Chapter 17: The Hero Returns! Seeking Recommendation Tickets!

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  Jinzhou, the front-line headquarters of the Kwantung Army of Japan.

  Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, General Shigenori Kuroda, and Lieutenant-General Yoshitsugu Saitō, commander of the 8th Division, and Lieutenant-General Masakazu Kawabe, commander of the 6th Division, were discussing military operations on the front lines. The progress of the Great Wall offensive was far beyond the expectations of the high-ranking officials of the Kwantung Army. In their imagination, at most within a week, the Imperial Army would be able to successfully defeat the Chinese defenders along the Great Wall and advance straight to Pingjin.

  At this time, Kwantung Army Chief of Staff Koiso Kuniaki walked in with a telegram in hand and a serious expression.

  Kojima Kuniyasu walked up to Takeda Shingen and others, stood at attention with a loud "Crack", and reported: "Commander, an urgent telegram from the 4th Brigade's 17th Infantry Regiment!"

  "Ah!" Muto Shigen thought that the 4th Division had made some significant progress, so he was quite pleased.

  "The 17th Brigade reported that the Chinese army at Xifengkou launched a surprise night attack on our 4th Infantry Regiment last night, with one detachment directly penetrating behind the Imperial Army's lines, destroying the artillery positions and also attacking the regimental command center. The regiment commander, Suzuki Mitsumichi, was killed in action. As the Imperial Army was attacked from both front and rear, they were forced to retreat."

  The commander of the 8th Division, Nishii Isamu, changed his expression drastically upon hearing the words. He snatched the telegram from Kojima Kiyoshi's hand and read it over and over again in disbelief. Finally, his face turned iron-green with rage as he tore the telegram to shreds and bellowed: "What a disaster! How could this be? Those despicable Chinese troops! My brave Imperial Japanese Army, how could we possibly be defeated by those foolish Chinese troops?"

  "That's enough!" Muto Shigenori stopped Nishi Tokujiro's roar and immediately said with a pale face: "Report the defeat of the 4th Division and the destruction of Suzuki's unit to the Imperial General Headquarters, and inform the Imperial General Headquarters that our department will definitely find a way to recover from this defeat.

  "Your Excellency, I have something unclear," said Kojima Kōshō with a bow.

  "Speak!"

  "If the news of the defeat of the 4th Division and the death of its commander, Suzuki Mitsuto, were to spread, it would undoubtedly have a bad influence on the morale of other Imperial Army units. Why not temporarily withhold this information from Headquarters and report it after the Battle of the Great Wall is over?" said Kojima Kikuo.

  "Hah! Kojima-kun, do you think the Chinese will also turn a blind eye to this matter?" Takeshi Mutō asked in anger.

  "No, with the Chinese character, they will definitely publicize it widely to boost the morale of their front-line troops and the people's trust in the government." Kojima Kunio bowed his head again.

  "In that case, even if we don't report it, Headquarters will find out anyway, and then the Navy bastards will take advantage of the situation again, and that old fool Minae Kōsei will propose to Headquarters and His Majesty the Emperor to stop military operations in China. So, rather than that, it's better to report directly to Headquarters, we can't let those Navy bastards get a handle on this!" Watanabe Shigenobu said with deep meaning.

  "Hai! I understand!" Kojima Kunishige bowed his head suddenly, it was clear that Muto Shigenori's idea was correct. In the Japanese mainland, the navy and army had never gotten along, this was a well-known fact.

  The 9.18 Incident was even more of a case where the Japanese Kwantung Army acted first and reported later, and if Zhang Xueliang had not ordered the Northeastern Army to put up no resistance, the Japanese Kwantung Army's attack would have been unsuccessful, and it is possible that Japan would not have launched a large-scale invasion of China under strong opposition from the pro-peace faction.

  Of course, this is just one possibility and does not rule out that Japan will launch an all-out invasion of China ahead of schedule.

  After the Japanese army occupied the three eastern provinces, the pro-peace faction led by Navy Minister Mineo ōsumi proposed to the Japanese Emperor and General Headquarters that military attacks be suspended temporarily in order to force the Nationalist government to recognize Manchukuo.

  The Kwantung Army commanders, who had inherited the arsenals and strategic materials left behind by the Northeastern Army, became increasingly ambitious and sought to expand the war. (At that time, the largest arsenal in the country, the Shenyang Arsenal, was located in the Northeast. The Shenyang Arsenal not only produced various light and heavy weapons but also advanced weapons such as aircraft and tanks, with enough ammunition and weapons to equip an army of one million men, all of which fell into the hands of the Japanese military, greatly increasing the strength of the Kwantung Army.)

  If the war goes smoothly, neither Tō nor Hasegawa can say anything, nor can they change anything. After all, the army has won victory after victory, expanding the empire's territory, which is what every Japanese soldier wants to see.

  However, if the war effort is unsuccessful, the peace faction will have an excuse and may gain the upper hand. Therefore, would Takafuji Muto, a cunning Japanese militarist, proactively report military information without hesitation in order to gain the initiative?

  "Western Righteousness!" Tōdō Nobuyoshi looked at Seigī, who was still pale and standing beside him, and said: "You will immediately rush to the front line, reorganize your troops, and launch an attack on Xifengkou. The 14th Mixed Brigade will cooperate with your actions! You must capture Xifengkou, defeat the defenders of Xifengkou, and restore the reputation of the 8th Division!"

  "Ah!" Xi Yi's face turned stern as he suddenly bowed his head, then immediately turned around and strode away.

  …………..

  Xifengkou, after the defeat of the Fourth Division, the battle subsided slightly.

  However, at the same time, other Japanese troops did not stop their attacks. The Central Army, Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and Northeastern Army were all engaged in fierce battles with the Japanese, fighting to the death to defend the passes along the Great Wall. The situation was extremely dire.

  General Zhao Dengyu stood on the wall of Xifengkou Pass, gazing out at the vast northern land, his mood extremely heavy. It had already been a day and a night, and Zhang Xinghan and the others still hadn't returned, General Zhao Dengyu had already assumed they had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

  "Bring wine!" Zhao Dengyu turned around and said.

  Lao Maozi handed him two bottles of captured Japanese sake and hastily handed them over to him.

  General Zhao Dunyu bit open a bottle of liquor with his mouth and loudly said: "Brothers of the Big Knife Squad, you are all good men! You are all heroes and have not disgraced us Chinese soldiers! This drink is to toast you!"

  As he finished speaking, he turned the bottle of fine wine upside down in his hand and said softly: "Zhang Xinghan, Hou Wanshan, brothers, farewell! Zhao Dengyu will fight to the death with the Japanese devils as long as he lives, killing more ghosts to comfort the spirits of our anti-Japanese heroes in heaven."

  "Traveler! Traveler!" A warrior rushed over with a flustered expression.

  "Hmm? What's going on? Why so anxious?" General Zhao Dengyu asked with a furrowed brow.

  "Zhang Xinghan, Zhang Xinghan is back!" This soldier was also from the Big Knife Squad last night and naturally knew Zhang Xinghan.

  "What? Where?" Zhao Dengyu heard this and was overjoyed, hastily asking.

  "They were all exhausted when they reached No. 1 High Ground and couldn't move any further," the soldier said, pointing to No. 1 High Ground.

  "Go! Take a look! They are the real heroes!" General Zhao Dengyu exclaimed, dropping the wine bottle in his hand.

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