EBE Chapter 926 The Empire Has No Soldiers
Chapter 926 The Empire Has No Soldiers
On the other side of the battlefield far away from Maniwa City, in the command post of the front-line commander Stein, Stein stood in front of a huge combat sand table, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, staring at the fertile land in the Okayama area.
With his order, the Skeleton Division and the Revitalization Division, two elite troops known for their bravery and combat ability, pointed directly at the western gateway of the Okayama region - Takahashi City and Kurashiki City, like two sharp daggers.
Takamachi and Kurashiki are not only strategic locations in the Okayama region, but also the gateways to the entire region. They control the throat leading to the hinterland of Okayama, and their geographical location is extremely critical. The Okayama region has been known as the "granary of Honshu Island" since ancient times, and its developed agriculture and animal husbandry are second to none in the entire Fuso country.
On the fertile land, golden rice fields and herds of cattle and sheep form a vivid picture. However, at this moment, all of this has become a strategic resource in the eyes of the Chinese army.
Under Stein's careful planning, the Death's Head Division and the Revitalization Division quickly launched operations. They used the cover of night to quietly approach the target city and then launched a fierce offensive.
Amid the continuous artillery fire, the defensive fortifications of Gaoliang City and Cangfu City were destroyed one by one. The defenders were defeated in the face of powerful firepower, and the tranquility of the city was replaced by the smoke of war.
At the same time, the Chinese armies fought bravely in the snowy winter of Fusang, and the news of victory came in like snowflakes. Every victory was like a fire in the winter, igniting the passion and fighting spirit of the soldiers.
In Kyoto, Japan, Emperor Jindong sat in the magnificent palace, but he could not feel any warmth or peace. The war reports from the front were like cold swords, piercing his heart again and again. He frowned, as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart, making him breathless.
He knew very well that the loss of the Okayama region would not only mean the loss of a large amount of strategic resources, but would also seriously shake the morale and confidence of the Fuso people.
Faced with such a serious situation, he had to start considering more far-reaching strategic deployments in an attempt to reverse the situation and reverse the defeat.
Inside the Imperial Palace, it was already dark. The flickering candlelight in the Imperial Study illuminated the pale and haggard face of Emperor Ninto. He sat on the Dragon Throne, slightly hunched over, his fingers gently stroking the armrests, his eyes filled with worry about the fate of Fuso.
A violent cough broke the silence in the room. He had to cover his mouth with a handkerchief. After he had caught his breath a little, he slowly spoke.
"Prime Minister Tojo, the situation is now extremely critical. Shimane and Hiroshima have been lost one after another, and Tottori and Okayama are also in danger. I am very worried. Is my century-old foundation in Fuso really going to be destroyed in an instant?" Emperor Jinto's voice was low and full of helplessness.
Prime Minister Tojo Takehido stood aside with a solemn expression. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to speak frankly. Although the Tottori region is facing a strong enemy, we are fortunate to have a coalition force composed of two Class A divisions, Hino and Nari, and several Class B and Class C divisions stationed there. Tottori has a complex terrain with many mountains and hills. Our army can rely on natural barriers and adopt flexible and maneuverable tactics, which may temporarily delay the offensive of the Chinese army."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jindong frowned, as if he was weighing Tojo Takehiko's words. He coughed a few more times, his voice even weaker: "What about the Okayama area? There are vast plains there, with no strategic locations to defend. What should we do if the enemy's armored forces march straight in?"
Tojo Takehiro took a deep breath, and his tone revealed a bit of heaviness: "Your Majesty, the Okayama area is indeed the weakest link of our army at present. There are mostly plains there, and the terrain is flat, which is not conducive to our defense. The armored forces of the Chinese army are powerful. Once they launch an offensive, they are like a wild horse that has broken free from its reins and are difficult to stop. What is more serious is that the total number of army troops in the Okayama area is less than 100,000, and most of them are local garrisons with limited combat effectiveness."
At this point, Tojo Yuei paused, as if to organize his thoughts, and then continued: "However, Your Majesty, please rest assured that I have ordered reinforcements from all over the country to speed up their assembly and to deliver troops to the Okayama area as soon as possible. At the same time, we are actively seeking international assistance, hoping to ease the current military pressure through diplomatic means."
After hearing this, Emperor Rendong sighed softly, with a trace of fatigue and helplessness in his eyes.
The cruelty and ruthlessness of war have far exceeded his expectations. But as a king, he must face it all firmly and fight for Fuso.
"Prime Minister Tojo, you are the pillar of the country. I entrust the future of the country to you. I hope you can do your best to turn the tide and save the collapsing building." Although Emperor Jinto's voice was weak, it revealed an unquestionable firmness.
Tojo Takehiko bowed and saluted, his voice sonorous and powerful: "I will live up to your majesty's high expectations and defend our Fuso territory until the last moment!"
Tojo walked out of the Imperial Palace, fully aware of the urgency of time and the difficulty of the task. Without wasting a moment, he drove directly to the military headquarters.
In the military building, the new chief minister of the military, Watanabe Motoyasu, was already waiting in the lobby. When the two met, the atmosphere was already extremely solemn without much talk.
Tojo Yuei went straight to the point, his tone revealing an unquestionable determination: "Minister Watanabe, we must immediately dispatch reinforcements to the Okayama area. The situation there is urgent."
Watanabe Motoyasu heard this, a trace of bitterness flashed across his face, he shook his head slowly, his expression extremely ugly: "Prime Minister Tojo, I... I must be honest with you, the Empire currently does not have enough troops to carry out large-scale reinforcements."
This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, and Tojo Takehido's face instantly turned gloomy.
He widened his eyes and almost shouted, "What did you say? No soldiers? The Fuso Army has millions of soldiers. How can you tell me that you have no soldiers at this critical moment!"
Watanabe Motoyasu sighed helplessly, picked up a thick war report from the table, and handed it to Tojo Takehido: "Prime Minister, please take a look. Since China launched a full-scale war against Fuso, in just three months, the number of troops we lost has exceeded 650,000. This number is shocking, it means that our defense line is constantly being torn apart, and our replenishment speed is far behind the consumption."
Takehide Tojo took the battle report and flipped through it page by page. Those cold numbers and cruel descriptions of the battlefield weighed on his heart like a huge rock.
His fingers trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with anger and helplessness. "How could this happen... just three months..." He muttered to himself, as if he could not accept this cruel reality.
"Prime Minister, I know this is hard to accept, but we have to face reality." Watanabe Motoyasu said in a low voice, "The problem now is that we must not only consider how to reinforce Okayama, but also how to reorganize the remaining troops, improve combat effectiveness, and seek more international assistance. This is a protracted war, and we cannot relax or underestimate the enemy."