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

"Commander! 100,000 Japanese troops are attacking!"

Wang Yizhe's words were like a cannonball hitting the Tiger Hall.

The previously tense atmosphere was instantly broken.

The purple clay cup that Zhang Zuoxiang had been handling for over a decade fell to the ground with a thud, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere. Scalding hot tea spilled onto his military boots, but he was completely unaware.

"What did you say?"

Zhang Zuoxiang suddenly stood up, staggered forward a couple of steps, grabbed Wang Yizhe's arm, his knuckles white from clenching his fists, and demanded, "Where did you come from? What unit? How many people?"

Wang Yizhe's forehead was covered in sweat, and the collar of his military uniform was soaked through, clearly indicating that he had run all the way in.

His voice was hurried, and his face was full of anxiety.

"The 19th and 20th Divisions stationed in North Korea crossed the Yalu River from the Dandong direction and advanced towards Fengtian along the Anfeng Railway line."

"The vanguard has already passed Fengcheng. At their marching speed, they should be able to reach Fengtian City in three days at most."

"Total troop strength...no less than 100,000."

No less than 100,000...

Almost everyone in the Tiger Hall held their breath for a moment.

Zhang Zuoxiang released Wang Yizhe's arm, slowly took two steps back, and stopped when his back hit the edge of the table. The color drained from his face at a visible speed, turning into a grayish-white.

He knew all too well what the 19th and 20th Divisions meant.

That was one of the oldest standing divisions in the Japanese Army. During the Russo-Japanese War, it fought hard against the Russian army's steel fortress at Port Arthur and was later stationed in Korea to serve as a colonial defense unit.

What kind of place is Korea? It was a colony operated by Japan for thirty years and the largest overseas troop base of the Imperial Army.

The troops stationed in Korea were always the top elite forces of the Japanese army, with the best equipment, the most refined training, and the most abundant manpower.

Moreover, these two divisions were also equipped with a large number of auxiliary troops in Korea. The total strength of the Korean collaborators and supply troops far exceeded the organizational size of the two divisions.

Zhang Zuoxiang was considered the most composed person in the Northeast Army; even if the sky were to fall, he could still calmly sip his tea.

But at this moment his hands were trembling uncontrollably, and a feeling of powerlessness rushed straight to the top of his head.

He turned to look at Zhang Xueming, his voice low, but everyone in the quiet hall could hear him clearly.

"The 19th and 20th Divisions... the elite troops of the Japanese are advancing."

"They were originally stationed in Korea. It was only a day's train journey from Seoul to Andong. Once they crossed the Yalu River, it was our territory. From Dandong and Fengcheng all the way to Fengtian, there were no natural defenses; it was all plains."

"I originally thought it would take at least half a month for them to be transferred, but I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then walked to the huge military map on the wall and pointed to several cities southeast of Fengtian in turn: Fushun, Tieling, and Liaoyang.

"Xueming, right now our army is still scattered in various places. The main force is in Jinzhou, the artillery is in Siping, and we can immediately transfer back less than three brigades of troops around Fengtian."

Zhang Zuoxiang tapped the map twice with his finger. "We must buy time for the main players to pull back."

"Fushun, Tieling, and Liaoyang are the gateways to Fengtian. As long as we establish defensive lines in these three places and keep the Japanese troops outside Fengtian, we can buy time for the main force to return to reinforce."

"We must not launch an attack rashly. With our current forces, we have absolutely no chance of winning. We must proceed with extreme caution."

Zhang Xueming stood in front of the map, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the map back and forth several times, without immediately expressing his opinion.

He was thinking.

From a military standpoint, Zhang Zuoxiang's suggestion was perfectly sound.

The standard answer taught in any serious military academy is to rely on the enemy's superior numbers, equipment, and morale to hold the line and await reinforcements when the enemy has the advantage in manpower, equipment, and morale.

But Zhang Xueming was thinking about something else: could he really hold on?

Does attacking really mean you'll lose?

The Japanese navy had just been defeated and would absolutely not be able to provide support to the army in the short term. Now, control of the sea and air was in their hands.

The 19th and 20th Divisions arrived so quickly, it was probably premeditated.

He may not know about the navy's crushing defeat yet, so isn't this his chance?

Just as Zhang Xueming was pondering, a voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

"Commander Zhang..."

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the source of the sound.

Chen Cheng.

The Nanjing envoy, who had just been verbally abused by Zhang Xueming, was now standing up from his chair.

His Zhongshan suit was still impeccably pressed, and his hair was still perfectly styled, but the expression on his face was completely different from before.

The deliberate humility and forbearance he had just displayed had completely vanished from his face, replaced by a glow of excitement.

His eyes gleamed, and the outline of his mouth turned up slightly; clearly, the Japanese attack had given him an opportunity.

"Commander Zhang,"

Chen Cheng took a step forward, his voice rising half an octave, "One hundred thousand elite Japanese troops are far beyond the capabilities of the Northeast Army."

"You should all be well aware of this."

His gaze swept across the face of everyone in the hall.

Zhang Zuoxiang's face was ashen, Tang Yulin's brows were furrowed, and Zhang Xueliang sat expressionless in the corner.

Chen Cheng observed the expressions on the faces of these veteran Northeast Army generals, which gave him a sense of confidence. They were hesitant and fearful, and fear was precisely the bargaining chip he needed most.

"You are all seasoned generals who have spent half your lives on the battlefield, and you should know the Japanese army's fighting strength better than I do."

"During the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese army used a division to launch a frontal assault on the defenses of two Russian corps, achieving a complete victory at Port Arthur."

"These old stories need not be elaborated upon by Cixiu."

Chen Cheng's tone became increasingly earnest, deliberately poking at the deepest wounds in the hearts of these veteran Northeast Army generals.

"Although your army has won the air battle, it was in the sky after all."

"Land warfare is land warfare, and air warfare is air warfare; they are not comparable."

"Once the Japanese army breaks through the defenses and reaches the gates of Fengtian, the foundation of the three northeastern provinces will be completely destroyed."

He turned to Zhang Xueming and advised him:

"Cixiu knew that Commander Zhang was a man of courage and unwilling to bow down to the Japanese."

"But as the ancients said, 'A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan.'"

"The Japanese army is currently very powerful. If we insist on fighting head-on, we may lose all the advantages we have accumulated in the Battle of Fengtian."

"It would be better to take advantage of the fact that the Japanese army has not yet reached the city gates, take the initiative to express our sincerity in peace talks, apologize to the Japanese army, make appropriate compensation, and then have the Chairman of the Liaison Committee ask the League of Nations to mediate."

"In this way, this catastrophic disaster can be averted, and millions of people in Northeast China can be spared from the ravages of war."

After saying this, he straightened up and met Zhang Xueming's gaze frankly, as if to say, "Every word I, Chen Cheng, have said is for your own good, for the good of Northeast China, and for the good of the millions of people in Northeast China."

The hall fell silent.

Several staff officers standing by the wall exchanged glances unconsciously, their eyes filled with hesitation.

Chen Cheng's words were like a bucket of cold water, waking them up. Air combat is air combat, and land combat is land combat.

They won in the air, but the Japanese on the ground were still the same great power that had defeated Russia.

The 19th and 20th Divisions—those designations themselves are a bloody history of war.

Can they do it?

Even Tang Yulin, the old bandit who was always fearless, fell silent at this moment.

He had sobered up considerably, his large fingers unconsciously stroking the holster at his waist, his lips pressed into a thin line.

He had seen the Japanese army fight; that was during the Russo-Japanese War.

At that time, he was just a newly joined bandit, hiding on the mountaintop and watching the Japanese army charge from afar.

Those short soldiers, rifles in hand, pressed forward in skirmish lines, shouting and fearless. Those in front fell, and those behind stepped over the corpses to continue their advance, like a group of emotionless machines.

What's even more terrifying is that the Japanese soldiers were not only fearless, but their weaponry and equipment were also far superior to those of the Northeast Army.

All eyes finally turned to Zhang Xueming.

Zhang Xueliang was also looking at him.

This nominal commander-in-chief of the Northeast Border Defense Army has barely uttered a word since the start of the meeting, acting like an outsider invited to attend and observe.

But at this moment, his gaze was fixed on Zhang Xueming's face, and there was something very complicated in his eyes.

He was eager to see what choice his second brother, who was in high spirits after his great victory in the air battle and had berated Chen Cheng mercilessly, would make when faced with the might of 100,000 elite Japanese troops.

Should we stubbornly resist to the end, or choose to kneel down and compromise?

Zhang Xueming noticed everyone's gaze.

He looked around the hall, taking in the expressions on every face.

Zhang Zuoxiang's worries, Tang Yulin's silence, the staff's wavering, Chen Cheng's urgency, and Zhang Xueliang's eyes, which were so complex that they were hard to describe.

He suddenly laughed.

"hehe........"

Zhang Xueming picked up the half-burnt cigarette from the armrest of the chair, flicked off the ash, put it in his mouth, and slowly walked over to Chen Cheng.

He was half a head taller than Chen Cheng. Looking down at the envoy from Nanjing, his smile was cold, and his eyes were devoid of any warmth.

"Chen Cheng, do you know who you sounded like after what you just said?"

Chen Cheng was taken aback, instinctively sensing that there was a trap hidden in the question, but before he could figure out how to deal with it, Zhang Xueming had already given him the answer.

"Li Hongzhang".

These three words were like two slaps to Chen Cheng's face.

Chen Cheng's face instantly turned bright red, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Zhang Xueming didn't give him a chance to speak at all.

"In the year of Jiawu, Li Hongzhang said the same thing: the Japanese have strong ships and powerful cannons, and our army is hard to compete with. It would be better to seek peace to protect the southeastern half of the country."

"Did we manage to save them? We paid 200 million taels of silver in reparations, ceded the island and Liaodong, and gained a few years of peace. And then what? Did the Japanese stop coming? They'll only come back stronger!"

"In 1911, when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, the Japanese sent 12,000 troops, the largest number among all the foreign powers!"

"Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi'an, and Li Hongzhang knelt before the negotiating table to sign the Boxer Protocol, paying an indemnity of 450 million taels of silver. Were the Japanese satisfied? No!"

"They occupied Korea, Port Arthur, and the South Manchurian Railway, and now they want to occupy Fengtian and Northeast China!"

"Chen Cheng, tell me, what did Li Hongzhang get in return for kneeling his whole life?"

"Kneeling led to the destruction of our nation and the shattering of our land; kneeling led to the partitioning by foreign powers; kneeling fueled the ever-growing appetite of the Japanese devils!"

Zhang Xueming's voice grew louder and louder until it was almost a shout.

He pointed his finger at Chen Cheng's nose, less than three inches from the tip. Chen Cheng instinctively took a step back, his lower back hitting the table.

"You think I, Zhang Xueming, am Li Hongzhang? Let me tell you, I'd rather die than be Li Hongzhang!"

"So what if they're elite Japanese soldiers? I'll take down their elite troops!"

Zhang Xueming slammed his cigarette butt on the ground, sparks flying everywhere. "You think my Northeast Army can't win? Then today I'll show you with your own eyes what the backbone of China looks like!"

He whirled around and shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"

Yuan Lang entered the room in response to the call, followed by four armed guards.

"Detain Chen Cheng and all his entourage who came from Nanjing."

Chen Cheng's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly took a step back, his voice trembling:

"Commander Zhang! You can't do this! I'm the Chairman's special envoy!"

"When two countries are at war, envoys are not to be harmed; this is a universally accepted rule!"

"rule?"

Zhang Xueming turned around and looked at him, a cold smile on his lips. "You just said you came to mediate. Since the mediation failed, you're now the Nanjing observer stationed in Fengtian."

"From now on, your identity is no longer that of a special envoy, but a military observer."

"Besides, you're not some damn special envoy, you're a soldier, and soldiers should have the backbone of soldiers. Going to the battlefield is your duty."

"Instead of being servile and bowing down like Li Hongzhang, only knowing how to surrender and sign humiliating treaties that ceded national sovereignty!"

He waved to Yuan Lang, his tone indifferent:

"When the war starts, bring Chen Cheng and his entourage to the front lines and let them see how the Northeast Army wins battles."

"Since Minister Chen thinks we can't beat the Japanese, let him see with his own eyes what true soldierly spirit is."

Chen Cheng's face went from flushed to ashen, and then from ashen to deathly pale.

His lips trembled incessantly, as if he wanted to say something more, but Yuan Lang had already stepped forward and covered his mouth with his large hand.

Chen Cheng struggled a few times, his Zhongshan suit collar was pulled askew, and a few strands of his meticulously styled hair fell down and stuck to his forehead.

The dignity and composure he had cultivated in officialdom for half his life vanished at this moment.

"Drag him away!"

Zhang Xueming didn't even glance at him again.

Yuan Lang and the guards dragged Chen Cheng away.

Chen Cheng stomped his feet a few times on the smooth terrazzo floor, leaving two black marks on the heels of his leather shoes.

His face turned purple, and the veins on his neck bulged. With Yuan Lang covering his mouth, he could only make muffled whimpering sounds.

When Chen Cheng's twelve followers heard the commotion and tried to rush out, they were stopped by the guards who had been positioned outside. They were all ashen-faced and squatted in the corner with their heads in their hands.

Yuan Lang closed the door to the Tiger Hall from the outside. The heavy oak door shut out Chen Cheng's whimpering and the rustling of his leather shoes in the corridor, and the hall became quiet again.

Zhang Xueming turned around and faced everyone in the hall.

"Gentlemen," he said.

The voice returned to calm, "If 100,000 Japanese devils came, would you be afraid?"

No one answered.

But Zhang Xueming didn't need to answer; he spoke for everyone.

"It's normal to be afraid."

"The Japanese army was indeed capable of fighting, I don't deny that."

"It's probably useless against the Japanese devils."

"The Japanese devils are just like dogs. The more afraid you are, the fiercer they become. To deal with these vicious dogs, you have to be even more vicious and fierce than them, and make them fear you in order to truly tame them."

"I have decided that we will go all out in this battle and fight the Japanese to the death on the Liaodong Peninsula."

"This battle must be a severe beating to these beasts, so they will know that the Chinese nation will not be humiliated!"