(Thanks to the little sailors of the book friend and the tip of the extreme deep-sea diving!) Thank you for the book friend Lee, an apple for the monthly pass! ）

In Tokyo, Japan, when Wang Yuze convened the Imperial Council, the Emperor of Japan also convened the Imperial Council. After Heihachiro Togo sent back to the Admiralty a telegram ordering the attack, Japanese Navy Minister Gonbei Yamamoto did not dare to slack off and immediately made a report to Prime Minister Yama Prefecture Aritomo, who was also taken aback and received a telegram yesterday that the Japanese fleet had broken away from the Chinese Navy and entered the Pacific Ocean. Now he received a telegram from the Japanese fleet attacking the Chinese navy, which shocked the Yama Prefecture Youpeng.

"How did Heihachiro Togo do it? Didn't he know that this was the war that ignited China and Japan? Youpeng said with some annoyance. Now is not the time when Japan is at its strongest, and if the war can be dragged out until the middle of next year, Japan will have a better chance of winning. However, Heihachiro Togo gave the order to open fire, which undoubtedly led to the outbreak of war immediately.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Togo-kun has no choice. The whereabouts of the fleet have been exposed, and he has no choice but to fight to the death! "Yamamoto Gonbei excused Heihachiro Togo. He thinks that Heihachiro Togo is doing the right thing, and now in this situation, this is the only way. Although the Japanese Navy still had two battleships, the "Hatsuse" and "Mikasa" of the "Shikishima-class" battleships, which were under construction, they could not give full play to the combat power of the Japanese Navy. But there's really no way around it.

"Come with me to see Your Majesty! Now that the war has broken out, we are powerless to stop it! After Yama Prefecture Aritomo finished speaking, he took Yamamoto Gonbei to see Emperor Meiji. At the same time, he also sent people to inform Foreign Minister Shuzo Aoki, Katsura Taro Riku, and Minister Masayoshi Matsukata.

Emperor Meiji sat on his throne with the cabinet of five ministers below, and the Minister of the Interior, Saigo Shomichi, accompanied by him. Emperor Meiji, who is only 47 years old, already looks a little old. Suffering from uremia, his life has become more and more difficult.

"Your Majesty, now that the navy and the navy of China have attacked, the war has begun. Now, we must enter into a wartime system, tilt all the empire towards war, and strive to win! Youpeng in Shanxian said in a deep voice.

"I have only one question, whether the Empire's army and navy can win for the Empire!" Although Emperor Meiji was not in good spirits, the light in his eyes was like a falcon, and people did not dare to look at it directly.

"Your Majesty, the ministers will do their best!" Shan County Youpeng replied. He didn't dare to pack the ticket, and the gap between Japan's military strength and China's was too great. If the navy fails, then Japan will lose the war.

"Humph!" Emperor Meiji snorted coldly, very dissatisfied with this answer. If it weren't for Youpeng in Shan County being one of the elders, he would have reprimanded him a long time ago. He took power back from the shogunate in his early years, and then began the Meiji Restoration, which set Japan on a path of rapid development. In order for Japan to rise, he tightened his belt to develop the navy, but in the end, it was a succession of failures, which hit him deeply when he wanted Japan to become a world-class power.

"Your Majesty, the empire is not as powerful as China, so it is inevitable that victory will not be guaranteed. However, China is not the only enemy of China, we also have the United States and Russia as allies, and even Britain and France may go to war directly against China. Although China is a powerful country, it is definitely not the opponent of the five major powers in the world. Even if the navy fails, as long as the army can hold the land, we will be able to hold out until the day of victory! Katsura Taro said. The implication of his words is very obvious, that is, the navy is not good, and Japan still has to rely on their army in the end. The navy has taken up most of its military spending, but in the face of the Chinese navy, it has failed one after another.

"What if, the great powers, can't defeat China? So what will the empire do then? Emperor Meiji asked again.

Everyone was silent, and it was clear that none of them had thought about it. They all regarded China as Japan's great enemy, believing that with the backing of the great powers, they would be able to win the final victory. However, the question raised by Emperor Meiji forced them to think deeply. If it fails, what will Japan do?

"Alas! For thousands of years, China has always been a first-class power in East Asia and even the world, and compared with China, Japan has a sparse population and poor land. Although I have always longed for the empire to defeat China and use its abundant resources to develop itself. But I have to admit that up to now, I was wrong. If the empire loses, then Japan will obediently follow behind China and become a vassal state! Emperor Meiji said. Now, he has to think about Japan's tomorrow. For thousands of years, when China was strong, Japan was always a vassal to China. It was not until the decline of China that Japan turned from a dog to a wolf, wanting to bite off a piece of fat from China's body and develop itself. And now, their strategy is simply wrong. Therefore, Japan has to prepare for the worst.

"Please rest assured, the ministers will fight to the death and win for the empire!" Shan County Youpeng said immediately. He very much disagreed with Emperor Meiji's words. After decades of hard work, how can Japan just give up their ideals?

At this time, an attendant walked up to Saigo Congdao's ear, said a few words to him, and then withdrew, but Saigo Congdao's face changed greatly.

"Your Majesty, China has declared war on the Empire! The envoy of Shina to the empire will also leave the empire in three days! Saigo said.

Emperor Meiji nodded, and then said, "Everyone, since the war has begun, let's go and win for the empire desperately!" If we can't do anything, we must not let Japan perish! "Japan can fail, but Japan must not be destroyed. If this path doesn't work, then Japan will have to take another path!

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Everyone replied.

After that, the Japanese government also immediately declared war on China, and the Japanese army also began to urgently mobilize. The army had already begun to mobilize, and the navy had sent a telegram to the fleet to fight for victory.

At two o'clock in the afternoon of the month of Moscow time, Yuichi Maeda, the Japanese minister to Russia, urgently asked to meet with Russian Prime Minister Sergei? Witt, to Sergey? Witte reported that China had declared war on Japan, and that Japan had no choice but to declare war on China.

Sergei? Witte was shocked, although he knew that war between China and Japan was likely to break out, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly. Under the Pacific Alliance Treaty, Russia would need to declare war on China. And now, the Trans-Siberian Railway has not yet been fully completed, and Russia is not completely ready. Declaring war on China at this time would be very disadvantageous to Russia. Sergei? After seeing off Yuichi Maeda, Witte rushed to the palace to see Tsar Nicholas II.

"Your Majesty, China and Japan have declared war on each other, the war has begun, what should we do now?" Sergei? Witt said.

"What else can I do? According to the alliance treaty, declare war on China! Order the armies of the Far East and Siberia to be ready, the Chinese army, soon to attack! Nicholas II said.

The conflict between China and Russia two months ago made him hold his breath, and now, it is finally time to breathe out. It's already the middle of the month, and the snow in North Asia has begun to melt, and by the end of March or early April, war can be started. And Russia now needs to transfer a large number of troops from Europe to the Far East to prepare for a Chinese attack. At the same time, Tsar Nicholas II was also preparing to defeat China with Russia's powerful army, seize China's northern territories in one fell swoop, and give Russia an ice-free port in the Pacific region.

"But Your Majesty, China's army strength is not weak, the standing army is more than one million, and now it must be desperately expanding its army!" Sergei? Werther reminded.

"Haven't we already started to expand our army? Remember that two months ago, I had already ordered the expansion of the army from one million to two million! Nicholas II said.

"Your Majesty, the government doesn't have enough funds, so the expansion of the army is very slow!" Sergei? Witte is also Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is well aware of this.

"Out of money? Borrow from the British and French! They were the ones who encouraged us to join the Pacific Alliance. Sue them, if you don't lend us money, then we won't participate in the war against China! Nicholas II said.

Sergei? Werther's eyes lit up, this is a good idea!

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will contact the British and French ambassadors to Russia at once!"

At 5 a.m. U.S. time, President William? McKinley was woken up from his bed by his secretary. The declaration of war between China and Japan is also a great deal for the United States.

In William? McKinley was fully dressed and came to the office when Vice President Garrett? Hobart, Secretary of State John? Sherman, Treasury Secretary Lehmann? j？ Gage, Secretary of War Russell? a？ Alger and Admiralty Theodore? Roosevelt had already arrived.

"Gentlemen, China and Japan have already started fighting, then, the next time is for us to fulfill our obligations under the treaty and declare war on China!" William? McKinley said, cheering up.

"Mr. Roosevelt, when will the Navy launch an attack on Hawaii?" William? President McKinley asked.

"Your Excellency the President, the West Coast Fleet has been on high alert for the past month, and as long as the order is issued, it can be dispatched in two days!" Theodore? Roosevelt said. Although the strength of the US Navy is not strong now, and there are still a large number of warships that will not be able to enter service until next year, since the war has broken out, there is no choice but to declare war on China in advance.

PS: The second update is here! The subscription is getting bleaker and bleaker, please subscribe! (To be continued.) Please search for [book], the novel is better and faster!)