With a bang, Yusaku Uehara smashed a teacup. It seemed that he was still angry, so he smashed two more with his hands, so that the floor of the office of the chief of staff of the Japanese army was covered with porcelain slag. Chief of Staff Tian Zhongzhong frowned at his big brother, and he didn't know what to say.

After attending today's cabinet meeting, Yusaku Uehara was no longer the Minister of War, and he did not go back to the office of the Ministry of War to pack up his things, but came to the General Staff Headquarters with Tian Zhongshige, and as soon as he entered the office of the General Chief, he lost his temper like thunder.

It's not because he lost the errand of the Minister of War, but because of Tanaka Yoshiichi's disrespectful attitude towards the palace! I don't want to think about it, why did the palace violate the system and take the risk to assassinate Chang Ruiqing? Isn't it because you are not used to the Tanaka cabinet's soft policy toward China? How many people in the army are accustomed to Tanaka's policy? In the past, there was no way to win over China because of the contradictions between Japan and the Soviet Union, but His Royal Highness's trip to Moscow had resolved the dispute between Japan and the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union had fully recognized Japan's sovereignty over the Far Eastern States. Tanaka Yoshiichi ignored this achievement and blindly insisted on his national policy of joining forces to go south, which is very anachronistic. Wasn't the Army's setback in the Far East due to its national policy and its passive policy of fighting against the Kuomintang? Now that the North Korean army has finally broken through the Yalu River, it is a good opportunity to go north to Liaoshen and lock in the victory of the war, but Tanaka Yoshiichi only thinks about seeking peace, and only thinks about what kind of decent peace he can get when he sees the good! He also didn't want to think about what the Chinese Army's performance in this war said. It shows that China's national strength and military strength are making rapid progress! If you can't win this time, there will be no next chance! The Japanese Empire is about to lose the continent forever!

He slapped the table in a rage. The more I thought about it, the more angry I became, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that the Japanese Empire could no longer let Tanaka Yoshiichi, a foolish worm, go down. He roared and said to Tian Zhongguo, "Tanaka-kun. You're still the Chief of Staff, and you can play on it! The current situation can only ask the palace to intervene, and the emperor should be invited to directly lead the navy and army! The Japanese Empire could only win if it plunged into this war without hesitation under the leadership of His Majesty! Only when there is a real victory can there be the peace that the empire needs! ”

Tian Zhonghua frowned bitterly, and reminded Uehara in a low voice: "Uehara-kun, the emperor today is not His Royal Highness Hirohito!" At today's meeting. Didn't you hear Prime Minister Tanaka's whispers to His Highness? ”

"What does he want to do?" Yusaku Uehara was stunned and glared at Tian Zhongzhong. "Does he still want to interfere with the choice of the emperor's successor? Is there still a bit of a human servant in this? ”

"Uehara-kun, behind Prime Minister Tanaka there is the Choshu faction...... Even our Satsuma navy brass supported him. And, moreover...... His Royal Highness Hirohito's actions are indeed not meticulous enough, and His Majesty's mind is momentarily sober and momentarily confused......"

Yusaku Uehara calmed down a little, Hirohito's actions were certainly for the sake of the Japanese Empire. But it is true that quite a few institutions have been violated. If he is already the emperor, it will be easier to do it, and even if he loses the battle in the end, the ministers below will take responsibility. The prestige of His Majesty the Emperor is always to be maintained! But now that he is not the emperor, if Tanaka Yoshiichi takes advantage of the fact that Emperor Taisho is clear in his mind, he will report Hirohito's behavior...... It's not like this emperor can't be replaced!

No wonder His Royal Highness Hirohito would fight regardless of everything...... This battle is not only related to the future of the Japanese Empire, but also related to the succession of His Royal Highness Hirohito!

Thinking of this, Yusaku Uehara let out a long sigh. He said to Tian Zhongzhong: "Tanaka-kun, this time His Royal Highness Hirohito has assumed this responsibility for the sake of the country, if anything happens, the military department must resolutely stand on His Highness's side!" ”

"That's natural!" Tian Zhongzhong's answer was categorical, but he secretly complained in his heart. This palace struggle is much more difficult than a foreign war. If you accidentally stand on the wrong team, you will be a national thief and an enemy, and even your grandchildren will not be able to raise their heads and be human beings.

……

A car with the chrysanthemum logo of the Japanese royal family quietly drove into the official residence of Yoshiichi Tanaka in Asakusa, Tokyo. Prime Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Kita Kazuki stood side by side in the doorway and welcomed the man from the car into a secluded Japanese-style room in the deepest part of the residence. Tanaka's secretary was outside and no one was allowed to approach. There were only Yoshiichi Tanaka and Kazuki Kita, as well as the old man who was obviously related to the Japanese imperial family.

"Makino-kun, is Your Majesty's health better? Can you personally preside over the meeting of the five prime ministers? ”

It was Yoshiichi Tanaka who spoke, and the object of his speech was the old man, Count Nobuaki Makino, the current minister of the Imperial Household. Makino is the son of Okubo Toshitsu, the early leader of the Satsuma faction (or the maternal great-grandfather of Taro Aso), when he was old, he was sent to study in the United States, and he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an official before finishing college.

Nobuken Makino hesitated for a moment, then carefully said with his words: "Your Excellency, Your Majesty's body needs to be recuperated, but it is not too much to worry about government affairs...... Now His Royal Highness is in charge of the administration, and the meeting of the five ministers in front of the emperor should be attended by His Royal Highness or the lower officials. ”

As soon as he spoke, Tanaka Yoshiichi let out a long sigh: "Your Highness is young, I don't know that the situation is difficult, and the empire is fighting an unprepared war!" ”

Foreign Minister Kita Yihui also said: "Your Excellency, there are also a lot of complaints in the international community about the empire uniting with Red Russia to go to war with China, Germany and Italy have already declared war on the side of China, although France has not declared war, but it has adopted a policy of supporting China, not only through Guò French Indochina to help China carry out foreign trade, but also let France in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean islands to provide supplies for China's broken ships. Even the Empire's traditional ally, Britain, imported military supplies into China under the pretext of supporting the Soviet rebellion in the Far East. ”

Nobuaki Makino nodded silently and didn't say much, he was a politician of the Anglo-American faction, and of course he knew the attitude of Western countries towards this war. A Japan-Soviet alliance alone would have been enough to alienate these countries from Japan, not to mention the previous insane assassination operations? Yoshiichi Tanaka also smiled bitterly: "Makino-kun." I also know that His Royal Highness Hirohito did this for the sake of the country, and the previous policy of harmony with the country was indeed problematic. But we still have to admit the reality. The current situation of the war has proved that the China Army

Combat effectiveness, the chances of victory for the Imperial Army are slim, and it is time to think about ending the war with dignity. As for the responsibility for this war, of course, it should be borne by the Cabinet, and when the war is over, the Cabinet will always resign. ”

"Tanaka-kun," Makino said with a frown. "The war may end with dignity, but what about the hatred of the dictator of the Empire? The King Kong incident has turned Chang Ruiqing into the most dangerous enemy of the Empire! ”

Yoshiichi Tanaka smiled slightly and said, "Please tell Your Majesty." Weichen has already prepared a way to deal with Chang Ruiqing, but it is not a war. ”

"I see." Nobuaki Makino stood up, bowed, and was about to leave. Yoshiichi Tanaka and Kita Kazuki also stood up with a smile and sent him out of the gate courteously. Leaving with Makino's car, Yoshiichi Tanaka frowned a little distracted, not knowing what he was thinking. At this time, Kita Yihui asked, "Your Excellency." Will Makino report today's meeting to His Royal Highness Hirohito? ”

"Maybe, so what?" Tanaka said with a smile. "The responsibility has already been taken on by the cabinet, so what else does he have to worry about?"

Bei Yihui nodded silently, and asked again: "Your Excellency, you just said that there is a way to deal with Chang Ruiqing?" ”

"It's already been arranged." Tanaka said. "Whether it can succeed or not depends on whether Amaterasu will bless it." He paused, and then said, "Beijun." Diplomatic efforts must be stepped up, and while the situation is not difficult now, I feel that this war will be ended! Please! ”

……

The gunshots crackled like fried beans. The Taisho three-year machine gun, which imitated the French Harbings machine gun, with the sound of panting and firing, was intertwined with the clattering roar of the 65mm Maxim machine gun equipped by the squadron. From time to time, the sound of shells and grenade explosions sounded. In the area of Phoenix Mountain, north of the Yalu River, after the arrival of daylight on July day. The vanguard and reconnaissance patrol units of the Japanese army engaged in fierce encounters with the rear troops of the Chinese army. Both sides fought quite resolutely, especially the Chinese army, which had just been defeated by the Yalu River. It seems that after a night of rectification, the combat strength has been completely restored, and it is ready to rely on Phoenix Mountain to persist in resisting the Japanese attack.

North of the Yalu River, the former enemy headquarters of the Japanese Korean Army in the county town of Andong. As soon as Lieutenant General Shirakawa Yoshinori arrived here, he immediately received a large amount of battlefield information from the vanguard of the 1st and 4th Divisions. The Chinese army desperately resisted in the area of Phoenix Mountain, but the number did not increase significantly, and the number of the identified troops was still the 26th Division of the Chinese Army. There seems to be only one conclusion. The purpose of the Chinese army was to delay the movement of the Japanese army and buy time for the arrival of their reinforcements! At dawn, the order from the base camp was also sent to the headquarters of the Korean army, and the order required the Korean army to approach Liaoyang and Shenyang as close as possible with its existing strength.

Major General Shunroku Hatata, chief of staff of the DPRK Army, stepped into the headquarters at once. Yoshinori Shirakawa was meeting head to head with Lieutenant General Inoue Kitaro, the commander of the 1st Division. Staff officers around him were in and out, and the phones rang non-stop. Seeing Shunroku Hata walking in covered in dust, Shirakawa Yoshinori looked up at him and asked, "Hata-kun, how is the front?" Did the Chinese army build strong fortifications on Phoenix Mountain? ”

It seemed that Shunroku Hata had just returned from the front line, and took a big sip of Liang Baikai handed over by a staff officer, before he replied with a relaxed face: "No, there are no fortifications, just relying on the mountains to resist." However, the Chinese army used heavy artillery bombardment, causing considerable casualties to the imperial army. ”

"Heavy artillery?" Hearing the heavy artillery, Kitaro Inoue's brows furrowed. "What caliber? How many doors are there? ”

"There are 05mm and 55mm heavy guns, and the number is about thirty or forty, right?"

"The heavy artillery regiment of the 9th Army of the Chinese Army should be withdrawn to Fengcheng County." Shunroku Hata said. "Are there any of our intelligence agents in Fengcheng and Andong counties? What news did they send over? ”

"They haven't been contacted yet." Shunroku Hata said. "After the withdrawal of the Kwantung Army and the Manchurian Railway, the intelligence of Manchuria was taken over by the Army Intelligence Bureau, and the specific responsibility was Kawashima Naniwa. Now he is rushing here from Seoul, and he will arrive in the afternoon. When the time comes, you can ask him in person. ”

"It turned out to be this guy who only knows how to pin his hopes on Manchurian!" Shirakawa Yoshinori waved his hand and interrupted: "This official doesn't have the time to listen to his nonsense, just send a staff officer to deal with it." ”

With a sigh of relief, he walked to the edge of the map, pointed to Phoenix Mountain and Xinkailing on the map, and said: "This area is all mountainous areas, the terrain is complex, and Fengcheng has a railway to Liaoyang and Shenyang, connecting the Eastern Railway and the Beijing-Shenyang Railway, so the Chinese army can quickly mobilize troops for defense." The opinion of the lower officials was that the 1st and 4th Divisions should advance quickly, and they must occupy Fengcheng before the arrival of Chinese reinforcements, take control of Fenghuang Mountain and Xinkailing, prepare to fight a defensive battle in this area, and then consider attacking Liaoyang and Shenyang after the Chinese counterattack troops have been exhausted to a certain extent. Commander, can you do this? Do you want to report back to the base camp? ”

Shirakawa Yoshinori dropped the red and blue pencil in his hand, and since yesterday afternoon, he had been in contact with the base camp in Tokyo, hoping to win the last three divisions of the mainland to join the Korean army. But I never received a reply, but I received the news of the resignation of the Minister of War Yusaku Uehara, and at this time there was still a power struggle going on in Tokyo! This made him feel a very ominous premonition in his heart, maybe the North Korean army would become a victim of this power struggle, right? He pointed at Shunroku Hata and said, "Hata-kun, make a plan according to your opinion, and report it to the base camp as soon as it is formulated." Tell them again that if they don't get reinforcements, they won't be able to hit Shenyang by relying on the strength of the Korean army. ”

At this moment, a senior staff officer of the North Korean army suddenly ran in from outside and handed a bunjiàn clip to Shunroku Hata. "Your Excellency Chief of Staff, the urgent telegram just sent from the base camp is top-secret."

"Top secret?" Shunroku Hata looked up and Yoshinori Shirakawa glanced at each other, and hurriedly took the text and opened it, and inside was a yellow copy of the newspaper. There were simply two lines of words written on it, and Jun Hata's eyebrows were twisted.

"What's wrong?" Shirakawa asked.

"The base camp has decided to carry out the Shanghai operation! The main forces of the Third Army and the Combined Fleet will be dispatched within three days, crossing the sea to the west and landing in Hangzhou Bay in China! Our North Korean army has no reinforcements. ”