bayedsolid Chapter 227 Internal Response
Chapter 227 Internal Response
The next day, the large contingent marched up the mountain. Shen Lian displayed his full ceremonial guard, with military flags fluttering and dragon banners flying. The procession stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, Shen Lian shamelessly urinated on the mountain!
"I came, I saw, I conquered!" Shen Lian pointed to the distant city of Tokyo, his voice filled with pride!
The royal flag flies atop Mount Fuji.
Sword in hand, horse in hand, admiring the cherry blossoms.
Sweep away the Japanese invaders and pacify the world.
Reclaim the land and restore it to China.
. . . . . .
The scenery on Mount Fuji was indeed beautiful, with numerous lakes and hot springs scattered throughout the mountains. Many Japanese nobles built villas on the mountain, and Shen Lian settled in one of the Emperor's temporary palaces. He enjoyed the service of noble ladies while awaiting news from the battlefield.
After more than ten days of fierce fighting, the city of Tokyo was on the verge of collapse. The city was already short of food and supplies, and the arrival of more than 100,000 troops only exacerbated the food shortage.
Many Japanese civilians have had their food stolen and are now forced to eat grass roots and gnaw on tree bark.
Even with an army of over 200,000, food supplies cannot be guaranteed; currently, each soldier can only receive two rice balls per day.
The army had no food and had to kill horses to stave off hunger. Panic began to spread among the Japanese troops!
If the fighting continues, they will starve to death even if the Chinese army does not attack.
"Division Commander!" A colonel stormed into the room.
"Division Commander, we only got a thousand catties of rice today. Meanwhile, the Guards Division not only has more rice than they can eat, but they also have dried fish to eat with their meals!" the colonel said, unable to contain his anger.
"Sigh! The Imperial Guard Division has always had better benefits, how can we compare with them!" Yamamoto Kazuo shook his head and said.
“But we are the ones fighting the war, and we have already lost thousands of men in the past few days. Why should they, who are hiding in the rear, still receive so much food?” the colonel said indignantly.
"What good is a thousand catties of rice? If each soldier only gets a mouthful, there won't be any left! If they can't even fill their stomachs, how can they fight a war!"
"Alright! Stop talking! Tell the mess hall to add more water and cook some porridge for the soldiers!" Yamamoto Kazuo waved his hand impatiently.
"Division Commander, it's time to make a decision! Otherwise, once our soldiers are all gone, we'll be useless!" After waving away the people in the room, Major General Chief of Staff Inoue Hiroichi said in a low voice.
"Division Commander, they're clearly using us foreign soldiers as shields to make us wear down the Chinese's ammunition. And now we're short on rations; if this continues, our 25th Division will be finished!"
"The soldiers below are already very resentful. If a decision isn't made soon, and a mutiny breaks out, we'll both likely be dead!"
"For the sake of my 25th Division's more than 20,000 soldiers! For the future of our families! Please, Division Commander, make your decision now!" Inoue Koichi bowed deeply.
"Hoo!" Yamamoto Kazuo took a drag of his cigarette, his fingers holding the cigarette trembling slightly.
“Alright! Go and make the contact!” Yamamoto Kazuo said after a moment of silence.
"Hey! Division Commander!" Inoue Koichi was overjoyed, bowed, and strode out.
"Hongyi, you should have come long ago! Look at what we're eating here! Why are you risking your life for a dying man! Right!"
Kosuke Matsushita was overjoyed to see Koichi Inoue at his headquarters. The two were classmates at the Army War College, but Inoue had better grades and had risen through the ranks faster.
Seeing his old classmate again, Kosuke Matsushita felt a little smug. He was well aware of the situation in the city and had specially ordered his soldiers to prepare a sumptuous meal.
"Hey! I was just out of my mind before. I hope Matsushita-kun will put in a good word for me with the prince in the future!" Inoue Koichi said while gnawing on a lamb chop.
Now that he'd decided to surrender, he didn't care about saving face anymore. Matsushita was a despicable bastard, but who told him to surrender so early! He'd inevitably need Matsushita's help in future work together.
"Of course, of course! Don't worry, His Highness is magnanimous and will definitely accept you. Let's work together to achieve something great!" Kosuke Matsushita raised his glass and clinked it with Koichi Inoue's.
Shen Lian was not surprised at all when he received news that the Japanese 26th Division was willing to surrender. Even the most fortified fortress can be breached from the inside.
There is no shortage of such things in any country, at any time!
It's time to end the Battle of Tokyo. If it weren't for the fear of excessive casualties and devastating damage to the city, Shen Lian would have ordered a massive bombing campaign long ago!
Now that we have an inside man, things are much simpler!
At 10 PM on the second night, the artillery positions outside the city, as well as all the warships anchored in the harbor, all aimed their dark cannons directly at Tokyo!
Suddenly! A deafening roar of artillery fire erupted. Thousands upon thousands of shells rained down on Tokyo, and in an instant, the entire city was engulfed in a cacophony of explosions.
Clusters of firelight flickered continuously, and flames broke out all over Tokyo, turning the sky red. Shen Lian could see them even from Mount Fuji, dozens of kilometers away.
All the important Japanese locations marked by the 26th Division were repeatedly bombarded by artillery fire.
Half an hour later, the shelling ended. Supporting forces from the 26th Division, they stormed into Tokyo from the south. The 1st Army Division and the Armored Division followed closely behind.
The Japanese troops, caught off guard by the shelling, fell one after another while trying to put out the fires.
The armies on the other three sides also launched a fierce attack on Tokyo at the same time. For a time, the entire city was filled with the sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle. The common people were so frightened that they hid under their blankets, trembling with fear.
"Baka! The Chinese have gone mad!" Terauchi Masatake, who was hiding in the underground command post, was awakened and hurriedly dressed to come out and check.
"Your Excellency, Chinese soldiers have entered the city!" an officer rushed over to report.
"Damn it! How is this possible? How could the Chinese have invaded so quickly?" Terauchi Masatake's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.
"Yes, it's the 26th Division! They surrendered to the Chinese and let the enemy in. They even launched an attack on other units together with the Chinese."
"Baka yarou! Who is Yamamoto Kazuo, that bastard! I'll kill his whole family!" Terauchi Masatake roared in fury upon hearing this.
"Order the troops to organize resistance immediately! Drive the Chinese out!" Terauchi Masatake shouted the order, then led his men out of the command post and headed for the royal palace.
The Japanese Imperial Palace remained relatively quiet because Shen Lian wanted to keep it as his future residence. Therefore, despite the two-week fighting, it hadn't been bombed.
Terauchi Masatake arrived with his men, and many high-ranking Japanese officials followed. These officials had also learned of the Chinese army's entry into the city.
A group of high-ranking Japanese officials entered the Imperial Palace with panicked expressions, knelt solemnly on the couch, and awaited the Emperor's summons.
A moment later, Mutsuhito emerged, led by his attendant.
"Your Majesty!" A group of high-ranking officials hurriedly paid their respects.