Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 498, Storm in the Imperial Household Agency!

Imperial Palace Police Headquarters, Chief's Office.

General Manager Gondo was in a good mood when a phone call on his way to work struck him like a thunderbolt. After briefly understanding what had happened, he had no choice but to rush to headquarters at full speed.

At this moment, General Manager Gondo's face was ashen, and the ashtray in front of him was already overflowing with cigarette butts that had been smoked in just over ten minutes.

He had just received a report from the on-site commander, the conclusion of which left him feeling utterly devastated.

"Preliminary examination... cause of death is drowning." The on-site commander's voice came through the encrypted phone, trembling slightly. "No obvious, fatal blows or signs of resistance were found on the body. However... Minister, it's impossible to determine whether this was an accident or..."

"Or what?" Gondo's voice was hoarse.

"...either he was thrown into the water, or he fell in after losing consciousness. The muddy shoreline is slippery, but we also found some blurry marks, making it impossible to immediately determine whether it was a struggle or a natural slip. More professional forensic examination is needed..."

"That's enough," Gondo interrupted abruptly.

Drowning, no clear evidence of homicide, but homicide cannot be ruled out either?
This is the worst-case scenario ever! If it were a clear murder, he could immediately shift the blame to the Metropolitan Police Department and launch a full-scale manhunt. If it were a clear accident or suicide, although it would still be a scandal, at least he could handle it internally and fabricate an illness as the cause of death to cover it up. But this ambiguous situation is like handing him a bomb with a lit fuse!

Damn it, what does this have to do with me?

Why would someone as the head of the Imperial Palace Headquarters encounter something like this? It's like something that happens only once in decades has happened to me.
Heaven is going to destroy me!!!

Someone died in the palace? Or died under mysterious circumstances?
Are you kidding me? If this happens, as the head of the Imperial Palace Police, I won't even be able to get the blame out of the situation.

No!

At the very least, decisions should be made collectively and responsibilities should be shared collectively. As the head of the Imperial Palace Police, I certainly bear responsibility, but don't the Imperial Household Agency and the Palace also bear responsibility?
He stood up abruptly and growled at his deputy, "Immediately notify the Imperial Household Agency! Call an emergency meeting with Commander Maeda, Vice Minister Nakajima, and... Chief Aide-de-Camp Takeuchi, who is in charge of security! It will be held in the 'Ran Room' underground!"

"Yes!"

Slightly later, after learning of the matter, Maeda Risuke, who was also the Director-General of the Imperial Household Agency, did not dare to delay and rushed to the Imperial Household Agency in a great hurry.

If you recall, when Uesugi Sadanori, the older brother of Uesugi Muneyuki, got married, Maeda Risuke attended as the head of the Kanazawa Maeda family and was one of the highest-ranking members of the nobility present.

The Kanazawa Maeda family has been prosperous since the Edo period as the "Kaga Million Koku Domain" and is one of the few large domains with a million koku of rice during the Edo period (the other being the Sendai Date Domain). Its head was the famous Sengoku warlord, "Ya no Matasaka" Maeda Toshiie.

While Maeda Toshiie was a renowned general in terms of personal martial prowess and leadership abilities during the Sengoku period, he was not the most outstanding. His ability to rise from a humble lord of a small town in Owari to become the "Kaga Million Koku Story" was largely due to his status as Oda Nobunaga's "koku" (a type of page, similar to a prince's tutor or a royal bodyguard). Furthermore, he had known Toyotomi Hideyoshi, another powerful figure in Japan, since before he rose to prominence. This allowed Maeda Toshiie to smoothly switch sides, and both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi trusted him greatly, regarding him as a confidant and close friend.

Maeda Toshiie also had an extremely keen political sense. He made the right choices in several major decisions in his life. Therefore, some people say that he was essentially a fickle traitor. He first betrayed Shibata Katsuie and joined Hideyoshi, then betrayed the Oda clan and joined the Toyotomi clan, and then betrayed the Toyotomi clan and joined the Tokugawa clan. By constantly jumping from one side to the other, he managed to amass a million koku of rice.

However, this evaluation is very unfair to Maeda Toshiie. First of all, Maeda Toshiie was not Shibata Katsuie's subordinate. He was just a "co-resource" sent by Oda Nobunaga. Strictly speaking, he was on the same level as Shibata and was only there to assist him. Therefore, at that time, during the internal war within the Oda system, he could have sided with either Hideyoshi or Shibata. Moreover, he had a choice because Hideyoshi was his childhood friend and best buddy, and they were each other's witnesses at their weddings.

As for Oda and Toyotomi, it's even simpler. In that era, loyalty was limited to loyalty to the monarch himself. Moreover, the Battle of Sekigahara hadn't even started when Maeda Toshiie died. Under his power and deep "Nobunaga lineage seniority," Tokugawa Ieyasu, intimidated by Toshiie's influence, at least outwardly obeyed Toyotomi Kōi. Maeda Toshiie also arranged for his two children to follow the Eastern Army and the Western Army respectively to ensure the continuation of his family name, which was already his best effort.

While I was alive, I was able to suppress the Inner Palace (Ieyasu) and do my best to prevent the collapse of Toyotomi Kōgi. That was already more than enough to repay the Taiko's kindness!
As for what happens after I die, only God knows…

Today, the Maeda clan of Kanazawa remains one of the most elite families in Japanese society, possessing countless lands and real estates and wielding immense social influence. Maeda Toshiyuki himself serves as the Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Household Agency and, together with Tokugawa Tsunetaka, the head of the Tokugawa main family, serves as a representative of the last generation of samurai, holding the position of Samurai Noriyuki.

Maeda Risuke clutched his heart and rubbed his chest. Upon hearing the news, Maeda Risuke, who was already 70 years old, almost couldn't catch his breath and saw his ancestors.

Li Jia Gong! May you bless your descendants!

In a confidential conference room beneath the Imperial Palace, known as "The Orchid Room".

The room was very soundproof; once the heavy door was closed, any outside noise was completely blocked out, leaving only a suffocating silence that made one's heart stop beating.

The old man, Maeda Toshiyuki, the head of the Imperial Household Agency, sat in the main seat. His face, which usually carried an air of authority and a hint of reserve, was now filled with only dejection and incredulous horror.

To his right was Nakajima, the Vice-Minister of the Imperial Household Agency, an old bureaucrat known for his shrewdness and caution, who was tapping his fingertips incessantly on the table, revealing his extreme anxiety. To his left was Gondo, the head of the Imperial Palace Police, who had his arms crossed and his brows furrowed, as if he were enduring great pain.

Seated to the side is Takeuchi, the chief attendant, a heavyweight figure responsible for the daily life and security of the imperial family.

He was older, pale, and his eyes held not only fear but also deep worry, as if he could already foresee the potential disturbance and reputational storm this matter might bring to the royal family.

“Drowning…unable to confirm?” Commander Maeda’s voice was dry, almost repeating Gondo’s report, as if he couldn’t process the information.

"Yes." Chief Gondo nodded heavily. "The body has been moved to a temporary shelter and is being guarded by our most reliable personnel. But sir, if I may be frank, with our technical capabilities, we are simply incapable of conducting the next steps of forensic autopsy and scientific evidence collection. Every minute that passes, the evidence may disappear."

"Absurd!" Vice Minister Nakajima suddenly raised his voice, though he tried his best to suppress it, the panic in his voice was still evident: "Within the Imperial Palace, an employee of the Imperial Household Agency died under mysterious circumstances! If this gets out... the media will pounce like hyenas! What kind of stories will they fabricate?! The darkness of the Imperial Household Agency? A scandal within the Imperial Family? Neither you nor I could atone for it by committing seppuku!"

Seppuku!

Yes, it's post-war now, so this isn't customary. If it were before the war, all of them would have committed seppuku!

The fear of seppuku permeated the meeting room. Even after Emperor Mai repeatedly forbade it, these people understood that even if they did not commit seppuku now, if they could not resolve this matter quickly, their fate would definitely not be good!

"What are the Imperial Palace police doing? Why are people dying???" Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Agency, Nakajima, was the first to fire.

It's all the fault of your palace police!

"While headquarters certainly bears responsibility, we have learned that Ishimuro was instructed by the Imperial Palace attendants to not go to the Imperial Gardens to help out after get off work, which led to the accident!" Headquarters Chief Gondo argued, implying that the Imperial Palace also bore responsibility.

"We did send staff over to help with the tidying up, but shouldn't the Imperial Household Agency have a reasonable schedule for its staff's get off work hours? Shouldn't there be someone on duty?" Chief Aide-de-Camp Takeuchi immediately retorted. Doesn't the Imperial Household Agency bear any responsibility?
"Stop beating around the bush! Since the Imperial Guard was abolished the year after the war, all security work has been handled by the Imperial Palace Police Headquarters! With something like this happening, just wait for us to report to the Cabinet and the National Police Agency!" Vice Minister Nakajima said angrily.

"Nakajima-kun, now is not the time to assign blame!" Maeda Risuke finally snapped, though his fingers trembled slightly. "The two most crucial points are: First, absolute secrecy! This matter must not be leaked to any fourth party! Issue the strictest gag order to all those who know about it!"

He looked at Gondo, "Chief Gondo, can your men do this?"

Gondo's face was grim: "The order to kill has been given. But, sir, the gardener who found the body, and the two team members who first arrived at the scene, were greatly traumatized. There's no guarantee they won't succumb to extreme pressure..."

"Then strengthen control! Provide psychological counseling! In any case, the information must be kept within the smallest possible scope!" Maeda Risuke almost roared.

“Second.” Maeda took a deep breath, as if making an extremely difficult decision: “We must find out the truth. For the sake of the Imperial Household Agency, and even more so for… His Majesty’s peace and tranquility.”

When he mentioned the royal family, his voice involuntarily carried a hint of awe and fear.

Chief Chamberlain Takeuchi interrupted Maeda Risuke, his voice low and hoarse: "Commander Maeda is right. We must know whether this is an unfortunate accident or... some kind of malice directed at the 'Gyosho' (another name for the Imperial Palace)?"
"Without knowing the truth, we cannot take the next step, nor can we ensure that everything goes smoothly. Your Majesty... is considering moving the capital elsewhere, such as Karuizawa..."

The chief eunuch Takeuchi didn't continue, but everyone understood that it was inconvenient for the person in the Imperial Palace to express his opinion. However, if the matter became so serious that he had to ask, that would be a real catastrophe!

Vice Minister Nakajima slumped back in his chair: "But now we can't even determine whether it was suicide, an accident, or homicide!"

Chief Gondo gave a wry smile: "Vice Minister Nakajima, I understand your feelings. But the reality is that our duties as palace police are guards and etiquette. Handling murder cases... we have no experience and our equipment is inadequate. If the truth is lost because of our delays, the responsibility we bear will be even greater once it is revealed in the future."

He was equally afraid of being held accountable, but he was even more afraid of being blamed for his incompetence.

A long silence followed. The air was so heavy it seemed to drip water.

How to do?
Someone died inside the Imperial Palace! And it was a full-time employee of the Imperial Household Agency!
This is not something that can be easily dismissed! Moreover, this matter could trigger a political and media tsunami that could devour their entire careers and even their lives!

If this matter is made public, it will be one of the biggest scandals in postwar Japanese history!

The problem now is that, for the sake of national honor, government prestige, and their personal positions, this matter must undoubtedly be kept strictly confidential.

However, the palace police were clearly incapable of finding out the truth; they couldn't even determine whether it was a suicide, an accidental death, or homicide.

But requesting outside help? That would be a desecration of the royal sanctuary! It would also demonstrate their incompetence and make it highly likely that they would be unable to keep the secret. If the case can be solved quickly, that would be fine, but if it cannot be solved in a short time and the matter is leaked, then everything would be over!
The room was silent. Everyone was waiting for someone else to speak, and no one was willing to take the initiative to make a decision.

Everyone is a non-stick pan.

But if we drag this out, we'll be doomed.

Finally, Maeda Risuke, as the head of the Imperial Household Agency and the highest-ranking official present, used all his strength to stare intently at Chief Gondo and ask, word by word, "Chief Gondo, the victim has an intact body, right?"

"Yes." Headmaster Gondo nodded.

"So that means we can perform an autopsy?" Maeda Risuke then asked.

"Yes... um?!" At this point, the eyes of all four high-ranking officials present lit up: "Sir, could it be..."

An autopsy? An autopsy... an autopsy?!

They remembered someone.

“That’s right, everyone. Right now, there is only one person in all of Japan who can solve this problem. Right now, there is only one person in all of Japan who can save us and give the Imperial Palace and the victims the truth!” Maeda Riyu’s eyes gleamed. “I know him. I attended his brother’s wedding and his engagement party. He should be willing to give me some face.”

"Sir, are you referring to... Yonezawa Uesugi?!" Vice Minister Nakajima exclaimed in surprise.

"A legendary new forensic pathologist, admitted to the University of Tokyo through special admission!" Department Head Gondo exclaimed.

“Chief Inspector of the First Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, Uesugi Muneyuki.” Takeuchi, the chief aide-de-camp, also nodded slightly: “Furthermore, being invited to the Forbidden Garden as a descendant of a samurai family and aristocratic clan does not violate the sacred tradition of ‘outsiders are not allowed to enter the Forbidden Garden’.”

It's him, it's him, it's him, it's definitely him!

Our legendary forensic pathologist, Ōgatsugi!
“Very good… Contact the Superintendent General of Police immediately. Request technical assistance on behalf of the Imperial Household Agency and the Imperial Palace Police Headquarters.”

"He specifically requested that Uesugi Muneyuki personally conduct the autopsy! He wants to keep the number of people who know about the case to a minimum. We can provide him with all the assistance he needs, and we urge him to solve the case as soon as possible!"

"Yes!!!"

As the meeting ended, several of Japan's highest-ranking officials trudged out of the meeting room. Their subordinates, waiting in the corridor outside, dared not utter a sound when they saw their ashen faces.

The entire bureaucratic system of the Imperial Palace, this long-established and meticulously organized machine, was plunged into unprecedented chaos and fear because of a corpse found in the lake.

Chief Inspector Gondo immediately picked up the Imperial Palace Police's encrypted intercom and dialed the Superintendent General's direct line.

This time, we'll have to rely on Uesugi again!

Uesugi saved my teeth!

(End of this chapter)