Chapter 683: Loyal Japanese (Third update, please subscribe)

It is true that Westerners are a nation of tigers and wolves.

But the Ming Dynasty...is not necessarily a so-called good country.

It is impossible that we have no ambition at all towards Japan!

You know, when they visited the Ming Dynasty, they witnessed with their own eyes how Paraguay was incorporated into the Ming Dynasty.

A country just disappeared like that. It was even the Paraguayans themselves who took the initiative. Of course, there were not many Paraguayans left at that time.

In the face of Ito Hirobumi's opposition, Okubo Toshimichi spoke directly.

"If Japan is destined to perish, at least if it is incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, we can still become Ming people! But if Japan becomes a British colony, then we will be slaves of the Western devils, just like the Indians, who are third-class citizens with no rights in their own country."

The reason why Okubo Toshimichi became a supporter of Asuka Kazukuni was essentially because he chose the lesser of two evils. When he visited Ming Dynasty, he witnessed that after Paraguay was merged into Ming Dynasty, the Paraguayans became Ming people and enjoyed the same rights as Ming people.

But what about in India?

Compared with India under British colonial rule, they were just a group of enslaved third-class citizens. As a colonized country, they had no rights, let alone prosperity!

India was just a source of raw materials and a dumping market in the British colonial system. The British didn't care about the lives of Indians at all, they just exploited India to the utmost.

This is the attitude of Westerners towards colonies. If Japan had become a colony, it would not necessarily be much better off than India, and it might even have lived a more miserable life than the Indians.

Because at least India still has resources to exploit, but Japan has nothing.

Under such a comparison, he certainly tends to prefer the former, because at least in the former case, the Japanese are still human beings.

But what about the latter?

Then you will be left with nothing. Not only will you be left with nothing, but you will also become a slave to the Westerners.

“And does Japan have any other options now?”

"But we are not sure yet whether the British will stand on the side of the Tokugawa family."

Yamaguchi Naokata, the Junior Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, said with some hesitation.

"We can't just assume that the British want to occupy Japan just because they sent their warships to Osaka?"

"When they really want to occupy Japan, it will be too late. If we don't ask Ming for help immediately, by this time next year, I'm afraid we won't even have the chance to ask for help."

Okubo Toshitsu said in a rather serious tone.

"We must seize the opportunity before us. If we hesitate, we will all be sinners of Japan."

"Sinners? Does that mean we are no longer sinners if we hand Japan over to the Ming people?"

"The Koreans have been vassal states of the Ming Dynasty for so many years, but it doesn't mean that they have lost Korea! Isn't Korea a ready-made example?"

Okubo Toshimichi directly introduced Korea. In his opinion, Japan was not going to be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty. For Japan, the best option was to become a vassal of the Ming Dynasty like Korea did, and thus obtain the full protection of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, there are ready-made examples to follow.

“That’s completely different.”

Ito Hirobumi said loudly.

"We must know that the current Ming Empire is not the Ming Empire of the past. If we pay tribute to them now, they might simply merge the Ming Empire into their country. By that time..."

Before he could finish his words, Okubo Toshimichi interrupted him directly.

"Don't think about what will happen then. Let's think about the present first. What should we do now? Tell me, what should Japan do now?"

what to do?

These most outstanding figures in Japan suddenly became a little confused in the face of the current dilemma. After all, in the interaction between countries, what is relied on is strength, and Britain has an overwhelming strength advantage.

In front of the British, Japan is just a fish on the chopping board, waiting to be exploited. What choice do they have now?

The only choice is to let others bully you!

Facing the argument among the crowd, Iwakura Tomomi said.

"I think we should communicate with the British envoy and ask them what they want to do? And at the same time, we should express our protest to them. How can they interfere in Japan's internal affairs?"

Iwakura Tomomi felt a little heavy-hearted. How could those British people interfere in Japan's internal affairs so treacherously? Didn't they know that the Tokugawa family was a thing of the past?

After Iwakura Tomomi made this decision, he even personally summoned the British Minister to Japan, Parkes, the guy who was imprisoned in the Qing Dynasty for refusing to kneel and who instigated the burning of the Old Summer Palace.

Just as he was protesting against Britain's non-interference in Japan's internal affairs because of the British fleet's visit to Osaka, Parkes gave a direct answer.

"Your Excellency, the UK's attitude has always been very clear. We are willing to maintain a good cooperative relationship with any party in Japan. This first requires us to make sure that they are willing to cooperate with the UK."

Parkes had received direct instructions from London, and according to the secret telegram from London, Britain would stand on the side of the Tokugawa family and Saigo. They needed a divided Japan, not a unified Japan.

As for the Reform Government, these people were more inclined to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty, so naturally they were not within the scope of Britain's consideration.

In London's view, splitting Japan into two or more halves is not impossible. Once the Ming Dynasty seeks allies in East Asia, it will only be able to win over one of them due to the hostility between the Tokugawa family and the Meiji government. Britain can at least keep one; if it is on the positive side, Britain's goal is to prevent the Ming Dynasty from expanding in Japan.

In the UK's view, this is the lowest cost and the most generous return.

Parkes' answer made Iwakura Tomomi unable to believe his ears.

What does this mean in the UK?

Do they really want to annex Japan as Okubo Toshimichi speculated?

The answer is obvious.

On that day, after a fierce debate, Iwakura Tomomi finally made the final decision - to invite the Ming fleet to visit Japan.

Why invite the Ming fleet to visit Japan?

This was also a little thought of Iwakura Tomomi and the others. In their view, as long as the Ming army did not enter Japan, it would be impossible to let the wolf into the house.

Inviting the navy of the Ming Dynasty could also help Japan deter the British navy that was visiting Osaka. In other words, Japan wanted to use the power of the Ming Dynasty to deter Britain and prevent the British from interfering in Japan's internal affairs.

Of course what he didn't know was where all this would eventually lead?

It was as if he had no idea that Britain's policy toward Japan had undergone a fundamental change.

In international affairs, the fate of small countries is often controlled by big countries, and now Japan is unfortunately the one being controlled. They are just in the middle of it, they don't know it all, they just passively follow their own way of self-preservation, trying to preserve themselves in this chaotic world.

But they did not know that their invitation further confirmed Britain's speculation that the Ming Dynasty's expansion target was Japan.

…

When receiving the invitation from across the ocean, Emperor Zhu just sat there quietly.

In fact, he doesn't have much ambition for Japan.

Rather than annexing Japan, he preferred to use the Japanese as consumables of the empire to help the Ming Dynasty expand its African business.

This is definitely not a warning from Africa, but a practical need, just as the British used Indians to achieve their expansionary rule in Africa.

The expansion of the Ming Empire also requires its own consumables. In fact, before this, the Ming Empire could also obtain these numbers, just like now. There are many unemployed warriors who are willing to come to the Ming Empire and serve the Ming Empire in Africa as consumables.

But such consumables are consumables of other countries after all. With the reform of Japan, those people will eventually have national consciousness. Will they still be loyal to Ming in the future?

This is a question that Emperor Zhu had to think about.

What is the final choice? It is to allow the Ming Dynasty to become the ruler of the land of Japan, even if it is a nominal ruler, it can gradually turn it into the land of the Ming Dynasty since ancient times.

He had been planning for this for a long time. But what about now? Things were going more smoothly than he had imagined, just like now, the Japanese reform elites were holding Japan in their hands and bringing it to his door.

Inviting the fleet to visit is just the first step. They want to use the power of the Ming Dynasty to deter the British, but in the end they will find that it is useless to just use the power.

After all, the British have changed their attitude towards Japan. In this case, Japan has no choice but to accept its fate. Or... there will be no Japanese business.

Emperor Zhu believed that the outstanding elites of the Japanese Restoration would eventually make their choice. After all, they had no choice at all.

Emperor Zhu couldn't help but sigh.

"Sometimes when luck comes, it's unstoppable."

Originally, according to Zhu Xianhai's plan, he was going to wait until the Japanese civil war broke out and the so-called reformist government was about to collapse before sending troops into Japan to help Japan achieve peace by force.

Then what?

Of course, the Ming Dynasty could stand on the position of helping Japan and, in the name of peace, send those laid-off Japanese samurai to Africa. That is an extremely vast world and there would definitely be a place for those people to use their skills.

Those people will marry local indigenous women there, establish families, and eventually settle down there, becoming an indispensable force in the Ming Empire's imperial cause. Of course, at the same time, there will be millions of Japanese women coming to the Ming Empire as laborers, and they will also settle down there, marry Ming men and form families...

In this process, the Ming Dynasty is the final winner. As for Japan... Japan's fate will be profoundly changed at that moment.

But what about now?

Before the plan was fully launched, the Japanese were so proactive and cooperative that they handed over their country with both hands.

"We must not let down the Japanese people's sincerity."

Emperor Zhu said again while talking to himself.

"Well, Ito Hirobumi and his people can still be used. In the future, we should give them more opportunities to naturalize as Ming people! Otherwise, it would be a shame for their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)