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* * *

China’s division continues.

Based on that theme, Litvinov was offering a great opportunity to the Balhae Federation where interests aligned.

The important thing was that there was no need to participate in the fighting; we could just supply weapons from behind the scenes.

“Our military believes that the southern regional autonomy governments are uniting to move north or are contemplating unification in Southern China, but it is expected that neither side will easily collapse, so there is no need for the Balhae Army to intervene.”

“So, that means participation is not necessary.”

“Our involvement in South Vietnam was enough. However, weapon support is a different story. We also sold to various forces in China. What will happen is uncertain. As mentioned before, we will transfer some technology to the Balhae side and establish a weapons factory. Moving forward, please adjust the balance by selling to the Chinese forces in accordance with the situation.”

What this meant was that it was a call to enjoy the war benefits while keeping the engagement under wraps.

For Balhae, this was not a bad thing.

But what did “moving forward” mean?

“When you say ‘moving forward,’ do you mean we will continue to support China with weapons and maintain the balance?”

“That’s right. The Rome Treaty Organization cannot pay attention to the Far East indefinitely. I also plan to inform Japan so that both countries can maintain balance in Central China together. The longer they remain divided, the better it is for Balhae.”

If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be an issue.

In the past, wasn’t Goryeo a balancer in Northeast Asia?

As long as Balhae people aren’t dying, it’s something we can manage comfortably.

“Yes.”

Once, Ahn Chang-ho was satisfied only with national liberation from Japan’s colonial rule, but he couldn’t hide his inner joy at the thought that they could achieve even more than he expected.

Though there were many discussions within the government regarding the next president, if they were able to industrialize and also enjoy war benefits…

Balhae’s future would be bright.

* * *

Even after World War II ended, the world was not at peace.

Especially China. That damned China could be the material for this situation.

Surprisingly, the Middle East seemed stuck due to Turkey’s involvement. But this abhorrent China poses the greatest danger.

The agenda at the National Duma was exactly that.

“Your Majesty, Soong Mei-ling’s National Army has begun to move.”

Recently monitoring troop movements in Southern China, Drozdovsky reported that the Chinese were starting a unification war.

“What’s the location? I would think the chances of a northern advance are slim.”

Even if they were stationed at the Qing Dynasty border, that was the limit.

That much was right. They must have some judgment that if they attacked the Qing Dynasty, the Rome Treaty Organization would inevitably intervene.

So, the only remaining option was Southern China.

What these guys ultimately want from Southern China is unification. At the very least, they probably plan to expand to the territory of the former Southern Song.

For now, we have intentionally sold a large amount of weapons to that area.

The more weapons we sell, the more they’ll jump into the war.

“Yes, judging by the movements of the Republic of China’s National Army, it seems they plan to unify starting from Southern China.”

Drozdovsky explained the troop deployment map of the National Government on the map.

When checking the troop deployment of the Republic of China National Army on the map of China, they had minimal forces on the Qing side while deploying massive numbers against the southern warlords.

“Southern China, huh. Not a bad idea.”

At least, as long as we aren’t touching the Qing or Mao Zedong, it isn’t bad.

If the Southern Chinese fight amongst themselves until they’re wiped out, that would be quite satisfactory.

But still. That’s one thing, and this is another.

That fox-like woman, Soong Mei-ling, couldn’t have failed to calculate that much.

This means she’s hiding something.

“What about the internal situation of the Republic of China?”

Does the Republic of China have enough stability in its regime to dominate other countries?

Or are they genuinely recklessly gambling? Chiang Kai-shek had only eliminated corruption after the National Government was established.

Here, the warlords have mostly fallen apart, and with Dairi around, the situation might be different.

“They have rapidly stabilized, possibly because there are no warring factions hindering them, and they have organized the bureaucracy well—among the various Chinese softness governments, they have established their country’s system better than any other government.”

“Hmm.”

Even if Qing and Mao Zedong were receiving our support, the Republic of China seems unexpectedly solid.

Well, Chiang Kai-shek must have left some legacy. The Chinese warlords have split off to establish military governments, and they are bound to advance ahead of others.

Yet still, this situation feels suspicious.

“Isn’t it a bit hasty to jump into a unification war?”

“That’s the problem. It seems that while we’re currently tied up in Africa, the Okhrana side is planning to resolve matters in Southern China.”

“That sounds plausible.”

While the reasoning seems sound, it’s only so if there’s enough capacity to unify Southern China while we are tied up in Africa.

Can the Republic of China move forward as if on a highway right now? Certainly not.

For the time being, we are also paying attention to Africa, and we must work diligently on European integration for several years. Other concerns are postponed, and we’ve gotten tangled in India and Indonesia, causing delays.

That means there’s still a few years left, but even that won’t be easy.

In terms of national strength, the National Government is strong, but the warlords are not weak either.

Why are they called warlords? Because they maintain their regime through military power.

Warlords likely concentrated on their armies to maintain their power, and dealing with these guys will obviously take years. Is this even possible? It sounds quite suspicious.

I can smell something foul. A bad scent coming from this National Government.

“Is Soong Mei-ling moving hastily? Does she have something to rely on?”

Could it be that she trusts the United States?

If the U.S. had any sense, they wouldn’t stick their necks in here while worrying about Vietnam and Eastern Japan.

While having China as an ally would be great, I doubt they would help Soong Mei-ling, who doesn’t have a clear unification potential.

Could she manage to wage a unification war in such a short time?

If the warlords thought of stepping back after enough fighting, they wouldn’t be this divided.

Soong Mei-ling must have something she trusts. There’s a high possibility that it’s the United States, but if not that, then I can’t think of anything else at this point.

“Could this woman actually be preparing to directly engage her forces in war and follow the Emperor?”

Zhukov clenched his fist and began to get angry.

That doesn’t feel right.

“Somehow, she seems quite out of touch with reality.”

“Or perhaps they’re developing nuclear weapons?”

“Could it be that China possesses such capabilities?”

Huh? Wait a second. Developing nuclear weapons? How did the Chinese even start nuclear development? If, under the current circumstances, Soong Mei-ling’s Republic of China developed nuclear weapons…

The Rome Treaty Organization wouldn’t easily intervene in the Chinese Civil War.

Before that, unification would likely occur due to nuclear power, and even if they later feel threatened and decide to deploy troops, it’s different since the asymmetric strategic weapon of nuclear has already been produced.

“There is a possibility.”

“What does that mean?”

“Various weapons development involving Chinese nationals occurred in the U.S. After that, there was a secret deal, and MacArthur had them ousted.”

Let’s consider one possibility.

What if the expulsion of Chinese scientists took longer than expected?

What if they had a certain amount of nuclear technology leak out and were dismissed while preparing an environment for nuclear development?

What if the Republic of China ran out of its national treasury to develop nuclear weapons like North Korea?

“If the possibility is there that they were developing nuclear weapons when they were expelled?”

“Exactly. If they managed to leak more classified information than expected, they could develop nuclear weapons. If that happens, the warlords who understand the power of the nuclear weapons would have no choice but to surrender. Even if just one is made, there’s a possibility.”

“In that case, we need to intervene in Southern China immediately.”

“Even if we leave Africa alone, we still have the European integration task left. We won’t be able to act freely for several years.”

Unfortunately, right now, the situation is a bit tricky for a military push.

We’ve already deployed too many troops in Indonesia.

If we get involved in another war within a few years, that would be a bit much. Most importantly, there’s no justification.

It’s not like we’ll say we’re going to attack because we think they might develop nuclear weapons. Such reasoning won’t hold water.

“If we were to handle China, using the Far East Army alone would be sufficient. If we mobilize the Qing Army and Mao Zedong’s forces, it’d be even easier.”

“However, war is not an option. This is essentially a civil war. It’s not a war between states. Even sending peacekeeping forces would simply label them as peacekeepers. Should nuclear weapons be developed later, that would change the scenario.”

How much influence would nuclear weapons hold in the future?

Even North Korea, which seemed like a loser, has gone and developed nuclear weapons, causing all sorts of chaos worldwide, all while maintaining its regime thanks to that nuclear capability.

Is a weapon capable of erasing an entire city a common weapon?

No matter how strong the nation, being hit by a nuclear weapon would mean taking significant damage, causing them to shrink back.

A large country might seem to have less to lose, but it also means they have much more to fear losing.

“Then we need to find a method.”

“Perhaps it might be better to soothe the Republic of China.”

“If we placate the Chinese, they will become arrogant.”

“Otherwise, we can tell the individual warlord governments that we will station some of the Rome Treaty Organization’s army. We will capture the Republic of China if they are attacked.”

Various methods were suggested, but none provided a fundamental solution.

Well, that is unavoidable. Regardless of the method proposed, ultimately, the military will get involved.

It’s not like we can ask if they’re developing nuclear weapons.

If I were to bluntly ask, “Are you making nuclear weapons?” would they honestly say “Yes”?

That would be just like asking a thief, “Did you steal anything?”

Thus, even if they were destroyed in military involvement, matters regarding nuclear development wouldn’t be touched upon.

It might be an option to capture China entirely and rummage through, but that would be akin to becoming a thug.

However… we could plot something more gentlemanly.

Let’s clarify the justification.

“There is a method after all.”

“Your Majesty, is there truly a method?”

There indeed is a method. We should steadily work towards creating a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Unlike original history where Europe remained divided, now that it has united, the Rome Treaty and the U.S. will lead the charge.

“Let’s propose to the United States to create an international organization for this Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

“An international organization, you say?”

Yes. How gentlemanly this could be.

A treaty to prohibit nuclear proliferation. Officially launched, with the Rome Treaty and the United States leading the way to prohibit nuclear proliferation worldwide.

Of course, during that process, we can also probe, “Aren’t you making nuclear weapons?”

“Yes. We will enroll the whole world, including the Republic of China’s government in this ‘Proposal.’ If we throw some excuses, it indicates that something is amiss. Countries that do not comply with this treaty should be made aware of severe economic and military repercussions.”

If they refuse to join? Then we would swiftly impose economic sanctions and devastate their country.

“There is the possibility of them joining and then later withdrawing.”

“If a country withdraws, we can retaliate against them as well.”

In other words, it’s a trap that puts them in a double bind.

In a situation where they can’t react either way, they’ll have to fold or be ruined. Of course, as long as they don’t develop nuclear weapons, it’s not our concern if they kill each other.

Should they withdraw, we can target them with even harsher penalties under the charge of rebellion.

What’s so difficult about this?

“That sounds pretty good.”

“However, as Your Majesty mentioned, it’s challenging for us to intervene directly.”

Intervention isn’t the issue.

What’s essential is the valid justification and the fact that the Republic of China is developing nuclear weapons.

When did I ever state I would punish them through military means?

“The fact that they are developing nuclear weapons is crucial. Even if there are horrific military and economic reprisals, it’s not necessary to execute these military punishments through military intervention.”

Who said they should be dealt with militarily?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely to anything light.

“If we have a righteous justification, launching a nuclear attack is also an option.”

The theory of nuclear omnipotence. Everything ends with nuclear power. But…

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should specify that nations attempting new nuclear development, such as China, could face nuclear strikes.

“We must crush them with nuclear weapons. We should ensure all key individuals related to nuclear matters are arrested; all classified information must be confiscated over here. The Rome Treaty and the United States should suffice regarding nuclear capabilities. This also intends to demonstrate clearly the spheres of influence. Countries beneath the Rome Treaty’s influence will receive guarantees on nuclear protection, as will the U.S.”

Surprisingly, there’s nothing difficult about this.

The United States will not oppose this.

After all, the U.S. would want to clarify its influence to prevent the Rome Treaty from making contradictory suggestions later.

“Your Majesty, if we were to launch a nuclear strike, how about the hydrogen bomb developed this time?”

“A hydrogen bomb, huh? That doesn’t sound bad at all.”

Unexpectedly, this could work out just fine.

Of course, Soong Mei-ling likely isn’t that foolish.

Should she truly intend to make a fool of me till the end, my thoughts would change.

“They could possibly endure and fake the conveyance of researchers and data.”

Yes. That might be the case.

One must always consider the worst-case scenarios.

“Then we should employ forces affiliated with North China or the Asian Allied Forces.”

On that note, not knowing the Chinese nuclear developers poses a problem.

In case Soong Mei-ling intends to develop nuclear weapons, it seems likely survivors from the original historical Chinese side would take charge.

If we could at least catch wind of their names, we would probably be able to recognize them.

When it comes to nuclear matters, it feels likely we would gather sufficient information, right? I need to start thinking.

 

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