Expedition to Europe

With the signing of the armistice agreement, the war ended.

But it is obvious that not all Japanese recognize the "Coconut City Treaty". Many people think that this is an injustice against Japan by the whole world. They are unwilling to admit defeat and unwilling to lay down their arms.

For these soldiers who tried to resist stubbornly, Lan Fang did not launch an attack, because according to the provisions of the "Coconut City Treaty", the Japanese had ten days to withdraw soldiers stationed in overseas territories back to the country, so even if they wanted to attack, they had to wait ten days before launching.

On the fifth day after the signing of the "Coconut City Treaty", Hara Takashi and Tanaka Yoshiichi still took the US warship back to Tokyo. At the moment of landing, Hara Takashi walked to the gangway and hesitated a little.

When Hara Takashi and Tanaka Yoshiichi left, Lan Fang had not yet bombed Tokyo, so Tokyo was still calm.

But when Hara Takashi and Tanaka Giichi returned to Tokyo, the familiar port buildings had disappeared, and all they could see were the ruins that had been burned to ruins. Among those ruins, some people were looking for property and trying to recover their losses, while others were wandering around like zombies. More people were standing or sitting with dull eyes, looking into the distance without any focus.

Right on the dock, there were long, endless bodies covered with white cloth. It can be seen that the bodies farther away from the dock were all wrapped in white cloth. Later, it was estimated that there was not enough white cloth, so wrapping was changed to covering. Later, it was estimated that the white cloth was used up, and sheets, straw mats, and even a piece of rubble became shrouds to cover the bodies.

Although Hara Takashi was the Prime Minister of Japan, although Tanaka Giichi was the Minister of the Japanese Army, and although Hara Takashi had sent a telegram to the country when he boarded the ship, indicating that he would be back today.

But it was obvious that no one was preparing to welcome him on the dock, and naturally there was no need to think about flowers and colorful banners. It was just so silent and indifferent.

"Mr. Prime Minister, it's time to get off the ship..." Tanaka Giichi could feel the sadness in Hara Takashi's heart, but Tanaka Giichi was a soldier after all, and he could recover from the grief faster.

"I wonder what the scene was like when Ito returned from the Qing Empire more than 20 years ago..." Hara Takashi muttered to himself.

"The negotiations were held in Shimonoseki at that time. Ito did not go to the Qing Empire. Instead, the army that was fighting abroad at that time returned and received cheers from the whole of Tokyo here. Although 24 years have passed, the scene of that day is still vivid in my mind and I have never forgotten it." Tanaka Giichi's face showed a nostalgic look.

"Did you participate in that war?" Hara Takashi was curious.

"Yes, I was in the 1st Division at that time. Although the 1st Division did not participate in the war, my plan was appreciated by the Army Department, so I was able to enter the Republic of China with the team." Tanaka Giichi had a proud look on his face.

"Have you met Li Hongzhang?" Hara Takashi had a yearning look on his face.

Hara Takashi was the first civilian prime minister of Japan. Hara Takashi had been a diplomat, editor-in-chief of a newspaper, minister of post and telecommunications, general manager of a bank, and of course prime minister, but he had no military experience.

"No, I was just a staff officer at the time and had no chance to meet Li Hongzhang, but I have read many reports at the time. I was just an ordinary old man." Tanaka Yoshiichi felt a little regretful.

"Haha, I don't know what kind of mood Li Hongzhang was in when he left Tokyo." Hara Takashi had a complicated expression.

"Mr. Prime Minister, this is not your fault alone, and you don't need to take responsibility alone." Tanaka Yoshiichi tried to comfort Hara Takashi.

"Even if I don't need to take responsibility alone, at least I should take the biggest part." Hara Takashi did not intend to escape.

After saying this, Hara Takashi stepped onto the gangway, ready to face it all.

At this time, there were only a few lonely warships in Tokyo Harbor, and most of the superstructures had been blackened. Only the American warship that Hara Takashi and Tanaka Yoshiichi were on looked relatively new, which was indeed quite conspicuous.

When Hara Takashi stepped onto the Tokyo dock, many people recognized him, but unlike the cheers and admiration in the past, the people present today had a complicated expression when they saw Hara Takashi.

The Coconut City Treaty was indeed too harsh for Japan, so harsh that the Japanese could not believe it was true.

Once upon a time, Japan, as a newly rising country, could force its elder brother, who had been in power for thousands of years, to bow down and admit defeat. Once upon a time, Japan could beat Russia, known as the "European Gendarmerie", into submission. That was the first victory of an Asian country against European powers.

But what happened now?

Facing a country established by the Chinese for less than a year, Japan was defeated. Not only was the powerful fleet that had been accumulated for decades sunk, but the army that the people of the country saved money to support was retreating step by step. Lan Fang also massacred the heart of Japan. Is this still Japan? What happened to Japan?

In these few days, almost all Japanese people have been asking themselves this question.

So you can imagine how complicated the feelings of Tokyo citizens would be when they faced Hara Takashi, the culprit who signed the "Coconut City Contract".

"Pop!" An object suddenly fell not far from Hara Takashi.

Hara Takashi looked closely and saw that it was a wakizashi.

The man who threw the wakizashi at Hara Takashi was a young man who looked only about 20 years old.

"Baga!" Hara Takashi's guards immediately rushed over and wanted to catch the young man and punish him.

"Don't hurt him..." Hara Takashi stopped him, walked tremblingly to the wakizashi, and bent down to pick it up.

"I should have apologized to the Emperor that day. If I had, I wouldn't have to endure such insults anymore." Hara Takashi smiled bitterly at Tanaka Yoshiichi.

"Prime Minister, please take care of yourself. Japan is in great danger now and Japan needs you." Tanaka Yoshiichi bowed.

Tanaka Yoshiichi experienced all the processes of this trip to Lanfang and of course understood how much effort Hara Takashi had made for the country.

Perhaps Hara Takashi's trip to Lanfang did not achieve the goal, but it cannot be said that Hara Takashi did not make any efforts. Facing the aggressive Lanfang people, Hara Takashi had argued with reason, tried every means to form alliances, and even begged bitterly.

God's death is not the fault of war.

"Yes, Japan needs the efforts of all of us. Especially at this moment, we must be stronger. In a period of sixty years, we have built a strong Japan from nothing. As long as we are given another sixty years, we can also build a strong Japan. Gentlemen, work hard!" The last sentence was said by Hara Takashi to Tanaka Giichi and all the attendants.

"Hai..." Hara Takashi's attendants bowed 90 degrees and paid their greatest respect to Hara Takashi.

"Please keep it for me. When I go back, I will hang it on the wall so that I can see it every day. Then I will not forget the shame of today." Hara Takashi handed the wakizashi to an attendant beside him: "Let's go. Even if there is no carriage, we must continue to move forward."

The attendant quietly put it away and followed Hara Takashi forward.

Entering the city of Tokyo, what we saw and heard was even more miserable. This was the area that suffered the most losses on the day of the Lanfang bombing. There were probably dozens of blocks that were completely destroyed. Due to the efforts of the fire brigade, the ground was still muddy, but in this muddy ruins, there were still countless people with tears on their faces searching the ruins.

They might be looking for today's rations, or looking for lost relatives, or... looking for hope to survive.

The Japanese are indeed a nation with strong endurance. Even if they suffer from a disaster and their families are destroyed, few Japanese people fall into collapse.

The original text is available at Liu # 9 @Shu/Bar!

As Hara Takashi walked along, not everyone threw knives at him and wanted him to commit suicide. Some people bowed to him silently, and more people continued to work as if they had not seen him.

At the door of a ruin, Hara Takashi saw a lonely child.

The child's face was covered with black ash, and the tear marks on his face could be clearly seen. He must have been crying these days. The child was ragged and it was obvious that the clothes on his body did not fit him well. His lips were cracked and peeled. It could be seen that the child had been hungry these days. Even though he was already weak and staggering, the child was stubborn and refused to find food. He just held a wooden top tightly in his hand.

Perhaps this top was the only thing left to him by his father or brother.

"Are all government agencies paralyzed?" When seeing the miserable state of the child, Hara Takashi was really furious.

In the 1920s, Japan actually had relatively complete government agencies. Japan is a country with many earthquakes, so the emergency agencies of government departments have always been quite complete. Whenever a disaster occurs, the emergency agencies will always respond in time.

No one answered Hara Takashi's question, including the little boy in front of Hara Takashi, who just raised his head and looked at Hara Takashi indifferently, and then buried his head deeply.

It was this one glance that deeply hurt Hara Takashi's heart.

"Mr. Prime Minister, what you know is only part of this disaster, or a small part. You know, most of Tokyo is like this now, and the emergency agencies have not taken care of this place yet." A voice suddenly answered Hara Takashi.

Hara Takashi looked over and saw a policeman in uniform. The policeman was holding a ceramic bowl with a little crack in his hand, and there was a little porridge in it.

The policeman came to the child and handed the porridge in the bowl to the child, and the child immediately gobbled it up.

Hara Takashi admired the behavior of the policeman very much, so he said in a friendly manner: "What's your name, where are your colleagues?"

"I am Nakaoka Genichi, my colleagues... have all died, fighting the fire that day." Nakaoka Genichi showed grief.

"Really, where are your family members? Are they okay?" Hara Takashi took two steps forward and came to Nakaoka Genichi.

"Not very good, they are all dead, and now there is only me left. I am actually a policeman in Shinjuku." Nakaoka Genichi showed sadness.

"Shinjuku, why are you here?" Hara Takashi asked casually.

Shinjuku is quite far from the port area. If you walk, it will take a lot of effort.

"Waiting for you..." Nakaoka Genichi just finished speaking, and suddenly a knife stabbed into Hara Takashi's chest.

Hara Takashi was stunned, and before he raised his hand, Nakaoka Genichi quickly pulled out the knife and stabbed it again.

"You sinner, why don't you die? Why don't you apologize..." Nakaoka Genichi shouted wildly.

"Stop it..."

"Prime Minister..."

"Baga..."

The scene was in chaos.