The Nanjing Incident, 1927 (3)
Imperial Palace, Tokyo
The Army's Defiance
The Minister of War bowed deeply before the Emperor, his voice strained.
"Your Majesty, with all due respect—I beg you to reconsider the sale of our concessions in China."
"Why?" The Emperor's tone was glacial. "At the cabinet meeting, you alone opposed this. In Nanjing, we avoided deaths, but injuries mounted. If attacks continue, civilians will suffer next."
"We will reinforce our garrisons, Your Majesty. We cannot tolerate China's lawlessness!"
"China's population is vast. If tens of thousands riot, even our Imperial Army may falter."
The Minister stiffened. "Trust in us, Your Majesty. Moreover, selling these assets—worth nearly our national budget—would be folly. No nation or corporation would pay fair value. If America seizes them, Sino-American ties will strengthen, to Japan's detriment."
"America covets China's concessions. They may bid well. And we are not America's enemy."
('This is why amateurs shouldn't meddle in geopolitics,' the Minister thought privately.)
Clash of Ideals
"Your Majesty, these rights were won by blood in the First Sino-Japanese War. To relinquish them dishonors our ancestors—even Emperor Meiji, who decreed that war. And while America isn't yet hostile, they see Japan as a threat. We must be vigilant!"
The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "So rights seized by war must never be surrendered? Should Japan expand eternally through conflict?"
"Not wantonly, Your Majesty. But in times of national crisis, it is unavoidable."
"Is this such a crisis?"
"Not yet. But retreating from our concessions would signal weakness. And supporting Aisin-Gioro Puyi's Qing restoration in Manchuria is premature—it risks alienating Zhang Zuolin, whom we currently control."
(Note: The Imperial Army still saw Zhang as a puppet. The public, too, opposed surrendering hard-won assets.)
The Emperor's Gambit
"Minister, consider this: Had Britain and America kept occupying Shimonoseki after 1864, could we be allies today? Peace requires compromise. I wish to be 'friends' with all nations—not their overlord."
The Minister's patience frayed. "Your Majesty, the world is a jungle. Japan cannot afford idealism. And forgive my bluntness—some fear you're unduly influenced by Captain Takashiro and the Space Force. Distance yourself, I beg you!"
The Emperor's voice turned lethal. "You sound like Oberstein."
(A reference to Legend of the Galactic Heroes, where the cold tactician Oberstein's advice doomed the protagonist's best friend.)
The room chilled. The Minister flinched as the Emperor pressed: "Zhang Zuolin was a Russian spy during the Russo-Japanese War. Our men saved his life only to turn him against Russia. Can such a turncoat truly be trusted?"
The Minister paled. "H-How do you know—?"
(This was a classified Army secret. The Emperor, aged 3 during the war, should never have known.)
"Did you think me ignorant? Does the Army see its Emperor as a mere figurehead?" The Emperor exhaled. "Enough. Delay the asset sale if you must—but evacuate our civilians now. I will not leave my people in danger. Reconsider your stance, Minister."
Takashiro's Dilemma
Later, the Emperor confided in Takashiro Soryu:
"The evacuation order is stalled. Even redirecting troops from Nanjing to Hankou may not save our civilians in time."
Soryu clenched his fists. Historically, Hankou's Japanese residents were massacred just 10 days after Nanjing. Time had run out.
"Your Majesty, we must shelter civilians in consulates and evacuate them by naval vessels when possible."
A bitter admission: The Army's defiance had shattered their plans.
To be continued in The Hankou Crisis...
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A/N: "Letting go of hard-won gains is never easy..."
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