allonlinenovel Chapter 1049 Everything in moderation; too much of anything is as bad as too little.
Chapter 1049 Everything in moderation; too much of anything is as bad as too little.
"In recent years, the military has indeed strongly advocated for advancing north and south, gradually becoming too powerful to be controlled and almost breaking away from the central government's control. Your actions this time have objectively alleviated my concerns to some extent."
However, everything has its limits; too much of anything is as bad as too little.
The casualties and negative impact of this incident in Central China have threatened the very stability of the Empire's rule in China.
If I continue to indulge and condone such behavior, I fear that not only will I fail to achieve the desired balance of power, but I will also bring trouble upon myself, causing the Empire's overall situation in China, especially in the strategic region of Central China, to fall into disintegration and collapse due to a loss of command.
From the date of receipt of this telegram, you are hereby ordered to immediately restrain your behavior and prioritize the defense and order of North and Central China.
The subsequent fighting in Central China, especially the aftermath of the Nanjing conflict, shall be handled entirely by Prince Asaka Yasuhiko. You and your military police system shall refrain from further interference to avoid causing further trouble and escalating the conflict.
I will find a way to appease and resolve the dissatisfaction and pressure from the military.
However, you should also deeply reflect on yourself, refrain from being hasty and be patient, conceal your sharpness and accumulate strength to wait for the right time.
This edict is hereby earnestly issued.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zhou Zhengqing read very slowly, almost silently reciting each word.
His face remained as if wearing a perfect mask, without the slightest tremor, not even a raised eyebrow.
Only those deep eyes, as they moved between the words, showed a subtle contraction and refocusing of the pupils.
He understood the Emperor's carefully chosen words and intentions, praising the sharpness and unexpectedness of his "knife," which served to curb the increasingly arrogant radical faction in the military and alleviate the central government's concerns.
He also complained that the knife was too sharp, beyond his control, and had wounded the very foundation of the empire's rule in China, shaking its very core.
"His heart can be encouraged" is a way of reassuring, while "the methods are too extreme" is a way of warning him.
"It is not that I am unaware" means I understand, while "it has already touched the root of the problem" is a warning.
Each seemingly contradictory wording is a carefully added weight on the scales, attempting to find a delicate balance between imperial authority, factional balance, frontline stability, and long-term planning.
Time flowed by in silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the wood in the fireplace and the barely audible breathing of the two people.
After a long while, so long that every word on that page of the telegram seemed to be etched into his mind, Zhou Zhengqing slowly folded the telegram back along the original creases and put it back into the dark blue slipcase.
The movements were meticulous, even carrying a sense of ritualistic solemnity.
Then, he gently pushed the case back to the center of the coffee table, in a position almost exactly the same as when Prince Jingren had originally placed it.
He raised his head and calmly met Jingren's gaze.
"How was it?" Jingren let out a soft sigh, which sounded unusually clear in the overly quiet study, breaking the suffocating silence.
"You must be under a lot of pressure, my dear nephew-in-law. This time you've really messed up the whole of Kyoto."
His tone regained some of its previous casualness, but beneath that "casualness" lay a more somber reality.
He leaned back into the sofa, as if searching for a more stable foothold to discuss this weighty topic.
He picked up the bottle and poured a little whiskey for himself and Zhou Zhengqing. The amber liquid poured into the crystal glass with a soft, gurgling sound.
"The Emperor is truly in a precarious position this time," Prince Kagehito began, speaking in a tone somewhere between narration and commentary, his voice low but each word clear: "You're far away in Tianjin, so you probably can't imagine what Kyoto has been like these past few days."
It wasn't just an undercurrent of tension, it was practically... well, how should I put it," he paused for a moment, then found a slightly sarcastic metaphor: "like a group of old cats whose tails have been stepped on, but who don't dare to bite directly, gathering at their owner's door, silent and listless, just squatting there pitifully, their eyes filled with accusation."
He took a sip of his drink and continued, "Those old men in the military, led by Chief of Staff Sugiyama Gen and Prince Kan'in Korehito, oh, right, Prince Korehito is my great-uncle, he's of a high generation and has a lot of influence. When he kneels there, his weight is more than ten Sugiyama Gens."
He specifically pointed out the titles "Your Highness" and "Grand Uncle," emphasizing the pressure emanating from within the royal family.
"And those old marshals and generals who had long since retired to the mountains and forests, who were usually too lazy to even leave their own homes, just waiting to get a good spot at the Yasukuni Shrine... Goodness, they all came out. The scene was quite something."
Prince Jingren swirled his wine glass, a strange expression on his face, as if he found it absurd, yet also deeply fearful: "They don't argue or make a fuss, and they're nothing like those hot-headed young officers who always want to 'punish the traitors of the country'."
They quietly and punctually went to the Imperial Palace Council Hall every day, dressed in their old military uniforms, which were neatly starched and covered with medals, and knelt in a row before the Emperor.
Tears streamed down their faces as they beat their chests and stamped their feet, recounting how the "innocent" soldiers of the Central China Expeditionary Army had "unfulfilled ambitions" and "tragically suffered a sneak attack from behind." When they got to the emotional part, some of the oldest ones almost fainted on the spot.
That was truly... heartbreaking to hear, tearful to see, and anyone who didn't know better would think their entire family had been murdered.
His tone became increasingly cold and sarcastic: "They are putting pressure on the Emperor in the most traditional and effective way."
Their message was also very clear.
“Takuto, you are someone the Emperor has chosen. You are the young master of the Takasaki family, who are to be married into the Imperial Family. They can’t touch you, and they dare not touch you.”
But Your Majesty! We must give them an explanation! We must give those Imperial warriors who "died unjustly" an answer!
This act of harming comrades and destroying our own Great Wall must be severely punished!
They didn't need to shout slogans or present petitions written in blood; they simply knelt there, using silence, tears, and their medals—symbols of the empire's former glory—to silently pressure the Emperor to make a decision.
Prince Kagehito looked at Zhou Zhengqing with a complicated expression: "The Emperor sent me a telegram in private, saying that the scene made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles on the throne."
Those veteran officials were using their seniority, their achievements, and their "grief" to silently accuse the emperor of nearly squandering the empire's hard-won gains in Central China and shaking the foundations of his rule by favoring his son-in-law and indulging in internal strife.
If this continues, the empire's highest decision-making body will degenerate into a farce even more ridiculous than the tragic dramas of Kabukicho.
Jingren downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a deep voice: "So, Tuoren, do you understand now? This telegram, on the surface, is a reprimand, a constraint, a drawing of a red line."
But essentially, it's the maximum protection the Emperor can offer you under the current circumstances.
"Protect?" Zhou Zhengqing finally spoke, his voice calm and emotionless.