I have ten trillion licking dog gold

The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward.

The waves have washed away the heroes of the past.

Success or failure is all in vain.

No matter how unprecedented or unparalleled it may be, it will eventually turn into a handful of dust.

The same applies domestically and internationally.

The same applies overseas.

A bullet followed a simple, smooth trajectory and pierced the right temple of the Japanese prince.

People may differ in wealth, social status, and lineage, but there is one thing that is absolutely fair.

That is, whether you are a commoner or an emperor or general, you only have one life.

No one can be brought back to life after death. Even a figure as unparalleled as the First Emperor was no exception, let alone a mere prince from a small place.

Ok.

This is what it means to fail halfway through a startup.

He had just stepped onto the stage and hadn't even had a chance to perform much before he was shot dead.

There wasn't even a need for a follow-up shot.

Of course, the gunman didn't escape; he was subdued on the spot, and along with everyone present, he was taken away for questioning by the enraged police department and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Not to mention that the one who suffered was a prince.

Even if the victims are just ordinary people, like grains of sand, committing violence with guns in the street is still incredibly shocking in a city like Tokyo.

Especially at landmarks with special political significance, such as the Yasukuni Shrine!
What a shame!
Bagaya Road!
If one has to find joy in suffering.

Fortunately, the target was only Prince Watari Tetsuya; otherwise, given the circumstances, the Fujiwara clan head, who was only a few steps away from Prince Watari Tetsuya, would likely have been in serious trouble.

A prince was assassinated, but he lost face.

The death of the head of the Fujiwara family will inevitably cause upheaval in the court and among the people!
"I'm sorry to have startled you."

A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Home Affairs personally saw him off.

As a witness and the person closest to Prince Watari at the time of the incident, Fujiwara Takuno will certainly be brought back for questioning.

Fujiwara Takuno was very cooperative, answering all his questions without reservation. Even though two hours were wasted, he didn't complain and even said understandingly, "Thank you for your hard work."

The high-ranking official from the Ministry of Home Affairs sighed deeply. At this moment, he couldn't even manage a polite smile. He said heavily, "We haven't experienced such a terrible incident in Japan for many years."

It's not just bad, it's downright appalling!

Even if the royal family declines, it is still the face and totem of the country!
This shot didn't hit Prince Tetsuya Watari's head, but rather the chrysanthemum of the entire Yamato people!
"The Emperor and the Prime Minister have ordered a thorough investigation."

Fujiwara Takuno nodded calmly.

"Today's matter."

The Ministry of Internal Affairs official paused for a moment, then said, "I hope you will not disclose this to the public."

He was too high-ranking to be kept around, but the other witnesses weren't so lucky.

Before the truth is uncovered or a unified response plan is developed at the higher levels, these people will not be allowed to go out and spread nonsense.

Fujiwara Takuno said casually, "What about my sister? Can't she know this news either?"

The high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs fell silent instantly, their gazes darting around, and they didn't even dare to look Fujiwara Takuno in the eye again.

Everyone in Japan knows about the upper class.

The Fujiwara family is about to be married off to the imperial family.

The stunning beauty of the Fujiwara family is getting married, and countless people are secretly lamenting and filled with envy and jealousy.

And now.

Prince Tetsuya Watari is dead.

In other words.

The Fujiwara family's once-in-a-millennium beauty became a... widow before she even got married.

A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Home Affairs was unsettled. By the time he came to his senses, Fujiwara Takuno had already walked towards the waiting motorcade and hurriedly said:
"You walk slowly."

The convoy started.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, through the car window, Fujiwara Takuno's face was half-lit and half-shadowed, his thoughts racing.

The tragic image of Watari Tetsuya dying with his eyes wide open is still vivid in my mind.

Who is it? !
The gunman was arrested on the spot, and his identity was quickly discovered. He was not an assassin, nor did he belong to any powerful or influential group; he was just an ordinary citizen.

That's right.

civilian.

To be more specific, he is an unemployed, 25-year-old recluse with almost no social life. He lives off the Weibo inheritance left by his parents, and his only hobby is researching 3D printing.

The bullet that Watari Tetsuya caught with his head was fired from a toy he had made using a printer.

What a simple "accident" it was.

In the receding street scene, Takuno Fujiwara picked up his phone, dialed a number, but didn't speak immediately.

"elder brother?"

The blockade strategy was successful. Fujiwara no Reiki had clearly not received the news yet, and perhaps she was still immersed in the joy of becoming a princess.

"Where are you."

"Yokohama. My brother is looking for me?"

Fujiwara Takuno hummed in agreement. Having been siblings for so many years, he naturally didn't expect to discover anything through a phone call. "If you have time, go back to the ancestral home."

"Brother, is there something you need to say over the phone? I'll be back by tonight."

She can still laugh.

It seems they really were unaware of it.

It's better to say it face-to-face.

Fujiwara Takuno said, "I'll wait for you."

He couldn't detect anything amiss in his dear sister's tone, but Fujiwara Reiki sensed something was off in his sullenness.

Fujiwara Reiki did not say anything more.

"Okay, see you tonight."

"See you tonight."

Takuno Fujiwara slowly put down his phone.

"Clan leader, is there anything suspicious about Prince Watari's death?"

Even puppets have confidants.

After all, before Fujiwara no Yu's "death", he was the only heir of the Fujiwara family.

Yes, I support it.

The final node.

Fall short!
It's all thanks to my mother.

“A lazy bum who never leaves his house happens to hear that the imperial family is going to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, then he takes a gun he printed himself, waits there, and kills a prince he may not even know. Do you think that's an accident?”

"It does sound a bit like an accident."

Fujiwara Takuno laughed, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes.

"What if it wasn't an accident?"

"Then there are many possibilities. Many friends are probably not happy about our marriage to the royal family."

The simplest analysis of behavioral motivation boils down to nothing more than "interests".

With Watari Tetsuya dead, whoever might benefit from it is suspected of committing a crime.

The reason is very simple.

This is also why Fujiwara Takuno is so troubled; there are simply too many people he could suspect.

"Clan leader, is it necessary to keep this from the young lady for the time being?"

His confidant felt that Fujiwara Takuno's immediate act of delivering the bad news was inappropriate.

For a bride-to-be, it would be incredibly cruel to learn that her husband had died in the street on the eve of her wedding.

Do you think she didn't know?

do you know?
On the phone, Fujiwara Reiki's demeanor clearly indicated that she was unaware of the situation.

The confidant remained silent.

The master's words were far too meaningful.

As the sun began to set, Fujiwara Takuno's eyes darkened prematurely.

Many people are questionable.

among them.

Doesn't that include brides who are about to get married?
"Mother."

When Fujiwara Takuno rushed back to his ancestral home, he happened to find Mrs. Fujiwara having a meal.

Four maids were serving him.

"have you eaten?"

Fujiwara Takuno shook his head, walked in, and sat cross-legged.

"Bring a bowl and chopsticks," Lady Fujiwara, dressed in a kimono, instructed.

correct.

She was also a widow.

Widow is not a derogatory term; sometimes, it can even be a label of temptation.

Of course.

Ethical principles and moral norms are an insurmountable barrier, and as his biological son, Fujiwara Takuno certainly wouldn't harbor any delusions.

"no need."

He sat at the table, hands on his thighs, head slightly bowed. "I want to talk to my mother alone."

Lady Fujiwara's eyes flickered slightly. Although her son had "turned over a new leaf," he still had a criminal record, and being alone with him...

"You guys go out first."

Lady Fujiwara dismissed the servants, but ultimately still gave the clan chief's son a basic degree of trust.

She has more than one good son.

She also has a wonderful daughter.

As long as my daughter is still alive, there's no need to worry too much.

and so.

Either don't have children, or if you do, don't just have one.

"Squeak."

The door closes.

The room fell silent.

The sandalwood incense in the corner burned quietly.

"Go ahead."

Lady Fujiwara, kneeling with her legs bent, had a serene expression. Her posture, which was flawless, surpassed even that of a court etiquette master. She was like an exemplary pattern in a textbook, fully demonstrating the long-standing elegance and nobility.

"We can wait until Mother finishes eating first, otherwise Takuno is worried that it will affect your mood while you eat."

"I had almost finished eating before you arrived."

Lady Fujiwara gestured for him to speak freely.

Fujiwara Takuno lowered his head.

"Tetsuya Watari is dead."

While he's free to speak his mind, this is just too direct.

Lady Fujiwara fell silent instantly, as if in a meditative state, and indeed must have lost her appetite.

"When did this happen."

However, this matriarch of a century-old Japanese family was no ordinary woman confined to her home, and she quickly calmed herself down.

“Today, I went to Yasukuni Shrine with Tetsuya Watari. At the entrance of the shrine, someone shot him. The bullet hit him right in the temple, and Tetsuya Watari died on the spot.”

Fujiwara Takuno simplified the complex, using concise language to help his mother understand the general process as quickly as possible.

"Does Li Ji know?"

Upon hearing the tragic news of her son-in-law's death, Lady Fujiwara remained shockingly calm.

Also.

Who hasn't lost their husband?

"The police department and the Ministry of Home Affairs arrested everyone present and immediately blocked the news."

Takuno Fujiwara's answer was very artful; he simply addressed the matter at hand without directly answering the question of whether his dear sister knew or not: "I called Liji on my way back; she should be here soon."

"Where is the murderer? Did he commit suicide?"

He was arrested on the spot.

"What identity."

"Ordinary people. From a social perspective, there is nothing suspicious about them."

"So, it was an accident?"

When faced with this question, Takuno Fujiwara remained silent.

Lady Fujiwara fell silent.

"Mother, what should we do about our marriage to the royal family?"

Fujiwara Takuno asked.

"What do you think."

Lady Fujiwara countered with a question.

She is indeed the mother, but the son is, after all, the head of the clan.

"The wedding date has been set and is known to the outside world. If we call off the wedding, the royal family may not blame us, but there will definitely be criticism and controversy directed at us."

"But the person is dead. How can the wedding continue? Are we to make Liji marry a dead man?"

Fujiwara Takuno looked up and met his mother's gaze. "Mother, although we haven't had a wedding yet, in the eyes of the world, Li Ji is already a princess."

Lady Fujiwara remained silent.

Yes.

Whether or not one "reneges on the engagement" cannot change the established facts.

What are established facts?
That was their Fujiwara clan's eldest princess, who went from being a bride-to-be to a widow.

A joyous occasion turned into a tragedy.

For a woman, what kind of blow could be more cruel than such a tragedy?

"How are you."

Lady Fujiwara finally remembered to care about her son.

at this point.

No matter how cruel it may be, we have no choice but to face it.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother. The gunman's target was very clear: it was just Tetsuya Watari. I'm fine."

Lady Fujiwara silently watched her son, perhaps like Fujiwara Takuno, she also began to think about the possible mastermind behind it all?

"If it wasn't an accident, then the person who orchestrated all of this simply doesn't respect the Imperial Family or our Fujiwara clan."

Lady Fujiwara said slowly, "Such an arrogant and conceited person will surely pay a heavy price for his actions."

Fujiwara Takuno seemed oblivious to his mother's underlying meaning.

Just like he suspects everyone.

Mother has the same right to doubt anyone.

—Including his son.

From the mother's perspective, her sister's suffering is her brother's pleasure; he has every right to be the prime suspect.

But he knew it himself.

He is innocent.

What is the point of killing an ugly dwarf besides venting anger?
No.

On the contrary, it will put you in a disadvantageous position.

Instead of doing that, why didn't he just take a gamble and choose to kill his dear sister?
of course.

He couldn't explain these innermost thoughts directly to his mother. Even between mother and son, they often had to beat around the bush.

"Please rest assured, Mother, I am the head of the Fujiwara clan. The death of Watari Tetsuya is not only a disgrace to the Imperial Family, but also a disgrace to our Fujiwara clan. If it were not an accident, I, Fujiwara Takuya, swear to Amaterasu that I will make the mastermind behind this pay for his crimes in blood."

sound.

It really doesn't seem like something he would do.

But can an oath really prove innocence?

It is true that Amaterasu is the supreme deity in the hearts of the Japanese, just as the people of China would never swear an oath by their ancestors.

But be aware.

Who was this head of the Fujiwara family?

Outsiders might not understand, but how could Lady Fujiwara, as a mother, not understand?
This guy even considered taking over his sister and mother, and he also committed patricide.

He did every imaginable act of utter defiance.

and so.

Would such a beast care about his ancestors? Would he care about Amaterasu Omikami?
"You can go out first. I'll talk to Li Ji when she comes back."

Fujiwara Takuno longed for his mother's approval, but unfortunately, he was disappointed.

Lady Fujiwara avoided the topic, but this did not dispel her suspicions.

The prejudice in people's minds is indeed a huge mountain.

Like a scar, it will only scab over and never fully recover. How can you pretend that the mistakes you made in the past never happened?

Fujiwara Takuno didn't complain. He stood up, bowed, and his gaze swept over his mother's towering breasts, which were barely covered by her kimono, before landing on the wrinkled white socks that were placed under her buttocks.

"Then I'll have to trouble Mother." (End of Chapter)