We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

"What?!" the little emperor screamed, "Let me... let me go to the front line?"

"No... No! I won't go! I'm the Emperor! I..."

Kaifu Munemasa interrupted him sharply: "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If the country is about to fall apart, how can there be an emperor?"

"Your Majesty's presence is the last spiritual symbol of Kyoto. Your presence in person, even just standing there, will inspire the desperate soldiers to strike one more blow and shoot one more arrow!"

"This is your last and only responsibility as Emperor!"

After saying this, he stopped looking at the little emperor who was about to faint and turned around to roar loudly at everyone in the hall:

"We Japanese must give up all illusions and prepare for the final decisive battle!"

"Anyone who is cowardly, shrinks back, or dares to talk about surrender will be killed without mercy!"

"Anyone who deserts the battlefield or disrupts the morale of the army will be put to death without mercy!"

"Anyone who hoards goods and profits from national disasters will be put to death without mercy!"

"The whole nation will perish with glory! Live and die with Kyoto!!!"

Kaifu Munemasa was like a gambler who had lost all his bets and only had one last crazy gamble left, betting the fate of the entire Japanese nation on this last gambling table.

The imperial palace's order was ruthlessly carried out by the remnants of the Kaibe family.

Groups of Kyoto citizens, like the walking dead, were driven out of their hiding places by the foot soldiers.

Men, women, the elderly, and even children all had expressions of fear on their faces.

They were pushed and shoved, silently gathering into streams of gray people, crawling towards the tall and majestic walls of Kyoto.

The city walls of Kyoto cast a huge shadow in the afterglow of the setting sun, cold and heavy.

Yes, Kyoto is located in the heart of the Japanese island, but its city walls are very high.

Towering city walls are usually located on the border. The farther away from the border, the lower the city walls will become.

However, the cities built in the hinterland have tall walls. The reason is very simple. They are not used to prevent foreign enemies, but to prevent their own people.

The high and mighty Japanese royal family is well aware of their sins, and this wall is to protect the people who are oppressed by them.

The funny thing is that the city walls, which were originally intended to be used against the people, have now become their last protection.

Looking up at the towering battlements, a faint light seemed to ignite in some people's eyes:

"At least the walls are high..."

"With such a high wall, the Fengtian Army's bows and arrows... shouldn't be able to reach it?"

"With so many people... we can always hold on..."

The tall city walls gave the Japanese a little pitiful comfort. They huddled together and rushed towards the last fence like a frightened flock of sheep, but they had no idea that the fence was about to turn into a huge millstone that would swallow them.

The city wall was already a chaotic and busy scene.

The soldiers roughly piled bundles of arrows, rolled logs and stones behind the battlements, and more people, under the scolding of the officers, filled every corner of the city wall with the civilians who were driven up.

All civilians without combat training can do is fill in the gaps.

Without any weapons being distributed, the Japanese were pushed to the battlement in a daze, looking at the field outside the city that looked particularly empty in the twilight.

That's where the Fengtian Army is heading.

The tall city walls block the view and temporarily block the imagination.

. . . . . .

Outside Kyoto, in front of the Fengtian Army formation, Li Che stared intently at the outline of the city in the distance.

The generals gathered around Li Che, feeling cold all over. Even Wang Sanchun, who usually loved to make jokes, was silent at this moment.

There is no other reason, it’s just that Li Che’s evil aura is too terrifying now.

Li Che also had a murderous aura before, but it was more restrained. It was the murderous aura that came from fighting for survival outside the Great Wall.

Even the civil officials in the Daqing court could not sense that murderous aura, otherwise they would never dare to confront him face to face.

But it is different now. The evil spirit on Li Che is almost solid.

How many Japanese people have died directly from Li Che's orders since entering Japan?

There is definitely a 100,000, and 200,000 should not be a problem. There is even hope of reaching 300,000.

But Li Che knew very well that even if 300,000 people died in Japan, it would still be far from enough to pay off the debt.

Three hundred thousand lives...is only enough for the Japanese to pay off the debt of one city.

Nanjing was not the only city dying in the flames of war.

Lushun, Zhenjiang, Changjiao, Panjiayu...

Even in non-war zones such as Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, etc., all male adults were sent out, every family wore mourning clothes, and every household hung white silk. Nine out of ten households had no sons.

There is no doubt that Li Che will continue to kill.

This kind of hatred is not a mathematical equation. No matter how many people you kill, I will kill the same people in revenge.

Now the hatred is so deep that only the annihilation of the clan can end it.

Footsteps came from behind him, and Xue Wei's figure appeared behind Li Che.

"Your Highness," Xue Wei saluted, "all departments have been prepared according to your orders. Siege equipment, kerosene, ladders, and battering rams have all been deployed to their designated locations."

"The artillery positions have also been completed. Although the number is not as large as it was at Xiaguan City, if we concentrate our bombardment on one point, it should be no problem to break the city."

"The soldiers are in high spirits, waiting only for His Highness's order!"

Li Che nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the dark Kyoto.

He was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke, "How's the flag issue going?"

Xue Wei showed a subtle hint of confusion on his face, but he immediately replied, "Your Highness, it has been completed."

"All camps, armies...all Fengtian Army flags have been replaced with the 'Daqing' flag as per your instructions."

He paused, but couldn't help but wonder, and cautiously raised his head to look at Li Che's profile: "Your Highness... I'm stupid and don't understand."

"This is the final battle to destroy Japan and conquer Kyoto. When we succeed, our name will surely go down in history!"

"Why...why did you replace my Fengjun flag with his Daqing flag? Isn't this merit..."

Xue Wei didn't finish his words, but his meaning was already very clear.

The Fengtian Army soldiers fought bloody battles from the White Mountains and Black Waters to the Japanese capital, and were about to pick the last pearl of this unparalleled achievement.

But on the eve of victory, they have to replace the flag that symbolizes their identity and honor?

This is tantamount to giving away a part of the glory that is about to be obtained and handing it over to others!

Not only Xue Wei was puzzled, but I'm afraid the entire Fengtian Army had similar confusion.

Li Che finally turned around slowly, the light from the bonfire dancing and illuminating his well-defined face.

"The destruction of Japan and the conquest of Kyoto were not the achievements of the Fengtian Army alone, nor were they the work of me, Li Che, alone."

He raised his hand and pointed at the boundless Fengtian Army camp behind him:

"Look at the soldiers in this camp. Where do they come from?"

"Liaodong, Youyan, Qilu, Central Plains, Bashu, Jiangnan... The blood flowing in their veins is Chinese! The language they speak is Chinese! The land they cherish in their hearts is Chinese!"

Li Che's gaze became extremely profound, as if he could see through the long river of history:

"The Fengtian Army is not just my, Li Che's, private army. It brings together the heroes of the entire Daqing!"

"This sword that pierces the heart of Japan is forged from the wrath and power of the entire Chinese land!"

"Without Daqing's endless supply of food, fodder, and troops, and without the shared hatred of the people of integrity and patriotism across the world, how could we, with only Liaodong, have such a grand military presence as we have today?"

He paused, then said firmly:

"The credit for destroying Japan shouldn't be monopolized by me, nor should it be solely attributed to my name, Li Che!"

"We are changing to the Daqing flag so that future generations will remember that it wasn't just the army of Fengguo that conquered the Japanese capital today and brought glory to our nation. It was the entire Chinese nation!"

"It was China that destroyed Japan."

Xue Wei paused, and although he was still confused, he said slowly, "I understand!"

Li Che nodded slightly and said no more.

After a long while, he asked casually, "Xue Wei, tomorrow...when is it?"

Xue Wei immediately bowed and replied, "Your Highness, today is September 16th, and tomorrow is September 17th."

"September 17th." Li Che repeated the date in a low voice.

His voice was very light, as if he was chewing something, or as if he was confirming something.

An extremely complex light flashed across his deep eyes.

Xue Wei keenly caught Li Che's emotional fluctuations at that moment, but did not dare to speculate.

He asked tentatively, "Your Highness, will we begin the general offensive tomorrow as planned?"

The night wind seemed to stop at this moment, and the light of the campfire flickered on Li Che's face.

He was silent, and time seemed to be stretched out for a very long time.

Finally, Li Che spoke slowly:

"Do not."

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the walls of Kyoto and into a more distant time and space:

"Send an order to the three armies."

"Tomorrow the entire army will rest for a day to recuperate and recharge their batteries."

"September 18th..."

Li Che's voice suddenly rose, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, shattering the silent night sky:

"——Begin the general attack!!!"