Japan, Bunsho 9, December 30.

Outside Edo Castle, the Satsuma Domain.

According to the "Zhuge Calendar", which is now commonly used in the entire East Asian cultural circle, today is the last working day before the New Year's Festival.

From December 31 to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year, there are 20 or 21 New Year holidays – yes, 20 or 21 days! Because according to the "Zhuge Calendar", there are 30 days from January to November in a year, December is usually 35 days, and there will be a December 36 every four years...... That's 365 or 366 days a year. Although dates like December 35 and December 36 look a little strange, this is calculated by King Zhuge Wuzhong counting his fingers, and it must be the most accurate.

Anyway, it's been like this for more than a hundred years, and East Asia is used to it. Even Japan, which has always been not very close to the Ming Dynasty, has long accepted the concept that there are 35 or 36 days in December.

Therefore, the last working day of the year in the Tokugawa shogunate was also December 30. After the end of the day, the shogunate's offices were basically closed, and only some officials who remained behind were on duty.

On the last day of the yamen's opening, there is usually no business to do. Therefore, the staff officer of the Navy Commission, Shimazu Qiliang, got off duty early. However, after work, he did not go to Yoshihara with his colleagues in the office to drink flower wine and fool around until late at night before returning home. Instead, he returned early to the Satsuma Mansion in Sakurada, which is the home of Shimazu Sairyō.

After returning home, Shimazu Qiliang did not go to Zhang Luo for the New Year, but plunged into a secluded Japanese-style room in the deepest part of the mansion, drinking tea and talking with the two mysterious guests who had been waiting there for a long time.

"Please rest assured, as long as our Haitao team can know when the ship that Zhuge Weidao will take will arrive at a port in Japan, we will definitely make him disappear forever!"

It was a hideous-looking Japanese ronin who spoke, with a shaggy beard and a fierce gaze shot out of one eye, and he looked very tall, not like a Japanese. His skin was tanned, and at first glance he knew that he was a perennial figure who traveled at sea.

The "Haitao Team" in his mouth is a well-known Ronin organization in Japan and the waters around Japan. Most of its members were ronins from the Shogunate Navy, and most of them also had a background in the Satsuma Domain. This "Haitao team" has several modified armed sailboats in their hands, and they are nominally doing the work of "protecting shipping", but in fact only God knows what they do.

Shimazu Qiliang suddenly laughed, looked at the big one-eyed dragon warrior in front of him, and said, "Saigo-kun, did I say that I want to get rid of Zhuge as the Tao?" ”

"Didn't he snatch your fancy Miss Black?" The one-eyed dragon warrior with the seedling of "Saigo" looked at Shimazu and asked, "Don't you want to get rid of this man who snatches love with a sword?" ”

"It's just a woman," Shimazu Qiliang said with a smile, "How could I be an enemy of the Ming Zhuge family for a woman?" ”

"But, didn't you just say that the target is the ship of Zhuge Weidao?"

Shimazu nodded his head, "Yes, I said it...... But I didn't let you go and get rid of him! The reason why I chose his ship as a target was not because he took away the Great Black Sky, but simply because his ship was the only Daming naval cruiser I could be sure of when and which route it would take to reach Mito Port. ”

"What? Cruiser? One-eyed Ryusaigo was taken aback by Shimazu's words.

The ships in his hands are just a few camouflaged attack ships, and it's okay to deal with merchant ships, isn't it looking for death for the Ming Navy cruisers?

"Mixi!" Shimazu nodded brightly, "It's the cruiser...... If the information I have is correct, it should be a Lushun level. ”

"Lushun-class ......" beads of sweat came out of the forehead of the one-eyed Long Xixiang, "That's a large cruiser with a displacement of four or five thousand tons, and 16 155 mm rapid-fire guns!" To deal with such a cruiser, at least the Four Heavenly Kings ship must be released, right? ”

"Hahaha," Shimazu laughed, "I didn't expect that Oni Saigo would also be scared!" ”

"My lord," Saigo was a little anxious when he heard this, "why are you afraid of death?" It's just that death is as heavy as Mount Tai, and as light as a feather......"

Shimazu Qi Liang said: "This operation does not require you to die, if you are really unfortunate to die in the operation, then I can guarantee that you will die as heavy as Mount Tai!" Because you died for the sake of our national fortune in Japan! ”

"Saigo would like to hear about it."

Shimazu Qiliang said in a low voice: "In the first month of next year, a formation of the British Royal Navy will arrive in Japan...... They are here to instigate our Japanese country to become enemies of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Really?" Saigo gritted his teeth and said, "Da Ming is the enemy of Japan, and no one needs to instigate it!" The reason why we Japan cannot rise is because of the oppression of the Ming Land! ”

Hearing this, Shimazu just smiled, most of the samurai knew that the reason why Japan could not develop was because of the suppression of the Ming Dynasty - this is also a fact! But what they don't know is that if Japan wants to develop, it can only rely on the support of the Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible to count on the British Empire, which is tens of thousands of miles away.

Because the British Empire is too far away, the Ming Empire is too close...... Moreover, the national strength of the Ming Empire is strong, and the possibility of being destroyed by the British Empire is almost zero. The future war with Britain is nothing more than whether it can seize valuable territory or whether it will lose a few pieces of territory that cannot be reached by the whip, and there is no possibility of being completely crushed by the British Empire. Even if the war is unfavorable, the basic situation in East Asia and Southeast Asia can still be maintained.

After all, the Ming Empire's world-leading population and industrial strength are obvious.

Therefore, if Japan acts as a pawn of Great Britain, the final result must be destruction!

If the Ming Dynasty can't deal with the British, will it not be able to eradicate Japan?

However, the outbreak of war between Britain and the Ming Dynasty was a great thing for Japan to turn the fortunes of the country - Japan's "dog luck" was coming!

However, how big this "dog luck" is, it still has to be beaten.

And this "hit" is very particular.

Of course, the best policy is that Britain and the Ming Dynasty will fight each other, so that Japan can not be beaten and still behave well, if it can help the Ming Dynasty clean up the British, then it will be able to "prosper the dog".

And the middle strategy is that Japan withstood a good fight from the Ming Dynasty, which made the Ming feel that Japan was a fierce dog with high utilization value, so the benefits were "great" - Japan had to charge into battle to fight the Yingyi, and it was not allowed to be fed? The so-called emperor is not a hungry dog!

As for the next policy, of course, Japan made Daming beat his head and face covered with blood, and then cried and begged for mercy, this dog is worthless.

As for surrendering without a fight...... That's too worthless, it is estimated that Daming will look down on Japan in his heart, and he will still be a coolie in the future.

Therefore, the ruling elite of Japan, such as Tokugawa Ieki, Tokugawa Saiaki, and Shimazu Akira, would rather let Japan be beaten than kneel without a fight - they are not afraid of being beaten, and they are also ruthless dogs!

Shimazu Qiliang looked at Saigo, who was indignant, and said in a very serious tone: "Saigo-kun...... Although the Ming Dynasty oppressed us Japan, the oppression of the Ming Dynasty would not make Japan perish. Britain ostensibly came to help us Japan, but their help was only to make us Japan die quickly. If we don't want to die, we don't want to be beaten. The only way is to get a fight between Da Ming and Da Ying. And the simultaneous appearance of the British Royal Navy formation and the cruiser of Zhuge Weidao in the coastal waters of Japan is our opportunity.

Among them, we can master the itinerary of Zhuge Weidao...... As for the itinerary of the British naval formation to Japan, we can arrange it. In other words, we can arrange for the British Royal Navy formation to encounter the cruisers of Zhuge at a certain time and in a certain sea area. At this time, if anyone can help them fire the first shot, what will be the consequences?

Saigo-kun, do you understand what I want you to do now? ”

These one-eyed dragon Saigo suddenly realized, and then respectfully bowed to Shimazu Qiliang: "Hai, I know what to do!" ”