allonlinenovel Chapter 955 Going straight to Huanglong
Chapter 955 Going straight to Huanglong
The night was dark, and the car was speeding on the streets of Kyoto, but the atmosphere inside the car was unusually solemn. Emperor Jindong sat in a corner of the car, coughing violently, and every cough seemed to exhaust his whole body's strength. His face was as pale as paper, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. Obviously, his physical condition was not optimistic.
Tojo Takehide, who was sitting next to the emperor, was extremely anxious. He kept urging the driver: "Hurry! Faster! We must return to the palace as soon as possible and summon the imperial physician to treat Your Majesty!" The driver's face was also full of tension. He sped up, hoping to send the emperor back to the palace as soon as possible.
Finally, the car stopped in front of the gate of the Imperial Palace. Tojo Takehide got out immediately, personally opened the door for the emperor, and carefully helped him walk into the Yangshen Hall.
In the Yangshen Hall, the candlelight flickered and the atmosphere was solemn. Emperor Jindong lay on the dragon couch, his eyes revealing an indescribable fatigue and worry. Tojo Takehide stood by his bed and comforted him softly: "Your Majesty, you should have a good rest first, the imperial physician will be here soon."
At this moment, the door of the Yangshen Palace was suddenly pushed open, and Watanabe Motoyasu walked in anxiously. When he saw Emperor Jindong lying on the dragon couch, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He knew very well that what the emperor needed at this moment was quiet and rest, not more bad news.
However, Tojo Yuei keenly caught the abnormality of Watanabe Motoyasu. After comforting Emperor Jindong for a few words, he strode to the side of Watanabe Motoyasu and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong? Is there any news from the front line?"
Watanabe Motoyasu nodded, his voice low and heavy: "The latest battle report from the front line has come, Kobe has fallen. Now, the army composed of the four ace divisions of China has already headed straight for Kyoto Prefecture. I have arranged for the reserve troops to build a defense line in Nandan and Shimamoto, but I am afraid it will be difficult to resist the Chinese army."
When Tojo Yuei heard this, his face suddenly changed. He knew very well that this news would undoubtedly make the emperor, who was already seriously ill, even worse.
He took a deep breath and tried to keep his tone calm. “Your Majesty needs to rest now. Let’s not tell him the news yet. Go and gather the cabinet members. We must work out a response plan in the shortest possible time. Remember, no matter how serious the situation is, we must not let His Majesty and the people lose confidence.”
Watanabe Motoyasu nodded and turned away. Tojo Yuhide returned to Emperor Jinto and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry, we will definitely protect Fuso, you and the people."
In Kyoto, the cabinet meeting room was brightly lit. Tojo Takehide, the Prime Minister of Japan, sat at the head of the conference table with a grim face, his eyes revealing unprecedented anxiety and anger.
The cabinet meeting convened urgently brought together decision-makers at the country's highest level. They all focused their attention on the situation at hand. Every slight fluctuation could determine the fate of the country.
Watanabe Motoyasu, the chief minister of the military, was the first to break the silence. His voice was deep and powerful, but he could not hide his worry: "The current situation is not optimistic. On the eastern front, Liu Chengxu's army is stationed in Osaka, posing a direct threat to Kyoto; on the western front, China's main force is like a sharp blade, and it is expected to reach Kyoto in five days at most. Our defense line is under unprecedented pressure."
Upon hearing this, Tojo Yuei angrily slammed the table, shaking the documents on the table and saying, "How is this war being fought? We have gathered 300,000 reservists and sent them to the western battlefield, so why are the Chinese troops still so unstoppable? Is our army so vulnerable?"
Seeing this, Army Minister Igagawa stood up quickly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Prime Minister, calm down. China has obviously lost its patience in this war. They use a lot of air strikes and long-range firepower to cover strikes. Our troops often suffer heavy losses before they even see the enemy. This is a change in the form of war. We are not fully prepared and do not have enough countermeasures."
Tojo Takehiro glared at Igagawa as if he wanted to eat him alive: "I don't want to hear reasons! I want a solution to the problem! How can we stop the Chinese army? Our country and our people are facing unprecedented threats!"
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly dropped to freezing point, and the ministers looked at each other in silence.
They are well aware that the current situation is beyond their control and any rash decision may lead to disastrous consequences.
At this time, Foreign Minister Ichiro Yamamoto slowly spoke: "Prime Minister, perhaps we can consider diplomatic means. By communicating with the international community and seeking assistance or mediation, we may be able to alleviate the current crisis."
Hearing this, Tojo Yuei sneered: "Diplomacy? Who do you think is willing to stand up and speak for us now? Where are our allies? They are all watching and waiting for our failure. We can't pin our hopes on others, we can only rely on ourselves."
The meeting room fell silent again, and the ministers felt powerless.
The current situation is beyond their capabilities.
Inside the expeditionary army headquarters in Fukuoka, the lights were as bright as day. Su Zhengyang had already put on his heavy military coat.
Liu Gangding, who was standing by, looked at Su Zhengyang with a frown on his face, and said with some worry in his tone: "President, the frontline is too dangerous. As the commander-in-chief, you should stay at the base camp and wait for further news from the frontline troops. Your safety is related to the morale and stability of the entire expeditionary force."
Su Zhengyang shook his head when he heard this. "Old Liu, you are right. My safety is indeed important. But you know what? We have been fighting this war for too long, too long. The Chinese army is already unstoppable. Our soldiers have exchanged their blood and lives for today's situation. As their commander, how can I retreat at this time?"
Su Zhengyang paused, his eyes piercing through the night outside the window, as if he had seen the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Kyoto: "Also, I have a promise, a promise about riding a horse to Kyoto to admire the cherry blossoms. Now, it's time to fulfill it. I will go to Kyoto in person to meet Emperor Rendong and tell him that China's army is invincible and it's time to end this war."
Su Zhengyang, wearing a neat military uniform, his epaulettes shining brightly in the moonlight, walked towards the tarmac with steady steps.
Gu De'an, as Su Zhengyang's entourage, had been waiting by the plane for a long time. He was dressed in casual clothes, but his eyes were sharp, and he held a detailed schedule and a front-line war report in his hands. Seeing Su Zhengyang coming, he hurried forward and handed over the documents in his hand: "President, everything is ready, the plane can take off at any time."
Su Zhengyang took the document, quickly glanced through it, turned and looked at the plane that was about to carry him to the Kobe front line. A trace of determination flashed in his eyes, and he strode onto the plane's gangway.
As Su Zhengyang boarded the plane, the plane slowly started its engine, emitting a low and powerful roar. Under the witness of the moonlight, it took off into the air, cutting through the night sky, and rushed towards the Kobe front.