Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 519: The decision to abandon Liuwan Fusang's homeland

In the Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Fuso, Emperor Jinto, Tojo Takehide, Suzuki Taro, Ito Hirobumi, Hashimoto Nagakiyo, and Koga Ryukata gathered together. Now that the news of the demise of the Wandao Legion has been passed back to Fuso, they gathered here to discuss a reasonable decision regarding Ryuwan.

Emperor Rendong slammed the table and stood up, his voice full of anger and disappointment: "The Fuso warriors that I am so proud of actually lost on Liuwan Island! This is simply a shame for the empire! Damn Su Zhengyang, damn China, they are simply our Fuso's mortal enemy!"

Suzuki Taro took the lead and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, calm down. I think that China is now at its peak of power, and we should not confront it head-on. We should temporarily abandon Liuwan Island, recuperate, and wait until the time is right before making further advances."

Tojo Yuei said in a deep voice: "What Suzuki-kun said is absolutely right. Your Majesty, war is not a joke. We need to analyze the situation calmly. It is not good for us to go to war with China now."

Ito Hirobumi hesitated and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. We should consider it carefully. Given the current situation, perhaps giving up Liuwan Island is a wiser choice."

However, Hashimoto Nagaki and Koga Ryukata disagreed with their views. Hashimoto Nagaki stood up and spoke passionately: "Your Majesty, I think the glory of Fuso should not be tarnished! We should immediately send out the naval fleet to give China a head-on blow and let them know how powerful we are!"

Koga Ryukata also echoed, "That's right, Your Majesty. Our Fuso warriors are never afraid of death! Only by fighting can we revive the prestige of our Fuso!"

Suzuki Taro narrowed his eyes, raised a mocking arc at the corner of his mouth, and said to Hashimoto Nagaki: "Hashimoto-kun, your so-called naval glory is really eye-opening. I heard that our Asian Sea Fleet was completely wiped out in front of the Chinese South Sea Fleet without even a single wave. It's really a shame for Fuso!"

Upon hearing this, Hashimoto Nagaki's face instantly turned livid. He glared at Suzuki Taro and retorted in a trembling voice, "Suzuki Taro, stop talking nonsense! The defeat of the Asian Sea Fleet was not due to their incompetence, but to their lack of strength. If we can mobilize the Pacific Fleet and the Fuso Combined Fleet to go out together, the Chinese Navy will not be worth mentioning at all!"

Suzuki Taro sneered and said disdainfully: "Hashimoto-kun, you are so arrogant. Do you think that mobilizing more fleets can solve the problem? Don't forget that the strength of the Chinese navy should not be underestimated. Moreover, our national strength cannot support such a huge war expenditure. If you do this, it will only plunge Fuso into a deeper disaster."

Hashimoto Nagaki was so angry that his face turned red. He widened his eyes and roared, "Suzuki Taro, you coward! You only know how to fear strong enemies, but you dare not face the challenge! We Fuso warriors should move forward bravely and fearlessly! Only through fighting can we wash away the shame of our Fuso!"

The two people's quarrel became louder and louder, and several people around them looked at them and talked about it. However, Suzuki Taro and Hashimoto Nagaki didn't care about the eyes of others at all. They continued to argue and refused to give in.

At this moment, the Emperor's voice suddenly rang out: "Enough! Both of you shut up!"

The emperor's angry roar instantly froze the atmosphere in the imperial study.

Taro Suzuki and Nagakiyo Hashimoto also stopped arguing.

Emperor Jindong listened to their argument, and his anger grew even stronger. He stood up suddenly and shouted, "You are a bunch of rubbish! You only know how to argue here, but you can't come up with a practical plan! Is my Fuso really going to be humiliated because of you incompetent people?"

Tojo Takehiro took a deep breath and tried to calm the emperor's anger: "Your Majesty, please listen to me. We really need to think calmly now. War is not a joke. Once a war breaks out, the consequences will be disastrous. We should send envoys to negotiate with China and strive to resolve the dispute peacefully."

Suzuki Taro also echoed, "Your Majesty, General Tojo is right. We can temporarily put aside our hostility and start negotiations with China. In this way, we can avoid unnecessary wars and gain more benefits for Fuso."

Koga Ryukata stood up suddenly and retorted in an excited voice: "Ask for peace? That would be humiliating! Judging from Su Zhengyang's attitude towards Fuso, he will never accept our request for peace. There is no room for easing between the two sides. We must be firm in our convictions and fight China to the end!"

At this time, Emperor Rendong could not help but speak. His face was livid, and his eyes were flashing with anger: "I will never beg for peace with Su Zhengyang or China! Fuso has its own pride, and we must use force to defend our dignity!"

The atmosphere in the Imperial Study became even more tense. At this moment, the Emperor suddenly pointed the finger at the Navy Minister Hashimoto Nagakiyo: "Hashimoto, I want to ask you, why did Fuso's Yamato battleship appear in the Chinese fleet? You know, the Yamato-class battleship is our national treasure, and we only have two of them at present!"

Upon hearing this, Hashimoto Nagaki's face turned pale instantly. He took a deep breath, tried to calm his inner panic, and replied: "Your Majesty, I have already made every effort to investigate this matter. Preliminary analysis shows that someone among the core personnel of the Imperial Shipyard betrayed Fuso and sold the blueprints of the Yamato battleship. This is a serious leak. I will find out the truth as soon as possible and punish the offender severely!"

The Emperor was even more furious after hearing this. He slammed the table and stood up, shouting: "What kind of business are you as the Minister of the Navy? You can even leak our most important blueprints! This is outrageous! Hashimoto, you must give me a satisfactory explanation! Otherwise, you, the Minister of the Navy, should go back to the North Sea and be a fisherman!"

Hashimoto Nagaki lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Emperor Jindong's angry eyes.

He knew that this incident had indeed brought great losses and humiliation to Fuso. He could only silently endure the emperor's anger and secretly make up his mind to find out the truth as soon as possible and restore Fuso's dignity.

After several hours of heated discussions, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study finally eased. Emperor Jindong sat on the dragon throne, his eyes deep and firm, his face full of reluctance and helplessness.

He spoke slowly, his voice revealing an unquestionable determination: "I have decided to temporarily abandon Liuwan Island. However, this does not mean that we in Fuso are afraid of China. It's just that under the current situation, we must remain calm and avoid greater losses."

As soon as these words came out, there was a lot of discussion in the meeting room. Although Hashimoto Nagaki and Koga Ryukata were unwilling to accept it, they also understood that the emperor's decision was based on the overall situation, so they had to accept it silently.

Emperor Rendong continued, "At the same time, we must strengthen the defense of Fuso's homeland and the coastal areas to prevent China from attacking our homeland after taking Liuwan Island. I don't want to see the people of Fuso being ravaged by war."

Suzuki Taro nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. Strengthening defense is the top priority at the moment. We also need to adjust our military strategy to prepare for any emergency."

Tojo Yuhide also echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty. We must be fully prepared in case China takes the opportunity to launch an attack."

However, despite the decision to temporarily abandon Liuwan Island, Emperor Rendong still had an unyielding light in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "Although I have temporarily let China go, it does not mean that we Fuso will bow to China. One day, we will avenge today's humiliation and make China pay the price it deserves!