allonlinenovel Chapter 1058 Not for the game, but for the player?
Chapter 1058 Not for the game, but for the player?
There are still several genuine Kwantung Army regiments stationed in Nanjing today!
They were extremely arrogant, always considering themselves the "flowers of the Imperial Army," and even the headquarters sometimes had to give them some leeway.
Now, with Prince Yasuhiko about to take over Central China and reorganize his factions, will Kenkichi Ueda...?
The de facto control of the several Kwantung Army divisions in Nanjing was handed over to Prince Kyohiko as a "generous gift" or an "investment".
Thinking of this, Zhou Zhengqing felt as if his thoughts were suddenly elevated by an invisible force, breaking free from the entanglements surrounding specific events, specific people, and specific gains and losses, and rising to the clouds overlooking the entire Japanese army's situation on the Chinese battlefield!
The focus shifted from the lower level of fighting for the merits of a single city or territory, or the benefits of a particular faction or group, to a strategic level that encompasses the entire situation and reveals the fundamental truth!
Terauchi Hisaichi's "generous" 14th Division, and Ueda Kenkichi's possible "delivery" of the Kwantung Army's elite troops... These clues spun rapidly in his mind, colliding and piecing together.
If... if things really are as he suspects, then how will this crisis, which he seems to have secretly planned and instigated to trigger infighting within the Japanese army, ultimately turn out?
A terrifyingly clear picture slowly unfolded before his eyes:
By "contributing" troops, the North China Area Army successfully secured resource allocation from headquarters, strengthening itself and consolidating its interests in North China.
The Kwantung Army, seemingly sending more troops into the interior to "assist" in the war, was actually able to request and obtain more resource quotas from the General Headquarters through this "export" in order to consolidate and manage Manchuria, which it regarded as its exclusive territory.
They might even go further and transfer the entire Central China Expeditionary Army divisions that were decimated and exhausted in the Battle of Shanghai to Manchuria under the guise of "rest and replenishment"!
In this way, the Kwantung Army not only effectively absorbed these experienced veterans and key personnel, but also helped the Central China region get rid of a heavy "burden".
Matsui Iwane, who was suppressed, and the old Central China Expeditionary Army forces he represented will completely lose power under the new system taken over by Prince Yasuhiko and "supported" by the North China and Kwantung armies.
Those devastated divisions that were transferred away, along with the "war dividends" that should have been enjoyed by everyone from the division commanders to the ordinary soldiers, including those who had suffered losses in battle, became too embarrassing to talk about and would likely end up being left unresolved.
It saved money and trouble!
Huge profits will be redistributed.
As for the Central China Expeditionary Army, which Prince Kyohiko will soon lead, it will undergo a complete "overhaul"!
The old, exhausted troops were eliminated, and new "blood" from the North China and Kwantung armies was injected. Although factions may still exist, the overall structure and command will be more in line with Japan's overall interests.
A weary army can quickly regain its core members and vitality, and regroup.
And what is the cost of all this?
Are they the ordinary soldiers who are mobilized and sacrificed on the chessboard of intrigue and conspiracy?
No, in the eyes of generals like Terauchi Hisaichi and Ueda Kenkichi, soldiers were always just numbers, resources, and consumables that could be replenished.
Japan's war machine was set in motion, and the replenishment of troops was "just a matter of a postcard and a conscription order."
Those cold, hard casualty reports, aside from being mentioned occasionally at the negotiating table, did nothing to touch their hearts of stone.
What they really care about is the strategic situation, the balance of factions, and the expansion and consolidation of imperial interests.
As for Zhou Zhengqing, what is his role in this upheaval that he planned and orchestrated, within this higher-level game of chess?
One that jumps higher and shouts louder... a pawn?
A tool? One that believes it's manipulating the situation, but may actually be exploited by larger players to achieve their own strategic goals.
Thinking of this, a complex emotion, a mixture of absurdity, coldness, and a hint of understanding, suddenly gripped Zhou Zhengqing's heart.
He felt a slight dizziness.
"Fuck..." A curse rolled in his throat, but didn't escape his lips, carrying an unbelievable bitterness.
If that's truly the case... then... all my careful maneuvering over this period, the meticulous operations of the military police system, the pressure I've created... what exactly does all of this mean?
Could it be that Terauchi Hisaichi in North China and Ueda Kenkichi in Manchuria, those cunning and arrogant imperial generals, had long ago seen through the situation and then tacitly cooperated with our military police... to stage a grand drama?
A seemingly tense, life-or-death drama that actually results in everyone getting what they want and everyone being happy.
Through this "performance," they joined forces to suppress Matsui Iwane, a fellow general who might not have been a good match for him, thus eliminating a strategic discordant note.
They completed a silent yet far-reaching major shift and rebalancing of the Empire's military forces in China.
Their respective factions gained real benefits, while the entire Japanese war machine, after undergoing necessary internal "cleaning up" and "blood transfusion," not only did not suffer destructive internal friction, but may have operated more smoothly and more fiercely!
As for the soldiers who died and the equipment that was lost in the process, those were merely necessary and minor costs.
Just like factory machines need lubrication and occasional parts replacement, this is a normal occurrence.
I always thought I was on the third level, but those who actually played the game were already standing on the tenth level, shrouded in mist.
They looked down at the chessboard and calmly moved their pieces, including Zhou Zhengqing, whom they considered an important "piece".
This turmoil may not escalate into the kind of mutually destructive and devastating "civil war" he envisioned.
It is more likely that it will end in a "controlled friction" and "internal adjustment" manner, with all parties reaching a new balance and compromise behind the scenes. After a brief period of turbulence, the wheels of the Japanese war will roll towards the deeper inland with a more optimized structure.
No wonder he was able to get veteran generals like Terauchi Hisaichi and Ueda Kenkichi to cooperate with him with just a few telegrams and phone calls!
No wonder he, as the military police commander, could embolden two army generals to launch an army civil war!
Zhou Zhengqing even pictured in his mind the smiling faces of Terauchi Hisaichi and Ueda Kenkichi as they immediately began plotting and going along with the scheme after learning that he was going to target Matsui Iwane!
Am I overthinking things?
But if everything is really as he thinks, then how should he deal with it?
On this chessboard that has suddenly become incredibly vast and complex, how should I, as a "chess piece," make my next move to truly... become a player, not just a player?