Turn the time back to four hours ago. 【】

Shanghai, the headquarters of the Japanese Central China Front.

Shanshan Yuan looked at the deputy chief of staff, Muto Zhang, with a faint gaze, and asked, "Still haven't been able to contact the Tachibana detachment?" ”

Muto Akira shook his head gloomily, and said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency Commander, until half an hour ago, I have not been able to contact the Katachibana detachment, but ......"

Shanshan Yuan frowned and said, "But what? ”

Muto Akira replied: "However, the Asada Brigade stationed in Taizhou has sent back news that last night, a group of wounded Imperial soldiers were transported back to the Taizhou Field Hospital from Hai'an Town, and this group of Imperial Army soldiers had mentioned that the Imperial Army that had entered the Qixing Lake swamp area to sweep had been attacked by ghosts. ”

"Nani? Ghost?! Shanshan Yuan Huo Ran got up and stared at Muto Zhang.

"Hayi, I know it's ridiculous, but ......" Muto Zhang didn't dare to look at Sugi Yuan, and his voice weakened inadvertently, but he still said stubbornly, "It's not necessarily impossible." ”

"I don't believe it, I don't believe there are ghosts in this world." Sugi Moto tried his best to control his emotions and said to Muto Akira in as calm a tone as possible, "Keep calling the Tachibana detachment until you can contact them." ”

"Hello." Muto Akira paused heavily, hurriedly left Sugi Yuan's office, and returned to the communications office.

It's a pity that until noon, the communication office did not contact the Tachibana detachment, but the Watanabe brigade, which was pursuing north from Taixing, came with the news that the sentry cavalry of the 180th Division had been found in Rugao, twenty miles south of Hai'an Town.

"The 180th Division?" Shanshan Yuan strode to the map and asked, "What kind of army is this?" ”

Muto Zhang didn't even need to rummage through the information, and immediately told the origin of the 180th Division: "The commander of the 180th Division, Xiang Tianhu, and the chief of staff, Yan Hehui, are subordinate to the 59th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and the 59th Army is subordinate to the 1st Group Army, and the 1st Group Army is expanded from Song Zheyuan's 29th Army, with three infantry corps and one cavalry corps under its jurisdiction. ”

"Song Zheyuan's 29th Army? Northwest Army? Shanshanyuan's eyes immediately narrowed.

Before launching the Sino-Japanese all-out war, Japan's intelligence agencies had been committed to collecting reports on Chinese affairs for more than 20 years, including the study of the composition of various local armies in China and the assessment of combat effectiveness.

Muto Akira said: "According to the information provided by the secret service, the 59th Army is currently in Huainan. ”

Shanshan Yuan said: "Then it's not surprising, if the main force of the 59th Army is really near Hai'an, and perceives the combat intentions of the Tachibana detachment in advance, and then sets up an ambush in the dense forest of the Qixing Lake swamp in advance, the Tachibana detachment is not aware for a while, and it is not impossible to be surrounded by the 59th Army, if so, it makes sense." ”

"Hello." Muto Sho paused and said, "It seems that the main force of the Tachibana detachment has been collectively shattered. ”

Shanshan Yuan's eyes flashed, he didn't care about the loss of a few infantry brigades, the empire has a population of 80 million, and the number of soldiers of the appropriate age is tens of millions, what is the loss of a few infantry brigades? Shanshan Yuan has a headache, how to explain this to the base camp and the royal family?

This is obvious, the pursuit of the remnants of the provisional 79th Division has failed again.

The last defeat forced Matsui Ishine to retire in disgrace, what fate awaits him?

Muto Akira said again: "Your Excellency, Commander, if the main force of the 59th Army is really near Hai'an, then the Watanabe Brigade and the Guards Brigade that are encircling in the direction of Hai'an Town will be very dangerous. ”

The Tachibana detachment has six infantry brigades, three of which go out of Hai'an Town with Tachibana Keio, one is stationed in Taizhou, and the other two are detoured to Tai'an and then encircled Hai'an from the southeast, in order to encircle the remnants of the provisional 79th Division near Hai'an.

"Command." Shanshan Moto immediately said, "Abolish the establishment of the Tachibana detachment, and the Konoe, Watanabe, and Asada brigades will immediately return to the Iijima Division, and then order the Iijima Division to move north along the canal and capture Huai'an." ”

"Hello." Muto Zhang paused heavily, and he already knew Shanshan Yuan's calculation in his heart.

Shanshan Yuan wants to promote the Central China Front to go north as soon as possible, advance north and south with the North China Front, and attack Xuzhou, as long as he provokes a big war in the hinterland of the Central Plains, the attention of the base camp and the royal family will be diverted, in the final analysis, compared to the thousand-year national fortune of the empire, the royal family's little face is nothing.

Of course, Muto Akira also knows very well that whether this move can successfully divert the attention of the base camp and the imperial family, and whether it can successfully help him avoid this catastrophe, is still unknown, half a month ago, wasn't Matsui Ishine tragically dismissed from the base camp on the eve of the capture of Nanjing, the capital of China? Who dares to guarantee that he Sugi Gen will not repeat the mistakes of Matsui Ishine?

It's just that there must be an explanation for the remnants of the 79th Division.

At that moment, Muto Zhang said again: "Your Excellency, commander, how should you reply to the base camp and the imperial family about the whereabouts of the remnants of the provisional 79th Division?" ”

Shanshan Yuan frowned and said, "Didn't the Tachibana detachment report before that it had eliminated one of the remnants of the provisional seventy-ninth division in the Seven Star Lake Swamp?" ”

"Hello." Muto Sho said first, "About a hundred people were annihilated. ”

"So be it." Shanshan Yuan said, "It is said that under the fierce pursuit of the Tachibana detachment, most of the remnants of the provisional 79th Division were annihilated, and only a small number of remnants fled, and the Tachibana detachment fell into the ambush circle of the 59th Army of China because of the lone army. ”

Muto Zhang's eyes lit up, and he said sincerely: "Your Excellency the commander is smart. ”

A smug smile bloomed at the corner of Shanshan Yuan's mouth, and as soon as he said this, the inexplicable tragic defeat of the Tachibana detachment immediately changed its taste.

Because, if the truth is truthfully reported to the base camp, the Tachibana detachment will certainly not be able to escape the charge of ineffective combat, and he Shanshan Yuan will also be unable to escape the responsibility of improper command.

However, now after he said so, the Tachibana detachment has become a model of uncompromising implementation of the imperial decree, you see, in order to save the face of the royal family, in order to eliminate hundreds of Chinese remnants, the result is a lone army deep into the hinterland of the Soviet Union, and most of the detachment is put in, so, your royal family can still bear to say that we are not effective in combat?

And he Shanshanyuan also successfully shirked his responsibility: everyone saw that in order to complete the emperor's order, I, Shanshanyuan, organized a separate advance detachment, and as a result, I basically annihilated the remnants of the provisional 79th Division, but because I was too lonely, I was unable to complete the work, and suffered heavy casualties.

Shanshanyuan's remarks also have a hidden benefit: after this battle, it is difficult for the royal family to exterminate the remnants of the provisional 79th Division, and he can be freed from this thankless drudgery and devote himself to the preparation for the Battle of Xuzhou, which is what he Shanshanyuan wants.

Of course, if the imperial family is not satisfied, I can form an advance detachment again, but whether this advance detachment will repeat the mistakes of the Tachibana detachment, then no one dares to guarantee, although the combat power of the imperial army is strong, although the combat effectiveness of the Chinese * army is weak, but after all, this is a lone army, who dares to guarantee that the imperial army can win?

Shanshan Yuan said proudly: "Just according to what I just said, report to the base camp and then transfer it to the royal family." ”

Muto Zhang remembered one more thing, and whispered: "Your Excellency Commander, if the base camp and the imperial family ask about Xu Rui, the commander of the independent battalion of the provisional 79th Division, how should he reply to his humble position?" ”

"Well...... this," Shanshanyuan's brow twisted into a pimple again.

This is indeed a difficult question to answer, because whether it is the Battle of Wuxi, the Battle of Likou or the Battle of Nantong, or even the culprit who killed His Royal Highness Prince Fushimi Palace, it is the commander of this independent battalion, Xu Rui! If Xu Rui can't be killed, it is meaningless to completely annihilate the entire independent battalion, and it is also equivalent to failure.

can't make it up nonsense, they have already killed Xu Rui, otherwise, if one day this Xu Rui comes out again to give the imperial army a ruthless blow, and then there is a clear code power, then isn't he Shanshan Yuan just playing tricks on the Japanese royal family? Then he Shanshanyuan's fate is only worse than Matsui Shigen.

Matsui Ishine was just dismissed and retired, and what was waiting for him Shansugi Yuan might be a trial.

It seems that this matter cannot be discussed in detail, but can only be vaguely handled, so let's delay this time first.

At that moment, Shanshan Yuan said again: "In this way, it is said that he may die in the chaotic battle." ”

"Or die in the chaos." Akira Muto was dumbfounded.

"Yes, that's it." Shanshan Yuan nodded heavily.

"Hello." Muto Zhang paused heavily, and when he just turned around to leave, he let Shanshan Yuan shout.

"Muto-san." Shanshan Yuan called out to Muto Akira and said, "In view of the information provided by the meteorological observation department, the planes of the aviation regiment will not have to take off again today and tomorrow. ”

Muto Zhang was stunned at first when he heard this, and then reacted, Shanshan Yuan was worried that the aviation scouts would find out the "intelligence" he didn't want to see, such as the main force of the 59th Army was not in Hai'an Town, which means that Shanshan Yuan didn't believe in the collective jade fragmentation of the Tachibana detachment in his heart, which was done by the 59th Army.

Shanshan Yuan also doesn't think it's a ghost's doing.

In other words, Shanshan Yuan believes that the collective jade fragmentation of the Tachibana detachment was the work of the independent battalion of the provisional 79th Division!

Thinking of this, Muto Zhang's heart suddenly sank, if the collective jade fragmentation of the Tachibana detachment was really done by the independent battalion of the provisional 79th Division, then this unit would be too terrifying.

From Muto Akira's gaze, Sugi Sugimoto knew that this deputy chief of staff of his had already understood.

At that moment, Shanshan Yuan said again: "Muto-san, you should understand that you and I are grasshoppers on a rope, which can be said and which can't be said You should be clear?" ”

"Hello." Muto Sho paused heavily, and said, "However, I am afraid that the Shina Army will expose this matter. ”

"No, it won't." Shanshanyuan waved his hand and said firmly, "With such a sky-pouring battle feat, which general of the Zhina Army is stupid enough not to claim it?" ”