Saionji Kinmochi was in such a bad mood that he almost didn't want to see Nagata Tetsuzan. But in the end, Saionji ordered the servant to invite Nagata in. After the servant left with the order, Saionji stood up and walked to the window with his hands behind his back.

The killing of two MPs was not a rare thing in Japan. In recent years, there had been killings of MPs and Prime Ministers. Even the Crown Prince had encountered an assassination attempt. The fanatic Namba Daisuke shouted 'Long live the revolution' and fired continuously at Hirohito's car with a pistol. The bullets broke the window glass, and Hirohito was nearly hit. If the surrounding crowd hadn't rushed forward and tackled Namba Daisuke, preventing him from continuing to shoot, perhaps Namba Daisuke could have achieved the goal of assassinating Hirohito.

Since then, Hirohito had strengthened the guards and would not go out unless absolutely necessary, becoming a 'self-imprisoned' person.

Saionji Kinmochi did not think Namba Daisuke had any purpose other than assassination because Namba Daisuke never thought he would survive from the beginning. But what the people who killed the two MPs hoped for was different from Namba Daisuke; they wanted to build an atmosphere of terror by killing these two people.

From a certain perspective, their goal might have been achieved. The two MPs died silently, proving that no one else was willing to risk being killed to continue promoting land reform in Japan. At least not now.

Footsteps sounded, and Nagata appeared at the door. Saionji turned around. "Nagata-kun, I wonder what brings you here?" Saionji actually wanted to hear Nagata report who the murderer was because Saionji wanted to see someone dare to confront such atrocities.

Nagata saluted Saionji before saying, "Your Excellency, there is a rumor recently that whoever can restore Sino-Japanese trade can become the Prime Minister."

Saionji was somewhat surprised. In his view, Nagata obviously wouldn't believe such rumors. Sure enough, Nagata continued, "Your Excellency, the spread of such unrealistic statements only proves that people's minds are unstable."

Saionji felt Nagata's urgency. The current Japan had neither a long-term national policy nor a short-term direction, falling into a dilemma where no future could be seen. Originally, as a *Genrō*, Saionji wanted to watch the situation develop further, but now it was time for Saionji to take action. Saionji asked, "Nagata-kun, with the strength of the Imperial Army, if there is a war with China, as the Director of the Mobilization Bureau, what suggestions would you have?"

Nagata Tetsuzan answered immediately, "Your Excellency, I will do everything possible to prevent this war."

This answer was very rational, but Saionji was not satisfied with it. "Nagata-kun, if the Anglo-Japanese Alliance is restored, at least pressure must be maintained on China. To what extent should this pressure be?"

"Your Excellency, the real pressure on the Empire is domestic. The Imperial Way Faction has already begun to seek power. If they are allowed to seize power, it would be better to maintain the Anglo-Japanese Alliance."

Saionji Kinmochi knew what Nagata was talking about. The 'Greater Japan Youth League' that Tanaka Giichi relied on at present was not a tightly organized group, and internal news could easily be obtained. If these 2.5 million people with voting rights participated in the election, it would indeed be a very huge force. However, the Imperial Way Faction hated the election system very much, and a considerable part of them refused to organize to gain power through elections.

"Nagata-kun, did Tanaka talk to you?" Saionji asked.

Nagata did not hide anything and told Saionji about his meeting with Tanaka. Listening to the process, Saionji looked down on Tanaka in his heart. A large number of people seemed like power, but the interests sought by so many people must be huge. Tanaka Giichi seemed to have huge influence, but he didn't come up with a program to realize these people's demands. In this respect, Tanaka Giichi was even far inferior to the two assassinated MPs. Or rather, the people who assassinated the two MPs knew guys like Tanaka Giichi very well. To quote a Chinese saying, people like Tanaka Giichi belonged to the category of 'cherishing one's life when doing great things, forgetting one's life when seeing small profits.'

The Imperial Way Faction was mainly rural-based. Tanaka Giichi didn't even need to create any political views; he just needed to take the proposal of the two MPs and use it. That was a claimed 2.5 million members; adding the relatives and friends around these people, any bill could be passed.

Nagata asked Tanaka very frankly, 'The Youth League will only listen to Your Excellency Tanaka's land plan.' Judging from Tanaka's answer, this guy Tanaka Giichi chickened out. In Saionji's view, once Japan's domestic demand construction was completed, wouldn't it be easy for Tanaka Giichi to become Prime Minister with such political achievements?

Since Tanaka was such a coward, Saionji completely gave up on Tanaka. "Nagata-kun, if you are asked to go to China, how would you consider it?"

Nagata himself didn't want to meet He Rui at all. "Your Excellency, the timing is not ripe at present. If it's just an ordinary meeting, why care so much about He Rui? If you really want to probe, I heard that the Manchu Qing Little Emperor has been driven out of the imperial palace and is now in Tianjin. How about inviting him to visit Japan?"

Saionji didn't expect Nagata to propose such a suggestion. When he first heard it, he felt it was a bit absurd, but after thinking about it, he felt it was very interesting. Finally, he couldn't help praising, "Indeed, it can be considered."

The Manchu Qing Little Emperor the two talked about naturally referred to Pu Yi. On February 12, 1912, Empress Dowager Longyu held court and issued the "Abdication Edict" in the name of the Empress Dowager, and Pu Yi abdicated. The Republic government negotiated with the Qing court, retaining many favorable conditions for the royal family, promising to pay the Qing court 4 million silver yuan annually (changed to 4 million yuan after the new currency was issued), and agreeing that Pu Yi could temporarily live in the Forbidden City, historically known as the "Little Court of the Abdicated Qing."

Japanese people did things as soon as they said it. The Spring Festival of 1925 was on January 24. On January 23, Japanese personnel came to visit Pu Yi. Pu Yi was born in 1906, so he was considered 19 years old after the New Year. This young man could finally live in the world outside the imperial palace, and he felt good in his heart.

Especially seeing that the people from Japan actually requested an audience with the etiquette of treating a noble person, he was even happier.

However, Japan's influence in China had declined a lot at present. Any Chinese who had a concept of Japan still considered Japan an important country in East Asia, but only an important country defeated by China.

So Pu Yi kept a straight face and didn't give the Japanese people a good look. Japan was a country with very clear hierarchy, and having been recently defeated by China, the visitors showed no resistance to Pu Yi's reaction, but instead became more respectful. This made Pu Yi secretly happy.

Hearing the news that the Japanese visitors wanted to invite Pu Yi to study at a university in Japan, Pu Yi became even more excited. If he hadn't seen the faces of the 'subjects' who continued to follow him, Pu Yi would have wanted to agree immediately.

Although in the palace, Pu Yi's education had not been left behind. In addition to the Four Books and Five Classics and 'knowledge of governing the country,' Pu Yi also learned English, French, Japanese, geography, history, physics, chemistry, and other knowledge. He was not completely ignorant of everything happening outside.

After the Japanese envoy left, Pu Yi kept a few of his most loyal subjects. Sitting at the head was Pu Yi's teacher Chen Baochen, who immediately expressed his view, "Your Majesty, the Japanese want to use Your Majesty; you must not be fooled!"

Pu Yi could understand Teacher Chen Baochen's meaning but didn't take it seriously. "Teacher, although He Rui is of the Beiyang lineage, he went to Japan to study as a Qing student. I go to Japan to study, not to borrow Japan's power, but just to attend military academy, and after graduation, go to Japan's best university, Tokyo Imperial University, to continue my studies. He Rui was about my age when he went to Japan to study; am I really inferior to him?"

Chen Baochen heard Pu Yi say this and knew that Pu Yi's words came from the heart. For a moment, he didn't know how to make Pu Yi understand that this was impossible. He could only look at the other 'subjects.' Instead, the other subjects did not have such a firm attitude as Chen Baochen; judging from their appearance, they quite wanted to use the Japanese.

And Pu Yi's other teacher, Reginald Johnston, spoke up, "Your Majesty, if you want to study abroad, why not go to Britain to study?"

This Johnston was British. In February 1919, he went to Beijing and began his career as an "Imperial Tutor." Johnston was the first and last foreigner with the title of "Imperial Tutor" in the thousands of years of Chinese imperial history. Johnston was a man with profound Sinology skills and scholarly accomplishments. He read extensively in classics, history, philosophy, and literature, and liked Chinese classical poetry and the way of tea drinking. He wrote a large number of works on Chinese issues, such as *Buddhist China*, *Lion and Dragon in Northern China*, *Confucianism and Modern China*, etc.

Johnston had a great influence on Pu Yi. Hearing Johnston's suggestion, Pu Yi felt that studying in Britain was indeed not bad.

However, the expressions of the other veterans changed. Zheng Xiaoxu immediately expressed opposition, "He Rui drove Your Majesty out of the Forbidden City. If Your Majesty goes to Britain again, thousands of miles away, wouldn't it be following He Rui's wish! Your Majesty, this subject thinks it is better to go to Japan!"

Zheng Xiaoxu had always wanted to revive the Manchu Qing, but Zheng Xiaoxu was very calm. When Zhang Xun restored the monarchy, Zheng Xiaoxu thought Zhang Xun's set was fundamentally a farce and didn't participate at all. Afterwards, Zheng Xiaoxu had been in contact with Japan. However, after Japan was actually defeated, they didn't contact Zheng Xiaoxu much, and Zheng Xiaoxu also felt Japan was somewhat unreliable. But with Pu Yi driven out of the capital, Zheng Xiaoxu had to consider cooperating with Japan.

Seeing the situation like this, Chen Baochen couldn't help but recall the scene when he met Pu Yi outside the palace last year. At that time, seeing Chen Baochen, Pu Yi burst into tears and said: "I have no face to see my ancestors!" The sorrow made Chen Baochen shed tears as well.

However, young people are young people after all. Leaving the cage-like Forbidden City and arriving in Tianjin where fresh things were everywhere, Pu Yi quickly adapted. Now he wanted to run abroad to study. Chen Baochen felt he couldn't let 'Your Majesty' be used by others. He said impassionedly, "Does Your Majesty still remember the matter between this subject and Your Majesty outside the palace?"

Pu Yi was stunned, recalling the sorrowful situation at that time.

Chen Baochen hurriedly continued to narrate the matter at that time, "At that time, this subject advised Your Majesty not to be sad. Since ancient times, has there ever been a dynasty that did not perish? And my Great Qing reached today's state not because of loss of virtue and usurpation, and Your Majesty is not a ruler who lost the country. Your Majesty is still young and knowledgeable; in the future, you should become the President of the Republic. At that time, wouldn't you be able to comfort the ancestors?"

The faces of the people around Pu Yi changed a bit at that time. Zheng Xiaoxu immediately questioned, "Does Lord Chen want Your Majesty to be an official under He Rui?"

Chen Baochen knew that this group of people would think so. Although annoyed in his heart, he still answered as calmly as possible, "Although He Rui is young, he is crafty and cunning. If Your Majesty goes abroad, He Rui will never stop it. Although the world today has gradually stabilized, it is not without twists and turns. What Your Majesty needs to do now is to accumulate prestige and wait for changes. If you go abroad, you will definitely be seen as relying on foreign forces. When the time comes, Your Majesty is far away from the country; how can you convince the people?"

Zheng Xiaoxu immediately retorted, "Japan and China are separated only by a strip of water. As long as we frequently publish Your Majesty's recent status in the newspapers—what school attended, how the studies are, how the grades are—the nationals will naturally have expectations for Your Majesty. If staying in the country, controlled by He Rui, what can be done?"

Chen Baochen did not continue the debate. As a Manchu Qing official, he had participated in many major events and had experienced ups and downs, so he had long known how formidable He Rui was. In Chen Baochen's view, Pu Yi was just of average talent and could not be compared with He Rui at all. So everything that should be said had been said; if it was just studying abroad, it wouldn't be good or bad.

At this time, Pu Yi lost his initial excitement and began to be suspicious instead. After all, a 19-year-old young man who had never left the small place of the Imperial Palace felt uneasy just thinking that he might be used by others.

When the conversation ended, Chen Baochen left Pu Yi's residence. After walking a block, he saw several large carts for transporting things parked at the door of Xu Shichang's house. It should be that Xu Shichang, the current Director of the National Archives, was preparing to move.

This made Chen Baochen angry. He simply went straight forward. He happened to meet Xu Shichang directing servants to move several boxes of books out at the door. Chen Baochen stepped forward and said, "Lord Xu, since we parted the day before yesterday, Brother Xu is even more majestic! Bullying an ignorant child, Brother Xu has good means!"

Seeing Chen Baochen, Xu Shichang also felt a little embarrassed in his heart. He simply said, "Brother Chen, sit inside."

After the Political Consultative Conference in 1924, Beiping was no longer the capital. It was just that the infrastructure of the new capital had not yet been completed, so the central government temporarily stayed in Beiping. Considering that after moving the capital, keeping such a nest of people in Beiping would only be looking for trouble, He Rui ordered the former Qing officials in the government to notify Pu Yi.

The person responsible for this matter was Xu Shichang, Director of the National Archives. What a smart person Xu Shichang was; he immediately understood what he should do. He went to visit very politely and only informed the other party of two things during the talk: moving the capital and Xu Shichang serving as the Director of the National Archives. After that, Xu Shichang took his leave.

Chen Baochen snorted and walked inside. The two sat down in the main hall, and Xu Shichang sighed, "Brother Chen, those people didn't teach the Emperor well."

As Pu Yi's teacher, hearing this counter-accusation, Chen Baochen was truly unhappy. But Xu Shichang was right. Chen Baochen sighed and actually didn't know what to say.