In the room, Yi Zhizu looked at the information gathered from all over the country with a cigarette holder in his mouth, and when he heard the knock on the door, he didn't raise his head and said, "Come in." Xiao Mingliang pushed the door and came in to report: "Principal, they are here." ”

"Let them in." Yi Zhishu said and put down the intelligence information in his mouth, took off the cigarette holder in his mouth, Yang Xiuqing and Luo Xuan came in and saluted together, "My subordinates have seen the big shopkeeper." ”

"Don't be formal, sit." Yi Zhizhi said and glanced at Luo Outline, Luo Outline was born in the Heaven and Earth Society, Yuan Qi initially interacted with the Taiping Army, all through this person, Huang Dianyuan mentioned it many times in front of him, he was quite impressed,

Yang Xiuqing was not restrained in front of Yi Zhicontent, and after sitting down, he smiled and said: "The New Sixth Army has killed a lot in Satsuma and Changzhou, especially Changzhou, but the big shopkeeper has heard some gossip?" ”

"There's a lot of gossip, but you're not called here because of gossip." Yi Zhishu said slowly: "With the increasing development of navigation technology, maritime trade will become more and more prosperous, and countries around the world will pay more and more attention to the navy, and the whole world is transitioning from the traditional era of land power to the era of sea power.

For example, England is a typical sea power country, its naval strength is far superior to the strength of the army, and the reason why England can dominate the sea and become the world's hegemon is because of its strong naval strength.

After all these years of continuous expansion, our country has basically eliminated the threat from the land, even if it is at odds with Russia, the war will only be confined to the northwest, and will not cause much impact, and the biggest threat to our country now and even in the future will come from the sea.

Although the Japanese country is a small land, but its geographical location is very superior, it is a must pass through the Pacific route between China and the United States, and it is also very close to North Korea and Tianjin, whether it is from the consideration of safeguarding national security or from the consideration of vigorously developing sea power, it is necessary to incorporate the Japanese country into our territory and permanently control!

Although Yuan Qi has repeatedly advocated the Chinese nation and actively promoted ethnic integration, the Han nationality is the main body of the Chinese nation, and if you want to permanently control the Japanese country, the residents of the island must be dominated by the Han nationality! ”

Hearing his words, Yang Xiu completely understood what was going on, and immediately said with a wry smile: "Does the big shopkeeper think the New Sixth Army is too benevolent?" ”

Yi Zhishu looked at Luo Xuan and said, "Changzhou is okay, Satsuma is indeed a little merciful." ”

Hearing this, Luo Xuan said with some grievances: "The subordinates are worried that the killing will be too heavy and damage the reputation of the Yuanqi New Army...... ”

"The new army of Yuanqi does not need a reputation for benevolence." Yi Zhizhi said: "I'm not afraid of bearing the notoriety of 'human slaughter', should you learn from those literati to sell their fame and reputation?" ”

Luo Xuan hurriedly stood up and said with a red face: "The subordinates are from the party, and they have a small reputation and a bad reputation, and they will definitely not sell their reputation, and the notoriety of 'human slaughter' will be carried by them." ”

Yang Xiuqing also stood up and said: "Don't worry, the New Sixth Army will definitely make the Japanese Kingdom a hell on earth!" ”

Seeing this situation, Xiao Mingliang could still sit still, and then got up and said: "The subordinates are the commander-in-chief of the war, and the name of 'human slaughter' should be borne by the subordinates, and the subordinates must follow the orders of the chief treasurer to make the Japanese country extinct and extinct the species!" ”

"Sit down." Yi Zhizu stretched out his hand and pressed it weakly, and said in a gentle tone: "I am the treasurer of Yuanqi, and I am also the war of invasion and instigation that I advocate and instigate, and you can't share the responsibility and infamy I bear, but I think even if I bear the infamy for this eternal, I think it's worth it!"

It is a country that has the same great potential for development as England and will pose a serious threat to Japan and the whole world and bring great disasters.

I am not to comfort you, the situation of the Japanese and Germany is very similar, and you will understand my painstaking ...... today by looking at the disasters that Germany has brought to Europe and the world in the future. ”

At this, he smiled to himself, "Maybe we won't see that day anymore, but you can record this passage." ”

Can the Wa Kingdom be compared to Germany? Xiao Mingliang had some doubts in his heart, Yi Zhixiang attached great importance to Germany and spoke highly of it, he knew it, but he never thought that the other party would compare the Wa Kingdom with Germany, is this too much to elevate the Wa State?

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhao Liewen walked out of the temporarily arranged conference room with brisk steps, and talked with the negotiators of the Japanese state for most of the day, but he did not feel tired, after all, he knew in his heart that this negotiation was meaningless, and there was no need to waste his mind at all, and he folded up to the second floor, he went straight into the room where he was content, and briefly explained the negotiation situation.

"The total amount of 200 million silver cannot be reduced." Yi Zhizhi said without thinking: "A large amount is enough to cause a sensation and a panic, but we can consider appropriate concessions in terms of repayment period and interest, and in addition, talk to them for a few more days to create an excuse for increasing troops one after another." ”

The negotiations lasted for 10 days, and during the 10 days, Yuanqi continued to increase his troops in Satsuma and Fukuoka, and a large number of warships sailed from Fukuoka to Shimonoseki, and the Japanese negotiation team in Shimonoseki did not have the heart to continue bargaining, and neatly signed a treaty to cede Satsuma, Choshu, and Fukuoka, and pay an indemnity of 200 million taels of silver, to be paid in 40 years, and to pay 5 million per year.

As soon as the news spread, from Edo to Kyoto to Osaka, the whole Wa country was boiling, the Wa country was isolated overseas, and it was very rare to encounter foreign invasions in history, and the Mongolian 200,000 army was the only foreign invasion that year, and it was also returned because of the typhoon.

Genki's First Crusade was only to force the ministers to pay tribute, and how much substantial harm was done to the Wa Kingdom, and now the shogunate actually signed such a humiliating treaty, which naturally caused a national uproar, and the whole country condemned, and the Shogunate Movement, which had been depressed because of the destruction of the two feudal domains of Satsuma Choshu, was active again.

Although the treaty was signed, Yi Zhishu refused to withdraw his troops on the pretext of the unstable situation in the Japanese kingdom, and 100,000 troops were deployed in the three feudatories of Satsuma, Choshu, and Fukuoka.

At the same time, the evil consequences of Yuanqi's continuous issuance of paper money in the Wa Kingdom began to be revealed, and prices soared, as the local daimyo and merchants with a keen sense of smell stepped up the hoarding of grain, and the already scarce food supply became more and more tight, and the price of grain in the market rose again and again and more than tripled, because the tide of grain grabbing that the shogunate vigorously suppressed was rear-headed, and hunger riots of different sizes broke out in many places.

Maguan, Chunfan Building.

Yi Zhizu handed the intelligence information in his hand to Zhao Liewen, got up and walked to the window, looking at the scenery of the Maguan Strait, a slight sound of footsteps came, and soon, Cao Gensheng appeared at the door and said: "Big shopkeeper, Minister Xie is calling." ”

"Reading ——。"

"The grain fleet has arrived in Nagasaki, will it be shipped to Edo and Osaka?"

Yi Zhizhi said casually: "Call back, start shipping." ”

Hearing this, Zhao Liewen raised his head and said, "Big treasurer, will the arrival of the grain fleet alleviate the current situation in the Wa Kingdom?" ”

"400,000 stone of grain is tantamount to a drop in the bucket for the Wa Kingdom, what situation can be alleviated?" Yi Zhishu turned around, "But this forty stone of grain is enough to exchange for a large amount of gold and silver, and the additional issuance of paper money has caused a sharp depreciation, and it is difficult to exchange gold and silver. ”

Zhao Liewen hesitated, didn't say much, and only after Cao Gensheng retreated, did he say: "Once the Wa Kingdom is destroyed, aren't all these gold and silver in the bag?" ”

"Not necessarily." Yi Zhizhi said: "When the war is in chaos, most of the gold and silver will be buried, and besides, the military discipline of the New Sixth Army is also very problematic, and it is difficult to implement the provisions of seizure and return to the public. ”

Hearing this, Zhao Liewen hurriedly changed the topic, "According to the estimation of the big shopkeeper, how long will it take before it is a good time to send troops?" ”

"Don't worry, wait for them to mess around for a while." Yi Zhizu said slowly, groaning slightly, before he said: "Send a telegram to King Gong and Prime Minister Su, so that the imperial court is ready to increase troops, and the imperial court can't just take money and not work." ”

Jingshi, Forbidden City, Yangxin Palace, East Warm Pavilion.

Ci'an glanced coldly at Su Shun and Zaiyuan, who were kneeling outside the bead curtain, and said, "Before the battle starts, let the imperial court increase the troops, what does it mean to be content?" ”

"Back to the Queen Mother." Su Shun said unhurriedly: "This time to attack the Japanese, Yuanqi is a three-pronged approach, right now is disrupting the financial economy of the Japanese country, shaking the authority of the shogunate, once the war is bound to be a way to divide the troops, a thunderbolt strike, if the war is to temporarily increase the troops, it will be too late." ”

Ci'an didn't understand the matter of the war, but the deployment of the troops of the Beijing division made her very vigilant, and he groaned slightly, and then he said: "Yi Xun returns, Yuan Qi this time to destroy the country, destroy the people, so, after the war, the country will inevitably be a scorched earth, what benefit does the court want?" ”

"The province produces gold, silver and copper, and the queen mother should have heard of it." Su Shun hurriedly said: "Even if there is a scorched earth after the war, it will not damage the mining deposits, and besides, the Japanese State and Korea will face each other across the sea, and Yuan Qi will take over...... It is also not conducive to the development of the Beiyang Naval Division. ”

Ci'an was unmoved, and said indifferently: "No matter how much the Beiyang Naval Division develops, it can't compete with the Yuanqi Navy, and the Wa State can't continue to increase its troops, so there is no need to discuss this matter again. ”

Withdrawing from the Dongnuan Pavilion, Su Shun was not depressed, Ci'an's attitude was expected by him, and he was in a hurry to urge the imperial court to increase troops before the war, and anyone would be suspicious, it seemed that he had to go to Prince Gong's Mansion at night to communicate with Yixun.

In the Dongnuan Pavilion, Ci'an pondered for a while before he said, "What is the purpose of Yi Zhi's request to continue to increase troops?" ”

"With Weichen guessing, Yuan Qi may be hoping for a quick victory, dividing the army, and ending the war as soon as possible." Zaiyuan said cautiously: "In addition, it is not ruled out that there are other attempts? ”

Ci'an said softly: "But it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

"Wechen is just thinking about it in private." Zaiyuan said and kowtowed slightly, "The constitution period is approaching, and Yuan Qi may use this time to divide the imperial court's military ........" ”

Hearing this, Ci'an was silent for a long time, what she was worried about was that as the deadline for preparing for the constitution was getting closer and closer, the worry in her heart was getting heavier and heavier, Yuan Qi's expedition to the Japanese state and let the imperial court assist in sending troops, she faintly felt this way, but she couldn't resist the pressure of Yuan Qi, King Gong, and Su Shun, and more importantly, the officers and soldiers of the army themselves were also eager to participate in the war and obtain military achievements.

This time, Yuan Qi asked the imperial court to increase troops, will the three parties repeat their old tricks and exert pressure again? In addition, there is another possibility, asking the imperial court to increase troops, perhaps it is really out of the needs of the war, after all, Yi Zhishu hinted to her that Yuan Qi will focus on the overall situation.

Which situation exactly? She frowned slightly, and it took a long time for her to speak, "How about sending 10,000 recruits?" ”

Zaiyuan secretly slandered in his heart, if Yuan Qi had the intention to divide and disintegrate the forces of the imperial court, what was the difference between sending new soldiers and veterans? The recruits are equipped with weapons and have been trained on the battlefield, but they are afraid that their combat power is higher than that of the veterans of the Beijing Division, and after a slight groan, he said softly: "The Queen Mother is cautious, what the recruits lack is only actual combat experience." ”

This is not unreasonable, Ci'an pondered for a while before saying: "This palace has never figured out why Yuanqi monopolized the trade with the Japanese, why did he go on a large-scale expedition, and then give the Japanese country to the imperial court?" ”

This question, Zaiyuan himself didn't figure it out, to say that Yuan Qi is dedicated to the sake of the court, it is pure nonsense, no one will believe it, but this move obviously does not benefit Yuan Qi in the slightest, to say that it is not for the sake of the court, but it makes some sense, he had to kowtow and say: "Weichen is stupid, and he doesn't understand the reason." ”

Sighing secretly, Ci'an said, "Kneel down." Waiting for Zaiyuan to bow down, she took a sip of tea before slowly getting up and moving her body to look at the algae top, as early as when Xianfeng was still there, many of Yi Zhi's actions were very incomprehensible, this should be a very contradictory person, however, one thing is for sure, there is no doubt about Yi Zhi's contented character.

Thinking of this, her heart lit up, there was a cable telegram in the Yangxin Palace that directly contacted the Zhennan Palace, why didn't she ask the other party directly for the reason for asking for more troops?

This thought flashed, and she quickly hesitated again, the reason was very simple, why didn't Yi Zhishu send her a telegram directly, asking the court to increase troops, but let Su Shun bring it up? Just because Su Shun is the chief military minister? Also, what is the purpose of Yi Zhi's stay in the Wa Kingdom? Why did you propose to let the imperial court increase troops at this time?

After a long silence, she ordered: "Draft, Yiyun quickly reported the battle plan for the conquest." After a pause, she continued: "In addition, send a telegram to the king of Zhennan, the imperial court will focus on the overall situation and increase the number of troops in the country, which may ensure safety?" ”