Chapter 14: The Bloody Battle of Nanjing (4)

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  "What's going on? Why is the progress so slow? We've been fighting for a whole day, how can we still be in the south of the city? There's no advance?" Prince Kiyoshi Asakayama shouted loudly to his subordinates.

  "The report says that the enemy is stubbornly resisting in the south of the city, attempting to block the advance of our Great Japanese Empire's Imperial Army." a staff officer replied.

  "Let's go and take a look!" said Prince Ayanokoji of Chōshō Palace, picking up his military cap.

  "Your Excellency, the General, the battle in the south of the city is getting too intense. For your safety, it's better to listen to the situation at the command center!" The operations staff officer looked at Prince Chōshō Kō with surprise and hastily advised him.

  "What a shame! The warriors on the front lines are fighting bravely, and I, as a member of the imperial family, am hiding in this command center listening to reports. As an imperial warrior, I am ashamed of this, so I must go to the front lines to see for myself and boost morale!" Prince Katsuyoshi of the Chōshōin slapped his chief of staff loudly.

  The Chief of Staff had no choice but to arrange for the Commander-in-Chief's guards to accompany Prince Chōshō to the front lines.

  "Little Tiger, how many bullets do you have left?" asked Shunzi, a young soldier of the 101st Division, to his comrade beside him.

  "Not many left, just ten bullets, after that we can only fight with bayonets! How about you?" Little Tiger said.

  "Ah, I don't have many left either, only eight bullets. Let's conserve them." Shunzi sighed and said.

  "Brother Shunzi, when can we break through?" Little Tiger asked Shunzi.

  "Listen to what Lao Zhang said, we can only break through when the ordinary people have retreated."

  "Ah, it seems like ending the war early, I can go home and see my parents." Little Tiger said with a smile.

  "Keep quiet, Little Tiger, something's up!" Shunzi saw a Japanese military vehicle approaching and stopping near them. A Japanese man who looked like an officer got out of the car, and the other devils all saluted him, apparently he was quite high-ranking.

  "No matter who the officer is, give him a gun and then transfer!" Shunzi said, pulled the bolt, aimed at the Japanese military officer's head more than 100 meters away, fired a shot, and didn't care if he hit or not, dragged Xiaohu to escape.

  Perhaps Shunzi still did not know that this shot would take the life of Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, uncle of Emperor Hirohito.

  At this time, the Japanese soldiers next to the military vehicle were all scared, and the officers who came with Prince Asaka Yasuhiko were completely stunned. Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was killed in seconds on the battlefield, which made it difficult for their superiors to explain to the military department, and they might have to commit seppuku collectively.

  The news of the death in action of Imperial Prince Asaka Yasuhiko at Nanjing City's southern outskirts spread among the troops advancing into the city's southern sector, causing a great blow to morale. Lieutenant General Ryukichi Ando had no choice but to order the attacking troops to cease their advance and rest for one day.

  General Matsui Iwane, Commander of the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Army stationed in Suzhou, upon hearing the news of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko's death, immediately drove to the location of the General Headquarters attacking Nanjing in Zijin Town.

  When Matsui Taisho arrived at Zhenru Town, what he saw was a solemn scene. The head of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko had been blown up and looked very ugly. At this time, Yanagawa Heisuke Lieutenant General placed the prince's body in the main hall of the command center (their command center was set up in a landlord's house), and all officers bowed their heads in silence.

  Matsui Ishkon looked at the officers present and said: "How did the prince die? I want to hear the truth!"

  An officer who accompanied Prince Yi Guo to inspect the front line said: "We entered Zhonghua Gate with His Highness and went south of the city to inspect the front line. As soon as His Highness got out of the car, he was hit by a bullet from somewhere in China, perhaps it was a stray bullet from the Chinese."

  "What a joke! A stray bullet? The honorable Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, the uncle of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Great Japan, was killed by a lowly Chinese stray bullet. You want me to write a report back to the military department saying that? You want me to explain to the Emperor that his uncle, the prince, was shot dead by a Chinese stray bullet?" Commander Iwane Matsui roared in indignation.

  "Did you catch the Chinese soldier who fired the shot?" asked Ishii Shirō, calming down.

  "Report to General, no! When we went to capture them, the Chinese who fired the shot had already escaped!"

  "Baka! Idiot! A bunch of idiots!" Matsui Ishizuka shouted in exasperation.

  After a long time, Song Qi Shi Gen recovered normally. He adjusted his tone and asked: "Have you reported to the Military Department and the General Staff?"

  "Not yet!"

  "Alright, draft for me: Headquarters Staff, the troops I led to attack Nanjing, on December 28th of Showa ** year, broke into Nanjing City and encountered fierce resistance from Chinese forces. On December 29th, General Asaka Yasuhiko personally went to the front line to command the battle, unfortunately sacrificing his life for His Majesty the Emperor, dying a heroic death."

  On the morning of December 30, Japanese Emperor Hirohito was shocked to learn that his uncle, Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, had been killed in action under the walls of Nanjing. The emperor was stunned for a long time and could not accept the news of his uncle's death. After a long while, Emperor Hirohito gritted his teeth and ordered Prime Minister Konoe: "Order the military to dispatch more troops to Nanjing, spare no expense, take Nanjing for me at all costs, and do not let any Chinese soldiers escape. We will not take prisoners, even if they surrender, we will kill them all. Also, on the day of the city's fall, order the soldiers to massacre the city! To mourn Prince Asaka Yasuhiko. Furthermore, annihilate the enemy's 77th Division, and reward the regiment that completes the final annihilation with 10 million yen. Obtain the head of the commander of the enemy's 77th Division and reward it with 1 million yen."

  "Hi!" After receiving the imperial edict, Prime Minister Konoe immediately ordered the military department to expand the war against China.

  Soon, the Japanese military decided to dispatch seven more divisions to the Nanjing battlefield. These seven divisions were: Imperial Guard Division, 4th Division, 7th Division, 10th Division, 12th Division, 19th Division and 55th Division, totaling around 170,000 people. They landed in Zhenjiang on January 4, 1938, escorted by the Japanese Combined Fleet.

  On December 31, the staff of the Intelligence Department of the 77th Army rushed to me with excitement and reported: "Commander, good news! This morning we intercepted a Japanese telegram that Prince Yasuhiko Asaka was killed by our army!"

  At this time, Liu Zhenfeng was drinking water. As soon as he heard the news that Qiuyan Qīnwáng of Chaoyang Palace had been shot dead, he almost choked on the water and got it into his trachea.

  "Who did it? Who did it? Do you know?" Liu Zhenfeng asked anxiously.

  "It's been investigated, but nobody knows who did it. However, during the battle in the south alley of the city, two young soldiers from a certain company and platoon of the 101st Division saw a Japanese officer get out of a car, looking like he had some status. One of the young soldiers shot at the officer before running away, but it's unclear if he hit him. I think it's possible that the officer might have been Asaka Yasuhiko."

  "My god, just casually firing a shot and killing a lieutenant general, who is also a member of the Japanese royal family, is too awesome! This little warrior who fired the shot should be rewarded. Also, immediately distribute the existing ammunition in the arsenal to the soldiers, so they have enough ammunition to respond to the Japanese army's revenge at any time! The 109th division should speed up the evacuation of the people. The western lifeline may be blocked at any time!" After giving a series of orders, Liu Zhenfeng began to think about how to deal with the Japanese army's revenge action next.

  The news of Prince Yasuhiko Asaka being shot dead under the city of Nanjing spread like wildfire. When the news reached the Wuhan General Headquarters, the entire headquarters was jubilant. The highest military officer, Chen, excitedly told everyone: "Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of the Japanese imperial family was killed by our National Revolutionary Army's 77th Division, greatly boosting the morale of Chinese soldiers and destroying the prestige of little Japan! This is a cause for celebration! I am proud and honored that my country has an elite force like the 77th Division. However, the Japanese will not give up easily. Next, the 77th Division will face unprecedented difficulties, and the Japanese will definitely launch a fierce counterattack against the Nanjing garrison. Therefore, with the consent of Chairman Chiang, I have dispatched air forces to support Nanjing. At the same time, I have sent a telegram to commend General Liu Zhenfeng, commander of the 77th Division. After this battle in Nanjing, Liu Zhenfeng and his National Revolutionary Army's 77th Division will be famous throughout the land!"

  In Liu Gong's mansion in Wuhan, Lan Cai Die read today's newspaper, which had the headline "Japanese Prince Slain Under the City of Nanjing" on the front page.

  After reading the message, Lan Caihe was both delighted and worried. This little son of hers was indeed outstanding. As his mother, Lan Caihe had every reason to be proud. However, having killed a Japanese prince, the Japanese army would definitely take revenge on a large scale. The outcome didn't need to be thought about to know what it would be. But as a mere woman, apart from feeling anxious, what else could she do?

  The situation is getting worse and worse. Since the death of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, the Japanese army has increased its bombing of Nanjing, even to the point of disregarding the safety of their own troops entering the city, constantly throwing bombs at our military positions. On January 5, 1938, seven Japanese reinforcement divisions landed in Zhenjiang and quickly began to deploy, determined to annihilate the 77th Army. The Japanese General Headquarters was extremely meticulous in its planning, deciding to set up three encirclement lines around Nanjing. The first encirclement line was formed with Jiangning Town, Chunhua Town, Tangshan, and Qixia Town as the first line of defense, composed of the current attacking troops, while also deploying two additional divisions (the Imperial Guard Division and the 19th Division) to intensify the attack on the city. The second encirclement line was formed with Ma'anshan, Roushui, Jurong, and Zhenjiang as the second line of defense, composed of the 4th Division, 7th Division, and 10th Division. The third encirclement line was formed with Wuhu, Xuancheng, Guangde, Changxing, Wuxi, and Jiangyin as the third line of defense, composed of the 18th Division, 12th Division, and 55th Division. The Yangtze River in Nanjing was also blockaded by the Japanese Navy.

  The Japanese army intensified its attack on the western lifeline, and in these two weeks, the western lifeline transferred more than 200,000 Nanjing refugees. However, refugees outside Nanjing city continued to pour into the city, and although many people were transferred, there were still 20-30 million refugees stranded inside Nanjing city.

  The Japanese army launched a fierce attack on our lifeline, and the 109th Division held out for more than four days. Finally, on January 10, 1938, it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the lifeline, and they could only withdraw from this line, return to the city to defend, and thus opened up a lifeline that lasted for 20 days, which was finally blocked by the Japanese army. Although it was only 20 days, during these twenty days, more than 300,000 people were transferred, greatly reducing the number of compatriots who died in Nanjing later on.

  On January 11, all the city gates were broken through, and the Japanese army swarmed into the city. At this time, I could no longer stay in the command post to direct the battle, so I took up my big knife and rushed directly onto the streets to engage in a decisive duel with the Japanese devils.

  "Which gang are you from? Who's your boss? Don't you know I'm the big shot of Tongluowan? How dare you come to my turf and cause trouble, have you paid protection fees?" Liu Zhenfeng shouted at a Japanese military officer.

  "What's that? What kind of work do you do? What place in Tongluowan do you work at? What is a 'gang leader'?" Apparently, this Japanese officer also understood some Chinese, but he was clearly baffled by Liu Zhenfeng's words about the Tao.

  As the Japanese officer stood there, looking foolish and racking his brains to figure out what he was saying, Liu Zhenfeng seized the opportunity and beheaded him with one swift knife stroke.

  More and more Japanese soldiers were coming, Liu Zhenfeng's killing intent suddenly arose, and he charged into the group of Japanese soldiers without regard for anything (Author: Can they be called human? At this time, a pig discontentedly cried out: That also can't insult our pig tribe!). His big knife continuously waved about, many Japanese pigs fell down one after another. Liu Zhenfeng loudly shouted: "Kill the pigs! Kill the pigs! Japanese pigs, 1 yuan per catty, if it's not delicious don't pay a penny!" His subordinates all looked at each other in dismay, his guard Xiao Zhang even said with some fear: "Has Commander gone crazy?"

  The battle continued until sunset, and both sides retreated to their camps after the sun went down.

  "It was a great kill today!" Liu Zhenfeng carried his big knife and returned to the command center with joy, when Chief of Staff Xu Zhongqiang said to him: "Commander, you are the commander-in-chief of the army, how can you take risks in person? What if something happens to you by accident? What about our hundreds of thousands of troops?"

  "I told Old Xu, but the more I talked, the less happy I became. As a military leader, I should set an example for others. Everyone is fighting on the front line, including you, Old Xu. Why do I have to hide in the command center? What if something happens to me and I become a martyr? There's still Vice Zhang left. Besides, even if I were to die, I couldn't let pigs kill me, could I? Only wolves eat pigs, there's no logic in pigs eating wolves!"

  Liu Zhenfeng said this, and everyone laughed. The atmosphere suddenly improved. He excitedly called Wang Zhigang over and told him: "Old Wang, I'm giving you a task, very simple. Just go to the camp tonight and feel it out. In the past, we used to do this kind of thing. I heard that the commander of the enemy's 114th Division, Matsujiro, has put his division headquarters in the city. This is simply daring the wolf to come! So tonight, I want your wolf claws to dig into this pig's division headquarters and cut off its trotters for me. Bring them back for everyone to taste!"

  "Yes, sir! I guarantee to complete the task!" Wang Zhibang smiled and accepted the task.

  Zhang Zizhong helplessly said: "These Japanese have encountered our military, and can't even be human, only pigs. If our 77th Army can't even beat the pigs, then it's better to collectively commit suicide!"

  The moon is dark, the wind is high, a night of murder under the dark moon and strong winds.

  That night, the enemy's 114th Division Headquarters was heavily attacked by Chinese troops. The division commander, Matsujiro Matsuda, was injured, and the chief of staff was beheaded, not only his head but also his hands were cut off. The group of Chinese soldiers who launched the surprise attack left a note saying that they would take the pig's head and trotters back home to cook and eat, and that this was the consequence of dancing with wolves together. This made Commander Matsuda so angry that he almost vomited blood, shouting that he wanted to teach those Chinese troops a good lesson.

  Seeing Wang Zhibang return triumphantly, Liu Zhenfeng smiled with satisfaction and then told him to rest immediately to prepare for the fierce battle tomorrow.