Kasuga Maru was a small shop common outside the Tokyo harbor district. Its main customers were dock coolies, though sometimes workers from inside the docks would order bento boxes from there.

These days, the port was operating around the clock, transporting personnel and supplies to the Korean front. The food in the shop had long since sold out. Captain Owada had gone to other shops only to find them closed; this was the only one still open. Returning again, he pleaded with the owner to provide something to eat, no matter what.

The owner could only take the little bit of rice he had saved for himself to make a sushi roll, and brought out a bowl of kelp soup. While apologizing, he couldn't help but mention that grain prices had started to soar again recently, expressing worry that it shouldn't lead to something like the Rice Riots of the past.

Captain Owada was very unhappy, but had no mood to scold the owner. He took the food and left the shop without a word. By now it was dark. Troops were no longer entering the port area. The military police patrolling the empty streets saw Nagata Tetsuzan standing alone under a dim streetlamp reading a newspaper and walked over to question this suspicious officer. As they got closer, they realized Nagata Tetsuzan was a general, and hurriedly saluted from a distance before walking away quickly.

When Owada walked up to him, Nagata Tetsuzan took the food and stuffed it into his mouth without even looking, continuing to read the newspaper while chewing. After eating the sushi and downing the kelp soup, Nagata Tetsuzan had finished reading the newspaper in his hand. He ordered, "Go to the Ministry of War."

In the car, Captain Owada wanted to exchange a few words with Nagata Tetsuzan, but saw Nagata leaning back in the rear seat with his eyes closed tight. He seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps asleep, and Owada couldn't find an opportunity to speak.

For the last two weeks, all war reporting had focused on Seoul. Captain Owada had access to some frontline news and naturally couldn't be bothered to read the exaggerated descriptions in the newspapers, but the attention within Imperial General Headquarters was all on Seoul. Upon learning that Nagata Tetsuzan had held Seoul, everyone from top to bottom breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Nagata Tetsuzan flipping through the newspaper quickly, as if he already knew what he was looking for, he must have been prepared. Captain Owada inexplicably felt much more at ease.

Not long after the war began, Japan established the Imperial General Headquarters to unify command. The General Headquarters was located within the Ministry of War office building.

The Ministry of War building was newly constructed. Originally, the Ministry of War's office was a cluster of Japanese-style single-story buildings. Later, foreign architects and architects who had returned from studying in Japan were invited to jointly design and build the current structure, which had long since been completed. The main body of the Ministry of War building had four floors above ground and two basement levels. The architecture presented a European style, with a spire and stone walls. Solemn and magnificent, it demonstrated the style of the number one power in Asia.

The exterior of the Ministry of War was surrounded by an iron fence, elegant and solemn in design. Through the fence, one could see that the windows of every office were lit. Soldiers in the Ministry of War compound walked hurriedly; the entire Ministry of War and the General Headquarters were operating at high speed for this war.

The car drove into the Ministry of War compound and stopped at the entrance of the office building. Without waiting for Captain Owada to call out, Nagata Tetsuzan had already opened his eyes, opened the door, and got out of the car. Walking into the Ministry of War building, he saw temporary signs with department names hanging on the door of every room: 'General Headquarters Logistics Section', 'General Headquarters Communications Section'... A series of names proved that the structure of the General Headquarters was complete. Looking into those unclosed doors, officers were working tensely without any pause.

The General Headquarters command center was in the Minister of War's office on the top floor. Nagata didn't know how the Cabinet had discussed it. The current Prime Minister, Katō Tomosaburō, personally held the post of Navy Minister. Nagata felt that perhaps because the Prime Minister still had to fulfill the work of running the government, the Minister of War was allowed to serve as the Commander of the General Headquarters.

In the corridors, many officers stopped when they saw Nagata Tetsuzan. There were acquaintances and strangers among them. Regardless of which kind, seeing Nagata Tetsuzan striding over, they all stood at attention and saluted with admiring gazes.

Entering the command center, Tanaka Giichi stood up to welcome him. This Commander of the General Headquarters was originally as thin as an ordinary Japanese, but now, due to toil and exhaustion, his eyes were swollen into blisters. But the relief in Tanaka Giichi's voice was heartfelt, "Nagata-kun, thank you for your hard work."

Nagata Tetsuzan finished his salute and didn't waste words, replying directly, "Excellency, this subordinate has already stated in the war report that being able to hold Seoul relied entirely on the bravery of the Imperial soldiers. However, the enemy commander's lack of determination in battle was also a significant factor. When our reinforcements arrived, the enemy quickly disengaged from combat, giving our army no chance to counterattack whatsoever. This subordinate judges that the enemy deliberately raided our army, and their operational plan should be very complete..."

Tanaka Giichi's tired face was originally clouded, but hearing Nagata Tetsuzan report on the war situation and make predictions with clear logic, a hint of a gratified smile finally appeared. He interrupted Nagata Tetsuzan, "Nagata-kun, wait a moment."

After speaking, he gave an order to his adjutant. Soon, the adjutant invited the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Suzuki Soroku, and another Lieutenant General in from the next room. Nagata Tetsuzan looked closely; the other Lieutenant General was Terauchi Hisaichi. When Nagata went to Korea, Terauchi Hisaichi was still a Major General.

Terauchi Hisaichi graduated from the Army War College in 1909, while Nagata Tetsuzan graduated in 1911. Without having gone to the battlefield, Terauchi Hisaichi had been promoted to Lieutenant General, so...

Seeing Nagata Tetsuzan, Terauchi Hisaichi took the initiative to step forward and shake hands with Nagata, "Nagata-kun, you will soon be my Chief of Staff."

Tanaka Giichi explained from the side, "Through discussion by the General Staff, Lieutenant General Terauchi has been recommended to serve as the Commander of the Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army. The report has been sent to the Palace, and it is thought that it will be announced to the public very soon."

Nagata Tetsuzan hurriedly saluted Terauchi Hisaichi, but felt slightly disapproving in his heart. Terauchi Hisaichi came from a noble family with a long history. After graduating from the Army War College, he served successively as Chief of Staff of the Imperial Guards Division, Assistant to the Headquarters of the 1st Division, and Chief of Staff of the Korean Army. His academic standards were quite good, and although he did not become a member of the "Saber Club" (top graduates), his abilities were also well-regarded.

The relationship between Nagata and Terauchi was entirely official. Terauchi Hisaichi was closer to Obata Toshishirō, who was also of noble origin.

At this time, Tanaka Giichi invited everyone to sit down and casually placed an ashtray on the center table. The large white porcelain ashtray was filled with various cigarette butts, looking like a fat hedgehog. The adjutant picked up the ashtray to empty it personally, then asked an orderly to take it away to wash it. When the ashtray was brought back, it was covered in yellow-brown nicotine stains. It was unknown how many times it had been emptied and refilled recently.

Tanaka Giichi flicked cigarette ash into it and said, "With the Battle of Seoul concluded, our army will launch a counterattack to retake Korea. The counterattack plan is being formulated. This counterattack is receiving extreme attention from the Emperor and citizens from all walks of life, and absolutely no failure can be tolerated. after the Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army retakes Korea, it must enter Manchuria and Mongolia to thoroughly crush the He Rui regime. Terauchi-kun, do you have the resolve?"

Terauchi Hisaichi hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Excellency, this subordinate has already made the resolve to die in battle for the Empire. Please let this subordinate wash away the Empire's failure."

Tanaka Giichi and Suzuki Soroku nodded slightly. Terauchi Hisaichi continued, "Excellency Suzuki, in this counterattack, the enemy will certainly rely on solid defense lines to resist with all their might. Korea is mountainous; does the General Staff have any targeted adjustments regarding the battlefield characteristics in this aspect?"

Suzuki Soroku did not answer, but turned to Nagata Tetsuzan, "Nagata-kun, the General Headquarters has read your war report. Have you considered the plan for this counterattack?"

Nagata had wanted to follow Okamura Yasuji's suggestion and visit Major General Yagyū first. But there was absolutely no time now, so he stated the conclusion he had considered, "Reporting to Excellency. This subordinate confirms that the enemy commander in this battle, Hu Xiushan, is a very calm commander. The Empire's defeat in the Northeast was due to the enemy with superior numbers adopting a surprise attack, and the enemy adopted the vehicle transport mode used by France in the European War, organizing large-scale truck units to implement transport. Only then did they achieve the situation of encircling the Korean Army with superior forces. In the subsequent battles, the enemy's attacking force consistently remained only one corps, and the number of their combat troops was similar to one of our divisions. It can be seen that the troops the enemy can mobilize at any time in Korea are at most two corps."

Although Japanese newspapers bragged heavily that 30,000 hastily assembled Japanese troops held Seoul against over 100,000 enemy troops by relying on the commander's excellent aptitude and the officers' and soldiers' fearless bravery, the Japanese General Headquarters received a war report almost every 30 minutes and was very clear about the situation.

Hu Xiushan's troops attacking Seoul numbered only 30,000. The total number of Japanese defense troops in Seoul and the auxiliary troops pulled in approached 50,000. The Japanese Army was the side with the advantage in troop strength.

However, when Tanaka Giichi and the others heard of two corps of rapid maneuver forces, they truly felt the pressure in their hearts. Two corps, 60,000 to 70,000 main force troops, were racing at a speed approaching 100 kilometers per day. The Japanese Army currently did not possess such large-scale mobility.

Nagata Tetsuzan continued, "Northern Korea has a depth of 1,000 kilometers. The enemy's logistical pressure is immense. This subordinate believes that the enemy's combat troops in Korea will not exceed 400,000, and possibly only 300,000. The enemy wants to gradually retreat after consuming our army in large numbers in Korea. When our army progresses to the Yalu River area, with our division old and soldiers weary, the enemy will counterattack with the advantage of large army groups. In the process of our army attacking Korea, the enemy will likely consider conducting two large-scale defensive battles."

Chief of General Staff Suzuki Soroku couldn't help but nod slightly; this was exactly the conclusion of the General Staff. The Fengtian Army had the advantage of trucks and also had the ability to fully utilize the railway system Japan had built in Korea. The Fengtian Army's 300,000-plus combat troops could withdraw from the battlefield at any time, or throw large numbers of combat troops into key positions at any time.

The Japanese Army could only push north, ready to launch attacks on the Fengtian Army occupying the high ground at any time. Such battles would certainly lead to huge casualties, which was exactly the Fengtian Army's goal. In the Yalu River area, there would be a large number of Fengtian troops waiting at their ease for the exhausted Japanese Army to deliver themselves to the door.

But even knowing the Fengtian Army's layout, the Japanese Army had to do this. Such a passive reality had kept the members of the Japanese General Staff sleepless these days, deducing operational plans all night long.

The prospective Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army Commander Terauchi Hisaichi felt both uneasy and somewhat expectant upon hearing this. Nagata Tetsuzan's great name was known to everyone in the high levels of the military. However, what everyone appreciated was Nagata Tetsuzan's construction of Japan's national strategy. Through his relationship with Obata Toshishirō, Terauchi Hisaichi knew of Nagata Tetsuzan's influence among the field officers in the army. Hearing Nagata Tetsuzan's military judgment being so precise at this moment, he had complete confidence in Nagata Tetsuzan's level of understanding of campaigns. However, Nagata Tetsuzan had only pointed out the problem and hadn't yet given an idea to solve it. Only a Chief of Staff who could solve problems was worthy of complete trust, so Terauchi Hisaichi waited for Nagata Tetsuzan's following elaboration.

Not only Terauchi Hisaichi, but Tanaka Giichi and Suzuki Soroku also had their own ideas on how to break the deadlock. Whether Nagata Tetsuzan could voice an idea they agreed with would also determine the two men's thinking on how to use Nagata Tetsuzan next.

Nagata Tetsuzan spoke frankly, "Excellencies, generally in war, engage with the orthodox and win with the surprise. This subordinate believes that for this counterattack, we should attack strongly from the front, making it so the enemy cannot retreat. This is engaging with the orthodox. Organize a landing force to insert into the enemy's rear, cut off the enemy's transport lines, and disrupt the enemy's deployment. This is winning with the surprise. Of course, observing the enemy's strategy, it is rigorous and detailed; this must be He-kun's planning. He certainly cannot be unaware that the Japanese Navy occupies absolute superiority; the enemy must be prepared."

Hearing this, Tanaka Giichi exchanged glances with Suzuki Soroku and Terauchi Hisaichi, then asked, "Has Nagata-kun considered where to implement the landing?"

Nagata answered decisively, "There are three choices for landing. The first choice is at Tanggu. Once our army lands at Tanggu, we can implement a pincer attack on the enemy from front and rear, making them unable to attend to both head and tail."

Tanaka Giichi sighed, "But landing here would force the Beiyang government to join hands with He Rui, dispersing the Empire's military strength. Moreover, the Great Powers also do not wish to see the Empire conduct a war of such scale in the Far East."

Nagata Tetsuzan nodded slightly, "What Excellency says is true. Another choice is the Liaodong Peninsula. But according to intelligence, the Fengtian Army has not transferred the troops of Zheng Sirang away from the Liaodong Peninsula. If we land on the Liaodong Peninsula, we will have to engage the enemy in flat terrain. The defender Zheng Sirang is a fierce general who once broke through the Kwantung Leased Territory. I believe the difficulty of gaining a firm foothold after landing is extremely great."

Chief of General Staff Suzuki Soroku nodded slightly but didn't speak.

Nagata Tetsuzan continued, "Landing in Korea has many advantages for our army. Japan has managed Korea for ten years and understands Korea very well. There are also many forces loyal to Japan within Korea that can provide cooperation. Moreover, the Fengtian Army has insufficient troops and cannot defend all ports in Korea."

Hearing this, Tanaka Giichi looked at the others. Seeing both Suzuki Soroku and Terauchi Hisaichi nodding slightly, he extinguished his cigarette butt in the ashtray and stood up.

While fighting on the front lines, the Japanese Army command organs were also analyzing the war situation with all their might, summarizing battle examples, and preparing for the next phase of operations. As the war proceeded to the present, the worst-case scenario had not occurred. The performance of the greatest contributor in this battle, Nagata Tetsuzan, exceeded everyone's expectations.

Even those generals and officers who determined that Nagata Tetsuzan would become the leader of the next generation of the army recognized Nagata Tetsuzan's strategic construction ability, connections, and organizational ability. For Nagata Tetsuzan, his biggest shortcoming was the lack of actual combat achievements.

When the Korean Army was annihilated, the Japanese Army had already considered the situation of losing most of Korea except for Busan. Yet Nagata Tetsuzan, under such a perilous situation, actually organized the remnants and defeated soldiers to block the Fengtian Army and hold Seoul. Even the veteran generals in the army were greatly appreciative in their hearts.

Terauchi Hisaichi was the Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army Commander agreed upon by all parties; he already understood the operational vision of the Army high command. Nagata Tetsuzan had also reached the same vision as the Army high command on his own. The Minister of War, the Chief of General Staff, the Commander of the Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army, and the Chief of Staff had reached a consensus. Tanaka Giichi had no more worries in his heart. After standing up, he said decisively, "Gentlemen..."

The other three hurriedly stood up. Tanaka Giichi continued, "This great war concerns whether the Empire's unwritten national policy up to now can be carried out, and it concerns the fate of the Empire. Therefore, I plan to visit the Prime Minister early tomorrow morning to request that the Navy command this landing operation. Gentlemen, please fight for the Great Japanese Empire together."

Facing these core members of the Army, Tanaka Giichi was concise. But the struggle between the Army and Navy had lasted for a long time. For the Army to bow its head to the Navy and ask the Navy to command the landing operation—making this decision showed a resolve no less than generously going to one's death. But for Japan, Tanaka Giichi already had such awareness.

Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Suzuki Soroku and prospective Manchuria-Mongolia Expeditionary Army Commander Lieutenant General Terauchi Hisaichi both looked somewhat tragic. While bowing to Tanaka Giichi, they said, "Thank you for your hard work, Excellency."

Tanaka Giichi looked at Nagata Tetsuzan, who had not spoken, wondering why this elite general, who was already called the 'Wall of the Empire' in the newspapers, did not speak.

Nagata bowed slightly, "I wonder if Your Excellency could permit this subordinate to visit Prime Minister Katō first tomorrow. This war concerns the future of the Empire. The Army and Navy should unite sincerely, especially regarding the headquarters configuration. If Prime Minister Katō proposes the suggestion to set up a Commander and Deputy Commander, with the Navy serving as Commander and the Army as Deputy Commander, and the Army commanding the landing operation, it would better demonstrate the Empire's unity and determination to win this war."

One Army General and two Army Lieutenant Generals were speechless for a moment. Katō Tomosaburō was the Navy Minister, but Katō held the concurrent post of Navy Minister as Prime Minister. If Prime Minister Katō proposed such a suggestion to be handed over to the General Headquarters for discussion, the situation would no longer be the Army bowing its head to the Navy, but the Sea and Land forces joining hands to fight externally together. This would not only save the Army's face but also release a powerful signal internally and externally.

Could Nagata Tetsuzan, a single Army Major General, really complete such a task? The three Army high officials dared not believe it. The gazes exchanged among the three were full of doubt; they even wanted to open their mouths to ask how exactly Nagata intended to persuade Katō.

But the three were high-ranking and powerful after all, and knew they absolutely could not ask at this moment. Tanaka Giichi made up his mind and asked, "Nagata-kun, do you need us to do anything?"

Nagata Tetsuzan answered decisively, "If this subordinate is to persuade Prime Minister Katō, I still need a personal letter from Your Excellency. Please have Excellency Suzuki and Excellency Terauchi sign it jointly."

Tanaka Giichi said no more and walked back behind his desk to write rapidly. Suzuki Soroku and Terauchi Hisaichi walked to Tanaka's side to read the content of the letter. When Tanaka Giichi finished writing, the two signed their names respectively.

When Tanaka Giichi handed the letter to Nagata Tetsuzan, Nagata saw that Tanaka Giichi was preparing to speak words of instruction, so he hurriedly stood at attention. He heard Tanaka Giichi say, "Nagata-kun, rest early today. The General Headquarters has also prepared a press conference for you tomorrow afternoon. You are now a hero of the country; you must let the citizens understand how a hero fights for the country."

Seeing that the Army had prepared so thoroughly, Nagata Tetsuzan hurriedly replied, "Please rest assured, Excellency. In this great war, the Army's performance was moving and tragic. This subordinate will certainly let the citizens understand the Army's value and regain their confidence."