Ishiwara Kanji's first sensation upon returning to Tokyo was as if he had returned to a war zone. Tokyo's houses were primarily wooden, and the Great Earthquake had triggered massive fires. On many streets, the charred remains of houses had not yet been cleared away by October 4th, the day Ishiwara Kanji returned to Tokyo.

Patches of blackened wooden wreckage allowed Ishiwara to imagine the horror of the fire. Even more terrifying were the several neighborhoods he passed through that had been turned into scorched earth. The fierce fire had burned everything so cleanly that only a few stone objects remained on the ground to prove that residential buildings had indeed once existed here.

Although Ishiwara was not a firefighter, he fully understood what had happened. The fires of war—it wasn't that people deliberately set fires on the battlefield. The radiant heat from exploding shells was enough to ignite nearby flammable materials, and after heavy artillery bombardment, even less flammable objects would catch fire.

The temperature of a raging fire could reach thousands of degrees. Air currents on the fireground, heated to this extent, could ignite any location they flowed into. As long as high-heat air currents continued to flow, these places would be thoroughly incinerated.

The tragic scene made Ishiwara walk quickly. Seeing a newsstand, he hurriedly went up to buy the latest newspaper. Sure enough, there was the good news Ishiwara had been expecting. Ishiwara immediately stood in front of the newsstand and began to read. Although Ishiwara was a Lieutenant General, blocking someone's stall like this was inappropriate. The adjutant beside him advised tactfully, "Your Excellency, the Minister of War is still waiting for you."

Only then did Ishiwara walk while reading the newspaper. The best news was that the current Prime Minister, Takahashi Korekiyo, had announced the end of the general mobilization and had put forward a post-disaster reconstruction plan totaling 600 million yen. Other news was passable; the Ministry of War and the Navy Ministry had issued a few bureaucratic articles as a formality, stating that national defense could not be ignored just because of the disaster.

If the Ministry of War and the Navy Ministry were truly opposing Takahashi Korekiyo, they wouldn't be singing this tune. This proved that the Japanese cabinet had actually reached a consensus.

Arriving at the Ministry of War, War Minister General Terauchi Hisaichi looked very enthusiastic, praising Ishiwara for his heroic performance in the war. But after completing the formalities, he sent Ishiwara away.

The "Japanese Military New Technology Training Bureau" was under the management of the Inspector General of Military Training. Ishiwara went to visit the current Inspector General, General Ugaki Kazushige. General Ugaki also showed that he thought highly of him, but after the formalities, he didn't say much more.

When Ishiwara arrived at his office location, he saw a small two-story building that was half-burned beside a scorched clearing. Ishiwara's adjutant had already been relieved of his duties with Ishiwara, and a liaison officer led Ishiwara here. Looking at the clearing after the disaster, the liaison officer was a bit apprehensive, worried that Ishiwara would use him as a punching bag. Unexpectedly, although Lieutenant General Ishiwara had a look of amusement on his face, he did not get angry at all. This surprised the liaison officer quite a bit.

Ishiwara wasn't faking it; he genuinely felt that this place was quite suitable as a training ground. Really quite suitable. At this moment, Ishiwara was fully certain that the war was temporarily over; Japan truly could not afford to fight a war right now.

In the evening, Ishiwara returned to the dormitory. His home in Tokyo had been destroyed in the earthquake. Before the house was destroyed, Ishiwara's wife had long since moved into the officer's quarters. The army officer's quarters had been damaged in the earthquake, but the army had strong organizational capability and had saved people in the quarters despite the earthquake, so Mrs. Ishiwara had not been injured. By this time, the quarters had already been repaired.

Just after eating a few bites, someone knocked on the door. Mrs. Ishiwara went to open it. The person outside spoke very politely but did not come in. Mrs. Ishiwara came back with a letter. Ishiwara finished his meal and drank his tea before opening the envelope. Mrs. Ishiwara was a bit curious, not knowing what letter the person outside who claimed to be from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent.

Seeing his wife about to ask, Ishiwara put away the letter and answered in a flat tone, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has arranged for me to visit Lord Saionji tomorrow."

Mrs. Ishiwara was stunned. It had only taken one year for her to go from being the wife of an Army Major instructor to the wife of a Lieutenant General. However, over the past decade or so, Mrs. Ishiwara had heard the name of the great figure Saionji Kinmochi too many times. Especially a year ago, after Yamagata Aritomo died, Saionji Kinmochi had become the last and only *Genrō* (Elder Statesman) in Japan. In the past year, Japanese politics had had its ups and downs, changing Prime Ministers three times. The meetings to decide these personnel were all convened under the leadership of the Genrō, Saionji.

Seeing her baby-faced husband's indifferent appearance, Mrs. Ishiwara knew it was useless to advise him, but she still felt it would be better for her husband to be more respectful.

***

Ishiwara Kanji really didn't care about this matter. By nature, he didn't have much respect for those in power, and his experiences over the past year had given Ishiwara a deeper understanding of power itself. As long as those in power had a need, they would be courteous to the wise and condescending to scholars, and they wouldn't care about those so-called etiquettes.

Just as Ishiwara Kanji expected, Saionji summoned Ishiwara in a very relaxed environment. Upon meeting, Saionji asked, "Lieutenant General Ishiwara, did your class reunion go well?"

At this, Ishiwara Kanji had to lower his head cautiously and reply, "It was just a gathering of classmates. I didn't expect to alarm Your Excellency. This subordinate is truly fearful."

Naturally, Saionji would not like the nearly "rogue" actions of the army's frontline commanders. But Saionji still accepted the decision of these young officers. Not only Saionji, but the Japanese upper echelons also reluctantly pretended not to see it.

If it were in peacetime, Ishiwara's audacity would likely have landed him in a court-martial. But at that specific point in time, Japan urgently needed to make a decision, and normal diplomatic channels could not provide the intelligence needed to make that decision. Ishiwara broke the deadlock, allowing the Japanese upper echelons to obtain the urgently needed first-hand information: as long as Japan chose a ceasefire, the Northeast Government would not expand the war. This was a huge help for the Japanese government's subsequent decisions.

Of course, Saionji Kinmochi was not there to praise Ishiwara. The fact that the upper echelons were not pursuing the matter was already the greatest expression of benevolence. Saionji called Ishiwara there to get more information. "Ishiwara-kun, based on your observations, is He-kun anxious to unify China?"

Ishiwara answered frankly, "Your Excellency. He-kun wishes he could unify China tomorrow. But He-kun will not be swayed by his inner feelings. A military strategist like him will complete war preparations step by step. Completing the peace negotiations with Japan is also a prerequisite for launching the unification war."

Saionji hadn't heard anyone mention Ishiwara Kanji's name for a year. His current understanding of him came mostly from newspaper propaganda. Those generals with whom Saionji had good relations wouldn't go out of their way to learn about a Major who was famous in the army as a "thorn" and was still teaching at the Army War College in his thirties.

Although Ishiwara's answer at this moment still couldn't hide that arrogance, it was logical and the key points were clear. Saionji felt that Ishiwara's reputation today was not due to luck. He continued to ask, "Ishiwara-kun, is He-kun anxious for peace talks?"

Ishiwara Kanji answered decisively, "Your Excellency, if this subordinate were in He-kun's shoes, I would launch a military strike before the preparations for the unification war were half complete. Using war to promote talks."

Saionji was somewhat shaken in his heart. He paused for a moment before continuing to ask, "Is this your judgment, Ishiwara-kun?"

Ishiwara shook his head. "This subordinate does not know what He-kun will do. If it were other Chinese power holders, they would probably send envoys to try to press for the signing of a ceasefire agreement through pressure at the negotiating table. If it were this subordinate, I would force the other side to send envoys through military pressure, and in the negotiations, this subordinate would make concessions as much as possible within the acceptable range to achieve the goal of signing a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible."

Saionji Kinmochi picked up his teacup and invited Ishiwara to drink tea, thinking while he drank. Lieutenant General Ishiwara Kanji's choice seemed reckless, but it was actually very smart. Japan currently didn't want to sign a ceasefire agreement at all; even if they negotiated, they would only play petty tricks. Seizing the opponent's weak point and beating them soundly, using major actions to force the opponent to give up petty tricks and sign a ceasefire agreement, was a very effective method.

Although he understood this, Saionji Kinmochi found that he still unconsciously believed that He Rui would not do that. To snuff out this fluke in his mind, Saionji asked, "Ishiwara-kun, many people in the country want to delay the negotiations."

He heard Ishiwara Kanji reply, "Your Excellency, this subordinate's influence in the army is negligible. This subordinate believes that Your Excellency might as well ask Nagata-kun. With his influence, this matter can be determined."

Saionji had thought that Ishiwara Kanji would try every means to emphasize He Rui's toughness and intelligence. He didn't expect Ishiwara to be so frank in proposing a very actionable method. With Nagata's influence in the army, this matter could indeed be pushed forward quickly.

Looking at Ishiwara Kanji, Saionji was very appreciative. The rise of such a soldier was a good thing for Japan. So Saionji asked, "Ishiwara-kun, if it were you, when would you launch the military strike?"

"If it were this subordinate, it would not be later than October 15th."

On October 7th, Nagata Tetsuzan returned to Tokyo. On October 9th, Foreign Minister Ijuin Hikokichi came to visit Saionji Kinmochi, hoping to proactively open diplomatic negotiations with the Northeast Government.

Saionji was already mentally prepared and did not discuss much, only ordering Ijuin Hikokichi to execute it as soon as possible. Watching Ijuin Hikokichi's retreating figure, Saionji remembered Ishiwara Kanji's judgment. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion; if these smart people hadn't joined the army but worked in other departments, perhaps Japan's progress would have been faster.

On October 14th, Ijuin Hikokichi passed on the negotiating content from the negotiating representatives. The Northeast Government refused all reparations and only demanded a stop to the war and the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believed that they could launch secret diplomacy through other channels to obtain more benefits.

As early as the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Ijuin Hikokichi had been very passive in the face of the fierce propaganda offensive by the Republic of China representatives led by Wellington Koo (Gu Weijun) because he insisted on that "secret diplomacy" set. He was criticized for passive diplomacy. If it weren't for the drastic changes in the current situation, Ijuin Hikokichi would absolutely not have assumed the post of Foreign Minister.

At this time, he wanted to pull this stunt again; truly, an old dog can't learn new tricks. Saionji called Ishiwara over again and asked, "Ishiwara-kun, do you think He-kun will launch a military strike on October 15th?"

"This subordinate does not know how He-kun will arrange things. If it were this subordinate, this subordinate would immediately terminate negotiations and demand that the other side change their negotiating representatives. Because this subordinate believes that signing the ceasefire agreement itself is where the interest lies. As long as the goal is achieved, there is no need to care about whether this ceasefire agreement is fragile."

"...Ishiwara-kun, forgive me for asking, did He-kun and Ishiwara-kun have a deep conversation?" Saionji Kinmochi had to ask such a question.

Ishiwara Kanji showed no fear. "Your Excellency, at the class reunion, He-kun said to the classmates that his strategy for the unification war is to learn from Bismarck. Bismarck clarified his thinking in his most famous speech before launching the unification war. 'Since the Treaty of Vienna, our borders have been ill-designed for a healthy body politic. The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood.'"

Saionji was quite appreciative that Ishiwara Kanji could recite the content of Bismarck's "Blood and Iron" speech in its entirety. The vast majority of people who claimed to admire Bismarck thought that Bismarck used a policy of iron and blood to deal with the unification war. Such people had never even read the original text of Bismarck's unification war, and even if they had read it, they didn't understand it.

"Our borders have been ill-designed for a healthy body politic"—this was the reason Bismarck adopted the policy of iron and blood. The shape of the German states was largely due to the fact that 300 years ago, French Prime Minister Richelieu had pushed for it in order to construct a geopolitical situation favorable to France.

Afterward, Bismarck maneuvered among the European powers, always maintaining a geopolitical situation favorable to Germany. He was praised for dancing on five eggs. Where was the smell of iron and blood?

What He Rui wanted to do now was the same. The ceasefire agreement was a clear political statement, meaning He Rui could announce to his country that he had achieved stability in diplomacy. If Japan refused to compromise on its diplomatic stance, He Rui could only continue to force Japan to compromise. Especially now when Japan lacked military strength.

Saionji Kinmochi made a decision at this moment: he would personally go to Seoul.

On October 21st, Saionji met the long-absent He Rui at the Japanese Governor-General's Office in Korea. Seeing that He Rui already had white hair, Saionji wanted to tease him a little, but the words reached his lips and he couldn't say them.

In Japan, truly powerful politicians all had heads of white hair after working for the country for eight years. Let alone eight years, just four years of toil was enough to exhaust one's mental and physical strength.

However, He Rui's gaze was deep and bright, and the steadiness in his gestures was unique to those power holders who had been through trials and tribulations. Having seen so much and experienced so much, nothing could stop these people from constantly moving forward for the ideals in their hearts.

Saionji only allowed a minimum number of people to participate in the talks. He Rui's attitude was very straightforward, and what he said was still those two most basic points. 1. Ceasefire based on the border. 2. Sign a ceasefire agreement.

Since the Northeast side only requested the announcement of the ceasefire time in the ceasefire agreement and had no other additional content, just as Ishiwara Kanji had predicted, this was a ceasefire agreement so thin it could be torn up at any time. Saionji replied, "I agree in principle."

Only then did He Rui say, "If the ceasefire agreement is reached, in view of the natural disaster Japan is currently suffering, out of humanitarian spirit, the Northeast Government is willing to unconditionally donate materials worth 5 million silver dollars to the Japanese government. I hope the Japanese government can accept it."

Saionji smiled bitterly in his heart; this was "making concessions as much as possible within the acceptable range," right? The 5 million silver dollars from the Northeast was probably equivalent to 5 million yen in value. This was indeed a sum of money, but for Japan, it could only be said to be a drop in the bucket.

But Saionji knew very well that if hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops continued to be stationed along the Yalu River, they would consume more funds every day. Such a ceasefire was certainly painful for Japan, but not ceasing fire would only be more painful.

"I will report this matter to the country. I wonder if He-kun can wait a few more days in Seoul?" Saionji asked.

He Rui nodded, expressing agreement. That evening, Saionji invited He Rui to have dinner together. The food was very ordinary. The two of them didn't care about eating to begin with, so naturally, they didn't pay attention to it.

After moving his chopsticks slightly, Saionji didn't even notice what kind of vegetable leaf he had eaten, and asked, "He-kun, what will the future East Asia look like?"

He Rui hadn't eaten yet. Hearing Saionji's inquiry, he put down the chopsticks he had picked up. "Lord Saionji, the future situation in East Asia depends on changes in the world situation. The reconstruction of the Far East order implies that the economic system of the entire world has ended. The current world situation is brewing a new collapse. Under the old order, the era of industrial nations obtaining excess profits has ended. Since foreign wars are costly and cannot generate revenue, countries must turn inward. Their domestic contradictions are bound to intensify. When contradictions intensify to a certain stage, they will trigger new wars. The breadth, depth, and intensity of future wars will be unprecedented and will inevitably completely change the current world order. Whichever country can stabilize its development by smoothing out its internal national order in the future will be able to win the future war and dominate the future world pattern."

Saionji didn't think there was anything special about this prediction; there was no shortage of people in Japan who held this view. He asked, "Does He-kun think China can win the future?"

He Rui shook his head. "It is not that China can win, but that a more powerful civilization can win. Chinese civilization has continued for thousands of years. Although its civilization development has been interrupted time and again because it could not solve the insoluble problem of efficiency and equity, every time it rebuilt, it would absorb previous lessons and make adjustments and improvements. Western civilization rose entirely by relying on the leading advantage of the new tool of science and technology. In this aspect, they indeed occupied an advantage. But after China truly masters this advantage, the West will return to their rightful position in these fields within a few decades. At that time, the West will have to face the insoluble problem of efficiency and equity. Judging from Western history, they collapse completely every time. So my judgment of them is not optimistic."

Saionji finally became somewhat curious. "Then what kind of civilization will China eventually create?"

"Your Excellency, I don't know specifically what it will be like either. For example, right now China still has peasants. Being a peasant itself is an identity, a lifestyle. With the development of industrial technology, agricultural workers producing grain products will engage in agricultural production, and the identity of the peasant will disappear. When peasants disappear, the so-called agricultural civilization will also disappear. I can determine that this is an inevitable direction, but only after it truly appears can we understand what it will specifically be like. So I have no way to answer Your Excellency's question."

Saionji tried to ponder He Rui's words but found that he was old. No matter how he imagined it, Saionji couldn't imagine what a country without peasants would look like. But decades ago, when Saionji went to study in Europe, he could perfectly imagine the direction Japan should go through everything he saw.

With a sigh carrying a hint of sadness, Saionji asked, "What does He-kun think the future world civilization should be like?"

He Rui answered decisively, "That must be a world that constantly progresses through the development of productive forces. The world will no longer be a coliseum for great powers, but a new order working hard for human development. In that era, what really needs to be considered is the insolubility of efficiency and equity, rather than using this insolubility as an excuse for wanton plunder."