Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

The intervention of the North China Area Army made the already complex war situation even more chaotic and completely extinguished the last hope of the remnants of the Central China Expeditionary Army.

The arrival of the 14th Division was not only a military impending disaster, but also a fatal political blow.

It clearly declared that Terauchi Hisaichi and the North China Area Army had openly sided with the "rebels," namely the military police and the Kwantung Army alliance.

This meant that the Central China Expeditionary Army not only faced attacks from the Kwantung Army and the military police system, but also had to deal with blockades from the North China Area Army, truly finding itself in a desperate situation of being besieged on all sides.

When the news reached Nanjing, Matsui Iwane was struck dumb, and his last bit of will to resist was on the verge of collapse.

The final blow to Matsui Iwane came from a telegram sent by Terauchi Hisaichi.

"I was shocked and deeply worried to hear of the turmoil in Central China."

In order to quickly quell the chaos, safeguard the great cause of the Imperial Holy War, and prevent the flames of war from spreading and affecting the interests of the Empire, the elite 14th Division of the North China Area Army was specially dispatched south to assist in the battle, in order to restore order as soon as possible.

We hope Mr. Matsui will prioritize the overall situation and cooperate sincerely.

This telegram appears friendly, but every word is actually a veiled attack.

It completely ignored the fact that Matsui Iwane was still the nominal commander of the Central China Expeditionary Army, and directly defined the intervention of the North China Area Army as "assistance in the war" and "restoration of order," thus placing itself in the position of a higher-level coordinator or even arbitrator.

What chilled Matsui Iwane even more was that the telegram made no mention of how to support the Central China Expeditionary Army fighting bitterly in the city, but instead implied that he should "put the overall situation first," which was tantamount to forcing Matsui Iwane to give up resistance.

Matsui Iwane's hands trembled as he unfolded the telegram.

After reading it, his face turned deathly pale. He crumpled the telegram into a ball, slammed it to the ground, and let out a beast-like growl: "Terauchi! You despicable opportunist!"

However, after the rage, there is an even deeper sense of powerlessness.

Terauchi Hisaichi not only seized the initiative militarily, but also played an impeccable political card.

Now, with the Kwantung Army and the military police besieging them from within and the North China Area Army blocking them from the outside, they are truly trapped like turtles in a jar.

The most devastating and fatal blow to Matsui Iwane soon followed.

In a subsequent telegram, Terauchi Hisaichi, under the pretext of "unified command and improved efficiency," clearly informed Matsui Iwane that the 16th Division, originally part of the North China Expeditionary Army and subsequently transferred to Central China, would "be restored to direct command by the North China Area Army in order to cooperate in clearing out the enemy outside Nanjing."

This order is tantamount to openly undermining someone, and it targets one of the core forces on which Matsui Iwashita relies for support.

The 16th Division suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Nanjing, but it remained an important force in the city's defense.

Terauchi Hisaichi's move not only weakened Matsui Iwane's military strength, but also thoroughly humiliated and demoralized him.

This clearly indicates that even his own troops are no longer trusted and may even be directly taken over by others.

When the news reached the 16th Division's defensive positions north of the city, it caused great chaos.

Division Commander Lieutenant General Nakajima Kesago was filled with inner conflict.

On the one hand, he had long harbored resentment towards Matsui Iwane's command.

On the other hand, Nakajima Kesago is also worried that if he easily changes his allegiance when the military’s attitude is unclear, he might be purged in the future.

However, faced with Terauchi Hisaichi's direct orders and their current desperate situation, the instinct for survival and the consideration of preserving strength began to take over.

Some lower-ranking officers and soldiers were even more uneasy, believing that continuing to follow Matsui Iwane would only lead to their deaths, and that it would be better to obey the orders of the North China Area Army, which might offer a glimmer of hope for survival.

When Matsui Iwane attempted to contact Nakajima Kesago directly to demand a clear statement, the response he received was vague and ambiguous.

This attitude made Matsui Iwane realize that the 16th Division was no longer reliable, and at least its high command was already considering its options.

The despair of being betrayed and abandoned by everyone was like an icy tide, completely overwhelming this former "Commander of the Central China Front Army".

In the dark and damp underground command post, Matsui Iwane dismissed his attendants and slumped alone in a chair.

His once arrogant gaze had become empty and lifeless, staring intently at the huge, yet meaningless, battle map under the flickering kerosene lamplight.

The faint sounds of gunfire outside sounded to him both like a death knell and the most merciless mockery of his military career.

He recalled the high spirits after the Battle of Shanghai, the "glory" of capturing Nanjing, and now the desperate situation of being surrounded by his compatriots, abandoned by his superiors, and doubted by his subordinates. The enormous psychological gap and the pressure of reality finally broke down his last line of defense.

He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders trembled violently, and he made a sound that was both crying and laughing, which was chilling.

At this moment, the general who once commanded hundreds of thousands of troops had suffered a mental breakdown.

In the early hours of January 26, under strong pressure from his staff, Matsui Iwane was forced to abandon his ground command post and hastily moved to an underground bunker at the Jinling Arsenal under the cover of his guards.

This is a dark and damp underground space, with water droplets seeping from the concrete walls, and only a few emergency lights providing dim illumination.

The communications soldier hurriedly set up the radio equipment, and Matsui Iwane slumped on the ammunition box. The once invincible army commander now had only fear and despair in his eyes.

The air was damp and cold, mixed with the smells of dirt, mold, burnt radio equipment, and a faint, almost imperceptible odor of blood.

Inside the massive reinforced concrete bunker, only a few light bulbs powered by field generators emitted a dim yellow light, casting swaying shadows on the water-covered walls.

This was the last command center of the Central China Expeditionary Army, and also the place where Commander-in-Chief Matsui Iwane fought his last stand.

Matsui Iwane slumped on a simple cot, his once crisp lieutenant general's uniform now crumpled and stained with dirt.

His eyes were sunken and covered with spiderweb-like blood vessels. His once neatly combed hair was now a mess, and he looked as if he had aged twenty years in just a few days.

Outside the bunker, the faint sounds of muffled artillery fire and rapid gunfire could be heard.

Each explosion caused the bunker to tremble slightly, and dust fell from the top wall.

The staff officers and communications soldiers, their faces pale, moved silently through the cramped space, a palpable sense of oppressive fear permeating the air. They all knew that the final moment was approaching.

Matsui Iwane suddenly raised his head, his turbid gaze falling on the buzzing Type 94 radio transmitter in the corner, as if it were the only passage connecting hell and the human world.

He took a deep breath and roared to the communications officer in a hoarse, almost torn voice, "Send a telegram! To Kyoto! To Minister Sugiyama! Now!"