Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Qi was alone, holding a samurai sword, guarding outside the door of the room all night, and the conversation between Zhou Zhengqing and Takumi Takazaki also lasted all night.

No one knows what the two talked about.

But on the next morning, when Zhou Zhengqing stood on the deck of the Kaga and watched the warship carrying Takumi Takazaki and his wife, as well as many heirs of Japanese aristocrats, sail away, his eyes seemed much deeper and colder.

"Send all the younger generations of the family out of Japan! In this chess game, the nobles are so hesitant in making their moves. They don't want to give up this, but they also want to occupy that! They really want it all!" Zhou Zhengqing muttered to himself.

On the other side, Takumi Takazaki, who was standing on the deck of the warship, looked at the Kaga with an equally complicated look. He waited until the Kaga almost became a small black dot before returning to the cabin in response to his wife's calls.

. . . . . . . . .

In the following days, Zhou Zhengqing paid close attention to the development of the situation in China while staying on the Kaga and enjoying the rare leisure time.

Perhaps it was because the differences of opinion among the top leaders in Japan had not yet been resolved. After occupying Wanping, the Japanese army did not take any further action and had been negotiating with the top leaders of the 29th Army of China stationed in the Peiping-Tianjin area.

Just when Zhou Zhengqing was beginning to doubt whether the war would be delayed.

The situation changed suddenly.

On July 7, despite strong opposition from the military, the Japanese cabinet still insisted on the policy of not escalating the situation and resolving it locally, and did not abandon the desire for peaceful negotiations.

The contradiction between the military and the cabinet became increasingly severe. At the five-minister meeting of Japan on the same day, the three giants of the army suddenly launched an attack.

Despite the cabinet's opposition, the government decided to quickly send reinforcements prepared by the Kwantung Army and the Korean garrison, as well as 18 flying squadrons, to North China to strengthen the Chinese garrison. On the same day, the military issued a "Government Statement on Increasing Troops to China" to the whole country.

At this time, the "garrison army" was organized into a brigade with a total strength of 5774 people, but it was equipped with one regiment of artillery and cavalry, and also had one tank team.

They were stationed in important places such as Peking, Tongxian, Tianjin, Tanggu, Tangshan, Qinhuangdao and Shanhaiguan.

The 37th Army, which actually controlled the Peiping-Tianjin area, had the 38th, 132th, 143nd, and 9rd Infantry Divisions, the 1th Cavalry Division and a special forces brigade, plus local security forces, with a total strength of about 10. Although its firepower and air force were not as good as those of the Japanese army, it had an absolute advantage in terms of manpower.

Unfortunately, after the Japanese army occupied Wanping City, the Hebei-Chahar authorities, led by the top leaders of the 29th Army, fell into the false negotiation illusion set by Japan and missed the opportunity to encircle and annihilate the Chinese garrison troops with superior forces, creating time for the Japanese army to increase its troops in North China.

On the 12th, the additional Japanese troops had arrived in Tianjin in large numbers. The top leaders of the th Army still had illusions about the Japanese army and carried out a withdrawal of troops, withdrawing the defenders who were confronting the Japanese army near Wanping to Changxindian and Hengmenkou.

At the same time, the results of the investigation into the battle of Wanping City and the agreement reached after consultation with the garrison troops were announced.

1. The 29th Army representative issued a statement to apologize to the Japanese Army and punish those responsible for the incident.

2. Crack down on the anti-Japanese activities of the underground party, the Blue Shirts Society and other anti-Japanese groups.

Third, there will be no Chinese troops stationed east of the Yongding River.

On the next day, the top brass of the 29th Army hastily issued a speech: "The Marco Polo Bridge Incident is indeed a misfortune for East Asia. It is a blessing in disguise that local conflicts can be resolved at any time. I hope those in charge will put the overall situation of East Asia first. If we only care about our own interests, the rise and fall of a country is beyond our expectations."

Following the 29th Army's speech, the Nanjing Government of China urgently sent a telegram to the 29th Army expressing its determination to fight the war with all its might, and hoped that the 29th Army would be consistent with the Nanjing Government and not be bullied by the enemy.

However, Song Zheyuan, a senior official of the 14th Army, was quite skeptical about the Nanjing government's determination to fight the Japanese invasion. He ordered that the Bac Ninh Railway operate normally from the th, canceled the martial law order, strictly prohibited the th Army from having any friction with the Japanese army, and released dozens of Japanese officers and soldiers captured in the battle between the two sides.

Negotiators were sent to contact the Chief of Staff of the Garrison Army, Gun Hashimoto, and others, and to hold talks with Major Shoda, a Japanese military staff officer who hurried to China from the General Staff in Japan.

On July 40, the Japanese military and the emperor, regardless of the cabinet, reached a resolution to mobilize ground troops and once again confirmed the national policy of quickly destroying the entire China.

The military then ordered the Kwantung Army, Major General Sakai Koji's Independent Mixed 1st Brigade, and Lieutenant General Suzuki Shigeyasu's Independent Mixed 11th Brigade to be incorporated into the China Garrison Army.

Subsequently, the 20th Division led by Lieutenant General Naoki Daiki of the Korean Army was incorporated into the Chinese Garrison Army.

同时调新编第2飞行集团和临时航空兵团编入华夏驻屯军，临时航空兵团辖1个飞行团，7个飞行大队，4个独立飞行中队。总兵力超过同时编成的第2飞行集团2个飞行联队+1个飞行大队编制。

A temporary reinforced flying group combat unit.

Since then, the total strength of the Chinese garrison reached 10, the th Army lost its troop advantage, and the Japanese army formed an encirclement of Ping and Tianjin.

On July 7, more than 17 Japanese troops arrived in Shunyi and Changping respectively, and built defensive fortifications on the city of Changping.

On July 7, the Japanese army invaded Changping, Tongzhou and other counties in the pseudo-border areas through various passes of the Great Wall.

During the few days when the top leaders of the 29th Army still had illusions, the Japanese army launched repeated attacks and continued to escalate the war.

Until February 7th.

Lieutenant General Tsukazuki Kiyoshi, commander of the Tian Garrison Army, issued an ultimatum to the top leaders of the 29th Army, demanding the withdrawal of the 29th Army troops from Peiping within a certain period of time.

The 29th Army's top leaders were disappointed with the peace talks. They immediately terminated the negotiations and resolutely rejected Kazuki Seiji's ultimatum. They ordered the 29th Army to resist resolutely.

On the 27th, the Japanese army attacked Tong County and then attacked Gaoliying, Changping, Tangshan, Shahe and other places. The senior leaders of the th Army issued a telegram to defend the territory and resist the enemy, stating that we have the responsibility to defend the territory and have to defend properly.

At dawn on July 7, Seiji Kozuki led the Japanese Suzuki Mixed Brigade, Kawabe Shoji Brigade and Mechanized Brigade to launch a general attack on the city of Peking from Beiyuan, Xiyuan and Nanyuan. The 28th Army was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses, with more than casualties.

On July 7, Beijing fell and the 29th Army retreated.

The 29th Army was deceived by the Japanese side with the illusion of peace talks for more than half a month, which made the 29th Army lose its initial military advantage. In the end, the Japanese army captured the city of Peking in just a few days!

Peking fell, and so did Tianjin.

On July 7, the Japanese army began to occupy the Tianjin railway line.

On the 14th, the garrison troops clashed with the Chinese army at Luodai Station, and on the 17th they occupied Tianjin West Station.

On the 23rd, they occupied the north bank of the Haihe River in Tanggu.

On the 26th, they occupied Luodai, Yangcun, Douzhangzhuang Station and Beicang area. Local armed forces such as the tax police force surrendered without a fight and became puppet troops.

At this point, most of Tianjin’s railways were occupied. Later, the Japanese army occupied Langfang, and communications between Beijing and Tianjin were cut off.