"Teacher, the current China does not seem to be the same as what we understand, you see this neat, straight road, coupled with the hurried footsteps of pedestrians, especially the confident and proud eyes of the people are not the same as our Japanese numb eyes, it is really worthy of the big man, the big man more than 2,000 years ago is about to emerge again." Takasugi Jin, who was only thirteen years old, sighed at his teacher Yoshida Shoin.

Yoshida Shoin replied in Japanese: "I came to Dahan this time to investigate, because Takasugi Jin knows Chinese, so I will take you as an apprentice, stop your amazement, let's go to visit the emperor of Dahan first, hoping that he will allow me to stay in Dahan." ”

Yoshida Shoin was born into a family of low-ranking samurai. Since childhood, he passed on to his uncle, who was a military teacher of the Yamaga School, and learned the art of war with him. Later, he became a teacher of military science in the Choshu domain. Two years ago, I traveled to Kyushu to study the art of war. Last year, he went to Edo and studied with Sakuma Kozan, a professor of "Oriental morality and Western art," and studied tactics for defending against foreign invaders. Unable to travel without the permission of the clan lord and deprived of his scholarly status and food for the crime of "leaving the clan and dying", Yoshida Shoin took Takasugi Jin on a Chinese merchant ship and came to Nanjing.

Two Japanese people walked on the street, attracting the curious eyes of many people.

"I heard that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty rebelled because he did not hide the weak attitude of the imperial court towards foreigners, but I didn't expect to achieve so much in just five years. Our Tokugawa family in Japan is too rotten to block out the sun, and Japan is immersed in darkness with no future. Yoshida Shoin looked at the bustling city of Nanjing and couldn't help but think of the current situation in Japan, and sighed at Takasugi Jin.

Takasugi Jin looked at Yoshida Shoin with admiration, and he felt that it was the most correct thing to worship Yoshida Shoin as a teacher. Following the teacher made him look at Japan in a different light.

Takasugi was born in Japan into a samurai family. His father was a Chōshū feudal lord with a salary of 200 taels. This is enough for their family to live a worry-free life. He contracted blisters at the age of ten, learned Chinese at the Chinese Academy, and at the beginning of this year he entered the Minglunkan of the feudal school and studied swordsmanship, and accidentally met Yoshida Shoin, admired his knowledge and followed him to Nanjing.

"Teacher, are we looking for a place to change our clothes, you can see that the Chinese people seem to be very interested in our clothes." Takasugi Jinjian traveled all the way, and many people looked at them sideways, feeling a little nervous.

Yoshida Shoin immediately reprimanded: "Remember that you are a Japanese." Of course, Japanese people should wear Japanese clothes and not care about other people's eyes, and similarly, if someone walks on the street in Chinese clothes in Japan, someone will look at him the same. ”

Takasugi Jinyi thought about it, and sure enough, he raised his head and entered a teahouse and asked the shopkeeper: "This gentleman is a Fuso man below. I would like to ask you one thing, how to get to the State Guest House in Nanjing? ”

The shopkeeper slapped Gao Shanjin's hand away, and said without looking back: "Turn right in front and keep walking, I'm busy." If you don't drink tea, you will go out. ”

Yoshida Shoin found a seat and sat down, waved at Takasugi Jin, and looked at the storyteller on the stage. It's like being in a god.

Takasugi Jin looked at Mr. Storyteller and asked Yoshida Shoin, "Teacher." Do you understand what he's saying? ”

Yoshida Shoin smiled: "I don't understand, but I see that the people in the teahouse seem to be very interested." It must be a sad story that someone shed tears. ”

Takasugi only listened to a short passage and explained to Yoshida Shoin: "He is telling a story that happened two hundred years ago, in a place called Ein. ”

Yoshida Shoin thought about it and replied, "Two hundred years ago? Wasn't that the time when the Qing army entered the customs, I heard that the Ming Emperor at that time also asked Japan to send troops to rescue, but the shogunate at that time was still sending troops, and before he could send troops, the Ming Dynasty was defeated. ”

Takasugi Jin admired: "The teacher knows a lot, it seems that the Han government deliberately aroused the hatred of the people against the Qing country, I understand, there are many books describing the massacre of the Qing army in our Japan, last year there was a businessman who bought a copy of his father's treasure at a high price, it seems that they were all hired by the Han government." ”

Yoshida Shoin immediately stood up and said to Takasugi Jin: "I'm very interested in the Han Emperor Li Yunzhong now, let's go to the State Guest House to report first and see when we can arrange an audience." ”

Hu Mengjun has been very idle since he came to Nanjing, the busiest time is the court, which is not difficult for him, and it is not his turn to speak, every day to find a position behind the most Lu to stop, just wait for the scattered dynasty, back to the yamen has no official business, the foreign minister is not his level can be received, the guest house has not ushered in a group of guests since it was built.

"My lord, there is a foreign envoy visiting!"

"Envoy? What an envoy! Hu Mengjun jumped up, grabbed the clothes of the little official and asked, "Where are they?" Which country's envoy is it? ”

The little official pointed nervously outside and replied: "They said that they were envoys of the Choshu Domain of Japan, and they heard that the Han Dynasty was strong and strong, and they came to learn from experience." ”

"The contemptible person's name is Takasugi Jin, this is my teacher Yoshida Shoin, we heard in Japan that Middle-earth established the powerful country of the Great Han, so we came to visit, and I ask for forgiveness for the abruptness." Takasugi Jin bowed to Hu Mengjun who had just appeared.

Hu Mengjun said with a smile: "It's a pleasure to have friends from afar, the two of them came to Dahan from the distant Fusang country, and they should be received. ”

"Yes, sir!" When the officials received the order, they registered Takasugi Shin and Yoshida Shoin and divided the houses.

Yoshida Shoin said to Takasugi Jin: "You ask this lord, when His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Kingdom arranged for us to meet us. ”

Takasugi Jin nodded yes, and said to Hu Mengjun: "My lord, we have come from afar to learn the advanced experience of the Han Dynasty, please report to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty to know that now Japan is facing a crisis inside and outside, and we want to get the help of His Majesty the Emperor." ”

It turned out that they still wanted to see the emperor, Hu Mengjun said perfunctorily: "The emperor has every opportunity, I'm afraid I won't have time to meet you these days, you still live in the guest house with peace of mind, if the emperor is willing to meet you, I will arrange for you, during this period you can visit around Nanjing at will, of course, you are not allowed to wear a sword, you leave all the long and short knives when you go out, so as not to cause misunderstanding." ”

Takasugi Jin didn't ask Yoshida Shoin, and objected with a straight face: "I'm sorry Your Excellency, katana swords are the life of a samurai, and we can't let them out of our sight, please forgive me." ”

This is still a thorn, Hu Mengjun is very dissatisfied with their attitude, and he still uses this attitude to ask people, and he also said with a straight face: "You can report to the Nanjing Police Station, and they will issue you a certificate, otherwise it will be difficult for you to move an inch in Nanjing." ”

After saying that, he ignored the two Japanese and headed in the direction of the palace.

Yoshida Shoin knew the beginning and end of the matter, and said to Takasugi Jin: "Baga, there is a saying in China called following the customs of the locals, we can have no scruples in Japan, because we are samurai, but this is in the Tang Dynasty, we are guests, we must follow the rules of the host, and we are not allowed to bring a katana when we go out in the future!" ”

Takasugi raised his head and said disappreciably: "Can't you keep your dignity as a samurai?" ”

Yoshida Shoin closed the windows and doors of his room, sat down at the table and preached: "If the Great Japanese Empire is stronger than the Great Han, you can keep your dignity, and you can bully the people of the Great Han at will, but the Great Japanese Empire is weak, you have to disguise your ambitions, pretend to be submissive, let them relax their vigilance, and desperately make their country richer and stronger." ”

Takasugi Jin was convinced, and lowered his arrogant head: "Hi, the student is taught." ”

"What, you said there were two Japanese people at the State Guest House?" Li Yunzhong looked at Hu Mengjun, who had a solemn look, and asked, "What is the origin of these two Japanese, the emperor's envoy or the shogunate's envoy?" ”

Hu Mengjun just found an excuse to meet him, and said perfunctorily: "They claim to be the envoys of the daimyo of the Choshu Domain, and this daimyo is the prince of the separatist side in Japan, I think they should have something important to report, so they came to Nanjing thousands of miles away." ”

Since ascending the throne, Li Yunzhong has been doubly busy, where does he have time to take care of these small matters, and said to Hu Mengjun: "You can handle these small matters by yourself, just report the results and let me decide!" ”

Hu Mengjun twisted and said: "Your Majesty, Wechen wants to change his position, this Ministry of Foreign Affairs is too idle, Wechen still wants to make more contributions, and Wechen is about to suffocate to death in the State Guest House every day." ”

Li Yunzhong was laughed at at once, and said: "Bold! How can this official position be bargained, if everyone is like you, how can the big man still be maintained. ”

Hu Mengjun saw that the emperor was not really angry, he became excited, and pretended to force: "Wechen thinks that this small guest house is not enough to give full play to the talents of the ministers, Wechen has been familiar with military books since he was a child, knows astronomy and geography, and knows five hundred years before and five hundred years after five hundred years......"

"Ha Lu Ha...... You dare to compare yourself with what you know about astronomy and geography, you are really ashamed, you say that you know the soldiers, then I ask you, are you willing to send you to the front line? Li Yunzhong was unhappy when he looked at Hu Mengjun's stinky fart.

Front? Such a dangerous place, Hu Mengjun asked, "Which side of the front line is it?" ”

If it is the Guangdong side that can reluctantly agree, as for northern Anhui and Xuzhou, then there is no need to think about it, the Qing army and the Tang army have repeatedly fought in these two places, and the officials there are the most dangerous.

Li Yunzhong said: "The Seventh Army besieged Luzhou, although Jiang Zhongyuan was guarding there, but the soldiers were weak and the food was small, so it should not be able to support for long, you escorted twenty howitzers over to help our army attack the city, and after breaking the city, you were promoted to one level and appointed as the prefect of Luzhou, from the fourth grade." ”

Hearing that he could be promoted, Hu Mengjun threw the danger out of the clouds, and the chicken pecked the rice as if nodding and agreed: "Weichen obeys the order, thank the emperor for his favor." (To be continued......)