Chapter 575

The vehicle climbed the winding mountain road, leaving Tokyo's bustle and heat far behind. The scenery outside the window gradually shifted, dense larch and birch forests replacing the city's buildings; air seeped in through the slightly opened window gaps, carrying the mountain woods' unique coolness—a blend of plant sweetness and earthy fragrance—that refreshed the heart and spleen. In the distance, Mount Asama's outline appeared and disappeared against the azure sky.

After the initial cheerful discussion, the atmosphere inside the vehicle seemed to settle into something more complex and hard to articulate.

Asuka remained immersed in the initial excitement, her small face pressed against the window, curiously observing the foreign-style villas and exquisite shops speeding by outside.

"The air feels sweet!" Asuka exclaimed sincerely.

"Yes, Karuizawa always lets people relax." Shiyuan Satomi said, her gaze also turning to the window, yet her eyes seemed to pierce through the scenery, carrying a hint of elusive reminiscence and melancholy, "Especially in this season, it's easy to recall some—beautiful memories."

Her words were soft, yet like a small stone, they sent ripples through the hearts of those in the know.

She recalled again the passionate days when she and Uesugi Muneyuki were still high school students; she couldn't count how many times they met during those two weeks, and years later, upon reuniting, she thought Uesugi's ability must have declined—yet she hadn't expected it to still be so strong and powerful, strong and powerful, mouth!

Uesugi Muneyuki in the front row also revealed a suggestive smile, but Asuka and Eirina clearly didn't understand Mikoto's meaning; Eirina, driving, complained: "Although I've been to Karuizawa before, it was just a half-day trip, and my deepest memory is that biggest outlet~"

"Hey hey hey, then this time Minami-sister should also take me shopping." Asuka's small face was very excited.

"Going to Karuizawa or shopping at the outlets?" Minami Ojou-sama couldn't help but purse her lips and smirk: "If you're going to shop, you must go to those members-only boutiques; no problem, today's all expenses will be covered by Uesugi Young Master!"

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Muneyuki pursed his lips, but didn't say anything: "Fine, one set each, I'll pay."

"Speaking of which, I'm still experiencing my first invitation from the Imperial Household Agency." Minami Ojou-sama became interested: "Muneyuki, what's different about the villa the Imperial Household Agency arranged for us? Do you know?"

"If the Imperial Household Agency arranged it, the villa should be in Old Karuizawa or South Karuizawa, usually equipped with a private garden,

hot springs and a tennis court." Uesugi Muneyuki replied: "Originally, the Retired Emperor met the Empress while summering in Karuizawa."

Following this tone, Uesugi Muneyuki briefly introduced Karuizawa's history.

Karuizawa lies at the foot of Mount Asama in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with an altitude of about 1000 meters, long praised as the "Tokyo Back Garden."

The history of this highland summer retreat dates back to the late 19th century; in 1886, Canadian missionary Alexander One Xiao built a villa here, marveling at its cool climate similar to his homeland, thus initiating the foreign expatriate summer tradition. After the railway opened in 1893, it became even more a summer resort favored by Japan's upper class and literary artists.

For example, the most famous young lady in Akasaka, Sugai Yuuka's family, has a villa in Karuizawa, and only after she was exposed on the show did people realize how powerful her family is.

The greatest feature here is warm winters and cool summers; even at the hottest time of summer, the temperature is only in the low twenties degrees Celsius.

Worth mentioning is that the Retired Emperor and Empress met while summering in Karuizawa, bonding over tennis; at that time, the imperial family still had no tradition of marrying commoners, imperial marriages were either to noble daughters or samurai daughters, yet this Empress was merely a common woman, while the Retired Emperor could not do without her; the imperial household held three consecutive meetings before finally nodding in agreement, thus establishing the precedent for imperial marriages to commoner women.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought this all owed thanks to the Five-Star MacArthur Emperor.

Postwar, Five-Star MacArthur Emperor handled the accounting of the imperial family, confiscating about 95% of imperial property; the "Human Declaration" forced the Emperor to acknowledge his humanity, and during the latter half of the meeting, he forcibly demanded a handshake with the Emperor, the first breach of the "Living God" taboo, thus absolutely shattering the national lens through violence and dominance.

The postwar constitution also imposed extremely strict regulations on the imperial family from all angles, blocking any possibility of imperial interference in politics; even before "subject status reduction," the imperial family had no household registration, being "non-persons," unable to enter any place requiring social identity.

But why, with such strict restrictions, did MacArthur Emperor not completely abolish the Emperor?

Actually, what textbooks say has some truth, but the true core reason remains unspoken.

The true reason is that after Five-Star MacArthur Emperor thoroughly examined Japanese culture, society, and bureaucratic system, he discovered that Japanese people inherently possess both "conservative repression" and "overthrowing the upper" dual genes.

This gene determines that Japanese people long-term conserve repress, with intermittent frenzied extremism.

And the best way to prevent something is not to exterminate it completely, but to use a less harmful thing to occupy its ecological niche, preserve its position and render it harmless—namely, a "vaccine."

This is the fundamental reason Five-Star MacArthur Emperor preserved the Emperor.

Having preserved the imperial family, when everyone cries "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Treacherous," the imperial family has legal grounds to order dissolution; having preserved the imperial family, when everyone cries "Eight Corners as One, Seven Lives to Serve the Nation," the imperial family has legal grounds to publicly halt it.

Similarly, Russia preserved the Soviet Union and "the old friend of the Orthodox Church," Sugihara Chairman, for this reason; when truly needed, Russians will innocently say you want health, we have it, don't we?

And Sugihara Chairman's greatest function is, during State Duma meetings, raising hands in agreement, clapping in approval, and cooperating with Hilavik to repeatedly cleanse internal affairs.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the Japanese imperial family's expenses are very small; the Imperial Household Agency's annual budget is only about 20 billion yen, half of which is still spent by the Agency's own staff and on various diplomatic activities and state ceremonies.

Then, going deeper, if Japan truly becomes frenzied and bound again in the future, with radical factions rising to break through MacArthur Emperor's barriers, wanting to load plates—what then?

Very simple: if you break through MacArthur Emperor's barriers and his constitution, then restrictions and controls on the imperial family naturally vanish; by then, the imperial family can rightfully reclaim power while pressing down this frenzied group.

This exquisite arrangement certainly cannot remain effective for thousands of generations, but it can last a very long time; from this perspective, Five-Star MacArthur Emperor's reference to the British monarch's constitutional design in designing the Japanese imperial system is truly brilliant—he is the true father of modern Japan.

"If the three crowns (referring to the three stars on the shoulder) are for myself, then this four crowns (the fourth star), I only wish to dedicate to my teammates (referring to the U. S. soldiers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with me in the Manila and Philippine campaigns)."

"To those who never abandoned their belief in us (referring to the Japanese people), this fifth crown (referring to the fifth star on the shoulder), I dedicate to all of you!"

Five-Star General McArthur's journey wasn't long; after a burst of laughter and conversation on the road, the vehicle finally left the main road, turning onto a more secluded private drive flanked by towering ancient trees. The air grew even cooler and quieter, only the rustle of tires on the road and occasional bird calls could be heard.

After rounding several bends, the view suddenly opened up.

At the end of a meticulously trimmed lawn stood an elegant Western-style villa of wooden structure, its roof dark, walls cream-colored, bearing obvious Showa-era style, simple yet solemn. This is the residence arranged by the Imperial Household Agency for Uesugi Muneyuki.

And even more eye-catching is the adjacent larger compound, with higher walls, at the entrance stand Imperial Police in uniforms, stern and rigid, while faintly visible within are the grander, traditional architectural outlines—this is the villa where the imperial family vacations.

An intangible solemn atmosphere permeated the surroundings, causing the few who had just been chatting and laughing in the car to unconsciously restrain their voices, even Ikeda Erena sat up straight.

The Lexus stopped steadily in the open space before the villa.

The group got out, and immediately staff wearing the Imperial Household Agency's distinctive uniform (not police or guard uniforms, but more low-key, similar to a senior butler's dark suit) stepped forward, politely taking their luggage. His conduct was flawless, smile standard and restrained.

"Ladies, welcome. Rooms are ready; please follow me." The staff's voice was steady and unrippled.

Entering the villa's interior, that distinctive "Imperial Household Agency style" became even more apparent. Decoration was not extremely luxurious, yet everywhere revealed an undeniable taste and refinement.

The floor was polished dark solid wood, walls soft off-white, hanging some distant-intent Japanese painting reproductions or conservative Western landscape paintings. Furniture mostly dark solid wood, lines smooth and steady, sofas covered with thick, light-colored linen. Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling window lay a meticulously maintained Japanese garden, dry landscape and natural trees ingeniously combined, stretching out, seeming to merge with the distant mountains.

The air faintly carried the scent of tatami mats and old books, tranquil and elegant, yet inevitably tinged with a hint of systemic restraint and detachment.

"Are you Doctor Uesugi from Tokyo and Management Officer Watanabe?" Someone immediately approached.

"Yes."

"Please change clothes immediately; that side—we've been waiting for you!"

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