Chapter 187 The Meiji Restoration of Japan (33)
Shogun Tokugawa Kei had not yet arrived, but the political president and Lord of the Fukui Domain, Matsudaira Keinaga, said: Your Majesty, Kei-sama is so noble and honorable that he has taken the initiative to return the great government to the court. I believe that Kei-sama should decide state affairs.
Meiji said: "I have issued an order, and it will be decided upon discussion."
The leader of the Tosa domain, Yamaneito, was very angry and shouted: "Your Majesty Qingxi has thrown away the glory of his ancestors this time and returned the great government to the imperial court. His contribution will last forever, and it is not an exaggeration!" I would like to ask Mr. Iwakura, how can we discuss the return of the great government without Mr. Qingxi's participation?
Iwakura Tomoshi said: Thousands of years ago, my Majesty Jinwu, who had illuminated China, was supposed to be a lineage for eternity, but instead it was seized by the Kamakura, Muromachi, and Tokugawa clans for thousands of years. It is natural that the Tokugawa clan now returns the great power. !
The mountain man said in a dignified manner: In a thousand years, the gravel has been covered with moss. The general has done nothing but save all the people from the flames of war. I don't know that you, the three or four ministers, have disregarded the life and death of the common people and seized the imperial power for their own purposes. Where is the conscience! My Emperor is young, and my vassals have great names, and I will never allow you to do anything rash!
Iwakura Tomo said angrily: Your Majesty is an unparalleled talent. He is building a great cause for great political reform. What you have done today is an end. You are uttering arrogant words and are treasonous!
Meiji said: The main hall of the Tosa Domain is in the mountain, and the mind is free and open; the drunken prince in the sea of whales will never last long. I think it is better to drink less.
Shan Nei said openly: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I have been drunk for three days and now I am sober." To report to your majesty, I have searched through the classics and found that the Tokugawa family has ruled the country for two hundred and sixty years without tyranny. You should be commended for your return to great power.
Iwakura Tomoshi said: Looking back at the past and looking at the present, Tokugawa Ieyasu conquered the world and perhaps contributed to the country; however, his descendants relied on the light of their ancestors and became domineering. Our public family and your great name are deeply poisoned by them. The pain of yesterday is still vivid in my mind, have you forgotten it?
Matsudaira Keinaga, Lord of the Fukui Domain, said: The Tokugawa family's achievements over the past several hundred years are enough to make up for Keiki-sama's possible mistakes today. Iwakura-sama must not use this as an excuse.
Iwakura Tomoshi said: I am an upright person, and I have never used the topic to express myself. If Tokugawa Keiki has the intention to reflect, he will immediately resign his official position and take up his position as a commoner to participate in the restoration of the royal government to atone for his sins.
Shan Nei said openly: With all due respect, if we strictly implement the restoration of royal government, we must be open and honest! Lord Qingxi returned the great government to the imperial court, and his contribution was extremely great, so he should participate as a daimyo. Lord Qingxi also returned the great government to the court under this agreement. In this case, Lord Qingxi was loyal and not guilty. I have single-handedly promoted this matter. I am a famous person and do not want to change things. I dare not go back on my word.
Matsudaira Keinaga said: Iwakura-sama said that he resigned from his official position and accepted his position. Do all the famous names in the country also resign from their official position and accept their position like Mr. Keiki?
Zhongshan Zhongneng, who was discussing the report, hurriedly said: Your Majesty, today we will only talk about the return of the great government and the restoration of the royal government. All other important matters have yet to be decided by public discussion. It's getting late, so I beg your Majesty to allow us to rest for a while.
Meiji said: Accurate!
When everyone dispersed, Okubo Toshimichi said anxiously: Yamauchi Do and Matsudaira Keinaga are right. If Tokugawa cannot celebrate, there will never be peace. If Wang Zheng wants to return to his old ways, Tokugawa Keiki must be eliminated. The inner hall of the mountain is dedicated to assisting the curtain, and good words are difficult to tame.
Xixiang Takamori said: "The dead person is speechless, it's just a short sword." Outside the imperial court, all the Satsuma warriors have their swords out of their sheaths!
Iwakura Tomo looked at it and said, "This is a meeting before the imperial court. Blood splattered three feet, which frightened my emperor."
Okubo Tori Pass: When Qingxi comes to power, we will all perish! There is no other way but the determination to die to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings.
Iwakura looked at him with a smile and said: My emperor is looking south to listen to the world, and to rule with the Ming Dynasty; I am a commoner, and I have no worries.
Saigo Takamori said: "I will go to the Tosa Domain Lord Yamanei Hall together with Goto Shojiro to announce our iron-blooded will."
Half an hour later, the imperial meeting resumed. Iwakura Tomoshi said angrily: "Qingxi has returned the great government. The king's government has been restored. Anyone who dares to obstruct it will be punished with death!"
Everyone was silent.
Meiji said: I am grateful to you for resigning your official position and accepting the land, and return the great power. But when things calm down a little, you can go to Luo to see you. I will hold a banquet with wine and have a long talk with you. My sincere hope, heaven and earth can learn from it! I hope you will take state affairs as your top priority.
Early the next morning, Iwakura Tomomi issued a grand order to restore the imperial government. There were five orders. First, he ordered Xu Tokugawa to resign as shogun in celebration.
2. Abolish the guardianship of Kyoto and the office of Kyoto chief.
3. Abolish the Edo Shogunate.
4. Abolish the Regency and Guan Bai.
5. Establish the three positions of president, agreement and participation. Prince Arisugawa Miya Chihito takes office as president. Prince Ninwaji Miya Yoshiaki, Nakayama Tadano, Sanjo Minori, Nakamon Nobuyuki, Shimazu Hisamitsu, Tokugawa Keikatsu, Asano Shigeon, Matsudaira Keinaga, Yamauchi Do and others were appointed. Iwakura Tomomi, Ohara Shigetoku, Banri Koji Hakubo, Hase Nobutsu, Hashimoto Saneiro, etc. were appointed to participate.
Tokugawa was delighted to hear the news, with mixed feelings.
The master of the Tosa Domain said in a dignified manner: "To the shogun, my subordinates are worthy of death. A mistake in their thoughts caused the shogun to go astray."
Tokugawa said happily: Returning the great government is my decision and it has nothing to do with you.
Matsudaira Keinaga, the lord of the Fukui Domain, said: I would like to report to you, Shogun, that even though we have tried our best, we are unable to relieve the Shogun from his worries.
Tokugawa said happily: "I will go straight to the imperial palace and compete with His Majesty."
Matsudaira Keiyong said: The soldiers of Satsuma, Changshu and Anyi have entered Luo. It is very dangerous for the general to leave.
The lord of the Aizu Domain, Matsudaira Yōhodo: The shogun has not come to the Imperial Palace to discuss politics, and the imperial decree to restore the government is invalid. Therefore, his subordinates took up the post of guardian of Kyoto and brought more than a thousand troops to protect the shogun when he came to Luo for the audience.
Songping Qingyong said: "I brought my troops into Luo without an imperial edict and faced the enemy!"
Yamauchi said: The soldiers of the Sachō clan are raging in Kyoto, and this place is also dangerous. I beg the shogun to come to Osaka for temporary refuge. The subordinates then went to the imperial palace with all their relatives and vassal lords, and asked the emperor to order General Xu to come to Luo for an audience.
On December 12, Yamauchi Tang, Matsudaira Keinaga and others came to see Masachika Town Sanjo Minoru. Yamauchi Tang said: In the current situation, our country cannot be saved without public and military forces, and national affairs cannot be decided without Keiki-sama; Saigo Takamori , Kido Takayoshi and others are bent on overthrowing the curtain, and their violence is too strong, which is detrimental to the country. I sincerely request Lord Santiao to put state affairs first and ask His Majesty the Emperor to grant permission for Lord Qingxi to come to Luo for an audience. Lord Qingxi is alone, without any soldiers.
Sansan Shimei said: Congratulations, Your Majesty, you are resigning from your post and accepting your position, and are waiting for the voice of Heaven. This is the end of my reign. I really can't do anything for you.
Matsudaira Keiyong said: Convincing people with virtue is difficult to scare others. Within a few days, Gong Dang saw that Kyoto was in flames.
