If the Meiji Restoration was a great leap forward for Japan, the Sino-Japanese War became a basis for their conquest of Asia. After the Black Ship Incident in the United States, it was actually a very great miracle that Such a weak and small country in Japan was not included in the townspeople, and they also saw their own shortcomings, so they planned to make up their minds to learn advanced science systems and systems and strengthen their motherland.
Because, at this time, Japan is already going to catch up with China, which is in retreat. Many Chinese ministers are not aware of this problem, although they are also aware of their shortcomings, but they still only think that Japan is a small country, so they have not paid enough attention, of course, the end is very painful.
Before the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Westerners had already made innovations, but the changes they made had little effect, and Li Zhang and his men cited some advanced western machines and technologies. However, they have no intention of learning from the Westerners' system, believing that Western technology is nothing more than some ingenious trick, which is not at all comparable to China's superiority.
It is precisely because of this sense of superiority that the ministers and the helmsmen are blind, and finally pay a very miserable end.
Aren't there people with lofty ideals in China? Of course not, not all ministers are like this, Song Yuren is one of the few sober people, he is deeply aware that if we do not carry out reforms, I am afraid that even Japan will be far away from us.
At this time, it was already the early stage of the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army and the Chinese army confronted in Korea, and everyone believed that Japan's purpose was only to occupy Korea, but in fact, they did not realize that Japan's goal had long been aimed at the Qing Empire. At this time, Song Yuren was still studying in Britain.
Song Yuren was an early bourgeois reformist thinker, and he was known as the first person to open his eyes to the world. In 1894, he was appointed as the Counsellor of the Four Kingdoms of Britain, France, Italy and Belgium, focusing on examining the Western social, economic and political systems, actively planning the grand plan of restoration, and advocating democracy and republicanism.
At a time when the Chinese people were still keen to bring Western technology and advanced culture back to China, Song Yuren had realized that if the political system was not reformed, everything was just empty talk. At that time, Song Yuren studied the British political system, and of course we know that Empress Dowager Cixi naturally could not let him carry out the Restoration Revolution in China.
After this, the situation in Korea was on the verge of erupting, China and Japan had officially exchanged fire, and Song Yujin, who was far away in Britain, naturally received news, and he wrote to the imperial court overnight, hoping to make a contribution to the defeat of Japan. Japan's goal is not Korea, they have already fought for their national strength to compete with China at sea. Of course, Song Yuren knew that the sailors of the Great Qing Dynasty were actually just silver-like pewter guns, and they could not be used at all, so he suggested that he lead the army directly into mainland Japan from the sea.
Song Yuren's thought is very wonderful, he suggested that immediately buy ships from the British, and then use these ships to transport non-commissioned officers, and these non-commissioned officers directly to the Japanese island, and do not use the Chinese flag, hang the British flag, so as to help to play the purpose of confusing Japan, then the Japanese who did not understand the situation at that time, of course, could not open fire on the British.
The fleet first took the Philippines and then went straight to Tokyo, which undoubtedly gave the Heart of the Japanese a stab. The soldiers on the ship are better off not using Han Chinese, and can hire soldiers from Australia, so in terms of funds, Song Yuren and the manager of the British Kangdeket Bank, Greenmir, can borrow 2 million pounds and then loan 1 million pounds.
So is there any possibility that Song Yuren's plan will succeed? In fact, his plan is modeled on the ancient sun zhen wei to save Zhao ceremony, as long as the plan is successful, after the Japanese withdrew, as long as the Qing army chased after the rear, it is easy to catch up with Japan, on land with the Japanese in a battle, if lucky, maybe it can also destroy the Japanese country.
Song Yuren's plan was still supported by some of the westerners, and even Zhang Zhidong agreed to his plan, but unfortunately, the secrecy work was not done well, and the news leaked out and suddenly reached the ears of Empress Dowager Cixi.
When Cixi heard this, she was immediately furious, the Great Qing was an eventful autumn, and Song Yuren was still thinking of causing trouble, and even advocated running to fight the Japanese mainland. Because of Cixi's disagreement, Song Yuren's plan could only be annulled, and he himself was reprimanded by Haosheng, and the later result was also known that the Sino-Japanese War was lost and The Shenzhou Land Sank. And his plan has become an unsolved military mystery.
After Song Yuren returned to China, the official demoted Si pin. If Song Yuren's plan had been implemented, I don't know if it was really as he had said, and the raid could have been successful, then there would have been no subsequent Sino-Japanese war.