When the news of the disastrous defeat of the 3rd Division reached Tokyo, the urgently convened Imperial Council was immediately surrounded by a heavy emotion. Every important minister of the empire could look up and find that the unshaven face of their Emperor Xià actually revealed the sorrow of the balls.

This is a rare expression, I don't know why, the people who have been fighting with this shrewd and capable nominal lord have a faint curiosity in their hearts. In their memories, it seems that His Majesty has always shown a calm attitude of calm and unhurried.

Seems to be a bit too much of a blow today?

Fortunately, under their inquiry, Muren was only sad for a short while, and then re-appraised his sword, his eyes radiated a rare ferocity, and he swept over the ministers coldly, and asked in a deep voice: "The situation is so critical, do you have a good solution to it?" ”

There is a good plan for eggs...... The true portrayal of the hearts of the ministers can probably be described in this sentence.

So far, they have thought of all the ways they can think of, and they have tried everything that should be tempted, but the result is so helpless, it is useless!

Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma remained silent, and he could not intervene in military issues and make no decisions. In fact, he wanted to give up peace with the foreign powers, but he could not let him call the shots. And under today's form, speaking out may be cut with a knife.

Since entering politics, he has been determined to exchange true freedom and sovereignty for Japan and completely get rid of the control of foreign powers, but he missed a good opportunity because he was cut off by the mob of Genyosha. In the years that followed, with the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, nothing was controlled.

The assassination of Ito Hirobumi completely deprived Japan of the opportunity to put things in order and recuperate. The whole country was enveloped by an inexplicable atmosphere of fanaticism, and anyone who dared to speak out and do something detrimental to the war could be punished with the most severe reprisals. The feudal forces under no confrontation are still powerful, and the overall situation is not optimistic at all!

The Minister of the Navy and the War Ministers, who were the initiators of today's policy, glared at each other one by one, and it was the Minister of Land who was duty-bound, and Katsura Taro replied with a dark face: "For the sake of the future of the empire, some sacrifices are inevitable. If we want to gain the support of the nations, we must do everything in our power to retriev the territory and defeat the Chinese. I believe that the good men of the 3rd Division must be understandable. ”

Yes, they all understand that they have gone to the Yellow Springs Hell, what else can they do?

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang also has a strong desire to complain in his heart, and the corners of his eyes flickered with a hint of sarcasm, but he was not noticed because of the drooping eyelids, otherwise it might cause a lot of turmoil.

Why can't these fanatical militants think about things from a different angle? No matter how much the great powers support it, after all, it is only for their intention to permanently dominate the world, and none of them really wants Japan to be strong.

In addition, Japan and China are close by a strip of water, and the nearest foreign powers are 10,000 kilometers away, so it is not obvious who needs to be closer and have a better relationship? Is Imperial Expansion Really That Important? In fact, the way to civilization is not only war, and Japan is still far from being ready!

Xiyuan Temple will never openly admit that he has actually been quietly collecting information about China, especially all the policies published by Yang Hao, various reports on the results of land reform, the improvement of the lives of the Chinese people, the definition of civilization and the decisive role of industrialization, etc.

He had to admit that what China is currently doing is very thorough, and as long as it succeeds, it will inevitably change a backward ancient empire.

However, it is impossible for Japan to use such a method, and I would like to ask the imperial government, which is controlled by the noble court and the clan forces from top to bottom, which one will take the initiative to reform his own life? Shigenobu Okuma's party, which was only trying to limit military spending and recuperate the people, was treated so horribly. The crazy thugs of the empire are really chaotic and inferior!

Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu squeezed his eyes and said stubbornly, "The Empire should show its will to the nations on this, and we must be compensated for making such a sacrifice." They must see the difficulties encountered by the empire, and they must show sufficient sincerity if they want to achieve their goals. ”

It is worthy of engaging in diplomacy, and the means of diverting contradictions are very familiar and easy to use.

The heavy atmosphere suddenly lightened, and the Minister of the Navy, Saigo, resolutely stated: "It should be so." Even if we can't support some of the latest warships, our navy needs to be strengthened as much as possible. This campaign shows that without effective support from the sea, even at home is quite difficult. ”

See the benefits of the stitches and fight for the initiative!

Katsura Taro's face darkened, and he scolded this damn group of Choshu clan bastards in his heart! If it weren't for their incompetence to lead the empire's total passivity, how would they have gotten to today's miserable state?

Muren nodded slightly, but he didn't open his mouth lightly.

Katsura Taro went on to say in the vernacular: "The preparation of the Imperial Army has proved to be quite effective, and the more abundant military aid from the nations will surely bring satisfactory results." We have calculated that just one battle will force the Chinese to fire tens of thousands of shells, and if they continue a few times, they will have a serious financial crisis as a result. ”

Oh? Can the account still be counted like this? It is refreshing to completely avoid the terrible fact that three wings of our own side were crippled and tens of thousands of people were killed or wounded, and to grasp a point of hope and unfold it!

It's not just lip service, the army is really well prepared. The staff of the General Staff Headquarters who followed the operations of the 3rd Division were very dedicated, and through the statistical summary of several battlefields, they came up with a rather exaggerated number. In the last offensive and defensive battle at Xiaguan, the Chinese and North Korean coalition forces fired out absolutely no less than 50,000 rounds of various artillery shells, and the maximum number may be more than 100,000 rounds!

As for why the number jù is so different, this matter is not enough for outsiders. In short, when reporting, you must take the biggest thing to talk about.

100,000 rounds! Not counting the loss of the barrel, just calculating the cost of projectiles and propellants, it is enough to equip several divisions and regiments, right?

The ministers' spirits were lifted, and the scene of Yang Hao tearing up the battle report with a dark face immediately appeared in their hearts in a gloomy corner two thousand kilometers away.

It's impossible for anyone to be indifferent, right? Paying such a big cost, but not achieving the slightest result, this is simply a one-sided war attrition, and I don't see the point at all! Very good, the effect is even better than expected!

Many politicians immediately calculated in their heads, the attack of one division can force the other side to consume 100,000 shells, so what about ten divisions? An attack once a month can cost the enemy millions of shells, tens of millions of bullets, countless supplies, a lot of fuel, and the wear and tear of ships in a year...... Heck, that's a big loss-making deal!

A rough calculation shows that in order to maintain the current stalemate on the battlefield, the Chinese side must pay hundreds of millions or more of military spending. This is a purely unprofitable unilateral expense, no matter how rich Yang Hao is, he can't support it, right? It won't be long before his supporters have to rebel?

If you can't beat 100 million, it will take at least 350 million to make it!

After silently adding the number to five feet in his heart, Mutsu Munemitsu said energetically: "I believe that the observers of the nations have fully felt it, and this is a rare opportunity for the empire to strive for further interests. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will do its best to negotiate with them! ”

Muhito nodded without comment, and turned his eyes to Katsura Taro.

Katsura Taro said solemnly: "The army will inevitably organize a new offensive and will never let the enemy continue to run rampant." ”

"Then let's do it." Muren finally has an explanation.

Throughout, none of the cabinet ministers discussed the casualties of the soldiers, who in their minds were the necessary price to pay for. What is 10,000 people? The empire can also support it at the cost of 100,000 people, as long as it drags the Chinese, so in exchange for the support of the great powers, it is worth it.

Is it cold? Perhaps. At least after meeting Mutsu Somitsu, Sa Daoyi also didn't pay attention to the lives of some ordinary soldiers in his heart. His attention was also drawn to the estimates of the Japanese side and observers.

It was a war of unprecedented attrition, and a one-sided war of attrition with little in return. The Chinese side is very irrational and puts itself in a dilemma, as long as Japan persists, it may lag behind China's land reform work in a year!

Their plan worked.

He was pleased to share his experience with the Minister Delegates and urged all countries to give further support.

The Germans happily stated that their artillery would arrive soon to ensure that the Japanese had sufficient firepower to support the front.

The Americans generously assured that their guns and ammunition were supplied in a timely manner and that they did not have to worry about dropping the chain at a critical moment.

Sa Daoyi himself was also rare and generous, thinking about whether he really went back and asked the Congress to think about it, and give the Japanese some old warships that were facing obsolescence or something, so as to deal with the scene. I don't expect them to win the Chinese Navy head-on, they can still do it by secretly releasing some mines, hitting a dozen stuffy sticks or something, right?

In short, all countries are not optimistic about China, and they are very optimistic about the pressure Yang Hao is facing.

The situation seemed to be really similar to what they had guessed, and Yang Hao, who was far away in Tianjin, soon received a list of consumption that made him feel very painful after the battle ended. Because of the implementation of the transparent policy, the state of war spending was not blocked from the upper echelons of the government, so Yan Fu, who was in charge of finance, came to the door in a hurry and demanded on behalf of the government that he properly control the scale of the war.

Yan Fu is not the kind of clear-mouthed cannon that can't see the problem clearly, he really understands the situation, but out of his duty, he cares too much about the overall situation that is in full swing now, and he is really worried that Yang Hao's side is too keen on the war and overworked the people and money, so that it affects the key progress.

The statement with military expenses weighing a thousand catties made Master Yan feel his wrists tremble a little when he held it in his hand. Money is like flowing water and is spent like cannonballs and bullets, which is distressing!

He persuaded bitterly: "Ding Shi, although we need to use the war against Japan to hone our soldiers and horses, test weapons and equipment, compete for the dominance of Asia and the access to the sea, build long-term peace and stability in the country's maritime frontiers, knock on the mountain and shock the tiger, deter the armed forces of the Philippines, and seek control of the colonies ......in Southeast Asia. ”

After saying it in one breath, Yan Fu suddenly found that there were really a lot of reasons that seemed to be high-sounding! No wonder Yang Hao said that he wanted to go to war, so many people up and down unanimously agreed, it turned out that there were so many major things involved.

The momentum weakened by three points, and then he shook his head and put it away, grasping the key point: "But after all, our main task at present is to promote the further expansion of the national ** region in a solid and effective manner, and strive to complete the land reform and the establishment of government agencies in the Central Plains and Jiangbei in a short period of time, and then officially announce the establishment of the new government." We can't blindly accommodate military actions and affect political and economic tasks! Outside the world, there was a rumor that the junta was using military force. ”

Expanding the territory and the like is of course very attractive, and anyone who is an official does not like to have his own name preserved in this kind of big story that can be recorded in history. But the premise is that you have to stand your ground first. Because it is not uncommon in history to start a war with a foreign country but cause a fire in the backyard, it will become a laughing stock for centuries, and it has to be guarded against!

The current situation is very tendentious, and there is a general perception at the top of the government that even military action to punish Japan is a bit excessive. Involving the protracted war of attrition of the great powers is not a wise choice for the junta. Between countries, peace and compromise are the mainstream of politics!

This shows the difference in the style of Yang Hao's government. Before taking action, he listed the main contradictions and the inevitable impact on the country one by one, and publicly declared them, so that all those who were concerned about it could understand that this matter had to be done and was not a mess.

What the great powers have in mind, what the Japanese think, China has to deal with, otherwise the predicament it will face, is very clear. Having truly felt the oppression of foreign powers for half a century, contemporary Chinese have spared no effort to support Yang Hao's practice of resisting foreign enemies and seeking dignity and sovereignty.

The young people of this world, who have been accustomed to living a peaceful life since childhood, have never been hungry, and take it for granted that they should be born to enjoy such a life. So when I grew up and could go online, I began to point at the nose of the ancients and make irresponsible remarks, and even more irresponsibly compared things to the current government.

Yang Hao was also one of them at the beginning, and he didn't know how naïve he was after three years of struggle in the second plane. The two planes span a hundred years, but they both face the same difficult situation. Almost all the world's forces are surrounding the country, ready to crush it with all their might, and it seems that the overall situation of peace has been painstakingly bought for generations, not the great powers who have really been tolerant and generous.

Without the resolute attitude of the ruling party, China, the world's second largest economy, would not have existed at all, and it is even more likely that the compradors and rogue literati who have been flooded with dregs will be turned into more than a billion foreign slaves, and even the result of more than a billion slaves of 100 million people in India will not be obtained. Sitting comfortably at home surfing the Internet and talking nonsense, unscrupulous nonsense? Dream on!

What will happen to the B plane, just look at what happened in the historical records from 1894 to 1949. Not to mention how heavy the economic losses were, just look at the end of the Qing Dynasty to the end of the War of Resistance 50 years, the Chinese population actually did not grow greatly, we can know how many people died!

You must know that the poorer the era, the higher the fertility rate of the population, it is common for a family to have seven or eight children, but it is very common to survive one or two. Later generations often talk about the 35 million casualties in the eight-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and say at every turn that tens of millions of people died of starvation. Even if they open one eye and look at the history of those 50 years, they should know that under the colonization of foreign powers, in the era when there was no national independence, the so-called famine was only an insignificant member of the natural and man-made disasters!

Just like the situation Yang Hao is facing now, he was worried about the war casualties, but it turned out that few families were overly sad because of this. Chinese, who are accustomed to suffering, regard life and death as the most common thing in life, and it is worth it if the dead can bring more life to their families.

Is it cruel? That's going to be a matter of how to look at it.

Now Yang Hao has to think hard about how to control population growth in addition to implementing **. It is more difficult to carry out family planning than to drag countless people to the battlefield to die, but to force them to engage in family planning. He was forced to come up with measures such as limiting the size of his dwelling and paying property taxes to think that the cost of living was raised. Otherwise, the substantial increase in the survival rate and average life expectancy of the new population brought about by the extensive implementation of agricultural industrialization and basic medical care is very likely to lead to a sharp increase in the population to seven or eight billion in just one or two decades.

Speaking of the current situation, Yang Hao explained to Yan Fu with a smile: "In fact, we have another important purpose in fighting this war, which is to stimulate industrial construction and prevent industrial progress from being too fast, leading to overproduction in China." ”

That's right, Yang Hao's action of vigorously promoting the industrialization of the B plane was too violent, and his steps were too big, pulling the eggs.

At the beginning, he and everyone just wanted to build an industrialized country as much as possible to promote the overall transformation of the world, but they ignored the power that enveloped the largest industrial country in the 21st century, even if it was a second-hand thing that was eliminated, and it was an artifact by the end of the 19th century.

Just the steel industry, in the past three years, Yang Hao has promoted the construction of Rizhao, Qingdao, Tianjin, Liaodong, Xuzhou, Hebei and other six steel as the core of the industrial zone, with the help of Hanyang Iron Works to upgrade, guide zhì China now has an annual output of one million tons of steel, five years to achieve a terrible scale of production capacity of six million tons.

Don't compare the production capacity of 6 or 700 million yuan in the 21st century, and think that a few million tons can't even compare with a private steel mill. In fact, China in 1897 simply did not have the capacity to consume millions of tons of steel!

At the end of the nineteenth century, the concentration of wealth in China reached a state similar to that of the last dynasties, and nine out of ten people were so poor that they could not afford to buy even a hoe. The landlords' families were reluctant to eat and wear, and this was still not subject to several huge war reparations after the First Sino-Japanese War, and the state of economic aggression and looting by foreign powers. Not to mention the world's largest GDP, it has nothing to do with the common people at all.

In the case that the whole people have no money to consume, no matter how much steel smelting is useless, this is still the case that Yang Hao promoted the construction of industrial machinery shipbuilding and railways in advance. There is no doubt that his preset targets of one million tons of steel, one million tons of fertilizer, one million tons of cement, three million tons of coal and 10,000 tons of pesticides in each province greatly exceed the current consumption capacity.

And that's not even counting the various industrial products he keeps shipping from this world.

He vigorously promoted the national industry that has formed a rolling development, and in the short term attracted the establishment of too many production entities, once all the heavy industry and downstream supporting industries are completed, it is foreseeable that within three years, an industrial power with an industrial scale of the British level will inevitably appear.

At that time, he planned to occupy at most half of the northern part of the Yangtze River, including 200 million people, and obtain the first increase in grain crop income after completing the transformation of farmland and water conservancy, barely ensuring self-sufficiency. If the consumption capacity of the private sector is far from the target level, either he will immediately turn into a super-welfare and move towards communism of equal distribution, or he will have to face a severe round of overcapacity and economic crisis!

In the face of such a threat, Yang Hao adopted a simple and crude approach - start a war and consume production capacity! R1152