The carriage honor guard arrived at the railway station outside Tianjin after a while, today the railway station has been under martial law, idle people and so on are not seen, the left and left of the station are all the industry of the Ministry of Industry, there is a small western-style building that is ready to rest for the emperor and queen, and the place where the Japanese envoy and the secretary of the interior Okubo Ritsu is here. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Compared with the historical negotiation trip to China, Okubo Ritsu is a disgrace and a loss of face. In history, the Peony Society incident caused China to lose all its jurisdiction over the Ryukyus and its status as the suzerain, and also paid the Japanese 500,000 taels of silver, which was empty and white-toothed, and the Japanese did not spend a single soldier, and here, only an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations was signed, and the question of the ownership of the Ryukyu Kingdom was unresolved, and the hateful Chinese actually refused even the proposal that the two countries jointly administer the Ryukyus.

Okubo Ritsu, seeing the emperor and queen who was ascended, bowed slightly. "Japan's special envoy Okubo Toshimitsu, see His Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty and His Royal Highness the Empress Dowager, may the two of them live a long and healthy life."

"Thank you, envoy," the Queen Mother looked at the Japanese envoy standing in front of her in a tuxedo, "This palace heard that the king opposite the country of Japan also uses the bow salute, since the two countries have established diplomatic relations, each other's courtiers should still bow down when they meet the lords of each country, why do you see the emperor and the palace, do not use the Eastern etiquette, but use the Western etiquette, where does this start?" The Queen Mother said with a smile, "Could it be that your country dislikes China and is not enough to be an enemy of Japan?" ”

The curtain was blown up by the wind, and it seemed that there were dozens of knife and axe hands behind the curtain, waiting for the queen mother to smash the cup at any time, and rushed out to chop the Meiji Sanjie into meat sauce. Thank you for your understanding. Okubo said, "And today is the face of the Queen Mother, who is not the ruling monarch of China, and I don't have to bow down." ”

Such a clumsy provocation. The emperor basked slightly, looked at the Queen Mother with a smile, and the Queen Mother also smiled slightly, "Although your country has your country's system, don't you hear that there is a saying that you follow the customs of the country?" Chinese envoys were all over the West. They all practice Western etiquette, and the noble envoy is the most powerful courtier before the emperor's drive, so you won't understand this truth, right? ”

The meaning of the Queen Mother's words is still to ask Okubo to pass the bow ceremony, Okubo Litong frowned slightly, very displeased, "Western envoys have never bowed in China, Japan and the Qing Kingdom are equal countries of diplomatic relations, not vassal states of your country. ”

"How can Japan be compared to the great powers of the West?" The Queen Mother flashed her poisonous tongue without any scruples, "The Celestial Empire is rich all over the world, while Japan is just in the corner." How can it be compared with the Western powers! ”

Okubo Ritsu's face flushed, this was Hongguoguo's humiliation, his hand pressed tightly against the trouser line, and he gritted his teeth, "Please pay attention to your mannerisms." ”

The Queen Mother was very happy, and the Japanese also had such an opportunity to reprimand and provoke themselves, "Okay, then your envoy asked to see the palace, what advice do you have?" Hongu listened attentively. ”

"Matters related to the Ryukyus......"

"Ryukyu is a vassal of the Celestial Empire, so there is no need to say anything about this matter!" The Queen Mother said. "The Qing Dynasty is in charge of foreign affairs, and it is the Prime Minister's Yamen, and the meaning of the Prime Minister's Yamen is the meaning of the emperor."

Okubo Ritsu immediately gave up, and he clearly understood the status of the Ryukyus. The reason why it can't be solved is that the two mothers and sons in front of him have always disdained to do useless work, "and the matter of trade." ”

"Needless to say, since the first year of Tongzhi, the door has been open and the foreign affairs have been strong. There is no intention of closing the country, and the same is true for businessmen in your country, and there will be no prejudice. ”

"Western countries have exclusive ports and preferential policies."

"That's because there are many advanced technologies in the West," it was the Tongzhi Emperor who spoke, "so the policy of preferential taxation is not that I am not rude, what is there in your country that can be used in China now?" If so, I can give you the most favorable policy. ”

The Queen Mother looked at the stiff Okubo Ritsu and smiled silently, and the Japanese thought about the white wolf with empty gloves? I don't know it, but if I know, how can I allow them to do this, "Japan has also started the Restoration, so very good, but your country is quite far away from Europe, if there is anything you don't know about foreign affairs, you can also go to China to study, I heard that your country's silver mines are very good, what is the mining capacity, do you need China's assistance?" Is it called Iwami Silver Mine? "At one time, the mines accounted for 40% of the world's silver, and it continued to produce until the eve of World War II.

"Thank you Your Highness for your concern, Japan's domestic affairs can be resolved by Japan." Okubo Ritsu was very annoyed in his heart, but his face did not show it, "Japan is willing to communicate with Qing in all aspects. ”

Of course, the Japanese refused to hand over the silver mines, the Queen Mother just said this, teasing the Japanese, the Chinese do not have the ability to empty gloves white wolves, "I heard that your country is going to sign a contract with Britain for a first-class ironclad ship?" Is there such a thing? ”

"Yes, it's ready to sign the contract." Okubo was shocked in his heart, why did the Queen Mother know so much about the contract signed by the Secretary of Public Works in the UK.

"The draft of the first-class ironclad ship weighs four or five thousand tons, and the Beiyang Naval Division does not have one now, but there are only four or five second-class ironclad ships with a draft of two or three thousand tons, and the rest are small boats," the Queen Mother said leisurely, "In that future, the naval level of your country will far exceed that of the Beiyang Naval Division." ”

"I don't dare to compete with China."

"Since your country said that you want to communicate with China," the Queen Mother said with a smile, "This palace has thought of a good idea, I don't know what your envoy thinks?" ”

"I want to hear about it."

"Since the establishment of the Beiyang Naval Division, there has been no exchange with other countries, and the British and French fleets have come from afar, and they are also doing hostile things," the Queen Mother said, Okubo Ritsu's heart thumped, "How can you just work behind closed doors and underestimate the heroes of the world, so why not let the Beiyang Naval Division visit Japan, do more exchanges with your country, and contribute to peace in East Asia." ”

Okubo was shocked, now the Japanese navy is still beginning to take shape, to deal with the Ryukyu country, they just have a few sampans, if they are not afraid of the Beiyang sailors, there will be no Beiyang sailors to patrol the Sino-Japanese sea border, the emperor urgently ordered himself to quickly solve the Sino-Japanese affairs, must not provoke the Chinese now, he dare not imagine that the scene of the Beiyang water trees stretching for miles in Tokyo Bay is what kind of stimulation it is for the people and the government. He was about to refuse, but the Queen Mother said quickly, "The palace has made up its mind, needless to say, the Prime Minister Yamen will send a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country, I am tired of traveling, so I will not accompany you much, and your envoy is also going to leave for China, please retreat." (To be continued.) )