On the third floor of the south side of the main building of the Changchun Kwantung Army Headquarters, in the office of the chief of the Kwantung Office of the Kwantung Army Commander and Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Manchuria, General Muto Nobuyoshi, who has a European-style Praetorian Guard beard but is unusually neatly trimmed, is standing in front of the first mate's map of Manchuria. A large number of people such as Hanaya Shosaku have become the beneficiaries of jealousy.

However, as a meritorious minister, Honjo Shigeru was promoted to general and served as the emperor's chief military attaché because of his military rank as a lieutenant general and an imperial faction, so he was transferred back to Japan as a military senator and was promoted to general as the emperor's chief of military attaché, but Emperor Hirohito in order to balance the forces of all aspects, I believe that it will not be long before the young and powerful Honjo Shigeru will be awarded the title to end his military career and retire.

As one of the few remaining generals in the Taisho era, Muto Nobuyoshi can be said to be a meritorious man, having served as the supreme commander of the Siberian Strategic Army during World War I.

Muto Nobuyoshi was very aware of his physical condition, and he still remembered the words of His Majesty Emperor Hirohito before his departure, how can an emperor [***] establish a martial artist? I'm afraid the only way to go is war! Muto Nobuyoshi looked at Rehe, whose map of Manchuria had been included in it, this is the latest revision of the new version of the map of the Surveying and Mapping Department of the Kwantung Army, it is said that the domestic staff headquarters and the Ministry of War have been archived, so the implication seems that he can let it go?

With a report from Adjutant Nomura, Muto Nobuyoshi sorted out his thoughts and nodded, "What's the matter?" ”

Nomura snapped and said: "Chief of Staff Koiso Kuniaki and Deputy Chief of Staff His Excellency Okamura Ninji ask to meet!" ”

Muto Nobuyoshi returned to his seat and nodded slightly, Nomura hurriedly turned sideways and said, "Two inside, please!" ”

Koiso Kuniaki and Okamura Ninji bowed to Muto Nobuyoshi with their samurai swords in their hands, and did not normally lower officials Jin saw Shangguan adopt military salutes, Muto Nobuyoshi was not annoyed but said very happily: "Xiao Isao-kun, you are still so polite, you don't have to be so polite, I have already read the Manchurian suppression plan you submitted, it is very good!" You may be seated! ”

Koiso Kuniaki, who was transferred from the director of the Internal Affairs Bureau of the General Staff Headquarters to the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, nodded slightly and said: "This is the result of the entire General Staff, and Okamura-kun has also made a great contribution, and the subordinate officials dare not do it alone!" ”

Muto Nobuyoshi smiled and said: "That's also you, the chief of staff, are well-led, so don't be modest!" ”

Saying that, Muto Nobuyoshi stood up, looked up and down at Okamura Ninji, who looked very capable and had a serious expression, and said, "Hmm! Okamura-kun is young and promising! When I was your age, I still didn't dare to imagine that Major General, in an old Chinese saying, this is called the back wave of the Yangtze River pushing the front wave, and this time you can send troops from Shanghai to transfer to our Kwantung Army, which is also the honor of my Kwantung Army, I hope you will continue to work hard. ”

Okamura Ninji hurriedly stood up and saluted: "I will definitely live up to the high expectations of His Excellency the commander, and I will do my best for the common prosperity of Manmeng!" ”

Koiso Kuniaki glanced at Okamura Ninji beside him with some jealousy, it can be said that the Kwantung Army did not have the post of deputy chief of staff before this, this position was tailor-made for Okamura Ninji, as a joint alliance with Nagata Tetsuyama and Kobata Toshiro to form the Baden-Baden Covenant, the three of them vowed to defeat the forces of the Choshu lord in the army, Tanaka Yoshiichi and other stalwarts in the army, and supported the crown prince to ascend the throne, Okamura Ninji can be said to be on the rise, maybe the next chief of staff after himself will be him, right? A forty-eight-year-old lieutenant general has a bright future!

However, as the director of the Military Affairs Bureau, Koiso Kuniaki knew better that the same people who worked for Emperor Hirohito with Okamura Ninji and others were Umezu Mijiro in Berlin, Yamashita Fumi, military attache in Bern, Nakamura Kotaro in Copenhagen, Nakajima Imago in Paris, Shimomura Ding, military attache in Cologne, Matsui Ishine, military attache in Harbin, and Isoya Ryosuke, military attache in Yanjing, plus Hideki Tojo who was on guard outside the gate of the Baden-Baden steam room, a total of eleven people!

Muto Nobuyoshi looked at Okamura Ninji's neat military style and nodded with satisfaction: "After this officer became the commander of the Kwantung Army, he has been worried about the security situation in Manchuria, do you know what foreign newspapers say about Manchuria?" Say that in Manchuria, there is no road that is safe? Is there a place that has not been attacked? ”

Muto Nobuyoshi picked up a stack of telegrams and reported: "What kind of volunteers, mountain and forest teams, is a rabble of bandits, just yesterday alone, there were more than 100 attacks in the whole of Manchuria, and more than 500 officers and soldiers were wounded? How many troops did we use to capture Manchuria? Now more than 500 people have been killed and wounded in just one day? Is Manchuria still under the control of my royal family? Why are bandits so rampant? ”

Muto Nobuyoshi picked up the baton and came to the sand table in the room and said: "Most of these bandits are supplied through Rehe, and then they flow around in the three provinces of Liao, Ji and Hei, and they are scattered and withdrawn from the reorganization, and Rehe is the bane, while launching the clean-up operation, our army must cooperate with His Majesty the Emperor in September about the life of the Manchurian defense, Rehe belongs to Manchuria!" ”

Kuniaki Koiso and Ninji Okamura glanced at each other excitedly, the opportunity they had been longing for had finally arrived! Muto Nobuyoshi used his baton to point to the location of Shanhaiguan and said: "I have submitted a campaign plan to the Ministry of War and the General Staff Headquarters, and have requested at least three divisions and two brigades and reinforcements from heavy artillery, combat vehicles, and aviation. ”

Koiso Kuniaki and Okamura Ninji stood up and saluted at the same time, and Okamura Ninji, who was full of confidence, was just about to thank His Excellency Muto Nobuyoshi for his trust, but suddenly found that Koiso Kuniaki, the chief of staff standing beside him, had not yet expressed his position, and since the Shangguan did not speak, it was obviously very impolite for him to take the lead, so he hurriedly held back the words that came to his lips.

Koiso Kuni, who was slightly satisfied with Okamura Ninji's expression, said loudly: "Please rest assured, Your Excellency the commander, the lower officer should do everything he can!" ”

Muto Nobuyoshi nodded with satisfaction and said, "Very good!" Emperor [***] people should have such momentum, before I took office, I always heard that the Kwantung Army was arrogant, and after I came to Manchuria, I realized that this is not arrogance at all, but the slander of those cowardly rats, only those who really have the ability to be arrogant, and those who do nothing should feel ashamed, they should go to disembowelment, so as not to waste the food and resources of the empire. ”

Muto Nobuyoshi's words are undoubtedly revealing a message to Koiso Kuniaki and Okamura Ninji, that is, you can do a big job without any hands, and no one will say anything irresponsible to you.

Suddenly, Muto Nobuyoshi's words changed, and the baton in his hand slammed heavily on Chengde's position and said: "According to the intelligence of the secret service, there is a unit equipped with German weapons on the Nanjing Central Army that is no less than the 87th Division has been stationed in Rehe recently, and their number is the New First Division of the Republic of China Army, I want to hear the opinions of the two of you?" ”