Holy Roman Empire

``` This world is never perfect. Although the Japanese sword is not sharp, it still hurts when it strikes a person. The primary reason they couldn't annihilate Mao Xiong was the vast territorial expanse of the Russian Empire, even larger than it had been in the original timeline. The most severe consequence of the Russo-Japanese War was merely the loss of the Far Eastern region, and then nothing more followed; the Japanese simply weren't capable of penetrating Siberia. After a moment of silence, Frederick slowly said, "Japan alone is naturally not enough, but add other nations wanting independence, and it's a different matter. Finland, the Baltic Sea, Poland, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and other regions were not lacking in anti-Russian forces. During the powerful times of the Russian Empire, these anti-Russian forces could not become significant, but during the decline of Mao Xiong, it was a different story. If these independence organizations aren't strong enough, then add the Russian Revolutionary Party. The reforms of Alexander II, although alleviating some social contradictions in the Russian Empire to a certain extent, the core contradictions still existed. The Russian populace could tolerate losing to European countries, but they absolutely couldn't endure defeat to the uncivilized Japanese. With the bourgeoisie dissatisfied over the distribution of power, all we need to do is give a push from behind, and the likelihood of a revolution erupting in Russia is very high." Clearly, Frederick had done his homework. He knew very well the internal perils of the Russian Empire. For a behemoth like the Russian Empire, it was incredibly difficult to bring it down from outside; the only thing that could truly defeat them was themselves. For the Holy Roman Empire, a divided, declining Russian Empire was a preferable ally. Franz hesitated. He had to admit, Frederick's plan was highly feasible. Even if the plan failed, Shinra wouldn't suffer any losses; from start to finish, the Vienna Government was the Tsarist Government's "good ally," and had nothing to do with these anti-Russian forces. If the plan succeeded, then threats on Shinra's land would be completely eliminated. The future would then focus on dominating the seas and competing for supremacy with Britannia. The only problem was that revolutions are full of uncertainties. As a monarch, Franz had always steered clear of "revolutions" and "national independence movements." That was the case now; if it had been a few decades earlier, Franz would have rejected the idea without a second thought. The reasoning was very practical; he feared picking up a rock only to drop it on his own feet, leading to uncontrollable consequences. Now, it was different. After many years of governance, the unified language and culture of the Holy Roman Empire had solidified its foundation. Compared to other nations of the same period, people of Shinra felt a sense of superiority; the country was strong, and its people's standard of living was clearly among the best. Social contradictions had not disappeared, but they were not severe enough to necessitate a revolution. Even if a wave of revolution surged, Shinra would be minimally impacted. The issue was that the current Holy Roman Empire was no longer isolated; being capable of coping themselves did not mean their junior allies could withstand the pressure. Feudal thought was strong in Armenia, internal contradictions abounded in Spain, social reforms were underway in the Italian States, nationalistic thoughts were active in little Greece, and France was deep in dire straits. These countries were all breeding grounds for revolutionary ideas; perhaps a gunshot from the Russian Empire, and the European Continent would change completely. If revolutions broke out one by one, Franz believed he could manage them properly; but if they surged collectively, Shinra would be overwhelmed. "The plan sounds good, but we must manage the degree well. The Russian Empire can collapse, but the Tsarist Government must stay. We can push from behind, but we must not directly intervene in Russia's internal chaos. Including covert support for the Revolutionary Party and independence organizations, we cannot show our involvement." It was not that Franz was hypocritical; it was purely a political necessity. Scheming against allies was something to be done covertly; bringing it to the fore would spell disaster. ... Tokyo, accompanied by the arrival of the Anglo-Austrian navy, the diplomatic corps took a progressively tougher stance toward the Japanese Government. Specifically, it was Shinra pressuring the Japanese Government, with other countries merely echoing their sentiment, while the British mostly remained silent. ``` This was an inevitable consequence. Regardless of clandestine actions, Russia and Austria remained allies on the surface. Now, with the embassy of an ally butchered by the Japanese, Shinra would have been remiss to not react at all. Other nations echoed this sentiment because the Japanese had broken established norms. These norms not only protected the interests of the major powers but also safeguarded smaller nations. Only by operating within the rules of the game could normal diplomatic engagements proceed. After all, the major powers were not easily provoked, and even if conflicts arose, they could retaliate. But it wasn't the same for smaller nations; they could do nothing about events occurring far away and had to swallow injustices, however grievous. The demand for harsh penalties against the Japanese Government stemmed basically from the need to make an example of them—killing the chicken to scare the monkey. As they say, 'the wrath of the masses is formidable.' Britain, considering itself civilized, would naturally not oppose other nations just for the sake of its ally, Japan. If it had to be harsh punishment, then so be it; Shinra had not organized an allied force to come over anyway. The strict penalties demanded by other nations merely meant arresting more officials, shaming the Japanese Government. The ones who died were Japanese, and it was the Japanese Government that was humiliated. In the eyes of the British Ambassador, Enrique, this was hardly a matter of concern. If it hadn't been for the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, Enrique would have pressured the Japanese Government to hand over the investigation rights. As diplomats, Enrique and the diplomatic corps shared the same stance on ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel. A resounding 'boom' erupted as if thunder had struck from the heavens. The dining Emperor Meiji couldn't help but drop his utensils. He hurriedly instructed the maid, "Quick, send someone to check, where is the cannon fire coming from?" Times had changed; since the English-Austrian navy arrived in the Sea of Japan, the Japanese Navy had been ordered to stay in their camps, even their warships were forbidden to set sail. The Japanese Government was so cautious for fear that edgy youngsters would get overly excited and confront the naval forces of England and Austria. Contending with the Russian Empire was already a gamble for Japan; provoking another major power would truly spell disaster. ... At the Naval Command, amidst a crowd of pleading generals, General Ito Yohiro, with a face pale as iron, chastised, "Idiots, don't you see what time it is? You want to go out for training? Do you take me for a fool? Do you really think you're invincible after a couple of battles? Believe me, if you set sail now, within two hours, you'd all be shark bait in the sea. ... Pass on my orders; all officers are to immediately return to the barracks and rest. Regardless of what happens, no one is permitted on board." There was no choice; just moments ago, the English-Austrian navy had conducted live-fire exercises towards the port. Even though the target was not the shore buildings, the shells exploding in the water not far from the port provoked outrage among the Japanese naval officers. Blinded by anger, they lost their reasoning. In their hot-headedness, this group had come to petition for permission to go out for training and incidentally drive out the 'enemy navies' outside. Just because the men had taken leave of their senses did not mean General Ito Yohiro had as well. Actually creating a ruckus could have easily led to being wiped out by the enemy. Even with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, under normal circumstances, the Royal Navy wouldn't act against the Japanese Navy; and there wasn't a critical conflict of interest between Japan and Shinra that would justify drastic action. However, political matters are usually for the upper echelons to ponder. There were radicals within both the Japanese Navy and the English-Austrian navies. Should the two actually meet, no one could be certain whether or not a real battle would ensue. At least General Ito Yohiro didn't think the Japanese Navy was strong enough to deter the adversary. It wasn't easy for Japan to have built up its current naval assets; if a real battle broke out, it would be disastrous. Not to mention being shark feed within two hours, the losses would be devastating, and morale would deeply suffer. Unlike the army, comparatively, the Japanese Navy was more level-headed. At least under the firm orders of General Ito Yohiro, everyone obediently returned to camp. Having dealt with those troubles, Ito Yohiro immediately rushed to the Imperial Palace. This time, they had only test-fired at the water surface, causing very limited damage; no one could guarantee that the next time they wouldn't aim at the shore buildings and open fire. In those days, European powers were very domineering, which Ito Yohiro had experienced firsthand; he did not believe that the naval fleets outside would hesitate to take real action. ... Suppressing the anger in his heart, Emperor Meiji slowly said, "The envoy team has already applied military pressure, what does everyone think we should do now?" Without a doubt, the presence of the Anglo-Austrian navy in Tokyo Bay was a big problem for the Japanese Government. It was not a matter of simply being unable to win; even if they could win, the Japanese Government would not dare to make a move. Fortunately, it was only military pressure and not an actual bombardment, otherwise the Japanese Government would really only be able to cry. Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have confirmed that it's only the Anglo-Austrian navy that has arrived in Tokyo Bay, and they did not bring any marine troops. The envoy team is currently just bluffing, attempting to use political blackmail to force us to concede. They do not have the capability to launch a land assault. The military force of the countries in the East Asia region is limited, even bringing all their troops over, our army is capable of defending Honshu Island's safety." Concerning Yamagata Aritomo's confident assurance, everyone directly chose to ignore it. Only a fool would start a war with other countries. What use is defending Honshu Island when Japan is a resource-poor island country? If the enemy blockades it for a year and a half, Japan would be finished on its own. The military pressure from the envoy team could be just political blackmail, but it could also turn into reality. If it weren't for the British playing double-dealing within the envoy team and slowing them down, the Japanese Government would have given in long ago. Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue: "Actually, the terms from the envoy team are also worth considering. The investigatory and judicial rights they ask for are not intended to target the Empire specifically. It's mainly the Russian Embassy incident that makes them feel empathetic, wanting to kill the chicken to scare the monkey and re-establish the authority of international rules. Our enemy is only the Russians, we shouldn't mistake the envoy team for an enemy. The fact that the envoy team is targeting us now is merely coincidental; they and the Russians are not cohorts. If we can't settle matters with the envoy team before the Russian representatives arrive, they might actually unite, and then the Empire will be in danger." Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu: "No! Letting the envoy team participate in the investigation and trial is already our greatest concession. We absolutely cannot give up the lead in this case. The worst thing in diplomacy is setting a precedent. Once this precedent is set, in future cases involving citizens of various countries, they will all jump out to contend for judicial power..." Despite Kaoru Inoue's subtle implications, Okuma Shigenobu still found it difficult to accept. Compromising with the envoy team seemed like a solution, but sovereignty was being lost. Both "investigatory rights" and "judicial rights" are crucial sovereign rights of a nation. Generally speaking, issues related to national sovereignty are extremely troublesome. In a sense, giving away the leading role is akin to "selling out the country." Perhaps those present could prioritize the greater good, but the general populace outside did not have such a perspective. Ito Hirobumi interrupted: "Okuma-sama, there are priorities in everything. Future troubles can be dealt with in the future; the most crucial thing is to get through this current crisis. In negotiations with the envoy team, I can confirm that Shinra's envoy is just going through the motions and not fully committed. The conditions they put forth aren't too excessive. Once the Russian representative arrives, the situation will be completely different. Considering the Russian-Austrian Alliance, Shinra will definitely support the Russians. Now in Europe, all countries are watching Vienna's reactions; if Shinra supports the Russians, most members of the envoy team will support the Russians. Then it will boil down to issues of investigatory and judicial rights. If the Tsarist Government is willing to pay the price, forming an Allied Forces is not out of the question. The British are unreliable. Once the countries of Europe support the Russians, we could very likely become dispensable. Similar cases have occurred too many times in British history. Even the once mighty French Empire was sold out by the British." It may sound alarmist, but the reasoning is correct. In international politics, when it's necessary to be ruthless, one must be so. "Bending too much can lead to breaking." "For small countries, being able to bend and stretch is the key to long life. In this age of the survival of the fittest, unyielding toughness is a path to death." ... With the appearance of the Joint Investigation Team, the Japanese public erupted in protest, with slogans resounding throughout Capital City. The foreign students who had just arrived in Japan were stunned by the scene before them. A young student couldn't help blurting out, "This is Japan, isn't it a bit too chaotic?" Protest marches were everywhere; it was impossible not to be chaotic. It was only thanks to the relentless efforts of the Japanese police that social order hadn't collapsed. A young student who came to pick them up explained, "Japan is a country that highly values order. You just happened to come at a bad time. Usually, Tokyo is very prosperous. But recently they have encountered trouble, and currently, the Japanese public is protesting against the Western powers, infringing on their national sovereignty." "Japanese national sovereignty is being violated," for the Far Eastern students who had just stepped out of their country, it was undoubtedly a huge ideological shock. Thanks to the good propaganda efforts by the Japanese Government, along with their record of drawing even with Spain, many people in East Asia saw Japan as an emerging major power. Otherwise, they wouldn't have traveled all this way to learn from a powerful nation. However, they stumbled upon this scene as soon as they arrived in Tokyo. "Brother Bo An, isn't Japan supposed to be a powerful country today, how can it..." Before the young man could finish, the student named Bo An interrupted, "That's a long story. This isn't the right time to talk about this issue. Let's first go to where I stay, to avoid unnecessary trouble." Being in a foreign land, the last thing they wanted was trouble. The Far Eastern Empire was not one to withstand mishaps; if issues arise, they had to deal with them themselves without expecting the inefficient government officials to step in. With questions in mind, everyone arrived at a two-story wooden building. Although its exterior was slightly old, the interior decoration was exquisite and very much aligned with the understated and restrained style of the Chinese. ... After making a pot of tea, the young student named Bo An began to speak slowly, "There are also two other students from our country living here, but they were invited to join the march. I decided not to join in because you were coming. Actually, they were reluctant to participate but couldn't resist the pressure. You are new here, in the future, try to avoid such situations if possible. If you can't avoid them, don't rush into the front. Especially in recent times, unless it's necessary, try not to go out or engage in club activities." An older man asked, "Bo An, you're being very cautious, what has happened recently?" "I thought you might have known, but it seems the news is significantly delayed back home. Half a month ago, an anti-Russian protest broke out in Tokyo. I don't know what happened during it, but the protestors stormed the Russian Embassy in Tokyo, resulting in the deaths of all Russian diplomats. After the Russian Embassy incident exploded, it triggered a strong reaction from various embassies in Tokyo. Anglo-Austrian countries took the lead in forming an envoy group. After the formation of the envoy group, there was a fierce conflict with the Japanese Government over the rights to investigate and judge the Russian Embassy case. Yesterday at noon, the Anglo-Austrian navies even bombarded Tokyo Bay. The specifics aren't known, but the Japanese Government gave in. They not only handed over the leading authority of the case but, under the pressure of the envoy group, they also arrested members of several societies like the Anti-Russian Revenge Society and the Iron Blood Revenge Association overnight. After the news spread, today Tokyo erupted in a sovereignty maintenance movement demanding the government release the arrested suspects of the Russian Embassy case and refuse the involvement of the envoy group in the embassy case. Regardless of the final outcome, Tokyo is likely to be in chaos for a while. This doesn't involve us much, and it's best if you don't get involved." Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, they were clearly shocked by this news. Getting involved was out of the question; they could barely avoid it. Unless they were tired of living, no sane person would join this turmoil.