Spy Wars: Return of the Red Luan

Chapter 183 Sudden Changes

On the morning of January 21, Chen Jiehua said goodbye to Fujiwara Mio, reminding her to be careful and to stay at the East Asia Tongwen Academy if necessary.

Just as he stepped outside, Watanabe Wataru drove up in his car!

"Aoki-kun! Urgent telegram from headquarters!"

"What telegram is coming at this time?"

"That's great news, hehe, I brought it to you as soon as I received it!"

Chen Jiehua received the telegram: Konoe Fumimaro was transferred to be the principal of the East Asia College of Literature and Art, and Fujiwara Mio was transferred to be the president of the Japan National Defense Women's Association.

The "good thing" that Watanabe mentioned was that Chen Jiehua could wait until Konoe Fumimaro arrived in Shanghai to complete the handover before leaving, delaying his departure by two days, and taking Fujiwara Mio back to Tokyo with him!

This is such a good thing!

What kind of organization is the "Greater Japan National Defense Women's Association"? The name itself sounds ominous! Could it be some kind of early comfort organization?
If that's true, I need to go back and make Mio cancel it immediately, absolutely cancel it! Damn it, it stinks so badly, it'll never wash off even after several lifetimes! Holy crap, the founding president of the Comfort Women Association, just thinking about it makes me shudder!

After Watanabe left, Chen Jiehua took the luggage home. The two closed the door and went inside to discuss their next move.

This is so sudden! At the East Asia Tongwen Academy, Professor Wang Xuewen has already assigned all the tasks. What if Konoe Fumimaro strictly forbids teachers and students from going out? Or what if he pulls some trick and transfers students to work in other distant places, and they can't come back?
"Okay, let's go to the academy first. You can go to the academy and quietly pick up Teacher Wang. We'll meet at the villa on Beidan Road. Old Liu is there. We'll discuss it together."

A telegram from Tokyo headquarters completely disrupted Chen Jiehua's plans in Shanghai. Fortunately, there was still a chance to salvage the situation. Fujiwara Mio drove Chen Jiehua first to the villa on Rue Pétain, and then to the academy to find Professor Wang Xuewen.

At noon on the 21st, Chen Jiehua, Fujiwara Mio, Wang Xuewen, and Liu Junze discussed countermeasures at a villa on Pétain Road. Fujiwara Mio did not tell Wang Xuewen what the matter was about while at the academy and on the way.

"Teacher Wang, let me introduce you. This is Liu Junze, a graduate of the Army Sergeant School. He was one of my early partners and was codenamed North Wind in the Devil Team."

"Hello, Comrade Liu Junze! Your Kondo Kita is very successful. You underwent special training at the academy for a year, and I didn't find a single trace that you are Chinese!"

"Haha, thank you for the compliment, Teacher Wang."

"According to the original plan, I was supposed to leave Shanghai and return to Tokyo by warship today, but the General Headquarters sent an urgent telegram to transfer Fumimaro Konoe to Shanghai to take over as the principal of the East Asia College, and Mio was transferred back to Tokyo to serve as the president of the Japan National Defense Women's Association."

"Konoe is going to be the principal? That's a good thing."

"Good news? It seems there's something I don't know about? Please enlighten me, Professor Wang."

Do you know who founded the East Asia Tongwen Academy?

"Isn't this an economic espionage school that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a long time ago?"

"Yes, that's right, but this is the school founded by Konoe Fumimaro's father, Konoe Atsumaro. Konoe Atsumaro was the first principal, and the school was also one of the Konoe family's businesses. However, Konoe Atsumaro later passed away, and Konoe Fumimaro was still young, so the school was taken over by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"This school has this secret! So, Konoe Fumimaro came this time to take back the family business?"

"I don't know if he's here to take back the property, but in reality, even if he doesn't take back the school, no one in Japan would dare to mess with it."

"The Konoe family is the head of the five regent families of the Japanese nobility, and Konoe Fumimaro is the only legitimate bloodline of the Konoe family." "If we kill him, won't Japan descend into chaos?" Liu Junze suddenly interjected.

"If he had died in Shanghai, I don't know if Japan would have gone into chaos, but I think Japanese shells would have razed the entire city to the ground."

“Teacher Wang, I didn’t intend to kill him. I even met him once before. But you still haven’t explained why his appointment as principal would be a good thing for our plans.”

“He was my teacher Kawakami’s student and my senior at Kyoto Imperial University. During my studies with Kawakami, we often exchanged ideas.”

"Teacher Kawakami Hajime? So Teacher Wang is a student of Senior Kawakami Hajime!" Fujiwara Mio exclaimed in surprise.

"Does Principal Mio know the teachers?"

“My father used to often invite senior kawakami to our home to give me lessons.”

"Teacher Wang, there's something I've never understood. The Konoe family is the head of the Five Regent Families, so what is the position of the Fujiwara family, which Mio and her family belong to? Isn't my father-in-law a duke?"

"Let me put it simply. The Fujiwara family was originally the earliest regent family in Japan. During the Kamakura period, the Fujiwara Kita family split into five families, which are now the five regent families."

"The Konoe family is the head of the five regent families, and the five families take turns serving as regents. Therefore, the Fujiwara family is the maternal family of the five regent families, and its noble status is higher than that of the five regent families. The eldest son of the family inherits the title of duke, but in reality, he has no real power."

"However, due to the decline of the five regent families, Konoe Atsumaro died young, and Konoe Fumimaro was only 12 years old at the time and unable to act as regent, so Duke Fujiwara took over the management of the House of Nobles on his behalf."

"Does that mean that once Konoe Fumimaro comes of age, he can assume the position of Chancellor? Then won't Father return the position of Chairman of the House of Peers to Konoe Fumimaro?"

“Miss Mio is right. In principle, Duke Fujiwara should have handed over the reins to Konoe Fumimaro as the Speaker of the House of Peers in the next few years.”

"So that's why Father hasn't had time to spend with Mio. Sigh." Fujiwara Mio instantly thought of the fatherly love she had lost over the years; otherwise, she wouldn't have rebelled and run away, would she?

"Given the noble status of the Konoe family and the commoner status of the Aoki family, why did Konoe Fumimaro attend the funeral when Aoki Nobuzumi died?"

"Konoe Fumimaro is going to Aoki Nobuzumi's funeral? Are you sure?"

“I’m sure! My identity is Aoki Seigen, the grandson of Aoki Nobuzumi. I was present at the funeral.”

"You should ask Konoe Fumimaro himself about that. It's almost impossible for the five regent families of the top nobility to attend the funeral of a commoner in Japan. Even if he were a shogun, it wouldn't be allowed."

"He'll be here tomorrow to hand over the work. I'll see if I get a chance to ask him. This is a real problem; I need to figure it out before I feel at ease."

"Teacher Wang, are you sure that Fumimaro Konoe taking over as principal won't affect our plans?"

"Based on my understanding of him, it shouldn't be the case. He was affected by the loss of his father at a young age, so he's a bit withdrawn and doesn't like going out. I think even if he's strict, I can still complete the task according to your plan."

"Okay. Then I'll leave it to you!"

Since Professor Wang Xuewen and Fumimaro Konoe had this connection, Chen Jiehua was no longer worried. He had originally considered, if there were any difficulties, taking the risk of having Zhao Yiyue stay a few more days, and having him move from Pétain Road to work with Lao Liu for a while.

(End of this chapter)