Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

This group of people were the core leaders of the "rebel army" who had just been arrogant at the surrender ceremony.

Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura, commander of the 2nd Division of the Kwantung Army; Lieutenant General Noriyuki Matsui, commander of the 4th Division; and Lieutenant General Bunzaburo Kawagishi, commander of the 14th Division of the North China Area Army, among others.

These people had mixed feelings at that moment.

Having eliminated the major threat of the Central China Expeditionary Army, the spoils and credits were about to be divided.

The pie is only so big, and the credit is only so much. Who will divide it? Who will take the lion's share? Before, we had a common enemy—Matsui Iwane's Central China Expeditionary Army—so we could work together. But when it comes to dividing the spoils, everyone has to think about themselves.

Upon seeing Yusuke Ichijo approach with a serious expression, the group naturally lowered their voices.

"Generals." Yusuke Ichijo stood at attention and saluted, his manners impeccable, but his tone carried a businesslike detachment.

He took out the telegram directly, but instead of handing it over, he held it in his hand and clearly said, "I just received an urgent telegram from Commander Takasaki Takuto of the Tianjin Military Police Headquarters."

I have been ordered to convey the highest directives to you all.

Kawagishi Bunzaburo frowned almost imperceptibly, instinctively displeased by Ichijo Yusuke's almost assertive stance.

But he was extremely shrewd and simply nodded slightly: "Mr. Ichijo, please speak."

Yuichiro repeated the core content of the telegram word for word, especially the key clauses regarding the military police taking over the city's defenses and the army not being allowed to enter the city without orders.

As he spoke, the expressions of the division commanders gradually changed.

The smile on Kawagishi Bunzaburo's face vanished, Yamada Otozo's lips tightened into a straight line, and a sharp glint flashed in Sakamoto Seiemon's eyes.

Okamura Neiji, Matsui Mikoto, and Ito Masaki exchanged glances, then all wore knowing expressions.

Kawagishi Bunzaburo spoke first, his tone carrying a tentative "concern," but in reality filled with resentment and doubt: "Ichijo-kun, we understand Commander Takasaki's determination."

However... the situation within the city is likely more complex than imagined.

The Central China Expeditionary Army had a large number of scattered and defeated soldiers, and its weapons were severely scattered.

In addition, there may be Chinese resistance elements lurking among them, waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble.

"Is your force too weak? Entering the city alone at this time could be dangerous, and if something goes wrong, it would damage the dignity of the empire." His implication was clear: your military police are no good at fighting, but for cleaning up the mess and maintaining order, the tough nuts to crack, are our army.

Yusuke Ichijo had anticipated this question.

His expression remained unchanged, but his tone was unusually firm, like a drawn sword: "Thank you for your concern, Division Commander Kawagishi."

But military orders are absolute and cannot be questioned.

As for troop strength, the division commander need not worry about it.

In Tianjin, two fully equipped military police battalions have already sailed south and should arrive at Nanjing Xiaguan Station within three days at the latest.

During this period, all affairs within the city will be under the full responsibility of my military police battalion.

At this point, Yusuke Ichijo smiled at Matsui Mikoto, Matsui Iwane, and Ito Masahiro: "Furthermore, if our military police need help, I believe the 2nd Division, the 4th Division, and the 101st Division would be more than happy to assist us, am I right?"

"Hehehe, of course, our Fourth Division is ready to provide support at any time!" Matsui immediately replied with assurance.

"Although the Second Division suffered heavy casualties, it can still easily deal with some stragglers." Okamura Neiji glanced at Kawagishi Bunzo, who was the last guy to come and steal the credit. He was very disgusted with Kawagishi Bunzo, and his attitude was full of undisguised contempt.

Ito Masaki, the other person named by Ichijo Yusuke, opened his mouth, looked at the several Class A division commanders present, and finally just nodded without saying anything.

Yusuke Ichijo smiled, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and continued in an unquestionable tone: "The divisions have been fighting bloody battles for days, enduring great hardship and making outstanding contributions."

Commander Takasaki specifically instructed that all generals should lead their troops to rest and replenish supplies in the designated area outside the city.

If you need to enter the city for official business or necessary rest, you must submit a written application to our department in advance, explaining the reason, personnel, equipment and time. You may enter the city only after approval, and you must strictly abide by the routes and regulations of our military police.

In particular, according to reliable intelligence, there are still many journalists, diplomats and international observers from various countries in the city.

Their cameras and pens were pointed directly at Nanjing.

Any behavior that damages the image of the Imperial Army, whether it is looting, fighting, or any form of misconduct, will have an irreparable negative impact on the Imperial Holy War if it occurs and is reported by foreign media.

At that time, Commander Takasaki has ordered that regardless of who is involved or their rank, they will be dealt with according to the most severe military law, in accordance with the Special Wartime Criminal Law and the Army Criminal Law! There will be no leniency!

These words, while seemingly gentle, also conveyed a firm stance, acknowledging the army's contributions while clearly defining the boundaries of power.

They wielded the sword of "international scrutiny," elevating any possible act of defiance to the level of endangering national interests.

There was a brief silence at the scene.

Finally, Lieutenant General Tsukada Osamu, commander of the 8th Division, broke the silence: "Since Commander Takasaki has made all the arrangements, we should obey his orders."

The 8th Division will rest in a designated area outside Qilin Gate.

"The matter of entering the city will be reported to Ichijo-kun according to regulations."

Tsukada's words were tantamount to acknowledging the jurisdiction of the military police.

Seeing this, Yamada Otozo and Kawagishi Bunzaburo had no choice but to express their agreement to comply with the arrangements.

A potential power conflict was averted.

This was partly due to the support given to the military police by figures like Matsui Mikoto and Okamura Yasuji, and also because of his own noble status.

But the main reason was that no one wanted to offend the commander of the Empire's top elite gang of playboys and the military police headquarters.

No one wanted to easily antagonize the head of the military police, the instigator of this civil war, that vengeful and mad young master, Takasaki Takuto...

As soon as the conversation ended, Yusuke Ichijo returned to his temporary command post and issued a series of orders.

. . . . . . . . .

On the morning of January 31, Colonel Yusuke Ichijo led his military police battalion into Nanjing under the cold winter dawn.

Despite having heard rumors of the horrific conditions in the city, the sights they witnessed firsthand still caused these self-proclaimed well-informed military police a sense of physical discomfort and a profound shock to their souls.

As far as the eye could see, there were only broken walls and ruins.

The once bustling streets are gone, leaving only endless piles of rubble. The charred roof beams, like the skeletons of giant beasts, grotesquely pierce the gray sky.

The streets were littered with remnants of war: twisted rifle parts, empty ammunition boxes, the wreckage of destroyed military motorcycles, and torn pieces of uniforms...

Mixed among this military debris were even more horrifying sights... unclaimed corpses...