Chapter 231 The Loser
In the early morning of December 30, 1895, Hirofumi Ito and Mitsuomi Kamio entered the governor's mansion.
Hirofumi Ito is one of the nine elders of the Meiji Restoration in Japan. In fact, his status has exceeded all politicians in Japan and is the leading man in Japanese politics! He created a miracle in Japanese politics. He was Japan's first prime minister, the first president of the Privy Council, and the first president of the House of Lords.
Hirofumi Ito created the Japanese government of Meiji Restoration and promoted Japan from a conservative and backward vassal division to Kangzhuang Avenue in the process of modernization! The constitutional system he created has become a model of the world constitutional system and has also been praised as a template for reform by the Chinese reformists. This system has ensured Japan's modernization process and promoted Japan to become a world power in just 30 years.
For this reason, Hirofumi Ito has won the respect of the world. Even in Japan's enemy Qing Dynasty, there are many people who worship Hirofumi Ito!
However, the constitutional system he is proud of has left an opportunity for militaristic extremists.
Under the framework of the democratic system, the people have an inalienable political participation regime and freedom of speech. Because of this, extremists can unscrupulously promote the superiority of the Empire of Japan, undisguisedly promote violence to seize the living space, and finally lead Japan to the abyss of war.
Dictatorship cannot breed democracy, but democracy can breed dictatorship! This is the greatest sadness of democracy.
Now, Hirofumi Ito has tasted the bitter fruits of democracy. Because of democracy, he can't restrain the crows of war maniacs in the military. Freedom of speech is an important symbol of democracy. And those war maniacs eventually led Japan to a fiasco, and the Meiji cause for which Hirofumi Ito fought for for 30 years was completely destroyed!
Japan, which lost Okinawa, fell into the ranks of the third-rate countries before the Meiji Restoration and became the meat on the chopping board of Western powers like the Qing Dynasty.
Not long ago, American warships appeared in Hiroshima waters again. The British and French once again demanded that Japan open the domestic market, the Germans asked to lease Nagasaki as her Far East military base, and the Russians turned their eyes to the South Kuril Islands, where the Russian Far East Fleet has appeared. Japan, which has lost its maritime power, is unable to stop the Russians from going further south.
Zhang Jun's occupation of Okinawa made the Western powers see Japan's weakness and fueled the ambition of the powers to divide Japan!
Western powers have long had the idea of partitioning China, but they have not put it into action. An important reason is that mainland China is a whole and it is extremely difficult to divide artificially. Japan is an island country composed of islands, and the natural dividing line between islands makes it easier for Japan to be dismembered.
In this sense, Zhang Jun's occupation of Okinawa is not only a territorial issue, but is likely to become the beginning of the division of Japan by Western powers!
Japan is facing an unprecedented crisis of national subjugation and extinction. Japan has never faced such a crisis since ancient times. Japan, surrounded by the sea, has natural geographical security, and now, with Zhang Jun stepping on Okinawa, none of this exists!
Those soldiers who dragged Japan into the abyss either died or hid. Their wild words became laughingstock. They shifted the responsibility to the civilian cabinet. In fact, it was to Hirofumi Ito!
As the founder of Meiji who pushed Japan into the process of modernization, Hirofumi Ito embarked on an unpredictable trip to Taiwan with a strong sense of responsibility.
He has only one mission - to preserve Japan's sovereignty over Okinawa!
Only by keeping Okinawa can Japan have hope of survival! Otherwise, Japan has only two ways to go - either dismembered by the great powers, or become a affiliate of a big country and transform into North Korea, Annan, the Philippines and Malaysia!
However, Hirofumi Ito is not sure about this mission.
He really can't think of any reason to persuade Zhou Charter to give up Okinawa.
Zhou Charter has the most powerful navy in Asia and an invincible Zhang army. How could he spit out the meat in his mouth!
Perhaps the only reason that can be said is morality!
However, he knows that in the world of the law of the jungle, morality is just a fig leaf!
If morality really works, Japan should not provoke the First Sino-Japanese War, let alone launch the Second Sino-Japanese War!
In this world, it is not morality that determines everything, but strength!
However, the Japanese soldiers overestimated their strength.
Ito Hirofumi knew that it was difficult to convince Zhou Charter, and he thought of Kamio Mitsumi.
In the eyes of Hirofumi Ito, the vast majority of Japanese soldiers are short-sighted and self-righteous, while Kamio Mitsuomi is an exception.
Shenwei Guangchen is a determined soldier with a strong patriotism and sense of mission, but his mind is always calm, which is completely different from those fanatical officers.
Shenwei Guangchen's patriotism is not mixed with any selfish thoughts. Unlike those so-called "patriotic soldiers", many of them actually want to forge their own generals and improve their political status with the help of foreign wars.
After Mitsuomi returned to China, he was denounced as a defeated general and a traitor by Japanese politicians because he signed the surrender of the Southern Army! He was criticized and criticized. Shanxian Youpeng and Dashanyan had been defeated by Zhou Charter, but after all, they did not sign the surrender letter.
Only Hirofumi Ito knows that Mitsuomi Kamio's move is more valuable than winning a war!
I am willing to exchange my reputation for the lives of soldiers. It is unimaginable in the Japanese military world where reputation is above all else! Dashanyan can't do it, and some friends in Shanxian County can't do it. They would rather let the soldiers die than give up their reputation!
Therefore, under pressure from all sides, Hirofumi Ito persuaded Emperor Meiji to appoint Mitsuomi Kamio as the Chief of Staff of Staff of Japan.
However, Mitsumi Kamio rejected the appointment.
He resigned from all his positions, gave up his rank as general, returned to his home in Hokkaido, and thanked guests behind closed doors.
Hen Nogi once accused Kamio Mitsumi of having an affair with Zhou Charter. In this regard, Hirofumi Ito can only sneer with contempt.
Nomu Xidian was blinded by his selfish desires and doubted his comrades-in-arms. His failure was inevitable!
However, Hirofumi Ito also believes that there is really a saying of "sympatheting for each other" in the world.
Shenwei Guangchen and Zhou Charter may really have some kind of spiritual interoperability. Otherwise, how could Shenwei Guangchen judge Zhou Charter's intention so accurately, but his judgment was not recognized by Naimu Xidian.
Therefore, when Hirofumi Ito was ordered to go to Taiwan to negotiate the Okinawa issue with Zhou Charter, he made a special trip to Hokkaido to visit Mitsuomi Kamio, hoping that Mitsuomi Kamio would come out of the mountain and go to Taiwan with him.
Mitsuomi Kamio is a junior. When Hirofumi Ito started the Meiji Restoration, Mitsuomi Kamio was still in primary school. In the name of Hirofumi Ito, he came to visit, and he was determined to return to the forest and had to go out of the mountain.
In this way, Mitsutomi Kamio followed Hirofumi Ito and went to Beijing first. In Beijing, they were fed up with the cynicism of the officials of the Qing Dynasty, who appeared to be winners with their nostrils. Hirofumi Ito was angry. He knew that those brazen officials of the Qing Dynasty used to expect the Japanese to help them eliminate Zhou Charter, but now that Zhou Charter has won, they have changed as if they had defeated the Japanese.
When Zaiyi, the king of Duan County of the Qing Dynasty, scolded Hirofumi Ito with his legs crossed, Ito Hirofumi almost couldn't help arguing with the Duan king. However, the god-tailed light minister beside him was as heavy as water. This made Hirofumi Ito feel ashamed and admired.
In a word, with Mitsumi Kamio by his side, Hirofumi Ito has a little confidence in his heart.
He is gratified that although Japan has been defeated, there is still a young generation like Mitsutomi Kamio in Japan, who may be able to support Japan's tomorrow.
In the governor's mansion, there is a peaceful faction.
Except for soldiers standing guard at the door, no one was seen in the mansion. Only the service personnel in regular clothes went in and out. When they saw Hirofumi Ito and his entourage, they bowed politely and then walked away quietly.
This is completely different from the government office of the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, where Hirofumi Ito has always been pointed out and ridiculed unscrupulously by the officials of the Qing Dynasty. The people in the governor's mansion are obviously much more educational than the Qing court!
Because of this, Hirofumi Ito's heart was even more nervous.
He finally realized why Nomu Hidian was defeated! Not only did he not take the advice of Shenwei Guangchen, but the more important reason is that his opponent Zhou Charter is an extremely restrained person!
Zhou Charter did not show any arrogance because of the victory, and he did not want to humiliate his enemy at all - this is the most terrible opponent!
Even the person who guided them was extremely modest. The man claimed to be the adjutant of Zhou Charter. Mitsumi Kamio once told Ito Hirofumi that this man's name was Yao Xi and was illiterate. He participated in the battle of Songgufeng. In the early stage of the First Sino-Japanese War, he was still an ordinary soldier. After the war, his official title jumped from the second grade. The deputy general is a senior general in Zhang Jun. Shenwei Guangchen also told him that officers like Yao Xi are everywhere in the Zhang army. They have not received regular military academy training, but they have defeated the modern Japanese army!
Ito Hirofumi also saw that Yao Xi was indeed not well educated, with the simplicity and simplicity unique to Chinese farmers on his face, and of course, he also had Chinese-style cunning.
Ito Hirofumi and Kamio Mitsutomi were taken to a lobby. The plaque on the hall was inscribed with the three regular script characters. The handwriting was strong and powerful, and it can be seen that it was very meritorious.