"Military Department?"
Upon hearing Sanjii Chiko's introduction, Mochikawa felt a bad premonition. "What is this Military Department?"
Sanjii Chiko looked at Mochikawa with confusion and replied, "It's a military organization established by Chief Minister of Military Affairs Inoue Kiyoshi, including the Ministry of Army, Ministry of Navy, General Staff Office, and Naval General Staff Office, with subordinate military organs such as the Kwantung Army and Kansai Army. It is a group composed of young and middle-ranking officers."
"As expected..."
Mochikawa couldn't help but recall the den of demons from his previous life that had dragged the entire Asian continent into hell.
The Military Department, after Kiyoshi Inoue's tour of Europe, had set the course for Neon to "learn from Britain for the navy and France (later Germany) for the army" and established this system.
Its earliest conscious application was in 1907 (Meiji 40) during the formulation of the "Imperial National Defense Policy," which stipulated that the defense policy would be proposed by the General Staff Office and Naval General Staff Office, and the Emperor would order the cabinet to study it. The attached documents, "Forces Required for National Defense" and "Outline of Imperial Army Deployment," were solely decided by military authorities. Subsequently, with the heads of departments and sections of the General Staff Office, Naval General Staff Office, Ministry of Army, and Ministry of Navy (all active duty officers) as the core, they were responsible for promoting political work aimed at strengthening military power and clandestine activities abroad.
In modern Japanese history, the Military Department specifically refers to the upper echelons of the military. They controlled military departments, formed a unique political force, and exerted influence. The constitution stipulated that the command of the army and navy, as well as the determination of military organization and strength, belonged to the Emperor.
Famous political factions within the Military Department were the "Control Faction" and the "Imperial Way Faction." The latter launched the "February 26 Incident" (a military coup in Neon), while the former suppressed the latter during this incident and inherited its main militaristic ideology, subsequently launching the war of aggression against China.
The most notable aspects of the Japanese Military Department were the "Army-Navy Rivalry" and "Gekokujo" (subordination of the superior by the inferior).
These were also the reasons for Mochikawa's increasingly strange expression upon hearing the term "Military Department."
"The supporter promoted by the Military Department, Prince Sendoku, is the maternal grandson of Tojo Takatami, the current Minister of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army."
"???"
Mochikawa knew what was going to happen with his rear end. He immediately asked, "Where are we going now?"
"A hotel owned by the Mitsui Group..."
"Contact Shuten Doji immediately! I need to find her!"
...
At eleven o'clock that night, the Military Department.
Kimura Mochitaro frowned as he placed the proposal from the Ministry of Army on the desk, then picked up his pipe and lit the tobacco.
Recently, many of the Military Department's demands had become increasingly outrageous. This time, the request for military spending had increased by another 5%, which was simply insatiable.
Keep in mind that this 5% amounted to 10 million Monme (Ұ, approximately 500,000 Longguo coins), which was roughly 12% of the total annual income of the residents of Tokyo-machi last year.
Moreover, as of now, the Ministry of Army's expenditure accounted for 8% of Neon's Gross National Income, and the Ministry of Navy accounted for 7%.
As a veteran of the Imperial Way Faction, it was supposed to be his duty, with the Emperor gravely ill, to seek all methods to treat the Emperor's serious illness on the one hand, and on the other, to stabilize the court and determine the next emperor.
However, the nine elders of the Imperial Way Faction had all fallen silent.
Because the Emperor was unable to govern, the power and influence of the nine elders had been strengthened unprecedentedly. Even Sakai Ikkou, who managed the judiciary, the least lucrative post, had embezzled nearly 15 million Monme in bribes.
As the "Big Three" among the nine elders, Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi, Minister of Military Affairs Kimura Mochitaro, and Minister of Finance Tanaka Ichiro had also grown fat and complacent. However, what worried Kimura Mochitaro was the growing subordinates and their dissatisfaction.
It was originally an established transaction of interests for him to expand his power while they received military pay. But what Kimura Mochitaro never expected was that the other party would become so audacious and greedy in this matter.
"I already refused once... Let's negotiate again this time... Try to get it down to 4% and then agree."
With this thought, Kimura Mochitaro tidied his desk and walked out of the government office building.
"Let's go for a drink tonight... have some seasoned octopus and grilled chicken meatballs," Kimura Mochitaro called out to his chauffeur. "Don't go home yet, let's go to Fujiwara's izakaya for a drink."
The chauffeur nodded. Just as he started the car, he felt as if he had hit something.
"Boom—"
The explosion's flames illuminated the tranquil night sky above the government building.
...
Meanwhile, at Inukai Tsuyoshi's mansion.
Inukai Tsuyoshi put away his calligraphy scrolls and prepared to return to his bedroom to sleep.
Walking along the corridor in the courtyard, gazing at the lonely moon, cold water, withered pines, and broken stones, Inukai Tsuyoshi's mind was filled with thoughts.
Now that the Emperor was gravely ill, he, as the Prime Minister, should choose a side.
At least not for himself, but for his descendants.
Inukai Tsuyoshi knew better than anyone else among the nine elders that the power and interest network of the nine elders was like a candle in the wind, easily extinguished by a slight breeze.
Allowing these people to enrich themselves now was merely to secure a way out for himself when he lost power and influence.
Suddenly, Inukai Tsuyoshi heard gunshots from the direction of the front yard. He hurriedly tried to hide nearby but ran headfirst into his old butler.
The butler had been shot once, and his shoulder was bleeding continuously. However, he endured the pain and said to Inukai Tsuyoshi, "Sir, a group of young soldiers armed with guns has broken into the mansion. Please hide in the bathroom, and I will impersonate you!"
A strong will to survive prompted Inukai Tsuyoshi to quickly take off his coat and give it to the butler. Then, wearing the butler's blood-stained clothes, he hid in the bathroom cabinet.
After hiding Inukai Tsuyoshi, the butler ran into the courtyard and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" in front of the rebels before charging forward with a samurai sword.
Because Inukai Tsuyoshi's special ability was swordsmanship, someone in the rebel ranks pointed at the butler and shouted, "This is Inukai Tsuyoshi! Kill him!"
He was then shot to death. Finally, the rebels called a female maid from the courtyard to identify the body.
The terrified maid nodded repeatedly. The rebels mistakenly believed that Inukai Tsuyoshi had been killed, and then they imposed a curfew on the Prime Minister's residence and arranged for the butler's body to be collected for a funeral the next day.
...
Meanwhile, Saito Ishi and Suzuki Seitaro were not so lucky.
The former was the Minister of the Interior and Admiral. When the rebels stormed into Saito Ishi's bedroom, they found him awake and wearing his pajamas. His wife stood in front of him. Without a word, the rebels fired three shots at him.
Seeing this, Saito Ishi's wife threw herself onto her husband's body, trying to shield him from the rebels' bullets. These rebel officers were clearly targeting only Saito Ishi, so they extended their gun barrels under Mrs. Saito and continued to shoot the elderly man.
Because too many people were firing simultaneously, Saito Ishi's right palm, which he instinctively used to shield his face, was blown to pieces, leaving only a thumb and half a palm.
The latter was the Minister of Education. The rebels quietly surrounded Suzuki Seitaro's mansion, then sent people to climb over the wall and directly into the second-floor bedroom.
Suzuki Seitaro was still sound asleep when several rebels quietly entered the room. One rebel raised his pistol and fired several shots at him, while others drew their sabers and wildly slashed and stabbed him.
The intense pain caused Suzuki Seitaro to suddenly sit up. One rebel severed his right arm with a single saber cut, and then several others armed with blades surged forward, brutally dismembering Suzuki Seitaro.
In less than a minute, Suzuki Seitaro died tragically in his bedroom. His family was awakened by the gunshots and hurried to dress and get out of bed into the courtyard. At this moment, the rebels were descending from the second floor, their bodies already splattered with blood.
These men encountered the stunned family and bowed politely, saying, "Sorry to have disturbed you!" and then swaggered out through the front gate.
Within an hour, among the nine elders, Minister of Military Affairs Kimura Mochitaro, Minister of the Interior and Admiral Saito Ishi, Minister of Education Suzuki Seitaro, political leader and Speaker Makino Tada, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sakamoto Okawa all died on the spot; Grand Chamberlains Gen Hyōbee and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sakai Ikkou were clinging to life; only Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi and Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Mitsubishi Group Tanaka Ichiro escaped.
Subsequently, the Military Department began to extend its killing spree to the Imperial Palace, the Crown Prince's Mansion, and Prince Meitoku's Mansion.