In the area held by the Japanese army in the north of Jinzhou City, in a compound that was still heavily defended, the commander of the Japanese Southern Route Army, Oyama Yan, had an abnormally ruddy face, and he looked at the commander of the Third Division, Katsura Taro, who had gauze wrapped around his arm, and asked, "How is the position in the west?" ”

Katsura Taro said gloomily: "The western position has lost contact with us!" However, from the sound of gunfire, it can be concluded that the 8th and 14th Divisions are still holding on! ”

Da Shanyan nodded and continued to ask, "How is Futian-kun?" "The commander of the 8th Division, Hideo Fukuda, was seriously injured by the artillery fire of the Dingbei Army and has been rescuing.

Katsura Taro said with a sad face: "Fukuda-kun has already been loyal to His Majesty the Emperor!" ”

When Oyama Iwa heard that Hideo Fukuda was dead, he sighed and said, "Fukuda-kun will go first, and we will soon be loyal to the emperor!" ”

Katsura Taro couldn't help but say, "Commander! We've been in Golden State City for 5 days now! Isn't it time to consider breaking through! ”

Da Shanyan explained: "Before the attack of the Dingbei Army, His Excellency Youpeng of Shan County sent me a letter, and he was ready to take the North Route Army directly south to attack Shanhaiguan!" One more day if we hold on here in Jinzhou, we can buy one more day for the Northern Route Army! As long as we can take Shanhaiguan, the situation of our entire war will become very favorable to our Japanese Empire! ”

Then Oyama Iwa bowed deeply to Katsura Taro, "Commander of Katsura Taro's division, I, as your commander, have led you to defend the dead land of Jinzhou City!" I can only apologize to you! ”

Katsura Taro said excitedly, "Commander! Since we are here to buy time for the Northern Route Army! Then our sacrifice is worth it! Commander, I'm going to lay out the line, we'll hold out for at least 2 days! ”

Oyama Yan leaked a smile: "Commander Katsura Taro has worked hard for you!" Katsura Taro turned and walked out of Oyama Rock's headquarters.

On the 5th day of the Dingbei Army's attack on Jinzhou City, although the 3rd and 6th Divisions that attacked the last two areas of the Japanese army intensified their attacks, and the artillery fire of the Dingbei Army also continued to bombard the last two areas of the Japanese army, they still did not clear the last positions of the Japanese army!

On the 6th day of the Dingbei Army's attack on Jinzhou City, the attacking troops were replaced by the 7th and 8th Divisions of the Dingbei Army. At Lin Daxin's forward headquarters outside Jinzhou City, Zhao Hu, the commander of the Second Division, hurriedly walked into the headquarters and saw Lin Daxin anxiously said: "Principal! In the direction of Pulandian, outside Jinzhou City, the Japanese troops were found, and the specific number is unknown! But at least tens of thousands of Japanese troops! ”

Lin Daxin stood up from his chair in surprise, "Japanese reinforcements? Where did they come from? ”

Zhao Hu then asked, "Headmaster! What do we do now? ”

Lin Daxin thought about it for a while and asked, "What happened to the last two Japanese positions?" ”

Zhao Hu said: "The Seventh and Eighth Divisions are still attacking, and it is still difficult to clear the Japanese army today!" ”

Now that Shanhaiguan has been lost and Japanese reinforcements have also come, Lin Daxin ordered: "Let the attacking troops withdraw from Jinzhou City and return to the fortifications we built outside Jinzhou City!" As for the remnants of the Japanese army in the city, let's leave them alive first! ”

The 7th and 8th Divisions, which attacked the last two positions of the Japanese army, withdrew from Jinzhou City with the remains of the fallen soldiers after receiving Lin Daxin's order!

At the headquarters of Oyama Rock, the commander of the Third Division, Katsura Taro, stumbled into the headquarters, and a look of ecstasy leaked from his tired face, "Commander! Commander! The Dingbei Army retreated! The Dingbei Army retreated! ”

The commander of the Japanese Southern Route Army, Oyama Yan, who was already preparing to commit suicide by caesarean section, suddenly jumped up when he heard this, and asked loudly in confirmation: "The Dingbei Army has retreated?" Are you sure? ”

Katsura Taro said with certainty: "The Dingbei Army has indeed retreated!" The soldiers I sent reported that the Dingbei Army had all withdrawn from Jinzhou City and returned to the positions built by the Dingbei Army outside Jinzhou City. ”

Dashanyan wondered: "Why did the Dingbei Army retreat? Could it be that Shanhaiguan has been captured by the Northern Route Army? Or have reinforcements from the base camp arrived? ”

Dashanyan did not guess wrong, Shanhaiguan was indeed captured by the Northern Route Army led by Youpeng in Shanxian County! Reinforcements from the Japanese mainland have also arrived!

The Korean Strait and the waters of Liaodong Bay were blocked by the naval fleet of the Naval Academy, and the Japanese base camp had to use transport ships loaded with reinforcements to support them, detoured from the Sea of Japan, landed at Cheongjin in northern Korea, and then made a long journey to support the Japanese forces in Liaodong and Shanhaiguan.

This time, the Japanese base camp sent the fourth division and 40,000 recruits, and mobilized nearly 50 transport ships.

The base camp gave an order to the commander of the Combined Fleet, Ito Yushiro, that if the Beiyang Naval Division was encountered, the Combined Fleet would ensure this escort mission even if the entire army was wiped out, so that 60,000 Japanese troops could land safely in Korea.

The Japanese transport fleet was lucky enough to evade the cruising warships of the Navy of the Navy and landed in Shunlì in the north of Korea under the escort of several combined fleet warships!

Then the Fourth Division and 20,000 Japanese recruits rushed all the way to Jinzhou, while the remaining 20,000 Japanese recruits rushed to the direction of Shanhaiguan.

Not long after the Dingbei Army withdrew from Jinzhou City, the Fourth Division and 20,000 Japanese recruits rushed to Jinzhou City at Takahashi Dedao, the commander of the Fourth Division!

At this time, the Japanese Southern Route Army has almost faced the realm of annihilation in Jinzhou City, before the Dingbei Army attacked Jinzhou City, there were more than 84,000 people in 7 divisions and 1 heavy artillery brigade of the Southern Route Army, and after the Dingbei Army withdrew from Jinzhou, Dashan Yanyi counted the number of Japanese troops on the last two positions, and suddenly the old tears were rampant, and the entire Southern Route Army was left with less than 8,000 people alive.

Three of the seven division commanders were killed, including the commander of the 9th Division, Masao Fujita, the commander of the 13th Division, Yanuchi Takeya, and the commander of the 14th Division, Ryutoku Mori. The last 18 127-mm howitzers of the heavy artillery brigade were all blown up, and the new brigade commander, Takahisa Masuda, was killed.

Dashanyan thought that Jinzhou City had no meaning to occupy, and joined the Fourth Division and 20,000 recruits, and also withdrew from Jinzhou City and retreated to Pulandian. Immediately, the Dingbei Army occupied the ruined Jinzhou City!

Although there were tanks, armored vehicles and other cross-era equipment, the entire Jinzhou offensive brought almost devastating blows to the Japanese Southern Route Army, but it still caused a lot of losses to the Dingbei Army, with more than 12,000 killed and nearly 10,000 wounded in the Dingbei Army.

And in Shanhaiguan because of the defeat of the Shanhaiguan defenders, the casualties were not very large, and the Shanhaiguan guarded by 100,000 Qing troops only paid the price of 5,000 people, and occupied Shanhaiguan, which is known as the first pass in the world!

There are also 35,000 people of the Northern Route Army, and after receiving 20,000 Japanese recruits supported by the base camp, Youpeng in Shan County began to be ambitious and prepared to continue to attack south, and the troops came to Beijing, the capital of the Qing Dynasty!

Yiketanga and Nie Shicheng, who escaped from the Shanhaiguan defense line, gathered the rout troops who escaped from Shanhaiguan in Funing City, which was not far from Shanhaiguan, and Yiketanga, who was defeated repeatedly and still wounded, gathered nearly 40,000 people, preparing to continue to resist the Japanese army in Funing City.

But Iktanga knew in his heart that it was impossible to resist the powerful Japanese army with these nearly 40,000 defeated soldiers!

The rulers of the Qing court were frightened after the loss of Shanhaiguan, and the Empress Dowager Cixi was ready to escape from Beijing. The imperial court also knew that the 40,000 defeated soldiers of Iktanga had no combat effectiveness, so on the one hand, they transferred troops from Zhili to strengthen the defense of Beijing City, and on the other hand, they asked the ministers of the five countries to mediate the war between the Qing Dynasty and Japan!

In the Xinuan Pavilion of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, Prince Gong Yixin and Li Hongzhang are discussing the current war!

The Empress Dowager Cixi turned to Li Hongzhang and asked, "How is the mediation of the ministers of the five countries?" Did the Japanese reply? ”

Li Hongzhang said with a bitter face: "Queen Mother! The envoys of the five countries came with the conditions for the armistice of Japan! But the conditions in Japan are too harsh! ”

Cixi asked in a slow voice, "What are the conditions in Japan?" ”

Li Hongzhang continued: "The Japanese demanded that we, the Qing Dynasty, admit defeat! Ceded Mukden, Shandong, and Taiwan to Japan, and the warships of the entire Beiyang Naval Division were handed over to Japan as compensation for the losses of the Japanese Combined Fleet in naval battles! Compensate Japan for military spending of 300 million taels of silver! Recognition of Korea as a vassal state of Japan! ”

Japan's conditions made the Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu and Prince Gong Yixin speechless for a long time, knowing that the Japanese would open their mouths widely, but they didn't expect the Japanese to open their mouths so big, and the whale's mouth was not so big! If the Japanese agreed to the conditions, it would be said that 300 million taels of silver would be equivalent to the total income of the entire Qing government for four years. In addition, it is necessary to cede Mukden, Shandong, and Taiwan, and compensate the Beiyang Naval Division, which is now the most powerful fleet in the whole of Asia, to the Japanese Combined Fleet!

After being silent in the Xinuan Pavilion for a while, Emperor Guangxu first said: "Dear father! The Japanese deceive people too much! These conditions must not be granted! Why don't we move the capital to the south, and then mobilize men and horses to continue fighting with the Japanese! I don't believe it, I have 40,000 people in the Qing Dynasty, and I can't beat a small Japanese country! ”

When Cixi heard this, she glanced at Guangxu with her eyes, snorted coldly and said, "Hmph! Move the capital! You can't figure it out! You think it's a playhouse! ”

Guangxu opened his mouth and didn't say anything more.

Prince Gong Yixin said at this time: "Now the Japanese combined fleet has been defeated by our Qing Dynasty!" Although we have some disadvantages in land battles, it is not so obvious! Lin Daxin, the governor of Fengtian, had just defeated the Japanese Southern Route Army in Jinzhou City, annihilating tens of thousands of enemies! Such harsh conditions for the Japanese are obviously blackmail! ”

Cixi asked Yi Xin, "What does Prince Gong mean?" You must know that the Japanese are about to hit the city of Beijing! ”

Prince Gong Yixin said: "The minister thinks that the Japanese are asking for a sky-high price, and we can pay it back on the spot!" ”

Cixi nodded when she heard this, "Prince Gong's words are reasonable!" In this way, Li Hongzhang, you go to the ministers of the five countries, and say that our Qing Dynasty has not yet been defeated, and Japan's conditions are too harsh! I hope that the ministers of the five countries will come forward and let the Qing Dynasty and Japan sit down and talk! You can talk about anything! ”

Li Hongzhang nodded and took the order, and then asked, "Queen Mother, what is the bottom line of our Qing Dynasty?" ”

Cixi thought for a while and said, "You talk first, try to only pay some silver to the Japanese!" Let them stop and stop! If you can not cut the land, you will not cut the land, our Qing Dynasty has already cut a lot of land, and if we continue to cut it like this, there will not be much left of the inheritance left by our ancestors, alas-"