Kuroki Yueyi led Ning Zhiheng up the stairs. At this moment, several officers came down the large staircase from the roundabout. They nodded to the two men as they came up, and Kuroki Yueyi and Ning Zhiheng returned the greeting with bows before passing each other.
At this moment, Kuroki Gakuichi turned to Ning Zhiheng and said, "I don't know why, but the number of troops stationed in Shanghai has increased a lot recently, and many of the officers here are unfamiliar faces."
Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the Japanese side had already begun preparations. He didn't reply, but instead asked, "Is this Ishikawa Takeshi a member of the main family?"
Hearing Ning Zhiheng's question, Kuroki Yue smiled and said, "You don't need to worry too much. He is a member of a collateral branch, just like you. That's for the best. Everyone doesn't need to be too reserved. Ishikawa also loves literature, but he later joined the army. After all, the status of soldiers in the country is getting higher and higher, and there are not many people who are truly engaged in scholarship anymore."
Ning Zhiheng echoed this sentiment, saying, "Yes, I've loved reading and writing since I was little. I'm not interested in military matters, and my peers don't want to be around me. Actually, I find it more relaxing and enjoyable to read alone!"
Upon hearing this, Kuroki Yueyi looked at Ning Zhiheng meaningfully and said, "Fujiwara-kun, we are people abandoned by the times. The future belongs to these soldiers. You are still young. I hope you will not join the military and can keep your original intentions!"
"Yes, I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Kuroki!" Ning Zhiheng quickly replied.
When Kuroki Yue heard Ning Zhiheng's answer, he could only manage a forced smile. He knew that almost all of Japan's younger generation considered it an honor to join the military, and aristocratic children like Ning Zhiheng had many connections and privileges in the military. It was hard to say that Ning Zhiheng wouldn't follow this path in the future.
Uehara Junpei's office was on the third floor, east side. The entire east side was occupied by the military intelligence department, and Uehara Junpei was the major general in charge of the intelligence department.
His secretary, seeing that it was Kuroki Gakuichi who had arrived, quickly ushered the two of them inside.
Meanwhile, Uehara Junpei had already prepared tea in his office and was sitting there waiting for Kuroki Takeichi to arrive.
"Uehara-kun, this headquarters has so many checkpoints, it's really not easy for me to see you!" Kuroki Gaku said irritably as soon as they met.
Uehara Junpei laughed and gestured for Kuroki Gakuichi to sit down, but Kuroki Gakuichi turned around and introduced Ning Zhiheng, saying, "This is my young friend, a member of the Fujiwara family in Kyoto. Weren't you looking for someone with excellent calligraphy skills? I've brought him here for you!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng finally understood. It turned out that Kuroki Yueyi didn't simply want him to accompany him, but rather that Uehara Junpei was looking for someone with good calligraphy skills, and he had been chosen.
“So you’re a member of the Fujiwara family,” Uehara Junpei said in surprise, looking at Ning Zhiheng. “That’s wonderful! I’ve been quite anxious these past few days, and I didn’t expect you to actually find him for me.”
Ning Zhiheng then bowed respectfully and said, "General, I am Fujiwara Tomohito. Please take good care of me!"
"Please sit down, Mr. Tengyuan. Let's have some tea first, and then I'll appreciate your calligraphy!" Uehara Junpei gestured for Ning Zhiheng to sit down as well.
Ning Zhiheng placed the books he was holding on the table, and Kuroki Yueyi smiled and said, "These are all the books on your reading list. I spent a lot of effort finding them."
Uehara Junpei exclaimed in surprise, "You found them all? That's wonderful! I've been stuck in this office for a while now, and I don't really have any other entertainment. I've been relying on these books to get by!"
He quickly stood up, went to the table, untied the rope, and began to read through the books one by one, nodding and praising them from time to time, his joy evident in his words!
Kuroki Yue smiled and said to Ning Zhiheng, "Uehara-kun is a big fan of Natsume Soseki's works, especially the regular script printed edition. I put a lot of effort into collecting these."
It turns out that Uehara Junpei was also a literature enthusiast and a devoted admirer of Natsume Soseki.
At this moment, Uehara Junpei, looking delighted, returned to the tea table and said with a smile, "Thank you very much, Kuroki-kun. I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."
After saying that, he sat down properly, skillfully poured a cup of tea, and offered it to Kuroki Takeichi!
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