Lieutenant General Nagata Tetsuzan, Director of the Japanese National Mobilization Bureau, straightened his uniform before walking towards the residence of retired Army General Tanaka Giichi. In front of the residence were several young men wearing student uniforms. From their proud expressions, it could be seen that they were proud of such attire, just as Lieutenant General Nagata Tetsuzan was proud of his military uniform.

These people should be cadres of the 'Greater Japan Youth League.' In November 1910, the Imperial Military Reserve Association, long advocated by Tanaka Giichi, was established. This association organized reservists who had finished their active service, which could reduce the maintenance cost of the national army while widely disseminating the national will among the citizens (later, reservists were also included). At the beginning of its establishment, the association only targeted the Army; the Navy was added starting in 1914, finally perfecting the organization.

In 1924, taking advantage of the Great Kanto Earthquake, Tanaka Giichi founded the national youth organization "Greater Japan Youth League." With the foundation of the previous Reservist Association, the 'Greater Japan Youth League' had 2.5 million members since its establishment, becoming a powerful support base for Tanaka.

These young men were members of Tanaka Giichi's Youth League.

Facing Lieutenant General Nagata, the young men also showed sufficient respect and led Nagata into the gate of Tanaka Giichi's house. This was a small house with a tree planted in the small vestibule and only four rooms. Tanaka Giichi welcomed Lieutenant General Nagata in the main hall.

As soon as the two sat down, Tanaka Giichi asked about the two MPs, Ishii and Shibata. Nagata did not hide the news he had learned, because this matter also surprised Ishiwara quite a bit and even made him somewhat unhappy. But the instigator behind the scenes had a deep background, and even Nagata himself was unwilling to intervene.

Tanaka Giichi listened quietly to Nagata's narration. MP Shibata collapsed on the street. The patrol police examined the body and found no external injuries. At this time, the police chief of the Akihabara district arrived, examined the body, asked the people around, and learned that MP Shibata had not been attacked, so he ordered the body to be transported to the hospital.

When the body arrived at the hospital, a doctor was already waiting inside. In the morgue, the doctor didn't even unbutton the clothes; he just looked and wrote the conclusion 'sudden death due to heart failure' on the report.

After listening to the simple introduction, Tanaka Giichi didn't speak, but just poured tea for Nagata. But Tanaka Giichi's heart was not as calm as on the surface.

Five days had passed since then, and there were no reports in the newspapers. Except for big shots like Tanaka Giichi and Nagata Tetsuzan, no one could get more news. The deaths of two members of the House of Representatives did not trigger any movement, as if they had never existed in the world.

After the two finished the first cup of tea, Tanaka Giichi spoke, "Nagata-kun, there is a saying about Shina among the upper echelon recently. I wonder if Nagata-kun has heard of it."

Nagata answered calmly as if he had never heard of it, "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

Tanaka Giichi poured tea again before continuing, "Some say that whoever can restore trade with China can become the Prime Minister."

Nagata Tetsuzan had heard such a statement, but until now he didn't know who released the rumor, or even whether someone deliberately said it or if it was a thought vaguely felt by many people in their hearts. After all, reality had made the Japanese upper echelon with a little brain clearly and thoroughly understand the importance of the Chinese market to Japan.

However, Nagata didn't respond but waited for Tanaka Giichi to continue. The importance of the Chinese market to Japan was very clear, but Tanaka Giichi's thoughts could not be determined. After all, everyone knew how hard Tanaka Giichi had pushed the view that 'Manchuria and Mongolia are the Empire's lifeline,' and Tanaka Giichi had not given up on achieving something politically.

Tanaka Giichi continued, "Nagata-kun, who do you think is suitable to negotiate with China at present?"

"Which one does Your Excellency fancy?" Nagata asked.

Tanaka Giichi smiled, revealing his teeth stained yellow-brown from too much smoking. "I wonder how Nagata-kun evaluates Ishiwara-kun?"

Nagata Tetsuzan knew Tanaka Giichi was probing him because Tanaka Giichi could never be on the same path as Ishiwara Kanji. So Nagata asked, "Your Excellency, I wonder if the associations in the countryside have heard of the 'Japan Land Restoration Proposal'?"

Tanaka Giichi was slightly stunned and did not answer immediately. In a flash, he somewhat understood that Nagata Tetsuzan, the young leader of the Control Faction, was probing the thoughts of the Imperial Way Faction represented by Tanaka Giichi. Since Nagata asked, Tanaka Giichi answered readily, "The Greater Japan Youth League does not know about this proposal."

Nagata suppressed the hatred rising in him and said calmly, "Does no one in the Youth League know about this matter?"

Tanaka Giichi did not answer immediately, very dissatisfied with Nagata's attitude in his heart. Although dissatisfied, Tanaka Giichi knew very well that with Nagata Tetsuzan's intelligence, he would definitely not be so shallow as to provoke like this. Tanaka Giichi asked, "Does Nagata-kun think young people will be bewitched by such a proposal?"

This sentence made Nagata understand Tanaka Giichi's unease, so he replied, "Your Excellency, the value of this proposal lies in pointing out a possibility of creating Japan's internal market, while restoring trade relations with China is restoring the external market. I wonder what the cadres of the Youth League think about this?"

After speaking, Nagata drank tea seemingly calmly, but in fact, he was secretly observing Tanaka Giichi's reaction. Nagata was a member of the Control Faction and was not on the same path as the Imperial Way Faction. In the eyes of the Control Faction, the so-called Imperial Way Faction was just a radical populist group. Radical groups in these years were divided into two factions. Those from rural backgrounds were the Imperial Way Faction, and those from urban backgrounds were anarchists.

Marxists and socialists were not classified as 'radicals' by the military or judicial departments but were classified as targets to be struck. For example, in 1911, Japan executed more than a dozen people including the Marxist Kotoku Shusui on charges of 'conspiring to assassinate the Emperor.' On September 16, 1923, Osugi Sakae, the recognized successor of Kotoku Shusui, along with his wife and nephew, were killed together at the Kempeitai Headquarters in Tokyo. The charge was inciting riots.

This also triggered the assassination attempt on Crown Prince Hirohito by Namba Daisuke, an admirer of Osugi Sakae and son of MP Namba, on December 27, 1923. Hirohito was lucky not to be injured. afterwards, the Kempeitai tortured Namba Daisuke for a year but still couldn't make him confess. Finally, they could only fabricate a confession statement for Namba Daisuke and then execute him.

These people were considered by the military or judicial and Kempeitai departments as people to be eliminated. As for the supporters of the Imperial Way Faction, they were just populist groups not even qualified for such an evaluation.

In Tanaka Giichi's view, the Control Faction were worthless guys, but Nagata possessed abilities that the Imperial Way Faction did not have. For example, the Imperial Way Faction could never persuade the He Rui regime to restore trade with Japan no matter what. Although the Imperial Way Faction lacked land and needed land very much, they didn't even have the ability to analyze how to carry out land reform.

"Nagata-kun, do you think the Imperial Way Faction will support land reform?" Tanaka Giichi probed.

Nagata didn't hide anything. "Whether they support it or not is not important. The Youth League will only listen to Your Excellency Tanaka's land plan. I really want to know if Your Excellency Tanaka wants to develop domestic demand."

This question stumped Tanaka Giichi. Tanaka Giichi had been the Minister of War, and his knowledge was not bad. But Tanaka Giichi himself did not understand economics. His understanding of the domestic market was very vague, and his latest cognition was learned from the proposal of the two murdered MPs.

After reading it, Tanaka Giichi felt an impulse arising in his heart. His previous views on rural areas were all based on politics. From an economic perspective, Japan's rural areas were actually such a huge market, and Tanaka Giichi, who had huge influence in rural areas, might control such a force.

But the killing of the two MPs made Tanaka feel danger. These two MPs were not socialists, and their original stance was even very conservative. There was no need to kill such people; at least in the eyes of the Imperial Way Faction, such MPs, even if not completely innocent, at least didn't deserve to die.

But these two MPs were killed just like that. Then if Tanaka Giichi wanted to gain benefits by promoting land reform, what would be his fate?

Tanaka Giichi turned the topic back to the beginning. "Nagata-kun, if Ishiwara-kun is not suitable to negotiate with Shina, do you have any recommended candidates?"

Nagata didn't believe Tanaka Giichi really wanted to negotiate with the He Rui government, and Nagata didn't even believe Ishiwara Kanji could successfully negotiate the restoration of Sino-Japanese trade with He Rui. The current situation couldn't be clearer: Japan absolutely couldn't make concessions, and since Japan couldn't make concessions, He Rui wouldn't be satisfied.

So Nagata continued to probe, "I wonder if Your Excellency Tanaka is interested in shouldering this heavy burden. Your Excellency's status and influence are enough to represent Japan."

Tanaka Giichi was really a bit unhappy. His purpose in inviting Nagata was not to shoulder that heavy burden, but to consider whether he could achieve something in the increasingly turbulent situation in Japan. To be specific about a possibility, that would be Tanaka Giichi serving as Prime Minister after the current government steps down.

If it were another situation, Tanaka Giichi might have waited a bit longer. But Japan's current situation was already very bad. If someone else served as Prime Minister, the Japanese economy would only continue to deteriorate. At this stage, the Greater Japan Youth League that Tanaka Giichi relied on had already begun to show division. Once the Japanese economy truly collapsed, this force would disintegrate on its own. Tanaka Giichi's previous efforts would be greatly discounted, or even possibly end without result.

This was 2.5 million people after all; if he couldn't make good use of them, Tanaka Giichi was unwilling.

Nagata roughly understood Tanaka Giichi's thoughts at this time, so he asked frankly, "What are Your Excellency's economic views?"

Tanaka Giichi was prepared and immediately began to narrate. Half an hour later, Nagata took his leave, feeling quite regretful in his heart. Such a figure as Tanaka Giichi had a very shallow understanding of economics. Just such a character wanted to be Prime Minister; Tanaka Giichi was indeed worthy of being the heir of the Choshu Domain.

Of course, if it were before, Tanaka Giichi himself indeed had a chance. But now it was an era where 'He Studies' was almost becoming a prominent study. The political economy proposed by He Rui could indeed explain most political problems very effectively. Tanaka Giichi had fallen far behind the current Japanese elites. He wasn't even as good as the two murdered MPs.

But Tanaka Giichi's restlessness also reminded Nagata Tetsuzan that figures who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to seek positions saw an opportunity. With such a dismal economic situation, the Prime Minister would likely encounter a cabinet toppling. Although Nagata himself couldn't be Prime Minister, Nagata must also launch his own candidate. The 'rumor' Tanaka Giichi first relayed was actually very reasonable. Whoever could restore Sino-Japanese trade now could be the Prime Minister.

Thinking of this, Nagata got into the car. Relaying Tanaka Giichi's actions to Your Excellency Saionji would be a very good gift for the Seiyukai led by Saionji. Nagata could also ask Saionji about his views on the Prime Minister candidate along the way.

No sooner said than done, Nagata ordered the driver, "Go to Your Excellency Saionji's place."