webnovelfull Chapter 948: Envoy from China
Chapter 948: Envoy from China
In the cabinet's meeting room, the atmosphere was solemn and tense; the occasional bird calls outside the window seemed to be swallowed up by the depression.
Prime Minister Tojo Takehide sat at the head of the long table, his face stern, his eyes like torches, scanning every official present. His fingers tapped the tabletop lightly, making a rhythmic sound that was particularly clear in this quiet environment.
"Everyone, the current situation is not optimistic." Tojo Takehiro's voice was steady and powerful. "The news about His Majesty the Emperor has been hyped up without reason, and the people are in turmoil. The order in Kyoto is in jeopardy. We must act quickly to appease the people and restore social stability."
He paused, then turned his gaze to the Minister of Public Security, Jiro Kumamoto, and said, "Mr. Kumamoto, the Public Security Department is the main force in maintaining peace in Kyoto. What is your opinion on this?"
Jiro Kumamoto looked stern, stood up, and replied respectfully: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, we have devoted all our efforts to the investigation, but unfortunately, the progress is slow. Although we have captured an operative from the other side in the past half month, he remained silent during the interrogation and unfortunately died in the end, and the clues were cut off as a result."
Upon hearing this, Tojo Yuei frowned, slammed the table and stood up, his voice filled with unquestionable anger: "Enough! How can such efficiency reassure the people? Since the other party can continue to distribute tabloids, it means that there is support from the printing house behind them. Kumamoto-kun, can't you start from this angle? Do you still need me to teach you how to do things?"
Jiro Kumamoto's face turned pale, and he quickly lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly: "Yes, Prime Minister, I was negligent. I will immediately organize people to conduct a comprehensive investigation of printing houses in and outside Kyoto, especially those that have been active recently. We must find the source as soon as possible."
Tojo Yuei nodded and said in a slower tone: "Very good. Remember, we must not only find the mastermind behind this, but also solve the problem fundamentally to prevent similar incidents from happening again. At the same time, the patrol department must also strengthen street patrols to ensure the public's sense of security, and any speech and behavior that may cause panic must be stopped in a timely manner."
He turned to look at the head of the picket department: "Do you understand what I mean?"
The head of the Patrol Department quickly stood up and said, "Prime Minister, I understand. I will personally supervise the battle and ensure that all members of the Patrol Department are on the battlefield day and night to maintain the security and stability of Kyoto."
In the meeting room, officials from other departments also expressed their willingness to cooperate fully to jointly deal with this crisis. Seeing this, Tojo Yuei's anger gradually subsided. He took a deep breath and his tone returned to his usual calm and decisiveness: "Very good, everyone, for the sake of His Majesty the Emperor and the future of the Fuso Empire, let's work together!"
As the atmosphere of the meeting gradually heated up and the discussion entered a white-hot stage, a captain of the guards in neat military uniform rushed in almost breaking through the door, interrupting all the noise in the room. This sudden move startled everyone, especially Prime Minister Tojo Takehide, who suddenly raised his head and glared at the guard who didn't know the rules, his voice trembling with anger: "Baga! Don't you know you have to knock before entering? How disrespectful! "
The captain of the guards was frightened by the Prime Minister's anger, but he quickly calmed down, lowered his head, and explained in the most respectful tone possible: "I am very sorry, Prime Minister, the situation is urgent. I broke in without notification because there is an important matter that I need to report to you immediately."
Tojo Yuei took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and asked coldly: "Tell me, what's the matter?"
The captain of the guard raised his head with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes. "Outside the cabinet, there is a man who claims to be a staff officer under Liu Chengxu. He claims that he is here as an envoy to meet the Prime Minister on orders from his superiors."
As soon as these words came out, the conference room fell into a dead silence, and everyone's eyes were focused on Tojo Takehiro's face. His pupils suddenly shrank, and his face was full of disbelief. The war between the two sides was in full swing, and Fuso's defense line was repeatedly breached, and morale was low. At this time, the other side's envoy suddenly visited, which undoubtedly brought great confusion and puzzlement to everyone present.
"Liu Chengxu?" Tojo Yuei repeated the name with a hint of unbelievable bitterness in his voice. "Why did he send someone here at this time?"
The officials present also began to whisper to each other. Some speculated that the other side might want to negotiate a ceasefire, while others thought that this might be a trick of the enemy to try to undermine Fuso's will to resist from within.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this..." An official spoke hesitantly, as if he wanted to express his concerns but didn't know how to start.
Tojo Yuei waved his hand and interrupted him: "Don't be impatient, let the envoy come in and listen to what he says. No matter what the other party's purpose is, we must remain calm and not be fooled by the false appearance."
As he spoke, he looked at the captain of the guards, his eyes revealing an unquestionable determination: "Bring him in, let me see what this Liu Chengxu's staff officer is up to."
With the departure of the captain of the guard, the meeting room returned to calm again. However, underneath this calm, there were undercurrents, and everyone's hearts were filled with doubts and uneasiness.
As the captain of the guards quietly opened the door, a young man in a blue Mao suit and with a handsome face slowly walked into the conference room. His steps were steady and his expression was calm, as if the tense atmosphere around him had nothing to do with him. The arrival of the young man made everyone present hold their breath involuntarily, and their eyes were all focused on him.
Tojo Yuei stared at the uninvited guest intently, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, as if trying to catch a flaw from the other person's eyes. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke in a low and powerful voice: "Are you the envoy sent by Liu Chengxu?"
The young man nodded slightly, with a polite smile on his face. He spoke in a clear voice, revealing a confidence that should not be underestimated: "Yes, Prime Minister, I am one of the staff officers under Commander Liu Chengxu, my name is Zhuo Mingxuan. In front of you, I am just a small character who is not worth mentioning."
Zhuo Mingxuan's answer made Tojo Yuei frown slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and continued to ask: "So, Chief of Staff Zhuo, what is the purpose of your visit this time?"
Zhuo Mingxuan's expression remained calm. He slowly took a few steps forward and stood on one side of the conference table. He looked at Tojo Yuei firmly and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, my purpose of coming here is to persuade you to surrender as soon as possible and not to struggle in vain."
As Tojo Takehiro listened to Zhuo Mingxuan's words, the expression on his face gradually became ugly.
He was silent for a moment, then said in a slightly threatening tone: "Staff Officer Zhuo, you should know that now that the war has reached this point, the rule of not killing envoys when two armies are fighting has long been abolished. You came here alone, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to return alive?"