Chapter 322

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

General Hata Shunroku waved his hand: "That's none of my business! According to the operation plan, you need to assign the Fifth Division, the 108th Division, and the 109th Division to me!

Also, the Imperial General Headquarters has already begun expanding the army; your North China Area Army will receive reinforcements;

the newly formed 110th Division will be assigned to you, the Kwantung Army's Mixed Third and Thirteenth Brigades will also be left to you, and there is also a newly formed 21st Division—you can use all of them. Don't pretend to be poor with me!"

After hearing General Hata Shunroku's words, General Terauchi Hisaichi was furious.

"How dare you mention it? The Fifth Division is my elite division; you say take it and take it?! And that 21st Division assigned to me, I don't even want to talk about it!

The 21st Division only has three infantry regiments; it belongs to the post-reform three-unit system division, one regiment fewer than a regular division!

And those two Kwantung Army brigades lack the division's direct units—how can they be the same!"

General Hata Shunroku said sternly: "Don't be too greedy. The Imperial General Headquarters has already decided to reorganize the Mongolian Garrison Army to be commanded by your North China Area Army. By then you can transfer some of the Mongolian Garrison Army's troops to North China for use. What's the point of crying poor to me!"

General Hata Shunroku then pointed to the Wuhan operation plan on the desk: "This is the order of the Imperial General Headquarters, authorized by Emperor Tenghuang, and also the result of my painstaking efforts over many years!

Do you know how long I have waited for this day? Thirteen years, exactly thirteen years!

As early as 1925, I led the Army Inspection Team along the Yangtze River, surveying from Shanghai all the way to Wuhan over several months, expending countless efforts!

At that time I was already a colonel staff officer of the General Staff Office! That old man of Xia Guo was merely a military academy principal in a corner, and Lv Muzhi, whom you fear like a tiger, was just a low-ranking officer of the Revolutionary Army!

For the operation against Wuhan, I have rehearsed it in my mind no less than hundreds of times over thirteen years. I am confident of winning this Wuhan operation!

Hurry up and transfer the troops. If you talk back again, it will be disobeying the Emperor's and the Imperial General Headquarters' order. I will immediately send a telegram to impeach you!"

General Hata Shunroku spoke a long string without pausing for breath. General Terauchi Hisaichi shook his head upon hearing it and could only pick up the operation plan to look at it carefully.

It can be said that the forces participating in the operation were extremely strong.

General Hata Shunroku will lead the expanded Central China Expeditionary Army, with the strength of two armies, to launch an attack on Wuhan, namely the 2nd Army and the 11th Army.

The commander of the 2nd Army is Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, commanding the Fifth Division, the 16th Division, the 108th Division, and the Imperial Guard Division.

"What?! Emperor Tenghuang has even sent his own Imperial Guard Division to the Zhi Na battlefield?!" General Terauchi Hisaichi exclaimed in shock.

"What else? You failed in the North China operation and caused huge losses. To achieve victory in the Wuhan operation, we must send the best troops to participate! This is also Emperor Tenghuang's attitude. What else do you have to hem and haw about!"

After General Hata Shunroku finished speaking, he put on a sad expression again: "Even Emperor Tenghuang has contributed his own personal troops, but you—you are completely unwilling to let your North China Area Army's troops fight!

A subject who cannot work together with Emperor Tenghuang—no wonder our Holy War has suffered such a setback!"

"What do you mean?!" General Terauchi Hisaichi got angry. This old devil Hata Shunroku was trying to put a hat on him.

General Terauchi Hisaichi was of noble birth. After graduating from the Army Officer School, he served as deputy adjutant of a brigade in the Imperial Guard Division, participated in the brutal Russo-Japanese War, and later, under Emperor Tenghuang, the Imperial Guard Division's chief of staff reached the rank of... After further studies at the Army War College, he rose rapidly.

I myself was once in the Imperial Guard Division, Emperor Tenghuang's 'blade-bearing attendant.' To say I am disloyal—I absolutely cannot tolerate it!

"Hata Shunroku, wo zhuo**, your family's ta ma a samurai-born man, my junior at the Army War College, on what basis do you dare to strut around in front of me?!

If not for relying on your brother General Hata Eitaro's glory, could you sit in this position?!

Dare to question my loyalty? Let me tell you, my life—when I was in the Imperial Guard Division, following Emperor Tenghuang, I died several times already!

Compare loyalty with me? Are you worthy?!"

General Hata Shunroku was stunned. This Terauchi Hisaichi's reaction was so intense that he didn't dare to speak for a moment.

After General Terauchi Hisaichi calmed down, he also noticed the atmosphere was wrong. Given the operation order personally issued by Emperor Tenghuang, he said: "Fine, I'll do it according to the plan!"

General Hata Shunroku could only laugh awkwardly, thinking that when he returned he must impeach him.

After General Terauchi Hisaichi refuted General Hata Shunroku, he began looking at the operation plan again. Besides the assigned 2nd Army, the Central China Expeditionary Army would also be assigned the 11th Army.

The commander of the 11th Army is General Okamura Yasuji, commanding the Ninth Division, the 27th Division, the 101st Division, the 106th Division, and the 109th Division.

Besides the 2nd Army and the 11th Army, the Central China Expeditionary Army also directly commands two divisions: the 116th Division and the 18th Division.

The cooperating navy is the Third Fleet, and the assigned army aviation unit is Tokugawa Yoshitoshi's Air Corps.

This lineup—eleven divisions in total, targeting Wuhan, deploying along both banks of the Yangtze River, including the Imperial Guard Division that personally guards Emperor Tenghuang.

There is also the assigned Air Corps, whose commander Tokugawa Yoshitoshi is hailed as the first Japanese person to fly into the sky. Tokugawa Yoshitoshi is a special spiritual totem within the army aviation.

Under such war pressure, the enemy army still squeezed out so many troops to commit to the battle for Wuhan—obviously they are going all out.

"Listen to me, General Terauchi Hisaichi. It doesn't matter if Lv Muzhi doesn't leave. As long as I successfully take Wuhan, we can together pincer-attack Henan from north and south. Henan and Lv Muzhi will ultimately both fall into our hands!!!"

General Terauchi Hisaichi had a blank expression, looking like he was giving up: "Oh... wa ga ton..."

Mid-June, Lian Yun Gang.

Large numbers of Japanese troops landed at the port by ship from the homeland. These were troops urgently mobilized from within Japan—some to replenish the manpower losses of the North China Area Army, others to be committed to the Battle of Wuhan.

The Imperial Guard Division also landed at Lian Yun Gang. General Terauchi Hisaichi, as a former chief of staff of the Imperial Guard Division, could be considered a senior, so he specially went to meet them.

"Senior! The 30th Division Commander of the Imperial Guard Division under Emperor Tenghuang, Iida Sadakata, reports for duty!!!"

Imperial Guard Division Commander Lieutenant General Iida Sadakazu solemnly saluted General Terauchi Hisaichi.

General Terauchi Hisaichi returned the salute and looked at the Imperial Guard Division soldiers continuously disembarking behind Iida Sadakata. These were elite soldiers who guarded the Imperial Palace, now also thrown into the Zhi Na battlefield.

"Senior, what are you looking at?" Iida Sadakata noticed General Terauchi Hisaichi's expression was off and asked with concern.

"Oh, nothing. I just hope that on the Zhi Na battlefield you continue to carry on the glory of the Imperial Guard Division!"

"I will, Senior, please rest assured!"

"By the way, here is a letter from Emperor Tenghuang, specially given to you." Division Commander Iida Sadakata handed a wax-sealed envelope to General Terauchi Hisaichi.

Looking at the intact chrysanthemum seal on the wax, General Terauchi Hisaichi was somewhat at a loss.

"Senior, please read this letter on the return ship!" said Division Commander Iida Sadakata.

"Return trip? What does that mean?"

"You have been relieved of your post. This is Emperor Tenghuang's oral decree. Someone has already gone to take over your headquarters."

"Return... return to my country? Have I been relieved of my post as Commander of the North China Area Army!" Terauchi Hisaichi exclaimed.

"Yes, Your Excellency, you are no longer the Commander of the North China Area Army. Please return to your country by ship at once."

Terauchi Hisaichi immediately tore open the envelope to read the letter; the entire letter was Emperor Tenghuang rebuking him, saying that he had been arrogant and overbearing in North China, dragging Emperor Chuo further into the abyss, and demanding that he immediately get back to his country...

Like Matsui Kenichi before him, the losses he had brought upon Emperor Chuo were simply incalculable!

Terauchi Hisaichi dropped to his knees on the ground, thinking of the Youth Corps and the Imperial Guard Division before him, and could not help but cry out loud: "Division Commander Iida! You must always be on guard against Lv Muzhi!"

"I will, Senior!" Saying this, Imperial Guard Division Commander Iida Sadakata paid no more attention to his senior Terauchi Hisaichi, leaving Terauchi Hisaichi alone on the spot weeping bitterly.

"Finished... it shouldn't have been like this... I shouldn't have launched the Wuhan Operation...

Xia Guo has become a quagmire that cannot be easily escaped...

Our Emperor Chuo, where exactly should he go..."