Chapter 579: The Cabinet Quarrels Again

Shanben stood up. He didn't take the manuscript, his hands pressed on the edge of the table, his body leaning slightly forward:

"Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, I and President Lanfang, Chen Feng, held two rounds of in‑depth talks. In the end, both sides signed the 'Landi Secret Military Cooperation Agreement.'"

He took a copy of the contract from the folder and had the secretary distribute it to everyone:

"The core contents of the agreement are as follows: First, Lanfang will sell four Ise‑class battleships to the Sakura Nation and provide a full set of construction technology and design blueprints. Second, the Sakura Nation will accelerate the formation of fifty corps to be deployed to the European front when needed. Third, the cost of the battleships can be offset by the profits generated from the corps deployments."

He paused, his gaze sweeping the room before finally landing on Gangshi Zhi Zou's face:

"This means the Sakura Nation need not pay huge cash to obtain the chance to rebuild a joint fleet. At the same time, by taking part in the European war, the Sakura Nation can secure a more favorable position in the post‑war international order. It is a win‑win arrangement."

"Win‑win?" Gangshi Zhi Zou sneered, his voice like sandpaper rubbing, "Who wins? Lanfang wins, the navy wins, but what about the army? What about the one million soldiers about to be sent to the front?"

Shanben's face darkened: "Minister Gangshi, please watch your wording."

"My wording is clear!" Gangshi Zhi Zou sprang to his feet, the chair scraping a harsh sound on the floor, "May I ask Minister Shanben: the transfer of command of fifty corps to Lanfang—what does that mean? Since when has the Sakura Nation's army become a gift that can be handed out at will?!"

"It's not handing over people, it's wartime unified command," Shanben suppressed his anger, "That's basic military knowledge. In multinational joint operations, command must be unified, otherwise actions cannot be coordinated. The Deguo General Staff would not accept multiple commands either."

"Then why is command handed to Lanfang instead of Deguo? Or why not establish a joint command headquarters?"

"Because Lanfang is our main supporter," Shanben raised his voice, "The battleships are provided by them, the technology is transferred by them, the entire cooperation framework is led by them! Without Lanfang, the Sakura Nation wouldn't even qualify to join the war!"

"Join the war?" Gangshi Zhi Zou seized the word, "Who said we have to join? Meilika is joining the war, what does that have to do with the Sakura Nation? Why should the Sakura Nation's youth bleed for white people?"

The air in the conference room seemed ready to explode. The civil officials exchanged uneasy glances, daring not to speak. Xiyuan Si sat at the head, his expression calm, but his fingers tapped lightly on the table—a habit when he was nervous.

Shanben took a deep breath, striving to stay calm:

"Minister Gangshi, you should be clear about the international situation. Meilika is about to enter the war, and Deguo faces enormous pressure. If Deguo is defeated, the post‑war world will be dominated by Britain and America. Then the Sakura Nation's interests in XX, in Cao County, and in the Pacific will be re‑examined. But if the Sakura Nation makes a contribution in this war, the situation will be different."

"Contribution? What contribution? The contribution of providing cannon fodder?"

"It is a contribution of military presence!" Shanben could no longer hold back, slamming a fist onto the table, "Fifty corps, one million people! That's not a small number! Whatever the war's outcome, a Sakura Nation with such force will be courted by all sides! The Sakura Nation's voice will be heard by the world again!"

"Is a voice bought with one million lives meaningful?!" Gangshi Zhi Zou also banged the table, "Shanben! Open your eyes and look! Look at the army department's daily casualty notices! Look at the street's maimed wounded! Look at the families in the countryside that have lost labor! War is not a game, not a toy for your navy's sand‑table simulations!"

His voice trembled, not from fear but from anger and pain:

"I led troops during the Russo‑Japanese War. I have seen soldiers blown to pieces by shells, trenches piled with corpses, entire squads wiped out by a single erroneous order. I know what war is—hell! And now, for four battleships, you intend to send one million young people into hell!"

The conference room was dead silent.

Even Shanben fell silent. He stared at Gangshi Zhi Zou, at the scarred veteran, at the flame burning in his eyes. In that instant, he even wavered a little.

But it was only for a moment.

"Minister Gangshi," Xiyuan Si finally spoke, his voice steady and strong, "please sit down. We are discussing national policy, not arguing."

Gangshi Zhi Zou gasped heavily, glared at Shanben, and finally sat down.

Xiyuan Si surveyed the room:

"I have heard everyone's opinions. I fully understand Minister Gangshi's concerns. War is indeed brutal, and soldiers' sacrifices are indeed heavy. But as national leaders, we cannot focus only on the immediate; we must look far ahead; we cannot look only at parts, we must see the whole picture."

He picked up the contract copy:

"I have mulled over this agreement repeatedly. Indeed, it has a price—army command, young lives, part of the nation's autonomy. But please consider, if we reject this agreement, what will happen to the Sakura Nation?"

He asked himself and answered:

"The navy will continue to decline—no battleships, no technology, no future. The army may keep expanding, but its equipment is outdated, training insufficient, and… lacks a clear strategic direction. The Sakura Nation is already completely isolated internationally; when the European war ends, whoever wins will not care about a powerless Sakura Nation."

His voice grew heavy:

"By then, our current interests—XX, Cao County—may not be protectable. Because the essence of international politics is power politics. Without power, there is no voice."

Gangshi Zhi Zou wanted to retort, but Xiyuan Si raised his hand to stop him:

"I know what Minister Gangshi wants to say: 'We can rely on ourselves.' Yes, during the Meiji Restoration, the Sakura Nation rose by relying on itself. But the circumstances then differ from now. Back then the world was still in the colonial era, great powers were at odds, and the Sakura Nation had room to maneuver. Now? The world is moving toward integration, technology is advancing rapidly, the arms race is intensifying. If the Sakura Nation isolates itself, it will be abandoned by the times. Moreover, can we now afford to offend Lanfang? Dare we offend Lanfang!"

He looked at the Minister of the Treasury, Ruo Qi Li Ci Lang:

"Ruo Qi, regarding finances, what is your opinion?"

Ruo Qi adjusted his glasses, his voice cautious: "One hundred million dollars is indeed a heavy burden. But if paid in installments, or if we can offset it with resources and labor fees, the finances could barely manage. The key is… whether the long‑term gains from rebuilding the navy are worth this price?"

"What are the long‑term gains?" Gangshi Zhi Zou pressed.

"An increase in industrial capacity," Ruo Qi replied, "The technology transfer includes not only shipbuilding, but also special metallurgy, machinery manufacturing, optical instruments, and other fields. These technologies can spread to civilian industry, raising the nation's overall industrial level. From this perspective, the $95 million purchase may yield more than just four battleships."