In the headquarters of the Japanese China Expeditionary Army in Shanghai, the newly appointed Commander, General of the Army Shunroku, sat rigidly upright, having assumed command from Iwane Matsui.

The truth was, Matsui understood he was merely a stopgap; having already led tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers to ruin, he had forfeited any right to the commander’s seat. It was only due to the unexpected demise of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, the Commander, that the Imperial General Headquarters was forced to reinstate him as commander of the China Expeditionary Army.

Of course, if Matsui could have annihilated Li Changqing—whom the Imperial General Headquarters viewed as a cancerous growth—and the Nanjing garrison, that feat would have balanced his previous failures, perhaps extending his tenure.

However, the fact that the Nanjing garrison and Li Changqing had both successfully withdrawn from Nanjing signaled the temporary end of Matsui’s military career, returning him to the reserve ranks.

General of the Army Shunroku then took his post, becoming the supreme commander of the Japanese China Expeditionary Army.

Yet, occupying this high position, commanding what was arguably the most elite corps in the Japanese Army apart from the Kwantung Army, General Shunroku found no joy. Before his arrival, His Majesty the Emperor and Prince Kan'in Kotohito of the Imperial General Headquarters had personally admonished him. Emperor Hirohito himself had issued an edict, demanding that he lead the China Central Army to find and annihilate the Changqing Division by any means necessary to reverse the international fallout, restore the reputation of the Great Japanese Imperial Army on the world stage, and avenge the late Prince Asaka Yasuhiko and the brave Imperial soldiers.

A sharp series of knocks suddenly echoed.

“Enter.”

Major General Korechika Anami walked in with a grave expression. Standing rigidly at attention before the desk, he reported, “Your Excellency, the General Headquarters is pressing us to decisively conclude the matter of the Changqing Division and to capture Xuzhou, eliminating the vital fighting strength of the Chinese.”

Shunroku stared at the Major General aide-de-camp of the Expeditionary Army, his own face darkening. Since assuming command, the General Headquarters had repeatedly ordered him to wipe out the stubborn rebels led by Li Changqing and the Changqing Division.

But according to intelligence provided by deep-cover agents, the Changqing Division had vanished as if erased—not a single trace, not a single clue to their whereabouts, rendering the order to destroy them pure fantasy.

In his heart, Shunroku deeply resented the General Headquarters’ disproportionate focus on the Changqing Division. In his view, while the Changqing Division possessed considerable strength, it was ultimately just one division, hardly worth such an uproar. The most crucial objective remained the capture of Xuzhou and the annihilation of the Guominjun’s vital forces.

Once the main body of the Guominjun was crushed, no matter how strong the Changqing Division or how formidable Li Changqing, they could not stir up any serious trouble. Abandoning the overall strategic objective for the sake of a single unit—this reversal of priorities left him, the Commander of the China Expeditionary Army, utterly helpless.

But facing the directives from the Imperial General Headquarters, he dared not disobey. After all, Li Changqing and his Changqing Division had become an object of intense hatred for the Japanese Emperor, who wished them eradicated swiftly. As a soldier of the Empire, he was bound to relieve His Majesty’s worries.

Shunroku paused in silence for a moment before asking, “Tsukada-kun, did the reconnaissance planes sent by the Air Corps bring back any news?”

“Commander, the reconnaissance planes have returned. However,” Anami’s face fell, “I am sorry to report, Your Excellency, that we failed to locate any trace of the Chinese Changqing Division.”

“Forget it.” Shunroku cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. “Li Changqing is a cunning individual; otherwise, the Imperial Army would have wiped them out long ago.”

Major General Anami suddenly interjected, “However, according to General Itagaki, commander of the 5th Division, his advance troops briefly engaged a portion of the Changqing Division. But the moment they made contact, the Changqing unit withdrew, and they vanished again.”

“Nani? What did you say?” Shunroku shot to his feet. “Are you saying that Changqing Division appeared near Xuzhou?”

“Hai! According to intelligence from the intelligence section, the Changqing Division was indeed sighted in the vicinity of Xuzhou!” Anami snapped his heels together and reported loudly.

“Hmm?” Shunroku nodded, accepting the report without further argument. His gaze grew distant in thought. After a long silence, he finally asked, “Where are the 5th and 10th Divisions positioned now?”

“Sir, the 5th Division landed at Qingdao, advanced along the Jiaoji Railway line through Weixian [present-day Weifang, Shandong Province] heading directly for Linyi. The 10th Division is steadily pushing south, with Teng County as its objective.” Anami dared not delay, swiftly pointing out the locations of the Itagaki and Isoya Divisions on the map.

In reality, the Japanese decision to converge on Xuzhou was entirely based on their own strategic aspirations.

If the two major area armies could link up at Xuzhou, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway would be fully secured. Then, for subsequent operations, troops and materiel from both the North China and Central China strategic sectors could rapidly move north or south via this railway. This would offer immense advantages for consolidating control over occupied territories and continuing the advance into the Chinese interior.

They would truly achieve a position where they could advance offensively or retreat defensively, unconcerned about being flanked. When the two major armies coalesced into a single fist, the enemy would surely flee at the first blow, as they did during the latter stages of the Battle of Shanghai, seeking to avoid their main force. At that point, the defeats from previous engagements would vanish, morale would soar, and the Imperial Army's international prestige would greatly recover.

However, this strategy remained a mere concept; the Imperial General Headquarters had never formulated a unified plan. The North China and Central China armies operated as entirely separate strategic groupings with no communication between them. What was even more exasperating was that the General Headquarters had failed to devise a strategic timetable, setting no date for when the main forces of the two armies would converge at Xuzhou.

They were essentially improvising, moving wherever they could, always prioritizing the annihilation of the Guominjun’s vital strength and the location of their main forces as the prerequisite for forcing the National Government’s surrender through attrition.

This was nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of the Japanese. Though Chairman Chiang might possess certain shortcomings, at his core, he was a Chinese patriot, not someone comparable to the Han collaborators.

Deep within a secluded mountain forest, a column of troops was making forced marches at a steady pace.

On a nearby clearing, several figures in general officers’ uniforms stood, closely guarded by security personnel.

At the center of the circle stood Li Changqing, the commander of the Changqing Division, whose shoulder insignia now gleamed as that of a Lieutenant General. The men surrounding him all wore the uniforms of Major Generals.

“Commander, where are we heading?” Major General Li Qiang asked quietly.

“Linyi,” Li Changqing replied in a low voice.

“Linyi? Why are we going to Linyi? Aren't the Japanese attacking Tai'erzhuang?” Li Qiang asked, a trace of confusion in his voice. The others around him were equally puzzled, unsure of their commander’s intent.

“Naturally, to meet our old adversary, the 5th Division,” Li Changqing stated coldly.

The last couple of days were too hectic, and I owe four chapters. Huo Lie promises he will make them up; I hope everyone will support A.