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“Yōshi! Great! The Qing government has agreed to cede the Korean Peninsula to us and has also agreed to pay 30 million taels of silver for war expenses. This is undoubtedly a major victory for the Empire!”
The Prime Minister of the Japanese Empire, Kuroda Kiyotaka, exclaimed with delight after reading the telegram sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ōkuma Shigenobu.
“Your Excellency Prime Minister, the Qing government has attached a condition, that is, they agree to these conditions only after the Beiyang Army is completely defeated. If the Beiyang Army is not completely defeated, the Qing government will not recognize these conditions,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ōkuma Shigenobu, reminded.
“The Beiyang Army is nothing more than a group of rebels, it's just that the Qing Dynasty is decadent and its military defenses are dilapidated, so they are unable to handle those rebels. If it were our Imperial warriors, I'm sure they would have already suppressed the Chinese,” Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka said confidently.
Or rather, he had immense confidence in the fighting ability of the Japanese Army, not taking the Beiyang Army seriously at all.
“The Beiyang Navy is still quite strong!” Admiral Saigo Tsugumichi, the Minister of the Navy, reminded.
“Indeed, the Beiyang Navy is very strong, but that's because the Qing Dynasty has invested heavily and purchased a large number of warships. Especially the ironclad warships, ‘Dingyuan’ and ‘Zhenyuan’, are considered the two largest warships in the Far East. Otherwise, the Beiyang Navy wouldn't be able to compare with the Imperial Navy.
Once the warships ordered and built by the Imperial Navy are commissioned, the Imperial Navy will also have the strength to compete with the Beiyang Navy, and even defeat them will be within our grasp!”
Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka remained stubborn.
“Prince, Yamagata-kun, Oyama-kun. Have the Imperial Army made their preparations? This battle is crucial for the Empire, we must ensure a victory!” Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka looked serious.
“Your Excellency Prime Minister, the Imperial Army is fully prepared. Starting tomorrow, the Imperial Army will begin full mobilization. Within a month, all six infantry divisions will be at full strength,” Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, the Chief of the General Staff, assured.
“Considering that Northern Qing will be entering winter soon, a large-scale battle may not break out. But the Imperial Army can travel by sea, landing directly in Tianjin, and assisting the Qing troops in defending Tianjin and Beijing. Next spring, the Imperial Army can work together with the Qing troops to launch an offensive against the Beiyang Army,” General Oyama Iwao suggested.
“Who will be responsible for commanding the Imperial Army in the Qing campaign?” Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka asked.
“Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will personally lead these troops to fight in Qing!” General Yamagata Aritomo replied.
He was known as the father of the Japanese Army, and leading troops to encircle and eliminate the Beiyang Army in Qing would undoubtedly be highly suitable for him.
“Yamagata-kun personally leading the army to Qing, this battle will surely be a resounding victory!” Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka had no objections.
Afterwards, the Japanese Imperial High Command finalized the arrangements for the expedition.
The Japanese Imperial Army began mobilizing, a large number of reserve personnel received orders and went to the military camps to assemble.
The current Japanese Empire has a population of 40 million, although only one-tenth of the Qing Dynasty.
But even on a global scale, it's considered a large country.
Mobilizing over 100,000 soldiers was a piece of cake for them.
A single postcard was all it took to call up those reserves and send them to the battlefield.
It can be said that these ordinary Japanese soldiers were merely consumables, or cannon fodder, for the Japanese Imperial High Command.
As long as the goals were achieved, even if countless Japanese soldiers died, they wouldn't mind.
Otherwise, in another timeline when they fought the Russians, the Japanese Army generals wouldn't have used ‘banzai’ charges!
The Imperial Army General Staff.
After the Cabinet meeting ended, General Oyama Iwao, the Minister of the Army, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, the Chief of the General Staff, and General Yamagata Aritomo, and others gathered here.
“Yamagata-kun, this battle is crucial for the Empire. Emperor Meiji is also expecting us to win. For this battle, Yamagata-kun, please do your utmost!” Prince Arisugawa Taruhito looked serious.
General Yamagata Aritomo nodded: “Don’t worry, Your Highness. In this battle, I, along with the entire Imperial Army, will do our utmost to fight for the Empire and seize the Korean Peninsula!”
“This battle is also key for us to gauge the combat strength of the Qing army. If the Qing army is truly as weak as they seem. It would undoubtedly be a great thing for the Empire!” General Oyama Iwao said.
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito and General Yamagata Aritomo couldn’t help but laugh.
Conquering only the Korean Peninsula was definitely not the Japanese goal.
Their appetite was quite large.
The over 10 million square kilometers of Qing territory west of the Korean Peninsula were also their target.
Only by swallowing the entire Qing Dynasty, utilizing its vast population and abundant resources, could the Japanese Empire achieve true rise, and even realize its dream of dominating the world!