PFC Chapter 1085 Some boundaries must not be crossed.
Chapter 1085 Some boundaries must not be crossed.
Jinwei Wen's frown was extremely restrained; the tip of his left eyebrow was raised by less than a millimeter and lasted for less than half a second before returning to calm.
But in this room, everyone is adept at capturing micro-expressions.
As prime minister, he needs to consider overall stability and international repercussions.
He picked up the teacup in front of him, supporting the bottom with his left hand and pinching the rim with his right thumb and forefinger. Following standard tea ceremony etiquette, he gently swirled it twice, drank it in three sips, and then placed the teacup back on the lacquered table, his movements meticulous. Afterward, he coughed lightly, his voice steady but carrying obvious worry:
"Yuan De, the Tuoren people have really caused a huge commotion this time. Tens of thousands of imperial soldiers have died or been wounded. This is even more dangerous than the February 26 Incident back then."
If it weren't for His Majesty's wise decision and the Noble Council's all-out efforts, those people in the military would never have let this go.
At a meeting of the Ministry of the Army, Utsune Kazunari and Sugiyama Gen slammed their fists on the table and declared that this was "an unprecedented act of rebellion since the establishment of the Meiji Army."
The repercussions of this incident have yet to subside, and Western countries, as well as those in the Chinese government, are probably already laughing at us.
It is no coincidence that U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Grove, specifically mentioned "disturbing tendencies toward loss of control within the Japanese military" in a note he submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week.
"Uehan Kazunari? Sugiyama Gen? Hmph... A bunch of cowards. Why didn't they dare to speak up during the Imperial Conference! Why do they have to gossip behind people's backs to show their courage?" Takasaki Gentoku sneered disdainfully.
Emperor Hirohito did not speak immediately.
He picked up the Gyokuro tea in front of him, his movements slower and more solemn than those of the guards.
The tea bowl is pure white porcelain, without any patterns, symbolizing the Emperor's "purity and innocence".
He took a small sip, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. When he put the teacup down, the ceramic made a soft "click" sound as it touched the lacquered table, which was unusually clear in the silence.
His gaze fell on a corner of the hall.
In the copper "fire-catching vessel," the fragrant wood had burned to the middle section, and wisps of blue smoke continued to rise straight up. When it reached about the height of a person, it was stirred by the weak airflow near the roof, and began to twist and rotate, forming a spiral pattern, before slowly dispersing and blending into the dim light of the room.
"Are you here to laugh at us?"
The Emperor spoke slowly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, but each word was like a meticulously polished piece of jade, cold and hard: "Let them see."
What the empire needs is iron and blood, a sharp sword that can clear away all obstacles, not rotten wood that clings to the old ways and hesitates to look back.
Matsui Iwane was stubborn and self-willed, and his poor command led to several defeats on the front lines.
In Shanghai, disregarding the casualties of his soldiers, he almost forced the 101st Division into a suicide charge, burying an entire special division.
According to my information, the 101st Division is on the verge of collapse, and Ito Masaki is being forced to commit seppuku by Matsui Iwane!
At the Xicheng defense line, Matsui Iwane's offensive was mindless, blindly sending his soldiers to charge!
Does he think this is still the period of the Russian-Soviet war?
They even dared to attack members of the Yoshida family, and even put members of the Sakai and Nakagawa families under house arrest!
Such people have no reverence in their hearts! Keeping them around is a disaster.
He paused, his gaze shifting from the brazier to Takasaki Gentoku, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Takuto's methods this time were a bit drastic, but the result... was unexpectedly good."
After this chaos, the powerful factions in the Central China Expeditionary Army were broken up, and Prince Asaka Yasuhiko took over, which allowed for their reintegration.
Terauchi Hisaichi and Ueda Kenkichi, having also discerned the changing winds through this incident, sent secret telegrams from Beiping and Kanto a couple of days prior, expressing their "absolute obedience to His Majesty's divine decision." Most importantly…
The Emperor paused, this time for a long time, so long that the air in the room almost seemed to freeze.
Ayako unconsciously lowered her breathing, and Motonori Takasaki's cynical smile faded slightly as he leaned forward, adopting a listening posture.
The Emperor's voice was lowered by three decibels, but each word became even clearer, like a fine needle piercing the eardrum: "Let everyone understand that some boundaries cannot be crossed."
Even the military must understand who the true ruler of this country is.
Showa Sixth Year, March Incident.
The Blood Pact Incident of 1944.
In 1942, February 26th... Time and again! They tested my limits time and time again!
I can tolerate their expansion abroad, and I can tolerate their purging of "disloyalty" within, but I cannot tolerate them forgetting that the highest power in Japan must be held in my hands.
As the story neared its end, a chill ran through me.
He understood the Emperor's unspoken message.
On the surface, this incident appeared to be Takasaki Takuto's arrogant and reckless behavior, but in reality, it was the Emperor using Takasaki Takuto to give a severe warning to the increasingly arrogant army, which was on the verge of breaking free of control, especially the radical forces of the "Control Faction" and the "Imperial Way Faction" within it.
The death and injury of tens of thousands of soldiers and the shock of internal strife were used to re-establish the absolute authority of the emperor and to warn those soldiers who attempted to expand their power indefinitely during the war, or even to harbor rebellious intentions, that their life and death were still in the hands of the capital.
Furthermore, Fumio Kino also realized that Terauchi Hisaichi and Ueda Kenkichi had definitely communicated with the Emperor before the incident occurred!
No wonder Takasaki Takuto was able to easily gain the support of the North China Area Army and the Kwantung Army!
Although I had suspected it for a long time, what the Emperor revealed today must be the real inside story!
This reminded me of that snowy February morning in 1936.
At 5 a.m. on February 26, the rebel army ravaged Kyoto.
At that time, he was not yet the prime minister, but the speaker of the House of Peers. He heard the news firsthand by phone from his residence.
He remembers saying only one sentence at the time: "The time has come to test His Majesty."
But what happened later changed his perception...
Takasaki Motonori remained smiling, seemingly oblivious to the bloodshed in the Emperor's words, or perhaps already accustomed to it.
He tapped the edge of the lacquered table lightly with his fingers, making a soft "tap, tap, tap" sound, the rhythm casual, as if he were keeping time for some silent melody.
Then he spoke, his tone as indifferent as if discussing the weather: "What does it matter if tens of thousands of people die?"
Jinwei Wen's fingers twitched slightly.
Takasaki Motonori continued, his voice even carrying a hint of languor:
"In war, people always die. The key is whether the deaths are worthwhile."
Matsui, that old devil, and his bunch of idiots are just a waste of the empire's resources if they're alive. If they die, it will make room for truly useful people and cool down those hot-headed army idiots. I think it's worth it.
Your Majesty, the task you ordered me to complete has been accomplished. My men have met with Matsui Iwane, who was being held in secret.
Do you know what Matsui Iwane wrote after reading your letter of inquiry?
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Weren't Takuto's men found out?"
Takasaki Motonori took out a small folded piece of paper from his pocket. Instead of handing it directly to the Emperor, which would be disrespectful, he placed it on the lacquered table and pushed it to the edge of the imperial tent with his index and middle fingers.
The paper used was "official paper" specially made for the Army General Staff Headquarters; it was thick and had subtle patterns on the edges.