Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1099 Ambitious people need to be checked and balanced.

The Emperor's voice was not loud, but it caused the air in the "Wutong Room" to suddenly cool down.

Near the end of the text? He lowered his head and remained silent.

A gleam of smug satisfaction flashed in Takasaki Motonori's eyes.

“However,” the Emperor changed the subject, pointing to the letter that Takasaki Gentoku had tossed onto the low table, “his letter is not entirely without value.”

Look at those last few pages; in his desperation, he rattled off a long list of names to prove his innocence...

Jinwei Wen's attention immediately focused on the latter half of the letter.

There, Matsui Iwane, with strokes that almost penetrate the paper, listed a long string of names, accompanied by brief, vague "accusations" or "related descriptions".

This was clearly a "backup plan" he had prepared for himself, or rather, an attempt to muddy the waters and drag others down with him.

The list included no fewer than twenty or thirty people, ranging from his colleagues and subordinates within the Central China Expeditionary Army with whom he had disagreements, to officials in the Army Ministry and General Staff Headquarters who disagreed with him or had grudges against him, and even some "problematic partners" who might exist in military procurement and material allocation.

Many of the names are quite sensitive.

The Emperor's gaze, like the most precise probe, slowly swept over those names.

He seemed uninterested in most of them, only stopping briefly.

Some names made him smirk, while others made him frown, until his gaze fell on one name—Hideki Tojo.

The current Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army is a powerful figure in the army. Known for his tough style, radical expansionist views, and expertise in political affairs, he has served as the head of the Mobilization Section of the Army Ministry's Preparation Bureau and the Minister of Military Investigation. He is a key figure in the control faction and an active advocate of the "southward strategy" and the "hardline stance against the United States."

Next to the name "Hideki Tojo," Matsui Iwane wrote in smaller print: "He has expressed his dissatisfaction on several informal occasions with His Majesty the Emperor's 'slowness' and 'weakness' in handling the aftermath of the February 26 Incident."

The Emperor's gaze lingered on Hideki Tojo's name for a full half minute, his face expressionless, yet his eyes unfathomable.

Both Ayaka Kono and Motonori Takasaki held their breath, not daring to disturb the Emperor's thoughts.

Finally, the Emperor raised his eyes, looked at Fumimaro Ishihara Kanji, and asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Fumimaro, what position do you hold in the Kwantung Army?"

Ishihara Kanji paused slightly, then quickly replied, "Your Majesty, Ishihara Kanji is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army."

"Deputy Chief of Staff..." the Emperor repeated in a low voice, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest of the Imperial Tablet: "I remember that he was one of the main planners of the 'Manchurian Incident' and was known as the 'brain of the Kwantung Army.' Later, because he disagreed with the mainstream opinions of the Kwantung Army, he was ousted from the Kwantung Army and served as the head of the Operations Section of the General Staff Headquarters."

Now, back in the Kwantung Army, how is your relationship with Chief of Staff Hideki Tojo?

After carefully considering his words, Obi-mochi cautiously replied, "To my knowledge, Lieutenant General Ishihara and Chief of Staff Tojo do indeed have significant differences in their strategic concepts..."

Lieutenant General Ishihara strongly advocated for a "protracted war" and "no expansion," believing that the Empire should consolidate Manchuria, further digest the occupied North China, and oppose rashly penetrating deeper into the Chinese heartland. He also opposed premature direct conflict with powerful nations such as Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

Chief of Staff Tojo, however, advocated an aggressive southward advance and a swift victory.

They further believed that while the European war was raging and Britain and the United States were preoccupied with other matters, they should quickly seize the resource-rich areas of Southeast Asia to solve the empire's resource bottleneck.

The two men frequently clashed within the Kwantung Army.

The Emperor nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer. He continued, "Since their ideologies clash, given Hideki Tojo's style, I'm afraid Ishihara's days in the Kwantung Army won't be very pleasant."

A subtle expression appeared on Jinwei Wen's face: "Your Majesty is wise."

Logically, this should be the case, however... coincidentally, perhaps because of Takuto's influence, Chief of Staff Tojo and General Ueda Kenkichi, Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, did not make things too difficult for Lieutenant General Ishihara.

"Oh? Takuto?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at Takasaki Motonori.

Takasaki Motonori immediately chimed in, his tone tinged with a hint of smugness, as if to say, "My son is just so popular." He continued, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

That kid Takuto had dealings with Ishihara Kanji in Tianjin. I don't know the specific details, but for some reason, he personally spoke to Ueda Kenkichi and Tojo Hideki, telling them not to make things too difficult for Ishihara Kanji.

Therefore, Ueda and Tojo had to give him some face, and they turned a blind eye to Ishihara Kanji.

Otherwise, given Ishihara's stubborn nature, he would probably have been relegated to some border garrison unit under Tojo long ago.

After listening, the Emperor remained silent for a moment.

His gaze returned to the name "Hideki Tojo" on the list, and seemed to penetrate the letter to see further.

Beneath the calm and placid expression on his face, a deep storm seemed to be brewing, or a precise abacus was being manipulated.

Finally, the Emperor spoke again, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable resolve: "Fumimaro, find an opportunity to let Ishihara Kanji know that I am not entirely satisfied with some of Tojo Hideki's recent words and actions..."

Especially his overly radical arguments that could drag the empire into unnecessary international conflicts, and... some ambiguities regarding resource allocation.

Upon hearing this, Jinwei Wen's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately understood the Emperor's intention. This was not a simple message; it was a clear signal and a carefully designed check and balance!

The Emperor intended to use Ishihara Kanji, a "non-expansionist" general who disagreed with Tojo Hideki's ideology but also held considerable influence in the military, to restrain, warn, and even punish Tojo Hideki!

Letting Ishihara know that the Emperor is dissatisfied with Tojo is tantamount to giving Ishihara a "sword of Damocles," giving him the confidence to insist on his own opinions in front of Tojo, and even to unite other officers within the Kwantung Army who are dissatisfied with Tojo, thus forming a check on Tojo.

"Your Majesty," Chikao Fumio cautiously reminded him, "Will this move... exacerbate the internal conflicts within the Kwantung Army, especially between Ishihara Kanji and Tojo Hideki?"

Chief of Staff Tojo is headstrong and stubborn. If he learns of His Majesty's displeasure with him, he may harbor resentment, potentially escalating the conflict and harming the unity of the Kwantung Army.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor showed no concern. Instead, a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth—a cold, calculating smile befitting the supreme ruler.

"What I want is for them to be at odds." The Emperor's voice was soft, but every word carried immense weight: "Fumimaro, you are well-versed in history, so you should know that a ruler should dislike having a monolithic group of subjects, and especially dislike generals who hold great military power and are in perfect harmony and share the same views."

The Kwantung Army, the elite of the empire, had become entrenched in Manchuria and was now too powerful to be controlled.

Ueda Kenkichi was getting old and faced many obstacles, so the real leader was Tojo Hideki.

This person is capable, ambitious, and loyal to the empire.

However, precisely because they are capable and ambitious, they need to be checked and balanced.

It's better to let him and Ishihara Kanji check each other, to let them waste their energy on strategic disagreements and internal competition, than to let them unite and turn the Kwantung Army into an independent kingdom that only knows Tojo and not me!