On the eve of the fall of Liaodong, he led his troops in a remonstrance against the young marshal.

In July of this year, in Wanbaoshan, Changchun, more than two hundred North Korean immigrants, with the support of the empire, forcibly seized farmland from local Chinese farmers.

The Chinese farmers refused to allow it, and a conflict ensued.

Imperial military and police intervened directly, shooting and wounding hundreds of Chinese farmers and arresting dozens.

The incident escalated, causing an uproar among the Chinese people throughout Manchuria, and anti-Japanese sentiment reached its peak.

What was Zhang Xueliang doing at that time? He was watching a play in Beiping.

"His subordinates requested that he send reinforcements to Changchun, but he made excuses and dared not act."

"In the end, it was the Chinese farmers who carried their hoes and went up to confront our soldiers and police, and a large number of them were mowed down by machine guns."

"Zhang Xueliang didn't dare utter a single word."

Kanaya Hanzo's sneer deepened. "A man who watches his own people being slaughtered without daring to utter a sound, you expect him to fight the Empire to the death?"

"Nanjirou-kun, aren't you overestimating him?"

Yamasugi Gen stood up from his seat, walked to the front of the map, and stood side by side with Minami Jiro.

"Chief Jin Gu is right."

"The Empire's intelligence department conducted a comprehensive assessment of Zhang Xueliang, and found that his personality traits were extremely extreme."

"Ambitious but lacking in ability, he hesitates to risk his life when undertaking great tasks, and is willing to risk his life for petty gains."

"His greatest ambition in life was to surpass his father, Zhang Zuolin, but he lacked Zhang Zuolin's courage and skill."

"He did not resist, not because he lacked the strength, but because he lacked the courage."

"During his years in Beiping, he smoked opium, took concubines, and went to the operas. He completely wore down his sharp edges."

He pointed to the map, his fingertip landing on the location of Fengtian:

"The Northeast Army in Fengtian City is indeed resisting, but I am certain that this is not Zhang Xueliang's order."

"It must have been the army in Fengtian City that acted without authorization. Once Zhang Xueliang learns the whole story, he will definitely not dare to do anything to the Empire."

"Why should we be afraid of someone like that?"

Nanjiro fell silent.

Yamasugi Gen spoke calmly, but every word hit the nail on the head, leaving him with no reason to refute.

He remembered the Wanbaoshan incident and the Nakamura incident; each one proved the same conclusion:

Zhang Xueliang was a coward.

He had an army of 300,000, but he didn't dare to use it.

If the Nanjing government sends troops to intervene, it will indeed be a problem, but as long as the Nanjing government does not send troops, Zhang Xueliang is a tiger without claws and teeth, unable to even kill a dog.

The Chairman is currently busy suppressing the southern army, and those people in the south are far more dangerous than the Northeast Army, so he cannot possibly send troops north.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the conference room.

Kanaya Hanzo's coldness, Yamasugi Gen's composure, the General Staff representative's eagerness, the Kwantung Army liaison officer's fear—all eyes were on him, waiting for him to speak.

He is the Minister of War, the most powerful person in this room.

The final decision must be made by him.

Nanjiro closed his eyes.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind: coal mines, iron mines, granaries, railways, and ports in Manchuria.

The Empire's continental strategy over the past century, Emperor Meiji's last instructions, warships outside Port Arthur, and blood on the walls of Fengtian.

He opened his eyes, and his expression had changed.

That trace of hesitation and fear was suppressed to the deepest part of his eyes, replaced by a resolute determination to go all in.

"In that case, I agree to the war."

"Order the 19th Division of the Korean Army to immediately cross the Yalu River and advance towards Fengtian along the Anfeng Line, and join forces with the main force of the 2nd Division of the Kwantung Army to launch a new offensive, striving to capture Fengtian before the Northeast Army completes its full assembly."

"Order the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Divisions on the mainland to immediately enter a state of Level II combat readiness. All officers and soldiers shall cancel their leave, load weapons and ammunition onto vehicles and stand by, ready to board ships from Busan and Moji Port at any time."

"Order General Honjo Shigeru, Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, to immediately return to Lushun to take charge of the overall situation."

"The mistakes made by Itagaki Seishiro will be dealt with after the war situation stabilizes. Until then, they will not be pursued."

Kanaya Hanzo's lips curved slightly.

Yamasugi Gen nodded expressionlessly.

The representative from the General Staff had already stood up and started tidying up the documents, preparing to deliver the orders.

Footsteps began to echo in the corridor again, faster and more urgent than before, and the clicking of a telegraph machine came from the next room.

Nanjiro walked to the window and pushed open the heavy iron bars.

Outside the window, a layer of leaden-gray clouds had gathered in the Tokyo sky, completely obscuring the sun.

The imperial palace in the distance was shrouded in gray mist, revealing only a blurry outline.

A gust of cold wind blew in from the window, making the telegrams on the table rustle.

He stood there, facing west, his gaze passing over the rooftops of Tokyo, as if he could see that distant black earth being soaked in blood.

The empire is being dragged into the abyss by a group of crazed soldiers, and he chose to jump in with them.

A ship's horn suddenly sounded from the distant port, deep and long.

That was the transport ship testing its horn; the sailors on board were conducting final checks before departure.

Nanjiro did not turn around.

He simply muttered, "I hope Zhang Xueliang is still the coward we know."