Chapter 146 Holy Judge

In the Japanese book, whenever the ministers can't fight, or the ministers want not to take responsibility, there will always be ministers who propose to "put it over to the Holy Judge". The so-called Holy Judge is the imperial meeting. For more than 30 years since the founding of the country, the imperial meeting has been decided again and again and again. The future direction of the empire.

It can be said without hesitation that the imperial meeting largely determines the fate of Japan, and it is the same today. The hour hand points to 19:35 p.m., and the calendar is torn to August 24, the 38th day of the Meiji era.

"For this situation, don't ask us to attack both China and the Lu Chinese army at the same time. The navy may be freed, but if we can't make peace with the country, then don't mess with China."

Army Minister Terauchi Zhengyi still insisted on his comments when the imperial meeting was held in the afternoon. When he put forward this opinion, he did not go to your majesty. The so-called imperial meeting was more about "the imperial struggle", and it was finally decided by the emperor. If the emperor could not decide, then the minority would obey the majority.

At this time, the Minister of the Navy, Yamamoto Quan Bingwei said.

"If we don't attack China now, in less than five years, we will be left far behind by China in all aspects!" Then, he said some strange words that did not match his status as the Minister of the Navy.

"We are either bleeding or engaged in diplomacy. Bleeding is better, and it is also simpler, and it can also solve the problem. In the past few days, he has really stated his point of view, and he still adheres to this point of view.

Gentaro Kodama, Chief of the Army Staff, replied.

"We can't make the Lu people aware of our ideas. If we plan an attack on China now, it is bound to lead to a failure in the negotiations in the United States."

You can't fight with China, at least not now! Although Kodama Gentaro thought so in his heart, he did not reveal his thoughts. He knows why everyone will talk about attacking China, because I all hope to attack China.

"Everything depends on the current situation. We can't go hand in hand at the same time.

Taro Katsura once again spit out amiable words, but in fact, who doesn't know that among the ministers, the most fierce one to fight against China is Katsura Taro. He was deceived by the Chinese emperor in the Lizi Island negotiations. Although Ito took responsibility for it later when he made peace, in fact, many people have now He was considering whether he should step down. In the end, if it hadn't been for the emperor and political dignitaries who were worried that the fall of the cabinet might affect the war against Lu, he would have narrowly escaped.

After Ito returned to China and was assassinated at the dock, Taro Katsura has publicly appealed for "retake Taiwan!" on many occasions. He supported the war against China not for the sake of Japan, but for personal interests.

"We can't get anything in the north. Judging from the current negotiations, it is impossible for us to get a ruble of compensation from Luguo. Maybe we can get some land. After the seventh negotiation, President Roosevelt has told our negotiators that Nicholas II's attitude is "one inch of land, one go." The comparison will not be handed over to us", so I hope we can make huge concessions. The negotiations may be deadlocked, but in the end, the negotiations still need to continue. For us, from now on, it's better to end one day earlier than one day later!"

Zeng Youhuang, the Minister of Tibet, said in a hoarse voice.

"Our war with Luguo has exhausted 2.2 billion yuan of military spending, but now it seems that unless we can fight Moscow, we can't get a ruble of military spending. Luguo may give in and cede us some land, but if we attack China! As long as we defeat their navy, we can threaten their capital, and then support the Chinese republican faction to carry out a subverted uprising. Unless their emperor is willing to see himself lose control of China, he will definitely agree to our request at that time.

In fact, the logic of Zeng You, the Minister of Finance, fully represents a kind of logic in the Japanese cabinet. What he can't get in Luguo is in China. In a word, he must get what he lost in the war must be rewarded.

"In the war against the war, the war cost of Japan is nearly 2.2 billion yuan, and the national debt of Japan has increased from 600 million yuan to 2.6 billion yuan. Every year, the interest alone needs to pay 170 million yuan. The per capita tax burden has increased from 5 yuan two years ago to 10 yuan now. Both the financial business community and the people are eager to get a huge amount of money. For war reparations, most people believe that the Russian Congress ceded Sakhalin, Vladivostok, Binhai Province and Kamchatka Peninsula, and received 2 billion yuan in compensation. Even the most conservative people will think that the Russian Congress paid 1 billion yuan in compensation... But what is the truth?

Impossible!

How can people in thousands of halls not know the strength of Japan? Of course, they know that this is impossible, but now Japan has to find a way to solve the current problem. If there is no public compensation, the interest of 170 million yuan a year will drag down the whole Japan, not to mention that they will face the Chinese at sea in the future. The arms race.

"We pay 170 million yuan to foreign countries a year, and then there is less than 100 million yuan of budget left. What do we take to compete with the Chinese people and what do to build a distant ship? Even if we get North Korea, what can we change? Nothing can be changed! Therefore, if you want to solve the problem, you must declare war on China, defeat the Chinese, and get at least 2 billion in compensation!"

"If we declare war on the Chinese, will the United States support them and declare war on us?"

"This is not impossible. The United States is very wary of our maritime forces. China refused to purchase warships from other countries except Germany, but the United States agreed at the beginning. Of course, if they had enough warships, they might export warships to China instead of armored cruisers, but in war, everything is hard to say. "

The interest of 170 million yuan and the future naval arms race, one by one, with the talks of ministers, hit Meiji's brain from time to time. On the surface, he seems to be majestic, and his whole body is completely in struggle. In his heart, he does not want to continue the war. He understands that it is right to continue the war. In the first place, what does it mean?

In this war against the dew, Japan has exhausted its wealth. Foreign debt alone is equivalent to the fiscal revenue of Japan's 16 years, and the annual interest paid is equivalent to 80% of the fiscal revenue of the political axe, which is undoubtedly dangerous. In the past, they have calculated the benefits brought by obtaining the Manchuria market and further exploring the Chinese market. But what about now? All this has been lost, and the heavy interest is enough to drag down the Japanese book.

The key to solving the problem is in China. As long as you can defeat China, all the problems will be solved, but if it fails? Although he thought so in his heart, Meiji, who looked extremely serious, didn't say anything. He just quietly listened to the discussion of the ministers. The Holy Jue was not his decision.

"If we don't start to solve the Chinese problem now, with the end of the war against Russia, the vigilance of the United States will inevitably lead to the close alliance between China and the United States, and we will achieve nothing in diplomacy. If we attack China immediately, the United States will not be able to participate in the war.

"If we wait for the results as we are now, within ten years, we will be surrounded by China, the United States, and Russia. We must end the war with Luguo, then go south, attack China, and completely solve the Chinese problem. We must interrupt the Chinese attack at all costs.

At this point, Yamamoto continued to speak almost as if he had been forced, until he saw that his words didn't work at all. No, he wants to solve this problem by force.

"I hope to make a decision on whether to make a huge concession to Lu Guo."

"No!"

At this time, Terauchi Zhengyi suddenly said that he looked at Yamamoto Quan Bingwei and resolutely refused him. In Terauchi Zhengyi's view, the fundamental reason why Yamamoto Quan Bingwei was eager to fight against China was that he wanted to use the current naval advantage to solve the Chinese navy, but the navy had an advantage, but the army had no advantage.

What if the navy wins and the army is defeated?

"Then please ask the Holy Judge!"

At this kind of meeting, the emperor has always sat without saying a word and listened to everyone's explanation of the deliberation policy. Then, he approved it with the royal seal. The members of the imperial meeting are the members of the liaison meeting, plus one or two experts, and the Speaker of the Privy Council. He attended the meeting as a civil servant representing the emperor and asked questions on his behalf when it was inconvenient for the emperor to speak, in order to show that he was superior to secular affairs.

At this time, Meiji was sitting under the south-facing imperial throne. He took a look at Masayoshi Terauchi. He understood why the navy wanted to fight and the army did not want it. Although the following participants sit at a certain angle with him. They put their hands on their knees and stared at each other like wooden people. However, when Masayoshi Terauchi interrupted Yamamoto's words, Meiji still saw the anger of Yamamoto's soldiers. In front of Yamamoto, Masayoshi Terauchi was simply a junior.

He glanced at Aritomo Yamato, who took over the position of Speaker of the Privy Council after Ito's assassination, and then handed over a note.

After receiving the note from the emperor, a friend in Shanxian bowed. He took a look at the note first.

"If the declaration of war on China is beneficial to the development of the empire, I think we should also solve this problem by force to ensure the future security of the empire."

Throughout the meeting, the emperor sat without saying a word, expressionless. According to the traditional custom, his attendance only made the decisions made at the meeting legal and binding.

At this time, with a friend in Shanxian who read such a sentence on the note, the final holy judge was made by the "non-speaking" person. Then a long-established document was sent to the Cabinet Office, and a copy was written on official paper signed by the Prime Minister, the Army Chief of Staff and the Chief of the Naval Order Department, and submitted to the emperor. Finally, hand it over to the inner province of the palace and add the imperial seal.

A few thin sheets of paper have become a national policy, and it is said that it has taken a step in the direction of war.

(to be continued)