While in Beijing, he tried his best to collect information on China's military, political, economic, industrial, ethnic customs, and the activities of foreign powers in China, and sent it back to his home country in a steady stream. The ministers of the Beijing diplomatic corps www.biquge.info gave him the nickname "Minister of the Rat" to satirize him as cunning and cunning as a rat and pervasive, hiding on the ground and doing some bad things.

In the Oriental society, no matter which country, will not think that being compared to a mouse is a glorious thing, so the Meiji Emperor expressed his respect and apology, this is a kind of royal method, in China is simply a rotten street method is not unusual, any person if such words are said by the Queen Mother, although the face is sincere and fearful, but the heart is only afraid of being very disdainful, are thousands of years of foxes, why bother to talk about fasting in front of our own people! But the identity of the emperor, in the minds of the Japanese, is not just a figure like the emperor at all, Komura Shoutaro heard the emperor's words, and couldn't help but choke up and bowed, "To be able to dedicate himself to His Majesty the Emperor and the Great Japanese Empire, even if it is infamy, it is not worth mentioning." ”

"What Ambassador Komura said is very true," Ito Yuhiro, the representative of the military department, nodded, "If you can get infamy in the enemy country, then Ambassador Komura must have done something that contributed to the Great Japanese Empire, and being insulted by the enemy means that they have been harmed." ”

"You're right," Emperor Meiji nodded, "but I still have to say, Ambassador Komura, you've worked hard." You have collected a lot of information for the empire, and the results are obviously very great, but I still hope that you can tell us some specific information face-to-face, after all, the information transmitted back to China cannot be too detailed and specific, and the information on it, I think it is some cold numbers, and I need some direct introduction, there is a situation about the Qing country, it seems that it will always fall into a fog, I, I hope that the ambassador of the small village can solve my doubts. ”

"Hai, the minister must know everything, and he must have said everything." Komura bowed and said.

This statement is very strange, why the Meiji Emperor would say that the situation of the Qing Kingdom "forever fell into a fog", if such a public declaration is made outside, then the intelligence department is equivalent to being directly abandoned by the emperor, obviously if a country's intelligence department is not able to clarify some things, especially the Japanese country is now bent on figuring out the specific aspects of the Qing Kingdom, and the emperor still said so, fog, such words show that the intelligence system is completely out of order. The head of the intelligence department should be in charge at this time.

But obviously not, after all, the intelligence collection and analysis in China is the responsibility of the Komura ambassador, and the emperor's performance is obviously not distrustful of the Komura ambassador, he continued, "The Qing country is so elusive, if according to Fukuzawa Yukichi's words, the Qing country is now in complete decay, after all, his system and civilization cannot adapt to the current steel-like trend of the times, in recent years, the completely stagnant construction of the Beiyang Naval Division, as well as their armament, I recognize this, but," Emperor Meiji showed a somewhat confused expression, "But the prosperity of the Qing Kingdom and the development of the economy are indeed obvious to everyone. ”

"That's why I said that the situation of the Qing Kingdom is obvious to all, although I don't want to admit it, but the national strength of the Qing Kingdom is far above that of Japan," the emperor clenched his fists hard, "They can seize many territories in Africa in the hands of Westerners, which can not be done by diplomatic relations, and I am also very impressed that the Qing people dare to make loud demands on Western countries and achieve their goals." ”

Emperor Meiji's tone is very strange, with a hint of envy and very jealousy, although he said words of admiration, but more with a lot of gloom and unwillingness, the ministers are very clear why Emperor Meiji is like this, Ito Hirobumi is known for his erudition, talent, calm and far-sighted, but he still can't help but feel envy and jealousy of China, why is the Qing State so powerful, why can the Qing State not fall behind against the Westerners?

Mutsu Munemitsu answered with some frustration, "Yes, Qingguo...... In the Berlin Conference, through many ways to fishermen profit, seized the Congo River Basin, the Qing people called Linzhou, this is a very rich place, mineral forest resources, are a lot, although Japan is not possible to get this land in this meeting, and because of the long distance, the Qing want to get actual benefits in Linzhou, or let Linzhou start to make money, this seems to be impossible at present. ”

Mutsu Somitsu seems to want to say that Linzhou is just a place of chicken ribs, "And the Qing people do not cherish the wealth of their country, for the sake of Linzhou, they have privately signed many treaties with various countries that I think are traitors, and they will continue to give domestic benefits to Westerners, in exchange for the consent of Western countries to Qing countries to occupy the Congo River, which is a very short-sighted behavior, especially if we are in Japan, we can use these resources to develop our military strength more, And not for what face in exchange for something so unimportant. ”

"What do you mean," Emperor Meiji asked, "is this a matter of face?" ”

"The Congo River valley does not get any real benefits, in the minister's view, it is just a false name, there is an excuse to seize a piece of land in Africa to show that the Qing country is on an equal footing with the Western powers, they seem to be able to seize colonies in Africa on an equal footing with Britain, France, Russia and Germany, but we all know that the Qing country is far inferior to the Western powers, they are just a false illusion of prosperity, because the Qing people have the best face. Ambassador Komura should know this best. ”

Xiao Cun nodded calmly, "Yes, the love and vanity of the Qing State has penetrated into every corner of this country, from their empress dowager to the emperor, to the cabinet, to the provinces, from the civil service system to the army. In the previous information, the minister has reported that the queen mother of the Qing State has to enjoy more than 300 dishes at every meal, which is not to say that the enjoyment can be explained, there is no unnecessary waste and extravagance, these delicacies are completely dumped after a meal, and no one is sorry and distressed. ”