Oriental Hotel.

Nobuzu Goto stood in front of the mirror, looking at his face in the mirror, and remembered a Chinese idiom - like a loss of his parents.

There were still faint tears on that face. Yes, Nobuzuo Goto cried. From yesterday afternoon to now, he had no food or talk, and he just cried silently in this room.

Okubo's big mouth was indeed an accident, but it was also under the plan. The original plan of the Restoration Press was to create a diplomatic incident, understand the attitude of the empire towards Japan through media such as newspapers and test the imperial center's judgment on Japan. Okubo's incident made the plan smoothly implemented, but the result was that Goto Nobutsu could not accept it.

Originally, I just wanted to know how much room for Japan to rise, but a series of newspapers announced a cruel future to a large number of members of the Reform Commission, including Goto Nobuzuka, a large number of members of the Reform Commission - Japan will never rise and will never be able to get rid of Chinese control.

For a moment, Goto Nobuzuna felt that the whole future was dim.

Although the Goto family rose because of its submission to the empire, since his father Akino Goto, he strictly ordered the children in the family not to learn three guns, and to realize that they are Japanese and take the rise and fall of Japan as their responsibility. Even though he studied the empire for ten years, Goto Nobunaga sought to learn from the advanced country of ** and cleanse Japan's backwardness. But now, the cruel facts are in front of him.

"Your Highness Goto, Your Highness Goto." With a rapid knock on the door, Okubo Takasuke's voice came. Unlike Nobuzuo Goto's depression, Okubo Takasuke was in a good mood.

He was the head of the mission and the head of the foreign side of the shogunate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). His original goal was to normalize the relationship between the shogunate and China. Now this goal has been achieved. The empire has agreed to restart the embassy in Edo that was closed after the Japanese civil war. In recent days, accompanied by imperial diplomats, he visited the steel mills and machinery factories around Shinkyo, and formulated a coal mine to go north to Liaoning and Hebei to visit the imperial mechanized mining.

This was also an unexpected surprise for the cooperation between the two sides. The shogunate wanted to strike while the iron was hot, purchase a batch of equipment in the empire, and establish an official coal mine and steel plant in Japan.

Goto Nobuzuna did not want to pay attention and didn't say anything. When Okubo Takasuke heard no one responded, he had already started to discuss with the samurai around him if something was wrong inside. When he was about to kick the door, Goto Nobuzuna opened the door.

"I heard that His Highness Goto hasn't eaten for a day and a night?" asked Takasuke Okubo.

Goto Nobuzuka just responded to the fact that he had nothing to do and was about to close the door. Okubo Takatsuki directly stuck his hand between the door. He ordered his subordinates to retreat and squeezed into the room alone.

"Your Highness Okubo, what are you doing?" Goto Nobuzu was puzzled.

Okubo Takatsuki gently pushed Goto Nobuzuki and sat on the wooden floor. He knelt respectfully in front of Goto Nobuzuki, holding his knees with both hands, and solemnly said: "Your Highness Goto, I apologize for your rudeness to you at Mida Fukaku on March 12th. What you said is the fault of Takatsuki."

"This... has been a long time, and I have forgotten it." Nobutsu Goto said in surprise.

That happened half a year ago. At that time, the Tokugawa shogunate was preparing to form a delegation to empire. Because Goto Nobuzuka studied in China for many years, he called to Edo. In fact, he had participated in the Reform Club and was a secret core member of it, so he went to visit another member, Fumio Kido. The Mida Yoshikaku was founded by Fumio Kido and used to teach Chinese studies.

Okubo Takatsuki also happened to visit Mida charity school and invited Kido Fumio to join the mission. During the charity school, the two had an argument.

The reason for the quarrel is very simple. Goto Nobuzuo belongs to the founding faction, while Okubo Takasuo belongs to the expelling faction. Goto Nobuzuo pursues Japan's wider opening up and learning new technologies and new ideas from China and the West. However, Okubo Takasuo and others believe that it was China's invasion and the arrival of Western merchants that caused the Japanese to lose morality and pursue money all day long. The founding faction is the Japanese thief, which is the tyrant of Japan, which is the tyrant of Japan.

It would be fine if it was just a quarrel, but there was a conflict between the two sides. This was actually nothing. The expulsion of the barbarians was more extreme, and even assassination and attacks occurred.

This time, China and his delegation also shocked Okubo Takasuo. He gradually realized that self-confidence would eventually destroy Japan, either annexed like North Korea or a complete colony. Although his understanding still did not improve much, he has confirmed that advanced technology must be learned.

"Please forgive me, please." Takasuke Okubo said.

"I have completely committed the conflict between you and me that day, and I will not take it seriously. I will do my best to do what the general has entrusted."

Okubo Takatsuki looked happy. He had discussed practical issues such as introducing technology with Chinese diplomats these days, and he needed insightful and related people like Goto Nobusuka.

"Your Highness Okubo, have you read the newspapers in the past few days?" Goto Nobutsu asked on his own initiative, and Takasuke Okubo nodded in response, and Goto Nobutsu asked, "How should Your Highness Okubo judge?"

"What the newspaper said is a major event of the rise and fall of the country. It will be decided by the general. I only need to collect these for this trip and send them to Edo." said Okubo Takatsuki.

Nobuzuo Goto was a little disappointed. Okubo Takatsuki, who was born in a traditional samurai, still did not get rid of the idea of ​​being the only one. He was foolish and blindly followed. He whispered: "Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world."

"What did you say?" Okubo didn't hear these words clearly.

Goto Nobuzu smiled: "Nothing."

"Then please rest with Your Highness Goto. Please set off with me tomorrow." Okubo Takasuke informed him of tomorrow's plan and stood up and left.

"How can I rely solely on new technologies? Ideological liberation is the inevitability of rise." Fumio Kido walked into Nobuzuo Goto and said leisurely. Obviously, just now, Takatsuki Okubo also went to find him.

"Mr. Kido, this is why you devote all your body and mind to education." Nobusuto Goto asked Fumio Kido to sit down and said with emotion.

Fumiso Kido nodded: "Even if there are geniuses in this world, they cannot bear the rise and fall of a nation. If Japan wants to unify and rise, it must have thousands of talents. I am just a seed, and I hope it can bear countless fruits."

Nobuzuna Goto is different from Fumiso Kido. He has a firm belief. He believes that he was born to rise for the Yamato nation. But now he is at a loss. He raised his head and looked at Fumiso Kido: "Mr. Kido, do you think we really have a chance?"

"Just like the π you introduced that day, opportunities are also unlimited." Fumio Kido answered.

Nobusuto Goto: "Then, please answer me, what should I do, what is the future of Japan?"

Fumiso Kido sat cross-legged across from Nobusuto Goto, pointed to the newspapers all over the table and said, "Child, this is the crystallization of the wisdom of the elite class of the empire. I am a humble teacher. Where can I surpass them? How can I know where Japan's future is?"

"So you feel hopeless, too."

Fumiso Kido shook his head: "No, no, because of this, I feel more hopeful."

“How to say it?”

Fumio Kido continued: "Decades ago, with the wisdom of China's billions of dollars in benefiting the people, how can we know the path of the empire today? Human beings always conceive the future based on reality and the known. Our reality and our knowledge tell us that Japan has no future. But ten years later, twenty years later, can the known and reality that appeared during this period overturn the current concept? If not, what about thirty years later, what about fifty years later?

Today, there are only more than a thousand members of our Restoration Club, and the wisdom we have obtained has already sought a unified and independent space for our Japan. Twenty years later, fifty years later, with Japan's opening up and learning, we will have more than one hundred million people. At that time, who can say that their common wisdom cannot find a path to rise?"

Goto Nobuzuna was stunned when he heard this. Fumiso Kido handed him a glass of water and said, "Nobuzuno, one generation does the work of one generation, and you and me are two generations. It would be very rare if you and I can win independence and unity for Japan. As for Japan's rise and stand at the top of the world, please leave it to future generations."

Nobusuto Goto felt that a big stone pressing on his heart had fallen to the ground. Yes, just unifying Japan is such a great cause. It is something that cannot be done in his entire life. Why should I worry about the things that have been unifying?

"Then what are we going to do now and assist the shogunate?" asked Goto Nobutsu.

Fumio Kido nodded, and Goto Nobuzuka said: "The shogunate is old and self-confidenced. How can I make the future of Japan for my future?"

"No, we are just assisting the shogunate, not supporting the shogunate. What the shogunate is now seeking is to 'take the rule of the martial family as the foundation and supplement it with China's strong technology'. We help the shogunate, even if the strength of the shogunate will be improved, the shogunate will also establish the country and accept new ideas. You have also seen today that a pedantic person like Okubo Takasuo, who only stayed in China for a few days, had his ideas changed. This time, the shogunate founded, will more and more people be cleansed from their thoughts, and then there will be only more people standing on our side." Fumito Kido explained seriously.

Nobusuo Goto said: "I really hope more people come to China for a walk and take a look."

Fumiyo Kido was also helpless: "This time the shogunate also founded the country. My Yamato nation opened its eyes to the world and eventually found a path that suits you."

The helplessness of the two is related to the current situation of the Reform Commission. The Reform Commission is a loose organization with no clear leadership because the common interests of the Reform Commission are only against the shogunate and the samurai class. It is divided into multiple factions.

Among them, extreme nationalists advocate expelling all foreigners in Japan and eliminating all privileged classes.

Even some moderate and rational factions are divided into two factions, the Gongwu faction combined, advocating the merger of the Kyoto court and the Edo shogunate. Most of these people are enlightened people from samurai.

The other faction is the Omatsu Retro Sect. In essence, Goto Nobuzuka and Kido Fumio are both this faction, hoping to overthrow the shogunate and establish a new court represented by the Emperor.

Because it belongs to the retro school of the Omatsu, Goto and Kido cannot act publicly, so this faction has far less influence in Japan than the former. The two are different. The older Kido Fumio advocates that new ideas should be introduced now and that it should be slowly planned. The young Goto Nobutsu believed that only by using violence to seize power was the only way out. Armed downfall should be initiated, unite the forces of various factions and even the Daimai, and destroy the shogunate first. As long as the Tokugawa shogunate fails, the only legal representative of Japan is the Emperor.

However, when he came to the empire again, Goto Nobuzuna's thoughts also changed. He still insisted on arming the downward sect, but he also understood that the timing was not decided by Japan itself. Whether the downward sect can succeed depends on whether the empire accepts it.

In this way, Goto Nobuzuka's philosophy must also choose to be patient, which is more in line with Kido Fumio's plan.

"Just just now, Longsheng came and invited me to travel with him tomorrow to discuss the issue of introducing Chinese technology and machinery in the shogunate official factory. Mr. Kido, can you teach me what to introduce and what not to introduce?" Goto Nobutsu asked on his own initiative.

Fumio Kido said: "Nothing can't be done."

"Why?" Goto Nobuzuo was puzzled. As a representative of the armed anti-shog faction, he was wary of any move that could enhance the strength of the shogunate.

Fumito Kido said: "We may not worry about whether it is possible or not. Now that the power of the shogunate has been restored, China is also vigilant, so naturally it will not fully relax. In the second case, I personally do not have any hope for the official factories of the shogunate. This has been proved by China."

As he said that, Fumiso Kido returned to his room and took out a clip. It was covered with newspaper clippings, which were posted very neatly. The cover said the word "economic breeding" was written on it. It was obviously a category that Fumiso Kido was made. Fumiso Kido held some snacks in his other hand, so that Nobuzuo Goto, who had not eaten for a day and night, had to wait until he finished eating before he could read the newspaper clippings.

This newspaper clipping is a category of economics, and all content is about state-owned enterprises and private enterprises.

In recent years, the empire has been promoting the nationalization of land and has made considerable progress. However, in industry and commerce, nationalization not only did not make progress, but retreated. By the 33rd year of the empire, there were no decent state-owned commercial companies, and they were only in an advantageous position in industry and mining. However, one thing is certain, the profit margin of state-owned industrial and mining is far lower than that of private enterprises, and it is even less vague in terms of technological innovation and progress.

Obviously, this is a problem for all state-owned enterprises, but the empire has only dealt with a group of inefficient and not threatening national security, but has also begun to pilot public-private joint ventures, state-owned private ventures and other methods.

"China has a long history of state-owned enterprises, which was found in the pre-Imperial era. Even so, the problem of low efficiency and low profits has not been solved. The same is true for the shogunate. At least the managers of Chinese state-owned enterprises have learned professional knowledge such as economy, accounting, and management. As for the shogunate, they set up a steel factory and would definitely let the samurai manage it. Such factories are destined to be inefficient and low profits, and it is not impossible to lose money. They cannot stop China's high-quality and low-priced goods." Fumito Kido said.

"The shogunate can also try public-private joint ventures, state-owned private ventures and other methods."
Chapter completed!