The shelling suddenly stopped; it was a little past 2:00 AM. A significant reason was that the Japanese artillery had ceased their counter-battery fire against the Northeast Army. The Northeast Army had deployed two corps each on the eastern and western fronts in Korea, and the corps artillery groups of both armies had participated in the artillery duel. As soon as the shelling ended, the corps on both the eastern and western fronts that were not involved in the infiltration each dispatched a division. These forces bypassed the areas defended by the main Japanese force and advanced toward the Japanese rear flanks.

This was the order of Army Group Commander Hu Xiushan. Hu Xiushan was of medium build, about 172 cm tall, with a long face, high forehead, high cheekbones, and a high-bridged nose. In his hometown, he had a nickname: "Three Gates Exposed."

In daily life, Hu Xiushan was a man of few words. But in command, every order he issued gave his subordinates a distinct impression: sharp and precise, like the edge of a blade.

The telegraph order was not complex: "To the troops on the eastern and western fronts: During the artillery duel, the Japanese army has discovered that their artillery numbers are far inferior to the Northeast Army's, and the probability of them preparing to retreat has begun to increase. Commit combat forces to move along the outer flanks of the main Japanese force to entangle the Japanese army and prevent them from retreating."

In addition to sending out outflanking preparatory forces, Hu Xiushan also ordered the troops to carry out an encirclement. He was determined to annihilate the Japanese Chosen Army.

Daring to fight major battles and capable of fighting major battles—this was the impression Hu Xiushan left on the senior commanders in the army.

By the time the troops began to move, it was already around 3:00 AM. At this time, on a train from Seoul to Pyongyang, Lieutenant Colonel Ishiwara Kanji called the conductor over and pointed at the gas lamp. "Change it again. It needs to be bright enough."

The conductor was somewhat dissatisfied with the behavior of a mere lieutenant colonel. However, looking at the numerous maps on the table and the somewhat weary expression of this officer, the conductor could only obey.

Lieutenant Colonel Ishiwara Kanji buried his head back in the maps. He truly couldn't see any opportunity for the two division commanders to withdraw. According to intelligence provided by the Chosen Army, there were 3-4 enemy corps facing them. Ishiwara Kanji believed the number was likely 4 corps.

A Northeast Army corps had 40,000 men. The strength of one division was equivalent to a brigade in a Japanese Class A division. The two Japanese divisions had a total of 4 brigades, while the Northeast Army had 4 corps with 12 divisions. Ishiwara Kanji genuinely couldn't understand why the two division commanders hadn't moved rearward.

If Ishiwara Kanji were in command, even if he didn't dare to order a full retreat, he would at least try to disengage from the front lines with the Northeast Army as much as possible and prepare to establish a defensive line at a second position.

However, after thinking about it, Ishiwara Kanji felt it was impossible. Given the Japanese military system, if Ishiwara Kanji had done that, he probably wouldn't have had a good end either. With a sigh, Ishiwara's thoughts flew to the enemy's side. If it were the enemy, what would they do?

A few years ago, although Ishiwara Kanji knew that his approach to military operations was more about unconstrained, imaginative thinking, he believed the only area where he truly surpassed Japanese military men was likely his strategic thinking. When chatting about military affairs with He Rui in Tokyo, Ishiwara Kanji discovered that his own strategic vision was one or two levels below He Rui's. In terms of tactics, his own whimsical ideas not only failed to surpass He Rui's, but He Rui's equally whimsical ideas were far superior to Ishiwara's. In conversations with He Rui, Ishiwara often found that his own "imaginations" were already "reality" for He Rui. In the actual execution of war, He Rui's fundamental skills were so solid that Ishiwara Kanji had to concede defeat.

After that defeat, Ishiwara Kanji finally put away his arrogance and admitted that there were always people better than oneself. Since then, Ishiwara Kanji had truly restrained himself a lot. At least in terms of uniting comrades, he was genuinely willing to treat comrades as equal partners walking the same path.

But Ishiwara Kanji still looked down on those so-called "upper echelons."

Just as He Rui judged obedience to orders versus adaptability in war: "Most people use obedience to orders as an excuse to shirk responsibility and be lazy in thinking, and use adaptability as an excuse to pursue personal interests. In the final analysis, these people have no sense of responsibility. In a well-organized army, the commanders must have a sense of responsibility—responsibility for the troops and the war. This must be guaranteed and ensured by the system."

Presumably, He Rui had already completed his army building. Judging from the result of the Northeast Army annihilating the Kwantung Army within three days, the division-level commanders of the Northeast Army were likely already capable of making reasonable judgments based on the current situation.

As he was thinking, the conductor brought a new gas lamp. Because the gas supply was sufficient, the carbon mantle emitted a bright white light, illuminating the map. Ishiwara Kanji looked at the map, pondered for a moment, and directly overturned his previous thoughts.

If the enemy commanders were above average standard, they would never be confused by the foolish habitual thinking of "the advantage is mine," nor would they be deceived by the false propaganda of being an "excellent race." They would only believe in facts and command troops based on seeking truth from facts. Tactically, such an army was easier to grasp.

If He Rui's army had reached such a level, Ishiwara Kanji had confidence in his next moves. Of course, such a premise also had an inevitable result: the two divisions of the Chosen Army were already finished.

Although the division commanders of the two divisions of the Chosen Army hadn't considered the possibility of being finished, they felt immense pressure. The news of the Kwantung Army's annihilation had also reached them. Even if the higher-ups hadn't communicated it, the content of the Kwantung Army's final telegram explained everything clearly.

Facing a huge number of enemy troops, both division commanders began to consider whether to retreat. This was the mountainous region of Korea, where cavalry could not fully deploy. The enemy stuck tightly to the battle lines of the two divisions, refusing to let go. Up to now, the two division commanders found that they really couldn't withdraw.

If they couldn't withdraw, was the only choice a decisive battle? The two division commanders didn't want a decisive battle either.

In such a dilemma, the news that the Northeast Army was outflanking the Japanese flanks triggered the alarm of the two division commanders. They immediately dispatched troops to intercept. Fighting broke out again in the night. Now, the two divisions could only stay where they were, even more immobilized than before.

By 4:00 AM, the two division commanders could no longer hold out and directly telegraphed the Chosen Army Headquarters: "The enemy is attempting to outflank our forces. Our flanks are threatened. Requesting instructions from Headquarters."

General Otani Jiro, Commander of the Chosen Army, immediately forwarded the telegram to Tokyo, attaching the Chosen Army Headquarters' view: "To the Ministry of War / General Staff Headquarters. The enemy is extremely cunning, attempting to use numerical superiority to gain an advantage. The Imperial Army is brave and adept at fighting, but the disadvantage in numbers will weaken our combat superiority. Request the Ministry of War to dispatch reinforcements as soon as possible to strengthen the frontline forces and quickly overwhelm the enemy."

This was the third sleepless night for the Ministry of War and the General Staff Headquarters since October 7th. The news was immediately delivered to Minister of War Tanaka Giichi and Chief of the General Staff General Uehara Yusaku.

Both Tanaka Giichi and Uehara Yusaku were pro-invasion hawks. The difference was that Tanaka Giichi was formulating an effective invasion plan, while General Uehara Yusaku believed they should launch a direct war against China immediately, fully utilizing the Japanese army's advantages and hitting as far as they could. "The advantage is mine, and victory must belong to the Great Japanese Empire."

Seeing this telegram, General Uehara Yusaku stood up hatefully, extremely annoyed by the Chosen Army's judgment that their combat effectiveness was inferior to the Chinese army.

Tanaka Giichi, however, didn't consider this matter. Since the Chosen Army already intended to withdraw its main force for key defense, Tanaka Giichi immediately ordered his adjutant to call General Uehara Yusaku, requesting him to immediately report the progress of the latest plan for reinforcing Korea to the Ministry of War.

The organizational structure of the Japanese Army was not complex. The Ministry of War was responsible for deciding military actions, while the General Staff Headquarters was responsible for specific military plans. In other words, the Ministry of War could not formulate a plan to execute on its own, and the General Staff Headquarters could not decide operational objectives on its own.

Under this model, at the end of the Great War in Europe, Tanaka Giichi had blocked the efforts of the radical faction led by Chief of the General Staff Uehara Yusaku to launch a full-scale attack on Russian Siberia. This proved the feasibility of the separation of powers system.

However, Tanaka Giichi's current desire to transport troops across the Tsushima Strait and onto Korea at the fastest speed also had to wait for the General Staff Headquarters to complete the operational plan before it could be approved.

Soon, Tanaka Giichi received a call from Chief of the General Staff Uehara Yusaku. "Excellency, the plan is still in progress and will definitely be submitted to you tomorrow."

Tanaka Giichi asked, "I wonder how many troops are included in the plan for rapid transport to Korea?"

On the other end of the line, General Uehara Yusaku did not answer this practical question. Instead, he asked, "An Imperial Conference will be held tomorrow. What is Your Excellency's view on the scale of this war?"

Tanaka Giichi immediately understood General Uehara Yusaku's thoughts. At least based on General Uehara Yusaku's usual stance, General Tanaka believed the other party wanted to see if they could launch a total war against China.

To be considering such things at a time like this... Tanaka Giichi felt General Uehara Yusaku was truly a *baka*. Did the annihilation of the Kwantung Army not make General Uehara Yusaku understand that a cruel war had already begun! The decision to be made now was not to seize this opportunity to invade China fully, but to first resolve the threat of He Rui in the Northeast.

Tanaka Giichi knew this in his heart, but he had to use the other party's authority to complete the military plan to rescue Korea as soon as possible. So he tried to use a gentle tone and said, "Does this mean the General Staff is formulating a plan to transport a large number of troops to Korea? At this time, naturally, the more troops in Korea, the better, and the faster they are transported, the better!"

On the other end, General Uehara Yusaku felt he understood General Tanaka Giichi's thoughts—that is, General Tanaka did not oppose expanding the war against China. So General Uehara Yusaku replied, "Excellency, the plan to rapidly transport three divisions to Korea has been completed."

"Thank you," Tanaka Giichi replied. After speaking, he ordered his adjutant to record the reply to the Chosen Army Headquarters: "To Chosen Army Headquarters. Korea has been subjected to a shameless sneak attack by the enemy. The Empire is making every effort to transport troops to Korea. Before the troops arrive, the Chosen Army must assume its due responsibilities and prevent the enemy from seizing Korea..."

After dictating the telegram, Tanaka Giichi sat in his seat, feeling a bit lost about Japan's next grand strategy.

In the previous conversation between Tanaka Giichi and Prime Minister and Navy Minister Kato Tomosaburo, he had clearly heard that Kato Tomosaburo was not happy to see the war expand, and the two sides had a small confrontation.

The Army naturally hoped to occupy Manchuria and Mongolia and fulfill the dream of a Great Japanese Empire spanning across the sea. But the Navy obviously didn't think so. This was also the reason for the Army-Navy rivalry; the national policies they identified with were vastly different.

But there were also differences within the Army. Tanaka Giichi himself could not agree with General Uehara Yusaku's mindless offensive approach. In a sense, Tanaka Giichi felt that General Uehara Yusaku's approach was actually more dangerous.

War was a very serious matter. One wrong step meant every subsequent step would be wrong. Defeating China and seizing Manchuria and Mongolia required a very comprehensive plan. Thinking of this, Tanaka Giichi felt only irritation.

Those in high positions inevitably had to consider more. It was originally just a war between the Northeast and the Kwantung/Chosen Armies, but it had to be dragged into a discussion about whether to conduct a national war. Some in the Army were truly *baka*; they insisted on making things unmanageable!

But Tanaka Giichi could not fail to prepare. He got up and went to the filing cabinet in his office, taking out a document from a very confidential location. This document contained content in several different handwritings. The top page was written by someone with considerable calligraphy skills.

"My rights and interests in Manchuria and Mongolia are gigantic. Therefore, the administration of successive cabinets regarding Manchuria and Mongolia has invariably followed the legacy of the Meiji Emperor, expanding its scale and completing the new continental policy." Thinking that now China's "authorities in the Three Eastern Provinces are awakening day by day," and the Nine-Power Treaty restricted "our privileges and interests in Manchuria and Mongolia..."

"If we do not strive to break through, our country's existence cannot be solid, and national power will have no way to develop..."

"...The Russo-Japanese War of the past was actually a Japan-China war. In the future, if we wish to control China, we must first defeat the American power as a prerequisite, which is largely the same as the meaning of the Russo-Japanese War. But to conquer China, we must first conquer Manchuria and Mongolia. To conquer the world, we must first conquer China. If China is completely conquered by our country, other nations such as Asia Minor, India, and the South Seas, wearing different clothes, will surely fear us, respect us, and surrender to us..."

Tanaka Giichi flipped through it. This was the result of strategic research conducted over the years by him and some thoughtful officers in the military.

Strategy was not a vague opinion. Once a strategy was determined, it immediately transformed into specific execution plans. Therefore, strategic direction and strategic steps had to be careful and cautious. In execution, if something happened beyond strategic expectations, it would lead to strategic failure.

Of course, many people might not see it that way.

For example, this strategy believed that "to conquer China, we must first conquer Manchuria and Mongolia. To conquer the world, we must first conquer China." Japan first had to seize Manchuria and Mongolia, which were now controlled by He Rui.

Tanaka Giichi felt that He Rui's sudden war against Japan had disrupted the plan to conquer Manchuria and Mongolia. But Tanaka Giichi believed that if General Uehara Yusaku saw this strategy, he would definitely think that He Rui was driving this plan forward.

Although Tanaka Giichi didn't know if General Uehara Yusaku had formulated a plan for his faction, if there was such a strategic plan, General Uehara Yusaku would be ecstatic. Those radicals felt they could conquer the world and were just dozing off with no one to hand them a pillow, unable to launch a war as they pleased. As long as they had a reason for war, they would win victory after victory.

At daybreak, Tanaka Giichi would attend the Imperial Conference. Even without attending, Tanaka Giichi could imagine that the current Prime Minister and Navy Minister, Kato Tomosaburo, upon hearing such a proposal, would definitely ask a question: "Gentlemen, where do you think the ending point of the war lies?"

The "strategic ending point" was something Tanaka Giichi had not been able to determine until now. Tanaka's grand strategy did indeed mention conquering the world. If the whole world were conquered, that would naturally be the ending point. However, Tanaka Giichi himself felt that he would not see this ending point in his lifetime.

Moreover, strategy had steps. Japan's national power was not enough to conquer the world; it couldn't even beat Britain. Even if the strategic plan to conquer Manchuria and Mongolia were launched now, and even if He Rui were thoroughly defeated, could they really conquer Manchuria and Mongolia?

Would the Republic of China agree to cede Manchuria and Mongolia to Japan? Would Britain agree? Would Soviet Russia agree?

He Rui's arrogance was not without reason. Previously, He Rui was the leader of the Northeast regime acceptable to Britain, Japan, and Soviet Russia, which was why He Rui could sit firmly in this position for several years.

Even now that He Rui had broken the Far East situation, Russia at least still supported the He Rui regime. And Britain, up to now, had not expressed a view to overthrow He Rui. The war was between Japan and He Rui, and it had not made He Rui a target of public criticism.

After thinking about it, Tanaka Giichi put the strategic consideration document back in its original place.

The most urgent task now was not to formulate a grand strategy, but to stabilize the situation in Korea first. There were also people in the Ministry of War who had judged He Rui's strategy, and the basic conclusion was very consistent: He Rui wanted to unify China, so He Rui wanted to seize Korea first and use Korea in exchange for Japan not preventing He Rui from unifying China.

There were also some officers with relatively unconventional thinking who suggested that He Rui might want to seize Korea first to contain Japan, and at the same time use the prestige of defeating the Great Japanese Empire to enter the Pass and first control important regions of North China such as Zhili (Hebei), Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu. Gaining more land, population, and tax revenue to maintain a long-term war with the Great Japanese Empire.

Tanaka Giichi actually hoped He Rui would be that stupid. If He Rui thought that way, then he was completely not an enemy of the Empire.

In the midst of war, instead of trying his best to utilize his advantages to suppress the enemy for a long time, he would instead use a temporary advantage to expand the scale of the war—this kind of thinking was simply treating war as child's play.

Tanaka Giichi did not underestimate He Rui, especially after the annihilation of the Kwantung Army; his evaluation of the Northeast Army had also risen a lot. Controlling a military force sufficient to confront the Japanese army, He Rui inevitably had to force the Great Japanese Empire to make peace with him first, so that he would have no worries in his subsequent actions to unify China.

Now, as long as He Rui dared to enter the Pass, the British side would truly object. At that time, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance would be re-established, and He Rui would be dead for sure!