Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 19

Lin Xinyi glanced at the new students around him, thinking that if these people could survive until after the war, they would probably all end up in Sugamo Prison. He would never go to such a place. He calmly said, "The Japanese Navy is far inferior to Europe and America in terms of equipment. If people like us have lost our faith, then it's better not to join such a navy."

Upon hearing this, most of the freshmen looked at Lin Xinyi with admiration, but some dissenting voices emerged: "What's the use of such boasting? Anyone who reads the newspapers knows that the British have enough battleships to fill Tokyo Bay, and yet they still build new ships every year. To be enemies with such a navy, isn't that something only a fool would do?"

Lin Xinyi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a boy lying on the bed flipping through a book, mocking him dismissively. Inoue Tsunetatsu, who was next to him, immediately whispered in his ear, "Hori Teikichi from Kizuki Junior High School in Oita Prefecture entered the school in third place."

Lin Xinyi glanced at Hori Teikichi, who was only one bed away from him, and had no intention of arguing with such a young upstart. He smiled and said, "Yes, of course, boasting won't sink the British Navy. But a navy without ambition, even with stronger warships, will still be defeated by weaker enemies, like the Qing Dynasty's Beiyang Fleet."

Before Hori Teikichi could refute him, Hayashi Shinichi turned to the freshmen around him and said, "So many things have happened today, you must all be very tired. Take a shower and rest. As for how the school will punish us, I have already made it clear to the principal that this was entirely my doing and that there were no other comrades involved. You can rest assured and get some rest."

Hearing Lin Xinyi say this, the freshmen around him breathed a sigh of relief. The reason they gathered around to get to know Lin Xinyi was to find out what he had said to the school when he was called away alone. After all, they had genuinely wanted to apply to the Navy and that's why they came in, not like Lin Xinyi who was forcibly dragged in.

On December 14th, five days after Hayashi Shin-yi was sent to Etajima, the graduation ceremony for the 28th class of the Marine Corps began. Saigo Tsugumichi represented the Emperor at the graduation ceremony, and the presence of the Fleet Admiral put both the school administration and the graduating class of 28 on high alert.

Lin Xinyi was seated near the west entrance of the auditorium. As a result, every senior student who came in from the entrance would ask, "Is that Lin Xinyi?" After being asked this question repeatedly, Lin Xinyi finally took a piece of paper, wrote "Lin Xinyi is here," and then stuck it next to his seat.

Naturally, Lin Xinyi was dragged out by the class teacher, who was also the squad leader, Captain Yamada, and made to stand against the wall, with a piece of white paper stuck to his chest. The older students who saw this didn't ask any more questions, but they all laughed at the sight of Lin Xinyi being punished.

As Nagano Osami walked into the auditorium with Hatano Sadao, he couldn't help but smile at the scene. He said to Hatano Sadao beside him, "So this is what the kid looks like. He's definitely not one to stay put."

So nervously reciting his speech, Sadao Hatano didn't care what Shin-Yi Hayashi looked like. He was only concerned about not forgetting his lines when he gave the speech on behalf of the 105 graduates of the 28th class.

Saigo Tsurumi, sitting below the platform, naturally saw the commotion, but he didn't say anything, though a slight smile appeared on his lips. Kawahara and Togo, sitting next to him, were initially annoyed that someone had messed up at this occasion, but since Saigo didn't speak up, they naturally wouldn't step in.

The completion of the graduation ceremony meant that the 29th class had become three-year students, while the 32nd class had officially become one-year students. As the first, second, and third-year students in the auditorium stood up and applauded their older brothers' graduation, Lin Xinyi felt like a truly lonely oddball. He wondered if he would be assimilated into a Showa-era demon if he followed the conventional education method of the Naval Academy.

While other cadets enjoyed the graduation celebrations, the Japanese Naval Academy, which had perfectly imitated the British system, organized a buffet on the parade ground, allowing the students a rare moment of relaxation. In terms of living conditions, the Naval Academy was indeed no different from a luxury hotel; it seems the Yamato Hotel was merely a naval tradition.

Lin Xinyi was taken to the principal's office once again, but this time Kawahara was also kicked out of his office, and the conversation remained one-on-one. Lin Xinyi felt more relaxed facing Saigo Tsurudo.

Saigo, sitting opposite him, spoke up: "I heard you wanted to see me? Now I'm here. You can say whatever you want to say. But dropping out of school is out of the question."

Lin Xinyi took off his hat, scratched his head, and said with a troubled expression, "Sir, aren't you wasting my time? I already told you last time why I don't want to join the Navy."

Saigo Tsurumi said without changing his expression, "Yes, you gave your reasons. But since you know why the navy has no future, why not make it have a future? Shouldn't young people be bolder and set their sights higher?"

After a moment of silence, Lin Xinyi said frankly, "Even so, there's no need to bring me to this school. This school may be able to train people to operate warships and to build a navy for Japan. But it can never make the navy a promising place."

Saigo chuckled and said, "You've only been here a few days, and you dare to talk such big? If you can't give me a reason, I'll just have to take it as nonsense."

Lin Xinyi curled his lip and said, "Do we need to stay for several days to understand? Just one day is enough. Just listen to the students at this school reciting the 'Soldiers' Edict' written by the Army Marshal every morning, and you'll know that the school's scope has been severely limited."

Saigo pondered for a while before saying, "You think the 'Imperial Rescript to Soldiers' is unsuitable for the Navy?"

Lin Xinyi shook his head and said, "This navy would certainly be suitable, but it's not suitable for me."

Saigo looked around and then said to Lin Xinyi, "There are only the two of us in this room. Say what you want to say without being timid."

After thinking for a while, Lin Xinyi said, "If the navy takes pride in obeying the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Marines, then the army can command the navy at will simply by using the Emperor's name. After all, the navy floats on the ocean; how can it be closer to the Emperor than the army?"

Saigo Tsuruji looked at Lin Xinyi and shook his head, saying, "His Majesty is not the kind of person who can be manipulated by the army, and we will not allow the army to do so. You are overthinking it."

Lin Xinyi, however, disagreed, saying, "I'm not talking about now, but about Japan ten or twenty years from now..."

Chapter Sixty-Five: The Future of the Navy (Part 1)

Saigo Takamichi initially dismissed the idea, but after careful consideration, he realized it was indeed true. When these naval veterans were around, they could naturally restrain the army's misbehavior, because they could also request an audience with the Emperor at any time, thus preventing the army from arbitrarily using the Emperor's orders to command the navy.

But once these veterans were gone, and Emperor Meiji was gone too, the Emperor's command over the army and navy would become merely an institutional construct. And whoever can wield an institution is its master. The younger generation of naval officers could not resist orders issued by the army under the Emperor's edict, because the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Marines emphasized absolute obedience, unquestioning obedience.

Saigo Tsugumichi could only nod and say, "When Yamagata drafted the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Marines, he did not go through the normal procedures for discussion. Instead, he requested the Emperor to sign and seal it, bypassing the Grand Council of State and issuing it directly to the Minister of the Army and the Minister of the Navy. At that time, it was right after the Satsuma Rebellion, and society was in great turmoil. Even Okubo was assassinated, so the Navy naturally had no room to object. However, it would be difficult to convince those above and below to abolish the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Marines, which had been memorized for nearly 20 years, without any reason."

Just as Saigo stated that this was a historical issue that could not be abolished immediately, Hayashi Shin-yi suddenly said, "Actually, it's not that complicated. Today's Japan is built on the bloodless surrender of Edo and the Five Articles Oath. The Navy should establish its own spiritual banner and let everyone know that it was the Navy that created this country, not the government. Then, when the Army uses the Emperor's edict as a weapon, the Navy will have a righteous cause to counter it."

After a moment of contemplation, Saigo Tsurudo asked, "What do you mean by 'spiritual banner'?"

Lin Xinyi replied without hesitation, "Naturally, it's Marshal Saigo."

After a long silence, Saigo Tsugumichi said, "Although my brother has been reinstated, his crimes have not been completely erased. In the eyes of some, he is still a traitor to the country."

Lin Xinyi looked at Saigo in surprise and said, "The Navy isn't arguing about the present; we're arguing about the future. When the parties involved aren't around, would anyone still argue with the Navy about this? Besides, the greater the external pressure, the more unified the Navy's thinking will be. As long as the Navy is united, what is there to fear about the Army suppressing the Navy in the Emperor's name? I think anyone who thinks Marshal Saigo is a traitor should be purged from the Navy."

Now, Saigo was genuinely tempted. He still harbored resentment over his brother being branded a traitor. On one hand, he believed his brother had built the country, and the way he was being treated was heartbreaking. On the other hand, his brother's crimes forced him to cautiously follow the army to avoid them reopening old grievances. This was the main reason he refused to form a cabinet.

Saigo looked at the boy in front of him, his eyes flickering, and asked, "Then how do you explain the Southwest War?"

For Saigo and the navy, the Satsuma Rebellion, a rebellion of a definite nature, was an indelible stain on Saigo Takamori's reputation, which is why they dared not establish him as a spiritual idol for the navy. But for Hayashi Nobuyoshi, what crime was the Satsuma Rebellion? Weren't all those who rebelled against the Meiji government heroes?

Therefore, he said without hesitation: "I do not believe that the Satsuma Rebellion was a betrayal of the Emperor and the country. It was merely a resolute action by Marshal Saigo to defend the Five Articles of the Oath. If Marshal Saigo was wrong, then why did the Army launch the Sino-Japanese War according to his proposal? It is clear that the Army used despicable power struggles to frame the Marshal in order to suppress the Navy. Of course, it was too early for Your Majesty to vindicate the Satsuma Rebellion while Your Majesty was still alive."

Saigo found the boy in front of him more pleasing to the eye. In fact, he thought the same thing as the boy, but because of his status, he could not defend the Southwest War and even had to deny it in public, which made him quite depressed.

Saigo suddenly changed the subject, saying, "See, you're already considering things from the Navy's perspective, so there's no need to mention dropping out. You should just stay in the Navy. If the Army finds out about what you just said, they definitely won't let you off the hook."

Lin Xinyi firmly refused, saying, "If we don't observe from the navy's perspective, how can we conclude that the navy has no future? As long as I'm not in the navy, the army has no reason to make things difficult for an ordinary person like me. That would only make my words more widely known. I don't think the army is that stupid."

Saigo is now even more unwilling to let the boy run away. There are many people in the Navy who feel sorry for his brother, but very few actually offer any suggestions to exonerate him. In the end, everyone is just trying to flatter him and maintain the unity of the Satsuma faction, rather than genuinely believing that his brother did the right thing.

But the boy before him was different. Saigo could sense that the boy didn't care about the Emperor's authority when commenting on his brother, which was quite rare. Because once his brother and the Emperor were pitted against each other, no one would side with his brother, and this was also the Army's leverage point. Whenever his brother was mentioned, the Army would always bring up the Satsuma Rebellion, and mentioning the Satsuma Rebellion was considered a rebellion against the Emperor, which firmly nailed his brother to the label of a traitor.

Under such circumstances, no one dared to openly challenge His Majesty's authority. After all, the promotion of a general required the Emperor's signature. To offend a living person who held one's future in his hands for the sake of a dead man was something no one but a relative like him would do.

Saigo Tsurudo did not continue arguing with the boy, but simply said, "I have already heard your description of the navy having no future last time, so why don't you tell me today what a promising navy is?"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xinyi realized that it would be impossible not to make Saigo back down. So he got up, went to Kawahara's large desk, took a few red and blue pencils, and then went to the world map hanging on the side wall.

Lin Xinyi pointed to the map and said, "The rise of sea power began with the Age of Discovery, which was caused by the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which led to the emergence of a powerful land power in the central part of Eurasia."

The decline of maritime powers like Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands stemmed from challenges posed by powerful land powers. Britain's victory over the Napoleonic Empire was primarily due to two factors: first, the Napoleonic Empire did not completely conquer Europe, and the Russian Empire still possessed the capability to challenge its land power; second, Britain was an island nation, not bordering any land-based powers.

Therefore, I believe that countries in this world can actually be divided into two types: maritime nations and continental nations. Those capable of vying for maritime hegemony are inevitably maritime nations.

At this point, Lin Xinyi picked up a blue pencil and drew several circles on the world map. He continued, "Britain, the United States, and Japan are three maritime nations, and they are nations that inevitably need maritime hegemony to become powerful."

Then he circled Eurasia with a red pencil and said, "The cradle of civilization in the world is on this continent. I think we can call this continent the center of the world. The struggle for land power is essentially a struggle for control of Eurasia."

The rise of maritime power was inevitably accompanied by a period of fragmentation in land power, which formed the basis of the British Empire's diplomatic balance of power. When land power tended towards unification, maritime nations were forced to seek new sea routes or new continents to evade the challenges posed by land powers. This has been the history of the past few centuries.

Lin Xinyi turned to look at Saigo Tsurumi and said, "As a maritime nation, it is our destiny to confront continental nations. Therefore, in theory, Britain, the United States, and Japan should stand together against the land powers on the Eurasian continent."

But the reality today is that Britain alone is able to control the entire Eurasian continent. This is because the British control the Indian subcontinent and Egypt, and the entire Eurasian continent is divided into three parts: Europe, East Asia, and South Asia. The British Empire, which holds maritime power, is the only one that can freely connect these three regions.

In this situation, the United States and Japan became superfluous maritime powers. The United States could still manage operations on the American continent, but Japan had virtually no room to maneuver. Therefore, unless the global hegemony of the British Empire was overthrown, Japan's sphere of influence was confined to the areas designated by the British.

Saigo Tsurumi looked at the map on the wall. It was the first time he had seen the world from this perspective, and it was indeed very interesting, but he could also feel the oppressive feeling that the British exerted over the world. However, he still raised a question, "What about Russia? Isn't Russia also able to connect these three regions?"

Lin Xinyi nodded and said, "Lord Xixiang's assessment is very accurate. This is precisely the key to overthrowing the British Empire's hegemony, because the British Empire's hegemony is incomplete..."

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Future of the Navy II

Lin Xinyi pointed to the border of Russia on the map and drew a line in the air before saying, "Britain is a small country. No matter how much territory it occupies, its biggest weakness is its small population. The population of Britain itself is less than 50 million. If you remove Ireland, it's only a little over 40 million. And nearly a hundred years ago, the population of Britain itself was only half that, just over 20 million."

Therefore, although Britain dominates the seas, it can only rely on another land power to counterbalance it when facing a land power. As for the population of the colonies, they can only be used to fill logistical gaps and generate wealth, and cannot be used to compete for land power. This can be seen from the current Boer War. The British mobilized a large number of colonial troops, but they were helpless against the hundreds of thousands of Boers. They could only rely on the logistical support of massacring civilians to eliminate the resistance.

Therefore, within the global order of the British Empire, the Russian Empire actually played a significant role in containing the land powers of Europe and preventing the formation of a land route connecting Europe, South Asia, and East Asia. This is why Britain's monopoly on the seas was meaningful.

Based on this, we can conclude that the Russian border that Britain desired was one where the West was a line between the Baltic and Black Seas, without fully incorporating Poland and the Balkans into its control. In this way, Russia would be isolated from the center of Europe and thus unable to challenge European sovereignty.

In the central region, Russia's influence should not extend beyond the Caucasus Mountains and into the Central Asian steppes to prevent Russia from finding an outlet to the Persian Gulf, thereby challenging the British global order, since the foundation of the British global order is on the Indian subcontinent, not on the British Isles. A Britain that has lost the Indian subcontinent cannot be called the British Empire.

In the East, Russia should not enter Xinjiang, Outer Mongolia, and Manchuria, because only in this way can Britain avoid losing control of Russia. Once Russia has a population and industrial base in the East, it will inevitably seek expansion there, ultimately disrupting the regional balance of power established by the British.

This is the hegemony of the British Empire. Although it was the world's dominant power, it did not truly ascend the throne through its own strength, but rather stole it as a result of the great powers checking and balancing each other…

Looking at Lin Xinyi, whose wisdom seemed to encompass the world as if it were laid bare before his own palm, Saigo Tsugumichi felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had returned to his youth, watching Okubo and his elder brother discuss the world. Of course, in that context, the world only referred to Japan.

Lin Xinyi, however, was now completely focused on the map in front of him. Based on his knowledge from his previous life and what he had seen and heard in this life, he spoke eloquently: "...If we join the side of the maritime nations, that is, the world order that is dominated by Britain, then what Britain needs is not the Japanese navy, but the Japanese army."

Because only the Japanese army could balance the land power in East Asia. Therefore, an alliance with Britain would inevitably lead to the army's further dominance over Japan, which was also what the British wanted.

Conversely, if we join the land powers in confronting the world order established by Britain, then the land powers in East Asia will inevitably support our country's development towards the ocean, in order to avoid a confrontation between the two sides over the struggle for land power.

For our country, all we need to do is stand idly by and watch as land powers continuously challenge British naval power until the British voluntarily withdraw from the world, and then we can take over those territories. This is what I consider a promising Japanese navy.

After a long silence, Saigo Tsurumi asked, "How do you know that Lu Quan will definitely challenge and defeat British hegemony?"

Lin Xinyi took out a red pencil and drew a line on the border of Russia, then said, "This is the Trans-Siberian Railway. Once this railway is completed, the vast territory of Russia will truly be integrated into one."

If Russia were to occupy Manchuria, then Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang would all fall under Russian influence. If the Russians were to go further and take over the Northwest and North China, then China's population and resources would be incorporated into Russia.

Just by looking at this map, one can see that once the Russians obtained China's human resources, they were able to launch a large-scale invasion of Persia. Below Persia lies the Indian subcontinent, and to the west lies the Anatolian Peninsula. If either of these two regions fell into Russian hands, Russia's national power would be irreplaceable.

Therefore, a land power challenging British hegemony does not require a declaration of war against Britain; as long as a land power alters the balance of power on the continent, it already constitutes a challenge to British hegemony.

Saigo Tsuruji looked at the central region of Eurasia, his expression growing serious. "You mean, the Russians will succeed in their challenge?"

Lin Xinyi shook his head and said, "No, Russia has a flaw: it lacks the cultural foundation to unify the various ethnic groups within the country. Slavic culture is appealing to the Slavic people of the Balkan Peninsula, but it is difficult for these Muslim ethnic groups and the Chinese to accept."

Therefore, the faster Russia expands, the more intense its internal ethnic conflicts become, and ultimately, these ethnic and religious conflicts will bury the Russian Empire.

Saigo Tsugumichi was skeptical of Lin Xinyi's nonchalant pronouncement of the death sentence for the Russian Empire, but he still managed to remain calm and asked, "Since Russia is destined to fail, how will British hegemony collapse?"

Lin Xinyi picked up a red pencil and drew a line from Berlin through the Austro-Hungarian Empire, across the strait, through West Asia, all the way to the Persian Gulf. Then he went to the other side of the map and drew another line from Zhengzhou through Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Central Asia, to the Persian Gulf.

Then he turned around and said, "As I just said, the hegemony of the British Empire is incomplete. The power of the Russian Empire is also part of the hegemony of the British Empire. So when the Russian Empire falls, it means that the hegemony of the British Empire has a loophole."

The destruction of the Russian Empire deprived the heart of Eurasia of a stabilizing force, which meant that the land powers of Europe, South Asia, and East Asia lost their ability to exert control.

The British occupied the Indian subcontinent, preventing the rise of land power in South Asia. However, if Germany in Central Europe and China in East Asia were to expand into Central Eurasia, Britain would have to concentrate all its efforts on South Asia to prevent the Indian subcontinent from falling out of control.

At this point…

Lin Xinyi took out a blue pencil and circled Australia, the Southeast Asian peninsula, the South Pacific islands, and the upper part of the North Pacific before saying, "This is the area that Japan should rule after Britain withdraws from East Asia. It is also where the future of the navy lies."

Saigo Tsurumi finally stood up, walked to the map, and began to examine it carefully, looking at it for a long time. Just as Lin Xinyi was feeling his legs getting sore, Saigo finally sighed and said, "Such a deduction is something that anyone who has seen the British Royal Fleet would probably not even dare to think about. Only a newborn calf like you would dare to make such a deduction."

Lin Xinyi said dismissively, "Warships represent current power, not future power. If we want to wage war in the future, we cannot only consider the current balance of power; otherwise, there would be no war in this world."

Saigo turned to look at him and asked, "According to you, we can acquire these places simply by waiting for the right opportunity? Is that really possible? Can China really grow so quickly into a land power capable of challenging British hegemony?"

Lin Xinyi said confidently, "War is merely the practice of a victory that has already been secured. If victory cannot be secured before the war begins, then war should not be launched."

As for China, for us, the rise of either the Russian Empire or China in the East already constitutes a challenge to British hegemony. Therefore, all we need to do is stimulate the Russians' ambitions to invade China and then support Chinese nationalism; the one that survives will inevitably become a land power capable of challenging Britain.

The only problem now is how to prevent the army from causing trouble…”

Chapter Sixty-Seven Value

Looking at the map, Saigo Tsugumichi admitted that an uncontrolled army was indeed troublesome. For the navy, the basic tactical principle was to control a few points, connect them to form a line, and then control an area.

In other words, the navy places greater emphasis on the balance of power. The army, however, is different. Saigo, a veteran of the army, understands perfectly well that if the enemy exposes their vulnerable underbelly, the army cannot afford not to rush in and take a bite. For the army, actual occupation takes precedence over the so-called balance of power, because what is in their grasp is truly theirs.

What Saigo admired most about the boy was that with just a few strokes on a map, he could tell him what the future of the navy should be. In contrast, Yamamoto's past naval survey reports and development plans, often hundreds of pages long, had given him a headache, and he still didn't understand how the navy should be built.

After a long silence, Saigo turned to the boy and said earnestly, "Nobuyoshi, let's work together to build a navy like this. I will fully support you."

Lin Xinyi looked at Saigo with some surprise, and after a long while said, "I thought you would first tell me about the difference in strength between the Japanese Navy and the British Navy, and then refute it."

Saigo said dismissively, "What man can do, man can accomplish. Since Britain has ruled the world for nearly a century with just three islands, why can't Japan? I'm an amateur when it comes to the navy, but I believe that the right direction is far more important than strength. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the shogunate and establish this country."

Saigo turned back to the map, then gestured with his hands and said, "I've never imagined Japan like this before, but I think this is how Japan should be. So, let's do it together."

Lin Xinyi stared at the map in deep thought: If the navy really deviated from the continental policy, would the Russo-Japanese War and the subsequent series of historical events still have followed the original historical course?

Seeing that the boy could not answer for a long time, Saigo continued, "I know you want to enter Tokyo Imperial University, but I think it would be a waste for someone with your talent to go there. Given the current clan system within the government, even if you were the top student at Tokyo University, it would take at least twenty or thirty years to enter the government's decision-making circle. But in the Navy, you can make suggestions on the direction of the Navy's development right now. It would be impossible for such a thing to happen except in the Meiji Restoration era."

After much deliberation, Lin Xinyi was finally moved by Saigo's words and said, "If the Navy is truly willing to reform itself, then I am willing to give it a try. However, if the Navy refuses to reform itself, please allow me to leave the Navy and be exempted from military service."

Saigo agreed without hesitation, "Sure, if the Navy truly cannot be changed, then it's my fault for breaking my promise, and you can certainly make a different choice. As for military service, I can arrange for you to serve under a domestic naval agency, though I don't think that will happen..."

Kawahara Yoichi stood guard outside his office. He had initially thought the conversation wouldn't last long, but it had dragged on for a full hour, which surprised him. He knew that Hayashi Nobuyoshi's family was nothing more than impoverished samurai, with no connection to the Satsuma Domain. Even if he were a member of the Satsuma Domain, it was impossible for him to have such a long private conversation with Saigo.

Kawahara's regard for Hayashi Shin-yi grew even stronger. The office door finally opened, and just as Kawahara was about to step forward, he was surprised to see Saigo Tsurumi escorting Hayashi Shin-yi to the door, patting him on the shoulder, and saying a lot of encouraging words.

Just as Kawahara was wondering if he was seeing things, he heard Saigo's voice calling again. He put aside his doubts and went into his office. But as he followed Saigo, he was shocked to find that the world map on his wall had been defaced.

Seeing that he had noticed the map on the wall, Saigo casually asked, "Can you figure anything out?"

Kawahara quickly suppressed his anger and carefully examined the map. After a while, he said uncertainly, "It seems that Germany and China are linked together. Does this line represent a railway line?"

Saigo nodded and said, "What do you think the world will be like after this railway line is built?"

After a moment's thought, Kawahara shook his head and said, "The British will not agree to Germany building this railway, and the Chinese and Russians have no reason to allow German influence to penetrate into Central Asia, Xinjiang, and the Northwest, unless the Germans defeat both countries. But how could the British possibly stand idly by?"

Saigo suddenly smiled, which puzzled Kawahara. But Saigo stopped talking about the map and instead asked him, "Where is that girl?"

Kawahara didn't react at first, but after a while he remembered something and replied, "She's still in Miyajima. Because Lin seemed to value the girl quite a bit, I let her stay in Miyajima for a few more days."

Saigo nodded and said, "Bring her here, let Nobuyoshi say goodbye to her, and then I will take her back to Tokyo."

Kawahara nodded in agreement, but couldn't help asking, "Sir, what is Lin's value that makes him so important to you? At his age, no matter how smart he is, without proper education, he won't become a useful person. Didn't you send him to the military academy to learn?"

Saigo sensed a hint of dissatisfaction in Kawahara's words. Of course, Kawahara was able to advise him so bluntly because he was also from Kagoshima and a key figure in the Satsuma faction.

Saigo then said, “Since the Satsuma War, the talent pool of my Satsuma faction has been dwindling. This year, even Kuroda passed away. In terms of the number of senior retainers, we have also been suppressed by the Choshu faction. Compared to the current prosperity of the Choshu faction, if we do not introduce new blood, we are afraid that we will be completely suppressed by the Choshu people.”

You ask where the value of loyalty lies? Its value lies in what you can't see on this map. What else is there to learn at the naval academy besides operating warships and cannons? You yourselves don't even understand what the navy is supposed to do, what are you making him learn? I'm just having him here to cultivate a sense of belonging to the navy.”

Kawahara, no longer concerned with Hayashi Shin's question in the face of Saigo's criticism, could only explain the military academy's educational philosophy. However, the more he explained, the more he realized that what the military academy taught was indeed unrelated to the future of the navy. They merely provided the navy with technical officers who could command warships and cannons, and required these people to strictly obey orders from their superiors.