From the North China Front's operations in Henan Province to the 11th Army's current Hunan and Guizhou operations, most of the Japanese troops stationed in Guannai are suffering from a serious shortage of food.

Last year, in the grain-producing areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces, the Japanese army did not collect enough rice, and now it is normal to starve, and the local rice is not enough to eat, and there is no way to support the Chinese battlefield.

At present, it is the time when the rice is ripe, and the Japanese troops in various places have been sent out to loot the grain, and even the central reserve coupons are not given, especially in the newly occupied areas, where the local people have suffered a tragic catastrophe.

Chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep were snatched away, grain was snatched away, young and middle-aged people were forced to build military installations in various localities, and scenes of rape and plunder were everywhere.

However, Japan had not yet surrendered, and the dispatch army was still stationed in Guannai, and their demand for food was greater than everything else, so they had long given the Jinling government an order to assist in the collection of grain.

"There is no Li Shiqun smuggling grain this year, and Chen Qun, a high-ranking official in Soviet Province, is a typical traitor, will the Japanese army's grain requisition plan be much smoother than last year?" Wang Zhen asked.

"No, in fact, this matter is a dead knot, without Li Shiqun's smuggling, as well as the smuggling of grain merchants from all over the world, can Chen Qun refuse personal gain? Wang's puppet government had to feed so many puppet soldiers, puppet policemen, and government officials, and the common people in Beijing and Shanghai had to compete for food if they wanted to eat, which also led to the passive confrontation of the puppet governments in various places dragging down the Japanese army, and the Japanese army's grain requisition plan had to be shattered. ”

"Take the Southeast Trading Company as an example, the target I gave them was 100,000 tons, and rice was also miscellaneous grains, and grain merchants were asked to raise prices.

"When I was in Jinling, Chen Gongbo talked about this matter, the Wang puppet government and the Japanese army were very contradictory, and the rice and grain control committee was nominally formed, but the real power was in the hands of the Japanese, which caused the Wang puppet government to be extremely dissatisfied, what is the use of giving a false name?" Chen Mingxiang said.

"The price of rice in Shanghai, 4,500 yuan per stone of rice in May, to June is 10,000 yuan in the reserve, now it is the end of September, it is actually broken 18,000 yuan in the reserve, some can reach 20,000 yuan in the reserve, by the end of the year will have to double, I really don't know when the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the price of rice will be to what extent!" Wang Zhen said with a sigh.

The trend of rice prices in Shanghai is incredible, and it is actually the concept of doubling!

For a high-powered person like Chen Mingxiang, there is no need to think about such a problem, in addition to the life-saving rice he saves, a phone call can also be solved, the distribution of rice by the municipal government, does he want that or something?

But for the people of Shanghai, it is unbearable, and the current factory salary is not as good as rice, even if it is miscellaneous grains, and the purpose is not to starve to death.

"The price of rice in Shanghai has always been very stable, only a few yuan a stone during the August 13 Anti-Japanese War, when it just fell, it has not exceeded fifteen yuan, when I first came to Shanghai to perform the task, that is, in the twenty-eighth year of the Republic of China, the price of rice was only twenty yuan per stone, but now, it has reached 18,000 yuan, how many times have you calculated?"

"This time Yazaki Kanten came to Shanghai, but also to discuss the food issue with Japanese businessmen, the Consulate General in Shanghai, and the Navy and Army, Matsui Taikuro said, this was the first priority of the year, but the reality is in front of us, and whoever will be the head of the agency will not be able to solve the problem." Chen Mingxiang said.

The party at Villa Marat that evening was accompanied by Lieutenant General Yazaki Kanju, Major General Kinoshita Eichi, Major General Yoshitaro Kawamoto, and Yujo Horiuchi, as well as the four chiefs of the gendarmerie.

Such a lineup also made Wang Meilin frightened, Chen Mingxiang's relationship network was actually strong to this extent, Yazaki Kanten just became the head of the agency, and he went to Mara Villa to drink, and his boss Kitazawa Ping was still thinking about dealing with him, this is a little whimsical, right?

"I have asked the Mitong Council, which is subordinate to the Chamber of Commerce, to implement the new demand plan, and Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corporation will take the lead in this work, and the 13th Army Headquarters will send liaison officers to supervise the operation of 20 offices in various places."

"The empire's army and navy in China use 220,000 tons of rice, the Jinling government's military police, Qingxiang security corps, and police use 39,000 tons of rice, Shanghai City's household rice is 230,000 tons, and Jinling's household rice is 50,000 tons, and the overall demand plan is the same as last year."

"But the current situation can be said to be very bad, the local government is not cooperative, the Ministry of Food of the Jinling government is also sending people to collect rice, Chen Gongbo, the acting dean, even proposed to reduce the restrictions on the movement of rice and grain in Shanghai, and if this continues, the Shanghai market will be chaotic." Horiuchi said in the city.

"But in this way, there will inevitably be a large number of traders smuggling grain from the rice-producing areas to the Shanghai market, which will weaken our grain collection work!" Kinoshita Eichi said.

"If there is a big problem in Shanghai, we can't afford to take responsibility, the base camp continues to order the mobilization of materials, especially recently to strengthen the protection of coastal areas, and more need for material support from Shanghai, Kawamoto-kun, you should know best about this, right?" Horiuchi said in the city.

It turned out that after the fall of the Tojo Cabinet, on 18 July, the headquarters of the Japanese army ordered the headquarters of the dispatch army to coordinate closely with the headquarters of the front fleet to strengthen the defense of the coasts of Guangdong Province, Gangcheng, northern Jiangsu, and eastern Zhejiang, and to capture Lucheng and Rongcheng, and to strengthen the defensive forces of Xiamen and Kinmen Island.

The purpose of this order was to send the General Headquarters to prepare for a counterattack against the landing of American troops in these areas, and at the same time to make these areas a relay base for the Japanese Navy when it retreated from the Pacific.

The General Headquarters of the Dispatch Army assigned the task to the Command of the 13th Army, and the commander, Lieutenant General Yongjin Zuobi, gave an order on 23 August to build fortifications on the northern coast of Jiangsu.

The construction of fortifications and garrisons in the Haizhou and Guanyun areas of northern Jiangsu was carried out by the 65th Division of Lieutenant General Shizuo Sakaguchi stationed in Pengcheng, with two infantry brigades and one artillery brigade.

The construction and garrison of Qidong on the north bank of the Yangtze River estuary and Jinshanwei on the north bank of Hangzhou Bay was undertaken by the 60th Division of Lieutenant General Nobuo Kobayashi stationed in Suzhou, and an infantry brigade was dispatched.

An infantry brigade working in Zhapu on the north bank of Hangzhou Bay, two infantry brigades and two artillery brigades on the northern heights of Cixi on the south bank of Hangzhou Bay, were under the responsibility of the 70th Division of Lieutenant General Takayuki Uchida stationed in Jinhua.

The troops attacking Lucheng were led by the 55th Infantry Brigade of Major General Toshio Irioka of the 60th Division stationed in Wuxi, and assisted by the 70th Division, which captured Lishui on 27 August and Lucheng on 9 September.