Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan.

In a small but elegantly decorated room sat a woman in a kimono with a thick rouge on her face, and a young woman kneeling in front of her. After some question-and-answer, the two exchanged a salute, and then a richly dressed attendant led the woman out.

After this, the woman half-turned her head, and behind her there was a door that could be pulled and closed, with a small gap between the door and the door frame.

"Your Highness, are you satisfied with the one just now?" The woman asked in a whisper. Although she has thick rouge on her face, she can see that she is only in her early thirties, and the kimono on her body is made of excellent fabric, and with that extraordinary temperament, her identity can be seen.

Behind the crack in the door was a very delicate male face, with a beard on his lips, but not thick, wearing a yellow lieutenant's uniform, and his short hair was neatly combed.

As for his voice, it was light but not lacking in dynamics.

"Queen Mother, please call the next one!"

The woman turned to the attendant standing at the doorway and nodded slightly.

The attendant then shouted in a unique tone: "Next, the Kuer Palace family, Liangzi!" ”

Half a minute later, a young woman walked in with her head down, the same gorgeous kimono, the same thick rouge, her long hair hanging down to her hips was jet black and beautiful, and her small ears peeked out from the thick hair. She walked a few steps in front of the woman with graceful gait, and knelt on the pure white satin cushion embroidered with gold patterns, keeping her head hanging until she spoke.

"Look up!" The woman said gently.

The woman nodded, slowly tilting her head up.

This is the face of a fourteen or five-year-old girl, the appearance is not a national beauty, but it is also very comfortable to look at, the small lips are painted with bright red Zhu Dan, and the body under the kimono does not look fat or thin.

The woman examined the face for a few moments before asking:

"How is Prince Lingzun Jiuer Palace doing lately?"

The woman immediately leaned forward until she fell respectfully to the ground, "Thanks to Her Royal Highness the Queen, my father is in good health!" My father also asked me to say hello to His Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness the Empress and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince on his behalf! ”

The woman also ceremonies accordingly. Then he asked:

"What are your hobbies?"

The woman once again fell to the ground and replied: "Tea art, embroidery, playing the qin, playing chess, learning calligraphy, painting!" ”

"Very good!" The woman commented very calmly, but she didn't know that the young soldier behind the door had a very different look in his eyes at this time.

After a brief questioning, the woman was led out by the attendant as usual.

"Your Highness, how is this?" The woman turned to the young man behind the door.

The boy forgot to speak for a moment.

A faint smile appeared on the woman's lips, and after turning her head, she nodded to the attendant at the door.

"Next, Konoe ......"

Berlin, Germany.

"The crown prince of Japan chooses a concubine?"

Chen Tian leaned back in his chair. Time flies, the last time he saw Hirohito, the crown prince was just a 15-year-old child, and now he was about to start choosing a concubine. But it is no wonder that the Japanese imperial family has always married very early, and Emperor Taisho gave birth to Hirohito when he was 18 years old, and Hirohito's mother was only 16 years old at the time.

"Yes, Your Majesty! The Japanese imperial family has searched the whole country for this matter, and all women of the right status and age are on the candidate list! Because the imperial concubine is the future queen, all political forces in Japan have linked it with their future political honor and disgrace. Therefore, the open selection of concubines will eventually become an open and secret struggle between the two major feudal lords of Choshu and Satsuma, as well as various royal families and political forces! ”

Let's talk about it. Chentian's intelligence chief Hiffert also added: "This is their practice!" ”

Chen Tian pondered for a while, "About the Japanese Imperial Family's selection of concubines...... I don't think it's appropriate for us to get involved, but we should keep an eye on it! The Choshu faction, which was in control of the army, had lost its former vigor since the coup d'état. But their influence in the Japanese government and the opposition was still very large, and they were relatively opposed to the German-Japanese alliance; The Satsuma faction, which controlled the Japanese navy, had a more cordial relationship with us than the Choshu faction, and they were the most active supporters of the German-Japanese alliance in the Japanese government; As for the other imperial families and political forces in Japan, whether they are in power or not also has a certain relationship with our future strategy! ”

"Then Your Majesty means to wait and see?"

"Yes, wait and see!"

Tatsuten arched his chin with his hands crossed, who was the empress of Hirohito in history? He couldn't think of anything.

Tokyo, Japan.

Under the cherry tree, the boy in the lieutenant's uniform was thoughtful, so he didn't even notice his mother when he came behind him.

"Your Highness!"

Hear your mother's voice. Only then did the young man turn around, bow, and say:

"Queen Mother!"

"Your Highness must have taken a fancy to a girl today!" The woman smiled.

The young man's face suddenly turned red as if it were on fire, "Let the queen mother laugh!" ”

The woman was very pleased, and she was afraid that none of the women of the royal family would look down on her own son.

"So let me guess, it's the recipe of the Rihonnomiya family? A family and a family? Still is...... The good son of the Kurenomiya family? ”

"They...... They are all excellent! The boy held back and didn't say which one it was.

** Glanced at him from the side, "Tell Your Highness the good news, the results of the secret examination of the Imperial Household Province have come out!" ”

"Really? The result? The young man asked with great concern, generally speaking, women who have passed the examination of the Imperial Household Province are the most ideal candidates for imperial concubines. Although others still have a chance, I am afraid that the opposition will be very strong.

"The ideal candidate would be...... The dynasty of a family, and ...... The good son of the Kurenomiya family! ”

When ** said the latter name, the boy was obviously relieved.

Seeing that the young man still didn't speak, ** deliberately said: "If I had to choose, I would choose the eldest daughter of Prince Jiuer Palace, but I hoped from the beginning that His Royal Highness would personally choose his own concubine, so if Your Highness wants to choose a dynasty of a family, I will never object!" ”

"No, Queen Mother!" The boy lowered his head, "I think you have a good eye!" ”

"Alright, Hirohito!" **Still maintaining that faint, sad smile, "Like is like, there is nothing to be ashamed of!" ”

The boy raised his head, his eyes flickering slightly.

Soon after. The Imperial Minister, Hatano, conveyed the meaning of Empress Setsuko to the Kurenomiya family, and then the two exchanged engagement tokens, and the marriage contract of Crown Prince Hirohito was thus concluded.

However, the marriage did not go smoothly because of the consent of both parties, because Yoshiko's grandfather, Prince Asahhiko, had suppressed the side faction of the Choshu domain during the Shogunate campaign at the end of the Edo period, and Yoshiko's mother was from the Shimazu family of the Satsuma domain, which made Yoshiichi Tanaka and others from the Choshu Pan valve determined to prevent the marriage (in this book, Aritomo Yamayama unfortunately died in a coup d'état in 1909, according to the development of history). Yoshiichi Tanaka will become the new Choshu Pan Valve Chief).

First, opponents published an article in a medical journal in Tokyo based on materials provided by the former director of the Red Cross Hospital, tracing the genetic process of color blindness in the Shimazu family of the Satsuma domain for generations from a genetic point of view. Since Ryoko's mother was born in the Shimazu family, if Hirohito married Ryoko, the royal blood of the Holy Family brought this undesirable genetic factor, and the future emperor may become colorblind.

Then, Tanaka and others instigated the two patriarchs, Konobu Saionji and Masayoshi Matsukata, to demand the dissolution of the marriage contract between the two families in the name of maintaining the "holiness" of the imperial bloodline. After that, he also invited Prince Fushimi Miyahiro as a lobbyist and tried to persuade Kurenomiya to take the initiative to dissolve the marriage contract.

After the onset of winter. It snowed early in Tokyo.

After hearing the news that the court was opposed to his marriage to Yoshiko. Hirohito stood for hours at a time in the snow-covered Toen.

"Your Highness, it's not good to be cold when you're still standing outside on such a cold day!" When Empress Setsuko heard the report from her chamberlain, she hurried from her residence. Although Hirohito is not her only son, he is the smartest and most favored one in her eyes. As for Setsuko's husband, Hirohito's father, Emperor Taisho, the current ruler of Japan, he suffered from meningitis in his childhood, and although his health improved slightly as an adult, he often appeared a little delirious because of the physical and mental labor of receiving vassals and foreign envoys after ascending the throne.

Hirohito turned his head and bowed to the queen, with a very solemn expression on his face.

"Please rest assured. I just want some fresh air! ”

"I know Your Highness is worried about her marriage to Ryoko! But don't worry, the royal family doesn't have to talk about those people yet! Suddenly, the woman spoke in a very firm tone.

"Queen Mother......" The young man's eyes were not as resolute as his expression.

"Your Highness, sooner or later you will ascend to the throne! Remember, as the ruler of this country, your will is everything! When the woman had finished speaking, she bowed her body and departed with her attendants.

The snow began to fall in the sky again, and the boy turned around and continued to stand in the snow.

After the beginning of winter, the temperature in Berlin continued to be low, and it was not yet Christmas. Heavy snowfall followed one after another. Whenever Chen Tian raised his head and looked out the window, the world covered in silver makeup always allowed him to keep a calm mind and think about everything.

In the evening after a heavy snowfall, he still has a cup of rich black coffee on his desk, and next to it is a plate of delicate pastries, the first cream pralines produced by King Adamas of Austria, almost 10 years before the Belgians invented them. Of course, they will also bring a good income to the Austrian king.

It's just that the dim sum has been placed here for most of the day, but Chen Tian doesn't mean to enjoy them. For one thing, he wasn't very interested in chocolate, and they were much safer as a garnish than food.

Knock knock

There was a soft knock on the door to the study.

"Come in!"

When the door opened, the chamberlain von Jonalet appeared in the doorway. The Emperor's attendant, who had been recuperating from his injuries for more than a year, had recently returned from his injuries, and although his left hand was still inevitably a little disabled, this did not prevent him from continuing to serve the imperial family.

"Your Majesty, Colonel Shiffert is here!"

"Well, let him in!"

"Yes!"

Then, Siffert, who was slightly fat and the top of his head was getting bare, walked briskly into the study. As was his custom, he had to wait for the chamberlain to close the door before he spoke, and this time it was the same as before.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest news we have gotten, the Japanese have begun to engage in internal contradictions!"

Tatsuten took Hifert's report and read it briefly, the situation was not as serious as he had just said, but a group of people led by the Choshu feudal lord used color blindness as an excuse to oppose the marriage of Crown Prince Hirohito and the eldest daughter of Prince Kurenomiya.

"Kurenomiya Yoshiko......" Tatsuten read the name lightly, he had not delved into the history of Japan, but fortunately, he happened to have heard of the name and the famous incident of color blindness.

"We can let our ambassador to Tokyo go to the event, and let the Japanese, especially the Kurenomiya family and the Satsuma faction, know that we are happy to see the daughter of the Kurenomiya family and the crown prince of the imperial family united!

But remember, just knock on the side, lest it seem like we're meddling in their royal affairs! ”

"I see, Your Majesty!" Hievert's words were still as clear and concise as they were.

Soon after, events developed as Tatsuten had predicted, and the Choshu faction was soon attacked by the Kurenomiya family, the Satsuma faction, and some political dignitaries. Among them, Prince Kurenomiya's attitude is the toughest, his famous marriage contract was first proposed by the imperial family, and it should be fulfilled by the royal family to dissolve it, but if the royal family really dissolves Hirohito's marriage contract with Ryoko, he will kill Ryoko first, and then he and his family will be disemboweled. Former Prime Ministers Shigenobu Oturi, Gonbei Yamamoto and others also firmly supported Prince Kurenomiya, and the prince's teacher, Sugiura Shigetsuo, also attacked the Choshu faction on the basis of the Chinese motto "The Son of Heaven is a Son of Heaven". Subsequently, the queen and the crown prince themselves also made it clear that they had no intention of changing the marriage contract.

Under the strong pressure of public opinion from all walks of life, the embattled Tanaka Yoshiichi resigned from his post as land minister, and Yujiro Nakamura, the minister of the palace from the Choshu faction, was also resigned from his post as minister.

In the end, the Japanese Imperial Household Ministry put an end to the turmoil with a short but direct proclamation: Regarding the appointment of Her Royal Highness Ryoko as the princess of the East Palace, despite all the rumors in the world, there was no change in the above decision.

Although the attitude of the German government during the turmoil did not affect the eventual succession, Prince Kurenomiya thanked the German ambassador in Tokyo, and some of the upper echelons of officials who had previously been wary of Germany changed their attitudes.