nucmednet Chapter 593: Fusang's Rage Shocks All Sides
Chapter 593: Fusang's Rage Shocks All Sides
As time went by, news about the Fuso Concession spread like wildfire, instantly sweeping across the entire China.
Fuso's two major concessions in China and the towering embassy were reduced to ruins under China's thundering attack. Amid the flying dust, the tragic scene of rivers of blood could be vaguely seen.
This news was like a flash of lightning, breaking the silence of the night and piercing the silence of various countries. In the US Embassy, the atmosphere was particularly solemn. Ambassador Johnson's secretary stood in front of his desk, his face full of shock and confusion. His fingers were tightly grasping an intelligence document about the specific events that happened in the Fuso Concession. The handwriting on the paper seemed to be trembling, conveying the shock of the disaster.
"Mr. Ambassador," the secretary's voice trembled slightly, "Is Su Zhengyang crazy? How dare he take such tough military measures against the Fuso Embassy and the concession, and even massacre Fuso expatriates? This is simply a blatant violation of international law! Isn't he afraid of public opinion and condemnation from the international community?"
Ambassador Johnson sat behind his desk, staring at the intelligence with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to engrave every word into his heart. His brows were furrowed, his face was pale, and he was obviously shocked by the news. He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice:
"Yes, this is indeed an atrocity that shocked the world. But Su Zhengyang has always acted decisively and with tough means. He did this to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and indirectly convey to us China's determination to take back the concession. In any case, this will bring unprecedented international pressure to China. We must report this situation to the country immediately and pay close attention to the reaction of the international community."
The secretary nodded, then quickly turned and left the office to prepare relevant reports and documents. Ambassador Johnson sat there, lost in thought. He knew that this incident would have a far-reaching impact on international relations and would also cause an irreparable rift in the relationship between China and Fuso.
Su Zhengyang's attitude was unexpectedly tougher than ever before. In this situation, what should the major powers do next?
In the Imperial Palace of Fuso, a solemn and tense atmosphere enveloped the entire palace. Emperor Jinto, Suzuki Taro, Tojo Takehido, Ito Hirobumi, Hashimoto Nagaki, and Koga Ryukata, six important figures, gathered together at this moment, their faces were tense, and they were obviously shocked by the news that had just been sent back.
An attendant hurried into the hall, holding an urgent report in his hand. His face was full of solemnity, and he reported in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the urgent news about the destruction of our country's concession and embassy in China has been sent back. Please take a look at it."
Emperor Jindong took the report and unfolded it with a trembling hand. As he read faster, his face became more gloomy. When he finished reading the last line, he stood up suddenly and slammed the report in his hand on the table with a loud bang.
"How ridiculous!" Emperor Rendong roared, his voice echoing in the palace, full of anger and disbelief, "Huaguo is openly provoking my Fuso Empire. How dare they trample on our dignity like this!"
His eyes seemed to be spewing out anger as his gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the hall, finally landing on the two highest military marshals, Hashimoto Nagakiyo and Koga Ryukata.
"Marshal Hashimoto, Marshal Koga," Emperor Jindong said in a low but firm voice, "You are the military backbone of our country. What do you think about this matter?"
Hashimoto Nagaki and Koga Ryukata looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes. Hashimoto Nagaki spoke first, his voice was sonorous and powerful: "Your Majesty, our country's interests in China have been seriously damaged. This is a great insult to our dignity. We must give China a painful blow to express our attitude. We must not condone their arrogance."
Koga Ryukata also nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty, I completely agree with Marshal Hashimoto's opinion. Our army is ready and waiting for your Majesty's order at any time to launch a powerful counterattack against China."
After hearing this, Emperor Jindong's eyes flashed with appreciation, but he did not express his opinion immediately, but turned to Ito Hirobumi. Ito Hirobumi has always been a thoughtful person, and his opinion is equally important to the emperor.
"Mr. Ito Hirobumi," Emperor Jindong asked, "what do you think about this matter?"
Ito Hirobumi pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, I think that in addition to military counterattacks, we should also give them a taste of their own medicine. We can consider large-scale cleanup and execution of Chinese expatriates and students in Fuso, so as to warn China and let them know that our country is not a soft persimmon that can be slaughtered at will."
"Everyone," Suzuki Taro began to state his point of view, "in the last incident, certain actions of our government led to the escalation of the conflict with China. The subsequent evolution of the situation has caused a large number of Chinese students and expatriates in Fuso to return to their homeland under the arrangement of China. Most of those who remain in our country are pro-Fuso people who have lived in Fuso for a long time and have even started a family with Fuso people, married and had children, and settled here."
Suzuki Taro's words were like cold water poured on the originally high atmosphere. He stood in front of everyone, his face calm, and his voice revealed a rationality that could not be ignored.
He paused, looked around at the crowd, and continued, "If we rashly take action against these people, it will undoubtedly send a wrong signal to our people. Many of them have already integrated into Fuso society and are part of our country. Such actions will not only cause dissatisfaction and resentment among the domestic people, but may also further damage our image in the hearts of the people."
Prime Minister Tojo Takehide nodded in agreement. His voice was equally calm and deep: "Suzuki-kun is right. We cannot make decisions that harm the long-term interests of the country because of a momentary impulse. We need to consider carefully and find a way to maintain national dignity and gain the support of the people."
However, Hashimoto Nagaki sneered at Suzuki Taro's remarks. He stood up and looked at Suzuki Taro with a mocking look on his face, his tone full of provocation: "Suzuki Taro, you are always so hesitant and timid. So, according to you, how should we deal with this matter? Are we just going to let China trample on our dignity and do nothing?"
Suzuki Taro snorted coldly. The discord between him and Hashimoto Nagakiyo had long been an open secret. But at this critical moment, he did not choose to retreat or evade, but responded firmly: "Hashimoto Nagakiyo, I recognize your courage and determination as a naval admiral. But as a politician, I must consider more factors. We can't make impulsive decisions just because of momentary anger."
He turned to Emperor Jindong and continued, "Your Majesty, I think we should first negotiate with China and try to resolve this issue through diplomatic means. If the negotiations are fruitless, we will consider other means. But in any case, we must not act rashly to avoid causing a greater conflict."
Emperor Rendong was silent for a moment, his eyes roaming back and forth among the crowd. He knew that this was a difficult decision, and he needed to weigh the pros and cons and take the overall situation into consideration. Finally, he said, "I have heard your opinions. I will consider this matter carefully and make a decision as soon as possible.