Japan, the ninth year of the Wensheng period, December 30th.
Outside Edo Castle, the Satsuma clan's residence.
According to the "Zhuge Calendar" now commonly used in the entire East Asian cultural circle, today is the last working day before the Chinese New Year.
Starting from December 31st to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year, there are twenty or twenty-one annual holidays - yes, twenty or twenty-one days! Because according to the "Zhuge Calendar", January to November in the year have thirty days, December usually has thirty-five days, and there is a December 36th every four years... .In this way, there are 365 or 366 days in a year. Although dates like December 35th and December 36th seem a bit strange, it was calculated by King Zhuge Wuzhong by counting on his fingers, and it must be the most accurate.
Anyway, it has been like this for more than a hundred years, and everyone in East Asia is used to it. Even Japan, which has always been at odds with the Ming Dynasty, has long accepted the concept that December has thirty-five or thirty-six days.
Therefore, the last working day of the Tokugawa Shogunate every year is also December 30th. After work that day, the various offices of the shogunate were basically closed, with only some left-behind officials on duty.
On the last day that the Yamen opens, there is usually no business to be done. Therefore, Shimazu Qi Liang, the staff officer of the Naval Administrative Office, got off work early. However, after get off work, he did not go to Yoshiwara to drink flower wine with his colleagues from the execution office as before, and fooled around until late at night before returning home. Instead, he returned early to the Satsuma Domain in Sakurada, the home of Shimazu Sairyo.
After returning home, Shimazu Qi Liang did not go to discuss New Year matters, but plunged into a secluded Japanese room in the deepest part of the mansion, and met the two mysterious guests who had been waiting there for a long time. Drink tea and talk together.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Fengxing, as long as our Haitao Team can know when Zhuge Weidao's ship will arrive at a certain port in Japan, we will definitely make him disappear forever!"
The speaker was a ferocious-looking Japanese ronin, with a shaggy beard and a single eye that shot out a ruthless gaze. He looked very tall, and he didn't look like a Japanese at all. His skin was tanned, and it was obvious at first glance that he was a man who had been at sea all year round.
The "Haitao Team" he refers to is a famous rogue organization in Japan and the waters surrounding Japan. Most of its members are ronin who came out of the Shogunate Navy, and most of them have a background in the Satsuma Domain. This "Haitao Team" has several modified armed motor-sailing boats, nominally doing the job of "protecting shipping", but in fact only God knows what it does.
Shimazu Qi Liang suddenly laughed, looked at the big one-eyed dragon warrior in front of him, and said: "Saigo-kun, did I say that I wanted to get rid of Zhuge as the Taoist?"
"Didn't he steal Miss Okoku that you fell in love with?" The one-eyed dragon warrior named "Saigo" looked at Shimazu and asked, "Don't you want to get rid of this person who steals love with a sword?"
"It's just a woman," Shimazu said with a smile, "How could I make an enemy of the Zhuge family of the Ming Dynasty over a woman?"
"Yes, sir, didn't you just say that the target was Zhuge Weidao's ship?"
Shimazu nodded, "Yes, I said it...but I didn't ask you to eradicate him! The reason why I chose his ship as the target was not because he took away Daikoku. Sora, just because his ship is the only Ming Navy cruiser that I can determine when and which route it will take to arrive at Mito Port."
"What? Cruiser?" One-eyed Saigo was startled by Shimazu's words.
The ships in his hands are just a few disguised attack ships, which are okay for dealing with merchant ships, but aren't they looking for death against the Ming Navy cruisers?
"Yaoxi!" Shimazu nodded sharply, "It's a cruiser... If the information I have is correct, it should be a Port Arthur class."
"Lushun class..." beads of sweat appeared on the forehead of Cyclops Xixiang, "That is a large cruiser with a displacement of four to five thousand tons, and it also has 16 155mm rapid-fire guns! We have to deal with such a cruiser , at least let the Four Heavenly Kings take action, right?"
"Hahaha," Shimazu laughed loudly, "I didn't expect Oni Saigo to be scared sometimes!"
"Sir," Xixiang became a little anxious upon hearing this, "Why should I be afraid of death? It's just that death can be as heavy as a mountain, or as light as a feather..."
Shimazu Qi Liang said seriously: "This operation does not require your death. If you are really unfortunate enough to die during the operation, then I can guarantee that your death will be as heavy as Mount Tai! Because you are for the national destiny of our Japan." And die!"
"Xixiang is willing to hear the details."
Shimazu said in a low voice: "In the first month of next year, a British Royal Navy formation will arrive in Japan... They are here to instigate us, Japan, to become enemies of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Really?" Xixiang gritted his teeth and said, "The Ming Dynasty is Japan's enemy, and there is no need for anyone to instigate it! The reason why Japan cannot rise is because of the oppression of the Ming Dynasty!"
Hearing this, Shimazu just smiled. Most samurai know that the reason why Japan cannot develop is because of the suppression of the Ming Dynasty - this is also a fact! But what they didn't know was that if Japan wanted to develop, it could only rely on the support of the Ming Dynasty, and could not count on the British Empire tens of thousands of miles away.
Because the British Empire was too far away and the Ming Empire was too close...and the Ming Empire was so powerful that the possibility of being destroyed by the British Empire was almost zero. The future war with Britain will be nothing more than whether it can seize valuable territory or whether it will lose a few territories that are beyond its reach. There is no possibility of being completely defeated by the British Empire. Even if the war goes unfavorably, the fundamentals of East and Southeast Asia can still be maintained.
After all, it is obvious that the Ming Empire has the largest population and industrial strength in the world.
Therefore, if Japan acts as a pawn of Great Britain, the final result will definitely be destruction!
If the Ming Dynasty cannot deal with Great Britain, will it be unable to defeat Japan?
However, the outbreak of war between Great Britain and Ming Dynasty was a great thing for Japan to reverse the national destiny - Japan's "dog luck" is coming!
However, how big this "dog luck" is, we still have to fight against it.
And this "beating" is very particular.
The best solution is of course to start a firefight between Britain and Ming Dynasty, so that Japan can perform well without being beaten. If it can help Ming Dynasty deal with the British, it will be "lucky".
The middle strategy is for Japan to withstand a good beating from Ming Dynasty, which makes Ming Dynasty feel that Japan is a fierce dog with high utilization value, so the benefits are "big" - Japan must be allowed to charge into the battle to defeat the British and barbarians, and must not be fed. Full? The so-called emperor is no worse than a hungry dog!
As for the next best thing, of course, Japan lets Ming beat him until his head and face are covered in blood, and then he cries and begs for mercy. This dog is worthless.
As for surrendering without a fight...that would be too worthless. It is estimated that Ming Dynasty will despise Japan from the bottom of his heart, and will still be a coolie and kiln sister in the future.
Therefore, the ruling elites of Japan, such as Tokugawa Iesai, Tokugawa Saiaki, and Shimazu Sairyo, would rather let Japan be beaten than kneel down without a fight - they are also ruthless dogs even if they are not afraid of being beaten!
Shimazu looked at the indignant Saigo and said in a very serious tone: "Saigo-kun... Although the Ming Dynasty oppressed us Japan, the Ming Dynasty's oppression will not cause Japan to perish. On the surface, Britain They are here to help us Japan, but their help is just to make us Japan die quickly. If we don’t want to die, we don’t want to be beaten. The only way is to let a fight between Ming Dynasty and Great Britain. And the British Royal Navy formation and Zhuge Weidao's cruiser appeared in the coastal waters of Japan at the same time, which was our opportunity.
Among them, we can control the itinerary of Zhuge Weidao... and we can arrange the itinerary of the British naval formation visiting Japan. In other words, we can arrange for the British Royal Navy formation to encounter Zhuge Weidao's cruiser in a certain period of time and in a certain sea area. At this time, if anyone can help them get the first shot, what will be the consequences?
Saigo-kun, do you understand now what I want you to do? "
These one-eyed dragon Xixiang suddenly understood, and then respectfully bowed to Shimazu Qi Liang: "Hai, I know what to do!"
