Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

A black sedan from the Tianjin Japanese Military Police Headquarters, escorted by two three-wheeled motorcycles in front and behind, roared out of the gate, kicking up a cloud of fallen leaves, and sped towards Beijing.

Zhou Zhengqing and Prince Jingren sat in the back seat, closing their eyes to rest. They seemed calm, but their minds were working rapidly.

The meeting notice from the commander of the North China Front Army, Terauchi Hisaichi, came somewhat suddenly, but was also reasonable.

The Shanxi Campaign has basically come to an end. Regardless of the actual results, a "summary and commendation conference" for the outside world, especially domestic and international journalists, is essential.

This was not only necessary to publicize the results of the war and boost morale, but also a stage for the North China Front Army and the Central China Front Army to compete secretly.

Terauchi Hisaichi's intention in inviting Prince Jingren and the Tianjin Military Police Commander, who was not in the army combat sequence but held great power and had delicate relations with all parties, to participate is intriguing.

The wheels are rolling, and the city of Tianjin outside the window looks a bit bleak in early winter.

Zhou Zhengqing's thoughts had already drifted to the meeting venue he was about to attend.

He guessed that this was not just a bragging session, but more likely an important occasion for exchanging intelligence and testing positions.

He also needed to take advantage of this opportunity to try to promote his plan, so he agreed to attend. Otherwise, he would be busy contacting Kenkichi Ueda and would not have the time to go to the North China Front Army to attend a commendation meeting.

When he arrived at the North China Front Army Headquarters, the atmosphere was exactly as Zhou Zhengqing had expected.

A huge rising sun flag was hung outside the headquarters gate, and guards with armed guns and solemn expressions could be seen everywhere.

The yard was filled with various military vehicles, and many generals and officers in tweed uniforms and shining epaulettes were coming in and out. Among them were some reporters holding cameras and notebooks, who were obviously from Japan and some foreign news agencies.

The meeting was held in the main auditorium.

The rostrum was covered with a white tablecloth, and behind it hung a huge portrait of the emperor and a military flag.

General Terauchi Hisaichi was wearing a neat military uniform with medals hanging all over his chest. He sat in the center with an air of majesty.

Sitting on both sides were the main commanders of the Shanxi Campaign, including the Commander of the First Army, Daiki Naoki, the Commander of the Fifth Division, Itagaki Seishirō, and the Commander of the Mongolian Corps, Hasunuma Han.

In the front row of the stage were the commanders of the various divisions of the North China Front Army and other generals and colonels, including Chief of Staff Major Naosaburo Okabe, while in the back row were reporters who were allowed in.

Zhou Zhengqing and Jingren were arranged to sit on the side of the rostrum, close to it. This position not only showed the special identities of the two, but also implied that they were not the core members of the North China Front Army.

Zhou Zhengqing sat low-key on a high-end sofa. The waiter immediately served him tea. He swept his eyes calmly across the room, taking in everyone's expressions.

Jingren was arranged to stand in front of the stage and let reporters take pictures. After the show, he returned to sit next to Zhou Zhengqing.

At the beginning of the meeting, Terauchi Hisaichi stood up first and bowed deeply to the emperor's portrait, and everyone in the audience stood up and bowed.

After the ceremony, Terauchi returned to his seat and began his report in his unique, unhurried tone.

"Since the autumn of 1949, when the Imperial Army's North China Front was ordered to eliminate the enemy in Shanxi, all officers and men, upholding Your Majesty's command, have fought bravely, engaging in dozens of battles, both large and small, ultimately capturing important strongholds such as Taiyuan and Datong, inflicting a devastating blow on the enemy's main force in the Second War Zone..."

Terauchi's report was filled with words like "glorious victory", "military fortune of the imperial army", and "enemy defeat".

He listed in detail the cities that were captured, the number of Chinese troops annihilated or claimed to have been annihilated, and the weapons and equipment seized, trying his best to paint a picture of unstoppable momentum and successive victories.

He particularly emphasized the "tenacious will" and "superb tactics" displayed by the North China Front Army under harsh terrain and climatic conditions, and made an unnamed comparison with the "protracted" and "heavy casualties" of the Songhu battlefield.

"...This battle completely shattered the enemy's attempt to use the Shanxi Plateau as a barrier and resist stubbornly, demonstrating the invincible strength of the Imperial Army!

This is the result of the divine blessing of His Majesty the Emperor, and the sincere unity and bloody battles of all the officers and soldiers of the North China Front Army! "

The voice from the temple echoed in the auditorium, and the audience broke out into warm applause at the right time, especially the officers of the North China Front Army, all of whom stood up straight with proud expressions on their faces.

The flashlights in the press area kept flashing, recording this moment of "victory".

Zhou Zhengqing and Jingren, who seemed somewhat bored, applauded along with everyone else.

Jingren has been somewhat resentful of Zhou Zhengqing recently because he also wanted to go to Shanghai, but was stopped by Zhou Zhengqing.

If something happens to such a royal prince going to Shanghai, it will be a troublesome matter.

Moreover, Jingren is a good tool, but he cannot go to a dangerous place like Shanghai and become a sitting duck. The assassins of the Military Control Commission are no joke.

Zhou Zhengqing's face showed just the right amount of solemnity and approval, but his heart was cold.

Through the intelligence he had, he had some understanding of the actual situation of the war in Shanxi.

The Japanese army's victory was not achieved easily, but came at an extremely heavy price.

The harassment of the Chinese army, especially the Eighth Route Army, behind enemy lines, as well as the tenacious defense of Xinkou, Niangziguan and other places, caused great difficulties for the Japanese army.

The so-called "devastating blow" in the temple report was extremely exaggerated. Although the main force of the Second War Zone suffered severe damage, it was far from being annihilated. Instead, it was broken up into small pieces and integrated into the Taihang, Luliang and other mountain ranges, laying the seeds for a long-term guerrilla warfare.

Itagaki Seishirō's Fifth Division was ambushed at Pingxingguan and lost a baggage train. Although the scale of the defeat was not large, it was the first organized defeat of the Japanese army since the war began, breaking the myth of the "invincibility of the Imperial Army."

These were either downplayed or not mentioned at all in the temple reports.

Next, it was Itagaki Seishirō's turn to speak.

This arrogant and radical division commander, who calls himself an "expert on China", is now standing on the stage, but he is less flamboyant than usual and more depressed.

He mainly summarized the combat process of the Fifth Division and also emphasized the battle achievements, but his words occasionally revealed complaints about the stubborn resistance of the Chinese army and the complex terrain.

"...the enemy in Shanxi, especially the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army of China, is the most cunning. They use the mountains to move erratically, avoiding our front lines and attacking our rear. Our logistics lines are frequently harassed. This will be the key difficulty in future clearing operations..."

Itagaki's words hinted that the war was not going as smoothly as advertised.

The meeting lasted for more than an hour, and the public meeting for reporters ended amid another round of warm applause.

The reporters were politely asked to leave the venue.

The moment the auditorium door closed, the atmosphere in the venue changed instantly.

The senior generals who had been full of vigor and smiles just now, their expressions relaxed almost at the same time, replaced by an unconcealable fatigue and solemnity.

Terauchi Juichi rubbed his brows, stood up first, and gestured to the dozen or so core generals in the front row, including Zhou Zhengqing and Jingren, "Gentlemen, Your Highness, follow me to the small conference room."

The group followed Terauchi Juichi in silence, through the carpeted corridor, and into a small meeting room with even tighter security.

The room was not big, with a long conference table in the middle. On the wall hung a detailed military map of North China and Shanxi, densely marked with the enemy and friendly situations. It was completely different from the "Victory March Map" in the auditorium just now. This map was more realistic and more shocking.