Okubo got out of the carriage, the carriage specially arranged by the Chinese Ministry of Internal Affairs for foreign guests was luxurious and comfortable, he stood at the door of the Sifang Pavilion, was about to enter, his ears moved, as if he heard something, turned around, and saw several whirlpool-shaped human-shaped strongholds gathered on the bustling street, "Come on, come on, daily newspaper special!" The Beiyang sailor's treasure knife is unsheathed, traversing the south of the sky! Approaching the Ryukyus! ”

A man was huddled on the periphery of the newsboy, but he couldn't touch the newspaper, and said in a hurry, "Hey! What's there to say about this, when we arrived at the Ryukyus, wasn't it still in our Qing Dynasty?! It's not uncommon! ”

He also meant that he couldn't eat grapes and said that grapes were sour, and the newsboy panted and sold out the newspaper, stared at the copper plate in his hand, and said to the man, "This lord, what are you talking about this strange thing," the newsboy didn't look up, "This is going to Ryukyu, is it possible that the king there is still in charge of food?" Of course, they have to find a place to go, you say, where are they going? Naturally, it's going north! ”

Okubo Ritsu's body was shocked, and he looked at his personal entourage, who understood the meaning of Okubo Ritsu, and walked down the Sifang Pavilion, and Lang Zhong of the Sifang Pavilion was waiting on the edge of Okubo Ritsu, and saw that Okubo Ritsu sent a personal entourage, and kindly reminded, "My lord, the envoys of your country should not go out on their own, and they should be accompanied by the officials of the Sifang Pavilion, which is the meaning of the Prime Minister's Yamen, please abide by it." Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

Okubo Ritsu smiled, "Naturally, when I came to Qingguo, I naturally have to abide by the etiquette of your country, I just asked him to buy a newspaper, and there was no other behavior, you see, he has already returned." ”

The attaché took the newspaper and followed Okubo into his room, "What does the newspaper say?" ”

"It is said that the Beiyang naval division of the Qing Kingdom has gone north and left the Ryukyu Sea."

"Did they leave the Ryukyus? However, there is still a need for routine protests, they have invaded the vassal waters of the Japanese Empire," Okubo said, opening the newspaper, "Prince Gong does not see me, and I will not go to him, and the diplomatic documents are written and sent to the Prime Minister's Yamen." He looked at the special issue carefully with his glasses, "They won't go to Japan, but I can't think of what they will do?" Okubo Ritsu frowned and pondered, "The Chinese are too variable now. ”

The attaché walked in with a letter, "Lord Otto, this is an invitation from the British Ambassador, and he invites you to the British Embassy for afternoon tea the day after tomorrow. ”

"The Japanese Empire needs to have its own respect, and in the international community, of course, Britain is a good ally, but for now......" Okubo took off his glasses and combed his strange two beards with his temples, "let it go for now." ”

"What do you mean, don't you contact the British ambassador first?"

"The British are in contact with the emperor and the government, night owls come in, nothing good. Still be cautious. Okubo Ritsu was a little distressed, "China's coastal areas, important cities have already installed telegraph systems, Japan is far from being able to do this kind of extent, otherwise the news of the Beiyang Navy Division will definitely be transmitted to me quickly." "Instead of listening to the newspaper boasting of the Qing people now, I feel uneasy.

"The Qing country is really too big, the land is so rich, the literacy rate among the people is so high, and now there is a very advanced navy, although I don't understand the navy, but I believe that the annual investment of more than 10 million silver, even if it is a relatively backward warship, it must be one of the few in Asia," Okubo Ritsu's personal attaché is also a military attache of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he is from a Chinese background, and it will definitely be of great use in the future, so Okubo Ritsu said these words in his heart, "However, compared with the Qing people, the navy of the Great Japanese Empire, It won't be any worse. ”

Tokyo, Japan.

The city of Tokyo is very quiet in the shadow of Mt. Fuji, but for the past few years, the silence of the shogunate era has been broken by the neat army, the black smoke of the factory chimneys, and the booming commerce, and the emperor's palace, the turquoise garden is very pleasant, and there is a loud voice with a Kansai accent.

"The navy of the Great Japanese Empire will definitely not be far behind!" Japanese Military Minister Matsushima Shimoishi bowed deeply to the young man on the throne, and said loudly, "Although the Qing State has money, their awareness of building a navy is far from being in place, and the ministers in the country are divided into several factions, and the teachers of the Qing Emperor are all against building a navy, how can it be compared to our Japan building its own country with one yuan and one heart," Matsushima Shimoishi is a fat man, and it seems very funny to wear a tuxedo, but the expression on his round face is very serious," His Majesty the Emperor has used all the money from his treasury to build the navy, and the navy is very grateful for this painstaking effort! Even if the Beiyang naval division of the Qing State wants to brazenly provoke a war, we are not afraid of their provocation and are ready to break the jade for the country! ”

Emperor Meiji's face was very calm, this kind of calm is very rare for a young man who is only twenty-one now, compared to Emperor Tongzhi, who is about the same age, it is still very jumpy, he thought for a while, and his snow-white face showed a wise expression, "How strong is the Qing people's sailor?" Minister Matsushima, I want to listen to the truth! ”

Matsushima Shimoishi gritted his teeth, "Their standing tonnage is more than ten times ours. ”

Emperor Meiji's body shook, "How can there be so many?" ”

"Please don't worry, Your Majesty," said a man with a short beard on his lips with a gloomy face, "Although the tonnage of the Qing fleet surpasses ours us by a lot, they are built on the basis of a navy that has been in operation for almost ten years, and their finances are more abundant than ours, but we have our advantages," Before he could finish his words, the emperor's personal attaché entered the main hall with a telegram, "Your Majesty, this is a telegram from the Satsuma Domain and the Nagasaki Domain!" ”

The voice of the retinue was trembling, there was an inexplicable fear, the emperor took the telegram, unfolded it, his brows were furrowed, his shoulders trembled violently, but he couldn't bear to be startled, Emperor Meiji let out a long breath, handed the telegram to his ministers, and slowly said his edict to the Minister of the Navy: "The Japanese national navy, immediately go to Kyushu to set up defenses in the country, and immediately go north to support those stationed in the Ryukyu country." ”

"This!" Matsushima Shimoishi took the telegram, "The Hokuyo Navy is approaching Kagoshima!" ”

The man with a short beard on his gloomy lips was Saigo Takamori, now the Field Marshal and Governor of the Guards, and when he saw the telegram, his mouth was full of bitterness, and he knew his intimidation strategy, and he was afraid that it would fail.

"The policy of intimidating the Qing Kingdom has failed," Emperor Meiji sat in his chair, motionless, in a low but firm tone, "It's okay, gentlemen, we have long been prepared, if we don't defeat the Qing Kingdom, the Great Japanese Empire will not be able to rise, and now we are still behind, but it doesn't matter, the game has just begun!" (To be continued.) )