Chapter 32: The Wine Cup is Empty, the Remaining Dream is Shattered, Treading on the Four Hundred States of the Barbarians

  A faint sunset slowly spread from the western horizon. The autumn wind blew strongly over the clear and beautiful Sea of Japan.

  The "Tora no Maru" light escort vessel plowed through the dark green sea, cutting a glittering golden trail as it patrolled slowly in the eastern part of Peter the Great Bay.

  The salty sea breeze mixed with the smell of mud and oil smoke came rushing. For some reason, this year's autumn arrived particularly early, although it is still in the midst of the sweltering summer solstice, but the air has already revealed a hint of coolness. The sun was lingering reluctantly on the western mountain peaks, the crimson sunset and the murky nitrous smoke fluttered, and the Nakodka Bay was glittering with red light.

  A Japanese Imperial Army general standing on the dock was astonished to find that the world had turned red, with the continuous heavy mountains, beaches, towns and even waves and warships in the bay all dressed in red, his own white uniform of the Imperial Japanese Army was also dyed red.

  In the day that was about to pass, the "Initial Sun" plan went very smoothly. The Imperial vanguard army successfully captured the Sevastopol military port, Nakhodka Port and the entire Nakhodka Bay, as well as the two-winged areas with strong support from land and sea aviation. According to the plan, the next step was to take the Partisan City, lure the Soviet Red Army to rush to the aid of the Partisan City, and then use the newly landed forces to attack the Great Kamchatka. The enemy's forces were limited, and they had to concentrate their forces to rescue, at which time the Imperial troops in the Partisan City would kill westward, operating on both the southern and northern lines, forming a pincer movement to directly attack Achom, and the Red Army would inevitably be crushed. Although the battle report from the front line came, the Russian big bear seemed to have regained its calmness, layer by layer resisting in the Partizanskaya River valley, but the Imperial offensive was still smooth, and it was not a big problem to enter the Partisan City before sunset.

  Chō Hei Shin, the three great generals of the Imperial Army, habitually raised their binoculars to observe Nakhodka, which had been declared rescued from the clutches of the Soviet Red Empire by the Empire and its media. But what they saw first was that the high-flying 'Rising Sun' flag had also turned red, a deep crimson that made one's hair stand on end.

  Chang Jian San stared blankly at that one patch of bright red world, as if he had already become stupid.

  "General, General... Are you alright?" The guard beside him coughed softly a few times, seeing that Jo In-chang was still motionless. He then anxiously called out to him several times.

  Chang Jian San finally came back to his senses, shook his hand at his worried subordinates to indicate that he was fine. Then he picked up the binoculars again and began observing the surroundings.

  Everything seems to be the same as before, but only that certain melancholy on Jin San's forehead has become more and more intense.

  At this time, a hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from behind, and Zhang Jian said calmly for the first time, "Zhang Sang, I've told you several times, there's no need to be so anxious about everything..."

  The man who came was a man wearing the uniform of an Imperial Army officer, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his pale face, looking elegant and refined, but in his narrow and long eyes, there was a glint of wisdom and cunning.

  Upon hearing the words of the adult in front, this man immediately stopped in his tracks and bowed 90 degrees to Cho In-shin. "General, I apologize. I was rude, my name is Zhang Xiao-yue."

  Chō Katsuragi put down the binoculars and chuckled, "No need for that. As a high-achieving student of the Imperial Army Academy personally commended by His Majesty the Emperor, if I were to let you truly lose face, then I would be unforgivable."

  "I am terrified!"

  Chang Jian San waved his hand and said lightly: "They've all arrived, right? I'll head to the conference room later. You can go rest for a bit first."

  "——Hi."

  Zhang Xiayue respectfully backed out of the pavilion and then carefully pulled up the sliding door.

  As he watched Zhang Xiao Yue's back disappear from view, a cold killing intent flashed in Long Jian San's brown pupils before being quickly retracted.

  "Hmph. You're a sly old fox, hiding so deeply that you almost fooled me...". Nagai Jinzō waved his hand to summon the guard officer. "Andō, call Kujirō Ryūhaku for me and tell him I have some important business to discuss with him."

  "——Hi"

  Upon entering the command room, the originally swaggering and boastful Imperial officers immediately stood up, simultaneously extinguished their cigarettes, closed their mouths, tightened their faces, and with eyes cast downward, gave a salute to this towering highest commander.

  Chang Jianlin nodded solemnly at everyone and then everyone sat down spontaneously.

  He looked at the serious-faced officials, furrowed his brow, put on a stern face again, walked to the front of the seat, pressed down with both hands, and said: "Warriors of the Empire, my great Akatsuki Empire has already won the initial victory in the war against Russia. We have taken down Vladivostok and its surrounding military strongholds. The powerful warriors of the empire will soon use their sharp swords to cut off the heads of all barbarians. But what we need to discuss now is not how to cut off their heads, but who will go to destroy their hands and feet, whose plan is meticulous and rigorous, I will let whoever take this dazzling pearl, next, please present your suggestions and requirements, Xin Tong Wu Sheng Ge Xia, you first."

  Shin Dōjin, commander of the 1st Independent Armored Division of the Empire of Akatsuki, this gentleman is a sadist with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, who loves to deal with enemies in cruel ways, his tactics are crazy and barbaric. Sure enough, as soon as he stood up, he shouted loudly: "Your Excellency, I have no plan, but I will cut off all their heads with the Empire's sharp blade, tear apart any savage's body with electric plasma cannons, flatten the entire guerrilla base with the indestructible cannon of the wave motion tank, and let those ugly Russian savages be punished in the fiery flames of hell!"

  "Very good, this is the spirit that my Great Empire of Japan's warriors should have! Please sit down, Araki Sotaro." Nagai Jinzaburou nodded slightly and said. Araki Sotaro was his favorite general, although sometimes he seemed a bit extreme, but overall he was still quite to his taste. The general, however, was brave but lacked strategy. After finishing speaking, his gaze turned to the deep-in-thought Fujitaka Osamu, indicating for him to speak up.

  The name of this guy is Toudou Shigekatsu, who is also the commander of the 8th Division of the 20 elite standing infantry divisions under his command. He is usually cautious and low-key, but now he sees the opportunity to speak up and immediately stands up straight, suggesting: "Marshal, although our army has gained a certain strategic advantage at this moment and has gained geographical advantages in Russia's Vladivostok region. However, the number of our vanguard troops is still relatively small, and the Russian reinforcements on their home soil have also come to their senses. I believe that our army will soon face a real fierce battle. If it were me, I would speed up the construction of the Vladivostok military port and surrounding bases to pave the way for our follow-up troops, and then let the Kwantung Army of Manchukuo conduct guerrilla warfare to delay the Russian reinforcements as much as possible."

  Before the words were finished, Zhang Xiao Yue, who was kneeling beside Jin San, suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Although the law of Tongtang is ingenious, this method is still unacceptable."

  Being interrupted and blamed for one's mistakes is unbearable. Only Toudou's face turned red and white in an instant. With a murderous look, he seemed to be holding back from drawing his sword and making this Chinese devil bleed on the spot, only out of consideration for the people present.

  Seeing Toudou's dissatisfied expression, Zhang Xiayue explained: "When our army first arrived in the land of Russia, we were unfamiliar with the terrain. If our army really fortified the existing base as General Toudou said, solidified the fortresses, and took it as a starting point. However, how can we explain why the Russians would definitely attack the military port at all costs? What if we miss the opportunity to fight because of this construction work and let the Russians regroup their forces and recover their energy? Wouldn't everything we've done recently be in vain? This is just a waste of the soldiers' strength and the army's morale. When the time comes, the Russians will launch a massive attack with thousands of war chariots and cannons, advancing on both land and sea. If our army gets trapped here and can't escape, then the time of destruction is not far away."

  Everyone listened, thought carefully for a moment, and suddenly felt that what this person said made great sense. Tōdō Heihachirō was even more cold sweat, if it was true as the two devils said, the army led by him could be said to be irretrievable.

  He was sweating profusely and hastily said: "How should we respond then!?"

  "No more nonsense, let's attack at once!" Zhang Xiao Yue said word by word.

  "Quick attack? Quick attack?" The people in the room kept repeating these few words, as if there was something worth studying about them.

  "That's right, it's a swift attack!" Zhang Xiao Yue said loudly, looking at the puzzled gaze of the crowd, he explained: "The Russian army was initially at a disadvantage against our army because they did not understand our military strength and weapons. They also did not expect us to launch a surprise attack on this location, so we were able to gain the upper hand from the start. But now that the Russian army has some understanding of us, we will gradually lose the advantages we had in the previous battles and switch to a head-on confrontation with the Russian army. Although our army is elite, but the number of people is limited after all. After several battles, our army will inevitably suffer heavy casualties. The Russian army, on the other hand, has a large number of troops and is fighting on their home soil, so they will fight to the death! Moreover, the supplies and rest they receive will be simple. Our army, however, is fighting in a foreign land, with difficult supply lines, and is an isolated force! In the long run, our army will inevitably be overwhelmed by the endless waves of Russian troops."

  "And so, our army must once again scatter and disrupt the Russian army before they can recover their strength and combat effectiveness! Let them never be able to form a unified force again! And not only can our army use this to strike at the Russian army's deployment, but also open up a smooth path for our follow-up troops!"

  "Our army has won the first battle, and the morale of our soldiers is high. This is the first victory! All the generals believe in the blessing of His Majesty the Emperor, and they fight bravely without fear of death. This is the second victory! Our army possesses the most advanced weapons at that time, with sharp blades and strong shields. We have the power to conquer all! This is the third victory! Our army has the support of the Manchurian State as an external aid, with many people and a strong momentum. This is the fourth victory! Now it's midsummer, the weather is fine and warm, our army can take advantage of this period to launch an attack on the Russians. This is the help of heaven! This is the fifth victory! With these five victories, how can we not win?"

  Everyone listened as if they were drunk, and didn't expect that fighting could also produce so much great reasoning. Even Xin Tongwu, who was normally rough around the edges, looked entranced at this moment. And Cho Inshin, who was known for his deep calculations, had a thoughtful expression on his face.

  Everyone present was staring at Nagato, no matter how complex and intense the debate had been before, all military actions were ultimately decided by him.

  After about half a cup of tea's time, Nagato Shinichi finally recovered from his deep thought. He stood up with a sudden movement, and the hands below him immediately stood up to gaze at this Minister of the Army of the Great Dawn Empire.

  Chang Jian's eyes gleamed with intensity as he gazed at the crowd, his face flushed with excitement, and in a loud voice, he commanded: "I order..."

  "New Copper I Live!"

  "Hi!"

  "Lead two chariot brigades to the Guerilla City to challenge! Not seeking to kill the enemy, only seeking to disrupt their formation! The time is one day, when the time arrives, lead the chariot brigade to withdraw from the Guerilla City and lure the enemy army into the Great Kamen! No mistakes are allowed!"

  "Hi!"

  "Toudou Shigeharu! Sakai Hirotsugu!"

  "Hi!" (in unison)

  Leading the 5th Aviation Brigade, the army ambushed on the banks of the Amur River, waiting for the enemy to enter the riverbank and then intercepting their retreat route, and then cooperating with Xin Tongwu to attack the Russian army together!

  "Hi!"

  "The rest of you follow me and cooperate with the main force to attack the guerrilla city, striving to wipe out the defending army within one day!"

  "Hi!" (in unison)

  "General, we still have an important issue that has not been resolved." Zhang Xiaoyue reminded Chang Jianting in a timely manner: "We have not yet decided who will lead a detached force to attack the empty-handed army of Dnepr, cutting off the Russian army's retreat route."

  Chang Jian San revealed a mysterious smile, patted his hand and smiled: "I can no longer do this thing, is this kind of thing something that young people should be doing? Alright, come in."

  Everyone was shocked, a young man? Those who can enter the three major accounts of Changjian are all some 40-year-old middle-aged uncles. Who would be a young man who can take on such an important task?

  The door of the conference room was pulled open. A man wearing a black army major's uniform and carrying a samurai sword walked in with small steps.

  The newcomer had a clean and handsome face, with a hint of childishness still on his white face. If it weren't for the lieutenant's flat hat on his head, everyone would have taken him for a student who had just graduated from university.

  He bowed 90 degrees to the crowd and said respectfully:

  "The Douhuang pours out the remaining wine, and in a drunken dream, I tread on the four hundred states of Youyi."

  Nine-headed White Dragon

  I'm here