Master Yuan, start!

Slogans of all sizes were posted on the streets of Tokyo, bringing an old event from four years ago back into people's attention.

Four years ago, in order to quell the impact of the assassination of Crown Prince Nicholas and a Greek prince in Japan, Prince Kitashirakawa Norihisa chased to Europe and donated the Chiyoda and Itsukushima to Greece as compensation.

Although the two warships are very valuable and it is painful to give them away, this price is not unacceptable if it can be exchanged for Russia's mercy.

At that time, almost everyone had this idea in their minds. Even the opponents were just shouting verbally and did not really want to target anyone. After Prince Nengjiu was stripped of his title, the storm subsided.

After the Russians landed on Defu Island in the Kuril Islands, the Japanese government proposed to consult and negotiate with them several times, but the Russians forcibly occupied it and refused to do so.

It was not until the recent breakdown of Russian-Japanese negotiations that the Japanese government could no longer conceal the truth and allowed the news of Russian invasion of Japanese territory to spread throughout Japan.

"Lucia invades!"

This news immediately overshadowed the news of the civil unrest in China, and the previous clamors for taking advantage of the opportunity to cross the river to the west and land in China also came to an abrupt end.

More people began to turn their attention to Prince Noshihisa, who sold the ship, and Prime Minister Aritomo Yamagata, who approved the matter at the time, and even vaguely pointed the finger at Emperor Meiji behind the scenes.

The public is angry and annoyed, and is demanding accountability.

But inside the army, it was a completely different picture.

At the intersection of Tokyo City and the alleys, the sailors who used to be so proud sat at the tables of the izakaya, drinking one cup after another, as if they wanted to numb themselves with alcohol.

In a room filled with white navy uniforms, an army officer in dark blue uniform sat in a corner, drinking with a navy officer.

The two were born in the fourth year of the Meiji era and both came from the countryside of Iwate Prefecture. However, after arriving in Tokyo, one joined the navy and the other joined the army.

At this time, the Japanese military's land and sea disputes were not as intense as in later generations, and the two still had a fellow-townsman friendship, so they could sit together and drink.

"Lucia, Lucia, what a powerful nation! Murakami-kun, is there really any hope for the Empire of Japan to win?"

As the wine flowed, the sailor in white put down his glass, breathed out a dejected breath and asked his army friend beside him.

He thought his friend in the army would say something to comfort him, but unexpectedly, this fellow countryman shouted, "Kobayashi, what's wrong with Russia? It's only been 40 years since the black ships crashed into Edo Bay, and the Great Japanese Empire has become the foremost power in East Asia. Russia is now just a stumbling block on the road to the empire's rise!"

"Murakami-kun, this isn't rural Iwate!" Seeing his fellow soldier speaking so recklessly, regardless of the occasion, Kobayashi was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. "We're surrounded by navy soldiers, how dare you say that?"

Sure enough, after hearing Murakami's "big words", there were immediately shouts and curses.

"Qikexiu, you want us to die in vain?!"

"Baga presses the road!"

When the army officer heard what he said shamelessly about it being just a stumbling block, the sound of wine glasses breaking suddenly rang out in the izakaya.

The drunken sailors who had been staggering about in the room now stood up and stared at the army men in blue uniforms with grim expressions.

When Silucia invaded the south, the navy was the first to bear the brunt. They were under tremendous pressure and were extremely nervous.

A few days ago, the navy in the rear learned from various channels that a disaster had occurred on the front line, which further exacerbated this tense mentality.

The current Japanese Navy has never fought a tough battle.

The army did fight and landed in North Korea, but was badly beaten and returned in disgrace.

Unexpectedly, only a few years later, it was the Navy's turn, and the difficulty was even higher, directly facing the world-class power, Lucia.

"A piece of trash that even the Qing people can't handle, yet you dare to accuse the navy of being cowardly?!"

The atmosphere in the izakaya was tense. The navy who had been sighing a moment ago was now glaring at an army soldier.

"Murakami-kun, Murakami-kun"

Seeing that something was wrong, his fellow navy friend from the same hometown grabbed Murakami's sleeve tightly, bowed deeply, said something private, and quickly ran out with Murakami.

Japan did not enjoy widespread war dividends at this time, so the people did not join the battle as enthusiastically as shown in later documentaries.

People will only be willing to go to war if they can win the battle. How many people would be willing to participate in a battle that is almost certain to be lost?

The brainwashing culture in Japan at this time had not yet reached its peak, and loyalty to the emperor and patriotism also had its limits.

This scene was just a small episode inside the city of Tokyo under the high pressure of the Russians. The lower-level soldiers sighed and the upper-level politicians were not much better off.

Captain of the Naniwa, Colonel Heihachiro Togo hurried to the entrance of the naval department and saw Navy Minister Kiyotaka Kuroda and Saigo Tsunemichi, who was extremely influential in the army, talking face to face.

Behind them was the Japanese Prime Minister, Aritomo Yamagata, who was resting with his eyes closed in a recliner.

Seeing Togo Heihachiro coming, Saigo Tsunemichi asked with concern: "Togo-kun, are you okay?"

"I have no problem with that." Togo Heihachiro shook his head. "It's just that I'm afraid the Naniwa won't be able to go out to sea for several months."

Navy Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka sighed helplessly when he heard this. As the highest leader of the Japanese Navy, he sent Togo Heihachiro with the Naniwa to Tokufu Island to negotiate with the Russians as soon as he learned that the Russians had landed on the island.

Unexpectedly, after arriving near the coast, the Russians fired warning shots at the Naniwa. What was even more unexpected was that the ship's operators were so flustered that they caused the Naniwa to run aground and take in water.

If it were only this, it would be fine, but at that time, Heihachiro Togo was sitting on a small boat preparing to land on the island to negotiate with the Russians, and there was no captain in command on the Naniwa.

When he realized something was wrong and returned to the Naniwa, Heihachiro Togo was so eager to board the ship that he hit his head while climbing the rope ladder.

On the Naniwa, with no leader, the first mate stood up and ordered all crew members to go to the cabin to evacuate the ship. However, due to careless operation, seven sailors were drowned.

If it weren't for the help from their fellow ship Hiei, it would have been a big question whether the entire crew of the Naniwa could have successfully returned from Hokkaido.

The warship almost sank without firing a single shot. What a joke.

After learning about this, Aritomo Yamagata's previous spirit of declaring war on the Russians disappeared instantly. In recent days, he could not even stand steadily and often received guests while lying on a recliner.

"Is Togo-kun here?" Aritomo Yamagata, who was sitting on the recliner, opened his eyes and glanced at Heihachiro Togo, who was wrapped in bandages.

"Hey, Lord Yamagata, please stay healthy. The hopes of all the people of Great Japan rest on you alone!"

The hope of the entire nation? Upon hearing this, Yamagata Aritomo couldn't help but smile bitterly. He even wanted to resign and hand the position of Prime Minister back to Ito Hirobumi.

But Hirobumi Ito had just managed to escape from the vortex of being the prime minister. Would he easily take over again?

If he disagrees, won't he be labeled a coward and resign amidst the accusations and curses of the entire nation?

"Lucian, what conditions do you want in order to leave Defu Island?" Aritomo Yamagata put aside the thoughts of weighing the pros and cons and began to deal with the current number one problem.

"Reopening the grain trade, establishing a port of call in Hokkaido, and allowing the Russians to develop Hokkaido's mineral resources" was stated by Heihachiro Togo, who participated in the final negotiations.

Still with such a big appetite, haven't you ever backed down? Yamagata Aritomo's eyes were cold. He wanted a port and mining rights. What's the difference between this and ceding land!

But when he looked at Heihachiro Togo with a wound on his forehead, Aritomo Yamagata really felt insecure.

The front-line navy had its warship run aground and took on water, while the rear-line navy spent the entire day in izakayas getting drunk.

3. What happened to the navy of the Great Japanese Empire? How could the new Japan established by the patriots at the end of the shogunate be turned into such a mess by the useless people of the Meiji era?

"What about the British? Will they agree to provide assistance?"

Aritomo Yamagata was well aware that after the news of the grounding incident, the navy's morale had been lost, and forcing them to join the war would not end well.

He knew very well that the key to this battle lay in the navy, but even more in logistics. As long as he could draw a draw with the Russians at sea, the distant supply lines would naturally make the Tsar give up further attempts.

In East Asia, apart from the Japanese Navy, there were only three naval forces: the British Far East Fleet, the French Far East Fleet, and the Beiyang, Jiangnan, and Nanhai Fleets.

As long as the British Navy in Yokosuka is willing to join the war, it will not be a problem to maintain a stalemate with the Russians.

"Britain is not as committed to the neutrality clause as before. It has agreed to provide us with loan support, but is unwilling to send its navy to help." Saigo Tsunemichi presented the latest conditions of the British.

"The British and the Russians are all untrustworthy and evil countries!" Aritomo Yamagata was so angry that he slammed the armrest of the recliner.

When the British forcibly leased Yokosuka as a naval base, they promised Japan that they would ensure "navigation safety" along the Japanese coast; and the Russians had also signed a treaty with Japan long ago, confirming the ownership of Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands.

Aritomo Yamagata did not expect that both Britain and Russia would break their promises.

"How about asking Yuan Shikai to send troops?" Yamagata Aritomo recalled the "Japan-Qing Joint Anti-Immortal Alliance Theory" that has been hotly debated in China in recent years.

Ito Hirobumi and Yuan Shikai had signed a secret agreement, and the number of Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Fleet battleships was 40% of the Combined Fleet. If he could join in, he would have the strength to fight against the Russians.

"Mr. Shanxian, what can you use to persuade Yuan Xiangcheng?"

Saigo Tsumichi did not think this was a good idea. The reason why a secret agreement is a secret agreement is that it can be denied or even torn up when necessary.

Saigo Tsunemichi didn't think Yuan Shikai would offend the Russians for Japan.

"It's nothing more than profit." Yamagata Aritomo said slowly: "Tell him that if he is willing to send warships to assist, the Empire of Japan can provide the terrain and defense map of Keelung Port, and can also mobilize the Ryukyu garrison to help him attack the French army in Taiwan in the future.

Didn't he aspire to unify the world? Then he would definitely not be able to refuse the temptation of reclaiming Taiwan.

France has placed all its defense focus on the west of Taiwan. Even if Yuan Shikai takes Fujian, it will be difficult for him to attack across the hundreds of miles of strait. At that time, it will be time for us to play a role.

Besides, the Russians have seized so much land north of the Heilongjiang River, and I don’t believe they did it willingly.

By then, the Chinese and Japanese armies will attack from Korea, and their navies from the Pacific. The Russians will undoubtedly be defeated!"

"Is it really possible?"

Kuroda Kiyotaka frowned: "But Yuan Xiangcheng is fighting for territory with Liu Kunyi and can't get away."

Kuroda pointed out a very tricky situation, that is, Yuan Shikai's national defense army had already started the war, and even if it wanted to help Japan, it was powerless.

"The entire nation must exercise patience and avoid haste."

Aritomo Yamagata slowly stood up from the recliner, looked at the ever-changing sky, and had already made a decision in his heart.

"If the Russians want to occupy Fudao, then let them do so. Our navy is not up to par right now, so let's train it for a while longer. The British are offering a war loan, so why not borrow some from them and say it's for buying ships and guns?

The short-term loss of Defu Island for a few years is only a matter of time. Compared to the next 100 years of the Empire of Japan, I can still afford to wait!"

Chapter 230 Coastal Detour

In the evening of Lushun, shouts could be heard on the dock. The national defense forces from all over Korea gathered here and then took boats south to the battlefield.

Behind the running crowd is a chimney that reaches into the sky and emits thick black smoke. The Lushun Iron Works has been initially established and put into production with the assistance of the Pyongyang Iron Works and the Benxi Iron Works.

The shift work system and assembly line method from later Ford and Toyota factories appeared in this ironworks and spread to Pyongyang and Benxi ironworks at an extremely fast speed.

If we add the Incheon Machinery Bureau, Incheon Shipyard and other arsenals, a military-industrial complex of a certain scale has already taken shape in the North Yellow Sea region.

The people here don’t know what the military-industrial complex means, but with the daily reminders to go to work, they know that another day of hope has begun.

Young people who had returned from studying abroad and cut their braids had heated debates with workers who wore coarse sweatshirts and tied their braids around their necks, discussing how to make steel more productive.

They didn't care that the other party was a sweaty worker, because those who cared had already been pulled to the rear to receive another education.

In the Red Confucian Society's system, there is no distinction between superiors and subordinates, only differences in professionalism. If the suggestions put forward by front-line workers are reasonable, they must be adopted.

The ironworks is now controlled by three parties. The ownership is in the hands of the Red Confucian Society, but the management rights are decided jointly by representatives of the Red Confucian Society, overseas technical personnel, and worker representatives.

The three of them formed a decision-making group. In addition to meeting the production instructions issued by their superiors, the more important thing was to expand production and improve technology.

4 Political instructors have already gone deep into the front-line production links, explaining to all workers what industry is, what steel is, and how advanced the most advanced ironworks in the West are.

We need both capitalist and socialist things. This is Yuan Shikai's current proposition and also his pursuit.