The current Japan is not the Japan of World War II in later generations, and without the rapid development during World War I, Japan does not have the strength and confidence to destroy China. @樂@文@小@说|

Whether it was the First Sino-Japanese War or the Russo-Japanese War, Japan was fighting a war with huge debts, and if it lost, the entire country would inevitably collapse and its economy would regress for decades.

Because the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War had huge interests and were related to Japan's rise in Asia, Japan would gamble on its national fortunes to fight to the death.

However, now that only a small area of Jiaozhou Bay is leased, and it is only the local warlords of China who are fighting with the Japanese army, and even if they win, it is impossible to obtain a single bit of war reparations.

Moreover, the Yimeng Autonomous Coalition still had 2,000 British troops in its hands, and Japan, which had to honestly act as a lackey for the British, could not disobey the will of Britain at all and continue the war regardless of the lives of the British prisoners.

Saionji Gongwang, who has never been a hardline hawk, immediately agreed with Okuma's words: "That's right, this time our allies united the Kingdom of France (Russia) and the United States to mediate the war in Qingdao, and I believe that a small local warlord does not have the courage to go against the wishes of so many world powers." We, the Empire of Japan, are members of the Allied Alliance, and this mediation is undoubtedly very beneficial to us. As Your Excellency the Prime Minister said, what we can't get on the battlefield, we may not be able to get at the negotiating table! ”

Judging from the tough performance of the warlord Wang Mo in China. He dares to provoke even our allies repeatedly, and I am afraid that he may not be able to compromise in mediation. Nakamura said with a frown. He did not believe that such a hard-line warlord would give up his huge interests because of pressure from various countries.

Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu smiled confidently and slightly: "It would be better if the warlord Wang Mo of China was still as tough and arrogant as in the past and angered the Western powers, because it would be much easier for us to win the support of the Western powers in the future to carve up and plunder the Japanese Empire." ”

Hearing Shigenobu Okuma's words, most of the Japanese high-level officials present nodded in agreement. It was more important to gain the support of the Western powers than to seize Qingdao for a momentary benefit.

I don't want to admit it, but everyone in Japan knows it. Without the permission of the Western powers. Even if Japan had that strength, it would not have been possible to carve up and conquer China. It has only been a few years since the intervention of the three countries was restored, and that is the most typical example and lesson.

"If nothing else, the Second Fleet must get out of the fighting in Jiaozhou Bay as soon as possible, because our Navy must go south as soon as possible to assist our allies in annihilating the ships of the Central Powers. As for the waste of the 18th Division of the Army, it is better to withdraw them to the country as soon as possible, so as not to be completely annihilated by the Chinese people! Admiral Sotaro Misu couldn't help but stab the army a few words as he spoke.

Nakamura Satoru immediately refused, and immediately sneered with color: "Without the deterrence of the army, do you think that only those warships of the navy that cannot sail ashore can force the people of China to submit and willingly cede Qingdao to our Great Japanese Empire?" ”

This is despite the fact that Japan's navy is ten times more powerful than China's almost negligible navy. But if the army is withdrawn, with the deterrence of the navy alone, Wang Mo will not be able to compromise even if he is a fool. This is clear not only to the officers of the Army, but also to the officers of the Navy.

But. Clearly, Sotaro Misu did not give up the intention of suppressing and mocking the army, smiled coldly, and said: "If we don't withdraw the army and leave them in Shandong China, I'm afraid that not only will it not be able to deter the people of China, but it will become a burden for the people of China to threaten our Japanese Empire!" ”

"That's it!" Yama Prefecture Youpeng stopped the quarrel between the Admiralty and the War Department. He said, "Now the 18th Division of the Army has indeed suffered heavy casualties, and it does not have enough strength to deter the Chinese people, but it cannot withdraw to the country." The 19th Division, which was originally planned to be reinforced by Terauchi-kun, continued to go to the eastern part of China to increase our weight at the negotiating table! ”

The 19th and 20th Divisions of the Japanese Army were formed after the Japanese occupation of Korea in order to suppress the newly formed divisions there. Terauchi Masayi is still holding the post of governor of North Korea, and the transfer of the 19th Division to the past will also facilitate him to control and command the reinforcements at the first time, so as not to find an opportunity for the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army to take advantage of because of the problem of coordinated operations.

Youpeng of Yama County, who actually controlled the military headquarters, said so, and the rest of the Japanese officers, especially the officers of the Yama County faction, of course, expressed their support one after another.

As for the cabinet, as long as it does not expand the war, plunge Japan into the quagmire of war, and cause the empire's economy to collapse, they naturally have no opinion.

Therefore, immediately after this joint meeting, the Japanese cabinet sent a telegram to Terauchi Masayi and his troops to hold on to the spot to wait for the arrival of reinforcements, and at the same time informed the Japanese minister to China, Ijihikichi, to actively join in the mediation initiated by the British minister to China, Zhu Erdian, and to make every effort to seek the lease of Jiaozhou Bay for Japan at the negotiating table.

……

Shandong, on the outskirts of Qingdao, a temporary camp of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance.

On this day, Wang Mo, dressed in military uniform, led all the officers and soldiers of the Second Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army, except for the wounded who could not move, and waited in front of the camp early.

All of them stood in a military posture with solemn expressions, and their eyes were all staring at the official road not far ahead.

Hoof treading – hoof treading –

Suddenly, there was a sound of horses' hooves, and after a while, a soldier of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army galloped on a horse on the official road. The soldier, who had a red wolf's head embroidered on his epaulette, was a communications corpsman directly under the command and even had the privilege of shooting and killing people when passing on emergency military information in wartime.

The signal soldier jumped down from the galloping horse succinctly and competently, and then quickly ran in front of Wang Mo, and immediately saluted and reported: "Commander, most of the first division has reached two miles away!" ”

Wang Mo waved his hand to let the communication soldiers retreat, and then with a full collar, he ordered the officers and soldiers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance around him: "Listen to my command, everything is here, stand up!" ”

With a "snap", nearly 8,000 officers and soldiers of the Second Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army present at the scene put their heels together, and the sound caused by the vibration of the ground in unison was like a person.

It didn't take long. Smoke and dust rose from the official road in the distance ahead, and groups of officers and soldiers of the 1st Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army appeared on the official road.

After the annihilation of the Anglo-Japanese forces. In order to prevent the temple from taking the first division to vent his anger in a hurry, Wang Mo immediately ordered Li Jian to lead the first division to break away from the entanglement with the Japanese army, quickly withdraw to Qingdao, and join the second division.

Fortunately, Terauchi Masashi was also worried that Wang Mo would retaliate by slaughtering the captured British troops, and was persuaded by Kamio Mitsutomi to wait for the arrival of reinforcements before making plans, so he did not pursue the 1st Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army that retreated south.

Despite a smooth retreat to the south. But Li Jian's face did not show the slightest joy. Without it, the situation of the 1st Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army at this time was too bad.

More than half of the casualties of the entire 1st Division were basically disabled. Of the remaining 4,000 people, not only are hundreds of people having to retire because they are disabled, but the rest are all injured. Even the artillery regiments fighting in the rear of the battlefield suffered heavy casualties due to the artillery battle with the artillery wing of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army, especially the old artillery transferred from Sichuan and Hubei.

In such a bad situation, even if the 1st Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army is approved by the commander to supplement and rebuild, it will definitely not be an easy task to restore its combat effectiveness.

It was precisely because of these things that Li Jian wrinkled his brows irritably along the way.

Li Jian was thinking about the reconstruction of the First Division. A communications soldier of the reconnaissance unit who was in charge of opening the road in front galloped on horseback, and then jumped off his horse and reported to Li Jian: "Report, the commander is leading all the personnel of the Second Division to stand in front of the camp to greet our department!" ”

"What!" Li Jian was taken aback and hurriedly dismounted. All the officers and men of the 1st Division shouted an order, "All officers, immediately dismount and straighten out the ranks." The commander was waiting for us right in front of us, cheering me up! ”

Li Jian did not expect that Wang Mo would lead all the officers and men of the Second Division to greet the First Division early with such fanfare, so that when he saw the nearly 8,000 officers and men of the Second Division standing neatly and solemnly outside the camp, he was stunned for a while.

saw that Li Jian led most of the first division to gradually appear on the official road. Wang Mo immediately shouted the order: "Salute!" ”

Wang Mo raised his right hand first, put his five fingers together and saluted heavily to all the officers and soldiers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, and all the officers and soldiers of the Second Division followed closely behind and raised their hands in salute.

All the officers and men of the 1st Division, including Li Jian, were stunned, no one could have imagined that they could be treated so well by the commander and the 2nd Division.

At this moment, all the officers and men of the 1st Division suddenly felt that the fatigue and pain during the wounds they had suffered in the desperate and hard fighting of the Japanese army before, all of this was worth it!

Li Jian's eyes gradually moistened, and then he shouted loudly: "Return the gift!" ”

Li Jian and all the officers and men of the 1st Division raised their hands to salute Wang Mo and all the officers and men of the 2nd Division, even the soldiers with wounds on their hands endured the pain and raised their hands to salute in return.

After the salute, Wang Mo took a few steps forward and said loudly to all the officers and soldiers of the First Division: "Brothers of the First Division, you have worked hard! Perhaps in the eyes of many people, it was I who led the Second Division to defeat and annihilate the Anglo-Japanese forces in Qingdao. However, I know very well and keep it firmly in my heart, the reason why our Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army was able to win a complete victory in this battle is that you are the greatest heroes!

It was you who held the defensive line, repelled the ferocious attacks of the Japanese army again and again, and allowed the 2nd Division to divide its troops back to help Jiaoxian, thus annihilating the Horiuchi detachment!

It was also you who delayed the main force of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army with your blood and lives, and bought precious time for the 2nd Division to defeat and annihilate the Anglo-Japanese forces in Qingdao!

Brothers of the First Division, here, I can tell you clearly that the first achievement of this battle belongs to the First Division and to each and every one of you! ”

Wang Mo's words really spoke to the hearts of all the officers and soldiers of the First Division, but these men who shed blood on the battlefield and never shed tears couldn't help but have moist eyes at this moment.

"Long live the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, long live the commander!" An excited voice in the crowd of the First Division shouted.

"Long live the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, long live the commander!"

Immediately, all the officers and men of the 1st Division shouted excitedly, and finally all the officers and men of the 2nd Division also joined the ranks of excitedly shouting slogans.

"Long live the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, long live the commander!"

On this wilderness on the outskirts of Qingdao, the excited slogans of tens of thousands of officers and soldiers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army echoed for a long time. (To be continued.) (LＷXＳ５２０。 ＣＯＭ))>