In the early spring of 1908, when the weather was rare in Tokyo, Emperor Meiji was walking in the Imperial Gardens of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in the company of the Imperial Household Agency, when he was already suffering from diabetes and his health was gradually deteriorating, but his prestige since the Meiji Restoration still held the supreme power of the country firmly in his hands.

The old minister Ito Hirobumi accompanied him, and the two were like friends. The chamberlain of the Imperial Household Agency followed from a distance.

In the face of the rare spring light, the haze of the two of them for many days has also been slightly fanned.

"Do you think we should continue to send troops to China?" Meiji asked.

Ito frowned as he looked at the newly sprouted twigs of the cherry blossom trees in the distance, which stood out against the black trunks.

"Now it is equivalent to saying that we are the only ones in China, and after the German advance team was annihilated, they no longer sent troops, their power in the Far East is very weak, the French power in the Far East has been completely uprooted, and the power of our ally, the British Empire, in this region has been greatly defeated." He stopped with his civilization stick and took a deep breath of early spring air, which he really couldn't decide.

He seemed to have returned to the eve of preparing for war against the Qing Empire.

"This Yongguo, Wang Yong, is simply a freak and does not conform to common sense." Muren muttered.

"Yes, according to our omen, after the revolution in China, it should be stuck in a civil war for decades, which is when our fishermen profit and encroach on it one by one, but I didn't expect the sudden emergence of such a regime as Yongguo, which confiscated property like crazy and defeated so many foreign interference forces." Ito Hirobumi couldn't help but be amazed.

"We still have to fight, once the Yongguo rises and unifies and integrates the traditional spheres of influence, then our Great Japanese Empire is even facing the danger of extinction." Muren said in a deep voice.

"Fight a battle with Yongguo?" Hirobumi Ito asked.

"The Battle of the Nation! The battle of the rise and fall of the imperial kingdom! Muren said categorically: "Once Yongguo frees up his hands, it will inevitably march towards Manchuria, and even North Korea, and our efforts for more than ten years will be ruined!" ”

"Financially?"

"Borrow from the British!"

……

This was the limit situation that Xu Xilin's Second Army encountered when it reached its limit.

But fortunately, Britain was hesitant to give Japan a loan, and it was very unwise for Japan to start a full-scale war with Yongguo before the war loan was repaid after the Russo-Japanese War.

However, the Japanese side was ready to advance first, and the Yongguo was caught off guard, and a steady stream of Japanese troops went to Zhejiang under the transportation of the combined fleet.

In the summer, the Second Army suffered one of its most powerful attacks, and a steady stream of Japanese troops continued to attack the Second Army like a tidal wave, and the nascent Second Army apparently did not encounter such a frenzied attack.

A large number of stalwart officers and veterans died, and the entire army was on the verge of collapse.

The People's Army's motto is "Brothers, follow me!" ", the officer took the lead in the charge, commanding at the front.

After such a long and high-intensity battle, Xu Xilin's body has reached the verge of collapse.

His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the map in front of him.

"Commander, the front position is about to collapse, and if you don't retreat, the headquarters will be directly attacked!" The subordinate said hurriedly.

Xu Xilin gritted his teeth tightly at this time.

At this time, the entire Second Army has been crippled, and the extremely high-intensity combat is too cruel for this new army, if it retreats, it is likely that it will be crushed, and behind it is his hometown, and he must not retreat!

His blood went from extremely hot to extremely cold: "I will hold on here, Baili, you lead the wounded soldiers to withdraw and rest for a while, and then ask for help from the Third Army." ”

"I ...... I know. Jiang Baili stared at this death-defying commander, stood solemnly, saluted him, and walked out of the barracks.

It's too hard to fight! The Second Army was now at the end of its power, and he could clearly see it. Of course, you can't blame others, for example, if the Third Army hadn't been sitting in Huguang, the north was in chaos, recruiting troops, transporting food and weapons, maybe the Second Army would have collapsed more than a month after the war began.

Can the leader be blamed? Attacking everywhere and offending all the powers?

Jiang Baili was a little confused, he looked at the gray clouds in the sky and the rumbling cannons in the distance and couldn't help but sigh softly, if it was him, he would definitely get the domestic revolution first, and look for opportunities to start a war with Britain and France.

But he looked back at the west and couldn't help but smile a little, although the war was unfavorable, but it was only Zhejiang, if the Japanese army defeated their second army and could win, it was completely impossible.

A rising new regime, combined with the vast hinterland of China, could undoubtedly bring down the whole of Japan.

He strode westward.

After letting Jiang Baili retreat first, Xu Xilin turned back and walked out of the bombed and tattered house, but walked towards the front line.

Jiang Baili is a talent, a real talent, with a high military quality, cautious and meticulous in fighting, and it is under his surprise calculations step by step that the Second Army has fought back and forth with the Japanese army step by step, and has supported it until now.

He led the guards to the front, the cannon was getting louder and louder, but he did not panic in the slightest.

He came to the tunnel, looked at the approaching Japanese troops with binoculars, and commanded the soldiers of the Second Army to dispatch.

The soldiers couldn't help but feel more energetic as they watched the commander come to the front line again, fighting side by side with them. Although he did not speak, his movements were faster and more powerful.

From morning to evening, another day, Xu Xilin has been fighting side by side with the soldiers in the tunnel.

The Japanese army is getting closer and closer.

The remnant sun is like blood, and it has come time to retreat, continue to hold out here, either completely annihilated, or captured, in the hands of the Japanese army, it is better to die.

But "Bang! ”

With a dull cannon shot.

"Commander!"

Xu Xilin only felt a sharp pain all over his body, and the whole person seemed to fly, and his consciousness gradually dissipated......

From afar it seemed to be heard: "Third Army...... Third Army ......"

But his brain was no longer able to think.

……

When he woke up again, the weather was already slightly cool, he opened his eyes tiredly and only felt that his whole body was still in pain, and his lower limbs were completely gone, he smiled bitterly: "I haven't died yet......

He tilted his head, the autumn leaves outside the window were just yellow, the white sheets, and the flowers were still on the cabinet next to him.

"Commander Xu! Are you awake? A nurse who entered the room exclaimed in surprise.

……

His son, Xu Xuewen, was at his bedside to explain to him what had happened in the past few months......

After he was wounded, the Third Army surrounded and annihilated the Japanese army from two directions from the north and south of Annan, and now the Japanese army has been cleared from the southeast coast by the Third Army.