Chapter 230: Shan Xian You Peng's Position

"Prime Minister!" Gang Shi Zhi Zhu screamed.

"Listen to me finish!" Si Nei roared, this was his first loss of composure before the "Five Sages". "Accepting negotiations does not mean accepting all conditions! We can negotiate! We can bargain! Three hundred million in reparations is too much, it can be reduced; naval restrictions are too severe, they can be loosened; the terms for opening ports can be changed! But the premise is that we must sit at the negotiating table!"

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down: "And now, as long as we don't express willingness to negotiate for a day, Lanfang's warships will continue bombarding our ports, continue sinking our merchant ships. Each day we delay, our losses increase by a point, and our bargaining chips decrease by a point."

"Then let them fire!" Gang Shi Zhi Zhu, eyes reddened, "Let all Sakura Nation citizens see how Lanfang people brutally attack a peaceful country! Let the international community see how Lanfang people bully the weak! By then, the great powers Yingguo, America, Faguo, and Russia will not stand by, they will…"

"What will they do?" Shan Ben Quan Bing Wei finally spoke, voice cold, "Yingguo is at war with Deguo, Faguo is at war with Deguo, Russia is at war with Deguo. America watches from the shore, only wanting to do business. Minister Gang Shi Zhi Zhu, do you think this is the era of the Russo-Japanese War? Do you think the great powers will still intervene in Far East affairs as they did back then?"

He took another document from his briefcase: "This is intelligence sent by the Foreign Ministry this morning. Yingguo Navy Department is re‑evaluating its Far East strategy, Deguo's emperor sent a warmly enthusiastic congratulatory telegram to Chen Feng, America says it is willing to 'mediate'—but mediation's premise is that both sides are willing to negotiate. The international community is not here to help us, but to watch how we die."

"You're talking nonsense!" Gang Shi Zhi Zhu had already lost his reason, "This is treason! It's surrenderism!"

"Enough." Shan Xian You Peng slowly opened his mouth, voice not loud but carrying unquestionable authority.

The conference room fell silent instantly. This Meiji Restoration elder, founder of the army, true shaper of the Sakura Nation's modern forces, though he had withdrawn from the power center for years, his prestige remained unmatched.

"What good is the noise?" Shan Xian slowly stood, hand on his cane, walked to the map. He stared at the East Sea covered with red crosses, for a very long time.

"Losing is losing." Finally, he said that, his voice bearing an elderly sorrow, "I was wounded in the Southwest War, know the feeling of being hit by a bullet. Now the Sakura Nation is like a heart pierced by a gunshot. Continuing to bleed will kill, but surgery... might also kill."

He turned, his clouded eyes flashing a sharp glint: "Si Nei."

"Present."

"You go negotiate. But remember, negotiation is not surrender. Reparations can be paid, but not let the nation go bankrupt. The navy can be limited, but not toothless. Ports can be opened, but not lose sovereignty. Understand?"

"Understood." Si Nei bowed deeply.

"Shan Ben."

"Present."

"You are the Navy Minister, you will bear the greatest pressure ahead. The army will scold you, the people will scold you, even within the navy some will criticize you. But you must hold firm. Because the navy... needs one person to bear this responsibility."

Shan Ben Quan Bing Wei stood, bowed deeply: "I understand."

"Gang Shi Zhi Zhu." Shan Xian looked at the Army Minister, eyes complex, "I know you're unwilling. I am also unwilling. But sometimes, living requires more courage than dying. The army must ensure homeland safety during negotiations, keep morale from collapsing, ensure... that there will still be a chance to turn the tide in the future."

Gang Shi Zhi Zhu opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but finally just clenched his teeth and bowed heavily.

"Finally," Shan Xian looked at Dong Xiang Ping Ba Lang, "Lord Dong Xiang, the glory of the Tsushima War has passed. Now is a new era, a new war. We elders should step aside."

Dong Xiang Ping Ba Lang said nothing, only slowly nodded. His back remained straight, but his eyes showed fatigue for the first time— not bodily fatigue, but the weariness of seeing the cause he had fought his whole life collapsing.

"Then," Shan Xian concluded, "it's settled. Negotiate, but not surrender. Concede, but hold the bottom line. Survive, wait for the future."

He leaned on his cane, step by step toward the door. Before pulling it open, he halted, not looking back:

"Gentlemen, remember: the Empire has not perished. As long as people live, land remains, spirit endures, there is still hope. Today's humiliation is for tomorrow's redemption."

The door opened, then closed. The old man's footsteps faded down the corridor.

In the conference room, the remaining four sat in silence. After a long while, Si Nei Zhengyi finally spoke:

"Minister Shan Ben, please, through a neutral country, formally request Lanfang to ceasefire negotiations. Minister Gang Shi Zhi Zhu, please order all army units into highest alert, but... do not provoke."

"What if Lanfang continues to attack?" Gang Shi Zhi Zhu asked coldly.

"Then we will retaliate." Si Nei's voice was light but firm, "Negotiation is not surrender. If the enemy thinks we are weak and can be bullied, let them know Japan still has thirty million citizens, still has an unyielding spirit."

"Good. But I must remind the Prime Minister, the pro‑war voices within the army are strong. If the negotiation terms are too humiliating, I cannot restrain them."

"I understand." Si Nei said tiredly, "Thus we need time. Time for the people to gradually accept reality, time for the international community to intervene and mediate, time for this war... to end with dignity."

He looked out the window; Tokyo's sky was gloomy, about to rain.

"Hope the time... is still enough."

East Sea, waters west of Kyushu, the battleship Chang Jiang, 10:30 a. m.

Zhang Zhen stood on the bridge, holding the freshly intercepted Japanese merchant ship radio transcript. The record was brief, a telegram from the Nagasaki Port Authority to a cargo vessel: "Return immediately or alter course; Lanfang warships are operating west of Kyushu."

"They know," Deputy Captain Chen Qiming said.

"Of course they'd know." Zhang Zhen tossed the record onto the chart table, "We fired from Yokosuka; unless all Japanese are blind and deaf, they'd certainly be alert."

He walked to the radar screen. On it, several small dots moved slowly, Distance thirty to fifty nautical miles, directions either from Japanese mainland outward, or from the open sea toward the mainland.

"Merchant ships," the radar officer reported, "Based on speed and size, they are cargo vessels of three to eight thousand tons. No warship escort."

Zhang Zhen stared at those dots, silent for a few seconds. Then he asked, "How far is the nearest one from us?"

"Southeast direction, about thirty‑five nautical miles, bearing 120, speed 12 knots. Judged to be a cargo vessel departing Nagasaki heading to Taiwan or the Philippines."

"Does the ship have a radio?"

"Yes, it was transmitting just now."