Chapter 72: Promotion, Title, and Marriage

The Emperor was just about to speak when the Empress, who had just received a subtle signal from her cousin, quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered with a sly smile, “Aoki has no title; the status is not equal.” The Emperor noticed the Empress’s secret smile, took her hint to heart, and glanced at Mio Fujiwara—he understood at once!

“Haha, excellent! The boy is clever!” After all, whomever he handed it to, it would ultimately go to the experts for processing and be put into production as soon as possible. As for its authenticity, there was little need for concern. So, why not give it to anyone? It was all a matter of procedure. But if he handed it to Speaker Fujiwara, and Fujiwara then presented it to the Emperor, the Fujiwara family would receive both honor and credit! And the relationship between Miss Mio and Aoki Jo would be confirmed!

Speaker Fujiwara, upon receiving the four film rolls that Aoki Jo respectfully offered with both hands, was greatly pleased! The young man had tact and insight, and, crucially, was also outstanding in appearance—a perfect match for Mio!

The subsequent process was straightforward: Speaker Fujiwara handed the film rolls to the Emperor on the spot, the Emperor personally entrusted them to the team of experts, and, under military escort, the experts proceeded to the prepared laboratory.

The others returned to the Imperial Palace. That night, at the banquet, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely. All the stories that Chen Jiehua had prepared were put to good use; with the flawless cooperation between the two, the tale was told with thrilling suspense, captivating the audience!

As for the public dressing-down of the rotund Tohei, the objective was accomplished: the General Staff declared on the spot they would recall him for underperformance.

At that moment, a discordant voice rose.

“So, Aoki, you have truly inherited your grandfather’s talents?”

“What do you mean by that, Nagata-senpai?”

“Your stratagem of feinting east and attacking west has been executed with such skill, but it’s the Kwantung Army’s officers and men who have suffered for it!”

So the old fox was here to make trouble, to air grievances for the Kwantung Army.

“Nagata-senpai, you flatter me. To ensure the formula’s safe return, any effort and sacrifice is worth it. All is for the rise of the Empire of Greater Japan!” Chen Jiehua’s retort was swift. Loyal service to the Empire—is that not desirable? Old fellow, I bear you no grudge, do I?

“There’s an old saying from China: ‘A general’s success is built on a thousand bones.’ I believe that my daughter Mio and Aoki’s plan was excellent!” The father-in-law looked more and more favorably upon his future son-in-law and would not permit these old veterans to bully him.

But now that the old general had made things so clear, the feud with the Kwantung Army was set in stone! On his second day in office, he had killed a colonel; in half a year, he’d made no notable contributions; and now, with this incident, he’d outwitted them all—the entire Kwantung Army intelligence service had chased into Red Russian territory, nearly all the way to Moscow along the railway, suffering countless casualties, only to bring back nothing at all! All just to cover his secret return by a side path! A true master of strategy!

Chen Jiehua thought, if the knot cannot be untied, so be it—there would be more traps to lay in the future, and an unresolved feud was even better.

The old man’s words killed the festive atmosphere; with no more mood for wine or boasting, the banquet ended early.

Afterwards, Aoki Jo’s second uncle, Tadahiro Shimazu, came up and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t mind that old man, Jo. He’s a friend of Saito’s and just wants to stir things up.”

“Hello, Uncle. Chief of Staff Saito? I don’t recall any conflict with the Saito family,” said Chen Jiehua, thinking of the former chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, with whom he seemed to have a good relationship.

“Could it be because Chief Saito was recalled to headquarters and placed in the reserves? But that has nothing to do with me!”

“But Nagata believes the root of the problem is you. As soon as you arrived, you killed Sakurada Takeshi of the Sakurada family, whom the Saito family had recommended to the Kwantung Army to assist Saito. The Saito family feels implicated by your actions.”

“That makes no sense! Clearly, he was recalled for…”

“You needn’t worry; your eldest uncle has already suppressed that matter. Just focus on your work—your family is very proud. This time, you did exceptionally well! Father asked me to tell you to visit when you get the chance.”

Chen Jiehua understood. The Shimazu family’s finances were tight and they had their eyes on the pharmaceutical business. That could be arranged; with the family’s influence, it was worth a visit.

But the issue with the Saito family and Nagata Tetsuyama needed to be clarified first. It wasn’t enough to just be told not to worry—Chen Jiehua had no wish to be stabbed in the back again. It was the unknown that was most dangerous.

The next day, Aoki Jo brought gifts and personally visited Nagata Tetsuyama with Mio Fujiwara. Their sincere attitude won Nagata’s favor, and he revealed the truth: Sakurada Takeshi had been recommended to the Kwantung Army by the Saito family to assist Saito Tsunetaka. But Aoki Jo’s impulsiveness had sparked a conflict that left no room for mediation, and he had killed Sakurada that very night. Saito was not present; otherwise, perhaps it could have been resolved. Unfortunately, by the time Saito learned of it the next day, it was too late. Knowing Aoki Jo’s background, Saito, always cautious, dared not retaliate.

However, Sakurada Takeshi was the Sakurada family’s only officer, who had finally risen to the rank of colonel—the family’s sole hope. Unwilling to provoke the Shimazu, the Sakurada clung to the Saito family, placing Admiral Saito Makoto in a difficult position.

Now that the cause was clear, it was easy to resolve. With Aoki Jo’s current status, he was the rising star of the day. He personally called on former Chief of Staff Saito Tsunetaka, and, quite naturally, also visited the Saito family head, Vice Admiral Saito Makoto, then deputy commander of the Navy.

Through amicable negotiations, Chen Jiehua promised that the Saito family would share in the future pharmaceutical business, and additionally provided compensation to appease the Sakurada family. The matter was settled to everyone’s satisfaction.

In the end, Chen Jiehua had only spent a small sum and made a promise, gaining the friendship of the Navy and the goodwill of Nagata Tetsuyama.

In the days that followed, Chen Jiehua continued to accompany Mio Fujiwara to various banquets with the aristocracy and made a special trip home with her.

They traveled to Kagoshima in Kyushu. Naturally, he brought his mother along for a formal visit to the Shimazu family, meeting his grandfather, Tadashige Shimazu. Before the family banquet, Aoki Jo, his uncle Tadayoshi Shimazu, and other relatives reached a series of family business agreements.

The Shimazu family’s connections were always in the navy. Even in decline, their resources far exceeded those of most families—they had land, coastal waters, shipyards, and docks, all fitting perfectly with Aoki Jo’s future plans.

At the family banquet, as they watched the retainers demonstrate kendo and listened to his second uncle speak about the family’s tradition in swordsmanship, Aoki Jo graciously accepted his uncles’ recommendation: once he was established in the Republic, he would transfer some of his less promising cousins to learn the pharmaceutical trade from him.

Because the initial experimental phase was omitted, the expert team completed the comparative efficacy trials of the medicine in fifteen days. The two test groups matched perfectly in effect!

The news was immediately reported to the House of Peers and the Cabinet, causing an uproar in military and political circles!

That night, the Emperor held another banquet, gathering all the key members of the nobility and the major figures of government and military in Tokyo.

At the historic moment, the Emperor announced:

1. Japan’s penicillin and Prontosil would officially be put into production!
2. Aoki Jo would be granted the title of Viscount!
3. The Emperor himself would bless the marriage of Aoki Jo and Mio Fujiwara, with the wedding to be held on an auspicious date;
4. Aoki Jo would be promoted to Army Colonel, directly under the General Staff.