Chapter 1170 - General Ping

Ping Qiusheng carefully concealed—or at least believed he was concealing—his ambition to become the new Shogun of Japan. Throughout his time among the Elders, he had worked to present himself merely as a "Japanese otaku culture enthusiast."

Deep in his heart, he harbored a sincere hope of preserving Japan's traditional culture and language, allowing the nation to continue along its original historical trajectory—proceeding ideally straight through to the Taishō era, then directly into the endearing Heisei period. As for the Shōwa spirit—that simply need not come into being.

But he had never dared voice this notion to anyone; it carried unmistakable overtones of "political incorrectness." Ping Qiusheng found it difficult to read the Senate's true attitude toward Japan. It wasn't the straightforward "Sinicization" approach applied to Korea and Vietnam, nor the unequivocal "final solution" designated for Southeast Asia—it was an ambiguous mixture of love and hate that defied easy interpretation.

Now, Japan's fate rested in his hands.

It was with this complex frame of mind that Ping Qiusheng boarded the transport ship bound for Jeju Island.

The vessel was an H800 Harmony-class ship: the Express Delivery. Though not a majestic 854 or 901 steam warship, and somewhat slower, its 800-ton capacity translated to an actual displacement of 1,400 tons—only marginally smaller than the 854's full displacement.

The larger the ship, the less it pitched. Thus, aside from naval Elders and those with urgent business, most Elders traveling to Hong Kong, Jeju, or Taiwan preferred the H800. The spacious hull also permitted better-appointed cabins; the stern housed "premium compartments" laid out like soft-seat train cars.

Traveling to Jeju alongside Ping Qiusheng were two other Elders: Huang Hua, who was preparing to develop trade with the Later Jin, and Li Yao'er from the Agricultural Committee.

Since graduating from intelligence training, Huang Hua had been languishing "on standby"—which meant continuing his regular work at the General Machinery Factory while reporting weekly to the Intelligence Bureau for "re-warming," the technical term for refreshing training content before it faded from memory.

He had been waiting in this limbo for over a year. Jeju had long since fallen, the Dengzhou Rebellion was nearly concluded, and still his overseas dispatch hadn't materialized. Just when he had abandoned hope, the assignment suddenly arrived—first to Jeju Island, then to find an opportunity to infiltrate Manchu-controlled territory for trade and intelligence work.

This native of Heilongjiang was now brimming with emotion, often standing on deck and gazing out at the sea, occasionally letting out long howls—the manner of someone preparing to carve out a career in untamed wilderness. He had even expressed willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause.

Li Yao'er, by contrast, appeared both excited and nervous. Ping Qiusheng observed her pleasant, gentle features; though she looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, when she spoke she still bounced about like a young girl. He couldn't fathom why Wu Nanhai would dispatch such a woman to Jeju Island.

The long, tedious voyage led Ping Qiusheng to strike up conversation with her. He learned that she had originally worked in finance as an accountant, but having no particular interest in accounting—while being genuinely passionate about gardening and cooking—she had applied for a transfer to the Agricultural Committee. By pure coincidence, the Finance Department was then forcefully implementing monetized accounting across all departments, each of which now required specialized finance personnel. Li Yao'er was duly transferred to the Agricultural Committee as Chief Accountant.

Though she was still doing accounting at the Agricultural Committee—and though upon starting she had faced years of muddled records requiring organization followed by endless calculations—at least she had landed somewhere that genuinely interested her. From the Agricultural Committee offices, the windows opened onto year-round blooming gardens planted with all manner of herbs, medicinals, and flowers.

Working here was infinitely superior to the cold, "industrial aesthetic" Bauhaus-style building at Finance. In her spare time, she could join Wu Chuqing, Liu San, and his apprentice Fu Wuben—all fellow gardening enthusiasts—in tending the grounds. Life was quite fulfilling. Naturally, she had pushed to relocate to the Agricultural Commission apartments.

Li Yao'er's husband, Mei Fazheng, worked at the Industry and Energy Committee. Moving to the farm meant his commute would become considerable. After a full day and night of negotiations, Li Yao'er had secured his agreement by increasing the number of maids he could purchase from two to four. The couple thus moved out of their Bairen New Town apartment and into Agricultural Commission housing.

"I didn't realize you were so generous," Ping Qiusheng remarked during their conversation, genuinely surprised. Allowing him to buy maids was already something—but four of them!

"I told him from the very start: as long as priorities remain clear, I don't mind. But they're maids—formal concubinage is absolutely forbidden!" Li Yao'er said breezily. "Any maid who gets ideas above her station—one finger and I'll crush her." The sweet smile on her face flashed with cold cruelty, sending a prickle down Ping Qiusheng's spine. This was clearly no idle threat.

"Besides, even if I absolutely refused, could I actually stop him if he truly wanted to do it? That's simply how men are. Liu San up and abandoned his wife. Rather than earn that reputation and end up discarded anyway, better to allow it conditionally—far more controllable."

Li Yao'er's theory left Ping Qiusheng momentarily speechless. He changed the subject: "What are you going to Jeju for?"

(End of Chapter)