the other party, they will be at our mercy, as for the overseer of Jiangsu, it is just a local warlord, and it is not difficult to solve." Shigenobu Okuma said.

Then the Minister of Finance, Taketoshi Tomitoshi, the Minister of Land, Kenichi Oshima, and the Minister of the Sea, Yuzaburo Kato, respectively reported on the aspects they were responsible for, and several people discussed some details, and finally Emperor Taisho issued an order in the name of the emperor to mobilize the Second Fleet of the Japanese Combined Fleet to set off for the Republic of China to carry out the operation of protecting overseas Chinese.

Japan's largest newspapers, the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, and the Mainichi Shimbun, respectively reported on the events that took place in the Japanese area of the Shanghai Public Concession in China. Some people even clamored for an all-out military attack on the Republic of China and the occupation of China.

Shigenobu Okuma stood at the Prime Minister's Office and looked at the crowd of petitioners outside, and he was very happy that he saw the possibility of getting out of the political crisis that he was currently in.

After more than two years of hard work, 13 of the 48 local governors in Japan were removed and 32 changed their positions. Shigenobu Okuma also replaced the ministers of the interior and the police of various parts of the country, and transferred the Minister of Internal Affairs, Oura and Takehei, to the post of Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. He also used such means as profit temptation, election interference, and promises to return benefits, and other means to receive a large amount of election funds from the business community to carry out the "golden power election". And after these tasks are completed, the Senate that originally supported him is ready to give up on himself, and he has worked hard to complete the tasks assigned by the Senate, just because the Political Friends Association has raised a motion of no confidence in himself, he wants to let himself step down, which is unacceptable to Okuma Shigenobu, this is a typical bird with a bow and a rabbit and a dead dog, and Okuma Shigenobu wants to fight for his political career.

When he set out for the Japanese Imperial Palace this morning, he instructed his secretary to report the incident in the Japanese area of the Shanghai Public Concession to the major newspapers, and he wanted to stir up this matter so that the people would care about it, and then handle the matter beautifully, just like a few years ago when he forced the Republic of China to sign the 21 Articles and forcibly occupy Qingdao, China, so that the Okuma cabinet led by him could be respected by the people again, and if he won the general election, he could continue to be his own prime minister.

And this time in the matter of the Japanese area of the Shanghai Public Concession, at this critical moment, Hua Guo sent such an excellent excuse, giving Okuma Shigenobu another chance to perform, he despised the current Republic of China government from the heart, it was a group of guys who only knew infighting, short-sighted and did not know the direction, and it was really incompetent for a huge country to let them govern like that. But now he is also grateful for the incompetence of the government of the Republic of China, and only such a government can be at his own disposal and compare the strength of his cabinet.

Shigenobu Okuma glanced at the crowd outside again, then closed the curtain and walked back to his seat and asked his secretary, "Has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to the Republic of China?" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister, ten minutes ago the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called and telegraphed the Republic of China Government by telegram, putting forward the protests and demands of our Imperial Government, and sending an envoy to China to negotiate this matter with the Republic of China Government in person." The secretary replied respectfully.

Okuma Shigenobu waved his hand to let the secretary out, and he muttered to himself, "The show is about to begin, and it will be very pleasing to the eye to slowly appreciate the government of the Republic of China like a table roasted on the fire." After saying that, Okuma Shigenobu laughed, and then the laughter grew louder and louder, and finally turned into an unbridled laughter.

Vice Admiral Yashiro Rokuro, commander of the Japanese Second Fleet, received an order from the Japanese Admiralty that he should lead his Second Fleet to China to launch a threatening mission against Shanghai and Jiangsu, and to force the Republic of China government to accede to the Japanese government's demands. He was very familiar with the eighth generation of Huaguo, and after declaring war on Germany in 1914, he took the opportunity to send troops to Shandong to occupy Qingdao. Regarding the military action that threatens the government of the Republic of China, Yashiro Rokuro, the executioner who is full of the blood of the people of the Republic of China, expressed confidence and no pressure.

After receiving the order from the Admiralty, Rokuro Yashiro began to prepare for departure, preparing to lead his Imperial Second Fleet from Yokosuka Military Port two days later and directly to Shanghai.

And the complete opposite of Okuma Shigenobu's happy mood was Li Yuanhong's fat face full of bitterness. Now the three giants of the Republic of China have gathered in the presidential palace, but the depressed and dull atmosphere in the office makes the secretaries waiting on the side dare not take a breath, for fear of touching the nerves that these bigwigs have tensed.

Li Yuanhong sat there with a fat face and worried, Duan Qirui frowned and looked at the ground, but Feng Guozhang had a meaningful smile on his face.

On the desk were all the newspapers that had been issued this morning and could be bought in the capital, and there were some second-rate tabloids in Ta Kung Pao, Bao Bao and even Hua Fu Bao, piling up a table full of them.

Seeing that a few people didn't speak, Feng Guozhang rolled his eyes and said: "I just said that Guo Yu is a troublemaker who can't stay, now that such a big thing has happened, the Japanese government will definitely not give up, I don't know what unreasonable demands are made under this excuse, I think it's better to hand over Guo Yu, why let the government wipe his ass for him." ”

Li Yuanhong sighed, took a sip of tea that was already a little cold and moistened his throat, he felt very unlucky, how could he have so many things for no reason, since he sat on this big president, there has not been a day of peace, this Guo Yu is too, are the Japanese so easy to get along with, what do you do to provoke them. R1152