Ning Zhiheng was brought by Uehara Junpei. Fujiwara Hirofumi came to Shanghai on a mission and did not want those who did not want to know, so Uehara Junpei controlled the news and only notified senior military officers to come and greet him.
As for Ning Zhiheng, he was naturally going to introduce him to Fujiwara Hirofumi. After all, it was reasonable for his own nephew to come and pay his respects, and Fujiwara Hirofumi wouldn't blame him too much.
A warship slowly sailed into the customs area and docked at the pier, immediately energizing everyone. They straightened their posture and waited for Fujiwara Hirofumi's arrival.
Shortly afterward, a group of guards disembarked first, followed by several men in suits.
The leader, a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build, with a handsome face, long eyebrows, slightly sharp eyes, and a slightly upturned mustache, exuded a calm and dignified aura. He was one of the representatives of the Fujiwara family, a member of the House of Peers, Fujiwara Hirofumi.
Behind him was a middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, and two young men, who were probably Fujiwara Hirofumi's entourage.
Uehara Junpei quickly led the group forward, and upon reaching them, bowed deeply in respect.
"Mr. Fujiwara, your humble servant, Uehara Junpei, along with the Shanghai garrison, has come to welcome you."
Fujiwara Hirofumi's gaze swept over the crowd, pausing slightly when it fell on Ning Zhiheng. This was because all the people who came to greet him were soldiers, while Ning Zhiheng was the only one dressed in a suit, clearly not a military person.
"Uehara-kun, thank you for your hard work! We appreciate everyone waiting for so long!" Fujiwara Hirofumi nodded slightly.
"This is Lieutenant General Naoya Tada, the commander of the Shanghai garrison."
This is Major General Masakazu Yoshioka…
Uehara Junpei then introduced the generals behind him one by one, and when he introduced Ning Zhiheng last, he emphasized his words.
“This is my sworn nephew, and also a member of your clan, Fujiwara no Tomohito!” Uehara Junpei gestured. “Hearing that you had come to Shanghai, as a junior, I specially brought him here to pay my respects. Please forgive any intrusion!”
Upon hearing Uehara Junpei's introduction, Fujiwara Hirofumi's eyes lit up. He never expected to meet a member of his family in Shanghai, so far away overseas.
It was obvious that this was a member of a collateral branch, because there were only a few direct descendants, and he knew some of the closer relatives, but he had no recollection of this one at all.
However, Fujiwara Hirofumi saw that the young man in front of him was tall, handsome and a real talent, and immediately felt a bit of goodwill towards him!
Ning Zhiheng stepped forward, bowed deeply respectfully, and said softly, "Fujiwara Tomohito greets Your Excellency!"
Fujiwara Hirofumi smiled and asked kindly, "Are you a member of the Fujiwara family? Where is your home?"
“I am from Kune-cho, Kameoka-gun, Kyoto Prefecture. I grew up in the countryside and never had the chance to visit my family, which is a great pity. Later, I immigrated to Shanghai. It is so nice to see you here. Please forgive my rudeness!” Ning Zhiheng said in a low voice and bowed again.
"Oh! I see!" Fujiwara Hirofumi nodded. Kyoto Prefecture is long and narrow from north to south. Kameoka and Kyoto are both located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, and their accents are exactly the same.
It seems that his guess was correct; he was indeed a member of a collateral branch. However, as the saying goes, "a person meets an old friend in a foreign land." After leaving Japan, being able to meet a member of his own clan and hometown, even if he was a distant relative, made Fujiwara Hirofumi feel very close to him. Moreover, Ning Zhiheng had an outstanding appearance, which made a good impression on Fujiwara Hirofumi. He was also Uehara Junpei's adopted nephew, so out of respect for Uehara Junpei, he had to treat him with some respect.
Fujiwara Hirofumi stepped forward, patted Ning Zhiheng on the shoulder, and said kindly, "According to seniority, how should you address me?"
The Japanese aristocracy had a very strict hierarchy, and collateral relatives had to address direct relatives as "daishin" (master), indicating a significant difference in status. Fujiwara no Hirobun's request to address them by their generation showed his goodwill.
“Uncle!” Ning Zhiheng quickly nodded and said.
“Alright, Tomohito, it’s great to see you in Shanghai. Let’s go together!” Fujiwara Hirofumi said with a smile.
Ning Zhiheng looked flattered and quickly nodded, saying, "Thank you, Uncle!"
Uehara Junpei was overjoyed to see that Ning Zhiheng had made such a good impression on Fujiwara Hirofumi with just a few words. It seemed that he had made the right move. Fujiwara Tomohito's handsome appearance pleased Fujiwara Hirofumi very much.
The other high-ranking generals nodded in agreement. They knew that Chairman Fujiwara was from a collateral branch of the Fujiwara family, but they did not dare to underestimate the Fujiwara family's reputation. In addition, Fujiwara Tomohito was Uehara Junpei's adopted nephew. Based on this relationship alone, he deserved everyone's respect.
Now that he has caught Fujiwara Hirofumi's eye, he will probably have to pay even more attention to him in the future.
Everyone left the dock together, boarded the welcoming motorcade, and headed to the pre-prepared mansion, a top-tier villa in the east of the city, large enough to accommodate Fujiwara Hirofumi's guards and entourage.
Once everything was settled, Fujiwara Hirofumi summoned Uehara Junpei to his study and asked directly, "Uehara-kun, has the other party's representative arrived in Shanghai?"
Junpei Uehara quickly said, "They arrived in Shanghai three days ago and they seem very eager, hoping we can give them a promise."
Fujiwara Hirofumi said calmly, "I am only here to oversee these negotiations as His Majesty the Emperor's eyes. However, Uehara-kun, please arrange your schedule. I would like to speak with this special envoy as soon as possible."
"Yes, I'll arrange it right away. He can come to see you tomorrow!" Uehara Junpei replied.
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