Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 188

Incidentally, we can also use this event to see whether those so-called Satsuma factions are truly willing to stand with us, or whether they are holding back and watching from the sidelines.

Lin Xinyi's words immediately changed the three men's thinking. They had never considered how to get Yamamoto to take responsibility. It wasn't that they couldn't think of this idea, but rather that they had fought too fiercely with Yamamoto before, and they rejected any idea that supported Yamamoto Gonbei.

However, Lin Xinyi pointed out that the Navy actually had no power in this matter; it only had the power to choose sides. No matter which side the Navy sided with, it would offend the other side. At this point, finding someone to take responsibility was crucial. Since Yamamoto Gonnohyōe was going to form a cabinet, this responsibility naturally had to be borne by him. He couldn't even give an ambiguous answer on this issue, because the trouble that followed would be his own.

Ito finally made a decision. He tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan and said, "I think Nobuyoshi is right. Yamamoto, the Minister of the Navy, should indeed give his position on this matter. I'll go talk to Matsuda. Kawahara, you go and discuss this issue with Minister Yamamoto."

Kawahara nodded and asked, "After Yamamoto Kaisho makes his decision, shouldn't we let Elder Matsukata hear it too? I think Shinji's words make sense. Since they want the Satsuma clan to be unified, they have to stand with us through thick and thin. They can't just swarm us when there are benefits and then treat us like strangers when things go wrong, can they?"

Ito nodded and said to Togo Masamichi, "Togo, go and speak with Elder Matsukata first. Once Yamamoto has made his decision, have him personally state his position to Elder Matsukata. It wouldn't be good if Yamamoto later accused us of plotting against him..."

Although Togo felt that they were plotting against Yamamoto Gonnohyōe, he agreed without hesitation. At this time, he had to stick to the group's decision, and he could only pretend not to care about any unease in his heart.

After dealing with this matter, Ito was clearly relieved. He had a couple of drinks with Hayashi Shin-yi and chatted about everyday things before asking Hayashi Shin-yi to go and entertain the other guests.

Togo Masamichi accompanied Lin Xinyi out of the room, then took him to visit some high-ranking naval officers to strengthen their relationship before parting ways. Only then did Lin Xinyi have time to return to Mu Zi's side and entertain her relatives, mainly Han Chinese from Satsuma.

After exchanging pleasantries with the bride's relatives, Lin Xinyi took his bride to toast his colleagues and friends. Lin Xinyi was considered a model of early marriage in the navy; most naval officers only considered marriage after reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel, as only lieutenant colonels had higher incomes and more time on land, while junior officers were almost always at sea.

This is why not many of his contemporaries attended Lin Hsin-yi's wedding, as many were unable to disembark due to their warships. However, Lin Hsin-yi's colleagues were quite numerous, with almost all the young officers from the General Staff Headquarters present, especially the 17th and 18th Marine Regiments, whose numbers were even more complete than those of the 32nd Marine Regiment.

In fact, Lin Xinyi didn't know many people from the 17th and 18th classes, but the 17th and 18th classes were all supporters of the professionalization of the navy advocated by Akiyama Saneyuki. At this wedding, a naval reform group centered around the 17th and 18th classes was officially formed. Before, they only corresponded by letter and couldn't find an opportunity to get together and discuss the path to naval professionalization, but this wedding gave them that opportunity.

Seeing Lin Xinyi getting along so well with the seniors from the 17th and 18th classes, the 32nd class students present were filled with envy. The military values ​​the relationship between superiors and subordinates and between seniors and juniors. For example, in front of the seniors from the 17th and 18th classes, they could only respectfully listen to their lessons. They could never be like Lin Xinyi, who could put his arm around the seniors' shoulders and occasionally give them a few words of advice.

Looking at Lin Xinyi's relaxed demeanor in front of his seniors, Shimada Shigetaro couldn't help but admire him and said to Shiozawa Koichi beside him, "Xinyi truly lives up to his reputation as the leader of our Akazakura Society. He doesn't seem to be following behind Akiyama-senpai at all."

Although both Shiozawa Koichi and Hayashi Nobuyoshi were from Nagano, he still harbored some resentment towards the latter at school. While Hayashi's family was poor, he was still of samurai lineage, whereas Shiozawa's family were sake merchants and landowners. Therefore, Shiozawa initially believed that Hayashi's higher status stemmed from his superior background. Even a fallen samurai family was still a samurai family, and in school and the military, they were still more valued than commoner families like theirs.

However, Shiozawa felt that he was not inferior to Hayashi Shin-yi in academics. In fact, during his school years, only Hori Teikichi could rival him for first place in academics. Of course, he also admitted that if Hayashi Shin-yi could focus all his energy on his studies, he could certainly compete for first place.

While in school, Lin Xinyi's terrifying social skills could be balanced by his academic performance. However, after graduation, Yanze realized that the distance between them and Lin Xinyi had suddenly widened. The atmosphere in school actually protected them from being left too far behind by Lin Xinyi. It was only after leaving school that Lin Xinyi truly unleashed his abilities.

Although as mid- to lower-ranking officers, they theoretically had no way of knowing what Lin Xinyi was doing overseas from higher-ups, as classmates, especially members of the Red Cherry Blossom Society, they were able to learn about what Lin Xinyi had done from the letters of several Marine Corps cadets who were with him.

Other young officers were quite suspicious of Lin Xinyi's sudden promotion to lieutenant colonel and wanted to know what remarkable things he had done in the war. However, those who learned about Lin Xinyi's trips to Tibet and India from his letters felt that his promotion to lieutenant colonel was somewhat low.

If anyone else could have accomplished what Lin Xinyi did in Tibet and India, not promoting them to general would be an unfair punishment. At least Shiozawa hasn't seen a war between Britain and an Eastern people where the stronger side was forced to admit defeat, with even a general-level commander being captured. The Boer War, strictly speaking, was a civil war among Europeans, not a battle between whites and natives.

These achievements couldn't be made public, otherwise the whole of Japan would be in an uproar. This wasn't some self-proclaimed military god by the Japanese. Although Japanese newspapers called army and navy generals "military gods," this kind of boasting was only recognized by the Japanese themselves. The international community didn't take it seriously. Even Togo Heihachiro didn't dare to call himself a naval military god in front of the British.

However, Lin Xinyi's series of victories in India were recognized by Indians, British, and Germans. If he were Indian, the Indian subcontinent would probably have long since been engulfed in the flames of a war of independence. He was a heroic figure similar to Saint Martin, someone who could leave his mark on international history. How could the Japanese not be madly in love with him?

Koichi Shiozawa looked at this scene thoughtfully and said to Shimada, "While Akiyama-senpai is unmatched in tactical research, Nobuyoshi is actually superior in strategic research. The only one who can be compared to these two is Colonel Sato, but Colonel Sato is from the 14th Marine Class, so he is ultimately a bit too far removed from everyone else."

Shimada instantly understood Shiozawa's implication. Although Sato Tetsutaro rose to fame after the war, the core force that rose to power through this war was the 17th and 18th Marine Corps trainees. Sato Tetsutaro's contemporaries did not catch up with this good era, which meant that for the 17th and 18th Marine Corps trainees, Sato was a symbol of a past era, not one of their own.

Lin Xinyi was able to stand out among the 17th and 18th batches of trainees not only because he had the support of the veterans and the Chief of the General Staff, nor because his strategic thinking was recognized by the entire navy, but mainly because he was too young. This meant that once the 32nd batch had grown up, it would be difficult for them to confront Lin Xinyi anymore, so it would be better to build a good relationship with him now.

While Shimada agreed with Shiozawa's analysis, seeing Inoue Tsunomatsu walking towards them, he quickly said, "In the end, it's all about integrity. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have earned so much respect from their seniors..."

Shiozawa was puzzled as to why Shimada was suddenly flattering Hayashi Shin'ichi, but then he saw Inoue and immediately understood. Inoue was a talkative person at school, and frankly, everyone felt that he was somewhat out of place in a disciplined group like the military. Although his insights were sometimes quite incisive, his indiscriminate talking was unbearable.

Among his peers, only Lin Xinyi could tolerate him. It was Lin Xinyi who rescued him from his troubles. Inoue talked nonsense on the warship just like he did at school, so he was targeted by his seniors. Lin Xinyi transferred him to the Naval General Staff, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him, since the Naval General Staff's status in the Navy is getting higher and higher now.

For this reason, Inoue and Toyota are the two members of the Red Sakura Society who support Hayashi Shin-yi the most. However, Toyota's loyalty to Hayashi Shin-yi is closer to the worship of power, while Inoue feels that whatever Hayashi Shin-yi does is right, so everyone should obey Hayashi's decisions regardless of whether they understand them or not.

In fact, the Red Sakura Society also held a fairly positive view of Lin Xinyi, not much better than Inoue's praise. It's just that everyone was concerned about their reputation and wouldn't say it out loud, while Inoue always insisted that what Xinyi said was correct, which was quite unpleasant.

You keep emphasizing things that everyone already knows. Doesn't that mean that in the future, when people talk about it, everyone's support for Lin Xinyi will be the result of your repeated promotion? That's a bit unbearable.

Shimada's flattery of Hayashi Shin-yi in front of Inoue clearly indicated that he didn't want Inoue to hear any other comments about Hayashi Shin-yi. Shiozawa felt the same way; he also didn't want to talk about Hayashi Shin-yi in front of Inoue, lest the guy spread rumors and make Hayashi Shin-yi resent him.

Chapter 631

When Lin Xinyi switched to his classmate group, the atmosphere among the classmates became somewhat awkward. Although he himself did not realize it, his long-standing position of authority had unconsciously given him an air of authority that brooked no questioning.

In the presence of mid-level officers like Akiyama Saneyuki, they merely felt that he was too flamboyant, but they could still withstand his imposing manner thanks to his seniority. However, in the presence of his contemporaries who had not yet grown into leaders on their own, everyone felt that Lin Xinyi was not like a peer, but more like a superior.

Although Lin Xinyi did not appear arrogant in his words, he had become increasingly calm and composed since going to China. He rarely expressed his opinions, but when he did, they were always well-founded and he would not say anything irrelevant or pointless.

This speaking habit wasn't something he carried over from his past life, but rather something he developed in this one. At the beginning of his transmigration, to avoid giving the impression that he had mental problems, he would think carefully before saying anything. Later, after meeting with Chinese revolutionaries, in order to convey to them as much as possible the revolutionary ideals and historical lessons he had learned, he would reflect on what he had said each day. When he went to China to join the expeditionary force, where the lives of hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people were in his hands, his actions became even more cautious yet decisive.

Just as a piece of refined iron, repeatedly hammered, eventually becomes a sharp sword, Lin Xinyi in this life is not merely the soul of a transmigrator, but a victor who has never suffered a mental breakdown through constant tempering. He himself may not feel this, but for his fellow Marines who lived with him, the current Lin Xinyi is indeed vastly different from the Lin Xinyi in school. They could understand the Lin Xinyi in school, but the current Lin Xinyi, like Yamamoto Kaisei, is difficult to fathom.

Inoue Tsuyomatsu was known for his talkativeness at school, and he hadn't changed much after leaving school. However, he seemed much more composed in front of Lin Xinyi now. This wasn't entirely out of gratitude or closeness, but rather because Inoue felt quite pressured in front of Lin Xinyi, and therefore dared not speak freely about things he was unsure about.

Inoue, who loves to talk nonsense, is like this, so naturally the other classmates will not be too close to Lin Xinyi. So even though they are classmates, Lin Xinyi feels like a company boss who has come to toast him. Everyone seems to be very careful, and the carefree feeling he had in school is gone.

Although Lin Xinyi noticed the change in social relationships, which created an invisible gap between himself and his peers, he did not intend to lower himself to liven up the atmosphere. This would make him lose face in front of his seniors. After all, he needed to show his composure in front of these seniors now, otherwise it would be difficult for them to accept his leadership.

So when Keiichi Domoto walked aside and nodded slightly to him, Shin-ichi Hayashi patted Inoue and Toyota on the shoulder, asking them to take good care of his fellow Marine Academy students, and then made an excuse to walk away.

Upon seeing Lin Xinyi arrive, Domoto Keiichi quietly reported to him, "Mr. Makino is waiting for you in the study in the main building, and Mr. Mishima is also there."

Lin Xinyi turned around and smiled at his colleagues, then said to Domoto, "Go and quietly invite Mr. Matsukata over, and let him come with me to meet Makino and Mishima."

Unlike the older generation of wealthy and powerful who preferred Japanese-style houses, second-generation individuals like Mishima Yataro, who had studied abroad, generally preferred Western-style living. Therefore, Mishima Yataro's house was decorated much like the study in a British aristocratic home, with bookshelves reaching from the walls to the ceiling, covering the walls with rows of books. The books on the upper shelves required a ladder to reach, and the large windows brought in plenty of natural light. Sitting by the window in the afternoon, flipping through books, one could indeed feel a very leisurely pace.

However, Mishima Yataro only liked the British aristocratic lifestyle, not actually reading. Makino Nobuaki clearly saw that the ladder next to the bookshelf was covered in dust, indicating that the master had not used it for a long time, and the servants had also been lazy and had not cleaned this thing that the master did not use.

Mishima Yataro still found it hard to understand why Makino Nobuaki chose Hayashi Nobuyoshi, a young lieutenant colonel, as his military ally. Before Hayashi Nobuyoshi arrived, he had been trying to persuade Makino that he should find a more powerful general as an ally, and he personally preferred Togo Masamichi or Saito Minoru.

After hearing Mishima's remarks, Makino realized that Mishima was completely unaware of the situation within the Navy. In order to prevent Mishima from appearing rude in the subsequent conversation, Makino did not want Hayashi Shinji to develop any negative impression of him.

After a moment's thought, Mishima finally spoke to Makino, who was sitting on the wooden sofa: "The Yamamoto faction has lost the internal struggle within the Navy. Although Saito Makoto is Yamamoto's successor, I'm afraid he won't be able to take over the position from Yamamoto. The current mainstream in the Navy is Chief of Staff Kawahara. Hayashi Nobuyoshi is Chief of Staff Kawahara's most favored junior, and he is also admired by Elders Ito and Matsukata."

Yataro Mishima, who was obsessed with power and money, was momentarily stunned by Makino's suggestion. After a long while, he still asked uncertainly, "Vice Minister Yamamoto has been in charge of the Navy for so many years and even won this great naval battle. How could he possibly lose control of the Navy? Is your information reliable?"

However, after asking the question, Mishima realized that he had said something foolish. Makino was determined to reorganize the Satsuma clan in order to clear his father Okubo's name of destroying the unity of the Satsuma clan. Therefore, he was much more informed about military matters than Mishima was, and he would not blindly believe any rumors.

He then hurriedly changed his tune and asked, "So today's wedding isn't about giving face to the Saigo family, but about this young lieutenant colonel, Lin Xinyi? What kind of background does he have that makes you all pay so much attention to him?"

Makino pondered for a few seconds before speaking, "He didn't rely on his background, but on his own abilities. The reason why Yamamoto lost control of the navy this time was because Hayashi Shin'ichi advised Kawahara."

Although Makino Nobuaki was unaware of Hayashi Shin's activities overseas, he knew that Ito's rise to power was due to Hayashi Shin's suggestion to Saigo Tsugumichi, and that Ito had become Saigo Tsugumichi's protector afterward. However, this matter involved the issue of elder statesmen and was not suitable to tell Mishima, who was too politically mediocre. Therefore, he only mentioned the role Hayashi Shin's role played in the internal struggles within the navy.

Even so, Mishima's contempt for Hayashi Shin-yi had greatly diminished. He had previously regarded Hayashi Shin-yi as someone like the adopted son-in-law of the Saigo family. Although in name, adopted sons-in-law would often become the pillars of a family, in the eyes of these second-generation members, these adopted sons-in-law were nothing more than high-class servants who worked for them to maintain their power and status.

This isn't just a superficial view held by a second-generation heir like Mishima; it's an unspoken rule within large Japanese families. For example, Toyotomi Hideyoshi lacked the confidence that comes with such a powerful family background. Even though he had already secured Hideyoshi's position as heir, he turned on him and murdered Hideyoshi's entire family when a legitimate son of even higher birth appeared. This shows that the Japanese didn't actually treat adopted sons-in-law as their real sons.

To outsiders, an adopted son-in-law is someone who finds a talented young man to inherit his family business. In reality, an adopted son-in-law uses marriage to bind a talented young man to work hard for the family, pretending that the family is his own. However, in reality, the adopted son-in-law is bound by many rules to ensure that he can only serve the family and not turn the family into his own business.

Of course, there is a different status for adopted sons-in-law, such as Makino Nobuaki, who becomes an adopted son of the Makino family to inherit their status and wealth. When a person in a position of power entrusts their son to someone else for upbringing, their purpose is to seize that person's inheritance, not to find a reliable heir for that person.

Lin Xinyi, born into a declining aristocratic family, was clearly not someone like Makino, who was considered an adopted son-in-law. This was why Mishima looked down on him. In Mishima's view, although Lin Xinyi had not officially become an adopted son-in-law of the Ichiki family, the Saigo family's purpose in adopting Kiko as their daughter was clear: to win over young and talented individuals.

Therefore, Lin Xinyi was at most an elite cultivated by the Saigo family, so there was no need to respect him too much. After all, although the Mishima family's status in the Satsuma clique was lower than that of the Saigo family, the Mishima family was part of the Okubo lineage and supported the imperial court in the Satsuma War. So there was no need to care too much about the Saigo family, let alone the Ichiki family's adopted son-in-law.

However, Lin Xinyi is not someone he can underestimate, given that he is a naval elite who can intervene in internal naval struggles and even achieve victory.

Mishima Yataro quickly changed his mindset and said to Makino, "Even if he has such outstanding talent, he is only a lieutenant commander now. If he wants to make a name for himself in the Navy, it will be at least ten years later. Can we use him now?"

Just as Makino was about to say something, he heard a knock on the door. He gestured for Mishima to be quiet, then got up and went to the door. Opening the door, Makino Nobuaki saw the person next to Hayashi Nobuyoshi and exclaimed in surprise, "Kojiro, what brings you here?"

Makino quickly turned his gaze to Lin Xinyi in front of him, his eyes filled with doubt. This was not the meeting he had envisioned, because he had not reported this meeting to Elder Matsukata. He thought Lin Xinyi would understand that this was a meeting between the younger generation of the two sides, bypassing the high-ranking military and political leaders of the Satsuma clique.

Simply put, Makino was also getting impatient with Matsukata Masayoshi's conservative stance, but he was also aware that although he was nominally Okubo's biological son and had established his position as the successor to the Okubo lineage, in reality, everyone still obeyed Matsukata Elder.

No matter how much favor Okubo Toshimichi had done for everyone in the past, now only Matsukata Masayoshi could guarantee their status and interests. Without Matsukata's political guarantee as an elder, Makino Nobuaki, even with his father Okubo's name, could not bring any political benefits to everyone. He could only extract political resources from everyone.

Therefore, although Matsukata Masayoshi declared Makino to be Okubo's successor, in reality, everyone only verbally acknowledged it. No one would be foolish enough to blindly obey Makino based on such a statement. Moreover, the true head of the Satsuma clique, the Shimazu family, was still alive. The Shimazu family had no goodwill towards the Saigo and Okubo families, who had rebelled against them. When the government forces attacked the southwestern rebels, and after the war, the samurai attacked and killed Okubo, the Shimazu family stood by and watched the spectacle.

Therefore, according to true legal principles, the Satsuma clan should actually be unified around the Shimazu clan, which is completely different from the Choshu clan. Before the Choshu clan's overthrow of the shogunate, the reformist faction had already seized control of the domain, and Mori Takachika had to relinquish power. Takasugi Shinsaku and other reformists led the Choshu domain toward the overthrow of the shogunate, while the Shimazu clan had always maintained the initiative within the domain. However, just as the overthrow of the shogunate was gaining momentum, Okubo and Saigo suddenly sided with the Choshu reformists, turning the overthrow of the shogunate into the opening of the country. The Shimazu clan head, who had contributed to the overthrow of the shogunate without any faults, was then sidelined by the samurai below.

Therefore, Makino's situation is quite difficult. If he wants to make a political impact, he will face suppression from all sides. If he just wants to coast along and wait to die, then everyone will be happy to see that happen. And what bothers Makino the most is Matsukata Masayoshi, who has been protecting him all along.

Masayoshi Matsukata certainly had a strong drive when promoting the gold standard, and this drive helped him through the most difficult times. However, looking back, it's clear that if the Qing Dynasty hadn't paid so much silver to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan's gold standard would never have been established, and the gold standard Matsukata upheld would have been his and Japan's grave.

Having narrowly escaped this calamity, Matsukata Masayoshi became much more composed after the Sino-Japanese War, losing his former drive. In Matsukata's view, after defeating Qing China, Japan's external threats had been greatly reduced. Although Russia was stronger than the Qing Dynasty, the conflict between Russia and Japan was not about who would become the hegemon of East Asia, but rather about the eagerness to establish a Yellow Russia in the East, thus creating a conflict of interest with Japan in the territorial division of East Asia.

What Japan should be doing now is properly digesting the gains of the Sino-Japanese War and further developing its national strength until it is capable of challenging Russia. Therefore, Matsukata initially opposed the war because Japan had not yet fully absorbed the spoils of the Sino-Japanese War, and its national strength was not yet sufficient to confront Russia.

Although Japan emerged victorious in this war, Matsukata's commitment to peaceful reconstruction only intensified. He was a supporter of naval disarmament proposals and the East Asian peace theory. However, for younger leaders like Makino Nobuaki, this war was a stepping stone for Japan to further its presence on the international stage.

For Makino, a second-generation overseas returnee, there was an urgent desire to use his knowledge gained abroad to correct some of the Japanese government's erroneous practices, thereby proving his abilities and restoring his family's prestige. These newly wealthy Meiji Restoration families, having lost the Okubo and Saigo brothers, were gradually being marginalized from the political center.

After all, they were not noble families who had followed the Emperor for a long time. A period of silence for one or two generations would not cause the entire family to disappear. If the newly established nobles lost power, it would be almost impossible for them to return to the center of the political stage, because the Emperor did not have much affection for the newly established nobles. He would not lend a hand to them if he saw them being marginalized.

In Makino's view, Japan's victory over Russia presented a golden opportunity for Japanese diplomacy. The British, he observed, often exploited their status as victors to secure significant advantages and strengthen themselves before the next war. While domestic development and East Asian peace were important, Makino believed a more proactive approach to diplomacy was necessary, rather than passively accepting peace.

Because of his differing political views with Matsukata, Makino wanted to meet with Lin Xinyi privately. He hadn't expected Lin to bring Matsukata's second son. However, under Makino's gaze, Lin Xinyi remained calm and composed. He simply said to Makino, who was blocking the doorway, "You should know President Matsukata, so I won't introduce you. Why don't we all go inside and talk..."

Chapter 632

Makino Nobuaki also realized that it wouldn't be good to drive Matsukata Kojiro away at this time, as that would make an enemy of him. Although Matsukata Kojiro posed no threat to him, if he went to Matsukata Genro's ear and whispered in his ear, wouldn't he have gained another enemy for no reason?

Makino stepped aside and invited the two into the room. Lin Xinyi turned around and whispered a few words to Domoto Keiichi, then took a black leather bag from him before entering the room with Matsukata Kojiro.

The four sat down in the study. Lin Xinyi glanced at the room's decor and then spoke directly to Makino Nobuaki across from him: "I just received news that Minister Terauchi submitted a request to Prime Minister Saionji this morning to retain the army's wartime structure. The army believes that the area surrounding Japan is not peaceful at present, and for the sake of national security, the army should retain the two additional divisions added during wartime and gradually increase them to 25 divisions according to defense needs."

Mishima Yataro was warmly greeting Matsukata Kojiro when he suddenly heard this bombshell news, and he was momentarily stunned into silence. Although Mishima was close to Makino, it was because he believed that Makino would eventually replace Matsukata as the leader of their faction, not because he opposed Matsukata. Therefore, Matsukata Kojiro's presence here made him even more nervous than Makino.

To avoid Matsukata Kojiro perceiving him and Makino as forming a clique to avoid the Matsukata elders, Mishima was unusually warm towards them. He wasn't usually this affectionate towards Kojiro, after all, the heir to the Matsukata family was the eldest son, Matsukata Iwao. But now, Hayashi Shinji suddenly dropped such a bombshell, leaving Mishima completely bewildered and unsure of what to do.

Makino, who had been trying to make a name for himself in politics, immediately understood the change in the situation behind this news. At that moment, he temporarily forgot about Matsukata Kojiro's question and blurted out to Hayashi Shin'ichi, "So it seems that this cabinet may fall?"

Lin Xinyi replied calmly, "If Prime Minister Saionji does not request His Majesty to reprimand the Minister of the Imperial Household, then he will probably have no choice but to resign."

Makino remained silent, but Mishima, still puzzled, continued, "Couldn't Prime Minister Saionji compromise with the army?"

Lin Xinyi smiled at him and said, "The Navy will not accept such a compromise. The Navy supports the Saionji Cabinet, but not without principle. Anyone in power can compromise with the Army; why must His Excellency Saionji be in that position?"

Mishima wanted to refute the other party, but after thinking about it, he couldn't come up with any reason to refute it. Because what Lin Xinyi said was right. If the prime minister chooses to compromise with the pressure from powerful people, then anyone can really take the position of prime minister. Since anyone can sit in that position, why doesn't the navy put an obedient one in it?

Makino quickly regained his composure. Although he had previously felt that the Saionji cabinet would not last long, after all, Saionji Kinmochi was only put in power by the military to clean up the mess left by the army. If the military had not been unable to gain public acceptance of a peace agreement without reparations, it would not have asked the Seiyukai to form a cabinet. When the military launched the war, it promised the people too many impossible benefits of defeating Russia.

Now that peace has been achieved in East Asia, the Saionji Cabinet is no longer of any use to the military. Moreover, because of the signing of the peace agreement, some radical citizens are extremely dissatisfied with the Saionji Cabinet. Dissolving the Saionji Cabinet and allowing the military to come to power may actually gain some support from the public.

The only thing Makino hadn't expected was that the military would be so impatient, not even giving Saionji Kinmochi a chance to step down gracefully, and directly throwing the plan to retain the wartime divisions in Saionji's face. When the Saionji cabinet signed the peace agreement, it used the excuse of maintaining peace in East Asia and focusing on domestic construction.

If Prime Minister Saionji accepts the army's plan to retain wartime divisions, he is undoubtedly deceiving foreign friends and the people. This means that the government has no intention of maintaining peace in East Asia at all, but is just using this as an excuse to sign a peace agreement. And before the ink on the agreement is even dry, the government intends to retain the wartime formations. Is this not preparation for war, but to protect the Japanese archipelago from Korean attacks?

Therefore, the army's proposed expansion plan is a direct slap in the face to Prime Minister Saionji. If he accepts it, his political credibility will be ruined. The navy, on the other hand, will only feel betrayed by the government and won't see the army's expansion as beneficial to strengthening the military. After all, the navy's proposed downsizing is linked to the construction of heavy industrial centers; expanding the army's size is tantamount to demanding budget cuts for the heavy industrial center construction plan—it's a chain reaction.

This made Makino realize that it was indeed the right thing for him to contact Hayashi Shin-yi. If it weren't for today's meeting, even if he knew the news, he would be powerless to change the situation after the fall of the Saionji Cabinet, because he was not qualified to influence the organization of the next government.

But now, he felt that he could do something, as long as the Navy could provide reliable information. After all, no matter how you look at it, the Navy was the most promising candidate to succeed Saionji in forming the cabinet.

Makino then asked Hayashi Shinichi, "So what is the Navy's view on this matter?"

Lin Xinyi glanced at the three people present before slowly saying, "The Navy has decided to support Yamamoto Kaito's opinion on this matter."

While the others remained relatively calm, Makino was genuinely surprised. He inquired about the Navy's opinion, but in reality, he wanted to ask Hayashi Shinji what Ito and Kawahara thought. He didn't believe the Navy could reach an agreement so quickly, especially since Yamamoto Kaisho's absence from the wedding today indicated his dissatisfaction with Ito and Kawahara's side.

Most of the guests attending the wedding today are here to curry favor with Elder Ito and Commander-in-Chief Kawahara, especially the current naval officers. Their presence today is tantamount to them choosing between Commander-in-Chief Kawahara and Minister of the Navy Yamamoto. As a member of the Satsuma clique, Makino is naturally familiar with this kind of factional antagonism within the navy.

Not to mention the Navy, the Satsuma clique outside the military also has many factional struggles. Even the seemingly united Okubo clique has its own internal struggles between the Matsukata faction and the younger generation. However, despite their open opposition, the Navy can still quickly reach a consensus on such issues, which makes Makino very suspicious.

He had to cautiously inquire, "You mean, Yamamoto Kaisho already received advance notice? Elder Ito and Chief of Staff Kawahara intend to support Yamamoto Kaisho's proposal? What is Kaisho's proposal?"

Lin Xinyi shook his head and said, "Minister Yamamoto probably doesn't know about this matter yet, so naturally I don't know his position. However, Elder Ito and Chief of Staff Kawahara have reached a consensus that the Navy should maintain a unified stance on this matter. As the Navy's political representative, Minister Yamamoto's position is the Navy's position. I believe that Minister Yamamoto will not reject Elder Ito and Chief of Staff Kawahara's decision."

Makino was speechless. Lin Xinyi's words were absolutely right. However, in practice, it was very difficult for a small group to obey the overall situation. After all, everyone would put the interests of their small group first, and then consider changes in the overall situation.

Lin Xinyi did not intend to continue the conversation with Mu Ye on this topic. He opened the leather bag beside him, took out a document, and placed it on the coffee table between the four of them.

"The issue between the Army and the Cabinet is still unresolved, and I don't think we need to speculate about it here. I received Mr. Makino's invitation today, and I also happen to have some things I'd like to discuss with you, so I've come to the meeting with President Matsukata."

What we want to discuss with you is that the Navy has a preliminary idea for the construction of a heavy industrial center. Centered on the Kawasaki Shipyard and Yokosuka Repair Shop, it plans to attract other capital to build ports, level land, and construct steel mills, power plants, and oil refineries along the coast of Chiba and Ichihara towns in Chiba Prefecture.

As soon as Lin Xinyi pointed out the location for the heavy industry center, Mishima couldn't help but ask, "Wasn't it said that it would be more convenient to get around the Edogawa and Ebikawa rivers?"

Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo are separated by the Edogawa River, and many people have tried to place the heavy industry center near Edogawa, which is closer to Tokyo. On the one hand, there is a fishing port here, and the infrastructure is much better than that of Chiba Port to the south; on the other hand, the Sobu Main Line, which connects to Ryogokubashi, passes through Tsudanuma near Funabashi, and Narashino, near Tsudanuma, is a training ground for the army cavalry and has a large area of ​​flat land.

Strictly speaking, this consideration in selecting locations for heavy industrial centers hasn't escaped the idea that Japanese steel mills should primarily serve Japan's needs. Tokyo, as the largest city in the Kanto region, naturally requires a large amount of steel; therefore, the closer to Tokyo, the lower the transportation costs for steel. This is the idea of ​​production bases located near markets, and it's also a popular industrial center development concept in Europe today.

Lin Xinyi was well aware that many savvy individuals had rushed to buy land near Funabashi, hoping to profit from the site selection results. However, he didn't intend to let these people cash in their speculative gains so quickly. Building factories in Funabashi and other locations wasn't out of the question, but not now. If these speculators were to cash in their stockpiled land now, their support for Chiba Prefecture's heavy industry center would be less enthusiastic.

He didn't know if Mishima was involved, but he still said slowly, "Funabashi and similar places are indeed suitable for building factories, but this is a traditional fishing and agricultural area. Building a heavily polluting steel plant here will definitely provoke dissatisfaction among the local residents. In addition, with the army's cavalry training camp in Narashino, the army probably won't be happy to see its territory occupied by a heavy industrial center."

Chiba Town and Ichihara Town are different. Although they are fishing areas, the fishing industry is not well-developed because they are too far from the fish market in Tsukiji, Tokyo. While the inland agriculture has the convenience of supplying agricultural products to the Tokyo area thanks to the Sobu Main Line, the inland agriculture in the northeastern Tokyo area is in fierce competition with agricultural products from Chiba Prefecture through the Tohoku Main Line. For the agriculture in the inland areas of Chiba Prefecture, the benefits brought by the railway are not many.

Therefore, we believe that placing the heavy industry center in the coastal area between Chiba Town and Ichihara Town can, on the one hand, effectively utilize the continental shelf of the coast for land reclamation, avoiding the encroachment on farmland and thus circumventing the opposition of many farmers and fishermen; on the other hand, the land price in this area is lower, and the completed heavy industry center can consume a large amount of agricultural products from the interior and local fish, thereby benefiting local farmers and fishermen and quelling their dissatisfaction with the occupation of their land.

In addition, Kawasaki Shipyard, in cooperation with several banks, has already acquired a considerable amount of land in the area. Choosing this location to build a heavy industrial center will save us a lot of trouble.

Mishima Yataro finally realized that the rumors about building the heavy industry center near Funabashi were probably deliberately spread by Kawasaki Shipbuilding to monopolize the profits. Everyone was still figuring out how to divide the spoils, but the chef had already taken the whole meal away.

He immediately became somewhat displeased and said in a somber tone, "Since Kawasaki Shipyard and the Navy have already made their plans, why are they still consulting us?"