Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

The confusion between Jingren's brows almost turned into reality: "Even so, it is still difficult to fully explain why the Tenth Army was stagnant on the Jinshanwei front for so long and even paid such a heavy price.

According to common sense, even if the enemy resisted stubbornly, the Tenth Army, with its excellent equipment and brave soldiers, should not have been in such a miserable state and unable to move forward.

You see, Matsui Iwane was tackling tough problems in the main battlefield of Songhu. Although the progress was slow, he was moving forward step by step.

But the Tenth Army... it was like they had hit an invisible wall, and no matter how hard they charged, they just couldn't get past it.

Now, not only is there a lot of discussion in the Kyoto headquarters, but even the other divisions fighting in China are criticizing Yanagawa Heisuke and mocking him as an incompetent good-for-nothing.

Hundreds of thousands of elite troops, after successfully landing in Hangzhou Bay, were trapped in the Songjiang and Jinshan lines, unable to effectively break through. This... This has become a joke in the history of the Imperial Army!

Jingren's tone was a mixture of disbelief and a hint of subtle satisfaction at the setback of the arrogant military: "Shanghai is indeed a nest of right and wrong, full of twists and turns, and anything incredible can happen.

A landing operation that was originally planned as a surprise flank attack and a quick decision turned into such a mess. Even His Majesty was amazed when he heard about it."

Zhou Zhengqing knew very well that Jingren, or the confusion of the emperor behind him, was exactly the situation he had painstakingly created and was happy to see.

Confusion, suspicion, and doubts about the military's ability to act are all loopholes that can be exploited.

Following Jingren's lead, he analyzed in a calm tone, "Shanghai and the entire Jiangnan waterway network area have complex terrain, and the enemy situation is changing rapidly.

Although our army is brave, it is inevitable that we will encounter many unexpected difficulties when fighting in an unfamiliar area.

The Tenth Army suffered a setback due to multiple reasons: the enemy was well prepared, the terrain was favorable for defense but not for attack, the logistics supply lines were long and fragile, and there were probably conflicts in command and coordination at all levels.

As for those bizarre reports circulating from the front..."

Zhou Zhengqing paused deliberately and reiterated his core point: "The most urgent task is to eliminate all interference and focus on finding out the truth.

The Military Police Command has dispatched capable personnel to the relevant areas to focus on verifying whether there is conclusive evidence that the enemy's new weapons have been put into use, and whether there are any clues of illegal intervention by external forces.

Of course, before obtaining concrete evidence, over-emphasizing mysterious and unknowable factors will not only be unhelpful, but will confuse the public, shake military morale, and play into the enemy's hands.

If Yanagawa Heisuke simply uses this as an excuse to shirk responsibility, I'm afraid... it wouldn't be a wise or prudent move."

Zhou Zhengqing's last sentence lightly directed the blame to the possible miscommand of the 10th Army's top brass, laying the groundwork for his subsequent order to Ichijo Yusuke to conduct an in-depth investigation and even trigger a conflict.

Jingren drank the remaining wine in the cup, and his expression returned to his usual laziness, as if the excitement just now was just a flash in the pan: "You are right.

It is difficult to tell the truth about what happened on the battlefield. Perhaps it was just an excuse that Heisuke Yanagawa used to justify his incompetent command.

However, since His Majesty has taken notice of this matter, you must promptly report any progress in your investigation.

"If we can get solid evidence that Yanagawa Heisuke acted inappropriately, it will give His Majesty more wiggle room in front of those rebellious individuals in the military." Jingren said, winking meaningfully at Zhou Zhengqing.

"I understand. I'll do my best." Zhou Zhengqing understood and agreed with a smile.

Just as Zhou Zhengqing was making plans in Tianjin, the two telegrams encrypted with the highest priority had already torn through the air like poisoned crossbow arrows, silently shooting towards two completely different battlefields in the south: Shanghai, where prosperity and death coexisted, and the Songjiang front, where the earth was still scorched and morale was low.

Deep in the night of Shanghai, Shunsuke Nakamura and Yudai Itai were still deducing the plan in a smoke-filled secret room until late at night.

Yudai Itai was responsible for the "open conspiracy". He personally drafted a formal official letter that could be regarded as a model.

The official letter used the most rigorous official language, quoted from classics, and extensively cited clauses from the Army Criminal Code, the Field Service Order, and even the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors, suddenly elevating the attack on Yoshida Hayato to the level of "concerning the fundamental discipline and dignity of the Imperial Army."

The writing is logically rigorous, but the wording is subtle. On the surface, it is a request for the expeditionary force headquarters to assist in the investigation, but in fact each question has been carefully designed to point directly to the possible omissions and doubts in the other party's personnel management, intelligence confidentiality and even post-war disposal.

This official letter was not only solemnly delivered to the desk of Adjutant Matsui Iwane, but also copied by Itai through special channels to the General Staff Headquarters in Kyoto, the Military Affairs Bureau of the Army Ministry, and even the military police departments of the Kwantung Army and the North China Front Army.

This move was intended to make the incident completely public, forcing all parties to pay attention and making it impossible for Matsui Iwane to suppress it easily.

At the same time, Shunsuke Nakamura's "conspiracy" network has been quietly spread.

He was like a spider lurking in the dark, wandering around the Expeditionary Force Officers Club, celebratory receptions and various social occasions in Shanghai.

In heart-to-heart conversations with colleagues or insiders, he would reveal his worry just in time: "It's a pity for Staff Officer Yoshida. I heard that before he was attacked, he was secretly investigating some matters... that were not convenient to talk about openly. It seems that he touched on the close ties between certain troops and local forces in Shanghai. I'm afraid that he disturbed someone else's cheese and brought about his own death..."

Nakamura Shunsuke's words were brief and without any concrete evidence, but they were like a stone thrown into a quiet lake, quickly stirring up ripples of suspicion.

Rumors quietly spread, pointing to possible corruption within the expeditionary force, collusion with local Chinese forces, and even darker underbelly. This invisible blade, with a wider range of damage, quietly eroded the foundation of trust within the expeditionary force.

Compared with the turbulent undercurrents in the Shanghai Concession, the atmosphere on the Songjiang front was direct and depressing.

After the Tenth Army suffered a recent defeat, the soldiers were exhausted and morale was low. The camp was filled with frustration after the defeat and fear of unknown forces. Rumors about "skyfire" and "mysterious friendly forces" were still spreading quietly.

When the military police captain Yusuke Ichijo received the secret message, he harshly reprimanded one of his subordinates for his poor performance.

The translator ran over to present the message, tore off the wax seal, and glanced at the words. His face, which already had hard lines and a serious expression, instantly became even colder and harder.

The content of the telegram is highly consistent with his inner belief that "military discipline is supreme and iron-fisted rectification is necessary". It denies the excuse of cowardice, exposes the truth of dereliction of duty, and defends the dignity of the military police!

Especially the sentence Zhou Zhengqing emphasized in the telegram, "The dignity of the imperial gendarmerie cannot be desecrated", made him feel a surge of blood rushing to his head, as if he had found a noble mission to die for.