Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Is Chapter 359 not acceptable?

Winter arrived in Shanxi much earlier than usual this year. In November, heavy snow began to fall, causing a sharp drop in temperature.

The streets of Datong were shrouded in mist, and the north wind blew coal smoke that drifted over the city walls. The temperature in the streets and alleys was exceptionally cold.

The bad news coming from the front line terrified the officers stationed in Shanxi. The 27th Division was almost completely annihilated, with only the deputy chief of staff leading a little over a thousand survivors and a flag-bearing squad to escape in a sorry state.

The 3rd Division stationed at Niangzi suffered an even worse fate; its commander was killed in battle, and its regimental flag was burned.

For the Japanese army, this outcome was a more humiliating disaster than fighting to the death.

This means that the "Sachi" unit, a veteran Class A division that had been incorporated into the army's order of battle since Meiji 21 (1888), was completely erased from history from this moment on.

The atmosphere inside the Datong headquarters was terrifyingly tense.

Commander-in-Chief of the North China Area Army, Tada Shun, and Commander of the First Army, Iwamatsu Yoshio, were both exhausted at this moment.

Their eyes were bloodshot, and telegrams kept coming one after another on their desks, all reports from garrison troops in various places requesting an increase in defensive forces.

Suddenly, a soldier's voice came from the doorway: "General, welcome!"

The heavy sound of boots slamming in made the air feel instantly compressed.

The office door was pushed open, and tall, impeccably dressed general's uniform, Toshizo Nishio, walked in.

"Commander, what brings you here?" Tada Shun and Iwamatsu Yoshio were taken aback by Nishio Toshizo's appearance. For a moment, they were in a daze and even forgot to breathe.

"Nish... Nishio-dono!"

The two men were suddenly stunned, then quickly came to their senses and almost simultaneously bowed, their voices filled with respect and trepidation, "Welcome, Your Excellency, to Shanxi!"

The forced smiles on their faces were stiff and panicked, and only one thought occupied their minds: this is really troublesome.

It's worth noting that the fact that Nishio Toshizo, the commander-in-chief of the China Expeditionary Army, didn't stay in Nanjing but instead went to Datong speaks volumes.

Nishio Toshizo stopped in his tracks, his sharp gaze sweeping over the messy office piled high with maps and documents. He gave a cold snort and strode over to sit down on the sofa.

"Tada-kun, Iwamatsu-kun," he spoke, his voice as cold as a knife cutting through ice, "I came to Shanxi not to hear you complain about how difficult it is, but to have you tell me... can Shanxi still fight? Can it still hold?"

The air in the headquarters office seemed frozen.

Although the crackling fire emitted heat, it couldn't dispel the chill pressing down on my head.

Nishio Toshizo's face was as cold as an iron plate, while Tada Shun and Iwamatsu Yoshio were like two wooden puppets, their faces full of pain and helplessness.

"Can we hold on?"

Nishio Toshizo uttered those words once more, and the words cut like ice blades, causing both of them to feel a sharp pain.

A simple question stumped two commanders.

Cold sweat streamed down Yoshio Iwamatsu's forehead. After a long while, he finally looked up, took a step forward, bowed deeply, and gave a bitter smile.
"Commander... The annihilation of the 3rd and 27th Divisions is a responsibility I, as the commander of the 1st Army, cannot shirk. As for whether Shanxi can still be defended, I do not know. Please decide my fate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room became so quiet that you could hear the faint crackling of the charcoal fire.

Tada Shun abruptly stood up, his face full of arrogance: "Sir, since Iwamatsu-kun has taken responsibility, how can I shirk it?"

As the commander of the North China Expeditionary Army, I bear an even greater responsibility for this.

You must have come with something, since you've come in person.

Whether it's committing seppuku or being dismissed from my post and sent back to Japan, I, Tada Shun, will not shirk my duty!

His words conveyed the same message: "I'm ready to be killed or tortured, bring it on."

The rebuke that Nishio Toshizo had prepared was rendered speechless by the two guys who had preemptively confessed, and he was unable to utter a word.

He snorted coldly and suddenly waved his hand.

The adjutant behind him immediately stood at attention, opened his heavy briefcase, pulled out a neatly folded order, and held it up with both hands.

Nishio Toshizo took the document, spread it out, and read it aloud with a cold face:
"By order of General Headquarters:"

General Tada Shun, Commander-in-Chief of the North China Area Army, and Lieutenant General Iwamatsu Yoshio, Commander-in-Chief of the First Army… are to immediately relinquish all military posts!

The two individuals are hereby ordered to immediately cease all official duties upon receiving this order!

Escorted by the military police of the Expeditionary Army Headquarters, they will immediately return to the mainland by plane to face questioning at the military investigation conference!

This order is dated November 12, Showa 15."

After listening to Nishio Juzo read the telegram with a blank expression, the two exchanged a glance and saw the look of relief in each other's eyes. It seemed that they would not have to commit seppuku.

However, for these two dignified Imperial Lieutenant Generals, being ordered to return home with their crimes committed was a great humiliation in itself.

The two remained bowed, their bodies stiff for a moment.

Finally, Tada Shunsuke slowly straightened up, the stubborn "bachelor" spirit on his face gone, leaving only a resigned and defeated look.

Yoshio Iwamatsu wasn't much better off; they exchanged a fleeting, yet incredibly complex, glance.

The two bowed deeply to Nishio Toshizo once again.

This time, it was no longer an apology, but a soldier's final farewell to his superiors.

"Commander,"

Tada Shun's voice became somewhat hoarse, "This humble servant... dares to ask... who are the two successors?"

Yoshio Iwamatsu also raised his head slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of inquiry.

Nishio Toshizo remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over them indifferently, his tone utterly flat:
"General Yasuji Okamura will succeed as commander of the Army Group, while Lieutenant General Teiichi Yoshimoto will succeed as commander of the First Army."

Upon hearing that these two people would be taking over their positions, Tada Shun and Iwamatsu Yoshio showed no surprise on their faces; they simply nodded silently and almost imperceptibly.

Tada Shun said softly, "Then I wish them a speedy victory in eliminating Su Yaoyang and the Shanxi militia."

Now that both the North China Command and the First Army Commander have successors, I will not disturb you any longer. Please allow me to take my leave.

Nishio Toshizo nodded slightly, and the two pushed open the office door and strode away.

They knew very well that they had lost the battle, and that defeated generals had no say.

The empire's chariots will not stop for a moment because of them.

The two figures disappeared into the dim light of the corridor outside the door, as if carrying a hint of twilight's desolation and sorrow.

At dawn the following day, a military transport plane emblazoned with the Rising Sun flag took off amidst the howling of the north wind, carrying two disgraced imperial generals and flying towards the homeland.

News travels faster than airplane engines. The explosive news of Tada Shun and Iwamatsu Yoshio's sudden dismissal and forced return to Japan for "investigation" had already reached Chiang Kai-shek's desk at his official residence in Huangshan almost before their plane had even left the country, thanks to the intelligence network in Chongqing.

As the chief of staff reported in a low voice, Chiang Kai-shek, who was preoccupied with economic problems in the rear and reprimanding his subordinates, suddenly relaxed his furrowed brows.

An indescribable sense of relief, a mixture of immense joy and a sudden reduction in strategic pressure, washed away the pent-up emotions in my chest like a refreshing spring.

The simultaneous downfall of the Japanese Army Area Army and its corps-level commanders in Shanxi plunged the command system into a brief vacuum and chaos.

what does this mean?
This meant that the core strength of the Japanese invaders in North China had been severely damaged, and that it would be difficult to organize a large-scale and effective offensive in the short term. This was simply an unexpected gift from the soldiers on the front line!

In an extremely pleasant mood, Chiang Kai-shek stroked his sparse beard, his gloomy expression vanishing, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

He barely weighed the pros and cons, immediately summoned He Yingqin, and wrote down his instructions with a rare sense of straightforwardness:
"Su Yaoyang's troops inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese 3rd and 27th Divisions at Panlongling, making a great contribution."

It also indirectly facilitated the change of enemy leaders, undermining their command structure, and thus contributed significantly to the overall situation.

He was immediately promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army as a sign of honor and commendation!
Furthermore, a special bonus... um... will be allocated by the Ministry of Military Affairs as encouragement... one million legal tender! Process it immediately, without delay!

Orders were issued quickly.

Soon after, a commendation order, lavishly worded and bearing the bright red seal of the National Government, along with a heavy leather briefcase containing one million yuan in brand-new banknotes, was delivered to the Shanxi Militia Command in Wutai County through the war zone liaison officer.

Su Yaoyang unfolded the eloquently written commendation order, his gaze sweeping over the excessive praise, and then gestured for Pi Ruoyu to open the box.

The neatly stacked, brand-new banknotes inside exuded the smell of freshly printed ink, and his expression became extremely complicated.

He first raised an eyebrow in surprise, then his lips involuntarily twitched upwards, revealing a mocking expression.

"Ah……"

Su Yaoyang casually tossed the gold-embossed commendation order onto the large mahogany table, making a soft "thud".

He then casually picked up a stack of brand-new Chinese currency, weighed it in his hand as if it were waste paper, and examined the crudely made anti-counterfeiting marks against the light coming in through the window, as if he were studying an interesting antique.

He turned to look at Pi Ruoyu standing to the side and couldn't help but complain:

“Look at...look at how generous our Chairman is.”

We risked our lives to take down two Japanese Class A divisions, and incidentally "helped" them eliminate two Japanese lieutenant generals, causing chaos in Shanxi... But in Chiang Kai-shek's eyes, these achievements were only worth a "promotion certificate" that was too hard to even wipe his butt with, and a box of millions of dollars.

He waved the banknotes in his hand, his tone becoming increasingly sarcastic:

"This million... can it buy a few bags of flour now? Can it fill up a tank a few times? I'm afraid it's not even enough to feed a battalion for a week."

Is our Chairman still living in the pre-war dream of gold?
This award... tsk tsk, it's not even loud enough to give a beggar a proper reward.

I think the best use for these brand-new legal tender notes is probably to buy them and burn them as paper money during the Qingming Festival; at least that would seem more ethical!

Faced with Su Yaoyang's merciless mockery of the Chairman, Pi Ruoyu shook his head helplessly. His boss really didn't give that Chongqing guy any face at all, as always.

"Sir, why are you angry?"

What were we brothers hoping to gain by risking our lives to fight the Japanese devils?

Was it really for the money? Or for his prestigious-sounding but utterly useless title in a real war?

He paused, his eyes becoming serious. "In the end, it's for the sake of our fellow villagers, and to be worthy of our ancestors."

"If the Chairman can give us even a small token of appreciation, no matter how much or how valuable it is, it's a freebie for us! We won't lose out!"

At this point, Pi Ruoyu lowered his voice:
"Besides, Commander, think about it carefully... If the Chairman really gave you the title of Commander-in-Chief of an Army Group and gave you several thousand officers and soldiers from his Central Army... Hey, would you be happy then?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to start thinking about how many guns to keep under your pillow then."

"Ha...you old rascal!"

Su Yaoyang was amused by Pi Ruoyu's blunt honesty, and his tense nerves relaxed considerably. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Not bad... This is a clear calculation, and the words are quite explicit."

That makes perfect sense. Even a small freebie is still a treat. If he were to give us something substantial, it would be too much for us.

Okay, let's put this behind us and not mention it again!

After laughing, his expression became serious:

"Old Pi... there's something important right now, and I'll need your help."

Wei Jin is a master at intelligence gathering; he's meticulous. But the 'Loyal Alliance' is a mess... the waters are too murky.

I'm afraid he'll be overwhelmed if he's the only one keeping an eye on things, or... there are some things he might not understand.

At this point, Su Yaoyang said with a hint of seriousness that was barely perceptible, "This thing is a 'wicked fire' that can't be exposed to the light of day."

If we do it right, we can burn the enemy; if we do it wrong... we'll get ourselves into trouble.

If this gets out, Chongqing will immediately accuse them of "colluding with the enemy" and "raising bandits to enhance their own importance," and Shanxi's good soup will be ruined by a single bad apple.

You have to keep a close watch on things, make sure the flames are contained tightly, and absolutely prevent them from getting out of control and burning out!

Pi Ruoyu nodded seriously; he certainly understood the sensitivity and importance of this matter.

But his doubts deepened, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long:

"Sir... I dare to ask a question."

Pi Ruoyu carefully considered his words, his eyes filled with incomprehension and inquiry. "You go to such lengths to support that Nakata Katsuhiko, tacitly approving and even secretly pushing him to form this 'Loyalty Alliance'... Do you really think these Japanese devils will be of great use in the future?"

Are you suggesting they... turn their guns on their own people? Or...

Pi Ruoyu took a deep breath and asked an even bolder question, one that even he himself found hard to believe:

"Or... perhaps you're already making preparations for... the future situation in Japan?!"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the office seemed to freeze instantly.

This idea was incredibly bold. While most people were still racking their brains over how to defend Shanxi and how to defeat the Japanese army in front of them, Su Yaoyang had already seen the Japanese plan after the war.

Su Yaoyang did not answer immediately.

He slowly walked to the window, gazing at the distant, faintly visible mountain peaks, his shadow stretching long in the setting sun.

After a moment of silence, he turned around, his face showing no surprise, but rather a strange calm.

He tilted his head slightly, looked directly at Pi Ruoyu, and said in a casual tone:
"Why... is it not allowed?"

These words struck Pi Ruoyu like a thunderclap.

There were no grand pronouncements, no lengthy discourses, just these four simple words and a rhetorical question, yet the answer was already revealed.

(End of this chapter)