One man's resistance against Japan, I mobilized a million people to aid Shanghai.

Manchuria, a magnificent sight.

The Qing Dynasty imperial palace, an underground bunker.

late at night.

Emperor Hirohito, unusually dressed in military uniform, sat at the head of the table.

His face appeared unusually pale under the lamplight, his eyes were sunken, and he stared intently at the telegram presented to him by his aide-de-camp, Chief Military Officer Shigeru Honjo.

This telegram came from across the distant ocean, but it was the ultimate good news that Hirohito had been longing for for countless days.

"Our army is willing to join forces with the Japanese army to jointly defeat Zhu Ganglie."

"Three days from now, at dawn, the Pacific Ocean will undergo a tremendous change."

"The opportunity is fleeting. We hope that you will seize it and launch the largest possible containment offensive in the direction of the mainland."

"To avenge our defeat and rebuild our homeland, this is the moment."

"After success, the future of the Far East is promising and worth discussing."

Although it was unsigned, Hirohito knew that this was Roosevelt's common alliance.

The Japanese ministers present were all extremely excited.

Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe, Army Minister General Hisaichi Terauchi, Navy Minister General Mitsumasa Yonai, Chief of the Naval General Staff Prince Hiroyasu Fushimi, and Director of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department of the Kwantung Army Shiro Ishii, among others, roared wildly.

"Hahaha, great, wonderful!! Japan is saved!! Saved!!"

"Gentlemen!"

Hirohito's voice was sharp and hoarse with excitement. He waved the telegram and shouted:

"See? Amaterasu hasn't abandoned us!"

"The Bald Eagles... they've finally seen who their real enemy is! They need us! They're willing to ally with us."

He stood up abruptly, swaying slightly from the sudden movement, a sickly flush rising to his face.

"Three days later! A dramatic change in the Pacific! What does this mean?"

"This means the main fleet of the Bald Eagles is about to move, to draw the attention of Zhu Ganglie's navy! This is our only window of opportunity!"

"We must act! Immediately! Right now!"

"Gather all our remaining fighting strength and launch a desperate counterattack against the executioner who stole our land and slaughtered our people!"

Ecstasy spread like wildfire, instantly infecting most people.

Fumimaro Konoe took a deep breath, trying to maintain the composure of a prime minister, but his eyes also shone.

"Your Majesty is wise! This is truly a divine blessing! If we can seize this opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to Zhu Ganglie, it will not only boost the morale of the nation, which is on the verge of collapse, but also demonstrate to the world that the Imperial Army is still standing!"

"At that time, whether it's cooperating with the bald eagle or... negotiating the post-war order, we will have leverage!"

"Counterattack! We must counterattack!"

"Launch a counterattack on the Three Han territories, conquer the Three Han territories, then launch a counter-offensive against our homeland, recover lost territory, and restore the glory of our empire!"

Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai also excitedly echoed, and although the main force of the Combined Fleet had long since been sunk to the bottom of the sea, he still shouted wildly.

"We can deploy all remaining air power to attack his coastal ports and shipping lanes!"

However, a cold voice poured ice water on everyone's heads.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

The speaker was Army Minister Hisaichi Terauchi.

"A counterattack is necessary, but how to counterattack and in which direction requires careful consideration."

He pointed to the huge map of East Asia on the wall, his finger slamming heavily into the land of the Three Hans.

"This place has already been occupied by Bai Qi. Is it really feasible to launch a counterattack from here?"

"Gentlemen, consider this: who was Bai Qi? What did he do in the Three Han Kingdoms? He turned them into a giant tomb!"

"His suppression of any resistance or suspected resistance is a ruthless massacre!"

"If we were to take action in the Three Han regions, even if it were just a small-scale raid, given Bai Qi's personality, he would not hesitate to carry out an even more brutal massacre."

"He will not consider the indigenous people of the Three Hans, nor will he abandon large-scale bombing because of these indigenous people."

"Therefore, if we launch an offensive in the Three Hans, we will not only find it difficult to achieve significant results, but we will also suffer heavy casualties."

The tension in the meeting room instantly subsided.

The flush on Hirohito's face faded, and his brows furrowed.

Konoe and Mina also fell into deep thought.

"Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"

Hirohito asked in a deep voice, his tone no longer showing the mania he had just displayed.

Terauchi Hisaichi's finger moved upwards from the Korean Peninsula, across the Yalu River, and pressed down hard on the vast land of North China.

"This is one of the true foundations of Zhu Ganglie's power! It's also his current weakest point!"

He analyzed quickly and logically:

"First, where are Zhu Ganglie's main forces now? In Southeast Asia!"

"His primary focus was drawn to the distant South Pacific, and North China, which was guarded by Wang Lei."

"The troops stationed in North China, after being repeatedly transferred to support the South and the Three Hans, are no longer at their strongest."

"Secondly, the importance of North China."

"This is the hub connecting Northeast China and the Central Plains. Only by striking North China can we truly sting Zhu Ganglie, forcing him to divert troops from the south to reinforce the region, thereby maximizing the containment effect and echoing the actions of the 'White-headed Eagle'!"

"third,"

Terauchi Hisashi's eyes flashed with a venomous glint. "We can do whatever we want in North China, but Wang Lei has to consider the lives of the Chinese people. If the war goes badly, we can coerce civilians to act as a shield at any time."

"Moreover, we also have special weapons that can turn North China into hell."

"Faced with poison gas, the troops stationed in North China will be powerless to resist."

All eyes instantly focused on the man wearing round-framed glasses, whose face even looked somewhat refined.

This man is none other than the culprit behind the poison gas, Shiro Ishii!

Shiro Ishii, whose name was called, slowly stood up, his uniform as a lieutenant general in the army medic standing straight.

He didn't look at the map, but spoke in a calm tone:

"The Minister of the Temple is absolutely right."

"In the face of an absolute power disparity, conventional warfare is meaningless."

"We must use weapons capable of creating widespread panic and permanent trauma."

He pushed up his glasses, and the eyes behind the lenses gleamed with an inhuman luster.

"After these days of research and stockpiling, the Kwantung Army Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department and related cooperating units have now reached a considerable scale in their special ammunition stockpile."

He reported a series of figures regarding the number of poison gas shells, aerial bombs, and dispensers, as well as the lethal concentration, duration of action, and persistence of different toxic agents.

Behind these cold, hard numbers are countless lives lost by ordinary people and ordinary citizens.

"Based on our calculations and...field results verification,"

Shiro Ishii's tone was completely calm: "If used in a concentrated manner, our stockpile of toxic agents is sufficient to conduct a saturation purification and coverage of the area from Jinzhou to Rehe, and even the core area of ​​the North China Plain."

"The skin erosion, lung burns, and blindness caused by mustard gas, combined with the rapid killing effect of Lewisite, and suitable weather conditions, can create a death zone that lasts for several days or even longer."

"Pollution of water sources, soil, and vegetation will have long-term secondary harmful effects."

He paused, then added:

"Of course, the deployment of bacteriological warfare agents is more covert and has a longer-term destructive impact, but it is less controllable and more prone to backlash."

"Currently, it is recommended to use chemical poison gas as the primary means of the first wave of attack. After creating chaos and panic, assault troops can follow up with cleanup."

The conference room was deathly silent, with only Shiro Ishii's chilling voice echoing through the room.

Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai was the first to recover from the shock, and he immediately grasped the key point:

"Ishii-kun, what's the distribution method?"

"We have very few bombers left, and it will be difficult for them to penetrate the enemy's air defense network."

Shiro Ishii was prepared: "A combination of methods."

"First, the heavy artillery groups secretly moved to the Manchurian border can fire poison gas shells to cover the front lines of Jinzhou and Shanhaiguan."

"Second, taking advantage of the night, suicide pilots will fly old bombers or even modified transport planes to conduct low-altitude penetration and drop bombs over key cities and transportation hubs."

"Third, and most crucially, is the special infiltration force. We have trained a group of suicide soldiers equipped with special devices who can infiltrate the target area in advance and launch a coordinated attack when the general offensive begins."

He looked at Terauchi Hisaichi and Hirohito:

"As long as the army can assemble a sufficiently powerful assault force, within the crucial twelve hours when the poison gas creates chaos in the enemy ranks, they can swiftly penetrate the North China Plain and strike at the heart of the enemy's defenses..."

"Then North China will be turned into scorched earth, and Wang Lei's troops will also suffer a devastating blow."

"At that time, Zhu Ganglie will have no choice but to turn back from Southeast Asia and face the poisonous fire burning in his own backyard."

Emperor Hirohito's breathing became heavy.

Fear, hatred, a faint hope for the restoration of the "divine kingdom," and an ultimate madness of despair intertwined in his heart.

He seemed to see the North China Plain wailing in the yellow or brown poisonous fog, he saw Zhu Ganglie's shocked and furious face, and he saw the phantom of the Rising Sun flag being planted on that land again...

"Ishii..."

Hirohito's voice was hoarse. "Are you... sure these special-purpose missiles are enough to deal with... a battle of this scale?"

Shiro Ishii stood at attention, bowed slightly, and his face showed absolute confidence.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"Our research findings have been verified through the most rigorous scientific experiments."

"The dosage, delivery method, and meteorological correlation model are all complete."

"Enough to plunge North China into...a true hell."

"This would be the most effective way to strike Zhu Ganglie, with the lowest cost and the greatest benefit."

The last shred of hesitation was replaced by ruthlessness in Hirohito's eyes.

He glanced around at everyone, his gaze lingering particularly on the faces of Terauchi Hisaichi and Yonai Mitsumasa:

"Gentlemen, what are your opinions?"

In the temple, Shouichi nodded heavily:

"The Army supports this plan! We will immediately assemble the last of the Empire's elite troops, piecing together 500,000 daredevils from Manchuria and from all the remaining garrison forces!"

"Equipped with the best gear from all stockpiles! Like a poisoned dagger, it will pierce the heart of North China after the gas attack!"

"Objective: Annihilate Wang Lei's group, destroy all war potential in North China, and bring the flames of war to Zhu Ganglie's backyard!"

Mitsumasa Yonai nodded: "The Navy will use all possible means to assist in the deployment of poison gas and use the remaining ships to harass the coast of the Shandong Peninsula to contain the enemy."

Fumimaro Konoe knew that this was the Empire's last and most reckless gamble.

If successful, it might give them a chance to catch their breath and gain more substantial favor from the bald eagle.

Failure means utter ruin.

"Then..." Hirohito stood up, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and his eyes showed no more hesitation, only a desperate ferocity.

"I approve this battle plan!"

"Order:"

"Ishii Shiro's unit, immediately begin the final allocation and distribution of 'special ammunition' to ensure the attack launches precisely at dawn three days from now! I hereby grant you full authority to utilize all necessary resources!"

"Ministry of the Army and General Staff, immediately assemble 500,000 troops for the decisive battle and secretly move them towards the Jinzhou area! Terauchi Hisaichi, you will be in overall command of this ground offensive!"

"The Ministry of the Navy and the Naval General Staff, in coordination with the Army, shall formulate a joint sea-air and special delivery plan!"

"Intelligence departments, mobilize all hidden forces to closely monitor enemy movements in North China, especially the location of Wang Lei's main force!"

"Reply to Washington: The three-day agreement will be honored by the Empire. Hellfire will ignite from North China. I wish for pleasant cooperation."

He shouted out his final command with almost all his might:

"Gentlemen! The rise and fall of our empire, the future destiny of East Asia, rests entirely on this war!"

"I urge you to abandon all distractions, uphold the military spirit of the Imperial Army, and avenge Zhu Ganglie's blood debt!"

"Empire, Banzai!"

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Banzai!"

All the generals and commanders rose to their feet, roaring wildly, their eyes gleaming with a beastly light.