Saionji Koji left Konoe Fumiya's residence and took a car back to his home, an unusually grand Japanese-style manor also located in the Komachi district.
His grandfather, Saionji Konobo, lived through the four dynasties of Xiaoming, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa. He was the last remaining one of the "Nine Meiji Elders" and had a noble status.
When the cabinet changes or major issues are dealt with, he will come forward as an elder to make the final decision. This once single-handedly started the "party cabinet" period in Japan.
In recent years, it has been opposed to the military's involvement in politics and advocated maintaining coordination with the United Kingdom and the United States. However, with the decline of veteran personnel, its influence has gradually declined.
Saionji Kōji's father, Saionji Hachiro, was not a simple figure either. He once assisted Showa in the Zuoji period and was proficient in swordsmanship. He stood up to protect Showa when he was assassinated.
Born in such a family, Saionji Koji's future can be said to be bright. He can directly enter the top level of Japan's military and political affairs just waiting to inherit the title.
However, the human heart is the most complex thing in the world. Sometimes the butt cannot determine the head, especially after being exposed to some advanced ideas...
In the study room of Xiyuan Temple Mansion.
Saionji Koji, Ozaki, and Sorge reunited again. The three of them sat on the Victorian-style sofa, drinking red wine and chatting.
"Ozaki-kun, Mr. Sorge, this scene reminds me of my days studying abroad in the UK."
Halfway through his drink, the tipsy Saionji suddenly spoke: "In 1924, I went to England and lived there for several years. In 1928, I was admitted to Oxford.
When I was in third grade, I served as the president of the Blacksmith Club. There are clubs in British universities that are social, academic, and some specialize in sports activities.
University students must be members of one or several clubs. From these activities, they can gain knowledge that cannot be learned in class.
The "Bruce Club" is named after the famous legal scholar Sir Bruce. Its purpose is to "discuss all issues" and advocates freedom.
During each gathering, after the discussion, we would hold a "wine drinking party", which is to warm the red wine with some sugar and spices and drink it.
Although this kind of drink is not fancy or luxurious, it has become a traditional custom in the club. Every time, the members and I come home drunk and unhappy.
That happy and carefree time is really evocative. Unlike now, everything you do or say will be accused of having ulterior motives or being unnational. "
Saionji Koji shook his head and spoke out what was on his mind under the influence of alcohol. He seemed to be dissatisfied with his current pampered and repressed life.
As his friend for many years, Ozaki frowned when he heard this and raised his hand to cover the mouth of the cup, not wanting his friend to drink or talk anymore.
Japanese society is already terminally ill. Such depressing words are very inappropriate. If word spreads, it will cause huge trouble to Saionji Temple and the people present.
Sorge next to him narrowed his eyes and said nothing. He lowered his head and continued to drink red wine. The study slowly became quiet.
Saionji Koji slowly waved his hand to Ozaki, indicating that he was fine, then placed the wine glass on the table, leaned on the sofa and recalled.
“The British school holidays last for half a year in total, including one month off for Christmas and Easter, and four months during the summer vacation, which is a very long time.
As soon as the holidays come, students from the UK and other regions return to their hometowns one after another. I am the only one who stays in school because my father is very strict and does not allow us to take holidays in my country.
So in addition to studying, I would also visit my classmates, one of whom was a British classmate named Frenz, who was the son of the Earl of Malmesbury.
That was the first time I received hospitality from a British aristocratic manor. Living there gave me the feeling of being in a medieval feudal manor.
When Count Malmes met with me, he recalled his acquaintance with my grandfather at the Paris Peace Conference, and also said that we must be more vigilant against Red Russia. "
Upon hearing the word "Red Russian", Ozaki and Sorge frowned, as if they were opposed to such a conversation, which is in line with the mainstream consciousness of the current world and Japanese society.
Saionji Koji didn't seem to notice the expressions of the two of them. He wrapped his coat around his body, huddled in the wide chair back, and spoke again along with what he just said.
"This was the first time I discussed this topic in public. In fact, I didn't know what Red Russia was at that time, and I didn't know what the underground party was at all.
It wasn't until I came into contact with these ideas in college that Oxford University recognized Red Russian beliefs as a subject of study and opened special courses for students to learn Diao.
But the professor always taught from a critical standpoint, so the students did not act in any way due to his influence at first, and everything was simple.
Except for some students from colonial areas, they are eager to know how to make their homeland independent and no longer exploited by Westerners.
Since Japan was already an industrially developed country at that time, my classmates tried to understand the real situation of Japanese society through me in order to find a way out.
After understanding it, they proposed that Japan was spared from becoming a colony because of the Meiji Restoration, but to make its people truly prosperous, Red Russian doctrine was the only way.
As everyone learns more about Red Russia, some even British students have such thoughts, including a large number of aristocratic students from Oxford and Cambridge.
Among this group of people, there was a junior in the history department at Cambridge named Guyon Francis Burgess, who left a very deep memory on me. "
"Dang~dang~dang~"
At this time, the clock in the study suddenly rang, interrupting Saionji Kōji's story. The servants who heard the sound came in, removed the red wine, and replaced it with a teapot.
The three people with different thoughts held warm teacups and sat in silence in their respective seats. After a long time, Sorge was the first to break the silence.
"Mr. Saionji, what do you think?"
Xiyuanji Gongji glanced at the other party and replied calmly: "Although my grandfather has always been opposed to worshiping the Locust as a god and deifying the Locust Chamber.
However, our insistence on the Locust and the Locust System remains unchanged. This matter is caused by Japan’s thousand-year history and cannot be changed.
My father is a Locust Centrist. During the days when the Great Kanto Earthquake and other ominous events occurred, he had no regard for the safety of his family.
But he is extremely passionate about protecting the safety of the locusts and the locust chamber. It can be said that he spares no effort, and even fainted from hunger in the locust chamber because he had not eaten for a long time.
If you want to implement the Red Russian system in Japan, locusts are an unavoidable problem, which is unimaginable to most Japanese citizens. "
"Then you are against the underground party?"
When Sorge heard this, he asked back. At the same time, his heart was in his throat, and his body leaned back slightly away from the other party. This was a sign of disgust.
Ozaki turned a blind eye to this obvious temptation, and still sipped the tea calmly. His eyes swept over the two people in front of him, and there was a trace of worry in the corner of his eyes.
On the other side, Saionji Koji immediately shook his head and did not answer Sorge's question. Instead, he talked about his experiences after returning from studying abroad and traveling.
"I returned to my motherland, Japan, in May 1931. I boarded the Japanese mail ship "Asama" from San Francisco across the entire Pacific Ocean and arrived at Yokohama Port.
I had been away from the country for seven years, and I was 25 years old when I came back. In addition to the joy of seeing my family again after a long absence, my hometown also left me with a restrictive and uncomfortable impression.
When I was in the UK, I was mostly surrounded by nobles and ministers, but people did not look at me in a special way. The children of the nobles also lived as freely as ordinary people.
But after I return to Japan, I must always bear in mind that I am the grandson of the patriarch Saionji Konobo and a future nobleman, and my daily movements are strictly restricted.
I didn't like this kind of life very much, so I asked my grandfather to resign as the heir to the title, and as an ordinary citizen, I could really do something for the country.
However, after hearing this, my grandfather said that Japan was not as advanced as I thought. If I really wanted to do something in the future, it would be better to inherit the title of Duke.
My grandfather also studied in France when he was young and personally experienced the Paris Commune movement. I have always respected and relied on him, so I agreed to his suggestion.
Later, while I was studying at the graduate school of the University of Tokyo and getting familiar with the politics of the empire, I lived in the southern temple of Koyasan, an ancient temple, and studied without any distractions.
During this period, I had in-depth contact with the lower-class citizens and found that many things were completely different from what I imagined. The empire was not as perfect as advertised.
At that time, Japan was hit by the economic crisis and the economy was in a slump. The situation in rural areas was even more miserable. Many elderly people who had lost their support starved to death at home.
Students were starving. Newspapers often published news about students begging for food from passing cars. Tragedy stories of children being sold were also common.
The price of tea in Shizuoka Prefecture, which is rich in tea, plummeted by more than half. The more tea farmers planted, the more they lost money. At that time, I didn’t understand what was going on.
In the end, the price of raw silk exported by the empire fell by more than half, and even the price of rice fell sharply, creating a serious situation where low grain prices hurt farmers.
I saw with my own eyes a family of three lying dead on the roadside, while the noble's car passed by as if no one was watching, and the children in the car even threw rice balls out of the car window in disgust. "
Having said this, Saionji Koji closed his eyes in pain, unable to bear to recall the tragedy. After a while, he looked at the two people opposite him and spoke slowly.
"Gong Er knows that the identities of these two gentlemen are not simple. In the past, he was no stranger to the situation in Red Russia, and he has asked me about the secrets of the empire many times.
For the sake of everyone being like-minded, and because I wanted to see if the underground party could really save Japan, I reported it to the Metropolitan Police. "
Ozaki and Sorge listened without changing their expressions, as if they didn't hear each other's words. Some words couldn't be clarified until the last moment, even if everyone knew it well.
Seeing that they had no objection, Chen Ken of Xiyuan Temple said: "Whether you are Red Russians or anyone else, I have something to convey to you.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has obtained important intelligence from the government. The Red Russian commander in Nomenkan has been replaced by Zhukov, and the empire's deployment will undergo major changes.
You have to figure out the specific situation yourself. Someone in the Military Ministry, Cabinet, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will always know about it. I believe you two have the ability to do it.
Also, what I do is not a betrayal. I love my country, but it is sick now, very sick. I hope someone can save it.
Even if this will hurt some people, such as my grandfather and my father, I will not hesitate. Okay, you two gentlemen can go. "
Saionji said the last sentence categorically, waved his hand to let Ozaki and Sorge leave, and then sat alone in the study, meditating.
As an aristocratic son who has retired from the country, this is the limit of what he can do. He will not admit that he said those words after leaving this door.
After all, the Saionji family is the "Tsinghua family" second only to the "Five Photographers family". There must not be a "national traitor", Xiyuanji Kouji kept telling himself.
(This is very important, otherwise it would be difficult to write the last few plots of the book)
