No one was surprised by the appearance of Kagesa Hiroki.
Thanks to Ning Zhiheng's deliberate management, Mulan Academy is now the premier higher education institution in Shanghai. Almost all high-ranking Japanese officials come to participate from time to time. Some genuinely love art, some like the atmosphere, some come to show off their refined tastes, and some simply come to socialize.
When Yingzuo Yushu first arrived in Shanghai, Ning Zhiheng invited him to Mulan Academy many times. Soon, Yingzuo Yushu also liked the environment and atmosphere here, and often stayed here, becoming very familiar with everyone.
When Ning Zhiheng saw Yingzuo Yuki, his heart stirred. He only knew that Yingzuo Yuki had returned to the country to report on his duties, but he did not expect him to appear here today. It seemed that he had rushed back to Shanghai to deal with the unrest.
He gestured for Kagesa Hiroki to sit down and said with a smile, "General Kagesa, what brings you to this place today to relax?"
Kagesa Hiroki sighed softly and said helplessly, "I can't be as carefree as Fujiwara-kun. I'm always busy with trivial matters and can't relax. I came here today specifically to visit Fujiwara-kun!"
Hearing what Yingzuo Yuki said, Ning Zhiheng was taken aback. The others also knew that the two had something to talk about, so they exchanged glances and each made an excuse to leave.
Although these people thought highly of themselves, they knew that compared to powerful figures like Kagesa Hiroki and top nobles like Fujiwara Tomohito, the gap was too great, so they quickly and tactfully left.
Seeing that everyone else had left, Ning Zhiheng smiled and said, "It seems that General Yingzuo has encountered a problem. Please feel free to speak frankly. If there is anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask!"
Upon hearing this, Kagesa Hiroki's expression softened considerably. He knew that as long as it didn't involve his interests, this Chairman Fujiwara was a fairly easy-going friend.
Without any formalities, he laid out his current situation and concluded by asking Fujiwara Tomohito to communicate with the Shanghai garrison and the military police headquarters.
Ning Zhiheng immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "That's not a problem. I'll talk to the military. You're overthinking it. We're all friends, so we won't make things difficult for each other. We can get together sometime and talk things out."
Upon hearing this, Kagesa Hiroki was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "Thank you so much! It really is Fujiwara-kun. In Shanghai, we were truly grateful for your help!"
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand to indicate that it was alright, and then said, "General Yingzuo, to be honest, since the establishment of the new government, the security in Shanghai has been deteriorating, and the lives and safety of us expatriates have been greatly threatened. Although this turmoil did not affect the expatriate area, everyone is in a state of panic. We were just discussing this matter. I would like to ask, when exactly will Mr. Wang return to Nanjing? This matter has been circulating for some time now, and frankly, no one wants him to stay in Shanghai any longer."
The "big names" Ning Zhiheng was referring to were not the literati and scholars he had just mentioned, but rather the various powerful groups stationed in Shanghai by the Japanese. They had always considered Shanghai as their sphere of influence, but the Japanese headquarters had chosen to place the puppet government there as well, which greatly displeased the local power factions.
Kageyama Yuki was also in a difficult position. He knew that he was indeed somewhat disliked, so he quickly nodded and explained, "I understand what everyone means. I can give you a definite answer: within three months, the new National Government will definitely move to Nanjing."
"Three more months?"
Ning Zhiheng frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. Yingzuo Yushu smiled wryly and said, "The main problem is that the Nanjing Reformed Government and Mr. Wang have been unable to reach an agreement. They are unwilling to relinquish military power, and Mr. Wang is unwilling to compromise, which has led to this stalemate. I returned to Japan this time to report on this situation. The General Headquarters has decided to organize a tripartite meeting soon and set a three-month deadline to completely resolve this matter. So, please rest assured, Fujiwara-kun and your friends, and please be patient for another three months!"
Tripartite talks? How could there be three parties? Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat; this was definitely a major piece of intelligence.
The "Reformed Government" mentioned by Kagesa Hiroki was a provisional government established by the Japanese Central China Expeditionary Army. It was spearheaded by the notorious traitor Liang Anhong and was established relatively early because at that time, Wang Tianhai showed no signs of betraying the country and defecting to the enemy. In order to stabilize East China, control Central China, and plunder China's resources and materials, the Central China Expeditionary Army decided to form a temporary traitorous organization.
However, because Liang Anhong was of low status and lacked prestige, this provisional government did not attract the attention of the Chinese people, and the Japanese did not treat it as a political group. They did not even dare to make grandiose official positions for it, and simply gave Liang Anhong the title of Premier of the Executive Yuan, which was used as a tool to make money.
However, because it was established early and acted quickly, Liang Anhong had a traitorous army under his control. Its main members were bandits from Taihu Lake who had been recruited and scattered Kuomintang soldiers who had been defeated by the Japanese army. Although their combat effectiveness was poor, their numbers were considerable, totaling more than 60,000.
Later, Wang Tianhai betrayed his country and surrendered to the enemy. His status was extraordinary. As the vice president of the Kuomintang, his political status and influence far surpassed those of people like Liang Anhong. This made the Japanese see him as a treasure, and they immediately put Liang Anhong aside and decided to incorporate him into the puppet government system established by Wang Tianhai.
Liang Anhong was self-aware and knew that he could not compare with Wang Tianhai. With the pressure from the Japanese, he quickly agreed to the plan. However, he also knew that in the chaos of the times, the army in his hands was the only thing he could rely on for survival. Otherwise, he would be worthless and be thrown into the garbage dump to rot.
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