r18novel Chapter 421 The Eight-Piercing Mirror, Profit-Seeking and Greed
Chapter 421 The Eight-Piercing Mirror, Profit-Seeking and Greed
Chapter 421 The Eight-Span Mirror, Profit-Seeking and Greed
Over the years, Ying Kingdom has indeed produced some outstanding figures, even under the general's suppression.
This confirms what Principal Lu Mingzhou said: a martial artist must have a dream.
Warriors who succumb to reality will find it difficult to forge their strongest divine will. Those warriors who rebel against the general will shine with new brilliance if they can overcome the obstacles posed by reality.
Although most people fail halfway through, a very small number of people have achieved extraordinary success, such as Kamiizumi Muneshige.
Even so, the pond in Ying Kingdom is still too shallow; it may be able to raise a jiaolong (a type of dragon), but not a true dragon.
No one knew the situation in Japan better than Princess Sai, after all, she held the dual identities of royalty and general, and was extremely knowledgeable about everything in Japan.
"Who they are is not important; what matters most is whether they can help Japan out of its predicament."
As Bai Ze spoke, adapting to local customs, he chuckled and said, "Your Highness, you wouldn't want the imperial family to end in your generation, would you?"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding samurai nearly rioted.
In the deep recesses of the room, behind a hanging bamboo curtain, a seated figure remained silent for a moment before asking in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
"Now that things have come to this, I don't believe His Highness Prince Zhai is unaware that the General is separating the Steel Continent from the mainland of Ying Kingdom."
Bai Ze, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding blades, calmly stated, "The act of cutting off all access to Ying's territory indicates that the separation process is nearing its end. Afterwards, will the Steel Continent remain where it is? If the General brings the Steel Continent back to the Western Alliance, how will the Royal Family maintain its position?"
The information that Nanba Sojiro could obtain, Hakutaku did not believe that Saiō could not obtain.
With enough information, even without knowing all the details, it is possible to analyze the possibility of the separation of the steel continent.
Even if you didn't know before, you should be able to guess now.
Otherwise, this two-faced character would be too stupid.
The sounds inside the room fell silent again.
She was indeed aware of the impending changes.
When the Iron Continent separates from the mainland of Japan and returns to the Western Alliance, the era of the Japanese imperial family will come to an end.
Western Union is unlikely to allow the Japanese royal family to maintain its current status; at best, they can be treated as mascots.
As for joining Western Union and continuing to be a superior person, forget about it.
The general was called the "Five-Star Emperor" in Japan. When he returned to the Western Union and entered his territory, he didn't even need the nominal royal family. Wouldn't it be better to rule legitimately?
Over the years, the general has taken in Japanese soldiers, giving them the same opportunities for advancement in the military. He has also supported the Kyoto School, not to work for others, but to be the last one standing.
After consuming it, the original royal family of Ying Kingdom became somewhat of an eyesore.
"After the Declaration of Humanity, the divine status of the royal family was erased, and now, even their status as human beings is teetering on the brink of collapse," Bai Ze said calmly.
"So, what are your brilliant ideas, sir, who claims to be able to help Japan out of its predicament?"
The King's voice was cold, but it was no longer as sharp as before.
Bai Ze used his pure spiritual perception to observe his surroundings, trying to guess what the people around him were thinking, and said, "First, spread the news that the Steel Continent is about to be separated."
"You want to use a propaganda war?" The voice of the Prince of Sai was laced with deliberate sarcasm. "It's useless. If they knew there was a chance to join the Western Alliance, it would be a miracle if 30% of the people on the Steel Continent opposed it. As for the Chinese, while there are patriots among them, most are capitalists who know what choice to make. The general's conquest of Japan is already ingrained in his bones."
Who would want to be a nobody in Japan if they could be the boss of the Western Union?
Moreover, if a Japanese soldier enlists, as long as he is strong enough and has enough military merits, he can also become an officer, or even a general.
Although there have been no major generals among Japanese-Japanese military personnel so far, there have been a few colonels.
Isn't this much better than that damned Japan?
The general's benevolence and power had already deeply penetrated people's hearts many years ago, and his preparations had already begun.
Perhaps the general had this idea from the very beginning when Japan was designated as an industrial zone.
Pollution spread throughout the Japanese mainland, making the Steel Continent the heart of the nation. The elite of Japan gathered on the Steel Continent; to take the Steel Continent away was to take away the nation's elite.
No matter how small Yingguo is, it is still a country.
Saiō's sarcasm was directed at the present-day Ying Kingdom, as well as at Hakutaku, who made those remarks.
She said coldly, "If you're just going to say that's all, then there's no need to continue. I also wanted to discuss with you the matter of how you deliberately drove the loyalists of the King into Namba City, causing Boss Kamiizumi to fall into enemy hands."
"Even without me, the Western Union wouldn't let Chief Kamiizumi off the hook. As for what I want to say, that's certainly not all."
.
Bai Ze calmly replied, "Indeed, as His Highness Prince Zhai said, the noble families of the nobility will tend to choose the more advantageous option, but it is precisely because they are profit-driven that they will not let go of this opportunity to gain greater benefits."
Ultimately joining the Western Union did not affect their ability to maintain a certain stance at this time in order to gain greater benefits.
The synonym for profit-seeking is greed.
With this mindset, capitalists at this time would act out their love for Japan, even if it meant putting on a show; they would act even more patriotic than actual patriots.
"Holding a meeting to negotiate with the general's side and strive for greater benefits is probably the most likely outcome."
Bai Ze spread his hands. "What if, at a meeting like this, the Western Alliance killed these noble families who are so deeply in love with Japan?"
Of course it will explode.
The emotions of the surrender faction, the opposition faction, and all the people of Japan will explode.
"Seize this opportunity, in the name of justice, and start a war," Bai Ze raised his voice. "The roar of war will be enough to drown out any opinions of submission, and will then attract the intervention of Dongxia and Ursus. If all goes well, Ying Kingdom will be freed from the shadow of the Western Alliance."
"If we fail, Ying Kingdom will be reduced to ruins," Prince Sai said coldly. "You want to gamble with Ying Kingdom!"
"Isn't gambling with the fate of the nation a basic practice for us Japanese?" Bai Ze chuckled. "Besides, what's the difference between being reduced to ruins and joining the Western Alliance? Japan will become history, and the eternal imperial line will come to an end."
"Moreover, the decision does not lie with me, but with you, Your Highness."
The key issue was that Western Union killed the negotiators.
This requires the cooperation of Vesak, who has now sided with the Western Union.
Even more so, since the Prince already knew about this matter, if she disagreed, she could simply report it.
But will she?
of course not.
Not only because she was a royal prince of an unbroken imperial line, but also because her support for those who advocated for the monarchy had been leaked.
What's the difference between denouncing those who support the emperor and denouncing oneself?
Or... kill Bai Ze?
A faint and terrifying fluctuation appeared inside the room, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
After a short while, Prince Zhai's voice rang out again, "I need to think about it."
"This is a matter of great importance and certainly requires careful consideration."
Bai Ze replied, bowed slightly, and his figure slowly disappeared. "Then I will await good news."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished, as if everything before had been an illusion.
In fact—
"Illusion."
Behind the bamboo curtain inside the room, a richly dressed figure spoke in a low voice.
The Prince of Sai of Japan, dressed in an elaborate and ornate twelve-layered kimono, knelt behind a bamboo curtain, holding a mirror of iron and stone engraved with water fish and tortoise patterns in front of his abdomen.
"The Yata no Kagami revealed his true nature; he was merely an illusory shadow."
Saiō touched the mirror and calmly said, "His true form has not come, so I cannot use the Yata Mirror to see through the illusion and reveal his true face. However, I have already guessed his identity."
Such a lifelike illusion, coupled with such talent, suggests that the scope of speculation is actually quite narrow.
"The Dragon of Absolute Destruction of the Eastern Xia... This is what a great nation is like. Its foundation and talent pool are beyond our reach," Prince Zhai said, lowering his eyes.
"Then... Your Highness, should we agree to his request?" A samurai standing to the side asked in a low voice upon hearing the prince's voice.
“We only have one path left to take,” sighed King Jai. “From the very beginning, he made it clear that we need help to get out of this predicament.”
It wasn't that Bai Ze was exceptionally eloquent, nor that his plan was ingenious; it was simply that the Ying Kingdom's royal family needed any assistance that could break the deadlock, nothing more.
Discovering Bai Ze's identity, ironically, gave Zhai Wang even greater hope.
To break this deadlock, relying on the Japanese royal family is not enough, nor is relying on Bai Ze; a stronger external force is needed, namely Dongxia.
"But I see a wicked heart in this man," the samurai advised. "He wants to use us as pawns."
"That's not all," Sai-o sneered, "When I revealed that he wasn't from Japan, Takasugi Toichi, who came with him, didn't immediately show any anger or murderous intent. Takasugi Toichi was most likely being controlled by him; someone skilled in illusions would definitely not have weak mental strength."
Takasugi Toichi is an extreme Japanese nationalist, so the fact that he didn't immediately go after Hakutaku can only mean that Takasugi Toichi's mental state has deteriorated.
Saiou was hiding inside the house, but she had a clear view of everything outside through the Yata Mirror, and she also noticed Takasugi Toichi's unusual behavior.
"Let's do as he says and push for negotiations between the two sides, but afterwards... let him draw the general's attention for us," Prince Sai said coldly.
"Your Highness, even if we drive away the general, we will still need the support of Dongxia," the warrior reminded us.
It would be difficult for Ying Kingdom to control the Iron Continent on its own.
Leaving aside the Mountain and Sea Realm on the other side, the barbarians of Ursus will not sit idly by and will surely take the opportunity to make their move.
Offending Bai Ze is not a good thing.
"I know," Prince Zhai nodded, "but he and Ying are not on the same path. There are more suitable partners for us in Dongxia. Offending Bai Ze is actually better than making friends with them."
On the other hand, it also avoids completely offending the general.
If what Bai Ze said is true, then the Ying Kingdom's royal family will bear the brunt of the blame, and the general will surely hate Prince Zhai, this traitor, with all his heart.
King Jaejo did not want to face the general directly.
"This Bai Ze has been up to no good from the start. It seems he is a pure Dongxia nationalist. Even if you don't offend him, you can't befriend him either," said the Prince of Zhai, shaking his head.
Yingguo has been a neighbor of Dongxia since ancient times, and there have been many conflicts between the two sides. Even before the martial arts era, there were wars.
Even now, there are still people within Dongxia who hold onto historical hatred.
King Zhai saw Bai Ze as that kind of person.
"Contact the Pope of the Apollo Church for me," Saiō instructed.
As the nominal leader of the Shinto religion in Japan, Saiō had a considerable understanding of the religious community in Japan.
The general initially instructed that the Aurora Church be given cover, and the person in charge of taking over was none other than Saiō.
Through her covert investigation, she had long known that the Eastern Xia people were behind the Sun God Cult.
Meanwhile, Bai Ze's Dharma form had already quietly left the stronghold of the King's loyalists and arrived in Heian-kyo.
In a secluded alley, the Dharma form and the true body merged.
Feeling the Dharma form returning to his body, and the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc that was even better than before, Bai Ze raised his eyebrows slightly and used his newly recovered divine will to suppress the Six Paths Reincarnation Disc, making it rotate more smoothly.
"Going to see the Prince of Sai in a disguise would certainly save me from danger, but my true identity would also be almost completely exposed."
..
Bai Ze is quite aware of his own reputation, after all, he's been involved in a lot of big projects lately.
However, this is still within an acceptable range.
He was prepared when he used the illusion.
As for why he used the illusionary body, it was because Bai Ze knew beforehand that Hideaki Keikain was suspicious.
He didn't deceive Takasugi Toichi, but rather controlled him. Of course, Bai Ze would also have some knowledge of the information that Takasugi Toichi possessed.
For example, Hideaki Ichika was sent by a behind-the-scenes supporter to assist Muneshige Kamiizumi.
Knowing this, Bai Ze certainly wouldn't let Keikain Hideaki go. After gaining the trust of the King's loyalists, he immediately had Takasugi Toichi cooperate with him to capture Keikain Hideaki.
Bai Ze naturally learned the identity of the behind-the-scenes supporter.
Hideaki Kakaiin immediately informed Saiō of the news that he had contacted Hideaki Kakaiin today, asking him to bring Hakutaku.
Therefore, this meeting was both a meeting between the King of the West and the King of the West, a two-way trip.
Bai Ze wasn't entirely confident he could persuade the Prince of the West. However, even without the Prince's help, Bai Ze could still push the meeting forward.
He quietly left the alley and, under the cover of a mirage, went straight to the most prestigious area of Heian-kyo, entered a Japanese-style mansion, and then went into the monitoring room.
"Obey me."
The moment the monitoring room was opened, the bodyguard on duty inside was instantly apprehended.
Bai Ze walked straight in and looked at the images, eventually focusing on an old man feeding fish by the pond.
"Matsudono Tsuneji, the head of the Matsdono family of the nobility, immediately sensed an opportunity after learning that the general intended to take away the Steel Continent, and seized it."
Bai Ze smiled. "For a noble of the Hua clan who possesses both courage and ambition, this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, isn't it?"