1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

The Xie family consists of 12 people. The eldest of the Xie family, Xie Baoqing, is a landlord who has always been evil. He oppressed the people before the Japanese came, and he became even more arrogant after joining the Mori Lian.

Xie Baoqing had three sons and two daughters, almost all of whom were bad people and had killed people. Only the youngest daughter was only 6 years old and had no obvious evil deeds exposed.

Apart from them, other members of the Xie family (including servants) were not good people either. They helped the eldest brother of the Xie family and the little Huizi to do evil and even bully the common people.

So, seeing them tied up, with signs stuck behind their backs, and kneeling on the stage with dejected looks, the farmers who had been oppressed came up to the stage to "complain". They were very emotional and several of them fainted from crying.

(Because I have already described in detail how to complain, I will not go into detail about the part about complaining to the landlords. I can just apply the evil deeds of the officers, landlords and bullies mentioned above. There is no essential difference.)

In short, after interrogation and complaints, of the 12 members of the Xie family, only the youngest daughter and the second son, who was working outside, escaped death; the rest were sentenced to death.

In addition to them, seven or eight lackeys were also sentenced to death or life/fixed-term imprisonment (life/fixed-term hard labor).

If Chen Kang hadn't led the 386th Brigade to stop them, judging by their posture, they would have eaten the entire Xie family and those lackeys alive!

(This actually happened in history. During a public trial, the crowd lost control of their emotions and tore and ate the person being tried. This shows how much evil he had done in his daily life.)

At the same time, most of the soldiers from the 386th Brigade who were standing next to the farmers clenched their fists, looking at the Xie family on the stage with fire in their eyes, wishing they could go up and complain themselves.

Listening to their fellow villagers' complaints, they also recalled what had happened to themselves and their families:

What’s the difference between the landlord who oppressed me and the Xie family? !! Aren’t their actions almost exactly the same?

The Communists hiding in the 386th Brigade were also shocked.

Having worked in the Northeast for a long time, they had never seen a fresh "grievance conference" before.

But this did not prevent them from feeling the greatness and effectiveness of this political work method with the sensitivity of Communist Party members.

The struggle they faced was far more complicated than that in the Central Soviet Area and other inland areas (they had to deal with warlords, bandits, landlords, Japanese, etc. at the same time), so they also needed to fully mobilize the masses.

Isn't this something tailor-made for the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army? How could Brigade Commander Wang understand...

Oh no, Brigade Commander Wang was just following the Japanese's orders. But that's even more confusing, isn't it?!

How can the Japanese understand this?

Isn't that person the "King of Insight," "Your Highness," or "Japanese Imperial Family"?!

The CCP members were confused and disoriented.

Because "His Majesty's Maid" was constantly translating everything that happened at the public trial, the Japanese soldiers in the audience were also moved.

Of course, at first, they didn't feel anything.

After all, the Chinese are messing with the Chinese, so why should we, as Japanese, care?

Isn't it enough to just watch the show?

If it weren't for His Highness's request, they wouldn't care about these trivial matters, let alone come here to attend this conference;

However, as the evil deeds of the Xie family were exposed one by one, their hearts were also touched to a certain extent.

the reason is simple.

Before they joined the army, their families had also encountered similar things! Especially those soldiers who came from peasant families!

Before most of Northeast China's resources were transformed into actual profits that fell into the pockets of Japan's top brass, and a small amount flowed to the lower classes in Japan, Japanese farmers generally lived a worse life than Chinese farmers!

At least, China's ruling class occasionally had to pretend to care about the people, but Japan's rulers simply aimed to "prevent all the peasants from starving to death"!

Did you see that?

It's not about not "starving to death," but about not "all starving to death";

In other words, the rulers of Japan have always aimed at "maintaining the minimum physiological activities of the lower-class peasants as long as my income can be guaranteed" (at least this was the case before the Meiji Restoration).

Although in essence, there is no difference in what the feudal rulers of the two countries did, the consequences of "pretending" and "not pretending" on the surface are still different.

In this worldline, due to some unexplained reasons, Japan's plunder of Northeast China is much slower than in history, so Japanese farmers generally live a more miserable life than in history;

Osaka farmers are no exception.

Of course, they have gained some respite due to someone's "rent and interest reduction" policy, but this does not mean that their lives will be much better;

Disease and accidents can still cripple an already fragile farming family, or even a small vendor's family, at any time. Otherwise, how could the previous "rice riots" have arisen?

Otherwise, why would Fujiwara no Kanezane establish so many protection systems specifically for them?

Although Lord Kanezane was an extremely good person (they automatically ignored the fact that "Fujiwara Kanezane" had never paid any attention to them before a certain month in 1932), it did not mean that the other members of the Fujiwara family were good people!

The Fujiwara clan was a major landowner in Japan. The land and wealth they actually controlled was probably less than that of the emperor, so they naturally needed a large number of people to manage it.

There were so many idiots and scum among these "Fujiwara clan members" and "Fujiwara managers" that even the agent of the Fujiwara clan's chief steward couldn't figure it out.

Don't they bully the lower classes of Japanese people?

Aren't they exploiting Japanese farmers?

Are they all kind-hearted people, unlike the Chinese landlords?

Don't make trouble.

If it weren't for the desire to not hurt the good prince's reputation, and if it weren't for the fact that those bastards had restrained themselves a lot during this period, many people from Kyoto and Osaka would have gone to Fujiwara no Kanezane to complain long ago.

Because of this, these Japanese soldiers, who came from the lower classes and whose hands had not yet been stained with the blood of the Chinese people, unconsciously developed a sense of sympathy for the Chinese peasants before them.

Perhaps in units like the 1st and 2nd Divisions, most of them were fools brainwashed by militarism, but this was the 4th Division!

This is exactly the effect Fujiwara no Kanezane wanted.

Perhaps it is too early to reform them now, but as long as such a seed is planted in their hearts, it will take root and sprout sooner or later.

234 Killing people and destroying their hearts

Victims of public trials may feel happy when watching them, but perpetrators or people of the same status as the perpetrators often feel uneasy when watching them.

Finally, after seeing most of the Xie family being sentenced to death, the Chinese farmers cheering excitedly, and many Japanese soldiers looking very happy, some people sitting next to Fujiwara Kanezane could no longer contain themselves.

"Your Highness, what are you...going to do? Should we stop it?" The speaker was Lieutenant General Mori Ren, the captain of the independent garrison who was invited to attend this "public trial". He was also the highest-ranking Japanese person in the room, and only he was qualified to give advice to Fujiwara no Kanezane.

As a member of the "ruling class", although Sen Lian did not understand what the noble prince wanted to do, the scene before him made him instinctively feel uneasy, and an inexplicable sense of fear arose spontaneously.

(In reality, Mori Lian was at best a "high-ranking hound of the ruling class." He felt incredibly frustrated as a lieutenant general, with only 4000 men under his command, and their equipment was inadequate.)

(To see the majesty of Japanese generals, one should not look at their ranks. Some lieutenant generals can command tens of thousands of elite troops in battle, while some lieutenant generals are just as bad as Mori Ren)

Fujiwara Kanezane looked indifferent:

"Oh? What...what are you doing? Why are you stopping it?"

"...Your Highness, if we allow these unruly people to become too complacent, will it affect our rule in the Northeast..."

He originally thought that Fujiwara no Kanezane had called these peasants to watch the execution of the Xie family as a gesture of "mercy" and to "kill the chicken to scare the monkeys." But why did it seem that this was not the case?

"Baga, can't you even understand my intention?" "Hai! Please give me some instructions, Your Highness!"

"You know, right? His Majesty the Emperor, the military, and the government all highly appreciate my theory of the 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,'"

"Hi! Your Highness's profound thoughts, far-sighted vision, and broad mind make me admire you immensely! I deeply feel my own shortcomings! I beg Your Highness for your guidance!"

To be able to get to the rank of Lieutenant General, he is indeed a smart person...

At least his flattery skills are basically up to standard.

"So, what do you think is the biggest obstacle to building the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere in Northeast China?"

"Uh...Chinese resistance?"

"Wrong! It's China's original rulers! Especially the local grassroots rulers like landlords!"

Fujiwara Kanezane raised his voice slightly, his expression proud:

"It's true that Manchukuo can serve as a transitional puppet for our rule of Northeast China, but we absolutely cannot leave grassroots politics to them! Otherwise, there will be huge problems!"

"...Your Highness, may I ask you a question?" "Go ahead."

"Your Highness, although the Xie family deserves to be torn into pieces for offending you..."

"Eight, do you think I want to execute them because I'm offended?"

"Hai! Forgive my stupidity!"

Mori Lian first apologized with deep fear, then carefully explained: "But most of these Chinese collaborators are relatively obedient, and they are also quite attentive to the Imperial Army's affairs. They do a good job and help the Imperial Army a lot..."

"Well, you're right, but this is just a trivial benefit on the surface. You have to look at something deeper."

"Your Highness, please enlighten me."

"They may be obedient enough in cooperating with our work, but at the same time they are extremely harsh in treating local people."

Fujiwara no Kanezane pointed at the group of people on the trial platform:

"Although I don't care how they treat the local people, their actions will all be blamed on us and will eventually become an obstacle to our rule over Northeast China and the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere."

"Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance. I still don't quite understand." "You will understand if I explain it this way."

Fujiwara Kanezane picked up a stone from the ground and gestured:

"For example, for every kilogram of grain we demanded from Manchuria, guess how much these so-called collaborators actually took from the farmers?"

"Well..."

Although Mori Lian was a lieutenant general, his background was barely adequate and he had no experience in grassroots administrative affairs. Naturally, he did not understand and could only guess:

"About... two kilograms?"

"Two kilograms? You really underestimate them!" Fujiwara Kanezane sneered.

"I'm telling you, it was at least 5-10 kilograms! Some of it was lost during transportation, but the vast majority ended up in their stomachs!"

Mori Ren immediately revealed an expression of astonishment and disbelief, and then he heard Fujiwara Kanezane continue:

"Not only that, they also told the farmers that it was us Japanese who demanded so much! It was us Japanese who made their lives so miserable!"

Fujiwara no Kanezane was not lying, because this was the truth.

Under the alchemist's "great memory recovery technique" that was far ahead of its time, the Xie family wanted to confess everything, even the times they fell into the cesspool and ate a few mouthfuls of shit when they were children, naturally including these trivial matters.

Actually, there's nothing surprising about it. It's just the same things they've been doing for thousands of years - deceiving their superiors and subordinates, lining their pockets, and increasing the amount of money.

If the emperor who was hanged on Coal Hill knew about this, he would probably be deeply touched.

Don’t think that only bureaucrats would play this trick...Oh, these landlords and security chiefs are originally part of the huge bureaucratic class.

"...Tell me, are they an obstacle to our rule over the Northeast?" In short, after hearing what Fujiwara Kanezane said, Moriren's eyes looking at the Xie family completely changed.

Before, it was "How dare you, a fool without eyes and brains, offend His Highness!" Now, it's "How dare you, a clay cat without eyes and brains, offend His Highness!"

Yes, Mori Lian knew and acquiesced to the Xie family's "collaborators" taking advantage of the Japanese when carrying out their orders, because this was considered a kind of "unspoken rule" and "reading the atmosphere";

But aren't you guys being too greedy? This is how you take kickbacks!

You get 100 million and we get 10, so should we thank you?!

Seeing Mori Lian on the road, Fujiwara Kanezane smiled and asked:

"I wonder if you've had any contact with the deceased Ishiwara Kanji?" "Hey! I did, but not much."

Mori Ren was a smart man. He heard that Fujiwara Kanezane's tone was good, and immediately praised the unlucky guy who was killed by the explosion:

"I heard he's an extremely intelligent man, known as a 'genius'. His planning played a significant role in the Empire's capture of the Northeast this time."

"Well, let me tell you, he actually no longer supported the expansion of the war and the conquest of China by force. Before he died, he once suggested to me that we use education to slowly transform Northeast China into Japanese territory..."

“Ah?”

Sen Lian was dumbfounded.

Everyone knows what the "918 Incident" is all about. There is even a rumor that is widely circulated within the Japanese army:

At the beginning of the incident, Ishihara Kanji called various Japanese military units and told them that the Japanese army had been attacked on a large scale by the Chinese. This frightened the Japanese officers of various units and they all got up from their sleep and rushed to the residence of Chief of Staff Mitsuharu Miyake.

As a result, everyone was in disarray. Some were even wearing yukatas and had lipstick marks on their faces from prostitutes. Only Ishiwara Kanji was neatly dressed and even had his medal on!

In the words of Captain Katakura Tadashi of the Kwantung Army Headquarters in Port Arthur, "This guy had a proud look on his face, as if he had just done something great."

So, everyone instantly understood what the so-called "attack" was.

This "young and vigorous war hawk" who had proactively provoked the Northeast incident actually advised Fujiwara no Kanezane not to use force easily in the future? And to treat China peacefully?

Making trouble!

But what is Fujiwara no Kanezane's identity?

There was no need to lie, at least not to a mere Sen Lian like him; moreover, such matters could be easily discovered with a little investigation.