Holy Roman Empire

As evening fell, the once noisy Embassy Street quieted down, and the protestors, sensing the gravity of the situation, had scattered like birds and beasts.

The Gendarmes who rushed to the scene had already blockaded the area. By now, the embassy district had become "a post every five steps, a watch every ten."

The air was still pervaded with the smell of gunpowder, and the ruins of Russian-style buildings continued to silently protest the events of the day.

All places of entertainment were shut down, and even the spectators who typically enjoyed a spectacle had locked themselves indoors for fear of trouble.

On the contrary, the embassies that had locked themselves up previously were now bustling with activity. Everyone was timid in the face of the mob, but their courage swelled when faced with the Japanese Government.

The Gendarmes' reputation may intimidate the Japanese populace, but it could not deter the foreign diplomats. Influenced by traditional culture, the European world had a particularly strong sense of empathy with others' misfortunes.

Everyone was a diplomatic representative abroad, and if they did not speak out at this time, what happened to the Russian diplomats today could very well be replicated on themselves tomorrow.

In response to the egregious acts that took place during the day, the embassies were unanimously resistant, including Britannia, Japan's ally.

Facing a group of Envoy "lords" who could neither be spoken of, cursed at, nor touched, the Gendarmes responsible for sealing off the scene suffered greatly.

Some with explosive tempers, facing the obstructing Gendarmes, went straight to punching and kicking. By now, quite a few had been beaten black and blue.

One cannot help but admire the resilience of the Japanese. Even after being beaten, they still greeted with smiles. They had the numbers after all, and the Envoy group had only so many people; one wave would take the beating, and then another would step up to continue.

With an approach of "not talking back when scolded, not fighting back when hit," they successfully wore down the temper of the various Envoys and gained time to clear the scene.

...

Within the Imperial Palace, Emperor Meiji was stomping his feet in anger, his usual composure and the Majestic demeanor of a Monarch, already thrown to some unknown place.

There was no helping it, as today's events were too provocative, stirring up what might be the biggest diplomatic crisis in Japan's history.

Assaulting the Russian Embassy was already bothersome, but to make matters worse, all the staff at the Russian Embassy were wiped out. Emperor Meiji despaired over this group of troublemakers.

No matter how many objective reasons there were, in the face of such an incident, the Japanese Government could not shirk its responsibility.

Especially since the tragedy took place right before the eyes of the international diplomats. A misstep in handling this could even lead Japan to a catastrophic fate.

Unable to suppress his anger, Emperor Meiji roared nearly to the point of bellowing, "Who on earth planned today's debacle? Have you dragged them out yet?"

Being angry was an understatement; such a level of self-sabotage was unprecedented. Protests and demonstrations were one thing; Emperor Meiji was even willing to use them to exert pressure on the Russians.

But slaughtering the Russian Embassy was completely unexpected. Anyone with a shred of political acumen should understand what this implied.

The day's tragedy not only provoked the Russians but also challenged the international order led by Europe.

It was only because the specific casualties had not been disclosed that the news received so far was not about the collective protests of the envoys from various countries but rather them packing up and fleeing.

With a bit of thought, Emperor Meiji realized just how much trouble the Japanese Government was in now. Falling out with the Russians was no longer the issue; what was critical was the international community's sanctions.

Before resolving these matters, Japan would have no allies. Even the British Government could not afford to support them in the face of such outrageous global dissent. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"The demonstration was organized by a number of student groups, including the Anti-Russian Progress Association and the Iron Blood Revenge Association, with the primary goal being to protest the Russians' infringement of the Empire's rights.

Assaulting the Russian Embassy was not part of the organizers' plan. The situation on the ground spun out of control when a bullet, from an unknown origin, struck a protesting student.

Suddenly, someone cried out that the Russians had killed someone, igniting the anger of the crowd, leading to the ensuing tragedy.

Based on the situation at the scene, we estimate hundreds of our people died during the daytime clash, with nearly a thousand injured..."

Before Kitaro Noguchi could finish his sentence, Emperor Meiji cut him off impatiently, rebuking, "I'm just asking who planned it, not to hear you defend them."

No matter the reasons, when such a major incident occurs, someone must take responsibility and provide an explanation to the international community.

Do you really think that the world's nations will let go of the assault on the Russian Embassy because of civilian casualties?

Let's not forget, dozens of staff members, including the Russian diplomat, were all killed.

In the eyes of the entire world, those who joined the protest are no longer seen as ordinary civilians, but as a mindless mob."

If explanations were useful, there would be no wars in this world. Regardless of how the conflict started, in the end, the staff of the Russian Embassy were killed by the Japanese people participating in the protest.

That alone is enough. An eye for an eye is necessary; otherwise, diplomatic personnel stationed in Japan from other countries will lose their sleep.

"Hey!"

Kitaro Noguchi felt helpless too; it wasn't that he wanted to make excuses for the students, but too many people were involved. If one were to investigate thoroughly, it would be hard to tell how many would end up unlucky.

Moreover, the majority of those who participated in the protest were patriotic students, and the incident that occurred during the day was entirely due to someone's conspiracy. If not for someone instigating it, this tragedy would not have normally happened.

But now that the incident has happened, someone must take responsibility. The groups that organized the protest would naturally be the first to bear the brunt.

After a pause, Kitaro Noguchi added, "We have already sent people to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes, but the situation at that time was too chaotic to determine from where the bullets came.

The Gendarme have already sealed off the scene, and our experts have intervened and are currently arranging the site.

According to the plan, we will disguise the site to look like an accidental fire led to the loss of lives of Russian Embassy staff, and the protesters stormed in to..."

Before Kitaro Noguchi could finish his sentence, Ito Hirobumi could not help interrupting. He had completely lost hope in the military's way of thinking.

"Noguchi-san, are you sure you're not joking?"

It's not a joke; the whole thing is a joke. Unless the Russian Embassy staff were all corpses, they would have fled at the first sign of a fire.

Even if not everyone managed to escape, at least the Guards at the gate should not have fallen victim. Such an explanation cannot even manage to be a token effort.

To say the embassy was stormed "to put out a fire" is even more absurd. There were plenty of eyewitnesses at the scene, and the Japanese government does not have the ability to make the staff of the nearby embassies turn a blind eye and tell lies.

It's not impossible to treat the world's nations as fools and to act helplessly, but only if Japan were as strong as the future Americans, then they could pull such a stunt.

Unfortunately, Japan at this time is just a little brother, barely touching the threshold of the great powers, but still failing to cross it.

With insufficient power and treating other countries as fools, that's clearly an act of someone who has not been battered by society and is looking for a thrill.

There's no way around it; Eastern and Western thinking are not the same. The government officials who had the earliest contact with the West could barely keep up, while the military leaders' thought processes are still stuck in traditional patterns.

In the eyes of the military, the incident at the Russian Embassy is merely an issue between Japan and Russia, with no relevance to other countries.

If it's about being shameless, then be shameless; the relationship between Japan and Russia is already such, it can't get much worse anyway.

However, the reality is very cruel. European governments happen to love these kinds of international affairs that are risk-free and purely for gaining prestige.

Since Japan is at fault, seizing the Japanese government for a fierce criticism is certainly the right move.

If a major power is willing to take the lead in sanctioning, others wouldn't mind joining the fray to fully exercise their "international influence."

Kitaro Noguchi, somewhat dazed, quickly realized his mistake under the criticism of others and decisively chose to admit defeat, completely lacking the Japanese Army's spirit of preferring death to dishonor.

...

Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue: "As of now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received diplomatic communications from eleven countries including Britannia and Shinra, requesting that we provide an explanation for the incident that took place at the Russian Embassy during the day, and to open the site for their personnel to investigate.

We have already made contact with the British Ambassador, and the result was very disappointing. The British also demand that we provide a reasonable explanation."

```

It's just that the results have not yet been announced to the public, and if the British knew that all the staff at the Russian Embassy had perished, they probably wouldn't support us.

From the current situation, if we can't provide the international community with a reasonable explanation, the Empire might very well face sanctions.

Right now, the situation is extremely unfavorable for us, if the Russians take this opportunity to make difficulties for us, the international community is likely to support them."

```

Just problems, without strategies, that's the true portrayal of the Japanese Government right now. It's not that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs isn't trying hard; the issue is just too significant, and the fault too grave, leaving no room for maneuver.

There are game rules even in international politics. If you break these rules while lacking strength, you must suffer the punishment of these rules.

Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu, "The incident has already happened; hiding won't do us any good now. The Empire is certain to pay a price.

What we can do now is to try and minimize the impact of the incident and also reduce the Empire's losses to the lowest point.

It would be best if we could find out who the mastermind behind this incident was. If we can point to another country, our responsibility would be much lighter.

Based on the situation at the scene, does the Gendarme have any clues? Even if we can't identify the real perpetrator, a suspect would suffice."

Although Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu knew that the chances of finding the mastermind were extremely low, he had no choice but to grasp at straws. If they couldn't find a scapegoat to share the burden, the Japanese Government would not be able to shoulder it all!

Kitaro Noguchi shook his head straight away, "It's difficult! There are too many possible suspects, and we have no evidence in our hands to accuse anyone.

Even if we catch the murderer, it would probably be hard to identify who the mastermind really is, as the planner could easily disguise the act as a personal vendetta or feud.

If we can't prove that it was a political assassination, then all the responsibility would still fall on us."

From a purely self-interested point of view, those intent on sparking a war between Japan and Russia could all be suspects in orchestrating this incident.

By this stage, there's no way to investigate further. The most suspicious parties are the Japanese military, Britannia, and Shinra, followed closely by Spain, the United States, and the Far Eastern Empire.

No matter who the mastermind is, they definitely can't be among the first three. Even if the suspicion is great and the evidence plentiful, they must absolutely not be involved.

The second tier could indeed be blamed, but evidence must first be presented. Without proof, who would believe mere words?

If the attempt to shift the blame goes wrong, we might end up creating an enemy for ourselves, and then we're really done for.

Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo, "Prime Minister, do you think that if we suggest a mastermind behind the scenes, the Russians will believe us?

The matter has progressed to this point, and there's simply no possibility of easing tensions between us and the Russians anymore.

Even if the Tsarist Government could restrain themselves from acting impulsively, the Russians would still move eastward once the Siberian Railway opens, and a confrontation would be inevitable.

Rather than waiting for the Russians to come and then react passively, it's better to start preparing now, and strike before the Siberian Railway is completed.

As for the international repercussions, with things as they are now, it's nothing more than apologizing, compensating the bereaved families, and assuring other countries that incidents like this will not occur again.

If negotiations go well, we negotiate; if not, we'll simply have to face sanctions. As long as the Empire adopts a lower profile, the countries of Europe are unlikely to send troops because of this.

You can rest assured, such sanctions are not sustainable. If the war with the Russians breaks out, the British will find ways to help us break the blockade, and I believe Shinra won't get in our way either.

Even if we are blockaded, we can still smuggle. Unless the countries sent their fleets right to our doorstep to check for smuggling, a blockade is only in name and not in effect, and capitalists will find ways around it.

What will truly be affected are just the staple goods like foodstuffs, and as long as we are united, these hard times will soon pass."

Politics is complex and ever-changing. Analyzing problems from different angles leads to different conclusions.

What the government officials see as a disaster in foreign affairs, the War Party sees as an opportunity.

At this moment, the Japanese Government is like someone backed into a corner with no way out.

With the piercing of the last layer of window paper, all illusions held by the Peace Party also shattered. Everyone realized that the war between Japan and Russia was inevitable; the only difference was the timing of its outbreak.

The atmosphere in the room grew even more oppressive, touching upon the fate of the nation, no one dared to make a decision lightly.

After a long silence, Ito Hirobumi was the first to break the stillness, "The war with Russia indeed cannot be avoided, but now is not the time.

The Russians need to wait for the railway to be operational, and does not the Empire also need time to prepare? With the current state of the Empire, it simply lacks the capability to wage a major war.

Moreover, there is a careerist behind this, sparking events and making them unpredictable.

If we do not root out this individual, who knows what else they might stir up? The Empire cannot withstand their machinations."

During his speech, Ito Hirobumi also cast a glance at the military representatives, as if warning them not to play with fire.

It wasn't just Ito Hirobumi who harbored suspicions; even Emperor Meiji's look toward the military leaders changed, as if searching for something.

No one likes to be doubted, but right now the military leaders were at a loss for words. It was not just government officials who were suspicious; they were suspicious of each other.

This kind of operation was all too characteristic of the Army. Especially the radical groups that organized this protest, which had numerous ties to the military.

Even if they did not orchestrate the shooting at the scene, the violent assault on the Russian Embassy, which led to its annihilation, must in some way be connected to them.

Everyone present was astute. Without a leader at the scene, even with a shooting incident, it wouldn't have gotten out of control so quickly.

I mean, don't you at least want to pinpoint the direction from where the bullets are coming?

Without thinking, they just rushed into the Russian Embassy shouting slogans, and at the exact moment of the incident, the police were conveniently withdrawn. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?

Too many coincidences piled together are no longer coincidences, especially as the perpetrator has not been caught and everyone is thinking even more.

Perhaps other international forces are capable of organizing a shooting, but to say they could control a mob of protesters, that's far-fetched.

Keep in mind that fanatical nationalist extremists are extreme patriots, not so easily bribed.

Being able to precisely choose the time and place for an ambush, to say there was no preparation in advance, no one would believe that.

To be able to receive a tip-off in time, evacuate swiftly after firing, and leave no trace, that is not something an ordinary person could do.

Whether international forces could achieve this, no one could be sure, but the Japanese military certainly could. Deep down, everyone's apprehension of the military rose not just by one level.

Emperor Meiji, "Ito-kun spoke the truth; the mastermind behind the curtain must be brought to light, or else the Empire will never have peace.

The Gendarme are to immediately arrest the organizers of this march and demonstration, severely investigate those instigating from behind, instruct schools to tighten control and dissolve these illegal organizations.

Furthermore, strengthen the police forces in the embassy district and prohibit any demonstrations from nearing the embassy area."

Although it was not explicitly stated, from Emperor Meiji's eyes, everyone could see that he suspected the military.

There was no chance for explanation. The Japanese military itself was rife with internal divisions, with a host of chaotic groups; they might not even be clear about it themselves.

The occasional appearance of some mindless individuals was entirely normal. It recalls that even Tsar Nicholas, when visiting Japan, was attacked by a guard arranged by the Japanese Government.

The issue of rampant extremism in the military was, in fact, a great headache for the higher-ups. They had been trying to find a solution, but to no avail.

Vouching for this bunch, that would be the epitome of boredom. No one knew what these extremists were capable of doing.

In fact, at the beginning, some in the military suggested that a few devoted men should suicide in the embassy area, as an apology to the international community. There were even those within the Army ready to enlist, prepared to sacrifice themselves for the greatness of the Empire.

Fortunately, Yamagata Aritomo, familiar with Western culture, intervened in time. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so much a sacrifice as fueling the flames.