February 14, 1875, afternoon.
Emperor Xinghua of Japan died in the British and American naval bombardment of Tokyo. Senior officials of the reform government were defeated and fled.
In troubled times, there are not enough people for dogs, so the people who escaped from Tokyo became a group of homeless and bereaved dogs.
A group here, a cluster there, twos and threes, everywhere outside Tokyo, there are both fleeing civilians and some soldiers, whether they are soldiers or civilians, their bodies are in tatters, and the men are unshaven.
The women's hair was disheveled, and some wore only a pair of torn socks with their toes exposed.
They just walked forward with numb expressions. Where to go? No one had an answer, but they definitely couldn't go back to Tokyo. After all, Tokyo had been occupied by Westerners.
"How did Japan become like this..."
Saying this, some tears actually appeared in the corners of Yin Teng Hirobumi's eyes. They lowered their heads and thought for a while, then sighed and said to Okubo Toshimichi next to them:
"Now, Japan is really subjugated..."
Yes, the country was really subjugated now. Tokyo was occupied by Westerners, and even the Emperor died in the bombardment of Westerners.
"Hey, Japan..."
Okubo Toshimichi sighed, and then said.
"We thought that the reform and reform could make Japan prosperous and powerful, but in the final analysis, our thinking was too simple. When we wanted to learn from Westerners, we never imagined that we would end up where we are today."
The current situation is something they have never even thought about in the past. Once upon a time, they still harbored fantasies, dreaming that one day Japan could become a great power and join the club of world powers.
But now, the naked reality has made them despair. It has also made them truly aware of the rules of survival in this world of the jungle and the strong.
Okubo Toshimichi couldn't help but shook his head and said:
"Harm! The great powers didn't give us a chance at all! In this world of jungle, the strong will never give the weak a chance to stand up! They have occupied Tokyo now, and after stabilizing Tokyo, they will definitely attack other places. Japan
…”
"It's so bad!"
Yin Teng Bowen asked:
"Now that the matter has come to this, what should we do next?"
"What else can we do? The only choice is to go to Hiroshima!"
Okubo Toshimichi said directly.
"Now only the Ming Dynasty can suppress the ambitions of Westerners. If the Ming Dynasty does not help us, Japan may really have no choice but to perish..."
Okubo Toshimichi's tone was full of despair. If all previous thoughts about the country's subjugation were an unforeseeable future, then now the country's subjugation is no longer a prophecy, but a reality!
Japan is going to perish!
How did the country get to this point?
Okubo Toshimichi's mind is full of questions, but one thing is certain, Japan cannot survive in this world just relying on its own strength.
"Fortunately, we have Daming!"
The Ming Dynasty...that is Japan's only reliance.
"Ming dynasty……"
Yin Teng Bowen was silent for a moment, and then said.
"Do you think Ming's intervention will make them have any scruples?"
Ming intervened!
Of course it's not military, but diplomatic.
At the same time that the British and American sailors came ashore, the Ming Dynasty Consulate designated a safety zone near the embassy - and more than 20 marines in the consulate guarded the intersection.
For the nobles, give them a Ming military uniform or even a hat. They become the Ming army. Then under the command of the Ming army, they stationed at intersections and guarded safe areas.
On the day when Britain and the United States occupied Tokyo, facing the streets where Ming troops were stationed, all they could do was stand there and watch, unless they wanted to go to war with Ming Dynasty. Finally, through diplomatic negotiations, Britain and the United States recognized this safe zone.
Even if it is only temporary, for the people of Tokyo, they finally have a refuge.
As a result, in the chaotic city of Tokyo, a rare piece of pure land appeared. Hundreds of thousands of people were sheltered in the safe zone, protecting them from the British and American troops. Hundreds of thousands of Tokyo residents were saved.
Of course, there are not only ordinary people in this safe zone, but also many officials who did not have time to escape. Kido Takayoshi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is among them.
After everyone left Tokyo, Kido Takayun stayed. In order to prevent being arrested by the British and American sailors, he moved into the Ming Dynasty Consulate. In the consulate, he witnessed the atrocities of the British and American sailors with his own eyes. I don’t know how many people were killed and how many women were killed.
Being brutally humiliated.
In the past, he thought Westerners were civilized, but what about now?
After occupying Tokyo, the British and American sailors all turned into devils. They killed men, insulted women, and robbed property. Among these atrocities, there was only a quiet land - the area near the Ming Dynasty Embassy.
"I heard that a Chinese wife and daughter were insulted by sailors yesterday afternoon, and they both committed suicide later..."
In the consul's office, Kido Takayoshi's tone sounded extremely sad and angry. In the past few days, he had heard too many atrocities.
"Hey, it's hard to prosper the people, and it's hard to destroy the people."
Zhao Teng said with a heavy tone.
"Your Excellency, is it possible for them to withdraw their troops from Tokyo?"
Kido Takayun raised his head and said.
"This... I'm afraid it's very difficult,"
Zhao Teng replied,
"Usually like this, they either occupy Tokyo or prepare to hand it over to their puppets, but now there's an accident..."
Looking at Kido Takayun, Zhao Teng said.
"They killed the emperor, and now anyone who accepts Tokyo will become an accomplice in killing the emperor, so Tokugawa Shigemai's attitude is not clear at the moment."
What is unclear? As soon as Tokugawa Shigesei learned that the emperor was killed by British and American ghosts, he not only immediately publicly stated that he had no cooperative relationship with the British, he even took the initiative to retreat from Nagoya. As for Saigo Takamori, he directly
When the call was made to resist the barbarians, he stated that he would withdraw his troops from Kumamoto Town.
The death of the emperor made Japan's situation a bit more delicate.
"However, it may be precisely because of this that the United Kingdom and the United States denied that the emperor was killed by them!"
"Damn British and American ghosts, who else could it be if they weren't them? They were the ones who killed people. Now that they have found out that it may have bad effects, they are the ones who deny it. These damn Westerners!"
No one would doubt that it was British and American sailors who killed the Emperor. After all, there were not a hundred but eighty witnesses at the scene. They saw with their own eyes that a large group of Western sailors attacked the Emperor's motorcade and not only killed the Emperor, but also looted it.
In exchange for the property that the Emperor brought from the palace, she not only insulted the female officials in the palace, but even the Emperor... In short, those damn Westerners were simply crazy.
[To be honest, I have been using Yeguo to read and catch up on books recently. I can switch sources and read aloud with many sounds. www. Android and Apple are available.]
When Kido Takayun said these words, he turned his attention to Zhao Teng.
"Your Excellency, only you can save Japan now. As long as your fleet sails to Tokyo Bay, you will definitely be able to force them to withdraw, Your Excellency! The only thing Japan can rely on now is the motherland of Ming Dynasty. Now that the emperor has been killed, Japan has become invincible.
Orphan of the Lord, if the mother country of the Ming Dynasty abandons Japan again, Japan... I'm afraid it will really fall into the hands of Western monsters!"
Faced with Kido Takayun's request, Zhao Teng hesitated for a while and said.
"I'm afraid this is not something I, a diplomat, can decide, but don't worry, Ming Dynasty will definitely not ignore Japan,"
Now, apart from verbal comfort, Zhao Teng is completely helpless. When there is no clear instruction from the country, even if he wants to help Japan, what he can do is very limited.
What can he do?
That is, just like now, before the British and American sailors come ashore, a safe zone is designated, and then the Ming Dynasty's flag is used to protect the people in the safe zone.
After all, in this age of great strife, the weak are left to be preyed upon by mercenaries.
This chapter has been completed!