Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 299, Uesugi Muneyuki's Engagement

A week later, on November 27, Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami officially held their engagement ceremony at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

"Why do you always hold events at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo?" Uesugi Muneyuki asked.

The father, Hironori Uesugi, explained with a smile: the reason why he liked to hold all kinds of events at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo was because of his grandfather, Kuninori Uesugi's, peculiar hobby.

When my grandfather was born, the Han Chinese system still existed, but when he was a few years old, the Han Chinese system was in danger of being abolished. At that time, Emperor Wu of the Five Stars decided to completely abolish the Han Chinese system and take a heavy blow to the old Han Chinese. The system he formulated was to confiscate more than 80% of the property of the Han Chinese.

Of course, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. Those former imperial nobles and aristocratic families suffered a great disaster, but many former feudal lords and aristocratic families still had intricate connections in the local areas. They preserved some of their assets by hiding some of their property and disposing of the land they held in advance.

Fortunately and unfortunately, the Yonezawa Uesugi clan was marginalized in the Taisho era because they spoke out for the people against excessive taxes and were subjected to the Iron Fist. Therefore, they basically did not participate in World War II. All the original wealth of the clan was distributed to the samurai. Thus, they were fortunate to escape Emperor Munakata's postwar liquidation and confiscation of property. On the eve of the aristocracy's impending abolition, the previous head of the clan, Uesugi Kensho, and the previous head of the clan, Uesugi Takanobu, took the then young Uesugi Kuninori to the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo for a last dinner and watched the sunset together.

This made Kuninori Uesugi particularly fond of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, and he would try his best to hold any decent event there.

In the Phoenix Room of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, crystal chandeliers and Sengoku period screens complement each other. Within the thirty-tatami-mat space, a vermilion lacquered table inlaid with mother-of-pearl displays an antique Bizen tea ware, while a sixteen-petal chrysanthemum-patterned lacquer box holds the alliance documents.

Compared to Uesugi Sadonori's wedding, Uesugi Muneyuki's engagement ceremony was much more low-key, and based on the previous lesson, attendees were required to have invitations to enter.

However, the number of people who arrived was still larger than expected.

"Congratulations, Mr. Kunihiro!" President Komiyama of the University of Tokyo and Professor Funao, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo, came in person.

"Congratulations to you too!" Kuninori Uesugi smiled broadly.

"Senior Kunihiro, what a joyous occasion!" Former National Police Agency Commissioner and current Nippon Yusen director Kaneko Sawaro arrived with a big laugh: "Upon hearing that it was the engagement of Uesugi Muneyuki and Eiji's daughter Minami, I had no choice but to come!"

"Congratulations to you both! And thank you so much, Xiao Jinzi, for taking care of Eiji and Zongxue all this time. Please come in, please come in!"

"Since Zongxue-kun is engaged, I've offered a few small gifts as a token of my congratulations. I hope Zongxue-kun will take good care of our Hayabusa in the future." Former head of the Second Investigation Division, Igarashi Masataka, arrived.

Subsequently, Kozo Sato, Executive Director of the Board of Directors of Sumitomo Mitsui Group, arrived to offer his congratulations.

Among the noble families, Shimazu Osamu and Hosokawa Morihiro both sent gifts, and Tokugawa Tsunetaka, the head of the Tokugawa main family, and Maeda Toshiyuki, the head of the Maeda family and the head of the Imperial Household Agency, even came in person.

Kiyoshi Kamikawa, a mutual fund manager from Nomura Bank, arrived with a smug grin and brought a very valuable gift.

Students from Dongda University, Chinese, the financial sector, and conglomerates.

Uesugi Muneyuki's influence was so great that even Uesugi Kuninori himself was alarmed.

Eiji Watanabe, on the other hand, had a wider network of connections. Nearly 20 people from all 59 police superintendents across Japan came, including representatives from the National Police Agency, the Metropolitan Police Department, and local police stations, filling more than 20 tables.

The current Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, Hisaburo Tamaru, and the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the National Police Agency, Kimiaki Onoda, personally visited the event. Onoda also presented a very valuable gift on behalf of his brother, the Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Financial Services Agency Commissioner Masahiro Okada also sent a gift to thank Muneyuki Uesugi for taking care of his son.

Uesugi Muneyuki's friend, Shimakawa Ren, arrived, along with Chief Prosecutor Kirenakawa.

"Oh my! I've finally made it to the wedding day of these two newlyweds!" Kiyoaki Takatsukasa, the director of the Kyoto National Museum, arrived. His great-grandfather had married his daughter to a branch family in the Uesugi clan during the Meiji era, and he still possessed the original manuscripts of the seven "Letters of Wish from Kyoto" written by Uesugi Kenshin to the Imperial Court. This short old man from Kyoto laughed and said, "The young lady is as beautiful as a spring onion, and the young man has such an imposing presence. The old saying 'a perfect match' is exactly what our ancestors prepared for you two!"

"We just hope that you two will hold hands in red ribbons for a lifetime. There's no place like home, where there's no gold or silver. May your future be as prosperous as sesame flowers blooming—rising higher and higher!"

"When you're finally carrying your big, healthy baby boy, remember to let us old folks in this alley share in the joy! Alright, I'll offer my congratulations in advance!"

The appearance of the old Kyoto lord was indeed extraordinary, and the atmosphere immediately became much more lively.

The other was Ruri Saionji, the emcee who came from Osaka. She is the granddaughter of Kinmochi Saionji and the aunt of Tomoko Uesugi. Her folding fan was adorned with a silver chrysanthemum ornament bestowed by Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Her kaiseki restaurant, "Hibari-tei," has had an eighty-year-old competitive relationship with the Uesugi family's century-old restaurant, "Shogetsu-an," in Yonezawa: "As soon as we stepped into this place, we felt the joy on our faces~ The bride is so beautiful~ The newlyweds are so dashing~ I wish both of your families a prosperous and glorious future~"

“When you were holding your baby in the Ming Dynasty, remember to give us red eggs! Come on, let’s make a gesture with your hands—this is called ‘Sweet and Delicious Twisted Candy’!” “Thank you both for coming all the way from Kansai. I am very grateful~” Uesugi Kuninori excitedly grasped the hands of the two of them, while Uesugi Hironori and Uesugi Tomoko behind them bowed repeatedly. Uesugi Tomoko had not seen her aunt for almost ten years.

Not far away, the atmosphere around Watanabe Eiji and Watanabe Michiko was a bit less lively, which annoyed Watanabe Michiko, who also came from a political family: "Look at our old in-laws, they were half dead a few days ago, but in the blink of an eye they're all back to normal."

"Hehe." Watanabe Eiji didn't take it seriously and laughed, "Didn't you understand? From now on, all these resources will be ours."

Michiko Watanabe then smiled and said, "I don't think that's necessarily true."

"Hmm? What do you mean by this, darling?" Watanabe Eiji thought to himself, "What are you saying on such a joyous occasion?"
"I have a feeling that, besides the resources that Zong Xue and you, my dear, possess, the resources of the Yonezawa Uesugi clan will most likely also become ours in the future." Watanabe Michiko was filled with an indescribable excitement: "Even the Uesugi family name..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Watanabe Eiji's expression hardened. "Shut up!"

"Hmph~" Watanabe Michiko glanced thoughtfully at Uesugi Sadanori and his wife, who would become the future heads of the Uesugi family, a meaningful glint flashing in her eyes.

If I'm not mistaken, the relationship between Uesugi Muneyuki's brother and sister-in-law is more like that of familiar strangers than a married couple.

Having spent years in high society, Michiko Watanabe had developed an extremely sharp eye. She could tell at a glance that Uesugi Muneyuki's brother and sister-in-law had most likely never slept together.

Zongxue and Minami were inseparable, and Minami even told me, her mother, that Zongxue was incredibly strong and powerful in that area!
"..." It would be a lie to say that Watanabe Eiji didn't covet the connections and networks of the Yonezawa Uesugi clan and the historical and cultural influence of Uesugi Kenshin, but he could never openly agree with his wife's dark thoughts: "Don't think so much. Even with our current abilities and those of Muneyuki, the future is already limitless."

"That's true, but who would complain about having too many resources?" Watanabe Michiko could only temporarily back down.

Meanwhile, Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami were also receiving their friends and colleagues.

The number of people from the National Police Agency and the Metropolitan Police Department far exceeded the 18 tables that had been prepared. Uesugi Muneyuki had to set up 23 tables to barely accommodate all the police officers.

"Look, isn't that Inspector Shiratori Sho from the First Division?" Uesugi Muneyuki and Minami whispered to each other, "Who's that woman next to him?"

"Oh, that's Inspector Shiratori's new girlfriend, named Okada Saka. I heard she's a model and a professional female mahjong player, and she's of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent," Minami said mischievously. "What do you think? Pretty, right? Long legs, huh?"

"Well, if we rate looks out of 100, Minami, you're 99, Mikoto is 96, Asuka is 93, Erina is 88, and this Okada Saka is only 80." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head with a smile.

"And what about your Mai-senpai?" Minami seemed quite pleased with Uesugi Muneyuki's assessment.

"100 points."

"Tsk, I knew it." Minami rolled her eyes. She thought to herself that a white moonlight is a white moonlight, and Mai-senpai is indeed beautiful.

However, the outcome is already decided, and Zong Xuejun and I are already engaged!
“It’s a pity that Inspector Kashiwagi from the Third Division didn’t come. You should remember that Kashiwagi’s wife was the face of the previous Metropolitan Police Department, right?” Minami noticed that almost everyone from the First Investigation Division was present, except for Kashiwagi Jin from the Third Division. “It’s a shame. If Meisa-nee had come, Muneyuki could have given her her evaluation.”

“Yeah, Kashiwagi didn’t come. Why didn’t he come? Is it because of what happened last time? Didn’t I say that considering his performance in the University of Tokyo case and the Yokohama case afterward, I let him off the hook?” Uesugi Muneyuki was a little puzzled and also felt regretful for not seeing the face of the previous generation of Metropolitan Police Department.

“It’s not that Kashiwagi didn’t want to come, it’s that he’s run into trouble.” Minami shook her head: “You should know that the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating cold cases, right?”

"Kashiwa got caught up in a long-standing case, and ended up in big trouble."

"Oh, is that so?" Uesugi Muneyuki really didn't know.

Before Minami could say anything, the engagement ceremony had already officially begun, so she gestured for us to wait and talk later.

And so, with everyone's blessings, Uesugi Muneyuki and Watanabe Minami held a formal engagement ceremony. The two exchanged vows, and Uesugi Muneyuki put an engagement ring on Minami's finger.

They received blessings from everyone present, and indeed none of the 20 tables of police officers dared to cause trouble.

However, as December arrived, another storm swept through the Metropolitan Police Department!

Something happened to Kashiwagi!
(End of this chapter)