Duke Saionji walked tranquilly through the Shenyang Nursery Garden. This was the largest nursery cultivation site in Shenyang and the botanical garden with the most complete collection of flora in the Northeast.

It was September 6th, and the Northeast had entered the harvest season. To assist with the harvest, some schools had also gone on break. This was what the staff from the Northeast Tourism Bureau accompanying Saionji Kinmochi had told him.

Saionji quite liked the young girl from the Tourism Bureau, yet he was rather puzzled. Was the Northeast developed enough to whip up a tourism industry?

As for Saionji coming to the Northeast to 'travel' in the capacity of a retired old man, the Northeast Government had assigned the Tourism Bureau to be responsible for hosting Duke Saionji. This arrangement was quite reasonable.

As for He Rui... Saionji felt that He Rui was probably preparing for the military struggle to unify the whole country.

Saionji's guess was largely correct. He Rui was currently drafting a document for the Northeast Army—a top-secret document.

***

**Civilization Party Chairman / Civilization Party CMC Chairman / Civilization Party Military Commission / Northeast People's Liberation Army General Staff / September 6, 1922 / 1922 Top Secret Document No. 00002 — Disseminate only to Divisional Political Commissars and Division/Brigade Military Commanders**

The Northeast People's Liberation Army must prepare to proactively initiate a war with Japan before the war to unify China begins. We must thoroughly eliminate all Japanese armed forces within the borders of Northeast China and force Japan to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Northeast Government.

To this end, we will employ all available forces including the Army, Navy, and Air Force to engage the Japanese military. In this process, the Northeast People's Liberation Army does not aim to occupy Korean territory, while simultaneously ensuring that the Japanese military cannot breach our defense lines and enter the Northeast hinterland.

Based on the situation, our army will order troops to begin assembling within 4 weeks prior to the start of operations against Japan. Relying on the Northeast's railway and highway lines, we will complete the disposition of forces for interior lines operations. Since troops are currently stationed in various war zones, large-scale rapid movement of units entering attack and defense areas is required, necessitating precise transportation scheduling. The staff departments of each unit must, under the direction of the General Staff, make preparations for operations in all weather conditions. Furthermore, preparations must be completed by October 1, 1922.

However, operational intent must absolutely not be exposed.

The preparations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force commands must focus on the following points:

**(1) General Intent:** The Northeast People's Liberation Army must prepare to launch an offensive with the objective of thoroughly eliminating all Japanese presence in Northeast China before the start of the War of Liberation to liberate all of China. After resolving the enemy in a standing battle, we will complete defensive preparations with the objective of protecting the Northeast from sudden Japanese attacks.

Since it is absolutely impossible for Japan to docilely terminate its ambitions toward Northeast China and China as a whole after suffering such a blow, they will inevitably launch an attack on the Northeast. Our army will engage the attacking Japanese forces, consuming Japan's military strength and national power, to achieve the goal of making the Japanese government and military recognize reality, terminate their ambitions of invading China, and reach a ceasefire agreement with the Northeast Government.

**(2) Potential Allies:** To the north of my operational area is Soviet Russia. The Soviet Russian civil war has just ended, and there are still a considerable number of remnant bandit forces within their borders. Their war wounds are far from healed, so Soviet Russia will absolutely not participate in the war. Nor will they provide friendly support to any party in the war.

To the south of my operational area is the Beiyang Government. The strength of the Beiyang Government is far inferior to Soviet Russia. Although the Beiyang Government's attitude toward war is not serious, adventurous factions will certainly emerge internally, proposing to fish in troubled waters. The upper echelons of the Beiyang Government dare not take action when the situation is unclear. Therefore, the probability of suffering a large-scale attack by the Beiyang Army is very low.

Our army will take over Shanhaiguan after the outbreak of war and deploy defenses along the Tanggu to Shanhaiguan line. We will also deploy warning defenses between Tanggu and Beijing. We can crush potential attacks by the Beiyang Army at any time.

The only thing that might incline towards our side is the public opinion of our nation's people. Given the current rise of domestic nationalist sentiment and the spread of National Humiliation education, in large cities, there may be a portion of public opinion inclined to support us.

For these opinions, our side will express appreciation, but we must absolutely not exploit them.

**(3) Implementation of Operations**

1. The Army and Air Force will thoroughly annihilate all military strongholds of the Kwantung Army within Chinese territory within 72 hours. At the same time, establish a defensive system along the Yalu River line.

2. The Navy will coordinate with coastal defense units to strike the Japanese Navy attempting to penetrate the Bohai Sea. The Army will engage Japanese forces attacking our army along the Yalu River line, consuming Japanese military strength to the maximum extent.

3. During this operational process, the Air Force must provide reconnaissance and bombing support to ensure the effective use of our military strength. Given that our naval strength is weaker than the Japanese military, our army may employ mine-laying methods to delay the Japanese Navy's entry into the Bohai Sea when the situation requires.

4. Given Japan's national power, their war aims have always been to achieve the goal of ceding territory and paying indemnities; they do not possess the capacity for a long-term protracted war. In the initial 3-6 months, our army will face fierce attacks from the Japanese military. This offensive will be the peak of Japan's attack power. As the Japanese offensive fails and their strength is consumed, their offensive power will inevitably weaken.

5. Our army's proactive offensive action will stimulate the war enthusiasm of the Japanese nationals for a certain period. With massive consumption, domestic prices in Japan will rise rapidly, the cost of living will increase, and taxes will also increase. The public's enthusiasm for war will dissipate rapidly.

When Japan can see absolutely no hope of victory, their domestic political situation will become rapidly unstable. Both internal and external conditions will determine that Japan has no choice but to acknowledge the fact that they cannot win the war. Ultimately, this will force Japan to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Northeast Government.

**(4)** All orders issued by comrades based on this directive must be consistent in tone: that this military operation is a defensive war conducted to gain a strategic window for the period of liberating all of China.

Officers participating in early preparatory work should primarily be Civilization Party members and activists seeking party membership. Other relevant personnel should undergo political and ideological education first as much as possible.

The Political Department within the units must conduct national condition education among the soldiers, especially among soldiers conscripted from immigrant families coming to the Northeast from the northern provinces inside the Pass. Special emphasis must be placed on education regarding a sense of national belonging, the country's future development, and the relationship between individual destiny and the nation. This is to enable the fighters to understand who they are fighting for and why they are fighting.

The Military Commission awaits comrades' reports on your specific plans formulated based on this directive. Each service branch of the Northeast People's Liberation Army shall report their respective preparatory work plans (including time schedules) to the Military Commission.

***

After writing this, He Rui read it through a few times and modified a few points. He then signed his name at the end of the document: *He Rui, Chairman of the Civilization Party Military Commission.*

Confidential documents had their own arrangement processes. He Rui no longer needed to concern himself with it. Standing up and walking to the window, He Rui clasped his hands behind his back and looked outside. Due to security requirements, He Rui's office was completely unable to see the outside, and the outside could not see He Rui's office. What came into He Rui's view was a patch of green trees, as well as the alert sentries and guard posts.

*Have we finally reached this step?* He Rui suddenly felt a bit weary. Before 1915, He Rui had already prepared for many years. In those years, He Rui inspected this world and was also tempering his own worldview.

From 1915 to now, 7 years had passed in the blink of an eye. What should have been a long time had passed in a flash amidst the countless detailed tasks to complete the institutional framework.

He Rui could recall the first day he arrived in the Northeast, and he could recall most of the work during this process; it felt as if it were only a day. In fact, 7 years had already passed.

Based on He Rui's understanding of various situations, the war would absolutely not fail. However, there was never any process in the world that could be determined with certainty. In the process of war, various things that were actually within the plan but outside of expectations would definitely occur.

When the war conditions for both sides were already determined, for a commander, there was only firmness. This firmness was not stubbornness or wishful thinking, but a profound recognition of existing conditions and control over human weaknesses.

He Rui knew that such a challenge was immense for the comrades who had gathered in the Northeast over the past 7 years, but He Rui could only consider the positive aspects. There would definitely be many unnoticed people who would stand out in the test of war... the ordeal of war.

If viewed from a cold perspective, He Rui had gathered a large group of undergraduate students, junior college students, vocational secondary students, and technical school students under his command. They were all undergoing a life-and-death test of blood and fire. Anyone who could pass this test would achieve a breakthrough in life and human nature. And these people who achieved breakthroughs would be the mainstays in the future cause of liberation.

He Rui did not consider those who could not pass the test, because the system established over the past 7 years inherently had plans and regulations to deal with those who could not pass. As for those guys who exposed the evil aspects of their human nature, there were various violent institutions, including the judiciary and military tribunals, to deal with them.

Thinking of this, He Rui stretched broadly. He decided to sleep for a while.

At this moment, outside the window was the bright sunshine of 1 p.m. If it were in the 21st century, He Rui actually liked to take a nap at this time; sleeping at such a time was exceptionally comfortable. Especially in early September, the weather was warm, but no longer sweltering.

The Autumn Equinox was approaching. The season of harvest was beginning.

Duke Saionji had just eaten a 'picnic' at the botanical garden's dining area. Desserts made from autumn berries and *Guobaorou* (Double Cooked Pork Slices) made from animal foods that had started to fatten up for autumn all made the Duke feel very delicious.

This picnic in the botanical garden gave Duke Saionji a feeling of a European picnic. At this moment, His Excellency the Duke no longer dared to look down on the young girl sent by the Tourism Bureau. Although she was a girl, she knew three foreign languages: English, Russian, and Japanese.

However, Saionji was not particularly surprised. Noble girls' schools in Japan also paid great attention to foreign language education, and many girls' middle schools were essentially preparatory schools for studying abroad.

"Miss Zhang, have you considered studying abroad?" Duke Saionji asked.

Guide Zhang from the Tourism Bureau was not hearing this question for the first time. She answered readily, "Your Excellency, I really want to go. But looking at the situation now, I'm afraid I can't go."

"Why?"

"My family has no money," Comrade Zhang answered readily.

Duke Saionji did not look down on Comrade Zhang because of this answer; on the contrary, he felt that Comrade Zhang's family was likely either rich or noble. To study in Europe or America was a huge expense even for a Japanese peerage family. If poor people in Japan wanted to obtain qualifications for studying abroad, they either had to get into the Army War College or Naval Academy and go abroad on public funds as outstanding members. Or they had to get into those few Imperial Universities, become civil servants, and go abroad on public funds.

Whichever it was, it was treatment that only a very small minority of elites could obtain. If one relied on their own money to study abroad, the family had to have substantial financial resources.

Comrade Zhang frankly admitted that her family had no money, so she couldn't go study abroad. This was something only the wealthy class in Japan could say so frankly. Saionji began chatting with Comrade Zhang about her family.

"My family was originally in Siping. My father was a cargo hauler. He just knew a bit of kung fu, acted righteously, and was willing to stand up for poor neighbors. After Chairman He arrived in Siping, he recruited civil servants. At that time, Chairman He was a newcomer and relied on the recommendations of the villagers. My father first went to the Tax Bureau as a temporary tax collector, and later he was assigned to work in the Police Bureau..."

Duke Saionji listened as Comrade Zhang recounted her family's history. This was a grassroots experience of rising completely by relying on the Civilization Party. In it, Comrade Zhang's father had also felt heavy pressure due to the Northeast Government's massive educational requirements. However, Comrade Zhang's father withstood the pressure, working during the day and attending school at night, completing the required middle school education.

In this process, Comrade Zhang very naturally followed her reading father to read books together. In her view, if her father had to hold a book and read even at home, then reading books must have a value that made it mandatory. Just like that, father and daughter would hold books and read. When Comrade Zhang was mischievous, her father would scold her, and sometimes even posture as if to hit her. But he never actually beat her.

Duke Saionji did not look down on Comrade Zhang because of this. This process reminded Duke Saionji that he too had once vigorously promoted education, hoping that all aspiring men in Japan would become pillars of talent mastering advanced knowledge.

The social construction He Rui was promoting in the Northeast, in a certain sense, was no different from the path Japan had once walked. With educated talent, one could naturally support a promising government.

Comrade Zhang's family was undoubtedly one of such representatives. This family also came from the grassroots; the father knew a bit of kung fu, and was even more a representative figure of the rise of the Japanese grassroots.

In April of the 3rd year of Meiji (1870), Saionji Kinmochi studied in Nagasaki, learning French. In January of the 4th year of Meiji (1871), he departed from Yokohama to study in France.

When Saionji Kinmochi arrived in Paris, it happened to be the time of the Franco-Prussian War, and the city of Paris was under the supervision of the Prussian army. On March 18, the 4th year of Meiji (1871), the Paris Commune revolution occurred in France, and on May 28, the Paris Commune was overthrown. Saionji Kinmochi witnessed the current situation and saw with his own eyes the brutality of the rulers. This made him feel that although there were many differences between the Paris Commune and the Meiji Restoration, there were also common points: specifically, the "Fourth Estate"—the masses who formed the foundation of the Paris Commune—had similarities to the "Kiheitai" (Irregular Militia) organized by the Chōshū people during the Restoration period.

In France, the "Fourth Estate" could establish a government, whereas Japan established a state ruled by the merchant class and the "lower samurai" who later transformed into capitalists or politicians. Saionji Kinmochi's comparative analysis of French reality combined with the actual Meiji Restoration movement he had just participated in made him feel the power of the masses. This became one of the sources of Saionji Kinmochi's liberal democratic thought.

He Rui's construction in the Northeast, in Saionji's view, was even more so completely replacing all of China's old systems with a social system of civil rights. Although the people of the Northeast did not understand to what extent they had been liberated, the people of the Northeast had undoubtedly been liberated.

Looking at the female reporter from the *Asahi Shimbun*, Morita Mitsuko, who was at the side and only dared to carefully interview on some issues, unable to hide the joy and curiosity deep in her heart, Saionji felt even more the gap between the Northeast Government and the Japanese Government.

In Japan, even women of the upper class, receiving help from so many big figures, would only reach the position of a female reporter. And this position was probably Morita Mitsuko's limit. It was also likely the limit for women of Japanese high society.

It wasn't that some women couldn't play a bigger role. But that kind of role was only directed towards noble families and aristocrats, playing a role for a certain family or a small group within the power circles of high society.

To be like Miss Zhang before him, becoming a laborer in society as a whole, exerting one's own abilities for society as a whole under a good social system—in Japan, such opportunities were almost non-existent.

This was the gap in systems. It was not something one person could change, or even a group of people could change.

On Japan's railways, there were still no arrangements for female formal employees. In the Northeast, women already possessed the right to work granted by the system. As far as Saionji Kinmochi knew, except for the military and a small number of agencies, the proportion of women working was mandatorily set at a minimum of 5%. And the propaganda that "women hold up half the sky" was political correctness in Shenyang City and in the Northeast.

Even for agencies like the military and fire department, the reason for not recruiting women had nothing to do with ideology. It was entirely out of physiological considerations. Even so, the military's hospitals and civilian departments like communications and accounting also had to recruit women.

In the Civilization Party, in councils at all levels, and in government departments, there were figures of women. Not out of policy pity, but relying on work, relying on exams, relying on ability.

In the reports, there was a strange saying in the Northeast: 'Women are used as men, and men are used as draft animals.'

Saionji felt that based on the situation he saw, the Northeast was not that harsh. Compared to Japan, and compared to the future Japan Saionji expected, current Japanese women didn't even have the legal channels to be 'used as men.'

This reminded Saionji of his conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Nagata Tetsuzan. This highly acclaimed young officer had listed out the data summary he had compiled for Saionji.

In the Northeast, among the working-age population, the proportion of males participating in labor reached 90%. The proportion of females participating in labor also reached 76%.

As for socialized labor, that is, industrial production, the male participation rate reached 38%, and the female participation rate was also 27%.

Saionji still remembered Nagata Tetsuzan saying with a solemn expression, "Your Excellency, the population of Northeast China is close to forty million. It is less than the Empire of Japan, but considering only the number of people participating in socialized labor, the number in the Northeast exceeds that of Japan. As long as He-kun obtains North China, he will have sufficient strength to launch an attack on the Empire of Japan in 1925 to gain the power to dominate the situation in Northeast Asia. For the Empire of Japan, this is an imminent and realistic threat."