Chapter 645: The Death of the Emperor (First update, please subscribe)

Meiji is sick!

In fact, Meiji has been ill since July last year. His condition was not serious at the beginning, but his health gradually deteriorated day by day.

Even though several months had passed, no one knew what illness he had.

"What is the matter, Your Majesty?"

On the way to the Imperial Palace, Ito Hirobumi asked.

"I don't know. Even the best Western doctors don't know what disease your Majesty has."

Iwakura Tomomi shook his head.

"All I know is that last year, His Majesty started to have some health problems, but no one knows what happened. A few months ago, he began to have some wounds on his mouth, tongue, and cheeks. They were small at first, but later they grew bigger. His hair was also falling out. Whenever he turned his head, he could see a tuft of hair on the pillow. Now there is no hair on his head. I heard from the imperial physician that His Majesty is bleeding every day, and even gauze cannot stop it..."

Iwakura Tomomi was even unwilling to describe it any further. After all, His Majesty's experience was too tragic and simply horrible to look at.

Sometimes he secretly thought that if His Majesty died now, he would be relieved.

"How could this happen? What kind of disease is it?"

Ito Hirobumi was surprised.

"Only a genius would know this. No one has ever seen such a disease, but Your Majesty..."

Iwakura Tomomi said in a low voice.

"Many people feel that His Majesty could die at any time!"

Passed away!

Ito Hirobumi opened his eyes wide in astonishment, his hands trembling slightly, and he muttered as he looked at Iwakura Tomomi.

"Your Majesty, you still don't have any children!"

Meiji doesn’t have a son yet!

Not to mention a son, I don’t even have a daughter!

For those who hold high positions because of the "Return of Kingly Power", if His Majesty passes away, they are likely to lose everything.

"This, this...if this happens, the Reform Movement will most likely fail!"

Iwakura Tomomi nodded, with a solemn expression, but he did not continue speaking. The dull pain in the wounds on his body reminded him that without the support of His Majesty the Emperor, or more precisely, without the Emperor's support, it was clear what kind of backlash they, who were promoting reforms, would face.

Your Majesty!

But you must not die!

Ito Hirobumi prayed silently in his heart, how did these heroes of the Meiji Restoration manage to monopolize power?

Isn’t it relying on the slogan of “Return of Kingly Power”?

What is the core of this sign? Of course, it is the emperor who is not a figurehead. In recent years, they have relied on the emperor to carry out reforms in the name of the emperor. The suppression of the samurai has long caused dissatisfaction among the samurai. This is also the reason why the Saigo Society resigned. If there is no emperor as a signboard, then everything will be over!

How will Saigo and other samurai who are dissatisfied with the changes fight back?

There is no need to guess, by that time, not to mention the future of Japan, all of them will have no way out.

Half an hour later, Iwakura Tomomi and Ito Hirobumi arrived at the palace. As soon as they arrived, they received bad news from the imperial physician.

"Your Majesty's lungs and liver have flowed out of your mouth, and you're almost choking on your internal organs..."

The imperial physician's words stunned the two of them. Based on their knowledge, they had no idea what was going on.

People of this era, of course, could not understand what was happening. The cell renewal cycle of a person is generally 120 to 200 days, and a large dose of it would cause the skin color to die before the body disappears and the organs fail. This is the damage caused by nuclear radiation, and now Meiji's body is expelling the necrotic internal organs from the body.

But all of this was incomprehensible to the doctors of that era. They didn't know what was happening and could only watch Meiji's life slip away bit by bit.

On February 1, 1874, after months of torture, the 22-year-old Emperor Meiji was finally freed.

Freed.

While the heroes of the Meiji Restoration were shocked by the death of the emperor, they had to face a realistic problem - the emperor had no children!

In other words, the emperor has no sons or daughters.

Nothing. Emperor Meiji had two sons, but both were stillborn. They died in the womb before they were born.

What now?

"what to do!"

While the Grand Secretary was busy with the funeral of Emperor Meiji, the heroes of the Meiji Restoration sat together nervously.

"Emperor Komei only has one son, the late emperor."

Iwakura Tomomi said expressionlessly, Emperor Komei was Meiji's father.

"Emperor Ninko had only one son, Emperor Komei, who lived to adulthood!"

"But Emperor Ninko's sister married General Tokugawa Iemochi."

The purpose of the marriage between Emperor Komei's sister Kazunomiya and the 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi was to achieve a political marriage between the emperor and the general, although the marriage ultimately failed due to the overthrow of the shogunate. But who would have thought that Meiji would die without leaving any offspring!

And now, the heroes of the reform are faced with an extremely embarrassing problem - they are finished!

Yes, they are screwed!

"According to the order of succession to the throne, Princess Kazunomiya has the right to inherit the throne of the Emperor."

Since there have been female emperors in history, there is nothing wrong with Princess Kazunomiya inheriting the throne, but the only problem is that she is the wife of Tokugawa Iemochi!

"Gui Gong also has the right to inherit the throne!"

As soon as Ito finished speaking, Iwakura said,

"It is very rare and exceptional for Princess Shuko to inherit the Imperial Household as a woman. Although female members of the Imperial family can inherit the throne, Prince Katsura has already inherited the Imperial Household, so naturally she cannot inherit the throne!"

Katsura Yoshiko was engaged to Prince Kanin Airihito. However, before the marriage, she was given the title of Uchi-no-Prince, but Prince Airihito suddenly passed away two days later, and the marriage was aborted. Later, Uchi-no-Prince Yoshiko inherited the headless Katsura family and became the twelfth Katsura. This naturally made Yoshiko lose the right of inheritance.

"So, the only one left is Kazunomiya..."

Kido said while looking at Iwakura.

"If it's Kazunomiya, it's not impossible. After all, General Iemochi is dead. If she..."

Without waiting for Kido to finish, Ōbo Kurimichi shouted in a stern voice.

"You are confused. Princess Kazunomiya supports the union of the imperial court and the military. Once Princess Kazunomiya succeeds to the throne, she will issue an edict to support the union of the imperial court and the military. Then the Meiji Reform will fail! By then, what future will Japan have? And we will all die!"

Not only does Japan have no future, but more importantly... they will also die!

"Death is not scary!"

Iwakura Tomomi said in a deep voice.

"If my death can help Japan's reforms go ahead, I will be willing to die, but..."

Looking around at everyone, Iwakura Tomomi said.

"If I die, the Reform Movement cannot be implemented, and Japan may even be forced to close its borders again. So, no matter what, I cannot die!"

Not only can he not die, but he also has to live. How could he not understand the saying that when a man dies, his regime ceases to exist?

"But no matter what, we have no way of guaranteeing that Princess Kazunomiya will continue to implement the Meiji Reform!"

Okuma Shigenobu looked at everyone helplessly and said.

"If Kazunomiya is not able to do it, then who else is there? Emperor Kōkaku and only Emperor Ninko survived to adulthood..."

(End of this chapter)