Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 15

Lin Xinyi was unaware of what was happening behind him. He followed the ronin back to the Kokura-gumi's base with an air of nonchalance. Seeing Lin Xinyi's nonchalant attitude, Murata Keiichi's expression darkened further. He arranged a room for Lin Xinyi, served him tea and snacks, and waited anxiously in his office.

Chapter Fifty: The House of the Sea

Keiichi Murata hadn't expected Mitsuru Tomiyama to arrive so quickly. Accompanying Tomiyama was Yoshio Ogura, the first leader of the Ogura Group. Before Murata could even greet his boss, Yoshio Ogura stormed up and slapped him twice, yelling, "You bastard, is your brain full of shit? How could you send someone to bother Mr. Tomiyama? I really misjudged you!"

Murata had two red, swollen handprints on his face, but he didn't dare show the slightest dissatisfaction, only bowing repeatedly in apology. Standing behind him, Tomiyama Mitsuru watched as Ogura Yoshio finished disciplining his men before asking, "Where is he? You didn't do anything to him, did you?"

Keiichi Murata quickly replied, "He was drinking tea in the next room. I just wanted to verify whether he was lying. I didn't lay a hand on him."

Tomiyama Mitsuru was finally relieved. Neither Ito nor Saigo were people he could afford to offend. The former could use the Ministry of Justice to send him to prison for several years at any time, while the latter could simply cut off his source of income. In the underworld, what's the point of living without money?

Led by Murata Keiichi, Tomiyama Mitsuru quickly arrived at the room where Hayashi Shinichi was being held. Seeing the young man sitting there leisurely drinking tea, Tomiyama didn't know how to describe him. He was a bit unsure whether this person was just recklessly bold or truly fearless. He had seen a few of the latter, but those kinds of people were generally not very bright.

"Mr. Tomiyama has arrived. Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea? This Chinese tea tastes very good; it must be this year's spring tea." Lin Xinyi stood up and greeted Tomiyama Mitsuru politely as he entered, as if he were the host.

Seeing only a young boy in the room, Ogura Yoshio was momentarily puzzled. He had assumed that anyone who had alarmed Tomiyama Mitsuru must have a powerful background, but this boy didn't seem to fit that description at all. Nevertheless, he lightly kicked Murata Keiichi in front of him.

Murata's face paled, but he still decisively took out a short sword from his pocket, then knelt down in front of the coffee table and said to the boy, "Today is all my fault, Murata Keiichi. I am willing to apologize for today's offense."

Tomiyama Mitsuru did not stop him, but stood aside and observed Lin Xinyi, seemingly wanting to see how he would react. Just as Murata drew his short sword and placed it on the ring finger of his left hand, Lin Xinyi suddenly stopped him, "Wait a minute."

Murata stopped what he was doing, looking at the other person with great joy, only to hear the boy say, "Today is the Emperor's Birthday, and it would be disrespectful to the Emperor to draw blood today. I don't like that. I think Mr. Toyama feels the same way, don't you?"

Tomiyama Mitsuru hesitated for a moment, then could only nod in agreement. After all, he was a patriot and hated nothing more than disrespect for the Emperor. Ogura and Murata, standing to the side, were now in a dilemma. Cutting their fingers as an apology would, according to the rules of the underworld, settle the matter between the two parties. Alternatively, if the boy spoke up and forgave Murata, then he would have no right to pursue the matter further. This current predicament was the most annoying thing ever.

However, Lin Xinyi clearly had no intention of considering their feelings. He stopped Murata's apology and said to Tomiyama Mitsuru, "I'm sorry to have bothered you tonight, but I have two companions who seem to be making a fuss outside. I'd like to go find them. I'll visit you another day."

Tomiyama Mitsuru smiled and said, "Since Mr. Lin has mentioned the Genyosha, then I am only here today to protect the Genyosha. Mr. Lin doesn't need to be so polite. Since it's still early, why don't I introduce you to the Genyosha's figures in Tokyo, so that such a thing won't happen again in the future? After all, I'm not in Tokyo every day."

Faced with Toyama's blatant recruitment, Lin Xinyi thought for a moment. Even if he didn't want to join the Genyosha, he couldn't refuse so bluntly. After all, the Ogura Group was still watching. If they knew that he had nothing to do with the Genyosha and had rejected Toyama, he couldn't guess what they would do.

Lin Xinyi could only nod and say, "Then I will respectfully comply. Please allow me to say a few words to the people outside."

Tomiyama Mitsuru immediately made way, and as Lin Xinyi reached the door, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Mr. Murata, how did you manage to block our way today?"

Murata, who had lost his earlier arrogance on the street, replied honestly, "The Noda family owns the land on that street. Someone is planning to develop this area, and we are in charge of acquiring the land. That's why we sent people to harass the Noda family's daughter. After they were beaten, we naturally waited outside the shopping street for you to come out."

Well, so it turns out they've encountered a forced eviction from the Meiji era. Lin Xinyi was speechless at the situation. But he quickly said, "So, we've become the chicken you use to intimidate the Noda family?"

After speaking, Lin Xinyi walked out without waiting for Murata's reply. Tomiyama Mitsuru watched Lin Xinyi's actions with great interest. Outside the Kogura-gumi's base, Lin Xinyi saw his two friends and the eel shop's staff. Clearly, the eel shop owner hadn't just washed his hands of the matter after hearing about it and had come to demand the person's return.

He went up to thank the eel shop owner and said that he was alright and they could go back to rest. The Noda family members were a little confused about the current situation, but they were relieved to see that Lin Xinyi had come out safely. The eel shop owner patted Lin Xinyi on the shoulder with some guilt and said, "These ronin were actually after our shop, and you were implicated."

Lin Xinyi glanced back at the lanterns hanging at the entrance of the Xiaocang Group before turning back with a smile and saying, "I'm fine, but you'd better be careful, boss. These people will do anything for money."

Noda sighed, said nothing more, and went home with his men and neighbors. Lin Xinyi then said to his two friends, "Go home and tell Uncle Xiaochuan that I'm with Mr. Fushan tonight and might be home a little late."

Takenouchi Yutaka and Ogawa Eijiro were much smarter this time. They didn't ask any more questions, but simply told Lin Xinyi to be careful and that they would go home as soon as possible.

Stepping off the carriage and seeing the brightly lit Binzhijia, Lin Xinyi was speechless. Why did he, a middle school student, have to frequent this brothel every now and then, making him look like a lecherous glutton?

What made Lin Xinyi feel a little better was that at least the Ogura Group members had been sent away by Tomiyama. It seemed that the Ogura Group wasn't qualified to enter Hama House to spend money, so he didn't have to deal with those clueless gang leaders here.

At the Hama Inn, Tomiyama Mitsuru acted like a second master. The inn's proprietress, Uchida Hana, personally came out to greet him and arranged a superior room for them. Tomiyama Mitsuru sat with Hayashi Shin-yi for a while. This time, he didn't try to get any more verbal sparring with the boy as he had before, but simply sat quietly to the side.

As Lin Xinyi was pondering who Tomiyama Mitsuru intended to introduce him to, Uchida Hana brought two more guests into the room. Both guests appeared to be younger than Tomiyama Mitsuru and showed him considerable respect.

Tomiyama Mitsuru then introduced Hayashi Shinichi: "This is Yuki Toragoro, and this is Sugiyama Shigemaru. They are both key members of the Genyosha..."

The older Yuki Toragoro glanced indifferently at Lin Xinyi before sitting down opposite him, while the younger Sugiyama Shigemaru sat down next to Toragoro and began to observe the boy with great interest.

Tomiyama Mitsuru gave Yuki Toragoro a wink, and Tomiyama's most trusted aide then challenged Hayashi Shin'ichi: "I heard you advocate for appeasing Russia and oppose an alliance with Britain? Do you know what you're doing?"

Lin Xinyi was a little curious. Could it be that Tomiyama Mitsuru brought him here tonight just to regain his lost face? If that was all, then there was nothing to worry about tonight. Considering that the other party had rescued him from the gangsters, he decided to give him face.

He then smiled and said, "I'm just a student, how would I know what I'm doing? Such important matters as whether to be friends or enemies with Russia or Britain are naturally things for adults to do, not for a student like me to decide."

Yuki Toragoro's punch missed, and after Lin Xinyi said that it would be pointless to keep asking questions, or people would think he was bullying the weak. So he could only pick up his wine glass and drink to cover up his embarrassment.

Sugiyama Shigemaru nodded slightly and said, "Although you are a student, you should not be indifferent to national affairs. After all, the future of Japan is in the hands of you young people. Since you have your own opinions on national affairs, you should stick to them. Otherwise, who will be willing to listen to your opinions in the future?"

Lin Xinyi glanced at Tomiyama Mitsuru beside him, thought for a moment, and then said, "So, do you think Japan should be an authoritarian government or a democratic government?"

Chapter 51 Genyosha

Sugiyama Shigemaru just smiled when he heard this, and then turned to Tomiyama Mitsuru and said, "Since you invited us to Hama no Ie for drinks, how can we not watch a song and dance performance? I've heard that Miss Kyoubu is already showing signs of Nishikawa Chizo's style. Why don't we ask her to come and perform for us?"

Although Tomiyama Mitsuru was somewhat surprised by Sugiyama Shigemaru's suggestion, he wasn't looking to save face tonight. Instead, he hoped to bring the talents Saigo had his eye on into the Genyosha to build up strength for the Genyosha. However, before that, he still needed to teach the kid a lesson to prevent him from becoming too arrogant.

Sugiyama Shigemaru was his top strategist and the most politically astute person in the Genyosha. Although he began to withdraw from the Genyosha's public activities after the Sino-Japanese War and announced his withdrawal from the Genyosha, Sugiyama Shigemaru did so in order to better communicate with people in the financial world. After all, no businessman would be willing to cooperate with gangsters in legitimate business.

As a disciple of Yamaoka Tesshu, Sugiyama Shigemaru was no simple-minded ronin. It was on his advice that Tomiyama Mitsuru acquired the Chikuhō coalfield in Fukuoka Prefecture, laying a solid economic foundation for the Genyosha and preventing it from degenerating into an ordinary yakuza group.

Sugiyama Shigemaru, who announced his withdrawal from Genyosha, immediately devoted himself to the banking industry. With the introduction of Kaneko Kentaro, he personally went to the United States to meet with the zaibatsu Morgan and obtained an investment of 130 million yen from them, which became the capital base for the development of Taiwan.

It can be said that Sugiyama Shigemaru was the only person in the Genyosha with political and economic talent, and he was also a person who could move freely between the feudal lords. Tomiyama Mitsuru believed that he had no problem suppressing a boy with his abilities, so he called him over.

"I didn't expect it to end before the evening even started?" Tomiyama Mitsuru suppressed his doubts and called over the proprietress, Uchida Hana, expressing his wish to see a dance performance. Uchida Hana quickly went out to make the arrangements.

Lin Xinyi couldn't understand the beauty of Japanese dance. He felt that painting all the beautiful women, regardless of their natural features, with the same white face was completely incompatible with Chinese aesthetics. In the Chinese view, beauty is a combination of color, artistry, and scenery; but the beauty the Japanese saw was a fragmented, disjointed feeling.

Although Lin Xinyi felt impatient about not being able to discuss politics with the leaders of the Genyosha, he could still quietly appreciate it. If you don't look at their faces, the young girls' bodies are still quite beautiful.

While the geisha was dancing energetically, the rescuer Lin Xinyi had been waiting for finally arrived. The appearance of Ogawa Heikichi brought Lin Xinyi's adventure to a close. After greeting Tomiyama Mitsuru and having a few drinks, Ogawa Heikichi took Lin Xinyi's leave, with Lin Xinyi appearing like a well-behaved student beside him.

However, just as Lin Xinyi got up to leave, Sugiyama Shigemaru suddenly asked him, "Miss Xiwu has been sitting with you all night. What do you think of her dancing?"

Lin Xinyi glanced at the woman sitting next to him. With her face covered in white powder, he couldn't tell her age. In addition, he had been focusing his energy on guarding against the three leaders of the Genyosha, so he didn't have any interaction with her. Hearing this, he subconsciously recalled a sentence in the newspaper and casually said, "Like a moving ukiyo-e painting, it leaves a deep impression."

After listening, Ogawa Heikichi nodded goodbye to Tomiyama Mitsuru and the others, then pulled Hayashi Shinichi out the door. Inside the room, Sugiyama Shigemaru suddenly asked the woman sitting next to Hayashi Shinichi, "Miss Kimai, what do you think of this young man?"

The other party bluntly commented, "He was just going through the motions from beginning to end. Even the last sentence was copied. He doesn't like Japanese dance at all. I'm tired, so I'll take my leave now."

After all the women in the room had left, Tomiyama Mitsuru finally asked Sugiyama Shigemaru, "What did he mean by what he just said?"

Sugiyama Shigemaru knew which question Toyama was referring to, so he casually replied, "In an authoritarian government, he has no need to argue with us; in a democratic government, he has the freedom to express his opinions. Of course, I think there's another layer to his words: those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

Upon hearing this, Toragoro Yuki became enraged. He slammed his hand on the table in front of him, widened his eyes, and shouted, "Arrogant brat, do you think you can disregard the Genyosha?"

Sugiyama Shigemaru did not share Yuki Toragoro's anger. He felt that given the despicable things Toragoro had done in Korea, it would be strange if anyone respected the Genyosha. His own decision to withdraw from the Genyosha was out of fear of being seen as a Genyosha member with no moral compass. The act of storming into the Korean royal palace, raping and murdering the Korean queen, and then burning the body to cover up the evidence—this mindless behavior completely stripped away the pretense of Japan's support for Korean independence.

Sugiyama Shigemaru looked down on such crude ronin methods, but he didn't want to offend Yuki either, so he just drank his sake and ignored Yuki's clamor. However, Tomiyama Mitsuru spoke up to stop Yuki, saying, "He still has the right to say that. Ito and Nishikawa both want to recruit him. I'm having a headache right now, wondering whose advice to take."

Yuki Toragoro stared at Toyama in astonishment. Seeing the unchanging expression on Toyama's face, he knew Toyama wasn't joking, and immediately stopped talking. For a ronin like him, all he ever sought in life was to be driven by these powerful figures. Even then, they might not even look at him. They would use him when they needed him and discard him like a chamber pot when they didn't. The idea of ​​taking him under their wing was almost impossible. Sugiyama Shigemaru, on the other hand, had a privileged background that other ronin couldn't emulate.

At this moment, Sugiyama Shigemaru put down his wine glass and said seriously, "Of course he should be sent to Nishikawa. If someone like him were to join Ito's school, the Genyosha would probably have to disband."

Tomiyama and Yuki looked at Sugiyama Shigemaru with blank expressions, thinking they had misheard. Sugiyama Shigemaru glanced at the two of them before saying, "I recently saw an article at Matsukata's place called 'The Collapse and Reconstruction of World Order,' written by this kid. Ito and Matsukata both believe that this article is the best supplement to 'The Record of Imprisonment.' Japan in Yoshida's time was too closed off, so 'The Record of Imprisonment's' analysis of foreign countries was somewhat unrealistic, but this article's analysis of foreign countries fills in the gaps in 'The Record of Imprisonment.'"

Tomiyama and Yuki certainly knew what "The Record of the Imprisoned" represented. It was practically the political guidebook of the Choshu Domain. Yamagata's continental policy was based on the guidance of this book. Itō and Matsukata actually thought that this kid's article could be used to complete "The Record of the Imprisoned," which can be said to be the highest evaluation.

Yuuki asked impatiently, "What exactly does this 'Reconstruction of World Order' say?"

Sugiyama Shigemaru glanced at Toyama, who remained calm, before speaking: "The article says that from the 17th century onwards, the whole world began a competition between sea power and land power. Britain was the first country to realize that controlling the sea represented power, which ultimately enabled Britain to defeat Spain, the Netherlands, and France and ascend to the position of world hegemon."

However, the development of railways led to a resurgence of land power, resulting in a modern world where Britain, the dominant maritime power, confronts several emerging land powers. While British colonialism accumulated vast wealth, it did not transform its overseas colonies into true British territory. Consequently, Britain's power remains largely unchanged from three hundred years ago, confined to the British Isles.

While the powers outside the British Isles were subordinate to the British Empire, they were not part of Great Britain's power. In other words, once the British Empire collapsed, its power vanished as well. However, the British Empire itself did not exist; it was merely an illusion created by London for its overseas colonies.

Therefore, once the British Isles are threatened, London will inevitably abandon the interests of the British Empire to protect the interests of Britain, and this action by London will mark the beginning of the collapse of the illusion of the British Empire.

Yuuki finally couldn't hold back any longer and retorted, "What kind of nonsense is this? How could the British Empire and Britain not be one? Did he write this while drunk?"

Sugiyama Shigemaru sighed and said, "If he had only written this far, then it would obviously be nonsense, but he did provide some arguments. To prove that the interests of the British Empire and Britain are not aligned, all that is needed is for a war to break out in Europe that involves the whole of Europe. In this war, London would definitely betray the interests of the British Empire to protect the interests of Britain, thereby causing the faith of the overseas colonies in the British Empire to collapse."

At this point, Tomiyama couldn't help but ask, "A war involving all of Europe? How can such a thing be verified?"

Chapter 52 Genyosha II

Sugiyama Shigemaru stared at the white porcelain wine cup in his hand, and after a moment of daze, he came back to his senses, looked up at Toyama and Yuki and said, "Didn't we just say that the rise of land powers has challenged the maritime hegemon Britain, and the most likely challenger to Britain is the Germans?"

The formidable offensive capabilities displayed by the German army during the Franco-Prussian War reduced France, a major power, to a second-rate nation. However, the obstacles preventing Germany from weakening France lay in the opposition from Britain, Russia, and Austria-Hungary.

Now that Austria-Hungary has become an ally of Germany, if Russia were to shift its power eastward, Germany would once again have the opportunity to confront France alone. Britain, a naval power, could blockade the German fleet in its ports, but it would be of little help in land battles.

If France were to yield to Germany, Britain would lose control of Europe. Consider this: if Europe were unified under the influence of a single nation, could the British continue to maintain their global influence?

If this opportunity arises, Germany will certainly not be unable to resist taking the risk, just as we did with the Sino-Japanese War. Therefore, this war that will affect all of Europe is not impossible.

Yuki was still somewhat confused, so he asked, "But what does this have to do with whether the Genyosha is disbanded or not?"

Talking to such a roughneck was somewhat painful for Sugiyama Shigemaru. He and Lin Xinyi had worked together so well just now; they understood each other's thoughts with just a few words, so there was no need to waste any words.

However, seeing that Tomiyama Mitsuru didn't seem to understand either, he explained, "If we want to lure Russia to focus its power in the East, we have to show weakness to Russia and tolerate their gradual encroachment on Manchuria and Mongolia. In that case, our plan to occupy Manchuria, which we've been working on since the Sino-Japanese War, will be rendered useless. Once the continental policy is revised, will the Genyosha, whose main purpose is to promote the continental policy, still have any reason to exist?"

Yuki listened with some skepticism and said, "This kid has such a great influence that he can make the army abandon its continental policy?"

Tomiyama Mitsuru seemed to understand something. He said, "He doesn't have it, but Ito-kun does. Hasn't Yamagata's cabinet's diplomacy been revised by Ito-kun? The Choshu faction isn't just Yamagata-kun's. But what about the reconstruction of the world order? Ito-kun can't just talk the talk and expect the army to abandon its continental policy."

Sugiyama Shigemaru sighed and said, "I also really wanted to see the full text, but Matsukata only told me about the collapse of the world order, and he didn't say anything about the rest. However, according to my speculation, if Britain really lost its global hegemony in this war, then Ito-kun would definitely be seeking Britain's position after its withdrawal from East Asia. Only this interest can persuade Yamagata-kun to abandon the continental policy."

Tomiyama Mitsuru understood Sugiyama Shigemaru's meaning: if the army also agreed to abandon its continental policy, it would mean that all the manpower and resources the Genyosha had invested in the continent would be wasted. At that point, to prevent the Genyosha from causing trouble, Itō might actually order the Genyosha's dissolution.

His face darkened, but he said, "Wouldn't it be a problem to send him to the navy? Saigo's regard for him is quite unusual."

Sugiyama Shigemaru immediately said, "The key point is not whether Saigo values ​​him, but that once he is labeled as a member of the Navy, Yamagata will never be able to accept his new proposals. In that case, it will not be a dispute over national policy, but a dispute between the Army and the Navy. At this point, even Ito-kun will find it difficult to sway the Choshu faction."

Tomiyama breathed a sigh of relief, shook his head, and said, "I didn't expect a middle school student to give us so much trouble. I hope he can receive a proper education after joining the navy and stop causing trouble."

Sugiyama Shigemaru then asked, "How do you plan to get him into the Navy?"

Tomiyama said, "He just finished his high school graduation exam. Once the results are out, we'll find someone to take him to Etajima. After he enters the Naval Academy, it'll be the Navy's business."

Sugiyama Shigemaru quickly shook his head in opposition, saying, "Since Saigo personally named him to go to the Navy, his future prospects will be limitless. Although Genyosha is getting closer and closer to the Army, it still can't get rid of the Navy's influence, because if the Navy cuts off our coal trade, the Army won't support us."

Thinking about the source of Genyosha's income, Tomiyama frowned. At this moment, Sugiyama Shigemaru said, "Let Miss Kimai make contact with him. Let the young men and women have a romantic relationship, and then take him to Etajima Island. That way, he won't resent us."

Tomiyama looked at Sugiyama with some astonishment and said in surprise, "We've invested so much in Kii, weren't we planning to use her to make connections with influential people in the financial world? Is it worth it to invest in her?"

After a moment of silence, Sugiyama Shigemaru said, "For someone like this, the earlier you invest, the less you'll lose; the later you invest, the more expensive it becomes. If you don't have someone like this under your control, can you really sleep soundly?"

Tomiyama remained silent for a long time before nodding and saying, "What you said is also true. Someone capable of revising mainland policy shouldn't be allowed to escape the control of the Genyosha. I will speak with Hanako..."

Ogawa Heikichi, who had led Lin Xinyi away from the ryotei, finally couldn't help but lecture him halfway there: "You're too bold, meddling in everything. This is Tokyo, a place where all sorts of people mingle, and those ronin aren't as well-behaved as they are in the countryside."

Lin Xinyi lowered his head and admitted his mistake, but then he said, "However, after today, I have truly understood one thing."

Ogawa Heikichi asked with some curiosity, "What did you understand?"

Lin Xinyi calmly said, "Humans are the sum total of all social relationships, and it is impossible to avoid certain people."

Ogawa Heiyoshi: "..."

After the Emperor's Day festival, Takenouchi Yutaka and Ogawa Eijiro decided to return to their hometown. After all, the start of the new school year at No. 1 High School wouldn't be until at least March or April of next year. Although Tokyo was bustling, it was too restrictive for the two of them. It would be better to spend time in their hometown with a group of friends they knew.

Lin Xinyi chose to stay in Tokyo. Firstly, Ogawa Heikichi suggested he continue his research on the European situation in Tokyo; Mr. Mori was quite satisfied with his research, and his monthly salary had been increased to 160 yen. Secondly, he also wanted to stay and continue learning German and Russian. Through Professor Abe's introduction, he found a Russian teacher. He studied German on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, and Russian on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoons, which conveniently staggered his study time.

The day after he sent Takenouchi Yutaka and Ogawa Eijiro back, he was browsing English newspapers in the Imperial Library's reading room when a girl approached him and asked, "Excuse me, could you help me find a book?"

Lin Xinyi looked up and saw a girl with long, narrow eyes who looked very charming standing in front of him. He saw the school badge hanging on her chest, which read "Yinghe Girls' School".

The girl said to him in a natural and confident manner, "Our teacher asked us to find an English book to learn English, but I couldn't find one anywhere else. I heard that the Imperial Library has this book, but my English isn't very good. I see that you can read English newspapers, so I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Lin Xinyi certainly wouldn't refuse to help a girl who looked pleasing to the eye, and he felt she looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen her before. He put down his newspaper, stood up, and asked, "What book is it?"

Kimiko Hayashi thought for a moment, then said apologetically, "I suddenly forgot the name of the book, but my teacher told me about the contents. Is that too much trouble for you?"

Lin Xinyi smiled and replied, "No, it's no trouble at all. You can tell me what it contains, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to find it."

Kimiko Hayashi said gratefully, "Thank you so much! I remember the book was about a landlord with five daughters. The landlord's wife was thinking of finding suitable husbands for her daughters, and then at the ball..."

As Hayashi Kimuko told her story, she tried her best to show her best side. Although she didn't like doing it, she would do anything to gain her freedom.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Yearning for Spring

"Ah, I know, it's Pride and Prejudice." Lin Muzi was very eloquent, making Lin Xinyi feel as if he were watching a real ball. He quickly conjured up a movie in his mind. This was probably the advantage of being a time traveler. While people in this era were still using words to imagine the world in novels, people in later generations had already begun to shape the world more intuitively from images.

Lin Muzi looked at the boy in front of her with surprise. She had been observing Lin Xinyi for more than a day or two. Although she was somewhat surprised that he could read English newspapers fluently, she did not take it to heart. After all, she could read English newspapers herself, which only showed that the boy was indeed quite intelligent.

In the Meiji era, learning English was crucial for advancement, as all important international news was first published in English newspapers. Not knowing English meant being unable to stay informed about global events. Therefore, it wasn't unusual for a young person to be well-versed in English and thus be valued by important figures; what was truly remarkable was being valued by them.

To Lin Muzi's surprise, this young man had actually read Pride and Prejudice. How could men like him, so driven by ambition and fame, possibly waste time on a literary novel? She had only wanted to use the search for the novel as an opportunity to spend more time with him. What a fool! Although that was her thought, a hint of admiration flickered in her eyes as she looked at Lin Xinyi. She covered her mouth and said, "It seems to be that title. You're really amazing; you knew the title so easily. You must have read many foreign novels, right?"

Hearing Lin Muzi's words, Lin Xinyi began to reminisce about the era when he could watch movies and television at will. He replied with a sigh, "I have seen quite a few, after all, there aren't many interesting novels in Japan."

These words displeased Lin Muzi. As a geisha, she had a deep love for Japanese traditions; without this love, she wouldn't have been able to practice hundreds or thousands of times to grasp their essence. She also harbored a slight competitive spirit, so she blurted out, "Really? What interesting foreign novels have you read?"

Lin Muzi regretted her words as soon as she finished speaking. This was clearly not a question to please a guest. At this moment, she still regarded Lin Xinyi as a guest, but a slightly special one, because as long as she could win him over, she would be able to end her apprenticeship.

However, Lin Xinyi was not troubled by this question at all. Without hesitation, he said, "The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, The Human Comedy by Balzac, Boule de Suif by Maupassant... but my favorite is Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. It's as if the entire society of Tsarist Russia is laid out before you..."

Noticing that Lin Muzi's gaze was a little off, Lin Xinyi quickly stopped himself, because he then realized that many of the books he had mentioned probably hadn't been translated into Japanese yet. He quickly laughed it off and said, "Of course, there are some novels that I've only heard the summaries of and haven't actually read the contents of yet. Let me go find the books for you."

In the afternoon, Lin Muzi returned to the Hama House with the books she had borrowed from the Imperial Library. Although she had been adopted by the mistress, Uchida Hana, she still did not have a single dormitory during her apprenticeship. However, as she was about to graduate, the other apprentices who had lived with her were eliminated, and Uchida had not arranged for any new apprentices to move in. Only then did she finally have a dormitory that was not exactly a single dormitory.

I placed the novel I borrowed from the library on my desk, where there was also an identical English version of Pride and Prejudice, except that the one on the desk was obviously older, with some of the pages curled up.

Lin Muzi sat at her desk, casually flipping through a novel, when she suddenly felt utterly exhausted and didn't want to do anything. This was a rare feeling for her; even when she had worn her fingers raw practicing the shamisen, she had never felt this tired. After sitting quietly at her desk for a while, she decided to indulge herself and got up to take out a bottle of sake she had secretly kept from the cupboard next to her.