Uehara Junpei was shrewd and calculating, and naturally did not want to leave any hidden dangers. He knew that by participating in this matter, he would inevitably bear a lot of responsibility.
There are differing opinions within the military, and even among the high-ranking officers, there are differing thoughts. Even if they are aware of the stakes, not everyone is willing to give up the benefits they have already gained. Therefore, there are those who advocate war and those who advocate peace, each with their own reasons. No matter what the final outcome is, there will always be people who are dissatisfied.
Even Harada Takeo, the instigator, wanted to use this peace talk to gain more power, just like Kagesa Hiroki, and increase his influence in the military. He could have just watched from the sidelines; why should he have taken the lead?
Moreover, smuggling with the Nationalist-controlled areas could not be discussed openly. If the scheme failed or was exposed, it would damage the network of relationships established by Fujiwara Tomohito, affecting his own interests. How could Uehara Junpei easily allow Fujiwara Tomohito to get involved?
Ning Zhiheng felt relieved after hearing Yingzuo Yushu's words. He had made arrangements in the Nationalist-controlled area to prevent investigation by Japanese intelligence agencies, but there were still clues to follow. If they carefully investigated along the transportation lines, they could still lead the clues to the Baoding Clique, the most powerful faction in the Nationalist Army. There were many things that could not be kept secret.
Fortunately, he now has sufficient power and influence in both China and Japan, as well as strong allies, which makes people wary of him. He has managed to operate without any major problems until now. If Harada Takeo really wants to target him, it will be a real problem.
Ning Zhiheng pondered for a moment and said softly, "Uncle is right. Getting involved in this kind of thing is harmful and not beneficial. My connections in the Kuomintang-controlled areas don't allow me to reach the top leaders in Chongqing. If I get targeted because of this, I'll suffer heavy losses. Harada is just grasping at straws in desperation. Why would he come to me?"
Uehara Junpei waved his hand and said, "Although I rejected him, judging from his behavior today, I think he is still somewhat unwilling. However, I will handle everything, so you don't need to worry about it. This person is a confidant of Chief of the General Staff Itagaki and has been in charge of the General Staff Headquarters. He has considerable influence in the military. You should not have a direct conflict with him."
Uehara Junpei was worried that his nephew, being young and impetuous, might rely on his powerful connections and get harassed by Harada Takeo again. He might lose his temper and clash with Harada Takeo, whose background was not simple either, so he should give him some face.
Ning Zhiheng was certainly not a real playboy. On the contrary, he was shrewd and worldly-wise. With his background as a direct descendant of the Fujiwara family, he could still be a powerful figure in Shanghai. However, in Nanjing, he was still somewhat outmatched by the real big shots in the Japanese army. Of course, he had to restrain his brilliance and not make enemies unnecessarily.
Upon hearing Uehara Junpei's words, he nodded in agreement and said, "I understand. Even if Harada tries to persuade me again, I'll just pretend to be confused and refuse!"
Seeing that Ning Zhiheng's attitude was easygoing and showed no displeasure, Uehara Junpei said approvingly, "It's best if you think that way. I'm just reminding you that Harada Takeo's starting point is also good. Our current situation is not good. The war on the Chinese front is not going well and is costly. The situation is the same at home. The economy is declining rapidly. The cabinet has repeatedly urged the military to resolve the war in China as soon as possible, but the General Headquarters has not been able to come up with any effective measures. This is why Harada Takeo and his people are desperate and are preparing to propose peace talks to the Chongqing government."
Uehara Junpei is right. At this stage, Japan is indeed in a difficult situation. In fact, it can be said that the high-intensity battles launched after the outbreak of the full-scale war have caused Japan's national strength to decline very rapidly.
The steel industry, the core of industrial production, has suffered a significant reduction in production due to shortages of ore, pig iron, and scrap steel. Currently, it relies entirely on importing scrap steel from the United States to maintain operations.
As the lifeblood of industry, oil is entirely dependent on imports from the United States, and reserves are rapidly declining.
The most critical issue was food, which was in the worst condition. Due to a severe drought, large-scale food shortages occurred in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka in 1939. The government even had to mandate that citizens could not purchase more than two liters at a time, which caused extreme anxiety among the people.
Since the occupation of China, the cost of maintaining the occupation has been enormous. Because China's existing economy is extremely underdeveloped and cannot generate returns quickly, the Japanese occupiers could not carry out economic exploitation without paying huge sums of money for suppression. This huge expenditure put the Japanese economy under immense pressure in just three years, and the Japanese government had to call on the Japanese people to tighten their belts and support the war.
Ning Zhiheng was also very clear about this. At this stage, not only was the Chinese government facing difficulties and numerous challenges, but the Japanese government was also overwhelmed and persevering through gritted teeth.
Ning Zhiheng said with relief, "Yes, when I was in Shanghai, I heard a lot about the difficult environment in China. Fortunately, I didn't go back to China to develop my career, otherwise I would have had a hard time making a difference."
Uehara Junpei smiled slightly. He knew that Fujiwara Tomohito's success today was due to taking advantage of the war to smuggle supplies and make a fortune from it. He would not have had such an opportunity in Japan.
However, as an ally, Uehara Junpei also benefited greatly from it. Not to mention anything else, his family members in Japan lived a life that ordinary people could not afford because of the industries and money that Fujiwara Tomohito kept giving them. Uehara Junpei was extremely satisfied with this.
Just as the two were talking and discussing various matters, the liaison officer, Araki Tetsu, knocked on the door and entered, respectfully reporting: "General, the military police commander, Koda Kanan, the head of the Special Higher Police Section, Imai Yuji, and the president of the United News Agency, Ihara Taichi, and others request an audience."
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