Yes, Prime Minister of Japan

He sincerely said to everyone:

“I am old now, and my wife has suffered for me for decades. I should try my best to repay her kindness. Therefore, I hereby announce today that I will retire at a later date. During this period, I will appoint Shang Qiujia as Queen of Japan and enact the duties of the Emperor.”

Another gasp rippled through the audience.

Is that how the baton is handed over?

Can Naruhito and his wife officially retire now?

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Deren handed over the three divine artifacts and placed the box in Shang Qiujia's hands.

Empress Kayo Shō, with a smile as sly as a fox, gracefully accepted the Three Sacred Treasures and announced to the nation that she had assumed the position of Acting Empress.

This can be considered a compromise. Since Emperor Naruhito and his wife are still in relatively good health, it would be somewhat inhumane for Li Xinghe to directly force him to abdicate. After all, Naruhito's father, Emperor Akihito of the Heisei era, is already 99 years old and hasn't passed away yet.

Naruhito could simply relinquish his de facto position as Emperor, and after a few years announce his abdication, handing the throne over to his niece, Shō Akika. That would be sufficient.

Of course, Li Xinghe didn't bully the elderly couple for nothing.

Li Xinghe will renovate and restore the Fukiage Imperial Palace in Kyoto Prefecture and return it to the couple. Meanwhile, a modern luxury resort covering five acres will be built for Naruhito and his wife on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay. This was originally intended for Fumihito, but will now be given to Naruhito. If they wish to experience snow in winter, Li Xinghe has also prepared a winter vacation villa in Niigata Prefecture.

With three palace villas, a substantial annual allowance for personal use, and travel privileges around the world—going to Heilongjiang, Sanya, and Guilin in Guangxi—the Deren couple were already living a life of comfort and happiness in their later years.

It was only then that Japanese viewers realized that, without their knowledge, the Emperor and Crown Prince had been completely replaced.

The audience gasped in shock.

On the deck of the USS Enterprise, an American aircraft carrier controlled by Li Xinghe, a Chinese-American, which fought all the way in Japan during World War II, Li Xinghe actually took Naruhito and his wife hostage and carried out a change in the Japanese national system that resembled a coup!

However, alongside this aircraft carrier were the Yamato, Musashi, and Fujian escorts, and a large number of F-35s, J-15Ts, and Type 2 Super Fighter Jets provided protection.

The Allied officers, fully armed, stood near the viewing area, their faces radiating an air of 'I'm going to kill a few traitors.'

No one can overturn Li Xinghe's decision.

Japanese society is generally conservative. On the issue of a female emperor, they would rather choose a descendant of the old imperial family than see a female emperor emerge. Similarly, conservatives continue to play a significant role on issues such as era names and the separation of surnames between husband and wife.

The reason why Li Xinghe was able to easily push his child to obtain the right of succession to the Japanese imperial family was because the Japanese conservatives, caught between "Empress Sho Akiyo" and "Emperor Nakahito of Chinese descent," preferred to choose the Chinese-American as the heir to the throne in order to preserve tradition.

At the time, Japanese conservatives thought that was the end of it.

Who would have thought that after already consuming the fresh dung of 'Emperor Nakahito of Chinese descent,' the Japanese right wing would still be forced by Li Xinghe to consume the delicious dung of 'Female Emperor's Enthronement.' It was certainly a very fresh and delicious treat.

Let them eat it; at least the imperial system hasn't changed.

Now all levels of Japanese society are in a state of disarray. Let Li Xinghe do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't bring Japan to its collapse, let him be.

As the chief official, Shika Mikake Hanaemi is traditionally expected to act as a spokesperson to announce the change of the new era name after the change of the new emperor.

She walked to the podium with a smile, showing no signs of fatigue from just giving birth, and said energetically:

The commentary on the hexagram "Revolution" in the Book of Changes states: "The revolutions of Tang and Wu were in accordance with Heaven and responded to the people."

Therefore, Lu Yuchi Huayingmei held up the black-framed, white-background text in her hand:

The new era name is: Tianying.

Everyone turned to look at Li Xinghe.

Although he did not ask Naruhito and his wife to grant him the title of king, nor did he demand a complete change in the form of government for the Japanese imperial family, everything that is happening now is, in a subtle way, for that phrase, "the Tang-Wu Revolution."

Li Xinghe's meaning is very clear: I want a 'revolution' (in feudal terms).

But the Japanese were helpless.

It can be said that the fruit has ripened and fallen from the vine.

In any case, the first year of Tianying will be counted from 2033.

……

The national regime change on the Enterprise, which resembled a 'coup,' spread throughout Japan within a day.

Once the new emperor and crown prince officially changed hands and everything was settled, Japanese society had nothing more to say.

Major Japanese media outlets began to behave themselves.

Fuji Television was among the first to offer its praise:

"Ah, the Empress is wonderful; she represents Japan's 'diverse, open, and inclusive' side."

This is an old issue that Europe has been nagging about for decades, always feeling that Japan's refusal to accept a female emperor is a sign of closed-mindedness and intolerance. Now that it's finally resolved, regardless of whether Europe praises it or not, Japan has to put on a facade of decency.

TV Tokyo produced a special feature:

"Holy crap, His Majesty Nakahito is so cute!"

The show simply edits together short videos that are usually posted on social media to create a documentary about children aged 0 to 3. It's not bad; it's garnered a large following of mothers without children.

In an NHK-organized subway exit poll, "His Majesty Nakahito" instantly became the "most popular figure," gaining a large number of male and female fans.

Although his father was a bad person who deceived the emperor and usurped the country, and his mother was criticized for being "closely associated with the Communist Party" and being called a "red empress," the three-year-old Nakahito, with his cute and innocent appearance, won the support of 95% of the Japanese people.

What bad things could a child possibly have?

Li Xinghe called it 'the servility of subjects in a monarchical state'.

Like King Charles of England, who, after more than fifty years as Prince of Wales, left behind a trail of scandals, including having mistresses, embezzling charity funds, and the alleged murder of Princess Diana, as well as interfering in government procurement and accepting bribes to sell his honor. While a prince, Charles's approval rating was consistently at the bottom. But once Queen Elizabeth II passed away and Charles donned the royal crown, his approval rating suddenly soared to over 50%, as if the people's loyalty lay solely in the crown itself.

Li Xinghe crowned his son, and the old Japanese conservatives were practically kneeling in grovel. Now that they've accepted reality, Japanese conservatives are once again discussing the matter online and offline.

"Oh my, these are the only two healthy male heirs in the Japanese Imperial Family in recent decades!"

"Shang Qiujia is only acting. When His Majesty Zhongren comes of age, he will be able to rule in his own right."

"We will never waver in upholding the Japanese national polity!"

It's just that Li Xinghe is relatively happy lately, otherwise several more would have been executed.

In addition, royal families from various countries within the Asia-Pacific region sent congratulatory messages.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that it "welcomes the arrival of a new peace in East Asia."

Manufacturing representatives such as the "All-Korea Workers' Union," the "All-Japan Workers' Union," and the "Industrial Economic Union" were the neo-conservative industrial groups that followed Lee Sung-ha the fastest. They all sent congratulatory telegrams, expressing their delight that Lee Sung-ha had finally ascended to the throne.

Lee Sung-ha made money from foreign capital in major conglomerates and economic sectors in Japan and South Korea. At least he didn't use it all to play in finance. He was also busy finding jobs for their industrial groups. In recent years, Japanese and South Korean industrial groups have finally had something to eat. Who wouldn't be grateful to Lee Sung-ha?

As for Europe...

Several political factions in Russia sent congratulatory messages, while the EU reluctantly sent a special envoy, Rutte, whom Trump calls "Daddy," to replace Kayakaras for the second round of cooperation talks.

Li Xinghe's response to this kind of person who calls others "Dad" for no reason was:

"Make them get out."

I'm busy.

However, just as Gao Tiao Wuyue was about to kick people out, Li Xinghe suddenly pinched his chin and grabbed Wuyue's shoulder:

“Here’s what we’ll do. Let them come back, but tell them I can first express some support for the EU. But before that, I’ll ask the EU to sell shares in a batch of European high-tech companies, with preferred shares going to my Sino-Belarusian consortium. Kokubun Makabe will pick the companies she wants.”

Li Xinghe felt that he was damn too kind.

After Takajo May relayed this order to Lüte, he even feigned concern and asked:

"How about it? Not too outrageous, right?"

Lute's face turned ashen.

That's outrageous, that's fucking outrageous.

This is even more humiliating than demanding that the EU cede its sphere of influence.

It has always been international speculative capital groups from Europe and America that go to developing countries to reap industrial profits. When did it become that Li Xinghe represents the capital of developing countries and goes to Europe to pick and choose?

Lu Te knew that even if he called Li Xinghe "Grandpa" now, it wouldn't resolve the conflict between them.

Therefore, Rutte had no choice but to return to the EU and continue watching Turkey stir up trouble, while Serbia launched a major offensive against Kosovo, aiming to tear off the facade of 'democratic civilization' that the EU had cultivated over the past 30 years.

Chapter 1001: My Heart Belongs Only to the Soviet Union, Li Xinghe, the King of the Black Market (4600 words)

In the Black Sea, a squadron of J-10C fighters is conducting temporary test flights.

The wingman reminded the captain:

“Lieutenant Colonel Andrei, we are now above the combat zone, and the Air Force Command has ordered us to immediately observe the effects of the naval battle.”

Led by a former Ukrainian flight colonel, the J-10C squadron broke through the clouds and appeared on the open sea where it was a battle of wits between novices.

On the vast, dark blue sea, a dozen or so frigates flying the Turkish flag were launching vertically launched missiles into the distance. Two relatively advanced missile destroyers, along with a large group of torpedo boats, missile boats, and dozens of other combat vessels, were charging across the sea.

Meanwhile, dozens of nautical miles out at sea, the Bulgarian and Romanian navies were fleeing in small numbers. They lacked vertical launch missile systems and were mostly using missile launchers and older missiles from the 70s. After Turkey's electronic warfare system located them first, missiles flew in and sent the two navies scattering in all directions.

The Bulgarian Navy has four old light frigates, and Romania has three. Combined, their only remaining vessels—two Type 22 frigates acquired from Britain—possess barely any combat capability. Their total fleet, including torpedo boats, missile boats, supply ships, and support ships, numbers only about 50. This is roughly one-third the size of the Turkish Navy. Furthermore, none of them have vertical launch systems or advanced electronic warfare systems. The disparity in strength appears overwhelming.

Fortunately, the Turks were also quite incompetent, so none of their missiles hit their target.

"Forehead……"

The Red Flag Air Force flew in a wide arc across the sky, meticulously documenting this bizarre naval battle between two amateurs, a contest of wits and courage spanning dozens of kilometers.

Even though the two sides could barely see each other, and Turkey had a more advanced radar and electronic kit provided by Germany, the missiles launched by Türkiye were still difficult to hit the other side.

The Bulgarian and Romanian ships lacked electronic warfare defenses and could barely discern the enemy's direction. They could only fire their anti-aircraft missiles indiscriminately before maneuvering to evade. After a brief engagement, none of them were hit, and everyone remained safe.

When the Turkish navy headed north, Paul's two armies saw the radar and immediately turned tail and rushed north.

From the perspective of the flight squadron, both sides were in a state of 'not knowing how to fight,' and there was no air support.

Anyway, it's basically about two noobs fighting each other.

During this chaotic and frenzied time, the J-10C squadron received support from the rear. Kiev sent an "acquisition plan" that 50 old ships from Bulgaria and Romania could be sold to the new Soviet Union, which would provide them with safe ports and living conditions, and provide them with subsidies equivalent to those of the Navy while in Ukraine.

With Turkey having essentially occupied the major ports of both countries, this was the only way to preserve their naval bases. Therefore, after receiving funding from the new CCP, the navies of both countries accepted the cooperation agreement and headed north together.

The flight squadron watched as the Bulgarian and Romanian navies fled bewildered toward Ukraine, while the Turkish naval formation erupted in astonishing cheers. The Turks on board shouted and gazed around as if they had won a decisive victory in the Black Sea War.

One pilot raised a question:

"Was this considered a naval battle? Who won?"

Lieutenant Colonel Andrei didn't know how to answer, so he could only say:

"I don't know, maybe it's us."

Pilots complained:

"You mean you took in this bunch of junk?"

"Do you expect Russia to sell the Admiral Nakhimov?"

The pilots are all highly educated, so their complaints point to a problem:

The navy of the new Soviet Union was still too weak.

"Red Flag," "Victory," "Forward," and "People"—these are just four cargo ships converted into inland river gunboats. The 76mm guns on them were second-hand, imported from Japan.

Although the Odessa and Nikolayev shipyards have started construction on more than a dozen HQ missile boats and several cargo ships converted into drone carriers, with the goal of creating suicide trucks in the Black Sea, for now we can only watch as these three navies stage a bathtub-style naval battle in the Black Sea.

Therefore, although many of the Bulgarian and Romanian warships, ranging from 2000 tons to 300 tons, are old and have been modified for years, they are at least suitable for naval reserve training ships.

Even if it's in bad shape, it's still an old warship that's between 30 and 50 years old, isn't it?

The Soviet Union already had a crippled navy, and now it was going through the same process.

Therefore, the most important strategic deterrent for the new Soviet Union was still missiles.

After restarting operations, the Yuzhmash Design Bureau and Yuzhmash Arms Factory in Ukraine have reverse-engineered a Scud missile-like device by studying 40-year-old equipment.

In the actual manufacturing process, the Yuzhmash arms factory was actually procuring engines, blueprints, and various parts from the Houthi rebels in Yemen to produce this missile. The Houthis had finally found a seller on the black market who was prompt in payment and had ample funds; they were even secretly inquiring whether the Houthis wanted a more advanced ballistic missile, one that could be launched from Kyiv to Paris.

It can be said that it has completed a cycle.

After 50 years of twists and turns, the successor to the Soviet Scud missile, the V2 rocket developed by Germany, returned to the new Soviet Union after going through a bizarre process: the Soviet Union passed it on to North Korea, North Korea passed it on to Iran, Iran passed it on to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the Houthi rebels then returned it to Ukraine in the form of parts and blueprints.

The entire technology flow is outrageous, the manufacturing is outrageous, and the external publicity is even more outrageous.

The new Soviet Union launched a propaganda war, claiming that it had ten heavily armed strategic missile battalions with "immense power".

So Europeans spent 24 hours a day glued to satellite images, counting the log trucks moving back and forth along the Ukrainian-Polish border. In reality, those logs were hollow; they were filled with building materials—bags of concrete.

The propaganda department believed that it must be the Europeans' 'Soviet PTSD' acting up; otherwise, even a fool could guess that the log trucks were not carrying genuine goods.

Meanwhile, at the Maria Palace in Kyiv, the Central Planning Department, which governs this 50 square kilometers of land and is carrying out national economic planning, is completing one complex planning report after another.

Someone suddenly asked: