The knife was already placed on Sakamoto Ryoma's neck. Luo Huo's musketeers even lifted Spencer and pointed it at his head. As long as Xiao Letian gave the order, Sakamoto Ryoma could not escape even with his wings.
"Who told you to do it? You are unorganized and undisciplined. Put them all away..." Xiao Letian knew that this kind of intimidation was completely ineffective against people like Sakamoto Ryoma. Maybe he would have to add a messenger for himself. infamy.
"Okay, you win. I hope tonight's dinner is sumptuous enough. I only had one meal today and my stomach is already empty..."
Sakamoto Ryoma's dinner was held in the Japanese-style courtyard of Kayama Rigen. Now that Kayama Rigen and the others have been imprisoned by Xiao Letian as war criminals, this courtyard was directly transferred to Sakamoto Ryoma by Xiao Letian.
Sakamoto Ryoma was not bragging when he said that he spent a day preparing this dinner. After the entire Naha was burned down and the economic order completely collapsed, it was really difficult for him to be able to get so many delicious food.
Tuna sushi, tuna dishes, Naha local sea urchin, abalone and shrimp tempura... There are more than 20 styles in total, and the dishes are larger according to the eating habits of the Japanese people. This prevents the situation where the plate is empty after just two bites.
There are about ten kinds of drinks. Sake and turbid wine are essential in Japanese cuisine. There are even high-end products such as daughter red and bamboo leaf green produced in Qing Dynasty, including wine brought by foreigners.
"I'm very sorry. Naha is very busy right now. With my ability, I can only prepare this simple food. I'm really neglectful..." There are only two seats on the tatami. It seems that this is really a place. A private banquet. Update as soon as possible
"Isn't it easy? After the war, the refugees couldn't even get two meals of porridge a day. You can actually get so much delicious food. This is no worse than King Shangtai..." Xiao Letian crossed his legs and held a shallow wine glass. Naturally, the Japanese maid poured the wine attentively when it was served.
"How can I not do my best when a big shot from the country is a guest in a humble house... I mobilized 300 Japanese fishermen and ten businessmen for this banquet, and it took a lot of effort to gather these ingredients in the evening. I hope Mr. Xiao won't dislike it." After saying that, he knelt down again.
Xiao Letian looked at Sakamoto Ryoma quietly and sighed in his heart, once these Japanese were defeated, they wanted to use bitter tricks to resolve the hatred in the enemy's heart with 120,000 points of respect? So that you can escape punishment? Could it be that famous reform ministers in history only had such tricks?
To be fair, Xiao Letian still respects Sakamoto Ryoma very much, because it is the man in front of him who brought Japan's country from medieval times to modern times at the lowest cost. Update as soon as possible
He was credited with the alliance between the four southwestern feudal lords in the Overthrow Movement, and his proposal for the return of the Tokugawa family's great power. The Eight Strategies of Funaka established Japan's modern political framework. He was even honored as the father of the Japanese navy.
Xiao Letian has always admired Japan's Meiji Restoration very much. Of course, Xiao Letian is not a Japanese fan, and he also hates Japanese invaders. But hate it as much as you hate it, the talents of the Japanese cannot be obliterated, especially the most famous Meiji Restoration in modern history.
Xiao Letian knew very well that Japan's Meiji Restoration was the major political reform with the least bloodshed in human history. During the entire Restoration process, whether it was the two Choshu conquests or the subsequent Boshin War, political struggles were greater than military ones. In fact, the number of soldiers who died on the battlefield was very limited, and the total number of soldiers killed could not exceed 10,000.
However, it was just such a small amount of sacrifice that completed the entire Meiji Restoration. Although a large number of assassinations occurred frequently, compared with the transformation path of other countries, Japan's Meiji Restoration can be said to be smooth and could not be smoother.
Compared with other nations at the same time, Japan was undoubtedly very lucky. The death toll in the late American Civil War exceeded one million. Prussia's steps to unify Germany went through blood and fire at every step, and they even fought hard against the French before they finally succeeded in establishing the country.
As for the United Kingdom, an old capitalist country, not to mention the civil war, even King Charles I was sent to the guillotine, and the road to constitutional monarchy was frightening step by step. Of course, there were also the French. During the Great Revolution, Louis XVI was also Beheaded. Please come to more and faster chapters.
Looking back on China's road to prosperity, Xiao Letian is already on the verge of tears. The Taiping Rebellion is said to have killed hundreds of millions of people, and the later Nian Rebellion and Boxer Rebellion also killed millions. Coupled with several foreign wars, countless people died.
And the history after the Republic of China...forget it, let's not remember it.
Xiao Letian stared at Sakamoto Ryoma in front of him with sharp eyes. He knew very well that the reason why Japan was so lucky was inseparable from the man in front of him. Among the reformers, Sakamoto Ryoma was a person with a very strong national concept. He did not completely surrender to a certain force. The only issue he considered was the prosperity of the country.
When the Tokugawa shogunate was unwilling to follow the historical trend, he desperately encouraged the Satsuma and Choshu clans to form an alliance. When the power of the four feudal clans increased and they wanted to wipe out the Tokugawa family, he offered advice to Tokugawa Keki. The "return of the great government" gave the four southwest vassals no more excuse to start a war.
This is a man who truly regards Japan's national destiny as his life's work. He understands what political compromise means and will not completely join one party's forces. Maybe in the eyes of many people, his behavior is called a grasshopper, but Xiao Letian knows that Sakamoto Ryoma is not a grass, he is a persevering pine. He only relies on his own country and his own nation.
"Ryoma-kun, do you know that you are now walking on the edge of the cliff of death? Will the fanatical Japanese samurai let you go?" Not knowing what happened, Xiao Letian suddenly said something that no one could understand. But the ghostly aura inside was so frightening that the two maids started to fight.
Sakamoto Ryoma didn't expect that Xiao Letian would say such a sentence, and he froze at that time. If such an ominous word came from the mouths of ordinary people, it wouldn't matter, but now it came out of Xiao Letian's mouth. It’s worth pondering.
Xiao Letian now wants to give himself a slap in the face, why is he so owed! But once the words are spoken, there is no room to take them back. Xiao Letian waved his hand to let the maid go down, and sighed helplessly.
"Ryoma-kun, let me ask you, how much blood and life do you think a country should pay if it wants to change? How can anyone in power give up the rights they already have so easily? Will the Tokugawa family be willing? The Shimadzu family , Will the Maori family volunteer? How many lives are you reformers prepared to sacrifice to change your country?"
When the reform cause was mentioned, Sakamoto Ryoma suddenly straightened up, "Mr. Xiao, Japan is a small country with a small population. We do not have as deep a foundation as mainland civilization. We cannot afford to lose. We simply do not have that many resources and population to waste. First. Time, renewal and change are necessary, but bloodshed must be minimized..."
"Oh! Is this why you have both sides? On the one hand, you encourage the four southwestern lords to form an alliance to put the emperor on the throne, but on the other hand, you don't want the Tokugawa family to suffer a terrible defeat? Well, I understand. You want to do everything you can to avoid civil war. , but do you think you can succeed? Even if you succeed, you will be regarded as an untrustworthy person by all forces. Those who are frustrated in the change may use your life to vent their anger. Do you have such awareness... …”
Sakamoto Ryoma never expected that Xiao Letian would be so familiar with the situation in Japan, especially his own plan. Suddenly, Sakamoto Ryoma seemed to be looking in the mirror, and everything about him was revealed in front of him. .
Sakamoto Ryoma suppressed the waves in his heart, tried hard to control his emotions, and secretly encouraged himself. Ryoma-kun, you can do it. Although you are facing a terrifying monster, the negotiation must continue. You must take back the initiative and you must not let him influence the pace of the negotiation.
After taking a few deep breaths, Sakamoto Ryoma drank a little wine and finally calmed down. "Mr. Xiao, your work was first introduced by Japanese businessmen in the spring of this year, and I was fortunate to be among the first to read it... Since Kurofune After the incident, Japan has been longing for the nourishment of Western learning, but it is a pity that all translated Western learning works have one thing in common, that is, they are obscure and difficult to understand..."
"Asia and Europe are originally two civilization systems with different origins and development. The spread of Western knowledge will inevitably encounter great resistance... To be honest, when I came into contact with Western knowledge, I was completely Just like reading a book from heaven, it takes a lot of efforts to achieve a small success..."
"But when I read Mr. Xiao's "A Journey to the West", it was like the dark clouds in the sky were swept by a strong wind, and all the confusion was swept away. The Western world was like a maple leaf in my hand. Every trace of the connection is clearly discernible... Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call you the first master of Western learning in Asia..."
Sakamoto Ryoma did not just give Xiao Letian a high hat. Xiao Letian could hear the sincerity in his words, but immediately after, Sakamoto Ryoma's words changed. Please come to more and faster chapters.
"Mr. Xiao, I have always regarded you as my teacher. If you are willing to come to Kyoto as a guest, I can guarantee you that you will definitely receive the same courtesy as a minister, and your promotion of Western learning will be fully supported by the entire country of Japan... ...Mr. Xiao, we in Japan have always had a tradition of paying attention to China, and we also know that under the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, it was difficult for Han scholars to develop their talents..."
At this time, he suddenly paused, "Mr. Xiao, if you are in any danger in the Qing Dynasty, I can assure you that Japan will devote all its efforts to protect you, and our door will always be open to you..."
Cough cough cough... Xiao Letian choked on his trachea after taking a sip of sake. Okay, okay, the threat is really good, the trick of hiding the needle in the cotton is so beautiful.
On the surface, this seems to be pushing me to the sky, but in fact, it is to remind myself that the Japanese have many ways to make the Manchu and Qing court fear Xiao Letian, and even kill people with a borrowed knife to make the Manchu and Qing Dynasties regard Xiao Letian as the biggest threat. This is the real enemy, but I like it. The stronger the enemy, the more refreshing it will be for me to conquer it.
At this time, Sakamoto Ryoma was also willing to take risks. Xiao Letian's analysis of Japan's political situation just now, especially some warnings about his own career, had already revealed a strong smell of gunpowder. Sakamoto Ryoma knew that Xiao Letian was not joking, he really had the ability to stir up Japan's political situation.
Destruction is always easier than construction. Maybe Xiao Letian can collapse Japan's fragile situation by using his eloquent words without spending a single soldier.
My biggest ideal is to avoid civil war in Japan. I am not a fanatical samurai. I do not want to eliminate a certain force. My ideal is just to make Japan stronger.
Xiao Letian, don't force me. Why should I sacrifice my life for Japan? The worst I can do is to die with you.
