Chapter 192 Special Agreement between China and Japan in Beijing (2)
On the fourth day of August, Toshimichi Okubo, acting minister of Japan and Minister of the Interior, arrived at the Prime Minister's Office of the Qing Dynasty.
Okubo Toshimichi said directly without greetings: Last year, your country's minister Mao Changxi personally mentioned that the Taiwan Peony Society is a place where your country's government has not been able to educate and educate, and the people living there are all barbarians outside the country. The barbarians in the unclaimed land are murderous by nature, so it is only fair for our country to send troops to conquer them.
Wen Xiang, the Minister of Military Affairs of the Qing Dynasty, said: The whole territory of Taiwan has been owned by our country since ancient times, and the Peony Society and others are all our foreign lands. We cannot call it ownerless barbarism. If your country must be declared as an ownerless land, you must hand over proof of ownership, and you must also have a stamped certificate that our country voluntarily withdraws from the territory and does not return to its jurisdiction. If your country has no such evidence, it is just a fabrication.
Okubo Tori Channel: There are public laws in all countries. Even if a country has the name of being in charge of its territory but does not have the right to do so, it will not be an infringement of public laws if another country takes it. Taiwan's Peony Society and other non-Chinese lands have been actually occupied by our country, and roads, museums, and schools have been built there. Our country does not infringe upon public law by occupying these lands.
Wenxiang threw out a book and said angrily: These are Taiwan's government records and household records. They contain clear evidence that Taiwan's students are paid wages. This fact does not exist in our country!
Okubo Toshimichi remained calm and said: Master Wen, please calm down. If other countries say that my ownership of Nagasaki has not yet been decided, I can produce a thousand copies overnight. Our country has fulfilled its obligation to cause harm to others. If your country takes this as a wrong and instigates troops to attack, our country will not hesitate to fight with your country.
Wen Xiang was so angry that he said, "I am wasting my words by talking to you!"
The two had been at loggerheads for dozens of days, but to no avail. .
Liuyuan Qianguang, the Japanese minister to the Qing Dynasty, said: "With such entanglement, when will we make an agreement?" The Xixiang army is isolated and helpless, so please ask the Secretary of the Interior to handle it as soon as possible.
Okuboli Passage: The Qing Dynasty's war in Western Xinjiang has not yet ended, and they will never easily start a war in the southeast. I tried to tire of his patience by asking whether the land of Taitung would belong to his country, and then I would withdraw the troops and sign a treaty in exchange for compensation for military expenses.
On August 20, Okubo Toshiro returned to the Prime Minister's Office of the Qing Dynasty and told Wenxiang: Our country's troops entering Taitung are not a sign of militarism, but are actually a righteous act to protect the people. Since April to now, a total of 2 million taels of silver have been consumed. If your country settles the bill, our troops will withdraw immediately.
Wen Xiang said angrily: "The soldiers of your country entered our territory without permission, pretended to be a righteous deed, and asked for silver. You are really shameless!"
Okubo Toshimichi was also angry and said: Our country's sending troops to attack the barbaric Iban is indeed a righteous act, how can we say it is shameless? If your country has no intention of negotiating peace, I will immediately ask my emperor to find another way.
Wen Xiang said, "Just do whatever you want!"
Okubo Toshimichi came out of the Prime Minister's Office and quickly looked for the British Minister to the Qing Dynasty, Wetoma. Okubo Toshiichi said: There is a case of killing our Ryukyu refugees in Taiwan. Negotiations between the Qing and Japan have failed. I kindly ask the minister to mediate and negotiate for peace.
Witoma said: The rebellion in Taiwan will also harm our people. It is indeed a righteous act for your country to send troops. I will mediate when I settle down.
Okuboli Passage: Our country sent troops to Taiwan to build roads and military camps, which cost a lot of money. If the Qing Dynasty can compensate our country for 2 million taels of silver, we can withdraw our troops.
Weituma said: 2 million taels of silver! This number is huge and difficult to negotiate.
Okubo Tori Channel: It can be reduced, thank you, Mr. Minister.
On the same day, Witoma went to the Prime Minister's Office of the Qing Dynasty to lobby for compensation.
Prince Gong Yixin said: If other countries attack our land, our country should pay for their expenses. This is very unreasonable!
Weituma said: This is not the military expenditure of the Japanese, this is the compensation for the murdered refugees. If your country does not pay compensation, there will be an army in the Taiwan Strait to the southeast of your country.
After leaving Weituma, Minister of Military and Aircraft Li Hongzao said: Li Hongzhang, the Governor-General of Zhili, is very familiar with foreign affairs. Why not send a letter to inquire.
Yi Xin said to Shen Guifen: "What do you mean, Master Shen?"
Minister of Military and Aircraft Shen Guifen said: "Two million taels of silver, the Japanese lion will open its mouth!" There were 54 people killed in Ryukyu, and each person was compensated 2,000 taels. 100,000 taels of silver was enough.
Yi Xin said: With only 100,000 silver, if it can prompt the Japanese to retreat, it would be the best situation. There are many things involved in this matter, and it depends on Li Hongzhang's intention.
Li Hongzhang received the letter and immediately replied: "Read the section on Japan's military expenditures in Weituma, which is always a good news." To be fair, the Fujian Province has not seriously investigated the case of Ryukyu refugees for more than three years. No matter how we argue, our country is still wrong. As a last resort, or for the sake of human life, he decided to consider how to provide compensation to the people who were martyred in Ryukyu, and in memory of the country's soldiers who had traveled a long and arduous journey, he begged for rewards, no matter how many, no military expenses, so that they could return home enthusiastically. And it comes from my own will, not to bargain with him, or to be slightly more decent, not comparable to the alliance under the city. This argument was not allowed by the Qing Dynasty, and looking at the current situation, coastal defense could not be dealt with urgently. Although the United States, Britain, France, and Russia have not explicitly helped the Japanese, they still hope that the Japanese will gain success and profit, and they have no real intention to help me.
Shen Baozhen also wrote: Although the Japanese preparations have increased, the Japanese sentiments have gradually become timid. They have not retreated without knowing the difficulties, but rumors are spreading everywhere, hoping that I will be intimidated by them and give in for profit. If we enter that urn, we will definitely take one step after another. But if we gather our troops thickly and there is no gap to take advantage of, we will definitely follow our ears and go away. Therefore, it is enough for the Ming Dynasty to show mercy to the Ming Dynasty by forgiving him for his past mistakes. If he makes any unreasonable demands, he is willing to stick to his firm opinion and refuse with all his strength.
Li Hongzhang settled the case with a pension, but Shen Baozhen was ambiguous. Prince Gong Yixin couldn't decide, so he asked Emperor Tongzhi to make a decision.
Emperor Tongzhi issued an edict: "The war in Xinjiang is not over yet, but war has resumed in the southeast, which is not good for our country." The victims must be compensated; the day the Japanese retreat, the compensation will be paid.
On October 31, 1874, Prince Yixin of the Qing Dynasty and Japanese Minister of the Interior Okubo Toshimichi signed the "China-Japan Beijing Treaty" in Beijing.
The article says: It is hereby stated that the Taiwanese government has recklessly harmed Japanese subjects and others. Japan’s original intention was to question this incident, so it sent troops to Taiwan to question and accuse the resident people. Now we are discussing with the Qing State how to withdraw the troops and deal with the aftermath, and we have listed three items below.
1. What Japan did this time was originally a righteous act to protect the people, and China did not think it was wrong.
2. For all the homes of refugees who were killed in the previous time, the Qing government will set a pension of taels of silver; for all Japanese projects such as building roads and houses there, the taels of silver will be raised in advance, and there will be a basis for discussion.
3. All matters concerning this matter, and all official documents exchanged between the two countries, shall be withdrawn and canceled by each other and shall be dismissed. As for the trouble happening there, the Qing Dynasty should find ways to properly control it, so as to ensure that passengers will never be harmed again.
The two countries exchanged vouchers, and the agreement was as follows: China would first allow Japan to provide a pension of 100,000 taels to the victims of the refugee crisis. It was also agreed that after Japan withdraws its troops and builds roads and houses on the platform, China is willing to keep them for its own use and is allowed to pay 400,000 taels of silver. Japan is allowed to withdraw all its troops on December 20, the seventh year of Meiji, Japan, and China will pay in full on November 12, the thirteenth year of Tongzhi, China, without any extension. When the Japanese troops were not completely withdrawn, the Chinese silver taels were not fully paid. This was established as a basis, and each of them held a piece of paper to keep it.
