Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Hata Shunroku's pupils contracted, then he looked around at the crowd of people staring at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Do I look like an idiot?"

"Right now, Takasaki Takuto is only taking revenge on Matsui Iwane. If I get involved, and it happens to draw the hatred over to him, wouldn't that be like playing with fire?"

"This is a matter for everyone in the military to handle together; we can't let me be the one to sacrifice myself..." Hata Shunroku muttered to himself.

"Then shut up. There's no point in arguing. That bastard Kenkichi Ueda is pushing all the blame onto Takasaki, saying he's just standing up for his nephews!"

He said he could order a stop if Takasaki agreed, and he would give the order immediately!

"Hata Shunroku! Why don't you go and talk to Takasaki-kun?" Kurai Hitaro pressed.

Finally, Hata Shunroku fell silent... without uttering a single word...

. . . . . . . . .

Just as the General Staff was in chaos, an even stronger and more invisible pressure was quietly pressing down from the top of Japanese society.

In Kyoto's Kamigyo Ward, an informal salon is being held inside a heavily guarded, traditionally elegant aristocratic mansion.

The attendees were not military personnel, but rather several influential Chinese leaders in the political and financial spheres, as well as some high-ranking officials with close ties to the court.

Their conversation naturally revolved around the current military unrest that had shocked the government and the public.

"Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on these events in China?" An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a kimono, spoke slowly. He was a highly respected former duke whose family had a complex relationship with the Takasaki family.

This gathering was arranged at the behest of the Takasaki family, with the aim of uniting the nobles to put pressure on the military.

This wasn't the only gathering like this; it was just one of many.

Those attending the party were aware of what was going on; everyone tacitly agreed.

"In my opinion, Matsui Iwane is indeed a bit... too arrogant in Central China." Another count, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and exuding a scholarly air, took a sip of tea and said slowly, "I heard that for the sake of military achievements, he even went so far as to persecute his military police colleagues who were enforcing military discipline. This is simply going against the very foundation of the empire's governance."

How can a country be governed and the world brought peace if military discipline is lax?

“Not bad.” A middle-aged nobleman with close ties to the zaibatsu chimed in, “Takasaki Takuto, although he is a bit impetuous due to his youth, has a clean background, upholds military discipline, and rectifies the internal situation. His intentions are commendable.”

"If the frontline generals are so lawless now, and are not restrained, they will become too powerful to control in the future, which may not be a blessing for the empire."

. . . . . . . .

These conversations, though seemingly casual, clearly reveal a common tendency among the Japanese aristocratic class.

They were already dissatisfied with the military, especially the radicalism and "subordinates overthrowing superiors" among the lower-ranking officers, and worried that the excessive expansion of the military's power would harm the interests and status of these traditional nobles.

As a member of the nobility, Takasaki Takuto's actions in reforming military discipline were, to some extent, seen by them as a check on the "reckless" forces within the army.

Therefore, in this conflict, many members of the Chinese community, either openly or covertly, chose to stand on the side of Takasaki Takuto, and put pressure on the military through various channels, demanding that it be handled "carefully." In reality, this was a show of favoritism towards Takasaki Takuto and a suppression of the "radical" generals represented by Matsui Iwane.

This pressure from within the ruling class was more of a headache for the bigwigs in the General Staff than the battle reports from the front lines.

This means that the turmoil has transcended the purely military realm and evolved into a profound political struggle.

Faced with such a serious crisis, the attitudes of the two key parties have been unusually silent and ambiguous, making the situation even more unpredictable.

One is the royal family.

The Emperor has remained remarkably silent on this matter.

He did not convene a royal meeting as usual, nor did he issue a clear instruction on the military's request.

This silence itself is a powerful political signal.

It could mean that the Emperor is disappointed and angry about the chaos within the military and is temporarily unwilling to express his opinion.

This could also suggest that the royal family is observing and waiting for a clearer outcome.

Either way, the military felt constrained and dared not make any extreme decisions for fear of offending the emperor or getting caught up in a deeper vortex of court politics.

The other was the Kwantung Army. As the main source of this "relocation" of troops, the attitudes of General Kenkichi Ueda, Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, and Lieutenant General Hideki Tojo, Chief of Staff, were crucial.

However, faced with a series of inquiries from the General Headquarters, the Kwantung Army Headquarters' responses remained vague and evasive. On the one hand, they claimed that they "believed that the subordinate divisions would abide by military discipline," while on the other hand, they emphasized that "the specific situation needs to be verified at the front lines," and at the same time, they reminded the General Headquarters that "it should fully consider whether there are management problems within the Central China Expeditionary Army."

This seemingly neutral but actually biased ambiguous attitude was clearly a cover for the actions of its subordinate divisions, and it cannot be ruled out that the Kwantung Army high command was happy to see it happen, taking the opportunity to demand more power and resources from the Central Military Headquarters.

Under pressure from multiple sides, the General Staff finally reached a reluctant and weak "consensus".

Instead of resorting to forceful military measures, the priority will be "mediation".

On the one hand, they sent increasingly harsh but empty telegrams to Matsui Iwane in Nanjing and to the various divisions that were undergoing “unusual movements,” demanding that they “maintain restraint,” “await investigation,” and “accept mediation.”

On the other hand, they secretly dispatched senior staff officers as special envoys to attempt to mediate in East China.

However, these efforts appear pale and powerless in the face of harsh reality.

Telegrams sent to various divisions either went unanswered or received only perfunctory, formatted replies: "Our unit is currently carrying out a special mission to ensure stability in the theater of operations; details cannot be disclosed."

Meanwhile, the telegrams for help sent by Matsui Iwane from Nanjing grew increasingly desperate, filled with the fear of abandonment and hysteria:

"The rebel army is about to besiege the city. Our army is attacked from both sides. The soldiers are terrified and their morale is collapsing... What about the so-called mediation by headquarters?"

Where is the so-called rescue?! If no substantial measures are taken, civil war will inevitably break out in Nanjing, and the imperial holy war will be destroyed in an instant! I have no choice but to atone with my death!

The atmosphere in the General Staff Headquarters hall had plummeted to freezing point.

Sugiyama Gen slumped into his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Prince Kan'in no Kotohito closed his eyes, and seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

Hata Shunroku and Muto Akira stopped arguing and only heavy breathing remained.

They all knew that the situation was completely out of control.

An unprecedented military crisis, triggered by a power struggle within the Imperial Army's upper echelons, is rapidly approaching its devastating climax.

The authority of the headquarters had collapsed at this moment.

Panic, like the chilly fog of Kyoto's winter, seeped into every corner of Ichigayadai and weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone in the know.