After accusing Liu Yimin of the crime of robbing the financial assets of the empire, Terauchi Shouichi changed his words, put on a compassionate posture, and said slowly: "Now the public security situation in North China is basically stable, the imperial army has passed everywhere, and the Tuba Road has collapsed, and even Liu Yimin's tutor, who brought a lot of trouble to the imperial army in the previous stage, has disappeared and hidden. In the next step, the imperial army will quickly open up the Jiaoji Road and capture the mountainous areas of central and southern Shandong and the southeastern part of Shandong. What I am worried about is that due to the demagogy of [***] and Tubalu, the innocent people in the above-mentioned areas will not cooperate with the imperial army, and may even attack the imperial army, in this case, the imperial army will be in the front, and the cunning Liu Yimin and his bandit Tubalu will hide on the side, instigating the people to oppose the imperial army, and the result will be casualties among the people. ”

After Shouichi Terauchi finished speaking, he took a sip of water from his teacup and looked at the reporters with a smile.

Since the last incident in which an American reporter was escorted back to the US Consulate in Tianjin for not cooperating with the Yue Army, the reporters in Peiping basically do not dare to argue with the Yue Jun now. So when Kita Seiichi announced that he had entered the stage of reporters' questions, the reporters' questions became less salt, lack of vinegar, and tasted like chewing wax.

A reporter saw that the questions of his colleagues were very flat, so he boldly asked: "Your Excellency, Commander, we have all seen the telegram issued by Liu Yimin, is it true that he said that the imperial army in the northeast is extremely empty?" Will the Soviet Red Army send troops to the Northeast? ”

When Terauchi Shou heard this, he wanted to drag the reporter out and shoot him, but after thinking about it, he still held back, still smiling, and tried his best to make his voice a little sincere: "This reporter friend, I first want to correct your statement, it is not the Northeast but Manchukuo. I don't know where you saw Liu Yimin's telegraph conversation, but I want to tell you that Liu Yimin is the best at lying and intimidating, and his words are like the wind, and they can't be true. What I want to tell you is that there is no conflict of interest between the Great Empire and the Soviet Union at present, and the so-called statement that the Soviet Red Army sent troops to Manchuria is purely Liu Yimin's attempt to sow discord in order to escape the catastrophe of annihilation. Manchuria is a country of readability, and it is impossible for the Soviet Union to infringe on the sovereignty of a country at will. In addition, I would like to tell you that the 1st, 2nd, and 7th Divisions, which were the elite of the Great Empire, were returning to Manchuria at night, and several newly formed divisions from the mainland had already been shipped to Manchuria. Manchuria is impregnable! ”

After listening to Terauchi Shouichi's answer, the reporter was skeptical, so he asked again: "Your Excellency Commander, Liu Yimin said in a telegraphic conversation that the imperial army has only a small number of troops in central China and eastern Henan, and is agitating for a [***] counteroffensive, do you think what he said is the truth?" ”

Shouichi Terauchi is most annoyed by someone asking this kind of question, but he knows that this question must be answered now, because Liu Yimin's power supply is known all over the world, and it is not enough to rely on prevarication alone.

So, Terauchi Shouichi cleared his throat and said: "Although the imperial army only has three divisions in eastern Henan, the first-line troops in Xuzhou can be reinforced at any time. We very much welcome Chiang Kai-shek's troops to take the plunge to attack eastern Henan, so that the ten newly transferred divisions from the mainland can wipe out the main forces of Chiang Kai-shek's 1st Theater in one fell swoop. Although the troops in Central China were slightly weak, they were all elite of the imperial army, and there was no problem for a division to defeat several of Chiang Kai-shek's armies. Reporter: Friends don't need to worry, the main force of the imperial army will soon be able to level Shandong, and then the entire Tuba Road in North China will be wiped out. It is still impossible to say where the main force of the imperial army will point next, but the first to strike at it is to take advantage of the fire to rob the criminals. ”

Originally, this reporter only dared to ask two questions in a row, and it was also a whim. If he sees that he is good, he will accept it, and it is estimated that he can return to the newspaper as a reporter. However, perhaps Terauchi Shouichi answered him two questions in a row, which made him too excited, and with one mouth, he said something that caused him to kill him: "Your Excellency Commander: Liu Yimin said in the telegram that the Eighth Route Army has the ability to repel the attack of the imperial army. Moreover, it is said that the Eighth Division and the Tenth Division have been eliminated in the front, and the elite divisions of the Imperial Army will be eliminated next. The tea guests in the Peking teahouse are predicting which imperial army division Liu Yimin will eliminate next. Some say it's the Fifth Division, some say it's the Sixth Division. I would like to ask you, Commander, what do you think about this? ”

Before the reporter finished speaking, Shouichi Terauchi was furious, slapped the table, and shouted: "Baga! Your conscience is greatly broken! Pull it out! ”

Immediately, two gendarmes set up an unlucky reporter and left, and soon a gunshot rang out outside the door.

Seeing that the reporters at the scene were all silent and trembling, Terauchi Shouichi smiled all over his face, said Yo Xi twice, and then said: "Everyone, it is said that the Imperial Army is invincible in the world, and Instructor Liu Yimin is definitely not the opponent of the Imperial Army. I would like to ask you to use your pen to tell the people of China that the imperial army is there to protect them. As long as they are willing to cooperate with the Imperial Army, the Imperial Army will absolutely protect their personal safety and property safety. As for Liu Yimin and his bandit troops, the imperial army will definitely wipe them out completely. Of course, if Liu Yimin himself is willing to surrender, I can solemnly guarantee once again that the imperial army will not only not embarrass him, but will also put him in charge of Shandong, nay, let him be in charge of the management of the entire area occupied by the imperial army in North China and even Central China. If he wanted to lead troops, the imperial army could also let him command the troops. The Imperial Army could even build a luxurious residence for him in Da Yueben, or they could buy a luxury residence in Europe or the United States, so as to ensure that he would live a rich and carefree life! ”

Terauchi Shouichi thought about it and was not happy, and then said: "All the officers and soldiers of Liu Yimin's department who are willing to surrender to the imperial army will be reused by the imperial army." The brigade commander was promoted to the commander of the North China Public Security Army Group, the regiment commander was promoted to division commander, the battalion commander was promoted to regiment commander, and all officers and soldiers who surrendered were given generous monetary rewards. In addition, all officers can marry the beauties of the Great Empire. ”

Because of the tragic death of the reporter just now, what Shouichi Terauchi said, the reporters didn't dare to ask any more questions. Terauchi Shouichi talked for a while, but seeing that the reporters were no longer asking questions, he also lost interest in giving speeches, so he hurriedly ended the press conference and went back to the headquarters to take command.

It was said that the army was attacking the base area of the Eighth Route Army with heavy troops, and the Wuhan side was naturally clear. However, there were different opinions from all quarters, and some generals advocated launching an offensive in eastern Henan immediately, and the reason was very sufficient; Liu Yimin made it clear in his telegram that the strength of the eastern Henan army was clear, and even if the first theater could not destroy the eastern Henan army, it could at least contain the army and prevent the army from concentrating all its strength on attacking Shandong. Another part of the generals advocated launching an offensive on both sides of the Yangtze River, on the grounds that the strength of the Central China Front was extremely weak, and if they did not fight at this time, when would they wait?

The Wuhan Command Department quarreled for several days about this matter, but did not make any noise, and saw that the army had swept away central Hebei, Hebei, Lubian, and southern Hebei, and also swept away the Luxi, southwestern and Taixi regions, and was about to rush to the south and central Luzhong, and the base camp did not determine whether it should take the initiative to attack and which direction it should attack. On the contrary, those units that came into contact with the army took the initiative to attack several times.

Chiang Kai-shek actually knew in his heart that if the army eliminated the Eighth Route Army in Shandong, he would immediately turn around and attack Wuhan. He also read Liu Yimin's telegraph talk, and knew that what Liu Yimin said was the truth, and if the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was to be won, it was necessary to implement a national game of chess. However, Chiang Kai-shek was in a very complicated mood, and he was reluctant to let the heroic and warlike instructors be wiped out by the Yue Army, and he was also worried that the Eighth Route Army would develop too fast, and if the Eighth Route Army could survive the sweep of the Yue Army, it would probably grow even faster in the future.

At the same time as Terauchi Shouichi held a press conference, Chiang Kai-shek also held an operational conference in Wuhan to study the current war situation again.

Li Zongren felt that at present, he could take advantage of the opportunity of the main force of the Yue army to pounce on Shandong, organize the main forces of the first and fifth theaters, and solve the enemy in eastern Henan. Therefore, he didn't care about his identity as a big man in the Gui family, and without waiting for others to speak, he took the lead in standing up and said: "The current situation is very clear, the Shandong Eighth Route Army is not the opponent of the Yue Army at all, the reason is that the Yue Army is too large, and it can form several heavy army groups, Liu Yimin is brave and good at fighting, but the tiger can't stand the wolf, and it is impossible to attack the Yue Army all the way or defend an area." If other battlefields did not cooperate, Shandong's Eighth Route Army would not be able to support it for long. In the end, it will really be like what Liu Yimin said, when the army comes to attack Kaifeng or Wuhan again, no one will stab the rear of the army. In any case, we must not let the army's plot to eliminate Liu Yimin's ministry succeed! ”

Li Zongren's words were understood by everyone present, and they all knew that if the army eliminated the Eighth Route Army, the instructor would attack Wuhan without scruples.

Xue Yue couldn't sit still at first, stood up and saluted Chiang Kai-shek and reported: "Commission, I propose to immediately launch an attack on the enemy in eastern Henan. I am sure that I can break through the defense line of the Yue Jun Lan Seal, and if the follow-up troops are sufficient, I can take the opportunity to take back Shangqiu. ”

Before he finished speaking, He Guoguang, who rushed back from Yucheng, said: "It is indeed good to attack eastern Henan, and now is still a good time." But General Boling, don't forget, what was the end of your Yudong Corps' attack on the 14th Division some time ago. The loss is so big, it's better to complete the replenishment and rest first. Besides, although the Shandong battlefield is currently dangerous, with Liu Yimin's ability, it is not easy for the army to eliminate him. On the contrary, we have to seriously study the issue of Wuhan's defense, saying that the army's next target will inevitably be Wuhan, and we are running out of time. ”

He knew that He Guoguang was the main staff officer of Chiang Kai-shek's encirclement and suppression of the Red Army, but he did not expect that he would now go to the battlefield of resistance and have the same idea as he did when he dealt with the Red Army.

Li Zongren glanced at Bai Chongxi, sat down and stopped talking.

Xue Yue is hard temper, and when he heard He Guoguang say this, he directly pushed back: "Defending Wuhan is not about defending Wuhan, fighting in Shandong and eastern Henan, and dragging the pace of the Yue army to attack Wuhan, isn't it defending Wuhan?" Besides, what kind of troops is the 14th Division, and can the current army in eastern Henan compare with the 14th Division? I think if you hesitate any longer, the little devil will pounce on Wuhan after beating Shandong. ”

He Yingqin coughed and said: "From the perspective of the overall strategy of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the transfer of factory equipment to the rear and the formation and training of troops are the foundation of protracted operations. The purpose of defending Wuhan is to delay the attack of the devils and cover the transfer of strategic materials. As for Shandong and the North China Plain, the task there was to carry out guerrilla warfare, to harass the enemy, to destroy the enemy's installations, so that he could not let go of the attack on Wuhan. In this sense, the top priority at the moment is to quickly transfer factory equipment, make up for the losses of the previous battle, and strengthen the defensive line, rather than launching a counterattack against the Japanese army. To do so is to fall for the cunning of the devil. ”

Chen Cheng didn't like to hear He Yingqin say this, but he was Chiang Kai-shek's most confidant and knew Chiang Kai-shek's small calculations, but from a strategic point of view, he should indeed take the initiative to attack the enemy and support the Shandong operation. So, Chen Cheng said: "What Minister He said makes sense, but what Boling said also makes sense. I think it is possible to attack the devils from the north and south at the same time, the northern front to attack eastern Henan, and the southern front to attack both sides of the Yangtze River. However, we can pull the newly formed troops up to fight for training, and the main force should get a good grasp of rest and recuperation. I don't want to eliminate many devils, I just want to train the troops and fight against the Eighth Route Army. Liu Yimin is right, Yan Xishan and Wei Lihuang in Shanxi should also take the opportunity to take action. If our army does not move, it will be politically passive and will not be able to give an account to all sides. ”

Chen Cheng's meaning couldn't be clearer, not to fight, but to fight, to create a big momentum, on the one hand, to contain the army, and cooperate with Liu Yimin's troops to fight; On the other hand, it also trains newly formed troops. Chen Cheng's suggestion is really good.

Bai Chongxi sighed in his heart, stood up and said, "I agree with General Xue Yue's opinion, we should fight a good battle in eastern Henan and force the army to rescue eastern Henan again." There are three reasons for this: First, the troops in eastern Henan of the Chinese army are all newly formed divisions and regiments that have just come from their own country, and the combat effectiveness of such devils is not comparable to that of those permanent divisions and regiments of the Chinese army. Second, the main force of the former Fifth Theater that was withdrawn from the direction of Xuzhou has rebounded somewhat after this period of reorganization, and it can fully cooperate with the troops of the First Theater to flank the army from the north and south. Third, we can alleviate part of the pressure on the Shandong Eighth Route Army. When the army pounces on eastern Henan, Liu Yimin can still cooperate with us in fighting behind enemy lines. The two sides cooperated with each other, one hit and one pull, one pull and one dozen, so that the Yue army was tired of coping and delayed the time for the Yue army to attack Wuhan and the Henan Plain. ”

After listening to the statements of a few people, Chiang Kai-shek also made a decision in his heart. This time, he no longer hesitated, and ordered the First Theater to organize troops to attack the troops in eastern Henan, and ordered Chen Cheng to seize the time to organize the defense of Wuhan and transfer factory equipment. He ordered Xue Yue's troops to quickly move south, join the Wuhan combat sequence, and ordered the troops along the Yangtze River to launch an active attack on the devils in order to conduct training on behalf of the new troops. As for the specific battle plan, Bai Chongxi was responsible for formulating it in a unified manner.

(To be continued)