In the seventh year of the Showa era, September 15, 1932 in the Gregorian calendar, it coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

On this day, the inhabitants of the island country called the "Tsukimi Festival", and the ministers of the Heian period prepared wine and music at this time, and drank and feasted all night to compose poems. Today's imperial ministers have put on Western clothes and eaten steaks, and only a little aftertaste of the former elegance remains.

On the other hand, folk shrines and temples worship Moonlight Bodhisattva or Kaguyahime today, hold a puja, carry shrines and travel to invite good believers to worship.

And the Western-worshipping culture of the Meiji era did not eliminate the Tsukimi Festival. Families in various municipalities in Tokyo also set up glutinous rice dough as white as the moon on the small table of the elegant corner meal, and the fifteen dough that represents the change of the 15th day of the moon phase, and the Kutani ware porcelain vase with miscanthus grass inserted into it, is a complete set of offerings for the moon. Some people add chestnuts, fruits, and sake, but this extravagant style is particularly conspicuous in Tokyo, where the depression has not yet subsided.

But even after the impact of the Great Depression, Tokyo remained Tokyo, enjoying the most relaxed conditions and the most generous offerings in the entire empire.

The streets of Tokyo are full of classic models such as GM, Ford, and Clares, and although they have not caused any traffic jams, they are also unique to Asia in this era. As for how many copycat versions of Toyota are mixed into those American-style models, it is something that only the owner knows.

If you are not yet unemployed, you can enjoy a breakfast of curry and rice and bread, and when you rush to work on the train, you can buy a copy of the Asahi Shimbun or Tokyo Metropolitan Shimbun for a few coins, and when you get off work, you may find time to order a copy of Kodansha's King's magazine.

The famous book series of Iwanami Shoten and Gaisha are becoming popular in the educational and cultural circles, and the conscience price of one yen has attracted a large number of readers to become their die-hard fans, and these two publishing houses are also one of the few lecture schools in the cultural circles that still insist on opposing militarism.

But compared to these thick masterpieces, foreign-language movies are the focus of attention of Tokyo people, and even in the mouths of middle school students, only popular Hollywood stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable are obsessed. As for the Japanese entertainers, who cares about them!

Those Chinese language teachers are even more envious, jealous and hateful to their peers who teach foreign languages, not for anything else, just because the students are always so hungry in foreign language classes, desperately memorizing words and practicing listening, just to be able to watch the latest imported Hollywood movies directly in the cinema. After all, in those days, there weren't so many subtitle groups that were full of enthusiasm and willing to volunteer for free.

So when Captain Kanuchi walked through the streets of Ginza and heard the girls drinking marbles in the roadside cafes, he was surprised and exclaimed, "That person really looks like a Hollywood star." ”

This elite of the special high school who had a broken arm, but still refused to retire from illness, did not have any radical reactions.

The world is like this, the state affairs are hard, and there is nothing to worry about with the ignorant little citizens.

As the head of the Nagasaki Special High School, a talented man from a Lu Shi, Captain Kanui has achieved his ultimate as an officer from a Lu Shi, and his power is so great that it is not comparable to the chairmen and governors of those prefectures and cities.

But at this moment, his empty sleeves are constantly reminding him of what kind of nightmare he had a few days ago!

And when he woke up, Nagasaki Prefecture Governor Suzuki and Nagasaki Police Chief Susukita, who came to visit him, expressed their "greetings" in that seemingly mild tone:

"Your Excellency Kaminai, during your tenure in Nagasaki, you have been loyal to the Imperial Nation and your Majesty, and you are really a model of imperial soldiers!"

"Now that Your Excellency has been injured in the line of duty, we have already conveyed your current situation to the military department, don't worry, you are now on leave when you are injured in the line of duty, and you don't need to worry about the work of the special high school for the time being. ”

Two local Nagasaki politicians, who had been pretending to be deaf and dumb, joined forces to exclude themselves. But don't they know how seriously this situation is involved, and how they can be so light-hearted!

However, the so-called recuperation is equivalent to house arrest, and even the place of house arrest was chosen in a remote monastery in Nagasaki.

"It must be conveyed to the generals of the army!"

Captain Kaminai, who was so worried, encountered an opportunity to escape that night-

"W-Who!"

"Warriors of love and peace, or walking calamities, don't worry about these little things, just remember that you are busy preparing for the Moonlight Festival, with so many glutinous rice dumplings to pound, so many scriptures to copy, so many good faiths to invite to the puja. Recently, as long as everyone cares about this matter, as for what Captain Kaminai is guarding, it is a matter without a shadow. ”

With the playful laughter of the men, the silver glare continued to rise and fall in the temple, and when the door of Captain Kaminai's ward was pushed open, a strange man wearing a white top hat and a white horse racing dress, wearing a silver mask that is common at masquerade, nodded to him: "Okay, Captain Kaminai, the guards here have been hypnotized by me, so take this opportunity to leave quickly, this country still needs people like you to stop the ambitions of those monks." ”

"Who are you?"

"Well, I'm an opponent of the tantric groups that rule this world in the shadows. Of course, for personal security reasons, I still won't reveal my true identity in front of you, in short, you can call me the monster thief W. ”

Speaking suspicious nonsense, the man who called himself a "strange thief" threw a wallet at Captain Kaminuchi: "I have prepared a ticket for you to Tokyo, and I will leave tonight." Only loyal and brave samurai can truly protect this country and prevent it from falling into the hands of groups with ulterior motives. In Nagasaki, Captain Kanuchi, who is alone, can't do anything, but in Tokyo, there are seniors and colleagues in the Army, and I believe you can do even better than you do now. ”

In retrospect, the man's words were full of flaws and loopholes, but one thing he was not wrong about was that it was only in Tokyo, with the support of the army generals, that he was able to do something that was truly beneficial to the Imperial Empire.

Under this premise, Captain Kaminai is willing to give anything.

......

............

The atmosphere in Tokyo has become extremely cold like a sudden cold snap.

In Shinjuku in September, those love hotels with flashing neon lights are already very soul-shattering. But in the sudden cold wave, that little bit of Qisi will soon be blown away by the cold wind. All of them were in a hurry, as if they were sheltering from the cold wind.

In a certain high-level club in Shinjuku, Lieutenant General of the Army and Deputy Chief of Staff Shinzaburo Mazaki silently looked at the cold rain that was about to fall outside the window, and then turned around, looked at the man on the sofa and said: "Director Nagata should know about the incident that some time ago, the monks of Koyasan infiltrated the division headquarters of the Guards Division and took control of all the defense forces in Tokyo. ”

The head of the military affairs bureau, Nagata Tetsuyama, is a middle-aged man with round glasses, and there are not many military qualities to be seen except for his army-style hairstyle, which leaves only a short stubble of bald head. It seems that he is more like the kind of scholar who takes "being buried alive in a book and dying" as his lifelong wish.

However, this elite officer from Lu University is not only known as the army's first strategist and the "strongest brain in Showa", but also the biggest enemy of the imperial faction led by Shinzaburo Mazaki.

It is difficult for ordinary people to imagine that this military affairs director, who focuses on the study of the operation model of the national system in wartime, is the leader of the army control faction. And Nagata Tieshan, who looks full of scholarly temperament, is a sleek figure with long sleeves and good dancing, whether it is an important minister of the imperial family, a minister of the palace faction, or the head of the major chaebols, they all have a very close relationship with him.

And Emperor Hirohito unabashedly called him "My Guardian Youth".

However, looking at the not-so-good-looking appearance of Nagata Tieshan, Hirohito probably wouldn't follow the example of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and let anyone from the Nagata family enter the Heavenly Empress Palace.

He had a glass of brandy in front of him, but he had no intention of reaching for it, just quietly listening to Shizaburo Masaki make his lofty statement:

"The Army's courage and fearless sacrifice are the reason why it can deter dirty politicians, scheming chaebols, and suppress those who only know how to ask the people for the construction of warships and then enjoy a steak in red wine. And it was with this spirit that we defeated China and Russia in the Meiji era, and became the pillar of the empire!"

"But the glory that belongs to the army is so absurdly tainted and destroyed in the presence of the monks who do not know what the scriptures and the tin rods are called! The monks seem to want to show us that they alone are the masters of this country! And we, the glorious soldiers of the Imperial Army, are but dogs at their mercy!"

"Nagata-kun, no, Your Excellency Nagata Tieshan, Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, do you want to watch the cause that countless army seniors have fought for since the elders of Youpeng in Shan County turn into a spring dream in your hands?"

Pointing out the window at the bleak wind and cold rain that gradually enveloped Tokyo, his voice also carried a hint of urgency, and gradually became excited, and even had some of his old partner, Minister of War Sadao Araki's speech style: "Listen to these wind and rain, this is the sigh of the heroes who have not been far away since the Meiji era, and even the heroes who founded the imperial kingdom since Emperor Jimmu!"

“......”

Nagata Tetsuyama's not very fair face had a tired and tired black, as if it was deeply imprinted into his skin. For Shinzaburo Mazaki's speech, he just picked up the glass of brandy in front of him, drank it as if he was going to choke something down his throat, and then stood up, ready to leave.

Mazaki Shizaburo's face changed slightly, and he was about to stop: "Your Excellency Nagata, as the head of the army, are you really ignorant of the current situation?"

Nagata Tetsuyama glanced back at him: "Your Excellency Mazaki, as the deputy chief of staff, have you been messing around with those red deer who graduated from the Guards Division, the First Division, and the Second Division for too long recently?"

Using these words as a lead, Nagata Tetsuyama's malice poured out endlessly: "Your Excellency, you should remember that you are the deputy head of the Imperial General Staff, and not those careerists who disturb people's hearts with speeches and articles! I am well aware of the propaganda that you and that famous social activist, Mr. Kita Ikki, have carried out against junior officers of the Army in units with the mission of defending the Imperial Palace, such as the Guards Division. But don't forget, it's the head of the military affairs bureau in front of you, Nagata Tetsuyama, not the red-headed deer who listened to your speech!"

Masaki Shizaburo, who was made blue by these words, even wanted to roar: "Bastard, you dare to treat the seniors in the army like this!"

But he was attracted by Nagata Tetsuyama's next words:

"Koyasan, no, it should be called Satokoya, a sacred place like this, hidden above the clouds and unknown to ordinary people, is not something that we in the secular world should easily challenge. As a close retainer of His Majesty, I can tell you unequivocally that for more than a thousand years since Prince Shotoku, the country sought great power to help people purify their filth and subdue strange things, until Kukai Master brought Tantra back to our country and guarded everything we had for a long time. In the same way, both the emperor and the shogun will maintain respect for a sacred place like Satomaya, because it is not the soldiers who really protect the country, but the monks......"

Masaki Shizaburo retorted: "But now their actions are telling us that they seem to be no longer satisfied with their position on the clouds, and they are unwilling to be lonely and stretch out their hands in front of His Majesty!"

"Yes," Nagata Tieshan turned around, looked at the clouds above the gloomy rain curtain that blocked the sky, and said in a slightly cold voice: "In this world, there is such a group of superhuman beings, so powerful, so powerful that they cannot be controlled by the world. If these people abandon their thousand-year-old iron law, how should we, who live in the world, deal with it?"

Masaki Shizaburo once again blocked Nagata Tetsuyama's way: "Your Excellency, we should give up the hatred of the past and join hands in this present. Just for the dignity of the imperial road and the survival of the empire, it is also worth us to throw ourselves into this torrent one after another!"

Nagata Tieshan looked at the army senior and political enemy in front of him, and repeated softly: "Do you think you are a stone?"

But then, his face became even colder and harder than before:

"I will not express my support and understanding for your next actions, and I hope that you can do it independently. And it can only be done spontaneously and automatically by my loyal and brave soldiers of the Imperial Kingdom with the great ambition of serving the country and serving His Majesty in seven lives—"

Speaking of this, Nagata Tetsuyama finally stared at Shinzaburo Mazaki and said in the strongest attitude: "And I hereby formally warn Your Excellency that any radical action that tries to put His Majesty in danger is outright unconspiracy, even rebellion!"

(End of chapter)