What does it mean when Longkou Town is occupied, Terauchi Masayi is certainly very clear. So in order to ensure that he and the young people under his command could return to Japan alive, Terauchi Masashi almost immediately commanded the troops to launch a counterattack.

Terauchi Masatsu's first order was to take the initiative to retreat to the second line of defense, reduce the length of the line of defense, and the pressure that needs to be faced. This would also allow him to draw more troops to Longkou Town, which he did after retreating to the second line of defense.

Not long after the first infantry brigade was sent back to Longkou Town, another vacant brigade was also sent back.

However, this brigade has just been pulled down from the battlefield, and both officers and soldiers are very tired, so it is difficult to say how much combat strength will be left. But they also knew very well what the price of Longkou Town being taken down, so there was almost no need for Terauchi Masayi to do any mobilization, and the soldiers of this brigade had already rushed towards Longkou Town at the speed of a rapid march.

Counting the brigade that had already driven over before, and the brigade that had been driven out of the city, the strength of the troops in Longkou Town this time totaled more than 10,000 people, which was almost not inferior to Liu Guangyuan, who lacked a cavalry regiment.

After learning that Longkou Town had been captured, the Japanese Navy also rushed back as fast as possible, and on the way to meet Rear Admiral Nanzaki, who had only broken through from the bay not long ago.

Although the army and navy have always been at odds, not long ago, because of the failure of the escort escort, the army of the two divisions and regiments was almost completely wiped out, and domestic public opinion was very unfavorable to the navy, so the navy people did not want to be charged with another crime. After all, there are 70,000 or 80,000 Japanese troops in Shandong at the moment, and if they are all annihilated by Chinese in one go―――――― the army will definitely be unlucky. But the Navy may not end well.

And the negotiations that began in Beijing not so long ago have already been informed of the contents of the Japanese Navy.

It is clear that if the Chinese are allowed to succeed, the conditions they put forward will severely harm Japan's interests in China. So no matter how much the Navy looks at the Army, it is not pleasing to the eye. I won't hold back the army at this time, after all, they are still the more rational kind, unlike the people in the army who are impulsive...

It's just that Nanqi and the others are not very clear about whether they can take Longkou Bay, after all, they are only the navy, and in the absence of marines, it is indeed not easy for them to take Longkou Town. So all they can do is to carry out non-stop shelling of the town of Longkou, and the rest ...

"It's up to the Army," Nansaki sighed, standing on the bridge of the cruiser that had fled.

He escaped though. But most of the troops fell in the bay, so what will happen to him in the end, even Nansaki himself doesn't know.

"General..."Seeing that Nansaki seemed to be very depressed, an officer standing next to him reassured. Rest assured. Checkmate. That group of Chinese doesn't seem to have many troops, and we can definitely take back Longkou Town..."

Hearing the persuasion of his subordinates, Nanqi nodded, but he didn't have much confidence in his heart.

Because as mentioned above, if you want to recapture Longkou Town, you can't rely on the navy alone, and you can only contribute to the army. The problem is the Army today......... Will it work?

He was very clear about the situation of the army, from the landing to the present. Basically did not win several battles, and each time was suppressed by the superior firepower of the Chinese. The so-called Yamato soul is even more useless, and now even the vital town of Longkou has been occupied―――――― although the loss of Longkou Town has a lot to do with the navy...

All in all, he didn't think the army was capable of retaking Longkou Town.

"Maybe we really made a mistake in this war..."

――――――――――――――――――――

In order to be able to recapture Longkou Town and open the way home, the Japanese army almost moved towards Longkou Town. In the early stage, after the Japanese army converged with the original defenders, they launched a fierce offensive against Longkou Town, and those Japanese soldiers who were not afraid of death also impressed Liu Guangyuan and others.

It's just that in the face of the absolute firepower disparity, those armies have hardly been able to move forward.

The difference in firepower between the two sides was too great, not to mention anything else, and after attacking the city, the Wehrmacht even got more than a dozen Japanese Haqikais in the city. Although it seems to be not as easy to use as the Wehrmacht's Makqin heavy machine gun, the Wehrmacht's firepower has reached a higher level...

As a result, in the face of the new rudimentary defensive line of the Wehrmacht, the Japanese troops who captured the city almost ran into a bloody outlet.

That is, when it was lively in Shandong, Rizhiyi, who was far away in Beijing, had also received the news of the fall of Longkou Town. Although he is only a diplomat, he is clear about the importance of Longkou Town, and he also knows very well that if Longkou Town is really no longer in his hands, then Japan will not only lose this war, but...

I'm afraid I'm going to lose badly...

And after reacting, Rizhiyi also sent a telegram to China.

The content on the telegram was very simple, it was two building yì.

One is to ask the country to find a way to relieve the siege of Terauchi Zhengyi and bring them back from Shandong, so that things can take a turn for the better.

As for the other one...

Simpler, it is to immediately enter into peace talks with the Chinese, and make sure to reach an agreement before the Japanese army in Shandong is annihilated.

Rizhiyi is very clear about the difference between peace talks after his own troops are completely annihilated, or just peace talks after being trapped. The former not only meant complete defeat, but as long as they did not intend to abandon the captured officers and soldiers, no matter how harsh the conditions of the victors, they could only find a way to agree.

As for the latter...

Although it was actually a failure, at least it still had some dignity, and the most important thing was that at this time, most of the great powers were faintly on the side of Japan, and of course Hichiki knew what the reason was, but he was very clever not to say it, and he just intended to take advantage of it.

And as long as he has the support of the great powers, coupled with that little bit of dignity, he can have some room for bargaining anyway...

Otherwise, even with the support of the great powers, it may be useless at all, because Rizhiyi knows very well that the support of the great powers is at best verbal. Whether it is Britain, France and Russia, which are already mired in the quagmire of the European war. Or the United States, which is making a lot of war money, will never be able to focus on the Far East at this time.

So at this time, Japan can only rely on itself...

It's just that although Ri Zhiyi feels that his method is very reasonable, he has no confidence in whether the country can accept him. Because he knew exactly what the war meant for the country. If after paying a huge price, not only did they not get any benefits, but they had to lose a lot, even the open-minded Japanese probably couldn't accept it, not to mention that the Japanese have always been very extreme...

It is true that not only Nichito, but also many people in Japan at this time are building Yì Okuma Shigenobu immediately negotiated with the Chinese government. To avoid that the Japanese army in Shandong was really annihilated by the Wehrmacht, if that was the case, then the Japanese government should not talk about bargaining chips in its hands. I'm afraid even the last bit of fig leaf will have to be removed.

So if they don't want to face the worst, peace talks with the national government will be their best option.

It's just that in Japan, although Shigenobu Okuma is the prime minister, it is not very useful to speak sometimes, at least if there is no nod from a veteran like Yama Prefecture Yutomo. It is almost impossible to want peace talks. I don't know what I think in my heart. Although the matter is urgent, Shan County Youpeng has no intention of expressing his position...

In the end, when there was no other way, Okuma Shigenobu could only give Hinata a message.

"Negotiate with the Communist government in advance to reach an armistice, and as far as the rest of the ......... We'll talk about it later..."

For Shigenobu Okuma, the most important thing at the moment is to stop the war first, and let Masanchi Masanchi in Shandong take a breath. Only then will Okuma Shigenobu have time to make a choice, whether to admit defeat like this. Or find a way to reinforce the temple in Shandong, or...

Is there something else to do?

No matter which one it is. It all takes time, so Okuma Shigenobu can only rely on the day to delay time.

――――――――――――――――――――

"Your Excellency—" Seeing that Ri Zhiyi was staring at the telegram, a counselor standing next to him said with some hesitation.

"Ahh Prepare for me, and make another call to the presidential palace and say that I want to see Yan Shao..."

It was clear what Ri Zhiyi was going to do, and the counselor didn't ask too much, nodded his head and turned to leave. At the same time, Ri Zhiyi's face showed deep bitterness.

"No matter which choice you choose, you can't escape the fate of failure......... If the Empire is defeated and has to sign some humiliating treaties, I don't know what will happen to me..."

Thinking of this, Hichiki smiled bitterly.

He was very clear about the atmosphere in the country, because the war had always been 'smooth', so the people were still relatively supportive of the war―――――― although each war did not bring any benefit to the common people.

But if it fails, with the radicalism of the domestic population...

Rizhiyi doesn't know what kind of fate he will be, maybe .........

"It's probably the same as His Excellency Ito, but this time it's not the Koreans who are responsible for the assassination, but the Japanese..."

While Hi Zhiyi was sighing there, the counselor walked back.

"Your Excellency, everything has been arranged, that Yan Shao's adjutant Wu Qianqiu said that you are very welcome..."

"Hmm..."Nodding, putting the hat he usually likes to wear on his head, Rizhiyi spoke. In that case, let's go..."

――――――――――――――――――――

Riding in a 'Liulan' car, Rizhiyi's face once again showed a trace of helplessness.

Although there were some automobile factories in Japan that handled automobiles, at that time, Japanese automobiles were still in the stage of half-workshop and half-assembly line, so the cost can be said to be high.

Of course, if it's just that, forget it, the key is that the quality of the car is not very good.

Therefore, diplomatic envoys like Hichiki sometimes use cars that can only be foreign. First, it is cheaper, and secondly, it is at least technically guaranteed.

As the overlord of today's automobile industry, Yushi Group's products have undoubtedly become the best choice.

After all, 'Liulan' is not only of sufficient grade, but also cheap and cost-effective. Arguably the best option. Not only in Japan, but also in some other countries, Ryulan has been chosen as a scooter.

If it were for the past, of course, I wouldn't have any idea about it. But in this situation where his own country is about to lose, sitting in a car produced by the victorious country, Rizhiyi has a sense of helplessness...

However, Rizhiyi quickly let go of this feeling and turned to another matter, that is, something related to peace talks. However, peace talks are not the key, because, as Shigenobu Okuma said, the most important thing at the moment is a ceasefire. Think about the rest later.

So after adjusting his mentality, Rizhiyi tidied up his clothes before ordering the driver to drive.

'Ryulan'...

At present, Yushi Group sells one of the best products. On the streets of Beijing, the most driven cars are the 'Raindrop' series and 'Liulan', and as for other brands of cars, they were often seen in the early years. But in the past two years, it has almost disappeared.

And because of this. There is a 'Liulan' car driving on the streets of Beijing, but it is not a big deal. But some of the things hanging on the car make people feel a little unsightly...

That's the Japanese flag on the front of the car...

As Japan's minister to China, Nippon Zhiyi must hang the national flag on his car, because this is the only way to identify himself.

However, at this moment, although China and Japan have not yet declared war on each other, they actually have little news with the enemy countries. And Beijing, once the Beijing Division. and at the foot of the Son of Heaven, it has always been a well-informed place. Therefore, almost all the residents of Beijing know that their country is now at war with Japan in Shandong, and the symbol of this country is the one hanging on the car of Rizhi Yi...

Because of this, on the way to the presidential palace by Rizhiyi, almost everyone who watched him drive by was cold. Fortunately, at this time, all the good news came back from the front line, and these people had a somewhat victorious mentality, plus a large part of the people still didn't know much about the concept of the country, so they didn't react excessively, but the antipathy towards Japan was deeply imprinted in their hearts...

It's not that Zhiyi is unaware of this, it's just that he has more important things to do at this moment, so he doesn't have the psychology to do this kind of thing...

――――――――――――――――――――

In the presidential palace, Yan Shao was looking at a telegram coming back from the front line.

This telegram has been in his hands for a while, but Yan Shao has read it many times, because this is the telegram that Liu Guangyuan sent to Yan Shao after taking Longkou Town, and its significance is very important.

It's just that just when Yan Shao was a little fascinated by reading the telegram, there was a knock on the door.

"President, the Japanese minister has arrived..."

"It's already there?" Although he didn't really want to see this Japanese, Yan Shao nodded and said. "Then let him in, just in time to talk to him about something..."

"Yes!"

After receiving the answer, Wu Qianqiu left the door.

At the same time, after learning that Rizhiyi had arrived, Yan Shao also hurriedly sorted out the telegram, but he did not put it away, but put it in a more conspicuous place on the table. It's certainly impossible to see at a glance, but if you pay a little attention, you can still notice that there is such an object on the table.

This can be regarded as a little malice from Yan Shao...

On the other hand, under the leadership of Wu Qianqiu, Rizhiyi has also come to the office.

"Your Excellency the President..."Looking at Yan Shao, who was still sitting behind the desk, Ri Zhiyi said very politely. After all, the defeat of the Shandong war is already a matter on the chopping block, and Ri Zhiyi's face is no longer arrogant.

"Mr. Minister—" got up from his seat with a smile, and after asking Rizhiyi to sit down, Yan Shao returned to his original position. Why, is there anything you have to advise Mr. Minister today? ”

"Don't dare to advise...", shaking his head slightly, Ri Zhiyi's expression has returned to its original appearance. I believe that His Excellency the President is also very clear about the purpose of the contemptible people coming this time, and the war in Shandong is still going on, and there are also a large number of casualties in your two countries, which is undoubtedly a very unfortunate thing for your two countries......... It can also give you and us a buffer..."

"Do you mean that you want a ceasefire with us?"

Hearing Ri Zhiyi's words, a smile appeared on Yan Shao's face.

"That's right," Hinata nodded. That's true, after all, if you continue to fight, it won't do anyone any good..."

"It's not good for your country, right?" shook his head slightly, Yan Shao smiled slightly. Didn't I say that if we want to hold peace talks, we can only agree to our country's conditions, that is, the rights and interests of the Northeast, the garrison, and the concessions and indemnities, and only if we agree to these things, will our country agree to peace talks..."

"But..."Hearing this, Hi Zhiyi frowned slightly.

However, Yan Shao said undoubtedly. "It's won by the winner, it's like you're playing a game, and now that you've finished it perfectly, you're naturally getting the prize you deserve..."

Although he can reluctantly say that Japan has not lost in Shandong, anyone can see the facts. Now that Japan has been defeated in Shandong, it will not do any good to continue to hold on. It's just that if he is allowed to admit it like this, it is not only inconsistent with the meaning of the country, but also contrary to his will.

However, just when Rizhiyi was in a dilemma, Yan Shao said softly.

"Well, I'm quite interested in the ceasefire..."

Saying this, Yan Shao's face showed a smile full of malice. (To be continued......)