Spy Wars: Return of the Red Luan

“You were born in Taiwan. Back then, when I was the Governor-General of Taiwan, I brought Hyacinth with me to my post. Unexpectedly, Hyacinth was in poor health and passed away in Yilan.”

"On the third day after she passed away, I found you as a baby on the beach in Yilan."

“I think it might be because of my good deeds, that I did not kill a single Taiwanese during my term of office, that God gave me a daughter.”

"Later, I took Hyacinth's ashes and returned to Tokyo with you."

“I didn’t intend to hide your background, so I reported it in detail to the Zongzhi Bureau. I just wanted to wait until you grew up before telling you.”

"This busy work has lasted for more than ten years."

……

The story, told in a somber atmosphere, is narrated by old Fujiwara.

“Miss, the Duke is just trying to cover up his longing for his wife by keeping himself busy every day. He is not deliberately neglecting you.”

“Father!” Mio stood up and threw herself into old Fujiwara’s arms, crying.

Putting aside his stance, Old Fujiwara did indeed act with integrity. When Chen Jiehua obtained the records from the Zongzhi Bureau, he thought that detailed registration was a necessary procedure, but he did not expect that it was Old Fujiwara who did it on purpose.

The key point is that he did not kill a single Taiwanese person during his tenure, and Chen Jiehua believed him when he said that.

Moreover, since marrying Mio, it seems that old Fujiwara has indeed not supported any policy of aggression against China. However, one person's opposition is powerless.

The current Japanese leadership has been swayed by the militarism of the army, and its direction has completely deviated from its ideals. Therefore, Fujiwara once again took the initiative to recall Konoe to take over as Speaker of the House of Peers, and I stepped down.

"Qingxuan, use your fleet to send us to Taiwan. I want to take Meixu back to Yilan for a visit."

"!!!"

"No problem, Father-in-law. Qingxuan's fleet is in port and can depart at any time."

It's not so easy for the former Speaker of the House of Nobles to travel far away. He has to report it, the House of Nobles has to submit documents to the State Council, the State Council has to send a telegram to Taiwan to arrange reception, and the Special Higher Police have to arrange guards. It's true that Aoki Seigen has high combat strength, but he is not a guard after all.

Next, the old Duke Fujiwara arranged for his old butler to go to Yilan ahead of time to organize and recruit locals to clean the mansion he had left behind. It hadn't been used for over a decade, and the weeds were taller than a person. Cleaning it wouldn't be easy, especially since it held many of the old Fujiwara's memories, so the old butler had to oversee it.

Fortunately, we had Qingxuan's fleet; otherwise, we would have had to coordinate with the navy's warships.

Everything was kept simple, and we prepared for three days before setting off.

Chen Jiehua sent two telegrams, one to Ji Yinfengwen, informing him of the flight route and urging him to join forces as soon as possible to provide protection. He said that old Fujiwara just wanted a show of force, and that as long as he could handle the rest of the matter, he would protect him and travel around the world.

The second telegram was sent to the brother-in-law, the chosen one, who said that if he was in trouble, Heaven would help him. He was given a detailed plan to find someone to act out a traditional ancient costume scene, blocking the road and crying out for justice.

This kind of thing would normally be completely impossible for the Japanese, but the situation is different now. Old Fujiwara is taking Mio back to Taiwan to reminisce, and he is a moderate policymaker. Wouldn't it be foolish not to seize this opportunity?
Moreover, he had someone else controlling the direction, so at worst they could execute Plan B. The alternative was for Chen Lanfeng to take Old Fujiwara and his group hostage, forcing the Taiwan Governor-General's Office to release them.

Of course, it's best to avoid using Plan B, as it's easy to go wrong.

Yilan is the territory of the Chen family.

Time, location, people and harmony.
-
August 3, 1932 (Showa 8).

Duke Fujiwara and his entourage boarded the flagship and headed to Yilan Port in Taiwan.

When his former boss came to Taiwan, Kenzo Nakagawa made a special trip from Taipei to Yilan to first inspect Fujiwara's old residence, and then go to the port to greet him.

As she was about to return to her beloved hometown, Chen Meixu excitedly looked out onto the deck, while Chen Jiehua could only come up to the deck to accompany her.

Actually, it was mainly because the cabin was too stuffy; didn't you see how old Fujiwara was forced to come out? After disembarking, Chen Jiehua spotted Chen Lanfeng disguised in the noisy crowd and nodded slightly. Seeing the nod, Chen Lanfeng quietly left.

Proceed according to Plan A.

In the old house in Yilan, the old Duke Fujiwara excitedly introduced the facilities from back then to the two of them, reminiscing as he did so.

That day, the group went to sleep very late.

The next day, Chen Jiehua and Meixu woke up first. After washing up, they sat in the yard staring blankly at the red fish in the pond.

What if he doesn't want to go out? He'll probably go out eventually, right?

Just as the two were feeling anxious and uncertain, old Fujiwara got up to wash and get ready, and the butler invited them to have breakfast together.

"Mio, after breakfast, I'll take you to the beach where you were found."

"Okay."

No need to worry about it now.

As soon as the group finished breakfast and stepped outside, a group of ragged people ran towards them. Chen Jiehua reacted quickly, ran in front of Old Fujiwara, assumed a fighting stance, and shouted, "Protect the Duke!"

The guards formed a semi-circle, drew their guns, and at the same time, the group of people knelt down from a distance.

"Don't shoot!" Old Fujiwara saw the crowd from a distance and knelt down instead of moving forward, so he took the initiative to shout to avoid accidental injury.

This scene brought back memories; I had been here once more than a decade ago.

"Qingxuan, go up and ask what's going on. Be polite and don't scare them."

Chen Jiehua stepped forward to communicate, but he couldn't understand the Taiwanese dialect very well. After a long time of gesturing, the old housekeeper finally stepped forward and understood.

"Your Grace, they are all citizens of Yilan. They say their family members were arrested and imprisoned by the Governor-General's Office as communists."

"Your Grace, it is true. The previous governor launched a major crackdown on the Taiwanese Communists, arrested people, and sent them back to their country before they could be tried. The previous governor did not take any action. Jianzang has just taken office and is preparing to arrange the interrogation."

Kenzo Nakagawa was quite perceptive; seeing Duke Fujiwara turn his head, he spoke up first.

"Sigh, they arrest people but then don't care. So many people are being locked up, wasting the empire's resources. The people of Taiwan also need to produce. Look at Yilan, the people are so simple and honest. How can I just ignore them?"

"Look, let Qingxuan go with you to handle this so you won't be in a difficult position. I'll go back to Tokyo and get the necessary paperwork done for you from the Cabinet."

"Hi!"

"Father-in-law, I'm leaving now. Your safety and Mio's safety..."

"Don't worry about safety. Have you seen the people of Yilan? They only come to me for help when they know I'm here, and they stay far away. Qingxuan, don't worry."

"This is Mio's true hometown, and those are all Mio's fellow villagers. Go, handle things properly, and return quickly."

"Mio, you must take good care of Father."

……

After putting on an act and settling things on this side, Chen Jiehua pulled Governor Nakagawa Kenzo into the car and headed to Taipei. Chen Jiehua felt that his money and acting skills were Oscar-worthy; this was a worthwhile investment, and he had obtained the imperial sword. (End of Chapter)