The shogun Tokugawa Iemo received the report and urgently ordered the general to take office. Ichibashi celebrated: Choshu feudal people, can't wait! Mr. Qingxi, please return to Edo as soon as possible and join hands with Mr. Keinaga to negotiate with the British and foreigners about compensation for the exterminated barbarians. If the British and foreigners persist in their persistence, they will supervise the troops and prepare for war.
Ichibashi received the order with joy and immediately went to see Emperor Komei. He said: "Your Majesty, a fight is a war. The weapons are not as good as the others, and there may be no chance of winning. I have to plan ahead. I will return to Edo immediately to contact the British and barbarians to find out the true situation."
Emperor Takamei said: The weapon of an unknown soldier is not the weapon of a gentleman, and should only be used as a last resort. The distance between Kyoto and Edo is seven hundred miles away, and I am busy traveling back and forth.
On June 1, Hitotsubashi returned to Edo with great joy.
When the British Acting Minister John Neal heard about it, he arrived with Augustus Cooper, the commander of the British East India Fleet.
John Neil said: Since the visit of General Perry of the United States, the debate between your country's openness and seclusion has been going on for more than ten years. Now that the dust has settled, will your country be closed to the outside world?
Kazuhashi said happily: How can it be possible! Our country Hongmeng has just been established, how can we stay on our own laurels?
Augustus Cooper said: Last year, the Chinese warriors chopped off the heads of our citizens of the British Empire in Shengmai Village. This was indeed the beginning of Hongmeng.
Matsudaira Keinaga said: Mr. Cooper doesn't know something. Our country's "Samurai Laws" stipulates that if the feudal lord goes out with a famous name, if the untouchables do not avoid it, the samurai can draw their swords and kill them. It was not until seven people were killed that his life was paid. The incident in Shengmai Village was indeed not intentional, it was just a matter of convention for thousands of years.
Augustus Cooper said: All citizens of the British Empire are born equal. There has never been distinction between high and low. How can they be like you? Blast the Edo castle walls.
Ichihashi said happily: The unauthorized killings at Shengmai Village and the harassment at Dongzen Temple were all due to improper management of the people of our country. The general has specially ordered to compensate your country for 111,000 pounds, and my emperor has also approved it. From now on, no matter whether it is a ronin or a ronin, Warriors, if anyone takes another person's life without authorization, he will be killed without mercy!
John Neil said: Murder to pay debts and pay back money is not the case in Germany, but it is also the case in our country. Please turn over the murderer.
Ichihashi said happily: "Mr. Neil, please wait a moment. I will ask the General to send an order to the Satsuma Domain to arrest the culprit within a month."
Augustus Cooper said: There is a deadline of twenty days, otherwise we will bombard Edo Castle.
After Neil and Cooper said goodbye, Matsudaira Keinaga said: I had already given orders on behalf of the shogun before, and the Satsuma clan came to report that they had no responsibility whatsoever.
Ichibashi said happily: Satsuma and Choshu are unruly and unruly, war is inevitable, and the quick-passing warships pursue the victory of Haizhou.
In a few moments, Sheng Hai's boat arrived.
Ichibashi said happily: If our country builds fifty steam warships and sends wise men to control them, gallop the outer seas and resist foreign humiliation, five hundred years is too long. How many years will it take to complete it?
Sheng Haizhou said: After reporting to the general, you will meet the great minister, destroy the old and establish the new, clearly define the rights and responsibilities, cultivate and develop the industry, and have no distractions. It will take thirty years to achieve success.
Hitotsubashi said happily: Thirty years is too long. How many steam warships are there in our country? Can we fight?
Katsukai Fushidao: After reporting to the general, I saw you, sir. There were three steam warships, Kanko Maru, Kanlin Maru, and Chaoyang Maru. Each of them was equipped with six or seven guns, which was less than one-third of the number of barbarians. That is, there were vassals such as Satsuma and Choshu. Even if we try our best to help each other, we should not start a war easily.
Kazuhashi Qingxi said: "Is Mr. Qingyong prepared for the compensation Yingyi demands?"
Matsudaira Keiyong said: "It's ready. Please check it, Master Qingxi."
Hitotsubashi said happily: "The payment of compensation must be postponed until May 9 with excuses. At that time, the Choshu clan will bombard the barbarian ships. The British and barbarians will lose sight of one thing and lose the other. I can use my strength to give it a try."
On June 24, 1863, Hitotsubashi went to the barbarian ship in person to deliver compensation.
British Acting Minister John Neil said: Mr. Qingxi, when will the criminals be delivered?
Ichihashi said happily: "Mr. Neil doesn't know something. The soldiers of Satsuma and Changshu are fierce and brave, and our country is unable to stop them. I have reported to the general again and asked my emperor. If the time is right, I will come to Satsuma in person." , apprehend the murderer.
Augustus Cooper, commander of the British East India Fleet, asked: What is the right time? When my warship bombarded the city walls of Erbang?
Hitotsubashi said happily: Mr. Cooper once said that brazenly attacking our country for a fugitive criminal is not the behavior of a great civilized country.
John Neil said: Our combined fleet has two hundred cannons and two thousand men. The daily consumption is huge, and General Cooper has no choice but to do so.
Hitotsubashi said happily: "Our country has all the food and clothing we need." It will be delivered tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Please give Mr. Neil a few more days of grace.
After bidding farewell to Ichibashi and celebrating, John Neal said: As far as I know, the relationship between the shogunate and the Satsuma and Choshu feudal lords is indeed not harmonious. We came here for free trade, but once the war started, all industries withered, and the gains outweighed the losses.
Augustus Cooper said: Free trade is easier said than done. The feudal lords and feudal lords of various states in this country are indeed stubborn. If they are not stopped by force this time, the killing incidents in Shengmai Village will definitely happen one after another.
On June 25th, when the time limit for fighting the barbarians was up, there was no sound from the port of Shimonoseki. Gensui Kakehisaka, the royal minister of the Kyoto domain, was furious. He immediately went to see the lord of the Choshu domain, Mori Jinqin, and said: "I inform my lord, it is the decision of the Kanto general to fight the barbarians on this day." With His Majesty's permission, this opportunity must not be missed. The general adheres to the principle that the capable minister of Maori will not fire the cannon for a long time, and begs the lord to give the order.
Mao Li respectfully said: "I have passed on my military order. From now on, if there is a barbarian ship cruising Xiaguan, we must attack with great force, and those who disobey the order will be killed!"
Gensui Kusaka took the order, went to the front of the battle line, and opened fire on the American merchant ship "Pembroke".
The "Pembroke" was caught off guard and left in a hurry.
Ten days later, Genzui Hisaka, Shinsaku Takasugi and others bombed the French communication ship "Jianchang" and the Dutch warship "Medisa" again.
The two ships resisted for a while and then retreated.
Maori, the lord of the Changshu domain, was very happy to honor his relatives and said: "The warships of Yi are nothing more than this."
Hisaka Genrui said: "My lord, the range of our shore guns and naval guns is not as good as that of the barbarian ships. Winning the battle is really a fluke." The Shimonoseki Strait is narrow, and it may be possible to shoot from both sides of the strait, but it is really hateful for the Kokura clan to watch from the sidelines. The subordinate immediately returned to Kyoto, reported to the young master, contacted Prince Sikawa Palace Chihito and Sanjo Sanimi and other ministers, and then asked the emperor to supervise the vassals to fight against the barbarians.
