Infinitos Mundos

Forbidden Palace, Nanjing

A knock sounds at the door, prompting Emperor Zheng Yi to look up from his work. "Enter." The door opens and Grand Chancellor Wan Xieren walks in. Raising his eyebrows, Emperor Zheng addresses her. "Take a seat, please, tell me what brings you here today."

"I'd like to discuss the provinces of Ryukyu and Jeju." Grand Chancellor Wan states as she sits down.

"What about them? Is there something wrong?"

"Not at all, the administrators of their Provincial Councils wish to discuss the return of their lands to the Japanese and Koreans, respectively."

"I see, after all we've done for them? Hmm..." The Emperor pauses to think about this. On one hand, ceding land could be perceived as a sign of weakness. On the other, it would be beneficial to gain positive relations with the Japanese, especially considering the global climate. "I think it could be beneficial to explore those discussions. Plus, if nothing else, it would be very advantageous to befriend the Japanese. Let's arrange a meeting between the administrators of Jeju and Ryukyu and the Japanese Prime Minister at their earliest convenience."

"Are you sure, sir? That seems like a questionable move, if you ask me." Emperor Zheng frowns at her, not saying anything. "But, then again, you are the Emperor. Alright, I will make the calls. Just know that I will be speaking with the Censorate about this."

"If you must."

"Where do you want to meet them?"

"I believe that Taipei would be a good location, it's central, and close to the islands in question."

"Alright, I'll make it happen."

"Explore the idea of a referendum for the islands. I want this to be done properly, not just us giving them land to get on their good side. Besides, certain propaganda machines in the West often wrongly accuse us of authoritarianism, and this is our way of proving them wrong."

"They're not entirely wrong, sir." Wan states boldly.

Emperor Zheng shrugs, "Perhaps not, but that doesn't make them right either. Afterall, you and I are having this discussion without any threats, and you are going to speak with the Censorate later. If anyone is authoritarian here, it's them."

Wan laughs at that comment, joined promptly by Emperor Zheng. Once they calm down, she continues. "I will see what I can do, sir. And who cares what the West thinks, as long as the people here are content, that's all that really matters. Good day, sir."

"Good day." With that, Grand Chancellor Wan Xieren stands and bows politely, before leaving the room.

After she leaves, she first goes to report to the Censorate, informing them of the threats made by the Emperor when she attempted to question him. They make note of it, but remind her that the Emperor is the head of state. She counters by stating that he shouldn't be allowed to threaten people into submission, or their democratic system is just a farse. The acquiesce and agree to speak with the Emperor about it. Satisfied, she goes to make arrangements for the coming meeting.

---

A short while later, @The Republic of Japan are invited to meet in Taipei, alongside the Administrators for Jeju and Ryukyu Provinces, the Qi Grand Chancellor (herself), and the Emperor.

Upon receiving the invitation, Prime Minister Ohira departs for Taipei alongside Foreign Minister Itami, arriving after a short flight from Tokyo.

Prime Minister Ohira and Foreign Minister Itami are met at the airport by Grand Chancellor Wan Xieren, who welcomes them before escorting them to the provincial offices on the island. There she leads them to a meeting room on the third floor, where Emperor Zheng Yi, Administrator Denny Tamaki of Ryukyu, and Administrator Oh Young-hun of Jeju are waiting. All three stand and bow in greeting to the Japanese delegation, before gesturing for them to be seated.



Emperor Zheng Yi is the first to speak. "Welcome Prime Minister Ohira, Foreign Minister Itami, I am honoured that you agreed to come here today. I would like to discuss the status of the provinces of Jeju and Ryukyu with you today, as well as bilateral Chinese-Japanese relations. Recently it has been brought to my attention that the administrators of Ryukyu and Jeju, both present here today, wish to open discussions about the return of their islands to Japan and Korea, respectively. To this end, I thought it best to open discussions with you and them in person, regarding this matter."

Administrator Tamaki is the first to respond, making his starting comment in Mandarin, before switching to his native Ryukyuan dialect (very similar to Japanese). "Thank you, your majesty. Yes, my people are the ones who elected me, and with recent changes seen around the world, I have come to realize that it is only proper for us to seek to join the Japanese nation." He pauses for a moment, before switching back to Chinese. "I hold nothing against you, or the Qi Empire, your majesty, it's just that Ryukyu holds more in common culturally with the Japanese, rather than the Chinese. I trust you understand?"

Emperor Zheng nods, before turning to Administrator Oh. He stands and nods his thanks to Emperor Zheng. Unlike Tamaki, he speaks solely in Mandarin. "Thank you, sir. Yes, Grand Chancellor Wan was correct that we wish to rejoin our homeland. I thank you for your willingness to explore these options with us, sir."

Emperor Zheng turns to Prime Minister Itami, "As you can see, it would seem that the leaders of the provinces wish to open discussions on reunification. As the head of the Qi Empire, I would like to facilitate these discussions with you. Similarly, Grand Chancellor Wan is here today as the provinces are under her purview. I was pondering the possibility of a referendum on the matter, but would like to hear your thoughts on the matter, and on relations between our two nations."

Prime Minister Ohira nods, listening intently as the Ryuku administrator speaks. "Of course, should the people of these lands wish to return to governance under Tokyo following a referendum, you would be welcomed into the fold as family. Of course, I cannot make any offers of territories to exchange, as our current lands have not expressed a similar desire to part from Tokyo."

Foreign Minister Itami nods. "Speaking on relations between our nations, It's fair to say that the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino people all share our collective desire for peace in the Asian sphere. Holding this meeting is a fantastic first step towards establishing proper friendly relations between us. As for continuing to foster these positive relations... our current fleet doctrine in the Pacific has centered largely around the protection and enforcement of free trade, but the bisection of sea lanes caused by Qi stewardship over the outlying islands has made territorial waters a... messy concept to say the least. Should the provinces of Jeju and Ryuku return to Korea and Japan, I can offer the assurance that Japanese fleet assets will provide protection of sea lanes across the East China Sea, granting both of our nations far easier access to each other's markets. Of course, with these protections would also come the understanding that trade between our nations will flow freely, preferably with as few protectionist tariffs as possible."

Emperor Zheng nods, "I understand, and in this situation I would not ask for a land exchange. These lands in question have a cultural heritage that is unique, and if the people with to return to your governance through a referendum, than I believe we should not hinder them. I trust you would not oppose to helping supervise said referendum?

"Which of the outlying islands make the situation messy? Depending on the islands, the right price I'm sure we could come up with a reasonable solution." The Emperor pauses to consider Itami's other comments about free trade and protection of sea lanes, before nodding. "I think that Japanese fleet protection, as well as cementing free trade agreements would be beneficial for us all. The prosperity of one nation in Asia is beneficial to the prosperity of all nations in Asia. Further, I would like to discuss the possibility of a non-aggression pact between our nations, to further cement our friendly relations. In keeping with ease of access between our markets, I would also be willing to discuss instituting visa-free access for tourists and the like, as well as the easing of business visas.

"On a similar matter, you may have noticed our recent build up of military forces in the region. I offer you my personal assurance that we mean you and your people no threat. However, you should be aware that we intend to reconquer our former Chinese lands from the Qing Empire. Land that was taken from us by foreign interference in the early 1900s. There is no pressure for you to become involved, but we would be willing to discuss any potential claims you had to their land, as well as to discuss the possibility of your assistance, in exchange for those claims being realized. As of right now, we stake no claims on Manchuria, Mongolia, or the land of the Uighurs. It is worth noting that there will likely be an increase in military activity in the Yellow Sea in the near future as our fleet lays siege to their coastal areas in the region. If we are successful, and following a successful establishment of free trade agreements, I can promise an open border policy with Korea in regards to trade and the flow of goods."

Minister Itami nods. We would be more than willing and able to assist in supervising the referendum. Speaking on the Outlying Islands, I was more speaking in regards to islands such as Okinawa and Iwo Jima that bisect sea lanes between the Home Islands and the Philippines. As for the non-aggression pact, that is a more than reasonable request, and something that I can bring before the National Diet. As for the easing of visas, this is also something we could easily reciprocate.

As for Japanese claims against the Qing, we do have disturbing intelligence suggesting the conditions in Manchuria are... less than ideal for the ethnic minorities such as the Koreans in the area. Seeing as it was former Japanese territory during the 1800s, we feel a certain level of responsibility to help these peoples. We would be willing to offer assistance at sea and on the ground in Manchuria to keep the Qing off balance should these claims be recognized.

"Since it would be in our best interests to host the referendum as soon as possible, I will begin making arrangements. I believe Okinawa is part of Ryukyu, and as for Iwo Jima, we would be willing to sell those islands to you. However I would like to stay in possession of Okinotorishima and Minamitorishima, alongside the Marianas and Guam. However if you consider any of those islands vital to your shipping lanes, we could discuss the sale of those islands as well."

Grand Chancellor Wan Xieren exclaims loudly at this, looking over at the Emperor, who frowns at him. "Chancellor, is there a problem?"

"No." She replies coldly.

Nodding, before turning back to the Japanese, he continues. "Very well. Minister, we would be honoured if you could bring our request before your National Diet for voting. I, in turn, will discuss the matter with the Palace Secretariat and his clerks. As for the Qing, our northernmost claim is Liaoning province, beyond that we would be more than happy to recognize your claims over Manchuria. The Manchurians have been a thorn in our side for many years, and I think all Chinese people would be pleased if the Manchurians were put in their place. How long would you need to make preparations?"

"This seems perfectly acceptable. Both Okinotorishima and Minamitorishima are of little importance to our administration, being sparsely inhabited if at all." Foreign Minister Itami gives a sideways glance to the Chancellor. "As for preparations, we should require no more than a few weeks to mobilize additional forces for a large land campaign."

"Of course. I believe the Emperor has already issued a statement regarding the necessity of raising more troops for national defense. If all goes well, we should have a fitting force for the campaign soon enough to begin operations in the region."

"Excellent, I am pleased to hear it!" Emperor Zheng would then nod to a clerk, who would run off and prepare a document. A short while later the clerk returns with two copies of the document to sign. It outlines all that was discussed, including the referendum in Jeju and Ryukyu, the sale of Iwo Jima and surrounding islands, the free trade agreement, the loosening of visa restrictions, the non-aggression pact, the East China Sea protection and patrols, and recognition of Japan's claim on Manchuria and their pledge to help in the coming war.

Emperor Zheng looks over the document, before handing it to Minister Itami. "If everything here is in order, then we can sign the agreement, if anything is missing, let me know and we can get it fixed up."

The Prime Minister quickly reads over the Japanese copy of the document, nodding in approval. "Excellent. With the preliminary talks out of the way, I'll have the other points brought before the Diet and preparations made to help oversee the referendums." He signs the document.

Emperor Zheng stands up to shake their hands, "Very good. I look forward to meeting with you again in the future."

From there, he would hand them off to the Chancellor, who would bring them to either the airport, or a hotel room for the night, if they wanted. The next day, upon returning to Nanjing, Emperor Zheng would approach the Zhongshu Sheng, where he would request that they draw up plans for a referendum in Jeju and Ryukyu, as well as the official bill of sale for Iwo Jima. After some debate, the Clerks agree, and draw up the necessary requirements. The referendums are planned for two weeks from then, with word going out on the radio and tv on the respective islands. Residents on Iwo Jima are informed that they will be joining Japan in the near future, and any who wish to remain in China are given a chance to move to the Marianas/Guam, some take the offer, but most choose to stay. A plan is drawn up in case Jeju and Ryukyu vote to leave, stating that anyone who wishes to remain in China on Jeju or Ryukyu will be able to move elsewhere, with their expenses paid for by the government.

The Japanese Prime Minister is informed of the date for the pending referendums so they can send observers. The observers would be hosted with all expenses paid by the Qi Empire.

[Let me know if you want to run any campaigns, otherwise we can skip straight to the results of the referendums]

The Japanese Government prepares several campaigns in favor of a pro-reunification vote, taking special care to mention the eased or nonexistent visa restrictions between the Qi Empire and the Republic of Japan, which passed through the National Diet with little opposition thanks to the Emperor's personal endorsement of the resolution.

The campaigns also mention the employment opportunities present in Japan, the standard of living being one of the highest in the world, as well as taking special care to note that under a special order by the Prime Minister, the same benefits received by veteran Japanese servicemen and women will also be extended to veterans of the Qi armed forces.

Two days prior to the start of the referendums, Japanese observers hand-picked by the Japanese Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry arrive in Jeju and Ryuku to observe the referendums.

The campaigns would see relative success, building upon an already existing desire amongst the populace. Many of the older generation would be greatly pleased by the statements that their veteran status would carry over, which helps win them over. The removal of visa restrictions also helps the Japanese case. Some local groups would also run campaigns, harkening back to the historic status of Jeju as being part of Korea, and Ryukyu's status as a Japonic kingdom.

The Japanese observers would be greeted in Jeju and Ryukyu, before being taken around to see how the booths are set up, and how voting will be permitted. Unlike most politics in the Qi Empire, where people need to have passed the imperial examinations to vote or run for office, the referendum is established so that anyone over the age of 18 may vote in the referendum. The observers would also notice that the quality of the roads and services in Ryukyu and Jeju are up to high standards, which although not quite as good as Japan's, would still be at a respectable level. After their tour, the observers would be permitted to travel freely on voting day to observe at their leisure.

On voting day an overwhelming amount of people would come out to vote. There would be attempts at fraud at one booth in Ryukyu, specifically on the Yaeyama Islands, which are closest to Taiwan. However it would be easily dealt with by authorities. When the voting closes at the end of the day, the counting would begin. To no one's surprise, the Yaeyama Islands would vote predominantly to stay with China, at 73%. However, those islands are part of the larger Ryukyu province, and as such the results there would be over shadowed by the overall results. In Ryukyu around 67% would vote to join Japan, while in Jeju over 83% would vote to join Japan (Korea). The observers would be offered a chance to double check the results, and when confirmed legitimate, the results would be announced publicly.

Following this, Emperor Zheng offers to come to Tokyo to officially sign the transfer of the provinces to Japan, and sign any further treaties that need signing.