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Text Chapter 353 Volcano

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    Tokyo Bay is covered in snow in December, and the regular passenger ships arriving here from Shanghai have disappeared.  Because the two merchant ships needed to stop in places such as Sasebo and Kagoshima to drop off passengers and refuel, Kato Takaaki spent a whole week before he saw the familiar Uraga waterway.

    The cold has caused ice to freeze in many parts of the bay.  Entering Uraga Suido you can see the huge Yokosuka Naval Base, but to everyone's disappointment, the formerly busy seaport is becoming lifeless. Except for a few naval soldiers maintaining warships on the deck, the high spirits of the past are no longer visible.  The scene of training at sea.  The construction of the last two Kongang-class battleships has slowed down. The two Fuso-class battleships that have just laid down their keels are in danger of running out of steel. A large number of lightning strike ships that were supposed to be upgraded have also been suspended.  In the face of real financial pressure, even the Navy, which has always been accustomed to spending a lot of money, is gritting its teeth to save military expenditures.

    The further the merchant ship moves forward, the more it feels the chill coming from the depths of the bay and coming from the sky above Tokyo.  When Yokohama Port, which used to be known as Japan's largest commercial port and most important industrial city, appeared in front of us, even Kato Takaaki, who had been here countless times, sighed deeply.  The old scene of billowing black smoke seemed to have disappeared overnight. There were still many chimneys, but only a few were still smoking. Even the roar in the important Yokohama Naval Shipyard was much lower.

    The Russo-Japanese War ten years ago had already depleted the huge wealth gained during the Sino-Japanese War. All the citizens tried their best to save money while repaying huge loans and digging out their savings from their teeth.  And was completely exhausted in this war!  50,000 deaths!  20,000 captured!  10,000 injured!  150,000 rifles, 512 cannons, 9 warships, and 11 merchant ships!  Together with all the concession property abandoned in humiliation more than one billion national currency disappeared and evaporated in an instant!  And this is not over yet. Japan still has huge pensions for nearly 60,000 casualties, 20,000 soldiers who need high ransoms to bring back, and machine losses caused by the inability to start work after losing resources!  There is also the rapid depreciation of the currency, and the domestic situation has become restless and humiliating.

    How can we heal the wound as soon as possible?  How to climb out of the trough?  This is more than $100 million in loan forgiveness and the acquisition of a few overseas islands will make up for.  To make matters worse, due to lack of resources, Japan's own hematopoietic ability has almost been exhausted, although the Chinese promised to provide Japan with necessary raw materials at market prices.  But the market price When the European War was at stake, the Chinese charged four times the price for coking coal used in steelmaking alone, and it was still the worst quality!  But even with such a sky-high price, Japan has to grit its teeth and agree.  It must also be paid in gold!  Because Britain and the United States no longer sell any machinery and resources related to steelmaking, although North Korea has abundant coal resources.  But there are no high-quality coal mines that can produce coke.

    The whistle whined, lingering over the bay.

    Even many expatriates who have just returned home feel this desolation.  The port's employees have been laid off a lot, and there are ragged beggars and hawkers everywhere. Only cinders are left at the original coal terminal.  There are difficulties in food supply, and all types of cars that could still be seen in the past have disappeared.  The former empire, which had just experienced a tragic failure, also entered the ice cellar with the arrival of severe winter. The unmelting snow only worsened the suffering of the people.  The prosperity that existed when Emperor Taisho ascended the throne a few years ago has almost disappeared, the dream of a powerful nation is sinking, and cheap steel has become a luxury item.  In order to collect enough materials, the government even began to call on citizens to donate pig iron products for steelmaking

    Thinking of this, Kato Takaaki hated the Ministry of War for dragging Japan into the war. If it weren't for their recklessness and impulsiveness, if it weren't for their ugly habits, how could the empire go to war before it got out of the shadow of Japan and Russia?  ?  Even stupider.  They actually knew nothing about their opponent's strength before the war started!  It¡¯s time to oust the corrupt feudal lords and allow more enlightened democrats to come to power. Only in this way can we see the next cherry blossom bloom as soon as possible.

    The expatriates evacuated from Shanghai began to walk down the gangway carrying their flat luggage.  Many people stood at the pier with blank eyes.  Because they simply don't know where to go.  It was too late for domestic factories to lay off workers and there were no jobs available to accommodate them. The land was controlled by feudal lords and families. Having lost all their property, they had no idea how to start a new life.  As there were fewer and fewer people on the deck, Kato Takaaki slowly walked towards the gangway.  But he did not see the guard who greeted the vehicle and stopped him: "Your Excellency, Foreign Minister, there are rumors in the country that someone is going to harm you. I hope you can wait for the car to get off the boat."

    Kato¡¯s clever hand suddenly tightened his cane.

    He actually thought that some people would be dissatisfied with him for signing the Civil Armistice Agreement, especially the military department. Otherwise, in his capacity as foreign minister, why would he not even be willing to send a cruiser for his use?  That's why he chose to disembark in Yokohama, far away from the center of the storm, but the guard's words still made him feel nervous. He nodded and waited for the late car.

    Seeing him stop, Huagu behind the glasses was so angry that he stamped his feet: "Baga! YouLook, the national thief didn't get off the boat.  "

    "Is it true? Let me see."

    "Has this national thief, who smells like copper, noticed it?"

    In a private house not far from the pier, the young military cadets who had just returned from Lushun had their eyes red and gritted their teeth.  Although the military did not immediately withdraw the defeated troops to the country, as future officers of the army, they received preferential treatment and took the lead in withdrawing on warships.  However, how could the young people who had just witnessed a tragic defeat be willing to accept the armistice contract that they considered to be a humiliation and humiliation for the country? It pricked every heart like a needle and devoured their souls like a poisonous snake day and night.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????:  Those traitors who easily gave away the interests of the mainland and Manchuria and Mongolia must be eradicated!  Get rid of the cowardly rats around His Majesty the Emperor!

    With such a determination to die, Huatani and his partners inquired about the number one national thief who signed a contract that humiliated the country and surrendered power, and humiliated and compromised to withdraw from the China mainland while the empire still had the power to fight and turn defeat into victory.

    "I see!"

    Squatting in the corner and smoking heavily, Chen Haohui gritted his teeth as his eyes turned red for the future of the empire.  "National traitor"!  He also has a strong plutocratic background. If he doesn¡¯t destroy him, who will he destroy?  If the son-in-law of the Mitsui Zaibatsu was bombed to death in the street, it would be strange if the Zaibatsu and the feudal clan did not confront each other!  As Kawashima Solami and Tang Jiyao's group were all bombed to death in Piziwo, almost all the people who knew his background were secretly eliminated, leaving only the old guy Toushan Man.  But given his status, these young sergeants are still out of reach, so his details are safe for the time being.  So he jumped up and lifted a bag of ugly Japanese grenades from his feet: "He chose to disembark in Yokohama instead of going to Tokyo. He must want to avoid sight! This cunning guy must be waiting for those traitorous accomplices to send him.  I want to use the speed of the car to evade the national execution!" He got excited, raised the grenade and bowed to everyone: "Kanatani-kun. Ohta-kun! Gentlemen, I will ask you to take care of my sister Yoshiko. For the sake of  I will blow up this traitor to the empire!"

    He was excited, but his steps were very slow, as if he was waiting for something.

    As expected, Hanatani grabbed the full bag of grenades with ease: "No! Kawashima-kun. You still have a young sister Yoshiko to take care of, let me do it!"

    "No, let me do it."

    Chen Haohui looked furious and wanted to snatch the grenade back, but in fact he was relieved in his heart.  Fortunately, he has always brought Yoshiko Kawashima with him for more than a year, deliberately making people like Masa Hanagani fall in love with the innocent Yoshiko.  Now the sympathy card trick is finally working.

    "Look, Mr. Kawashima guessed it right! There is really a car coming to pick up the national traitor."

    While everyone was arguing about who would be the hero, an American Ford sedan slowly drove into the dock.  Kato Takaaki on the deck also began to walk down the gangway. Hanatani Masaru's eyes suddenly burst into flames of fanaticism, and even Chen Haohui was startled by the flames.  He suddenly knelt on the ground and roared in a deliberately suppressed voice, like a terrible beast: "Gentlemen! If our dreams can come true, please bury me in Kudanban!" After he finished speaking.  Without waiting for his companions to stop him, he gritted his teeth and rushed to the dock to kill the "national traitor".

    Looking at his back.  Chen Haohui also had a numb scalp!  What kind of people are these?  Fanatical, restless, terrifying and paranoid!  For the sake of land that does not belong to our country, we must assassinate the foreign minister of the cabinet who saved the fate of the country If this nation is not controlled, it will be really terrible!  When he secretly sighed, Hua Guzheng had already blended into the coolies waiting outside the dock.  When the car carrying Kato Gaoming drove out of the iron gate, he suddenly fired a grenade and rushed towards the car.

    "Heaven punishes the traitors!" he shouted hysterically.  A violent explosion rose from the entrance of the pier, and the Ford car was like a rag doll thrown into the fire, instantly turning into a ball of flames.

    *******

    Tokyo.  Next to the famous Sensoji Temple, the residence of the senior leader of Saionji Temple is located here.

    In the white snow, the official of Saionji Temple, wearing a kimono at home, looked anxious. He has lived in seclusion here since he was ousted by Yama Prefecture Aritomo, but as the only democratic elder in the Senate who can compete with the Changzhou Fanshan Prefecture faction, what happened recently  The matter worried him deeply.

    By his side, Korekiyo Takahashi, who came to visit, also had a bad look on his face.  The purpose of his coming today is very simple, because he knows that only by persuading this man can he hope to truly stabilize the domestic situation, so he said hurriedly: "Old Xiyuange, a volcano is becoming more and more active, Okuma  The Prime Minister has made up his mind to leave again. He is ready to wait for all the troops to evacuate, redeem the captured soldiers and then submit his resignation to His Majesty the Emperor. Now the empire needs you to come out and take control of the situation! Only you can fight against them and let them go.  Don¡¯t take risks!¡±

    As a veteran British and American politician, there are only a few democratic elders left in Japan.Why doesn¡¯t Temple Gongwang know that Japan is now a terrible volcano!  Even Shanxian Youpeng may not be able to suppress it, so he asked the military not to withdraw the troops to the mainland, but sent them there under the pretext of protecting North Korea.  It's not that he doesn't want to come out. Although he and Yamagata Aritomo have irreconcilable ideological conflicts, in the end neither of them wants to see Japan fall into endless political turmoil.  However, after experiencing an embarrassing government formation and being overthrown, he has become much more cautious.

    It¡¯s okay to get out of the mountain, but where is the key?  If we don¡¯t have quick and effective economic countermeasures, if we can¡¯t stabilize the domestic situation as soon as possible, and if we can¡¯t keep the people fed and clothed, we will still fail.  So after thinking for a while, he turned to look at Takahashi Korekiyo: "Takahashi-kun, tell me what you think. I need a suitable Tibetan minister to help the empire survive the severe winter." Takahashi Korekiyo heard this.  Excited, Gongwang of Xiyuan Temple is coming out!  This news will undoubtedly greatly boost the strength of the democratic parties led by the Constitutional Council.  With his status, coupled with the good relationship with the Satsuma Domain of the Navy headed by Yamamoto Gonbei, and with Kato Takaaki uniting the power of the chaebol, even the Yamagata faction had to temporarily surrender!  This will suppress the volcano that is about to erupt.

    Similarly, Xiyuanji Gongwang is not someone who makes promises casually. He is the only one who knows what a great person Takahashi Korekiyo is.  In particular, the good relationship he established with British and American bankers is the key to unlocking the current domestic economic problems.  If anyone in Japan can solve the current predicament, only he can do it!  Therefore, he needs a good economic stimulus and recovery plan. Without this, it is useless to come out.

    Korekiyo Takahashi is indeed Japan¡¯s top and most visionary economic expert.  He only thought for a moment and then said: "With all due respect, the empire's own hematopoietic mechanism has collapsed! We lack raw materials and cannot make so many factories fully operational."

    The pessimistic words made Duke Wang of Xiyuan Temple frown.  Is there nothing Takahashi can do?  Just when his heart began to sink, Korekiyo Takahashi raised his voice: "But we have encountered a very bad but very good era!" He did not show off, he must use all his skills at this moment.  He continued: "The bad thing is that the European War caused the prices of raw materials and commodities around the world to skyrocket. Relying on the empire's own power to purchase raw materials and maintain factory operations would use up every copper plate. But the war was also a good time! Europe has been corrupted. Numbers  Millions of workers and young people are being armed. There is no end in sight to the war. In the next few years, Europe's strong manufacturing capabilities will be weak in the face of war. At this time, they need foreign aid! The Chinese have eaten some.  orders, but their industrial base is not as good as the empire. Although there is the United States, the United States is also unable to meet such a huge market demand.

    So I assert it!  By the beginning of next year at best, all factories in the United States will be overwhelmed, and there will be too many orders to produce them!  We should seize this opportunity and proactively contact the United States to help them process it.  Although maximum profit has nothing to do with empire.  It can only earn some processing fees, but it can keep millions of domestic workers from losing their jobs!  As long as workers can start work, civil pressure will be reduced to a minimum.

    also.  I still assert it!  As the scale of the war gradually escalates.  Workers from countries such as Britain and France will be sent to the front lines, and their number of workers will be seriously insufficient. At this time, the empire should take the initiative to export workers to them and help them start their machines!  Create more supplies and weapons.  Not only can we earn huge dispatch fees, but we can also exercise our technical skills.  In this way, even if the equipment cannot keep up, our workers' skills have been tempered!  Moreover, this can also bridge the rift between the empire and its allies, letting them know that our country is still an important and indispensable ally. After we help them win, they will need more plunder to make up for the war consumption when they return to the Far East.  !  At that time, they were exhausted and needed to arm a stronger Japanese Empire to help them complete their colonization and plundering work!  "

    Takahashi is clear-eyed and terrifying. His economic recovery plan is not only realistic, but once implemented, it is very likely that Japan will be saved from collapse in an instant!

    Saionji Konobo is worthy of being a senior politician who has been in Britain and the United States for many years. Although he is not as clear-minded about economics as Takahashi Korekiyo, even if he has heard so much, he may not be able to come up with a comprehensive plan, but this does not prevent him from hearing this.  It's an excellent economic recovery plan.  The worry between his brows seemed to be much lessened, and he quickly said: "Takahashi-kun is really the elite treasure of our Japanese Empire! Come up with all the plans as soon as possible, I will visit Mr. Shanxian Pavilion, although  "

    When Gong Wang of Xiyuan Temple was about to say that he would reach an agreement with friends from Shan County to suppress this huge volcano in the country, his guards suddenly rushed into the small courtyard, rolled over and fell to their knees on the ground.  He looked panicked: "Your Excellency, Earl! I just got the news that Foreign Minister Kato was assassinated in Yokohama Port and died for his country!"

    "What!"

    ?Gongwang of Xiyuan Temple suddenly felt that his heart was hit by something, and his hands were shaking a little: "How is it possible? Who did it? Who did it!" Listening to his roar, let alone the guards who came to report the news, just  Even Takahashi Korekiyo's eyes suddenly went dark.

    The dignified foreign minister of the empire was assassinated at the dock!  Dear Amaterasu, has the volcano erupted?  Is that man ready to make a desperate move, or are they some fanatical fools at the War Department?  Thinking of this, he did not dare to stay any longer, and immediately saluted to the Duke of Xiyuan Temple: "Mr. Ge, I need to go back immediately to tell everyone. Please contact him as soon as possible and stop it! Otherwise the magma will melt Kyushu.  !¡±

    After he finished speaking, he hurried out the door without waiting for an answer. The only thought in his mind was to tell the other members of the Constitutional Council the news as soon as possible so that everyone could be prepared for contingency.  But just as he was walking towards the car, whose top was already covered with a thin layer of white snow, a vague figure passed by quickly.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    ?? Continuous gunshots broke the thousand-year tranquility of Sensoji Temple. Just now, the most outstanding Japanese economic and diplomatic elite who had planned an economic strategy that could save Japan was likely to allow Japan to complete a major reversal of recovery within five years fell in a pool of blood!

    Blood spurted out from his chest and blended into the white snow.

    Among the panicked crowd, a man wearing a dark blue coat, the most common color for Japanese workers, curled his lips slightly and quickly disappeared into the intricate urban area.  (To be continued)

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