Red Plum Blossom

Sumeragi

Banned
January 1927, Tokyo


It felt barren within the premise of Gakushuin. The icy wind seemed to cut into his very bones.

Chichibu-no-miya Yasuhito walked across the paved path of the Peers School. It was a visit for old time's sake, nothing in particular. He would rather be somewhere else, but still, this was a place of memories, where he had grown up with his older brother. Those were innocent days, to be true.

Still, the fact that a woman named Tayama Sadako was the one acting as some sort of guide was not really a pleasant thing. He would rather have been alone in this, but the old man had insisted that his adopted daughter show the Prince around. Not something he liked at all, no.

He had been walking for some time when a small girl quietly crossed his path from some distance away. The delicate frame caught his eyes, and has the girl looked up to see his face and timidly turned back to where she had come from, it was as if a hole had opened beneath his feet. Watching the figure disappear into a building, he turned to Tayama and asked if she knew the person.

"Yes, Your Highness. It is Her Highness Princess Deokhye of Korea. he had come to study here a year ago."

As the Prince seemed to fall into deep thought, Tayama silently said something to herself.

"It has been done as you requested, father."



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August 7th, 1943, Shinkyo



The young couple looked up at the starry night sky. It was the last day they might see each other again, yet..... being as close as they were, they were as distant as could be. Only looks into each other's eyes were needed to know it.

"Do you think you'll be back, onii-chan?"

The tall man turned to look at her. "I will, kitten. I'll keep that promise."

A shooting star momentally carved a white bridge across the Amanogawa, as if to help the star-crossed lovers of Heaven meet on this Tanabata day.
 

Sumeragi

Banned
This is my first attempt at a timeline. I'm hoping to have semi-regular updates, but with various obligations (work, family, etc), I can't guarantee that there wouldn't be long periods of hiatus. Still, better to get started now than never.

Also, the OP was my 1000th post. Towards another 1000 posts!
 
I would say subscribed if I knew how to subscribe. I hope that the lovers will be happier than Yang Gui Fei and her Emperor.

One problem that you might hit is that the occupation of Manchuria was rather popular with Koreans because of Korean - Chinese conflicts. Also less relevantly, extraterritoriality was one of things making Japan popular in Taiwan.

I envy you your ability to read sources in Japanese and Korean. My information is only from English sources such as “Japan's Imperial Diplomacy: Consuls, Treaty Ports, and War in China” by Barbara J. Brooks.
 

Sumeragi

Banned
October 26, 1909, Harbin


It was dawn when he woke up. Slowly raising himself up, he got on his knees and started praying. He pray to the Lord, asking him for the strength to accomplish what he had set out to do. After finishing, she stripped off all clothing he had on himself, and changed into a black suit. Putting on a half coat and cap, he left the house with a Browning M1900 in his right inner pocket.

It was around 7 am when he arrived at Harbin Station, bustling with Russians soldiers getting prepared for the arrival of a most special guest. Upon seeing a group of people carrying the Hinomaru, he joined them in entering the station into the waiting room. The Russians troops were unable to distinguish him and the others, so he was able to quietly get to where he wanted. He went into a small shop in the station and ordered a cup of tea, calmly drinking the smoothing liquid as he waited.

9 am. The special express had arrived. The welcoming committee had formed rows, the honor guards saluted, and martial music rang up to the clear sky, as the people started working up in anticipation. Thoughts flashed through his head. 'How is it that this world is so unequal? Such injustice. While shameles countries are able to murder and plunder with impunity, powerless nations are stepped on.' He rose up from his seat and went out onto the platform, placing himself right behind the Russian soldiers who lined. He saw Kokovsoff, the Russian Minister of Finance, get on the train. Twenty minutes passed, and Kokovsoff stepped out to train, holding the hand of the target. His sharp eyes looked as the two were followed by various officials.

ito07a.jpg

Because it was easy to be discovered if one shoots from the front, he waited for the target to pass in front of him. The target went about shaking the hands of various foreign delegates, as the shouts of "Banzai" seemed to shake the ground. Step by step, the target was getting closer, closer, closer..... With only ten steps between the two, he forced his way through the flag-waving people and took out his gun. Six shots rang out.

Among the panicking crowd and the Russian military police attempting to apprehend the shooter, a clear voice pierced into the ears of all.

"Корея! Ура! Корея! Ура! Корея! Ура!"
 
October 26, 1909, Harbin


"Корея! Ура! Корея! Ура! Корея! Ура!"
Very interesting, Sume-chan! I am glad to see more of this. So, instead of Ito Hirobumi being killed, some Russian worthy is assassinated?

Does this mean that Russia managed to colonize Korea instead of Japan? Although, if that is the case, I wonder why the Japanese crowds were shouting "banzai"...
 
It seems very interesting. Please continue.

It was dawn when he woke up. Slowly raising himself up, he got on his knees and started praying. He pray to the Lord, asking him for the strength to accomplish what he had set out to do. After finishing, she stripped off all clothing he had on himself, and changed into a black suit. Putting on a half coat and cap, he left the house with a Browning M1900 in his right inner pocket.
Freudian slip? :p
 

Sumeragi

Banned
January 1st, 1911, Tokyo


A large fit of coughing woke the Prince from his deep slumber. Ito Hirobumi painfully got up from his bed and opened the window to see the cold blustery morning under snow clouds.

He was in his house at Shinagawa, Tokyo, resting for the shogatsu when he would be paying his respects to the Tenno. He was the Tenno's alter ego, the one that moved and shook Asia to bring the Empire to the front of civilization, and as such it was necessary for him to attend the annual wishing for the health of the nation's head. Yet, when he thought of what had happened during the past year, he could barely even think of showing his face.....

He had a fatal disadvantage: his inability to delegate responsibilities even to his subordinates, and this had limited severely to how far he could extend his personal network and protect himself from the political machinations of his enemies. This had allowed his archenemy Yamagata to weave a wed that covered all of Japan.... the Japan that he, Ito, had built. That fault of his was a disaster for him. from being bullied into agreeing with the Russo-Japanese War, forced to be the main negotiator for he various treaties with Korea, and becoming the reluctant Resident-General. His resisting of plans for seizing Korea and Japan were crushed under the harsh force of Yamagata's cronies.

As an old man, he had lost his elasticity and even his sense of humor, one which made the Tenno laugh to his heart's content. All that was left was an overbearing fool who was nearly killed. A fool who was not determined to no longer be one.

In the afternoon, he looked at the kadomatsu as he left the house, limping along with a cane. It was a new year, a time for renewal of life. Perhaps it was not too late for things to turn around, with the kamis looking over him. He could see Prince Imperial Eui waiting for him in the Cadillac. He walked on, a copy of "On Peace in East Asia" in his hands.
 
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