The father of the sword is Kong Jie

Just when the Licheng area was bustling with excitement, a military competition was held with loud gongs and drums.

Okamura, who was sitting at the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Forces Command in Nanjing, was full of irritability.

Just a few days ago, the former commander of the China Expeditionary Force, Junroku Hata, officially retired from the army. To be precise, he left behind such a big mess like the China Expeditionary Force, slipped away in despair, and successfully returned to China. Transferred to reserve service.

Okamura repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay, hoping to keep the old senior for a few more days.

The dispatched army is in a mess now. Having an old commander like Junroku Hata in charge will help stabilize the morale of the army and help direct the coordination of all parties.

However, Hata Junroku was unwilling to stay any longer, saying that he was in poor health and needed to return home for medical treatment as soon as possible. In addition, there was still a lot of work to be done in the reserve force.

If he continued to stay, he was afraid that he would be even more embarrassed when he returned to China.

And with Hata Junroku's departure, the entire Chinese dispatched force and the burden of the Sino-Japanese battlefield situation all fell on Okamura's shoulders.

Okamura spent his whole day studying the two hostile armed forces that currently pose the greatest threat to the Japanese army on the Chinese battlefield - the Eighth Route Army, the number one confidant, and the Central Army, which was almost defeated after the battle of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi on the frontal battlefield.

Intelligence from Licheng came one after another.

I heard that there was a lot of excitement after the official opening of the Allied Military Competition held by the Eighth Route Army in Licheng.

Basically all the armed forces hostile to the Japanese army, including representatives from China's allied countries, participated.

If this had been the case a few years ago, with Okamura's violent temper, without saying a word, the land and air armies would directly attack, burning the city of Li into a wasteland, and wiping out all the anti-Japanese forces.

Now I dare not say anything.

Just the defensive force deployed by the Eighth Route Army, detected by the reconnaissance force outside Licheng, had already frightened the Japanese army. After the Jiaodong battle, the Japanese army, which was exhausted and exhausted, dared to advance rashly.

Just turn a blind eye and pretend not to see it.

As for the Eighth Route Army, a military competition was held in Licheng, but it did not delay the Eighth Route Army troops in North China. They continued to attack the Japanese army's communication lines and ambush Japanese troops who dared to leave the county with high walls and thick walls at any time.

At the same time, it follows the principle of surrounding cities with rural areas.

Gradually, the Eighth Route Army base areas were used as the core, and major guerrilla areas were used as the vanguard areas to gradually regain lost ground and repel the Japanese army. First, they gradually advanced from more remote towns and villages, and gradually transformed the original guerrilla areas, the Japanese army's quasi-security areas, into A solid base for the Eighth Route Army.

In the military meeting held by the headquarters, the Japanese chief of staff said worriedly:

"Jiang Jun, after the end of the Jiaodong War, the Eighth Route Army in North China gradually launched local offensives and began to continuously encroach on the areas occupied by our army.

So far, in less than half a month, our army has completely lost almost countless towns and villages on its outer lines. The area of ​​occupied area lost is so vast that it accounts for nearly a quarter of our army's original occupied area.

If the situation continues to deteriorate like this, perhaps within a year and a half, the situation between our army and the Eighth Route Army in North China will be completely reversed, leaving us with only a small area left! "

"In addition, especially around the Eighth Route Army's Taihang base area, major county towns have been in emergency recently. The main force of the Eighth Route Army frequently appears outside the city. Perhaps the Eighth Route Army is preparing for the final and complete attack on the county town."

The situation is getting worse.

Okamura also had a headache: "Baga, these damn Eighth Route Army are really rampant. Now even the last counties and towns where our army has been shrinking its troops and retreating, are they gradually becoming their prey?"

The Japs Chief of Staff said: "The Eighth Route Army is getting stronger and stronger, especially those main forces that are already very well-equipped and have the ability to completely break through the city.

Among them, the main county towns, especially those around the Taihang region in Shanxi, are most in danger.

Even Taiyuan City, the headquarters of the First Army, is at risk of being attacked or even completely captured by the Eighth Route Army. "

"Damn it!" Okamura yelled angrily.

"However, there are rare exceptions. In the Yangquan Shouyang area where the Harada Division is stationed and responsible, the security is quite stable. In the past more than a year, it has never been attacked by a large-scale force of the Eighth Route Army.

For this reason, Yangquan and Shouyang areas have been rated as model public security areas. "The Japs chief of staff thought for a moment and then added.

Okamura naturally knows that there is something fishy in this, but now that the matter is over, what he needs more now is to stabilize the counties and towns that the Japanese army finally controlled, as well as some important transportation lines, so as to give him the breathing space for the Chinese dispatched troops to reorganize and prepare for war. opportunity.

Thinking of this, Okamura immediately ordered: "Xingxi, it seems that this Harada division is very advisable in the management of Yangquan and Shouyang.

Order to send a special exchange team to the Yangquan area to bring back the experience of the Harada Division in stabilizing public security in Yangquan and Shouyang! "

"Hi!" the Japanese chief of staff responded.

Soon after, the delegation sent by Okamura arrived in the Yangquan area. The leader of the delegation was a major general officer with a very distinctive appearance.

What are the features?

——This major general has only one ear.

As for the other ear, when he led his troops to conduct a sweep against the Eighth Route Army base area, it was taken away by the fragments that flew across it during the confrontation between the two sides.

From then on he became General One Ear.

On this day, General Yier and his delegation arrived in Yangquan smoothly.

On the Yangquan side, after the old Japanese Harada heard the news, he was so enthusiastic that he personally led a group of officers to the city gate to welcome him.

Then a special welcome meeting was held to welcome General One Ear, who was specially dispatched from the base camp in Peiping.

Under the warm reception of Lieutenant General Harada, both parties drank, sang, danced, and admired geishas, ​​enjoying themselves so much that it seemed as if the current war did not exist at all.

General One Ear even said with emotion: "Harada-kun, your place is really like a paradise. We stay in the rear of the dispatched troops at the Nanjing headquarters, but we are on tenterhooks all day long, and there is a continuous flow of bad news from all sides.

On the contrary, when I arrive at your place, I can relax as much as I want, as if I am in a stable rear area! "

Harada raised his glass and said: "If you like it, then you can stay here for as long as you want. The entire area of ​​Yangquan and Shouyang has stable public security, and the people under my rule are prosperous and even open their doors at night. I feel at ease here!"

As they spoke, the two parties clinked glasses and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Among the Japanese delegation, Colonel Sakamoto, who came to collect intelligence on the Yangquan area of ​​the Eighth Route Army under the orders of the Japanese spy agency chief, Colonel Kawashima, had been following the Eighth Route Army and Harada since then. As the tide rises, all boats are lifted. In addition, he has made great achievements in managing Yangquan and was promoted to colonel. Accompanied by his wife, he sat in the corner of the banquet.

Looking at Harada and General One-Ear enjoying each other.

Colonel Sakamoto was very unhappy and said with a dark face: "Kawashima-kun, the current war situation is tense. It is the time for the soldiers of our empire to serve the country loyally and serve the emperor.

I'm afraid it's not appropriate to live peacefully and lavishly like this, right?

In addition, I heard that in the Yangquan area of ​​​​Shouyang, many imperial officers were reselling supplies, completely ignoring the holy war, and even falsely reported their military exploits. Why did the soldiers of this empire become like this? "

Kawashima smiled indifferently, picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and said: "Sakamoto-kun, Holy War? What exactly is Holy War?

Is it to make the lives of the people of my empire better? Or is it to make our country stronger? Or is it so that our Yamato nation can go further?

Shit, if you ask me to tell you, this is all bullshit.

That is basically a matter of the big chaebols, those big military and political families. For us insignificant people, what is the point of us other than being meaningless cannon fodder?

We have been loyal to the emperor and shed blood for the empire, but how did the empire treat us?

At first, military pay in Japanese yen plus allowances was issued, but now preparation tickets are issued directly. Can this thing be sent home to support the family?

Go to some of the counties next door and see what the lives of those troops who have been struggling against the Eighth Route Army in accordance with the traditional way, according to the headquarters, and according to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief are now like?

It is no exaggeration to say that the soldiers did not even have enough to eat. How could they expect to win any holy war?

As for our team, if we didn't do some business with the Eighth Route Army, resell some supplies, we would survive in the cracks among the various units of the Eighth Route Army.

Little people like you and I would probably have put them in that little wooden box and gone back to see the cherry blossoms.

Sakamoto-kun, don’t you still understand the current situation? "

After saying this, Colonel Sakata stared blankly.

"Forget it, if it weren't for the fact that you and I are fellow villagers, I wouldn't have said so much to you.

Come, I have prepared some souvenirs to take back to you, as well as these photos of the destruction of the Eighth Route Army granary, and the material consumption list we prepared. It is up to you to take them back to apply for rewards. "Kawashima directly handed over the gift.

Colonel Sakamoto, who came back to his senses, said quickly: "Kawashima-kun, you're welcome."

When I opened the box, I saw what souvenirs there were?

There were 20 small yellow croakers lying quietly in the box.

Sakamoto was dumbfounded and his heart beat faster. These were 20 small yellow croakers! According to his military salary, he might not be able to earn so much money in ten lifetimes.

"Kawashima-kun, what do you mean?"

Kawashima smiled and said: "They are all fellow villagers. It's not a sign of respect."

"But, this is too much!" Sakamoto swallowed hard.

"Is it much? Not much! Itamoto-kun, you might as well look down further!"

Following Kawashima's words, Sakamoto then turned his attention to the next material consumption list.

The material data listed on the list are detailed:

It consumes 50 rounds of bullets, 2 rounds of artillery shells, 30 armored vehicles, 10 tanks, 50 motorcycles, 60 cars, 15 infantry guns, 6 mountain guns, 8 flat-firing guns, 20 mortars, and heavy machine guns. 15 pieces, 30 light machine guns, 800 rifles...

After a few glances, Sakamoto was dumbfounded: "Nani? We just fired a few shots and burned a few warehouses. How could it cost so much?"

Cough cough cough...

Kawashima explained: "These are not only the consumption of our Yangquan defenders, but also General Harada, General Ishikawa, and the commander of the fourth brigade... and... and... the lists specially given by the officers, only a small Some of it is ours.

Not only the consumption used to attack the Eighth Route Army's base areas, but also the consumption used to respond to the Eighth Route Army's offensive and defend the city. Isn't it unreasonable? "

When the list of officers was announced, Sakamoto was stunned.

This is not only a list of names, but also a group of black-hearted thieves on a ship.

Sakamoto had nothing to say and nodded, but although he was quite reluctant to part with the 20 small yellow croakers in his hand, he did not dare to take them randomly:

"I will report the list truthfully. As for these souvenirs, Kawashima-kun, I won't take them!"

Kawashima's face darkened: "Sakamoto-kun, you are confused! If you don't take this money, how will I get it? If you and I don't take it, how will the generals get it? If the generals don't take it, how can they advance? If the generals don't advance, how can they be promoted? Let's make progress together?

What do you think my souvenir product means? This is not just what I mean, but also what the generals want.

You don’t want to chill the generals, right? "

Sakamoto:"……"

After swallowing hard again, Colonel Sakamoto finally put 20 small yellow croakers into his arms in embarrassment.

Then Kawashima said: "Sakamoto-kun, do you know how much rice sells for on the black market in Tokyo this month?"

"?"

"4.5 yen per pound!"

You must know that the purchasing power of the Japanese yen during this period is still quite amazing. The Japanese yen has not yet depreciated, and even if it is exchanged with the US dollar, it is not much different.

Sakamoto was shocked: "No way, why is it so expensive? Didn't we send a lot of supplies to the country? A large amount of supplies plundered from China were also sent back to the country! How could this rice be so expensive?

I remember when we left the country, ten pounds of rice in China only cost one yen! "

Kawashima said coldly: "This is the so-called holy war. If we continue to fight, the already poor people will become even more depressed.

Moreover, I found out about this price half a month ago. Today, the same money might not even be able to buy it for two or two meters. "

Sakamoto fell silent in despair.

The conversation between the two reached the ears of Lieutenant General Harada not far away.

Harada personally held the wine glass, walked over to Sakamoto and said: "Sakamoto-kun, don't panic. Rice in Tokyo is expensive, but rice here is free. Come on, cheers! You can eat with confidence!"

Flattered, Sakamoto quickly raised his cup to greet him.

So, after a while, a figure belonging to Colonel Sakamoto appeared in the team that was singing, dancing and enjoying themselves to the fullest.

During the banquet, Colonel Sakamoto also had two extra bowls of rice, which made his belly full.

Kawashima taught the Harada Division the secrets of maintaining public security in Yangquan and Shouyang, and also of growing the army.

Of course, everything that can be said is taught to everyone, but what cannot be said is not mentioned at all.

General One Ear, Colonel Sakamoto and his party, who successfully obtained the scriptures, finally returned with a full load, and then returned to the Nanjing headquarters to report to Okamura.