The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The first Minister of War after the implementation of this cabinet system, he was a Duke of the First Class with a great order of merit.

After the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Manchurian Army. Relying on fierce and unpredictable attack routes and a strategically controlled battlefield rhythm, he repeatedly defeated the superior Russian forces. He led the Japanese army in the Battles of Liaoyang, Shahe, Port Arthur, and Mukden, crushing the numerically superior Russian forces and laying the foundation for the ultimate victory in the war. Along with fellow clan member Heihachirō Tōgō, he was known as "Oyama of the Land, Tōgō of the Sea."

The unified and sudden action of the Field Army severed numerous telegraph lines before the attack, disrupting the exchange of intelligence between the Japanese and the enemy. Radio transmission distances were very limited due to power issues in this era, and the Japanese army lacked a comprehensive radio communication system. Consequently, they relied heavily on traditional human intelligence delivery. This, combined with the Field Army's pursuit and interception, significantly reduced the Japanese army's ability to gather and transmit intelligence.

However, they have just received news that a large number of armed forces have appeared in the Northeast to attack the Japanese strongholds. All the circumstances have shown that a sudden rising force in the Northeast is targeting the Japanese army, and things are happening throughout the Northeast against the Empire of Japan.

The Japanese army was, after all, a legitimate, regular military. The silence of information gave them a sense of danger, not reassurance. Before the field army launched its offensive, Japan had effectively maintained temporary control over South Manchuria through the use of railways and garrisons. But now, facing the ubiquitous enemy forces, they suddenly discovered that the vast expanse of land between the various Japanese strongholds was simply impossible to defend. The sense of security that had once been surrounded by Japanese strongholds was gone forever. As these strongholds were eliminated one by one and the exposed spies disappeared one by one, the Japanese army would have to rebuild its forces if it wanted to re-enter Northeast China.

The old devil Oyama Iwao had already realized the seriousness of the matter at this time, and immediately used telegrams and other means of communication to contact all the forces that could be contacted, ordering them to use all means to immediately find out all the circumstances.

He was walking back and forth in the headquarters at this time, extremely anxious. The conflict with Russia in the north was still going on, and communication with the south had been cut off. The railway was also directly cut off. The two divisions heading south disappeared mysteriously and could no longer be contacted. This series of changes really made people panic.

What happened? What should I do next?

These two life-and-death issues appeared in the minds of all officers in the headquarters.

Chapter 516: Another update!

As time went on, the actions of the Fifth Field Army in Northeast China became increasingly exposed, and the news became increasingly difficult to conceal. There was no other way. The Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China had always been a focal point for all Western powers, later dubbed "World War Zero." It was no joke. Western neutral nations like Britain and the United States also sent military attachés, later known as military observers, to the Russo-Japanese front to observe the war, documenting military transformations and shifts in strategy and tactics. A significant number of war correspondents from Britain, the United States, and other countries were also allowed to accompany the troops, producing extensive wartime reports. With these individuals present, it was difficult for Northeast China to remain unnoticed, and it was naturally difficult for information to remain hidden for long. The ability to launch a surprise attack already gave them a significant advantage.

Furthermore, even before the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian army already had a relatively sophisticated wireless communications system. The Japanese, having captured Russian signalmen, naturally began developing their own wireless communications system. Prior to this, the Japanese had installed radios on all their warships. While performance was poor, the communication range barely reached 90 kilometers. More importantly, Russia had installed radios in numerous ground stations near naval bases like Port Arthur, inevitably exposing the field army's actions sooner or later, and the news would soon shock the world.

However, at that time, it was still severely restricted by the underdeveloped science and technology. There were not enough radio generators with sufficient power. The loss of contact in many places in the vast Northeast turned the Northeast into a giant black hole, an information desert, as if it was suddenly shrouded in a huge black curtain. Naturally, it attracted everyone's attention, and everyone was guessing what had happened in the Northeast.

At this time, Port Arthur wasn't just occupied by the Japanese; it also housed representatives from the various powers. In fact, when news of the Port Arthur train station mutiny spread, the powers were watching the Japanese with amusement, and they were all closely watching the situation unfold. Upon hearing the news, the Russian envoys notified the front lines, urging them to intensify their offensive and recapture Port Arthur if they had the chance. Russia desperately needed this ice-free port.

However, this mutiny was an internal matter of Japan after all, so the great powers had no plans to intervene for the time being.

Perhaps the person under the most pressure at this point was Shibayama Yahachi. The Port Arthur train station had been occupied by "mutinous" soldiers, and he was desperately trying to resolve the situation peacefully. But no matter what he said, no matter what promises he made, the "mutinous" soldiers inside the station refused to listen and continued to stall for time. Even more incredible was that they still couldn't find the numbers of the mutinous soldiers, leaving them completely at a loss as to where to proceed.

What the Japanese feared most at this time was losing face in front of the Western powers. Under heavy pressure, Shibayama Yahachi had no choice but to issue the order to attack, hoping to suppress the mutiny as soon as possible and calm the situation.

The Japanese army began to attack, and Commander Du naturally began to order a counterattack, and the loudspeaker continued to shout: "Don't attack! The Japanese don't fight the Japanese."

The two sides started fighting like this, and for a while, both sides suffered casualties. However, the field army was on the defensive after all and had the advantage of terrain, so the Japanese side suffered heavier casualties.

The battle of Port Arthur didn't last long. Just as Commander Du had predicted, once the follow-up troops of the field army caught up, even if they were disguised as Japanese troops, they would still be fighting in Dalian, Jinzhou, and other places. Even if they deliberately blocked the news, the news would inevitably reach Port Arthur in a very short time. Shibayama Yahachi was stunned when he received the news, but he also immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately reported the situation to his superiors. When the news reached Japan, the Japanese headquarters was completely furious!

The Japanese headquarters received the most and most comprehensive information. They already knew that something big had happened in Northeast China. After confirming that Fengtian, Jinzhou, Dalian, and Lushun had all been attacked, the Japanese headquarters was completely uneasy.

Everyone in the headquarters knew that if they captured Jinzhou and Dalian, Port Arthur would be doomed. The land the Japanese Empire had spent countless lives and treasures to conquer would be worthless. More importantly, without a railway line, what would become of the Imperial warriors facing Russia on the front lines? The battle was still going on. Would Russia not seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack?

Even though the headquarters was still unsure of what had happened and who the enemy was, the railway was the lifeline of the Japanese troops on the front lines, so this did not prevent the headquarters from making the "correct" decision: to immediately suppress the Lushun mutiny and ensure the smooth flow of the railway...

Therefore, the Japanese headquarters quickly sent an order to Shibayama Yahachi, asking him to immediately mobilize the troops in Lushun to suppress the mutiny and ensure the smooth operation of the railway. He also asked him to immediately investigate the specific situation in Dalian and Jinzhou.

Shibayama Yahachi received the order and strictly followed it. He started to mobilize the Japanese garrison in the fortress to attack the Port Arthur railway station. An officer also asked him to order the artillery to turn the guns to fire at the rebels in the train, but Shibayama Yahachi directly overruled it because the order clearly stated that the railway must be kept open. Using artillery would inevitably damage the railway, which would take time to repair. How could the railway be kept open?

After all, Shibayama Yahachi had never experienced the test of war, and his mental quality needed to be strengthened. He initially hoped to resolve the mutiny peacefully, but now he did not listen to the opinions of the officers below, and stubbornly followed orders strictly. It can be said that a series of changes have completely made Shibayama Yahachi lose his composure. At this time, he had no idea about transferring the garrison troops. If the enemy troops from Jinzhou and Dalian came to attack Lushun, how to defend it? Shibayama Yahachi's series of wrong decisions also made Japan completely lose the results gained in the Northeast during the Russo-Japanese War.

Dandong, the most important city on the Sino-North Korean border, is still called Andong. It faces North Korea's Sinuiju City across the river to the east, the Yellow Sea to the south, Anshan to the west, Dalian to the southwest, and Benxi to the north. It is a major city connected by sea, land, and river.

Li Hu made the same choice as Du Lisan, seizing narrow-gauge locomotives along the way and rapidly advancing towards Andong. During the Russo-Japanese War, Japan and Russia engaged in a fierce battle near Jiuliancheng. Later, the Japanese army built a narrow-gauge railway from Andong to Shenyang for logistics and troop transport. Because of the narrow-gauge's slower speed, just as Li Hu had finished defeating the Japanese garrison at Fengcheng, he received intelligence from the commander-in-chief, stating that Commander Du had arrived in Lushun.

Knowing time was running out, Li Hu left Fengcheng without hesitation, immediately hopping on a locomotive and ordering the immediate transportation of the captured munitions. He then followed the main force. Fengcheng was a major supply base for the Japanese army, storing a considerable amount of weapons and ammunition. Unsure when news of the field army's launch would spread, Li Hu ordered his troops to swiftly eliminate the Japanese troops on the narrow-gauge railway and, without stopping, quickly advance towards Dandong.

Unfortunately, Li Hu was still a step too late. Halfway through, he received a telegram that the "Kill the Japanese" order had been issued. Li Hu knew that he had almost no chance of appearing in the enemy's heartland without anyone noticing, just like Commander Du and his men.

As Li Hu had predicted, once the Japanese headquarters launched their offensive, news reached every radio station, and Andong was one of the first to receive the news. The streets of Andong were filled with a murderous atmosphere, patrolled by Japanese troops, all with solemn expressions. They didn't know exactly what had happened, but the tone of their commander's orders for combat readiness told them it was no small matter; the atmosphere of a major war had already begun to build.

A Japanese soldier on the high watchtower erected by Anton was observing diligently when he suddenly saw a locomotive coming from the direction of Fengtian, spewing thick smoke. This immediately caught the sentry's attention. He quickly picked up the telescope and observed, and found soldiers in Japanese military uniforms on the train.

"At least judging by the uniforms, we're one of them."

The sentry muttered to himself and immediately issued a warning message. At this time, the Japanese army was very careful about any suspicious points. The Japanese troops below immediately became alert. They gathered and sent a small team of cavalry to intercept the locomotive and inspect it.

It turned out to be a false alarm; the newly appeared locomotive was actually a military train transporting wounded soldiers. Northeast China was experiencing a period of unrest between the Japanese and Russian forces at the time, and the slaughter failed to scare the countless heroes of the Northeast. They would attack both sides, so there were often wounded soldiers who needed to be transported home. This batch transported approximately 100 wounded soldiers, including some wounded soldiers from the Russo-Japanese War who had been recovering in the Northeast for a period of time before being transported home.

Once they arrived in Andong, the faces of both the wounded and the escort team brightened up. Once they reached Andong, they could take a boat directly back to China.

When the train arrived at the station, it was the Japanese Matsui Regiment stationed in Andong. The regiment commander, Matsui Iwane, immediately came in person to inquire about the situation in Fengtian.

"How is Fengtian now?"

The team leader escorting the wounded shook his head slightly. "The situation isn't good. The war isn't over yet, and the entire South Manchuria region is in chaos. Bandits are everywhere attacking the Imperial Army, and we can't catch them all. I hear they're about to launch a crackdown."

The squad leader knew only the intelligence before the Field Army launched its offensive. It could be said that this group of Japanese soldiers was lucky to have escaped the attack and escaped in time. It could be said that Li Hu and his men were following them all the way. Later, when the Field Army was clearing out strongholds and liberating towns along the railway, they were almost to Andong, but they also escaped, saving their lives, just like the wounded soldiers.

Hearing the squad leader's answer, Matsui Iwane frowned and immediately asked, "Operation Suppression? Bakayaro, then what about the mutiny?"

"What mutiny? We don't know, but we did hear some artillery fire shortly after we left. However, we haven't heard anyone attacking Fengtian. Fengtian isn't far from Liaoyang or Tieling, and Tieling has at least two divisions of troops. The commander is in Siping, which isn't far from Fengtian either. I think there shouldn't be any problems."

Matsui Iwane knew that the young captain knew nothing. He looked at the lucky young captain deeply, suddenly felt a little bored, turned around and left.

As soon as Matsui Iwane returned to the command room, a signalman reported: "Your Excellency, the commander of the regiment, someone from the nearby stronghold has sent a request for assistance."

Matsui Iwane's mood instantly turned bad, and he immediately said in a bad tone: "Help? What's going on?"

"It seems that the mutinous soldiers are attacking these strongholds, but we also noticed that bandits seem to be taking advantage of the situation to loot. These people in the strongholds don't have much combat power, so we can only send people to Anton quickly for help."

"Bakayaloo, mutiny? These non-nationals..."

Just as he cursed to this point, he realized something and immediately said: "Bakayalo, mutiny, where did the mutiny come from? It can't be a mutiny. There was a mutiny in Lushun, how could there be a mutiny here? This is impossible..."

Chapter 517: More updates on weekends, please vote

Matsui Iwane now knows that rice riots have broken out in Japan, and the lives of the lower-class people are difficult. The war has been fought so cruelly, and the temporary benefits gained are not many. The gains are completely disproportionate to the costs. A mutiny is indeed possible, but Port Arthur and Andong are thousands of miles apart. Where in the world can so many mutinous troops come from? Is this a joke? Something seems a little strange here.

Matsui Iwane was no fool, and he easily figured out the possibility of someone wearing a Japanese uniform and posing as a Japanese Imperial soldier. Suddenly, he thought of the Port Arthur mutiny. Was it Imperial soldiers who were mutinying, or were they impersonators? If someone was impersonating... Matsui Iwane shook his head, finding it impossible. Such a thing was truly unimaginable. However, Matsui Iwane still reported the attack on the stronghold by someone impersonating an Imperial soldier. As for the idea of ​​a mutineer in Port Arthur, it was too far-fetched to report.

At this time, the vanguard of the field army had reached the territory of Anton and was secretly observing the situation in the city a few kilometers away from Anton.

"Oh? A Japanese wounded transport team has just entered Andong?" The local comrades in Andong immediately gave the information to the comrades of the vanguard team when they saw them.

"They did enter Andong, but we didn't have time to react before soldiers were dispatched to support them. Also, not long ago, Andong City suddenly went into martial law, and we couldn't contact the comrades inside, so we don't know the specific situation in the city now."

"It seems we've been exposed. I wonder if the Japs in the city know we've arrived. How much intelligence do they know about us?"

"Go touch the tongue and you'll know."

"This is the only way."

aa.….

"Commander, the two informants we captured both said that the Japanese troops in Andong City haven't discovered us yet, but they received orders from their superiors to start martial law. They also said that there are rebellious Japanese troops in nearby strongholds who are attacking their own strongholds. I think it's our skin that caused the trouble."

"Haha, it seems that the news from Lushun has been exposed. I don't know if we can capture Lushun in this battle. The Japanese army is now on guard, and it will be difficult to fight Andong."

"Yes, martial law has been imposed inside. The Japanese are on guard and will react quickly. It won't be easy to attack. The losses in street fighting will definitely be heavy."

It is indeed not a good idea to attack Andong by force, but Li Hu thought about it and found no good solution, so he said: "Let's wait for a while. I will block all the roads in and out of Andong, cut off all the passages in Andong, intercept and kill the Japanese who are running to Andong, and see if there is a chance to draw out the Japanese troops in the city and annihilate them. We should mainly wait for the artillery behind us. It is really too difficult to attack the city without artillery. I have always been curious about the power of the fortress artillery. Didn't the commander-in-chief send a telegram saying that he had sent someone to bring two heavy howitzers for siege? Let's wait for the equipment behind us. When the artillery is in place, let the infantry make a feint attack to attract the main force of the Japanese army. We will give the Japanese army a hundred artillery fire at once, so that these Japanese devils can taste the power of these gods of war."

"That's all for now."

At this time, Shibayama Yahachi naturally didn't know the situation in Andong, but he felt like he was going crazy. He immediately organized his troops to launch a crazy attack to retake the Port Arthur Railway Station after receiving the order. Now he has withdrawn troops from various garrisons twice in a row, but the rebels in the railway station are still like an indestructible cockroach. They always burst out with tenacious fighting power at the last moment when they are about to attack the railway station and repel the attacking soldiers. Looking at the Japanese soldiers who kept falling down, listening to the loudspeaker in the railway station that kept shouting: If the Japanese don't fight the Japanese, Shibayama Yahachi suddenly had an extremely dreamy feeling, which made Shibayama Yahachi very irritated. At this time, he already had the idea of ​​using artillery to deal with the mutinous troops.

Li Hongzhang had built many artillery batteries when he was building the Port of Lushun. The fortress fortifications built after the Russian occupation were even more solid. Each key point of defense relied on the mountain terrain, combining ground fortifications with underground fortifications. It was just that when the Russo-Japanese War broke out, the Russian army did not have time to complete the construction of all the fortress fortifications.

However, the fortresses in Lushun are basically facing the sea or the periphery. No matter how powerful the cannons in these fortresses are, they are useless. The Lushun Railway Station is not within the firing range of these cannons at all. If they are fired from the inside out, no matter how strong the fortress is, its effectiveness will be reduced by many times.

Of course, the Japanese army did not necessarily need to use fortress artillery to attack. They also used 75mm rapid-fire guns the most during the war against Russia. These rapid-fire guns were enough to attack a small Lushun railway station.

Just as the Japanese army was desperately trying to retake the Port Arthur Railway Station, the Japanese army in Jinzhou had been wiped out by the field army. Just as Shibayama Yahachi was struggling over whether to use artillery, he did not realize that Dalian had also been completely lost.

The biggest disadvantage for the Japanese troops attacking the Port Arthur train station was that they were at different distances from the station, and naturally arrived at different times. They were thrown into battle without sufficient time to assemble, resulting in different deployment times for each unit, a typical tactic of refueling. Furthermore, with the main force still at the front, the Japanese garrison had many new recruits, which reduced their combat effectiveness. Furthermore, in a position where they were surrounded by no one, the army inevitably relaxed. As a result, they had not yet achieved an effective breakthrough in the defensive perimeter constructed by the field army, and most of the attacking Japanese troops were now reduced to corpses lying on the ground.

At this point, Shibayama Yahachi also knew that the garrison had reached an extremely low level and could not be withdrawn. However, it was difficult to deny one's own choice and it was also difficult to admit one's mistakes. If he admitted his mistakes now, all the responsibility would be borne by him alone. Moreover, Shibayama Yahachi was already red-eyed and a little hysterical at this time. At this time, Shibayama Yahachi still believed that this group of mutinous soldiers were Japanese troops, because only an army that had experienced war could have such combat effectiveness.

Shibayama Yahachi knew he had to seize Port Arthur quickly, otherwise his life would be over. He would either face a military court or learn the samurai code and commit seppuku. If he couldn't achieve victory after so many soldiers died, he would have to give an explanation to the people.

Shibayama Yahachi immediately ordered all remaining garrisons, except those guarding the laborers and prisoners, to join the attack. All commanding officers were to lead from the front, ensuring they broke through the rebel lines and recaptured the train station. He closed his eyes briefly, then glanced toward the train station. His expression hardened as he declared, "You can fire your artillery, but be careful not to destroy the facilities inside."

The Japanese attacked again, and Commander Du could clearly feel the madness of the Japanese attack. The Japanese troops in Lushun were still quite sufficient, and their artillery fire was particularly powerful. It was like calling a roll, and every shot hit the target. Commander Du's defense suddenly became extremely difficult. Perhaps it would not be long before the Japanese army could attack the train station.

However, Commander Du was relieved at this time. After the Japanese occupied Lushun, because of the important strategic position of the Lushun Fortress, they began to repair the Lushun Fortress that they had destroyed. At the same time, they tried their best to strengthen the fortress on the basis of the construction of Tsarist Russia. Because of the experience of attacking Lushun, Japan understood how to build Lushun better, and Lushun Railway Station was naturally one of the places that Japan prioritized construction. In this way, the Japanese artillery bombardment had no deterrent effect on the ammunition depots and other places in Lushun Railway Station. In addition, the Japanese thought they could quickly recapture the railway station and eliminate the rebels who seemed to have few troops who attacked Lushun Railway Station. In addition, with the order of Shibayama Yahachi, the artillery was also very careful when firing, and deliberately avoided the freight yard and warehouse, etc., and did not bombard indiscriminately or deliberately destroy them. The situation that Commander Du was worried about the Japanese artillery bombardment detonating the munitions did not occur.

Chapter 518: There is more to come, please vote!

Commander Du was under great pressure at this time, especially under the artillery fire of the Japanese army. The field army soldiers defending the commanding heights of Baiyu Mountain suffered heavy casualties. They could only lie in the bunker and shoot, not daring to show their heads at all.

Moreover, the wooden houses and some tiled houses left by the Russians inside the train station were blown up, which opened up the view. Commander Du had no way to send more soldiers to reinforce Baiyu Mountain, otherwise the reinforcements would be exposed to the Japanese guns like sitting ducks. However, Baiyu Mountain, the commanding heights, could not be lost, otherwise the entire train station would be exposed to the Japanese army.

"Persistence, persistence is victory. We will soon receive reinforcements." Commander Du could only pray for the good luck of the soldiers who were defending the mountain. He could only keep encouraging the soldiers while also encouraging himself.

Commander Du knew that his own forces were limited, and just as the Japanese had predicted, every soldier on his side would be killed, and they would eventually lose the train station and be captured by the Japanese. However, the Japanese were unaware that the ammunition on the train they were sending to the front had been intercepted by the field army, so the field army would not be short of ammunition for a short time.

Commander Du had been observing the attacking Japanese army. He felt that if they fought to the death, they should be able to hold out for a while. What Commander Du feared most was that they would be bombarded by artillery upon arriving in Lushun. In that case, the ammunition on the train would explode, and the battle would be over. The second way to quickly capture the station was for the Japanese army to completely disregard casualties and storm the train station from all sides. This might also take the train station in a short time. Another way was to use heavy artillery. The field army defending the small train station would inevitably suffer heavy losses against heavy artillery.

The Japanese had already begun their artillery bombardment, and the field army naturally began a limited counterattack. After firing two shots at a location, they would immediately move to another location to avoid being locked in by the Japanese artillery fire. They would immediately fire at any critical situation to help relieve the pressure on the frontline soldiers.

Commander Du finally understood that the Japanese commander who had led the attack on the train station was a complete novice in warfare, otherwise the attacking Japanese army would not have been so defeated. He was also certain that in order to attack him, the Japanese commander had indeed withdrawn the Japanese garrison in the fortress and used the tactic of adding fuel to the fire.

When Commander Du saw no Japanese troops emerging from a fort he had been observing for a long time, he knew his strategy of attracting the Japanese garrison had come to an end. Although his own side had suffered heavy losses, Commander Du felt it was worth it after seeing three waves of Japanese garrison troops emerge.

If these three waves of Japanese troops had defended the fortifications to the death, who knows how many more soldiers the field army would have sacrificed. Therefore, Commander Du was still full of gratitude to this Japanese commander at this time, and even thought that if he captured this Japanese commander, he might be able to spare his life...

Thinking of this, Commander Du quickly gathered his thoughts. The battle was not over yet, and there was no definite news about reinforcements. For the time being, he really didn't know who would win. He couldn't be blindly optimistic and only think about good things.

He observed the Japanese for as long as the field army had been engaged in fierce fighting. Commander Du's heart grew heavy with what he saw, for he had to acknowledge a terrifying reality: the Japanese army's tactical maneuvers were improving at a visible rate. He began to see clearly that many of these Japanese soldiers were new, with extremely limited combat effectiveness. However, within a short period of time, these new recruits were becoming more and more like veterans.

Commander Du suddenly recalled a passage his teacher had said during a previous officer training class on "Zhang Yinghao's Thought." "The Japanese army won the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and obtained over 200 million taels of silver through the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. As an island nation, Japan had ample funds to develop education. After ten years of development, the Japanese army used this money to train a new generation of people. The talent pool that Japan used to launch the war against Russia was cultivated with our Chinese money. These new people are educated, have accepted the new ideas of militarism, and are a group that actively pursues progress. The best way to deal with such an army is to kill them all at once. It is better to break one finger than to injure ten fingers. Otherwise, if such an enemy understands our own strengths, the enemy who returns will become even more terrifying, and we will suffer a great loss if we are not careful."

Commander Du didn't know at the time that Japan had grown stronger by taking meat from China through repeated military victories, thus satisfying its greedy appetite. This also led to Japan's constant desire to take meat from China. When the appetite of this hungry wolf of Japan was swelled and the meat taken from China could no longer satisfy her, it was time for her to snatch meat from other powerful countries.

In fact, wasn't Japan's relentless pressure on China a policy of appeasement by Western powers? Wasn't it a temporary sacrifice of China's interests to satisfy Japan's greed? The Western powers probably all knew that if Japan didn't cut its flesh from China, its expansion would either be directed towards Tsarist Russia or the Soviet Union later, or towards the colonies of the powers in Southeast Asia.

Sacrificing China to satisfy Japan would preserve their own interests, so why not? What relationship did the Chinese people have to the great powers? This was the policy and diplomatic goal of the Western powers, including the later Soviet Union. On the one hand, they sought to maintain and stabilize China, thereby ensuring it had a certain level of resistance and could contain and deplete Japan's forces. This would also make it easier for Japan to devour China and satisfy its appetite. On the other hand, they also sought to suppress China, preventing it from escaping their control and, ideally, ensuring its eternal decline. This was a well-intentioned move.

"So this is a unit that evolves automatically! A cultured army is so terrifying!"

Commander Du muttered to himself, now fully understanding why the military required compulsory education. How could one progress without culture? Even if you progressed, the enemy would also progress. When you progressed slower than the enemy, you were actually regressing.

Commander Du was still observing the Japanese army's performance. Seeing the train station in ruins, Shibayama Yahachi ordered a general assault on the attacking Japanese troops, intending to break through the rebel defenses and suppress the mutiny in one fell swoop. He secretly vowed that if the mutinous soldiers surrendered, they might have a chance of survival, but the mutinous officers must be executed. Only in this way could he justify the deaths of the soldiers.

Just as Shibayama Yahachi ordered the attack, a member of the Forward Party named Li Hesheng, who was among the laborers held captive by the Japanese, had already joined forces with his fellow workers and was preparing to launch a labor uprising. Li Hesheng was no ordinary laborer, as he had participated in the rescue of the coal miners and had learned from them how the Russians had treated the laborers building the Port Arthur naval port. He naturally knew that the Japanese would not allow these laborers, who were working on the fortress, to escape alive.

Shortly after the gunshots were heard at the Lushun Railway Station, the Japanese army drove all of these laborers into a concentration camp. Li Hesheng naturally knew that the Japanese army was afraid that these laborers would cause trouble or even take the opportunity to rebel.

If the gunfire at the train station had only lasted a short while, Li Hesheng would have naturally continued to work as a laborer for the Japanese army. However, the gunfire at the train station had lasted for quite a while, and then the artillery fire started. He then saw that many of the Japanese guards had left, and the few remaining Japanese soldiers were clearly nervous, loading their guns and attaching bayonets to intimidate the laborers.

Li Hesheng knew that this was a rare opportunity. Regardless of whether those fighting the Japanese army were enemies or friends, the situation would not be worse than working as a laborer for the Japanese army before, because he knew that if he did not escape from here, he would eventually die.

Therefore, from the first day Li Hesheng entered Lushun, he was constantly thinking about escaping, and he was even more thinking about recruiting companions to escape with him. Why not recruit comrades? Are you kidding me? Recruiting comrades here is just asking for death. Without checking three generations, who knows who these people are? What if there are spies and informers? Isn't that just asking for death?

So, when chatting, Li Hesheng would often worry about how these fortresses were more important, and that the Japanese would surely kill all the laborers to keep the secret. Whether the Japanese would kill all the laborers to keep the secret was unknown, but no one dared to bet on such a thing. In fact, most laborers knew the brutality of the Japanese army, who treated the laborers worse than animals, and would certainly not blink an eye at killing them.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Soon a group of people gathered around Li Hesheng, with the purpose of finding a way to survive in a situation where they were doomed to die.

Chapter 519: Third update, please vote.

Li Hesheng had a piece of iron on his wrist that he had sharpened to an extremely sharp edge over the past period of time. He lowered his head and slowly walked to the side of the Japanese squad leader. His other companions also slowly moved and approached the other Japanese soldiers.

When they entered here, they were required to leave their work tools outside and could not bring them in. Otherwise, why would so many laborers need to be so cautious? One person could knock these Japanese soldiers to death with just one move.

At this moment, a laborer suddenly fell to the ground with foam at the mouth. There was a commotion in the center of the field, and everyone shouted: "Someone has fainted."

"Someone fainted!"

The five remaining Japanese soldiers also grew nervous, shouting to communicate with each other. An interpreter also shouted for everyone to immediately squat down with their heads in their hands. Li Hesheng knew the operation had begun, and he immediately squatted down with his head in his hands, appearing extremely obedient. However, the many people gathered in the middle were not so obedient. Some even shouted, "We need a doctor. Someone has fainted."

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly chaotic, the squad leader close to Li Hesheng suddenly raised his gun and fired into the air. Li Hesheng saw this action and secretly said, "God help me."

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and the scene instantly fell silent. Under normal circumstances, the Japanese army would never open fire in such a small situation, because they had enough troops to suppress these laborers. However, this time, they were unable to do so. They were seriously short of troops, and their only priority was to control the situation.

"Everyone, squat down with your hands on your head."

The Japanese soldier who fired the shot shouted an order in Japanese, and the translator followed suit, shouting, "Everyone, immediately, squat down with your head in your hands. Anyone who makes any more noise will be arrested and shot."

No one paid attention to what the translator said. With the threat of the gun, the scene immediately became quiet, and everyone began to squat down with their heads in their hands.

The Japanese squad leader gave a few instructions to the interpreter, then called out to one of the soldiers to go over and check. The interpreter immediately stepped forward. The soldier, who had just taken a quick look, pointed at the two laborers and spoke to the interpreter. The interpreter then ordered the two laborers to immediately carry the foaming laborer out with him.

While everyone was focused on the translator, Li Hesheng had quietly moved to the side of the Japanese squad leader. Seeing two laborers carrying the man away, the squad leader thought the matter was settled. He began to pull the bolt, eject the shell, and prepare to take a bullet from the ammunition bag to load the gun. At the moment when the squad leader lowered his head and was distracted, Li Hesheng came to his senses. Li Hesheng swung his arm slightly while standing up. At the moment when the squad leader raised his head in surprise to see the black shadow in front of him clearly, the iron piece had already scratched his neck.

If you look from a distance, you will just see Li Hesheng turning around and squatting. If you are not staring at Li Hesheng, you will definitely not notice the killing gesture in his hand.

Seeing that they had succeeded, the team members near the team leader immediately stood up to block everyone's view, and Li Hesheng had already grasped the gun in the team leader's hand, pulled the bolt, loaded the bullet, and shot at a Japanese soldier who was far away from the crowd and posed the greatest threat to the crowd. Li Hesheng pointed out that this Japanese soldier was an old devil, so he must be shot at the first time. Sure enough, the Japanese soldier fell to the ground.

The gunshot was the order. Just as the Japanese soldier was stunned, the one still in the crowd suddenly felt someone grab his ankle from behind. The laborer holding the ankle pushed his shoulder and lifted his hands, causing the Japanese soldier to fall forward. The laborer who had pulled the Japanese soldier down immediately rushed forward, grabbed his chin with one hand and the top of his head with the other, and twisted his neck with force. With a snap, the Japanese soldier's neck was broken. This was the most common method used by the military to capture and kill prisoners. For the laborers, it was indeed the simplest and most practical.