Chapter 745: Ming Dynasty Picking Peaches (First Update, Please Subscribe)
The happiness of a few is often built on the suffering of the vast majority.
Maybe in this special period, perhaps a very small number of businessmen will strive for huge profits. But what about the majority of people?
They said that the pain they endured in life was indescribable, just like the hundreds of thousands of Tokyo residents who lived in this cold and snowy winter with little food and clothing and no heating fuel, while even more people had to sleep on the streets.
Of course, this is just people in Tokyo.
While countless Tokyo residents had to sleep on the streets in the snow, the embassy district was a different world, with neither crowded refugees nor beggars. Foreigners from all over the world continued to enjoy a life that was no different from before.
"One million men took off their armor, and not a single man was left!"
Standing by the window of the club, looking at the Japanese shacks built with cardboard and rags on another street, Zhao Teng, the Ming consul, said with some emotion.
"A city with a population of nearly a million people was conquered by just over 3,000 sailors. This is simply... a joke!"
Is this joke funny?
The Japanese cannot laugh, even in Tokyo today. Since the collapse of the shogunate, a large number of feudal lords and their followers left Edo, and the total population here has been reduced from 1.3 million to half!
But there is still a population of 600,000 to 700,000. But what did these Tokyo residents do when faced with the invasion?
Did nothing!
Of course, they didn't have time to do anything.
"Alas, the country does not know its people, and the people do not know their country. The reform government has long lost the hearts of the people! In the past few years, the reform government has not only betrayed the nobles who once seized power, but also made the peasants bear land taxes that are several times heavier than before. How could anyone defend such a government when it is invaded?"
Standing next to the consul, Li Chenglin said with emotion.
"But if we support the reformist government now, it's really not worth the loss!"
"Who said we are going to support the Restoration Government? What we support is always our own interests. In diplomacy, the interests of the country are the most important."
Zhao Teng said with a smile,
"Okay, Counselor Li, check to see if they are here!"
A moment later, in the conference room on the second floor of the club, facing the two envoys, Parkes and De Long, Zhao Teng directly rejected their proposal from yesterday.
"We are very complaining. We do not see any reason to cancel the safety zone. According to the information we have, more than 1,300 Japanese were injured by British and American sailors yesterday. Men were killed and women were raped. The rich were robbed. If we cancel the safety zone now, we can guarantee the safety of civilians."
At this extremely special time, Zhao Teng still stood on the position of protecting the Japanese, which is a humanitarian concern.
"There are hundreds of thousands of civilians living here. Based on humanitarianism, we have the responsibility to protect their safety. This is also the fundamental reason why we set up the safe zone. If..."
Looking at the two ministers in front of him, Zhao Teng spoke directly.
"If you promise to withdraw your troops from Tokyo, return the occupied areas to the people of Tokyo, and let the people here enjoy peace again, I promise that we will also return the safe zone to the people of Tokyo at the same time. But what about now? My conscience prevents me from making such a decision, because I cannot face the people here. After the cancellation of the safe zone, what kind of misfortune may the people living here suffer? I don't know, but I understand that they need the protection of the Ming Dynasty."
Zhao Teng never talked about any topics like interests. The reason why he set up the safe zone was for humanitarian reasons and to protect the people.
Of course, he did not deny that after setting up the safe zone, he personally obtained extremely generous returns through some operations, but... everyone is like this, okay!
The safe zone… is just business.
Destroying someone's financial resources is like killing his parents, you know?
"Mr. Consul, there is no precedent for setting up a safe zone internationally. We can promise to protect the personal safety of Ming expatriates, but the current situation must end. Tokyo is now under our control. Ming! What did Ming do in this incident?"
Bashar said with great dissatisfaction.
"Safety Zone, how can you take advantage of the collapse of the Japanese government to usurp the fruits of our victory?"
In fact, when the Ming Dynasty established a safe zone, Parkes chose to accept it because he did not think it was necessary to conflict with the Ming Dynasty.
However, according to London's instructions, the existence of the safety zone has seriously affected the interests of Britain and the United States. After all, because of the existence of the safety zone, they can't wantonly influence Japan's political situation according to their will.
Because everyone has seen that the Ming Dynasty still has influence in Tokyo. In this case, how could those people turn to Japan?
"The fruits of victory? This means you are going to annex Japan!"
Zhao Teng said directly.
"Gentlemen, I can tell you very clearly that the Ming Dynasty will never accept any country occupying Japan. After all, we have a responsibility to Japan, especially the Japanese people, that you will never understand. Just like we are protecting the people here now, it is like a father's responsibility to his children."
After saying these righteous words, Zhao Teng didn't know that just a few days later, his words would spread across Japan, and countless Japanese were deeply moved by his words.
In this special period, who can stand by Japan and protect Japan?
No!
No country would protect Japan, only one country stood up, and that was the Ming Dynasty.
They protected hundreds of thousands of Tokyo citizens with just a few dozen soldiers, and their consul resolutely chose to protect them in the face of threats from the British and American demons!
How could this not be touching?
Faced with such a straightforward answer, Parkes spoke directly.
"Japan, what does Japan have to do with you? Japan is an independent country. What responsibility do you have to bear for Japan? Japan..."
"The Ming Dynasty is Japan's parent country! Mr. Parkes, I hope you can learn about the history of East Asia."
"History is just history, it has no real meaning!"
DeLong retorted directly.
"Mr. Consul, what we are discussing now is the future of Japan. Of course, we do not rule out your reasons for getting involved, but you must understand that the current Japan should be negotiated by us together, not decided by the Ming Dynasty alone!"
In fact, before the negotiations began, they had already received instructions from home - on the issue of Japan, they could conduct some negotiations with the Ming Dynasty, while ensuring their special interests, they could also ensure the interests of their own country. This was also the fundamental reason for the trilateral talks.
In other words, they do not want to have a direct conflict with the Ming Dynasty over the issue of Japan, and they prefer to resolve the issue through negotiations.
"Some issues cannot be negotiated at all. After all..."
Just as Zhao Teng finished speaking, bursts of excited shouts suddenly came from outside.
"Great Ming class!"
"Emperor Banyu of the Ming Dynasty!"
(End of this chapter)
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