The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 896 Let the foreigners know that we are blessed by the Heavenly Father, the Emperor God!
The paper sliding door slammed shut behind him, shutting out the dust and bugle calls from the military camp. Luo Xinhua, who had already taken off his leather shoes, was about to limp inside when a cool, delicate hand landed on his arm—it was Onodera Tsubaki's hand, supporting him with just the right amount of strength and steadily leading him into the quiet Japanese-style room covered with fine straw mats.

In the center of the Japanese-style room, only two low, black lacquered tables faced each other, upon which sat square sandalwood food boxes. Luo Xinhua's heart tightened. Japanese cold dishes? The faint fishy smell of sashimi seemed to waft over even through the unopened food boxes. At his home in Tianjing, his favorite dishes were the warm, sticky soups, the bright red and glistening Hunan-style stir-fried pork, and the light yet flavorful Cantonese white-cut chicken that Shi Yiyang had instructed the kitchen to prepare. This bland, cold sashimi… that was for feeding the cat.

Well, Luo Xinzhong's hosting of the banquet was, after all, a gesture of brotherhood. He endured the dull pain in his ankle and sat cross-legged opposite Luo Xinzhong. The moment his knees touched the ground, a barely audible thud was heard, and Onodera Tsubaki had silently knelt on the knee pad beside him—so close, it seemed, almost too close!
Sitting next to Luo Xinzhong on the other side was Daidoji Yumi, his personal attendant. Her slender hands held a celadon sake bottle, and she was smiling radiantly as she poured it into the cup in Luo Xinzhong's hand. Luo Xinzhong, without any hesitation, put his arm around her waist!

A surge of heat rose from Luo Xinhua's ears. Shi Yiyang's gentle yet spirited face seemed to be right before his eyes. The Shi family were pillars of the nation, and Miss Shi had a childhood sweetheart with whom she'd fought since they were little! She certainly wouldn't want him to be so...reckless!
"Boss, look at your furrowed brow! Your wife isn't some all-seeing, all-hearing person!" Luo Xinzhong laughed heartlessly, tilting his head back to down the wine in his cup. "It's rare to relax like this, with a beauty by your side, and you... you don't know how to enjoy your good fortune! We army brothers charge into battle, risking our lives, what do we get out of it? Just for some wine, meat, and..." Daidouji Yumi just in time picked up a slice of pickled ginger and gently put it into his mouth, silencing his next words.

"Damn it!" Luo Xinhua's low voice was filled with anger. "Luo Xinzhong! The soldiers of my Pacific Fleet are loyal and brave in defending our country, their blood staining the ocean! They rely on their loyalty and courage, not on these wine, women, and money!"

He abruptly turned his head to look at his side: "Lieutenant Onodera!"

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed that Onodera Tsubaki's fair and delicate cheeks were now flushed red, and her breathing seemed a little rapid. Hearing Luo Xinhua's righteous and stern rebuke, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. But what was she so nervous about? Luo Xinhua thought: Wasn't Article 5 of Chapter 7 of the "Naval Shrine Maiden Service Regulations" clearly stipulated...
At that moment, Onodera lifted the lid of the food box with both hands and gently removed it. A familiar aroma, a blend of braised sauce and rich, oily fragrance, immediately wafted out!
Inside the food box, several delicate white porcelain dishes were neatly arranged: there was "Yutian Braised Duck," with firm, dark red duck breast meat glistening with oil; there was amber-colored "Braised Beef Tripe"; there was "Garlic Pork Belly" covered with minced garlic; there was golden and crispy "Hunan Spicy Small Fish"; there was fragrant "Crystal Pork Jelly"; there was a tangy and spicy "Cold Jellyfish Salad"; and there was also a small dish of "Candied Osmanthus Lotus Root" to cleanse the palate!
Among the several small dishes, the largest one caught Luo Xinhua's eye the most—a thick layer of bright green scallions wrapped around glistening chicken pieces, golden and oily, with a fragrant aroma of scallions.

"Try this, boss!" Luo Xinzhong pushed away the clingy Daidoji and pointed to the chicken dish. "This is a special 'Akita Scallion Oil Chicken' made just for you. It's an Akita chicken, one of Japan's three famous chickens! It's plump and tender! It's made with top-quality capon chickens weighing four pounds each! They're free-range, running all over the mountains, and each one has a broad chest and strong legs! The chicken flavor is absolutely authentic! It's even more genuine than our Tianjing Yutian chicken!"

Luo Xinhua loved chicken, so he immediately picked up a large piece and stuffed it into his mouth. The chicken skin was crisp and chewy, the fat beneath it was rich and juicy, and the meat was incredibly flavorful and satisfying. The aroma of scallions combined with the rich chicken flavor was truly unforgettable. A glass of Kikumasamune sake, poured for him by Onodera, slid down his throat just in time, cutting through the greasiness of the fatty chicken. It was so comforting!

Luo Xinhua's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and he became more talkative.

"...The angle of impact of that shell was fucking tricky! It first hit the foremast lookout bucket, blasting a hole and dissipating some of its kinetic energy, then spun and smashed through the deck...and went straight into the aft boiler room..."

As Luo Xinzhong listened to his brother recount the harrowing moments of the Battle of Oahu, he suddenly put down his wine cup. He watched as Luo Xinhua's hand, which was picking up food, paused, and the usual frivolity in his eyes vanished almost entirely.

“Boss,” he said, his smile fading as he tapped the edge of the table with his finger, “you’re actually having some doubts about that artillery shrine maiden, aren’t you? You think those Japanese are just performing some kind of shamanistic ritual?”

Luo Xinhua was about to retort when Luo Xinzhong interrupted him: "Don't deny it. But think about what kind of person our father is? One of his ideas is worth ten lifetimes for an ordinary person! All of this—" He pointed to Daidouji Yumi and Onodera Tsubaki beside him, "from Shin-Yo Shrine to the Kusunoki family's 'Japanese Divine Kingdom,' from these divine maidens in the army to 'artillery priestesses' like Onodera, who taught Kusunoki Inako and Kusunoki Takako how to do it? It was our father's arrangement! When he sent Hong Daquan to Japan to build that Shin-Yo Shrine, he must have already planned for today's situation!"

Luo Xinhua's hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air, his mind reeling as if artillery fire were raging again.

"Why is Father going to such lengths?" Luo Xinzhong stared into Luo Xinhua's eyes, enunciating each word clearly, "It's to let them—let those blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners know," he pointed sharply upwards at the coffered ceiling painted with the cosmological diagrams, "that on this ocean, whoever stirs up the waves, remember this! We are protected by the Heavenly Father, the Emperor God!"

Before he could finish speaking, Onodera Tsubaki, standing beside him, straightened up and bowed respectfully to Luo Xinhua. She raised her head, her face still flushed, but her tone had regained its unique, scholarly calm and clear quality:

"Reporting to the Colonel. According to the data report from the Naval Combat Statistics Department of Shin-Yo Shinto Shrine, from the official implementation of the 'Miko Gunnery Officer' system in Tenpo 8 (1876) to March of this year, sixteen ships, including the 'Ōkusu Maru,' 'Kamikaze Maru,' and 'Echigo Maru,' equipped with full-class Miko Gunnery Officer teams, have a total of 447 engagement records. Cross-analysis of the data shows—"

She raised her voice slightly: "First, the probability of the first round of cross-target firing by the naval guns is 1.98%, which is 191% higher than that of the ship without the witch's assistance (0.68%); second, under the same tonnage firepower configuration, the average ammunition delivery hit rate of the main guns per unit time is increased by 31.7%; third, under the conditions of weather and combat distance, there have been three records of 'miracle' direct hits in the first round."

She spoke slowly, reciting a series of cold, hard numbers, each conclusion made with absolute certainty, before finally looking at Daidouji Yumi and nodding slightly.

Daidouji Yumi immediately chimed in, her voice still sweet: "Our Fourth Brigade's record is even more remarkable! The vanguard artillery battalion, equipped with experienced divinely protected officers, reduced the radius of the ten-round dispersion circle by 40% compared to ordinary artillery battalions! During the defense of Nagashino Pass, they single-handedly withstood twice the casualties of the enemy and pushed back the Tokugawa 'Tiger of Edo'!" Hearing this string of data, and seeing the earnest expressions on Luo Xinzhong, Onodera, and Daidouji's faces, Luo Xinhua began to believe—it turns out that God the Father truly does protect us! Ah, my "Dinghai" was so unlucky last time, taking a hit from a 305mm shell; it must be because I haven't prayed to the gods often enough. Maybe I should bring Onodera Tsubaki with me from now on?

But Shi Yiyang suddenly remembered his wife's gentle eyes. No, no, no, there are "Detailed Rules for Naval Priestess Service," Yiyang wouldn't misunderstand!

Echigo Matsuzaki, deep in Arahama Hot Spring, night.

The water made a soft, splashing sound.

Amidst the hazy white mist, Luo Yaoguo leaned against a black stone, smoothed by the hot spring water, his head resting on a square stone covered with a white cloth. His eyes were slightly closed, and deep thought lingered between his brows. Moisture condensed into fine droplets on his muscular shoulders and wheat-colored chest, then gathered into lines and silently slid down.

The water's surface was silently parted. A face, also flushed and damp from the steam, quietly emerged from the mist. Nanmu Takako was slightly out of breath, her black hair clinging wetly to her smooth forehead, water droplets rolling down her slender neck. She approached quietly, her eyes fixed on the face of the ruler of East Asia with an almost obsessive gaze.

The soft, hurried clatter of wooden clogs shattered the tranquility of the hot spring. The curtain by the water was abruptly thrown open, and a young woman dressed in a simple white shrine maiden's robe with a red sash rushed in. Her figure, not yet fully developed, already hinted at a delicate curve beneath her white garment; her round, doll-like face was adorned with large, round, and very endearing eyes. She had run all the way, her chest heaving, and knelt before Takako, saying:
"Priestess! Telegram from Major Luo, Commander of the 4th Brigade of the Osaka Division!"

Nanmu Takako's concentration on gazing at her lover was disturbed, and a hint of displeasure flashed across her face. She was about to wave her hand to dismiss him.

“Kaoru Jinguji.” Luo Yaoguo’s voice suddenly rang out, “Return the telegram to Luo Xinzhong immediately. Crown Prince Wu, you must arrive at Matsuzaki Station to see me before nightfall tomorrow.”

"Hi!" The young priestess who was called bowed deeply again, accepted the order and left as fast as she could, her footsteps quickly disappearing at the end of the slippery wooden corridor.

“Your Highness,” Gao Zi leaned forward, pressing against Luo Yaoguo, “won’t the young master be allowed to stay in Kyoto for a few days? The Eastern American Fleet will be out of action for a while…”

“Takako,” Luo Yaoguo suddenly interrupted her, turning his head to gaze at the deep night sky in the east, as if it could pierce through tens of thousands of miles of sea, “the flames of war have already been ignited. Luo Xinhua and Luo Xinzhong, they both have to go.” He turned sharply back, his gaze fixed intently on Nanmu Takako, “Luo Xinzhong, along with his Fourth Brigade in Osaka, go too!”

"What?!" Gao Zi was caught off guard, her delicate body trembling violently in the water, creating a splash. "They even took the Fourth Brigade? Who will protect the 'Divine Kingdom's' surrounding area...?"

“You don’t need to worry about this.” Luo Yaoguo smiled, with the composure of a true chess player. “Japan is the chessboard I’ve prepared for the British Empire!”

"When the British lose their entire fast fleet on the Japanese chessboard and slink back to Europe in disgrace..." His smile deepened, as if victory was already in sight, "Gaozi, I will become the master of the entire Pacific!"

Gao Zi looked at Luo Yaoguo expectantly and asked, "...Then...when will the British...come to Japan to play chess with you?"

Luo Yaoguo laughed heartily, “When? When the foreigners—whether they are the Puritans of East America or those knights in tailcoats in London—know that behind us stands not only giant ships and cannons, but also perhaps the mighty and invincible Heavenly Father, the Emperor God. At that time, the British Empire will have no choice but to come from thousands of miles away, no choice but to—grit its teeth and send its precious fleet to the coastline of East Asia to fight a decisive fleet battle with us!”
If they hadn't fought this war, the NATO alliance they had painstakingly built would have collapsed, and Germany, Russia, France, and even the United States would have all left the British-led camp and joined the ranks supported by God the Father!
The British Empire was defeated without a fight!

(End of this chapter)