Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1084 Knowing One's Limits

Takasaki Motonori, the eldest son of the Takasaki family head, failed to inherit the position of family head when the old man Takasaki grew old.

The position of head of the Takasaki family can only be assumed after Takasaki Takumi has fully matured.

The reason is simply that he has already been branded with an even deeper mark: the Emperor's "white glove," a sharp blade in the dark, specializing in handling matters that cannot be mentioned in the sunlight.

In the unofficial records of the Imperial Household Agency, he had a nickname: "Lord of Shadows".

"Your subject is near the tail end?"

"Your subject is Takasaki Motonori."

The two stopped about three steps in front of the imperial tent and bowed in unison.

The angle of bending over, the position of the arms, and the point where the gaze falls have all been practiced hundreds of times, making them as perfect as a scene from a ukiyo-e painting.

The sound was steady, neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to create a slight echo in the quiet room, which was then quickly absorbed by the heavy paper door and walls.

The Emperor nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible.

He spoke, his voice flat and even, without any inflection, yet it possessed a unique penetrating power—a pronunciation style honed through years of speaking in formal settings, where every syllable was crystal clear.

"Rise. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

At the servants' prompting, the two sat upright on the cushions.

Near the end of the text, the back is straight like a pine tree, the hands are neatly placed on the knees, the fingers are naturally together, and the fingertips just touch the upper edge of the kneecap.

This is the "form of etiquette" that children of government officials are trained in from a young age. It looks simple, but in reality, maintaining this posture for half an hour without moving an inch requires strong core strength and willpower.

Takasaki Motonori, on the other hand, seemed casual. He sat down a beat faster than Kin'o, and the angle of his legs was not a completely standard "sitting upright," but rather slightly adjusted to an angle that was more conducive to getting up and exerting force instantly.

The upper body appears relaxed, but upon closer inspection, the lines of the shoulders and the tightness of the waist and abdomen reveal that this body, while relaxed, still maintains a certain alertness that could erupt at any moment, like a beast in a slumber.

The servants silently served tea and snacks.

The pastries and sweets are shaped like maple leaves, with the color of red bean paste faintly visible inside the translucent outer skin, and are served with a small dish of salted cherry blossoms.

As the servant withdrew, he seemed to melt into the shadows of the wall, and gently pulled the heavy paper door of "Between the Wutong Trees" shut.

The paper door was specially made, with lead sheets sandwiched inside, weighing over thirty kilograms, and required special skills to open and close it silently.

With a soft "click," the door latch clicked into place, leaving only three people in the room, along with a suddenly intensified sense of oppression, a mixture of trust and secrecy.

The air fell silent for a few seconds.

The only sounds were the occasional soft crackling of the fragrant wood in the brazier and the barely perceptible breathing of the three people.

Through the washi paper door, one can faintly hear the sound of pine trees rustling in the distance, a sound that seems to come from another world.

Emperor Hirohito's gaze slowly swept over the two people in front of him.

The gaze moved very slowly, as if trying to pierce through the skin and look directly into the texture of the soul.

Finally, it lingered on Takasaki Motonori's face.

At this moment, the aloofness on his face that belonged to the "human god" seemed to dissipate slightly, and the corner of his mouth even moved almost imperceptibly. It was not a smile, but just a very slight twitch of the muscles. However, for those who knew him well, this was an extremely rare change in expression.

"Alright, there are no outsiders here." The Emperor's voice remained steady, but his tone carried a rare casualness that he only showed when speaking to very close people. It was a tone that had shed its divine cloak and belonged to "humanity."

"Stop putting on that bureaucratic airs, especially you, Yuande. Who are you trying to fool with your pretense?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Weiwen's body relaxed almost imperceptibly, his shoulder blades sinking by about two millimeters, but his posture remained one of reverence for the supreme ruler, his head slightly bowed, his voice gentle and respectful:

"Before His Majesty, etiquette must not be disregarded. Moreover, the distinction between ruler and subject is like the order of heaven and earth, and even in private, it must not be disordered."

Takasaki Motonori, on the other hand, seemed to have become a completely different person in an instant.

He exaggeratedly slumped his shoulders, his originally straight back bending into a casual arc, and raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. This gesture was considered extremely disrespectful within the Imperial Palace, but he did it so naturally, as if he were simply in his own tea room.

The nonchalant smile on his face became more lively, the curve of his mouth widened, the fine lines around his eyes deepened, and he even looked a little lazy.

"Oh dear, Your Majesty, the rules here are too strict. Coming in here once is more tiring than arranging ten 'cleaning' sessions."

Just now in the corridor, I counted, and there were seven places where I needed to stop, bow, or step aside to let others pass.

"Don't those servants get back pain from standing like that all day?"

His so-called "cleanup" refers to the assassination or elimination operations of the "Sakura Group," a secret organization under his command that handles the "dirty work" for the Emperor.

This organization does not exist in official documents, is not recorded in military archives, and is not even mentioned in the Emperor's schedule.

But it does exist, like a black root system deeply embedded in the body of the empire, specifically absorbing nutrients that the sun cannot reach and dealing with "problems" that cannot be known to anyone.

Emperor Hirohito seemed to have long been accustomed to Takasaki Motonori's behavior, and even a barely perceptible warmth flashed in his eyes. It was a genuine emotion belonging to a "human" person, rather than the mask of a "human god".

But he laughed and scolded, his laughter was very soft, almost just the sound of air exhaling from his nose: "You're so unruly! That kid Tuoren's audacious and reckless nature is probably learned from you!"

They don't learn the good things, they only learn crooked and unorthodox methods!

When his son, Takasaki Takuto, was mentioned, Takasaki Motonori was not angry at all. Instead, he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. The teeth were exceptionally neat and white, which looked a bit out of place in the dimly lit room, like the fangs of a wild beast.

His smug expression was undisguised.

"Your Majesty's words are truly remarkable. My son has surpassed his father! At his age, I certainly didn't have the ability to turn the Central China Expeditionary Army Headquarters upside down in China as the commander of the military police, and even 'lost' that old fellow Matsui Iwane."

You didn't see the report; a mysterious figure attacked the temporary command post...

“Takasaki-kun…” Ayako immediately interrupted Takasaki Motonori.

Takasaki Motonori paused, glancing at the Emperor to observe his reaction. Seeing the Emperor's calm demeanor, he glared at Chikao Fumio and continued, "The key is knowing your limits."

Although that old devil Matsui has disappeared, aren't all the others safe and sound?

Those who needed cleaning up have been cleaned up, those who needed to be disciplined have been disciplined, and those who needed to be replaced have been replaced!

He spoke in a relaxed tone, as if he were talking about a fun game, rather than a shocking event that caused tens of thousands of Japanese casualties and shook the government and the public.

Jinwei Wen listened from the side, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.