Around 2:45 PM on October 9, 1922, the Japanese Ministry of the Navy received the last telegram from the Kwantung Army. All officers who learned the content of the telegram were stunned.

Starting from 9:00 AM on October 7th, the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy in Japan had kept an emergency telegraph channel open for the Kwantung Army. From the initial telegram every 30 minutes to one every 10 minutes on the 9th, the entire Japanese military had invested maximum effort in trying to save the war situation in the Kwantung Leased Territory.

Now, the wording of the Kwantung Army's telegram remained elegant, but the content undoubtedly declared to the Japanese Army and Navy that the Kwantung Army was finished.

The Kwantung Army belonged to the elite ranks in Japan, with a total of 40,000 troops including the Japanese garrisons stationed in various Japanese concessions across Northeast China. These 40,000 Japanese troops forming the Kwantung Army were fully equipped and well-manned, with several defense lines to utilize fully. Yet they were completely annihilated within 54 hours. Even if the Northeast Army adopted a sneak attack, it still exceeded the current imagination of the Japanese military.

The current Minister of the Navy was concurrently held by Prime Minister Kato Tomosaburo. This Admiral rose from his seat in the operations room and ordered with a dark face, "Admiral Yamashita Gentaro, Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu, come to my office!"

Saying this, Admiral Kato Tomosaburo walked out of the operations room with somewhat staggering steps. The Admiral's face was dark because he was truly ill. Admiral Kato Tomosaburo himself did not know that during a physical examination, the imperial physicians had diagnosed him with colorectal cancer. But this news was not told to Kato Tomosaburo or the Cabinet.

Within the Japanese Cabinet departments, there were the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy. The Japanese Navy was under the control of the Imperial Ministry of the Navy, and the highest-ranking cadres were called the "Three Chiefs" (Three Chiefs of the Japanese Navy): the Minister of the Navy, the Chief of the Navy General Staff, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet.

Prime Minister Kato Tomosaburo concurrently served as the Minister of the Navy. The Chief of the Navy General Staff was Admiral Yamashita Gentaro, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet was Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu. When the 'Three Chiefs' entered the Navy Minister's office, Admiral Kato Tomosaburo was already shouting angrily, "The department responsible for collecting intelligence on the Northeast Army has been negligent to this extent! It is truly unheard of!"

This angry shout caused Admiral Kato Tomosaburo to feel abdominal pain like a knife twisting, and he could only slowly sit down in his seat supporting himself on the desk.

Admiral Yamashita Gentaro and Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu didn't know what to say either. From the morning of October 7th until now, Kato Tomosaburo had canceled all cabinet meetings and personally sat in the Ministry of the Navy to command. For a full 54 hours, he had almost no rest or sleep. It wasn't just the Navy Minister who worked so hard; almost everyone in the entire Navy Ministry was the same.

Combined Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu wanted to say something, but no sound came out after opening his mouth. In these 54 hours, he had issued at least hundreds of orders, inquiring about the situation of fleets, ships, and ports. He also had to contact the Ministry of the Army for meetings, asking how many troops the Ministry of the Army needed to dispatch for reinforcement, which units were to be mobilized for reinforcement, how much equipment, how large the troop strength, from where logistical supplies would be supplied, and where they would be transported for temporary storage.

In peacetime, generals could hand over work to the staff department. In times of emergency, it was the turn of the generals to directly supervise troop operations. However, the time was too urgent, and the Navy could only send out a fleet transporting naval infantry (marines). They completely failed to catch up with the war. So Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu finally decided not to say anything.

Chief of the Navy General Staff Yamashita Gentaro spoke up, "Excellency, since the situation has come to this, let us order the fleet to return."

"Hmm," Kato Tomosaburo responded dully, then pushed himself up from the table with force. "You start planning operations against the Northeast now. Also ask the Ministry of the Army what they are going to do next and when they will meet with the Ministry of the Navy to coordinate transportation and operational plans."

After speaking, Kato Tomosaburo stepped out. Admiral Yamashita Gentaro quickly asked, "Where is Your Excellency going?"

"To convene a Cabinet meeting. Maybe even a Diet session." Kato Tomosaburo walked and talked. Nearing the door, the Japanese Prime Minister said somewhat fiercely, "Those damned elected MPs are incompetent themselves, yet they publish all kinds of nonsense to incite public sentiment. This time, we must let the public know the truth and must not allow people to attack the Ministry of the Navy and the Ministry of the Army."

"Yes!" Chief of the Navy General Staff Yamashita Gentaro bowed in response. Although Vice Admiral Takeshita Isamu couldn't speak, he also bowed to see Kato Tomosaburo off.

Kato Tomosaburo took a car to the Cabinet, and the cabinet members who had received telephone notifications had all arrived. Kato Tomosaburo exchanged a glance with Army Minister Tanaka Giichi, and both saw the exhaustion in each other's eyes. As the Army Minister, Tanaka Giichi's busyness was only greater than Kato Tomosaburo's.

Most of Kato Tomosaburo's cabinet was composed of bureaucrats. The cabinet members were proficient in government affairs and did not show surprise or panic in the face of such a shock. Tanaka Giichi first informed the cabinet members of the latest war situation, "...The Kwantung Army has shattered like jade (been annihilated). We just received a report from the Korean Army that they have encountered the main force of the Northeast Army entering Korea. Now the Ministry of the Army maintains radio communication with the Korean Army every 20 minutes. The Ministry of the Army can grasp the latest situation on the front line. The Ministry of the Army proposes to the Prime Minister to implement Class B mobilization."

Speaking of this, Tanaka Giichi looked at Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo. Whether it was Hara Takashi or Takahashi Korekiyo, they both tried to reduce the army. After Hara Takashi was assassinated, Takahashi Korekiyo became a major banner of the Seiyukai. If Takahashi Korekiyo made excuses and obstructed war funding, this war would encounter great resistance.

After Tanaka Giichi finished speaking, Kato Tomosaburo asked Takahashi Korekiyo directly, "Minister Takahashi, can the Ministry of Finance act as soon as possible to prepare for the review of war funds?"

Takahashi Korekiyo's voice was not loud. "The Ministry of Finance will prepare as soon as possible."

The current Japanese Cabinet was divided into 'Five Ministers' - Prime Minister: Minister President of State. Foreign Minister: Minister of Foreign Affairs. Army Minister: Minister of the Army. Navy Minister: Minister of the Navy. Finance Minister: Minister of Finance (Minister of the Treasury). Hearing that the Finance Minister did not refuse, the cabinet members who advocated fighting hard breathed a sigh of relief.

In other words, the five ministers had reached a consensus on this matter.

At this time, Foreign Minister Uchida Kosai asked a question, "The object of the Empire's operation this time is China's Northeast Army; there is no way to formally declare war. Regarding the war, I wonder if the ministers have any suggestions?"

Kato Tomosaburo did not overstep his authority and replied, "Let Minister Uchida draft the characterization of the war. Judging from the current situation, the Northeast Army is a very tough opponent. I suggest establishing the Imperial General Headquarters."

The other three ministers had no objections. This proposal would be reported by Prime Minister Kato to the Taisho Emperor.

After the meeting, Kato Tomosaburo and Tanaka Giichi sat on the sofa in the Prime Minister's office. Tanaka Giichi took the initiative to say, "Excellency, the Army currently has 21 divisions in active service. If fully equipped and manned, there would be 490,000 troops, but the actual strength is only 290,000. The Kwantung Army has already lost 40,000, and the Korean Army has two divisions with 50,000 troops. At this stage, the latest meeting of the Ministry of the Army discussed and concluded that we should tentatively assume that northern Korea has been lost. The Imperial Army must take southern Korea as the starting point to fight the Northeast Army."

Prime Minister Kato agreed with this view. He asked, "Did anyone in the Ministry of the Army propose expanding the war?"

Tanaka Giichi thought for a moment and shook his head.

Actually, some foolish field officers in the Ministry of the Army did propose advancing into China's Shandong Province, but such suggestions were immediately rebuked. Among the generals of the Ministry of the Army and the General Staff Headquarters, except for true 'idiot' hardliners like General Uehara Yusaku, other generals felt that this war was very tricky.

The timing He Rui chose was very good. During the Great War in Europe, Japan had no military pressure, so the number of troops actually decreased. In those years, job opportunities increased a lot, and many Japanese citizens did not want to become soldiers to eat rations.

After the war ended, Japan's economy immediately declined, and the number of people wanting to be soldiers increased. The Japanese Army, having seen the European war, was not in a hurry to expand but formulated new conscription standards.

Previously, as long as a citizen was healthy and not a criminal, the Japanese Army would recruit them. Now the Japanese Army began to make requirements for education. Illiterates were recruited as little as possible or not at all. Elementary school graduation was the standard, and middle school graduation was the best. Non-commissioned officers must have graduated from junior high school, and officers from high school. Amidst such entanglement, the Japanese Army's strength remained around 290,000.

He Rui's Northeast Army numbered 300,000. The Japanese Army thought this was a newly formed army and inevitably underestimated He Rui. He Rui took this opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Now that the Kwantung Army had been destroyed, the Japanese active duty force only had 250,000 left.

It would take at least two months to restore the force from 250,000 to the fully equipped 490,000.

While Tanaka Giichi was considering this matter, Kato spoke, "Minister Tanaka, do you think the Korean Army can hold Korea? He Rui's troop strength seems to be more than 300,000."

"Why do you think so?" Tanaka Giichi didn't understand why Navy Minister Kato Tomosaburo made such a comment on Army matters.

"I heard people mention Nagata-kun's judgment. Nagata-kun believes that He Rui does not seek a quick victory this time but wants to drag the Empire into a prolonged war. Then, when the war has been going on for half a year, the number of Imperial Army troops may reach 700,000 or even more. To cope with such a situation, He Rui's troop strength might reach 1 million."

Since Kato said so, Tanaka Giichi immediately raised the Ministry of the Army's question, "Then can the Ministry of the Navy start formulating a landing operation plan?"

"What scale of landing operation does the Ministry of the Army hope for?" Navy Minister Kato asked.

"Before the Korean Army set off, the Ministry of the Army reminded them to be careful of ambushes during the advance. Before I came here, the Ministry of the Army sent another telegram asking the Korean Army to fight carefully. If we can conduct landing operations in Port Arthur, Dairen, or Yingkou while fighting in Korea, it is possible to put He Rui in a situation of fighting on two fronts. The General Staff Headquarters is calculating; they roughly believe that if a landing operation is launched, a force of at least five divisions is needed. As for the location, Dairen might be a good choice. Of course, if the Navy can occupy Liugong Island, that would be a very good location."

Liugong Island, located at the mouth of Weihai Bay at the eastern end of the Shandong Peninsula in eastern China, has an area of 3.15 square kilometers and a coastline of 14.95 kilometers. As a natural maritime barrier for Weihai City, it has an extremely important position in national defense and is known as the "Screen of the East Corner" and the "Unsinkable Battleship". Many maritime battles in the Ming and Qing dynasties and before liberation occurred here, especially leaving a deep historical imprint of the Jiawu War (First Sino-Japanese War).

Navy Minister Kato sneered, "Heh, I think Liugong Island is not as good as Taku Forts (Dagu Kou)."

Taku Forts, named for being located at the estuary of the Dagu River (now Haihe River). Located on the south bank of the Haihe River estuary, 50 kilometers southeast of Tianjin City, forts were set up here as early as the Ming Dynasty.

In the Second Opium War, battles occurred between the Qing army and the Anglo-French Allied Forces near the Taku Forts in Tianjin. A total of three battles occurred, ending with the Taku Forts being captured and the Qing army defeated. 40 years later in 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded, attacking Taku Forts for the fourth time and capturing it again.

Navy Minister Kato certainly didn't really support doing this, but was mocking the Ministry of the Army for showing its fox tail (true intention) of expanding the war.

But Tanaka Giichi did not feel unhappy because of these words. "Excellency, Port Arthur is an important naval port that can block the Bohai Strait. If He Rui captures Port Arthur, the coastline vulnerable to attack will be greatly shortened. Judging from current performance, the Northeast Army is not the Qing Army; it has a vigorous fighting will. The Empire's operations against the Northeast Army in the mountainous areas of northern Korea cannot progress very quickly. In the stalemate phase, the deadlock can only be broken through the Navy. The Northeast Army does not mind fighting a long-term war with the Empire."

Kato felt his mind was a bit chaotic at this time, and the pain in his abdomen started again, making it impossible to concentrate on thinking. He could only say, "Let's wait for the battle situation of the Korean Army first. I have to go to see His Majesty the Emperor. Let's stop here for today."

Tanaka Giichi stood up to take his leave. He didn't return to the Ministry of the Army but went directly to the General Staff Headquarters. Chief of General Staff General Uehara Yusaku welcomed Tanaka Giichi at the door. He said with a solemn expression, "Just received news that the Northeast Army divided into two groups, advancing south along the Tokaido (East Sea Road) and Saikaido (West Sea Road). Now the Korean Army advancing along the Saikaido has been actively attacked by the Northeast Army."

Tanaka Giichi was not surprised. The Northeast Army still held the strategic initiative so far, and active attack was the norm. He went to tell the Navy Minister those things entirely to reverse the Northeast Army's strategic initiative as soon as possible. In the Jiawu War, the Japanese army opened up the situation by relying on naval superiority.

So Tanaka Giichi said, "Uehara-kun, what is the progress of dispatching three divisions to Korea?"

"The Kumamoto Division, Sendai Division, and Nagoya Division are ready. The Navy hasn't given a complete response yet. Once the boarding date is confirmed, the troops will go to Pusan to land and reinforce from Pusan northwards. At this stage, the Korean Army must stall the Northeast Army."

After Uehara Yusaku finished speaking, he hesitated rarely. Tanaka Giichi felt he could understand such hesitation. If they could stall the Northeast Army, when the three divisions arrived, they could inflict heavy losses on the Northeast Army attacking Korea in one fell swoop. But stalling was not an easy task. At least judging from the combat effectiveness shown by the Northeast Army, they possessed the strength to crush heavy Japanese army groups.

Such thoughts could only be kept in his heart. Tanaka Giichi said, "In that case, I will return to the Ministry of the Army first and continue to contact the Ministry of the Navy."