Nakamura Masao hurriedly said: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, you can make a decision directly on this matter, I fully support your opinion, you are an imperial general, and you are a hundred times stronger than me militarily, or you can make up your own mind." ”

When Mu Yang heard this, a warm smile appeared on his face, and he said to Nakamura Masao: "I suddenly remembered that you are still a lieutenant general, which is obviously inconsistent with your position, and tomorrow I will personally issue a warrant to promote you to the rank of imperial general and enjoy the title of marshal." ”

Nakamura Masao's face showed joy, and he hurriedly said: "Thank you, Your Excellency, Nakamura can be where you are today, thanks to the cultivation of Your Excellency the Prime Minister, I will resolutely stand by His Excellency the Prime Minister and support all the decisions of His Excellency the Prime Minister." ”

The next day, the Japanese War Department and the General Staff Headquarters jointly issued a document.

"First, the Chinese Dispatch Army, the Kwantung Army, and the General Air Force are required to draw half of their troops from the Chinese battlefield and directly supplement them to the Southern Army.

Second, it demanded that the troops remaining in China should not cause trouble in the near future, focus on strategic defense, and the General Staff Headquarters would not arrange any more major wars, and should focus on the war situation in Southeast Asia, and after the victory over the US forces in Southeast Asia, they would unify the whole of Asia.

Third, the Navy is requested to cooperate with this personnel transfer and maintain the safety of the sea lines of communication.

Fourth, in Southeast Asia, the Southern Army must withstand the attack of the US forces, and must exert all its strength and assume the posture of a decisive battle with the US forces for the next battle. ”

After this order was transmitted to China, many Japanese generals in the Chinese theater felt that this order was simply nonsense. After reading the telegraph materials in his hand, Okamura Ninji directly crumpled them into a ball and threw them out.

"Bastard. Kuniaki Koiso, this conspirator, put His Excellency Hideki Tojo. Sugiyama Mototo and Umezu Mijiro were both killed, and now there is a matter of starting to check the army. Who did he think he was, bastard, just a bastard. If I were in the country, I would have killed him directly. Okamura Ninji cursed loudly.

As the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Dispatch Army, Okamura Ninji is too aware of the current situation in China, and it is not at all what the telegram says, and now that the war situation in China is stable, a large number of troops can be dispatched to support the Southern Army.

When the No. 1 Operational Plan was carried out before, the Japanese army drew a large number of troops from all local forces. It has seriously affected the Japanese army's maintenance of local stability, and both the Kuomintang and Communist armies have a tendency to rise, and the people below have made great efforts to maintain local stability.

Now the General Staff Headquarters requires half of the army to be sent to support the Southern Army, not to mention that Hideki Tojo can't send so many troops, even if he does, he won't give up half of the army.

Besides, the current situation in China. If he did send half of the army, it is estimated that the Japanese army will be crushed by the Chinese army in a short time, and by that time, the foundation that the empire has worked so hard for decades to win. will be ruined.

"Contact the Chief of the General Staff, His Excellency Matsui Taikuro, and ask him to come to me, we need to have a good discussion." Okamura Ninji said to the secretary of staff.

After the arrival of the Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese Dispatch Army, General Matsui Taikuro. The two of them were alone in the room, and they began to deliberate.

"Matsui-kun, civil strife in Tokyo. It has already affected the army, just now. In the name of the War Department and the General Staff Headquarters, Koiso Kuniaki issued an order asking us to withdraw half of our troops to support the Southern Army. Okamura asked.

Matsui Taikuro's face was not good-looking, nodded and said: "I received it, and the telegram strictly ordered the staff to do a good job of supervising the transfer of troops, requiring that it must be done in accordance with the requirements of the order, and all preparations for the transfer must be made before December 30, and action must start on January 1." ”

"Then don't we only have 10 days to prepare, it's really a random command, this involves the transfer of half a million troops, what can we do in 10 days. Kuniaki Koiso is a bastard, a bastard. Okamura scolded again.

"This is not the point, the point is that if we really obey the order and send troops to support the Southern Army, then the war situation in China will be directly lost, which is absolutely impossible. Could it be that the empire wants us to give up the Chinese battlefield directly? ”

Matsui Taikuro asked, "Then what should we do, disobey directly." ”

Okamura stood up and walked around the house several times before finally making up his mind. "We must disobey orders, this order is absurd, only a fool with no brains would come up with such a battle plan, it's just nonsense, we, as generals who lead troops to fight outside, must not listen to those fools' random commands, Matsui-kun, I want to order the army to continue to hold the position, what do you think."

Matsui Taikuro's eyes narrowed, and then he said: "Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, as the commander-in-chief of the dispatch army, you naturally have the right to do so, and I agree with you in principle. However, how do you reply to Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso, you know, he now controls the power of the cabinet and the military department, and if we do not obey his orders, then how can we ensure the logistics of our army? ”

As long as the War Department cuts off the army's logistical supply, how long can the entire army support it, and don't expect the Japanese army to live by robbery, because no army in the world can support itself by robbing local supplies.

Okamura Ningji sat on the sofa weakly, took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, and his hand when he picked up the lighter trembled a little, this was angry, he was really angry with Koiso Kuniaki.

After a long time, Okamura Ninji pressed the cigarette butt that was about to burn his finger into the ashtray, looked at Matsui Taikuro and said: "No matter what the result is, I will resolutely not carry out this order now, because that will ruin the efforts of the empire for so many years, and our war situation in China will collapse in an instant, which is absolutely unacceptable." I will personally call back to Kuniaki Koiso to explain the situation in China and ask him to retract his fate. ”

"Then the generals of the troops below, how do we say it, you must know that this telegram order is an order directly issued to the division and regiment level, and all the division commanders in China know this order, how will the Kwantung Army and the Air Force react." Matsui asked.

In fact, Okamura Ninji is the commander-in-chief of China's dispatch army, but he can't control the Kwantung Army, the Air Force, and even some other high-level corps, Okamura Ninji can't command it.

"I can't control them, but I firmly disagree with this order, okay, I'm going to the telegraph room to send a message, Matsui Jun, will you go with me." Okamura Ninji looked at Matsui Taikuro and asked.

Matsui Taijiuro hesitated for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face, and he said softly: "When I return to the General Staff, I will send a message to the Imperial General Staff Headquarters in the name of the General Staff, so I will not issue a joint document with His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief here." (To be continued......)