Chapter 379: Chapter 58 Interlude
Before heading to Trieste, Ernst had to handle many affairs and say goodbye to many people, including Prince Karl of Sigmaringen, Prince Leopold, the Prussian royal family, and the Württemberg royal family... So it’s not just about leaving as soon as possible; there’s still much to finish.
...
Six months ago.
Far East, Japan.
"Mr. Hara Morishita, your monkeys do indeed look very distinctive; they appear short and stocky among monkeys, which aligns perfectly with Darwin’s description of evolution. Is it the environment of the Japanese islands that cultivates monkeys that enjoy hot springs? I’d like to know."
"Uh, Mr. Rosenzweig, Darwin is? "
"A European biologist."
"Oh, a scientist?"
"Yes, and a great British biologist with considerable authority in the academic world. I used to be quite skeptical of Darwin, but upon arriving in Japan, I found Darwin was right. No other country could find monkeys that enjoy hot springs like those in Japan."
Sounds like an insult! But the moment Hara Morishita heard that Darwin was British, he immediately turned into a sycophant and said, "Mr. Rosenzweig, your Great Britain is indeed the greatest country in the world."
Although Rosenzweig’s so-called "London accent" had a strong German flavor, the full Japanese accent of Hara Morishita made it impossible for him to notice.
Rosenzweig laughed heartily, "No, no, we British may have made a minor cultural achievement, but compared to countries like Germany, France, and Russia, we are still not comparable. Do you know what Britain’s world dominance relies on?"
Hara Morishita was quite curious, so he asked, "Please enlighten me, sir."
"Nothing but mastering the seas. Anyone familiar with history knows that world dominance in the past few centuries has been achieved by mastering the seas, like Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands."
"Oh, you’re absolutely right, Mr. Rosenzweig. We Japanese have to learn more from the British!" Hara Morishita said this, while thinking to himself, "Build more warships; perhaps in the future, we can replace them."
Rosenzweig: "Indeed, learning culture is useless; we British have succeeded through barbaric means. The romantic and literary-renowned French can only be manipulated by the British, wasting opportunities and losing chances to compete with Britain. Hence, all workers and farmers who dare to make trouble and oppose national policies should be comprehensively suppressed, preventing them from causing a huge waste of social resources."
As a major landowner, Hara Morishita deeply agreed: "Yes, I empathize with this. Recently, farmers in the Japanese countryside have been extremely unreasonable; they can’t understand the difficulties of the government. Now, the entire nation is struggling, even I have to cut back on clothes and food down to three dishes and a soup daily, yet they want to rebel, completely inferior to uncivilized monkeys. Such trash should be resolutely suppressed; only when Japan is strong will everyone have a bright future."
Rosenzweig: "Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, Mr. Hara Morishita. Could you help me find a few Japanese people, preferably both men and women? I want to showcase Japanese customs and traditions to the world."
"Of course, no problem!" Hara Morishita readily agreed upon hearing Rosenzweig’s request. After all, this Rosenzweig was a British journalist who came to Hokkaido to promote Japan, and he had to put on a good show for Japan.
A little later, who knows where Hara Morishita found some oddballs, generally ranging from 1.3 to 1.5 meters in height. But looking at Hara Morishita, who is only 1.63 meters tall, Rosenzweig immediately found it reasonable.
"Mr. Hara Morishita, could you grab a monkey and shake hands with it? I want you to appear friendly to demonstrate the theme of harmonious coexistence between Japanese people and nature."
"Oh, of course! Mr. Rosenzweig." Hara Morishita was very excited, thinking this was an opportunity to showcase Japanese people’s excellent character!
Soon, under the efforts of his subordinates, they found a female monkey. It was brought before Hara Morishita, who followed Rosenzweig’s instructions to stand in front of the hot spring, gripping the monkey’s paw, making a handshaking gesture. What’s more, the monkey was about half a meter tall, standing next to Hara Morishita did not look out of place, especially with the four Japanese people behind him who were shorter than him.
"Mr. Hara Morishita, don’t keep a straight face; smile."
Influenced by Bushido, Hara Morishita usually kept a straight face; only when talking to Rosenzweig, the "British person," did he put on a smile worse than crying.
And true to form, Hara Morishita’s smile was not just awkward, using the phrase ’earth-shaking’ might be more apt.
"Good, keep that expression." Rosenzweig, who anticipated this, was satisfied, "In a moment, when I take the photo, don’t make any changes."
With a "click," under the exposure, Hara Morishita’s expression was clearly captured, but the monkey seemed to have been frightened into baring its teeth, which the photo also caught.
"Alright, Mr. Hara Morishita, you certainly are photogenic. I think the citizens of London will love your friendly samurai image."
"Oh, Mr. Rosenzweig, thank you so much for coming all this way to Japan to promote Japan’s international image."
"No, no, Mr. Hara Morishita, you’re too kind. It’s what I must do. Long live Anglo-Japanese friendship!"
"You’re absolutely right, Mr. Rosenzweig, but could I borrow that thing called a camera to have a look?"
"I’m afraid that’s not possible, Mr. Hara Morishita. This instrument belongs to the company, and by regulation, it cannot be loaned out. It’s extremely precious."
"Then the photos you mentioned!"
Rosenzweig said with a regretful expression, "There’s no way to see it now; only when I return to London can they be developed."
Unable to see the photos immediately, Hara Morishita felt a little disappointed but asked again, "Mr. Rosenzweig, which newspaper company do you work for? I have a friend who will soon visit the UK for a while, and I’d like him to bring back a copy for me."
Rosenzweig responded with a peculiar look, "No problem, our newspaper is quite influential in the UK. Make a note of ’Sun Newspaper,’ available in every city across the UK."
"Oh, thank you."
The Sun Newspaper was founded by Heixinggen Bank. Upon its initial rollout in London, it was unanimously criticized by British society because the newspaper clashed severely with Britain’s conservative social ethos. Facts prove that sensationalism doesn’t go far, and so the Sun Newspaper took a more suggestive approach.
While skirting the line prevented critics from finding flaws in the Sun Newspaper, British public figures continued to resist it with righteous indignation, leading to the Sun Newspaper ranking number one in sales in the UK.
May 8, 1871.
The new issue of Sun Newspaper is published on London’s streets.
"Sir! Would you like a copy of The Times or maybe the Guardian?" a newsboy asked, eyeing the old gentleman before him, assuming this old man loved discussing national affairs.
"Give me the latest Sun Newspaper, please," the old gentleman said as quietly as possible; after all, being overheard by acquaintances on the street would not be good.
"Uh, okay, sir." The little newsboy handed today’s issue of the Sun Newspaper to the old gentleman.
The old gentleman looked around, found no one paying attention, swiftly took the newspaper, folded it, and tucked it into his coat to take home and enjoy.
Back home.
He locked the door, lay on the sofa, pulled out the newspaper he bought, and said, "Let me critique this... Hmm, those legs... the world is getting worse!"
Soon after feeling quite pleased, the old gentleman slowly flipped a page to see today’s news.
The Versailles Army began bombarding the Paris fortifications. "Good, let these Frenchmen slaughter each other."
Soon, he noticed a photo appearing below the news, accompanied by the text: Japanese love for hot springs might originate from Japanese macaques, Darwin may be the biggest winner. What on earth is this? So hideously scary! The old gentleman spat on the photo of Hara Morishita, but he wasn’t surprised, knowing the Sun Newspaper’s style was always this irreverent.
A few months later, the widely despised Hara Morishita in London received the Sun Newspaper sent back by a friend from London, and upon learning it was a tabloid newspaper, Hara Morishita turned pale with anger.
"Sheriff’s office..."
Years later, Hara Morishita’s stories spread by his discreet friend, and he eventually passed away in anguish. Before he died, he told his grandson, "In the future... make sure to kill more British people..."