When summoned by the Emperor, Fumima Konoe did not speak, but just watched Prince Zaihito of Kanin Palace and Shunroku Hata perform in front of Emperor Hirohito.

After Prince Zaihito and Shunroku Hata left in a hurry, only Emperor Hirohito and Konoe Fumima were left in the Matsuno Pavilion. One is the emperor of Japan, the other is the prime minister, and the two of them feel that they have nothing to say. The silence in the Pine Pavilion is a little eerie.

In the past, Fumima Konoe had an excellent relationship with Emperor Hirohito. If the two of them are called right, Konoe Bunma usually sits there, crossing Erlang's legs, smiling Yan Yan, and the two monarchs and ministers are like old friends who have been reunited after a long absence.

Now the situation is different, and both Emperor Hirohito, the demon of invasion of China, and Fumima Konoe have a feeling of exhaustion. You look at me, I look at you, and suddenly there is a strangeness.

To be honest, this strangeness doesn't come out of now.

Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has worked hard to keep up with the Western European powers in all aspects, but it has learned a bit of nondescript. The same is true of the political system, with a Diet and a cabinet account. However, the Diet and the Cabinet have an emperor hanging over their heads, and this emperor is still the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army and navy, so this matter is troublesome.

The Taisho Democratic Movement, which lasted for 20 years, was also launched in Japan, calling for the reduction of the rights of privileged strata such as the senators, the Privy Council, the House of Lords, and the military ministry, and making political parties and parliaments the center of politics. Realize universal suffrage and women's right to participate in politics, and expand the scope of people's participation in politics.

The theoretical guiding ideology of the Taisho Democratic Movement is the "Emperor's Organ Theory" and the "People-Oriented Theory."

He believed that the ruling power of the state should belong to the people who "reside in the people", and that the emperor was only the highest organ of the state, and then he divided the state organs into two categories: direct organs and indirect organs. The direct organs are equivalent to the legislative and executive organs. The powers of the Diet are vested in the people, so there is no need to obey the orders of the emperor.

The "people-oriented theory" was proposed by Sakuzo Yoshino, a professor at the University of Tokyo, and it avoided the question of the ownership of Japan's national sovereignty since the Meiji Restoration. Instead of directly confronting the emperor system, it promoted its "people-orientedness" through the interpretation that "the state belongs to the people in law" and "the basic goal of state sovereignty activities belongs to the people politically."

In other words, at the beginning of the 20th century, Japan's domestic politics were torn between the emperor system, the constitutional system, and universal suffrage. On the one hand, there was militarism, which was bent on external expansion and defending imperial power, and on the other hand, there was a bourgeois-democratic movement that demanded democracy.

Originally, Fumima Konoe was the prime minister favored by all strata of the Japanese ruling class, and his policy of foreign expansion met the demands of all strata of the Japanese ruling class. However, Konoe Fumima is a man with a more complex mind, and while he resolutely advocates foreign expansion, he also dreams of a cabinet responsibility system, that is, he has the final say. The current situation is that, on the one hand, he resolutely advocates the implementation of "the integration of the whole country," "the integration of government and war," and "the militarization of the national economy," and has worked hard to win the war of aggression against China; on the other hand, he cannot even control the cabinet, and there is a danger that he will be overshadowed by the forces of the military department. Last time, I finally kicked out of the cabinet with Lu Minister Sugimoto and Foreign Minister Hirota Hiroki, and let Shunroku Hata be the land minister, Ugaki Issei as the foreign minister, and Araki Sadao as the moon minister, but these three people are not good birds, and they soon colluded with the military forces, so that Konoe Fumima's dream of controlling and suppressing the military department through the cabinet was completely shattered.

For Emperor Hirohito, Konoe Fumima actively promoted foreign expansion, and he was "very happy". However, Konoe Fumima is suspected of trying to get involved in the supreme commander's power if he engages in the integration of politics and war and uses the cabinet to suppress the military department. Emperor Hirohito was disgusted by this.

Another thing that made the emperor jealous and disgusted was that Konoe Funma was slender and eloquent, and was very popular with women. He had several wives and had children with his mistress. And I don't know how Konoe Fumima did it, but his mistress's children can live with his wife's children, and they get along very well. And Emperor Hirohito, as a descendant of God, can only gallop on the belly of Empress Ryoko, Amaterasu is obviously a little too unfair.

Emperor Hirohito began to speak, asking Fumima Konoe's opinion on the current war in China.

At this time, the female officials of the palace had already come up to serve tea.

Konoe Funma took a sip of tea, thought about it, and then said carefully: "Your Majesty, after the capture of Wuhan, the war in China has entered a new stage. Our general policy cannot be changed, that is, to induce the Chiang Kai-shek government to surrender and end the war in China as soon as possible, not only to accomplish the goal of all-out occupation of China, but also to liberate the million-strong army from the war in China. If the Chiang Kai-shek government does not surrender, make full use of Wang Ching-wei and set up a nationwide central government of China to cooperate with us in eliminating the Chiang Kai-shek government. The problem now is that the Eighth Route Army is getting bigger and bigger in North China, and it is necessary to concentrate on destroying them. In this way, we will be able to consolidate our occupied territories and use the resources of China to feed the war and support the domestic economy. ”

Although Emperor Hirohito has been pampered in the palace all day long, he also knows that prices in Japan are soaring and inflationary pressure is high. Most enterprises are trying to fulfill the orders of the military department, which leads to the abnormal development of the economy. It is not good to continue like this, and it will affect the support for the war.

At this time, Emperor Hirohito had been enraged by the total annihilation of the 14th Division, the 35th Division, and the 13th Independent Mixed Division, and was eager to take revenge, eager to wipe out the Eighth Route Army now. However, he is gloomy and good at disguise, and he can't see anything on the surface. Besides, what Fumima Konoe said was reasonable, and Emperor Hirohito had to listen patiently.

Konoe Fumima thought that the emperor admired him very much, and listened to it with interest, so he continued: "To fight a war is to fight for money, and without money, food, weapons and equipment, it is useless to say anything." Now several divisions and regiments on the northern front fought fiercely for a day, and the losses were huge. The 2nd Division, in particular, was in dire need of replenishment of troops, tanks and artillery. There is nothing to make these supplements for the time being, but if it goes on for a long time, it will be absolutely impossible for the finances to lose one battle and lose two divisions and regiments in one battle! ”

When Konoe Funma wanted to say more, Emperor Hirohito was annoyed and said coldly: "Prime Minister don't say it again!" The Chief of the General Staff has just said that victory and defeat are a common thing in soldiers. The Japanese army and navy are invincible in the world, how can the Eighth Route Army be able to resist it? The immediate defeat cannot represent the outcome of the war as a whole, and the prime minister must strengthen his confidence, support the military department, and mobilize manpower and material resources to meet the needs of the war on the front. ”

Konoe Fumima was stunned for a moment, raised his head and looked at Emperor Hirohito's face with his eyes open. I saw that His Majesty the Emperor's eyes were staring at him, his forehead was bruised, and there was a hint of flushing in his face, which looked so hideous. What chilled Konoe Fumima the most was that there was a look of disgust in His Majesty's eyes.

This kind of look is familiar to Konoe Fumima, and he has seen it in the eyes of the emperor when the previous cabinet presidents resigned. Some time ago, when Sugi Sugi Yuan was driven away, the emperor's eyes were also like this.

Konoe Fumima was puzzled, and he worked hard and did his best to plan for His Majesty the Emperor, so why did he dislike His Majesty the Emperor?

After thinking about it carefully, Konoe Fumima suddenly realized. Since taking office, he has been annoyed by the arrogance of the military department, and he has repeatedly discussed with several of his cronies to study and explore the issue of how to limit the power of the military department. He even came up with three plans, one of which was to return the command of the army to the cabinet. Of course, none of these proposals were put forward publicly, and they were all discussed privately by a few people. And the purpose is also to better expand the territory for His Majesty the Emperor, there is nothing unseemly. Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor found out about these things and became angry with himself?

Thinking about the fact that the princess of the Japanese imperial family fell in love with the Chinese god of war Liu Yimin, which was publicized by Sugi Sugimoto and others some time ago, Konoe Wenma felt a chill in his heart, and he didn't know how many unknown things were hidden behind His Majesty's gloomy face! If he can quietly send a super master princess of the royal family to assassinate Liu Yimin, won't he set up eyes and ears to monitor the minister? Pity yourself for working wholeheartedly on state affairs, and in the end you were suspicious of the emperor, what else can you do!

This Konoe Bunma was born in the Konoe family, the head of the five noble families of the Meiji aristocracy in Japan, and is the eldest son, who has been loved by his father and grandfather since he was a child. Soon after he was born, his biological mother died of puerperal fever, and his father remarried his mother's sister, telling Fumima Konoe that this was his biological mother. His father had been tying a rope around him since he was a child for fear of him falling. His grandfather wrote poems one after another, and he had great hopes for him. Such thousands of favors have developed the other side of Konoe Bunma's character in one body, that is, he has a strong sense of superiority and can't stand the contempt of others. It wasn't until Konoe Funma grew up to be a *human and his stepmother died that he didn't tell him about his biological mother. When Konoe Fumima described the incident in his diary at the time, he said that it was only then that he understood what deception was, and that the world was full of deception.

Facing Emperor Hirohito's Konoe Fumima, at this time he was thinking of words such as deception, betrayal, and abandonment.

Emperor Hirohito didn't know that Konoe Fumima's mind had changed so much, and he was still looking at Konoe Funma with disgust. Seeing that he didn't speak, he pressed again: "The statement made by the Prime Minister some time ago has worked very well, Wang Jingwei has accepted the proposition of the Imperial Japanese Government and the protection of the Army, so that we have the initiative to deal with Chiang Kai-shek." Please take measures as soon as possible to force Chiang Kai-shek to surrender and let him join forces with us to deal with ***. The most pressing issue at the moment is to eliminate Liu Yimin in Shandong, and I have seen it clearly, Shanshanyuan said that Liu Yimin is a cancer of public security in North China, and he is very right. The damage caused by this Liu Yimin to the Japanese Empire is too great, if this person is not removed, the country will have no peace, and it will be difficult for me to sleep and eat! In this operation against Liu Yimin's troops, it is necessary to concentrate troops and solve the problem in one battle. The prime minister should give full support to the army's operations, ask for people, money, and goods, and ensure the victory of the campaign. If the campaign operation is affected by logistical problems, the prime minister and the cabinet will be held responsible! ”

Konoe Furuma was feeling uncomfortable in his heart, Emperor Hirohito just came to say that the prime minister and the cabinet should take responsibility, Rao is Konoe Furuma has been taught to obey the emperor since he was a child, and he can't help but be angry from his chest, and can't help but say: "Please Your Majesty be aware that the military department is flying high, and the cabinet has no authority in their eyes." In the eyes of some people in the military department, I, the prime minister, was like a fashion model on stage, acting according to their orders, and I didn't know many things. I myself and the Cabinet of Ministers cannot be held accountable for the actions of the military department! ”

Emperor Hirohito looked at Konoe Fumima with some confusion when he heard that Konoe Fumima's tone was wrong, and he couldn't figure out how the prime minister, who had always acted according to his will, could say such a thing. But how can the emperor's authority be offended? Emperor Hirohito slapped his hand on the table and scolded: "The prime minister has been promoting the integration of the whole country and the integration of the military and the government, how can he say such a thing? If I pass on the Prime Minister's words to the officers and men of the Army and Navy, won't the Prime Minister be afraid that the Army and Navy will no longer support the Cabinet? ”

This is a naked threat.

If it is placed on other people, in order to keep the cabinet from collapsing, it will definitely give in and beg for mercy. It's just that this Konoe Bunma doesn't eat this set. This guy is a thoughtful and assertive person, who originally refused to form a cabinet, and is a figure who is not obsessed with power in the eyes of the Japanese ruling class. He served as prime minister for more than two years, but Japan's economy did not improve at all, but on the contrary, the thinking and spirit of the Japanese people were deceived into supporting foreign aggression and expansion, and it did allow the Japanese to taste the sweetness of the war of aggression against China and occupy most of China's territory. Now, the Eighth Route Army has won successive battles in North China, and the Japanese army has suffered heavy losses, and some people in China have been discussing the direction of the war in private, and in fact, they have begun to accuse Konoe of being incompetent. And Konoe Fumima himself is indeed exhausted and poor in donkey skills, and he feels that he can't explain to the people. The military forces are unruly and unruly, so that Konoe Bunma always has a feeling that the cabinet has been hollowed out, and he has long wanted to do it.

Historically, the Konoe Cabinet resigned on January 4, 1939, and the reason why it is different from history is that the Konoe Cabinet has been in power until now is the fault of Liu Yimin. The war on the front line was tense, the Japanese army suffered successive defeats, and Emperor Hirohito and those guys in the military department still needed the support of the cabinet, and they did not want the cabinet to collapse for the time being, causing a political turmoil.

Listening to Emperor Hirohito's words, Fumima Konoe, who had the idea of retreating, immediately stood up, calmed his mind, and said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty the Emperor: This cabinet has been in power for more than two years, and the time is not short. Even the capitals of Chiang Kai-shek's government, Nanjing and Wuhan, were captured by the Japanese army and navy, and Chiang Kai-shek's army was forced to retreat to the western region, and Chiang Kai-shek's government had also been reduced to local power. The minister thinks that the war in China has entered a new stage, and the mission of the current cabinet has been completed, so I ask Your Majesty for your permission to resign as prime minister! ”

When Emperor Hirohito heard that Konoe Fumima was going to pick a child, he couldn't sit still any longer, and he forgot all his dislike for Konoe Fumima, and he didn't care about the mystery and majesty of the emperor as a god, so he jumped up from the throne at once, pointed at Konoe Fumima and said tremblingly: "You, you, you dare to threaten me with resignation?" ”

Although Konoe Fumima wants to resign, it does not mean that he wants to offend the emperor. At what time is this time, the fate of offending the emperor Konoe Fumima can figure it out by touching his toes. Therefore, he bowed to Emperor Hirohito, still unhurried, and said: "Your Majesty: The minister will never dare to threaten Your Majesty, and he will not have that kind of thought. In the minister's mind, His Majesty is the foundation of the Great Japanese Empire, and what the Minister pursued all his life was to open up territory for His Majesty and improve the status of the Great Japanese Empire among the countries of the world. In addition to the above-mentioned reasons, the reason for the minister's resignation is that the minister has recently felt that he is not in good health and physically exhausted, and he can no longer bear the heavy work of the cabinet. Please forgive your majesty for the hardships of the minister, the minister has disappointed His Majesty's high expectations, and he is already very guilty in his heart. ”

The Japanese cabinet, because of the two freaks of the emperor and the military department, often cannot continue to resign, and it is the easiest cabinet in the world to resign. This is a common occurrence in Japan, and there is no major problem. Konoe Bunma didn't do it, so naturally someone continued to do it, and Emperor Hirohito was not very surprised by this. The key is that if the prime minister resigns, the cabinet will always resign, the front line is in full swing, and the rear cabinet will resign, isn't this a timely time!

Emperor Hirohito still wanted to keep a few words, but after thinking about it, he felt that Konoe Funma was too strong and very popular, and it was good for him to be prime minister, but it would be wrong to integrate the military and the government. If the military and the government really want to be integrated, the military department will be responsible to the cabinet, and the armed forces will also be handed over to the cabinet to manage and command. It seems that it may be better to change someone!

Emperor Hirohito figured it out, and no longer pretended to persuade him to stay, but put on a cold face again, and said coldly: "Since the prime minister wants to resign, I will approve it." However, before the prime minister leaves office, it is best to explain to the senators, the Privy Council, the House of Lords, and the Diet why the tragedy of such elite permanent divisions as the 8th, 10th, and 14th divisions has occurred. Someone has to be responsible for everything, and since the current cabinet is a cabinet that has made such major achievements as the capture of Beiping, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuhan, it must also be a cabinet that is used to assume responsibility. As the current public security war in North China has suffered such a great loss, the cabinet must shoulder the responsibility. Let the people know that the cabinet resigned because of the defeat in the war in North China. ”

Konoe Fumima could not agree to this, and he immediately said: "The reason for the resignation of the cabinet will be explained to the Diet, the senators, the Privy Council, and the House of Nobles, but the minister and the cabinet will definitely not bear the responsibility for such a heavy loss in the law and order war in North China. It is the military department and the North China Front Command that should be held responsible, not the cabinet that knows nothing. I beg your Majesty's forgiveness, the minister cannot be held accountable for this! ”

At this time, it was already late at night, and the Western floor clock in the Pine Pavilion was ticking and ticking, and the people who knocked were upset.

Empress Ryoko has sent female officials to visit several times, and quietly told Emperor Hirohito to pay attention to the health of the dragon, and Empress Ryoko saw that His Majesty was not around, and she couldn't sleep, and earnestly hoped that Her Majesty could finish handling government affairs in time and return to the palace to rest.

Listening to the whispering of the female official, and then looking at the unpredictable face of Konoe Fumima, Emperor Hirohito suddenly had a mischievous mind, the guy in front of him was dignified, the wife and concubine, and the lover smoked the quilt to the fragrance and washed it white and waited for him to enjoy, which was much more moisturized than his own emperor. Hum! I can't compare to your beautiful fortune, and I can't let you get your wish, so I can't go home all night to see what you can do with me!

Emperor Hirohito began to persuade: "The Prime Minister is my arm and my friend. Do you really not want to worry about me? After all, it is also the prime minister's political proposition and pursuit to expand abroad, improve the international status of the Japanese Empire, and make Asia no longer subject to the division of Europe and the United States and Russia? Is the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere actively advocated by the Prime Minister? Is the Prime Minister going to study the war in Shandong with the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Land, and report to me early tomorrow morning? ”

Konoe Bunma has already picked on his son at this time, where will he suffer that sin again! However, he didn't know that Emperor Hirohito wanted to do this, it was purely a kind of envy, jealousy, hatred, loneliness, loneliness, and coldness. He is not a military strategist, so what good suggestions can he give to specific campaign planning and command? Therefore, Fumima Konoe politely declined Emperor Hirohito's suggestion, and offered to go back and think about it, and to meet with the cabinet ministers early tomorrow morning to discuss the resignation of the cabinet.

Emperor Hirohito would let him get his wish, and no longer listened to his explanation, waving his hand to let the people of the Imperial Household Province send the prime minister to the base camp. The emperor himself returned to the harem with a depressed face, and vented his anger on Empress Ryoko's somewhat flabby belly.

To Konoe's surprise, after a busy night, just as he was about to close his eyes and be confused for a while at dawn, and was about to wait for the cabinet ministers to meet after work to study the resignation of the cabinet president, his secretary sent a morning newspaper with a news of the cabinet resignation. Of course, the press release was vague, saying that according to informed information, the Imperial Army was making slow progress in the war of law and order in North China, and His Majesty the Emperor was extremely angry and ordered the Cabinet and the Military Department to review the reasons. Prime Minister Konoe has deeply failed to live up to His Majesty's trust in him, and has submitted his resignation to His Majesty the Emperor, and has apologized to the people for his sins with the resignation of the Cabinet and assumed responsibility for the disadvantage of the war in North China.

Konoe Wen tore the newspaper to shreds angrily, and scolded in his mouth: "Baga! All Baga! The Baga is extreme