"Okamura-kun, Kita-kun, what's going on? I seem to have heard someone say that there was a war, but did a war really break out? Did the USSR and China fight? Yoshiichi Tanaka asked slowly, rubbing his temples. At this time, he thought that China might take advantage of the turmoil in the Soviet Far East to launch a war with Germany.

Okamura Ninji gritted his teeth and shook his head and said, "Your Excellency Prime Minister! It was not China and the USSR that went to war, but China that waged war against the empire! The army has just received a telegram from the headquarters of the Far Eastern Army that the Chinese are shelling Xin'an Tucheng and the Far Eastern Railway, and now the Far Eastern Railway outside Xin'an Tucheng has been blown up by Chinese heavy artillery! ”

Kita Kazuki also followed Okamura Ninji's words and reported loudly: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just received an urgent telegram from the Imperial Embassy in Nanjing, and the Chinese ** police are seizing Imperial nationals and merchant ships, and seizing Japanese-funded factories and businesses in China......"

Tanaka got up from the tatami mat and walked barefoot around the Japanese-style room a few times, and as soon as he stopped, before he could speak, he saw one of his secretaries running in sweating profusely and reporting loudly: "The Ministry of the Navy has called and reported that this afternoon the battle cruiser Kongo and the destroyer Shimakaze were attacked by the Chinese heavy cruiser Haitian near the Strait of Malacca, and the Shimakaze was sunk, and the Kongo is pursuing the escaping Haitian with all its might. ”

"What?" All three people in the room screamed at once. Yoshiichi Tanaka yelled at the secretary, "Strait of Malacca? How did the King Kong end up in the Strait of Malacca? How could a heavy cruiser raid a battlecruiser? What the hell are these idiots in the Navy doing? What the hell!? ”

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister," Okamura Ninji seemed to think of something suddenly. He reminded loudly: "Isn't China's Haitian heavy cruiser Chang Ruiqing's ship?" It was on this warship that he went to Europe to visit Wèn! ”

Yoshiichi Tanaka stomped his foot, gritted his teeth and said, "Navy bastards...... They actually sent warships to the sea to rob and kill the chairman of China's Military Commission! What's more jerk. actually let Chang Ruiqing escape from under the muzzle of the King Kong! I still have such high hopes for the navy, what is the use of such a navy now except for bad things? Can you expect a fool like them to carry out the national policy of going south? Turns out I'm a stupid guy too, a big idiot! ”

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, it is likely that the navy has been ordered by the palace." Okamura reminded in a low voice. "Xiaguan, Xiaguan also heard some rumors, it is said to be ......"

Tanaka Yoshiichi glanced coldly at the chief of the intelligence bureau he trusted the most, waved his hand and interrupted: "No need to continue!" After all, the palace is the palace, and it is not for us to be criticised as courtiers! And now the war has begun. As Prime Minister, the only thing to think about is how to lead the empire to win this battle! Only by winning the war can the empire have a future! Tanaka's voice was no longer as excited as it had just been, and all that was left was calmness, a kind of calmness that only a true celebrity can have.

Okamura Ninji and Kita Kazuki both prostrated themselves deeply on the tatami mats, and seemed to be impressed by the prime minister's famous temperament. Tanaka's eyes were blazing at the two of them, and he ordered: "Beijun, have you contacted the British ambassador urgently?" And the Soviet ambassador? Both countries are allies of the Empire, and the Empire must enlist their support. ”

Kita Yihui replied: "I immediately contacted the British ambassador and the Soviet ambassador urgently, and they were also very shocked, but they did not say anything further. ”

"That's natural, it's no longer up to the ambassador to make any decisions about the occurrence of such an incident," Tanaka said. But there is still work to be done in these two countries, especially in the UK...... Britain's attitude is directly related to whether France will join China in fighting the Empire! Britain had to persuade France to remain neutral. As for Britain itself, it is estimated that it will not fight against China on the side of the Empire, so let Britain and France be neutral together! ”

"France?" Kita Kazuki was stunned for a moment, as if he did not understand the importance of France in this war. Okamura Ninji explained in a low voice: "France has a navy that is only in the Empire, and there are quite a few colonies in the South Pacific, if the French navy uses these colonies as a base. It would be possible to cut off the empire's trade with the United States, and trade with the United States would be related to whether the empire could sustain the war against China for a long time. ”

Tanaka nodded. In the past ten years, the empire has mainly relied on coal, iron ore and other resources obtained from China to develop heavy industry, and in recent years, there has been an additional Far Eastern state. However, after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, the import of resources from both sides may be interrupted, and the routes between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea will definitely be cut off by the Italian navy, and the only trade left is with the United States. If the route with the United States is also cut off by France, then the empire will lose! Beijun, do you think Britain, France, and the United States will treat the Sino-Japanese war like this? ”

Bei Yihui frowned, he is not a foreign minister, he is not a diplomat, but a political party, and he is not very good at analyzing the ideas of Britain, France, the United States and other countries. But now that the prime minister has asked questions, he can't say he doesn't know. So he replied with consideration: "Britain, France, and the United States are probably happy to see the empire and China at war, because as soon as this war starts, the southward expansion of the empire will probably be delayed...... And they probably don't want China to be greatly weakened after this war, because China is now an important tool for Western countries to contain the Soviet Union...... Xia Guan feared that once the empire gained a large advantage in this war, the West might force the empire to cease war with China through sanctions......"

"What if China has the upper hand?" Tanaka asked coldly.

Kita Yihui and Okamura Ninji glanced at each other, both showed panicked expressions, and said in unison: "This is absolutely impossible!" ”

"!" Tanaka snorted coldly. "It's entirely possible! It would be good to say that the Soviet Union could stand on the side of the empire and enter the war, otherwise the empire's army would definitely not be able to defeat the Chinese army, and the navy's battleships would not be able to go ashore, so they could only do some work to blockade the coast...... If I knew that the navy was so unreliable, I shouldn't have given them all the military spending. Tanaka paused for a moment and asked again, "Kita-kun." Do you think it is now possible to ask Britain, France and the United States to intervene? ”

Bei Yihui thought for a while and said, "Xiaguan will go and test it." With that, he bowed to Tanaka, then got up and took his leave.

"Okamura. Accompany me to the palace. Tanaka Yoshiichi looked at this henchman who had disappointed him a little, and said thoughtfully: "Do you know what the biggest mistake of the empire was in this incident? ”

"Did you use the navy to rob and kill Chang Ruiqing?"

"It's not!" Tanaka Yoshiichi said coldly: "Robbing and killing Chang Ruiqing is not the biggest mistake, a unified and powerful China is always a threat to the long-term interests of the empire!" ”

"So what was the biggest mistake?"

"It's the palace and the cabinet that don't trust each other!" With a guilty look on his face, Tanaka sighed. "I have an unshirkable responsibility in this regard, and if I could fulfill the duty of a courtier, the Empire's start to this war would not have been so chaotic. If it wasn't just two warships that killed Chang Ruiqing, but the main force of the entire combined fleet. China must have been in chaos by now, right? So I must now go into the palace and have a good talk with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and if he still trusts this cabinet, then please hand over the power of commanding this war to me, otherwise, I will lead the cabinet to resign!" Because in this struggle related to the fortunes of the empire, the imperial army can only have one general general! ”

……

When Tanaka arrived at the Imperial Palace, it was already past 2 a.m. on June, but the core of the castle, which once belonged to the Tokugawa family, was brightly lit. Crown Prince Hirohito couldn't sleep on this night. Under the guidance of the palace attendants. Tanaka lowered his head and walked briskly towards the palace where Hirohito was. As soon as he passed through a corridor, two figures wearing the uniforms of the army and navy appeared in front of him, and Tanaka knew that these two were the Minister of War Yusaku Uehara and the Minister of the Navy Yuzaburo Kato! They were summoned to the palace by Crown Prince Hirohito.

"Uehara-kun, Kato-kun?" Tanaka Yoshiichi also shouted the names of two people in disregard of the rule that no loud noises were allowed in the palace.

Both ministers were stunned for a moment, and at the same time stopped and turned to bow to Tanaka. Neither of them looked very good. His brows were furrowed tightly, as if he was preoccupied.

Yoshiichi Tanaka walked quickly in front of them. "I think you two know more than I do, right? It's really rare for the army and navy to come together, and if the entire empire can be as united as the army and navy, victory in this war should be expected, right? ”

Yuzaburo Kato shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Your Excellency, I just found out. To be honest, I was shocked. But what can be done? After all, it's the meaning of the palace......"

Yusaku Uehara also said: "The Ministry of War didn't know anything before, but since the matter has come out, we can only find a way to deal with the aftermath, and Your Excellency the Prime Minister must have entered the palace for this purpose, right?" ”

Yoshiichi Tanaka smiled faintly, noncommittal. "How are you two going to deal with the aftermath? Do you have a belly case? ”

The ministers of the army and navy glanced at each other, and Yusaku Uehara said, "Of course, we have to fight!" What else can I do? You can't bow your knees and surrender like the people of China, can you? ”

Kato also said: "It must be fought, this battle is related to the national fortunes of the empire, and it can only be won and not lost!" Your Excellency Prime Minister, the Army wants you to lead the Empire to fight to the death against China! ”

Tanaka was still expressionless, and just asked lightly: "I don't know what Cheng Dù the army wants to fight?" ”

Yusaku Uehara paused, pondered and said: "Now that there is a little chaos in the Soviet Union, I am afraid that there is no way to participate in the war for the time being, and there is probably no way to seize Manchuria with the strength of the imperial army alone, but the issue of Majima Island should be solved in this war." In addition, China should also compensate and apologize for their actions, and Chang Ruiqing can no longer serve as the commander of China's army. ”

"So does the Army have any established plans?"

"The military department had only one general idea, preparing to take an offensive in the Far East and a defensive in Korea, hoping to hold a main battle on the line of the Ussuri River to defeat the main forces of the Chinese army and force the Chinese to accept the terms of the imperial armistice."

Yoshiichi Tanaka was still noncommittal, and he asked the same question to the Minister of the Navy. "In addition to the Majima and indemnity, the empire should also demand that Shina open their markets, restore the enforced tariffs, and remove foreign exchange and gold controls," said Yuzaburo Kato. ”

"Well, this is also what Britain and the United States want, and if such a request is made, it is beneficial to win the support of Britain and the United States." Tanaka nodded approvingly. "Now let's go and hear the opinion of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who is now in charge. is the true master of the empire! ”

There was always a sour feeling when he said this, but the two ministers of the navy and army also nodded approvingly. It is indeed an exaggeration to say that Hirohito was the master of the Japanese Empire. However, once this crown prince is integrated with the young Zhuang officers in the army, his influence on the country's major policies cannot be ignored. Of course, the top brass of the army is not incapable of bringing down Hirohito, the crown prince, but how can these generals and lieutenant generals be willing to take on such a role? Even if this kind of thing succeeds, it will have to be infamous for eternity.

The road to Hirohito's palace was not short, but Tanaka, Kato, and Uehara did not speak again, and they were all frowning and thinking about their hearts.

When they entered a wooden temple in an entirely Japanese style, they saw Crown Prince Hirohito standing in front of a military map hanging on the wall with his hands behind his back. Heihachiro Togo, president of the Tonomiya Imperial Academy, and Prince Zaihito of Kanin stood beside Hirohito, one on the left and one on the right.

"No need to salute, come and talk." Hirohito turned. With a worried expression on his face, he beckoned to the three of them and summoned them to his side.

"It's really a bit unfortunate that the cabinet has concealed this matter, Tanaka won't blame me, right?" As he spoke, Crown Prince Hirohito had an apologetic smile on his face.

"How dare we." Tanaka said. "Your Highness's move is also for the sake of the empire's hegemony." Hirohito nodded, and a hint of relief slid through his expression, as if a child who had done something bad was forgiven by a teacher. Hirohito asked, "Tanaka Qing." Does the Cabinet have any opinion on the current situation? ”

Tanaka thought for a moment and said slowly, "The start of the war seems to be a bit unfavorable...... Sun Tzu's art of war has a cloud: the first army is to attack and strategize, the second is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the army, and then the next is to attack the city. His Royal Highness sent the battle cruiser Kongo to attack the dictator Chang Ruiqing in China. Since the plan has not been successful, it is time to cut it next. ”

"Cut-off?" Hirohito was stunned, and tried to think about Sun Tzu's Art of War, there seems to be such a saying on it, and there is some truth to it. The crown prince asked, "How do you cut the relationship?" ”

"First of all, of course, let the Far Eastern Army and the North Korean Army adopt the tactics of holding on to the defense."

"Can it only be defended?" Hirohito seemed a little disappointed.

"Yes. The Empire's army has no advantage over the China Army, if Chang Ruiqing dies. The situation in China is chaotic, and perhaps there is still an opportunity to seize Manchuria. And now that Chang Ruiqing is not killed, the China Army has long been ready for war, and the Far Eastern Army and the Korean Army have no chance to take advantage of it. ”

Hirohito glanced at his uncle, Miyashihito, and the old prince nodded, seeming to approve of Tanaka's analysis. Hirohito asked again: "Can the war help the empire defeat China?" ”

"I can't." Yoshiichi Tanaka shook his head and accentuated his tone. "But the empire can not be defeated by China! First to be invincible, and then to win is the perfect strategy! Comparing the war potential of the two countries in the empire and China, His Highness can find that the two countries have their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of war preparations, and their overall strength is evenly matched. The advantage of the empire was that it had a complete industrial system and a strong navy; The disadvantages are the lack of resources and the small population. The advantages of China are in sufficient reserves, abundant resources, and a relatively strong army; The disadvantage is that the industrial base is weak and the navy is weak. Therefore, it is very likely that this war between the Empire and China will fall into the quagmire of a protracted war! The empire must be prepared for a long-term war, and a long-term war must rely on external resources and supplies, and in the future, to break the stalemate in the war, it is necessary for Red Russia to join the war! Therefore, the victory or defeat of this war is first in diplomacy, and then in the battlefield! ”

"Isn't it possible to organize a battle in the area of Shin-Azuchi Castle and Tiger Head Fortress?" Hirohito asked with a frown. Before Tanaka Yoshiichi arrived, he was discussing with Prince Zaihito and Heihachiro Togo about the "Battle of Torano-Shin-Azuchi". The main artery of the north-south communication of the Far Eastern Prefecture was cut off by the artillery of the Chinese Tiger Head Fortress in the area of Xin'antu, and the Far Eastern Army was also faced with the dilemma of being cut in two. Therefore, both Prince Hirohito and Prince Zaihito believed that the immediate priority was to seize the Tiger Head Fortress and repel the squadron on the west bank of the Ussuri River.

"Your Highness, specific operational matters should be considered by the military department and the Far Eastern Army." Yoshiichi Tanaka reminded. "Your Highness and the cabinet should consider the general strategic direction, and the most important thing at present is to win over Britain and the Soviet Union, stabilize the United States and France, and isolate China! To achieve this, the empire should show a posture of 'not expanding' and ask Britain and the United States to intervene in mediation. At the same time, it was declared that the operation of the King Kong was a rebellion! ”

"Isn't that tantamount to acknowledging that the Empire bears primary responsibility for this conflict?" Hirohito's voice had sunk. "What if China accepts the mediation of Britain and the United States and demands that the empire bear the responsibility for compensation? Is it really going to end in humiliation? ”

"Your Highness!" Yoshiichi Tanaka looked at the Japanese crown prince who thought he was smart, and said calmly: "The King Kong incident will have an extremely bad impact in the international community!" The whole world will think of the empire as a madman! If we do not put it aside, none of the Western powers such as Britain, France, and the United States will stand on the side of the empire...... Because no one can guarantee that the Empire will not do the same thing to the President of the United States and the King of England in the future! As for the war between the empire and China, there is another excuse to continue. ”