Mizuta Mingyuan made a "bang" sound when he fell to the ground, this sound alarmed the guards outside the door, they pushed open the door and rushed in, and found Mizuta Mingyuan lying on the ground, one of the guards immediately ran out of the room to call the military doctor, and the other two helped Mizuta Mingyuan to the chair and sat down, calling Mizuta Mingyuan's name loudly, and Mizuta Mingyuan woke up in a short time.

At this time, the military doctor also rushed to Mizuta Mingyuan's office, and when he saw that Mizuta Mingyuan had woken up, he relieved himself and asked, "Division commander, what's wrong with you?" ”

Mizuta Mingyuan shook his head and said, "It's nothing." ”

The military doctor said: "Division commander, although you are a samurai under His Majesty the Emperor and an excellent commander of the Imperial Army of the Great Japanese Empire, but you must not forget that you are also an old man of nearly sixty years old, and at your age, it is easy to get some diseases, some of which are very terrible and life-threatening, and sudden fainting is the precursor to these diseases, so I hope you can tell me the reason for your fainting, what stimulation did you receive?" Or did you suddenly faint for no reason? ”

Mizuta Mingyuan smiled bitterly in his heart: "I'll tell you the reason?" Tell you what? Our grain depot was blown up by Lin Yuan's troops, and there is not much grain in the barracks? We don't have to starve to death for a month? I tell you this, I am afraid that you will be the one who has passed out. ”

So Mizuda Mingyuan said: "I really have nothing to do, military doctor, you should go and treat those wounded and sick." ”

The military doctor said again: "Division commander, if your life is in danger, then it is the loss of our Great Japanese Empire, and I, the military doctor, are a sinner through the ages. ”

Mizuta Mingyuan said: "I really have nothing to do, you guys should leave quickly." The military doctors and guards just went out, Mizuta Mingyuan thought for a while, picked up the phone at hand, and said, "Pick me up the captain of the logistics brigade." When the phone was not connected, Mizuta Mingyuan said: "In order to have a long-term confrontation with Lin Yuan's troops, starting today, reduce the food ration for everyone." ”

After Mizuda Mingyuan finished speaking, he hung up the phone, and then said, "Pick me up the captain of the gendarmerie." ”

The voice of the captain of the gendarmerie rang on the phone: "General, what orders do you have?" ”

Mizuda Mingyuan said: "Immediately control the grain stores in the city, and the North Korean people are not allowed to buy grain." ”

The captain of the gendarmerie said: "The Korean people in the city do not have much stock in their homes, and they all rely on selling grain to get by. ”

Mizuta Mingyuan said angrily in a low voice: "Execute the order." ”

The captain of the gendarmerie said helplessly: "My subordinates understand! ”

Mizuda Mingyuan hung up the phone and thought about it, and then said to the phone: "Pick up the propaganda captain, the propaganda captain?" Immediately erect a couple of examples of food saving in the army, understand? ”

The propaganda captain agreed repeatedly, and Mizuta Mingyuan put down the phone at this time, sat down on the chair with a dejected face, and then called the guards and said, "Go and invite the head of the Aso Division and the captain of the Kumamoto Wing." ”

When the time came, Anren and Kumamoto came to Mizuta Akira's office, Mizuta Akito said, "I'm sure everyone has heard the news that our granary was blown up, right?" ”

Aso Yasuhito and Kumamoto Maseichi nodded one after another, and Mizuta Akito said: "I have already taken measures such as reducing food rations, controlling grain stores, etc., but after all, it is a symptom rather than a cure, and now we must come up with a way to get us out of danger!" ”

Aso Yasuhito thought for a while and said, "Mizuta-kun still wants to retreat?" ”

Mizuta Mingyuan said solemnly: "Aso-kun, we are not retreating, we are moving forward strategically!" Militarily, sometimes retreat is to better destroy the enemy, so our retreat is not the loser's hugging of the head, but the victor's taoguang and obscurity. ”

Aso Anren frowned and said, "But we are the backup of Hamgyong Mountain, and if we retreat, Hamgyong Mountain will not be able to hold it." ”

Mizuta Mingyuan said: "The reason why we can become the backup of Hamgyong Mountain is because we have a lot of food here, and they don't need weapons and equipment very much, but now we have no food here, how can we act as a backup for Hamgyong Mountain?" ”

Aso Yasuhito nodded and said, "Then according to Mizuta-kun's intentions, we should also withdraw the defenders in Hamgyong Mountain?" ”

Mizuta Mingyuan said: "Yes, I also have this idea, since the grain warehouse was destroyed, the Qingjin Port was also controlled by Lin Yuan, and the passage from Qingjin south to the rest of Korea was also blocked by Lin Yuan's troops, and the defenders in the Hamgyong Mountains had no food backup, without food, it was only a matter of time before they were broken by Lin Yuan's troops, in this case, we might as well withdraw the troops in the mountains and join forces together, so that our troops would be 60,000, and Lin Yuan's troops ashore would be less than 40,000, and we would have a strength advantage." ”

"Moreover, Lin Yuan's 40,000 troops are scattered and deployed, and they have little connection with each other, if we concentrate a little, we will be able to break through quickly, and then join forces with the defenders in the direction of Jizhou, and the strength will be even stronger."

Aso thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I agree with this opinion. ”

Mizuta Aketo said: "Then I will report this news to General Nogi." ”

Aso stood up and said, "Then you should inform us first, and I will deal with our wounded and sick." ”

Mizuta Aketo asked, "Deal with the wounded and sick?" What do you mean? ”

Aso said, "We can't retreat with those wounded and sick, it's too troublesome, and they still have to spend food, so let them be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor with their lives." ”

Mizuda Aketo said: "Wait a minute, I will ask General Nogi first, if General Nogi agrees with my opinion, I will blow up the granary, and report the lack of food in the army to the whole army." ”

Aso Yasuhito nodded, Mizuta Mingyuan picked up the phone, connected Nogi Noshinori, and said in a heavy tone: "General Nogi, our granary was blown up by Lin Yuan's troops, and now there is no grain in Qingjin City, and the military food reserves of each unit are only enough to last for three days!" Therefore, our department requested to join the defenders of Hamgyong Mountain and make a strategic transfer! ”

Nogi Noshinori was also extremely shocked after hearing the news, he immediately calculated the current battlefield situation in his heart, the army, the ninth division is advancing along the railway to Qingjin, but due to the damage of the railway in many places, they can only use the way of maneuvering on foot, in recent days it has snowed heavily in North Korea, on the one hand, the road is difficult, on the other hand, the temperature has plummeted, resulting in frostbite in many Japanese troops, so it is not clear how much time the land reinforcements can take to rush to Qingjin.

On the naval side, Togo Heihachiro's fleet had already departed from the port of Incheon on 12 February, and it would take four days to reach the Cheongjin area, but could the navy be able to defeat the fleet of Lin Yuan's troops?

Nogi Noshinori hesitated for a while, but he quickly thought: "I'll let Mizuta Mingyuan's troops come out of Qingjin first, and the defenders of Hamgyongsan will not move, if the navy defeats Lin Yuan's fleet, then we will counterattack back!" Without the support of the sea, Lin Yuan's troops are definitely not our opponents, okay, let's do it! ”

Nogi Noshinori then called the operator and said, "Activate the No. 16 communication code, send a report to Mizuta Mingyuan, and let the 7th Division and the 8th Division withdraw from Cheongjin, and the 2nd Division in the Hamgyong Mountains will not move for the time being. ”