Cicada Moving

 “Farewell, Lord Konoe.”

 “Goodbye, Mr. Konoe.”

At the entrance of the Japanese manor, Ozaki and Sorge stood beside the car and bowed deeply together to bid farewell to Fumiya Konoe who came to see him off.

“Yo Xi, if you two are free in the future, you can come to my house to drink tea from time to time. I will sweep the couch for you.”

Konoe Fumiya laughed, pretended to stretch out his hand to help him and extended an invitation to the next party, obviously accepting the two of them.

Ozaki and Sorge naturally had no objection, and they promised to visit again. After saying a few words of thanks, they got in the car and left.

Looking at the car driving away, the smile on Fumiya Konoe's face faded little by little, turned around and walked back to the Japanese room just now.

“Saionji-kun, do you think these two can be trusted?”

As soon as he entered the door, he asked a question to Saionji Koji who was enjoying tea leisurely, and then he sat down at the table with his legs crossed.

Saionji Koji didn’t expect him to ask this question. He was stunned when he heard this. After thinking seriously for a moment, he shook his head and gave the answer.

“Konoe-kun, it’s hard for me to answer your question. He and I just have the same aspirations. We only talk about romance, not politics.

However, considering their status as reporters, I suggest you, Konoe-kun, to have some reservations in case important information is leaked.

Especially Ozaki-kun, he was very close to the Army guys during the ominous incident. You have to be careful about this. "

Konoe Fumiya was a little displeased in his heart. Leftists are just like this. It would be strange for the other party not to get involved in this matter.

Thinking of this, he asked curiously: "By the way, has Ozaki ever said what kind of person Okamoto Shigenobu is.

If that **** guy hadn't bewitched His Highness Yongren, there wouldn't have been such a serious conflict in Tokyo on February 26th. "

When Saionji Koji heard the three words 2┴26, he was so frightened that he quickly stretched his head and looked outside. After confirming that no one was there, he immediately warned Konoe sternly.

“Konoe-kun, I’m going to tell you something ominous! Even if His Majesty Tian Locust trusts you, you can’t speak so openly. Don’t forget your identity.”

Konoe Fumiya was not afraid at all, and replied nonchalantly: "Okay, I made a mistake just now, I will pay attention to it in the future."

Saionji was very helpless. The other party was such a person. He always spoke inappropriately and was a famous "big mouth" among the cabinet and nobles.

Not to mention in his own house, even in the Locust House, he dared to say anything. At that time, he even suggested that His Majesty Tianlu, who had just succeeded to the throne, carry out a "general amnesty".

 Can a minister say such sensitive words? The reason why the other party lost his position as prime minister some time ago may not be without this reason.

Taking a deep breath, Saionji made a serious face: "Ozaki-kun is not familiar with Okamoto Shigenobu, and we only met a few times before the action.

I heard that he was a charismatic guy who was very good at inciting people. Before they were shot, those Army Red Deers cried bitterly for failing to live up to their opponents' expectations. "

 “Saudaisnai~What a pity.”

Fumiya Konoe murmured to himself, seeming to regret missing a talent, and then changed the topic.

“An intelligence officer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lurking in the mountain city sent back a top-secret message. Did Mr. Saionji know about this?”

"What?"

Xiyuanji Gonger's ears twitched, he straightened his back and shook his head in confusion: "I haven't heard of it. I am an idler now. No one will tell me such a thing. What happened?"

“The Red Russians changed their generals before the battle. There was a personnel change in the 57th Army, and Zhukov was replaced by Feiklenko.” Fumiya Konoe did not hide anything, lowering his voice and whispering into the other party’s ear.

 “Nani?”

Saionji Koji's eyes widened, and then he looked anxious: "If this information is true, we must be more vigilant. The war situation in the Far East may be different from what we imagined before."

 “Yo Xi, what Mr. Xiyuanji said is right.”

Fumiya Konoe agreed with the other party's statement that the war was imminent and ensuring the stability of the front line was the top priority. The risk of changing generals before the battle was very high and would not happen under normal circumstances.

 Mosk may have other plans, such as teaching the Kwantung Army an unforgettable lesson, or taking action against the Northeast and Goryeo regions, just like Tsarist Russia did for decades.

More importantly, this general named Zhukov, whom he had heard before, was very strong-willed, had a tough commanding style, was good at fighting tough battles, and was very difficult to deal with.

If this person comes to Nomenkan to command the 57th Army in combat, it is indeed not good news for the Kwantung Army and the empire. Some of the original deployments must be adjusted.

In the last battle, the 23rd Division did not lose in morale and tactics, but in weapons and equipment. This made the Kwantung Army very unconvinced.

Especially Tsuji Masanobu, the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army who mobilized troops without authorization, was very arrogant and could not swallow such "cowardly attitude" no matter what.

Facing the increasing number of troops from Red Russia, the other side ordered all troops and personnel in the Nomenkan area to be withdrawn to Hylar and withdraw their fists first.

 Due to the terrain limitations of the warring area, before the large Russian troops could cross the river, at most they could only organize and send out some small troops to fight.

Compared with the Kwantung Army, which has eight divisions, this force is undoubtedly "beating an egg against a stone". The Red Russians are definitely no match for the Locust Army.

Under this premise, the General Staff Headquarters decided that the 23rd Division, the 7th Division, and the 1st Tank Division would work together to attack the Red Russian army stationed in Mongolia and complete the victory in one battle.

As soon as the order was issued, the commander of the 23rd Division immediately aroused strong dissatisfaction, and the other party sent a telegram directly to Tokyo and the General Staff Headquarters.

The other side believed that this was because the General Staff Headquarters looked down upon the Border Guard Division. What happened clearly within the jurisdiction of the 23rd Division actually asked other troops to resolve the matter.

 As long as the 23rd Division is equipped with sufficient armor and air force, they are fully capable of defeating the "weak" Red Russia and occupying disputed areas.

Considering the number of casualties on both sides last time, the General Staff Headquarters felt that it was reasonable, so they canceled the decision to use the 7th Division as the main force.

 The order was changed to assign the 23rd Division to assume the main offensive mission in the next battle, and assign an elite regiment of the 1st Tank Division and the Kwantung Army Air Force to the other side.

This was not done due to the pressure of the 23rd Division, but it was indeed difficult to transfer the main force of the 7th Division from the mainland. Although the 7th Division belonged to the Kwantung Army, its main force was still in Hokkaido. In the northeast, there are only two half-strength regiments of the 14th Infantry Brigade and a small number of logistics units, so the number of people capable of fighting is very small.

It will take a long time to transfer the main force, artillery and combat supplies of the 7th Division. No one can guarantee that the Red Russia will not launch an attack before then.

 Moreover, due to considerations of freight and moving defense costs, the Cabinet and the Military Department did not approve all the heavy artillery units of the 7th Division to participate in the war.

 They are only allowed to follow the procedures for changing standing divisions to defend the Northeast, that is, they do not move heavy artillery units and only move half of the infantry and field artillery.

As a result, the 7th Division will be unable to perform its main combat tasks. If the losses are too large, the compensation costs will be a large expense.

 So instead of letting the dissatisfied 7th Division go into battle, it is better to let the 23rd Division fight against the Red Russians again, which can save a lot of money.

 But now it seems that this decision is a bit hasty. A border garrison division may not be able to stop the Red Russians who want to fight when they change their generals.

Even if you add elite tank regiments and air forces, it will not work. In the end, war will always be a battle between people, not weapons.

 Konoe Fumiya put his hand on the low table and tapped it again and again. After a long time, he raised his head and looked at Saionji Kōji.

“Saionji-kun, you served as a counselor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs many years ago, so you should know some people. I have something to ask you.”

"Please say."

“Please arrange for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intelligence officer who brought the news to continue to pay attention to the actions of the national government and explore more intelligence about Red Russia.

 You and I both know that the Republic of China and the Red Russians have been very close in the past two years and have informed each other of a lot of intelligence, including military intelligence.

Zhukov’s transfer to the Far East may have been revealed to Shancheng by Mosk. The empire and the military needed more and more detailed information.

For example, the military deployment of the Red Russian army in Nomenkan, the planned combat plan, and possible alliances and cooperation between the two parties, etc. "

 “No problem, I will ask my old friends for help.”

Duke Xiionji immediately responded. As a duke, he had the unshirkable responsibility and must consider the country. After speaking, he asked curiously.

“Konoe-kun, do you think that the Republic of China and the Red Russia will join forces to attack the Empire from both the Republic of China and the Far East?

I think this is unlikely. The chairman of the Shancheng Committee does not have such courage. I think you should know this. "

These words made Konoe Fumi Mi amused. Naturally, they were no strangers to the leaders of the Republic of China, and could even be said to be very familiar with them.

The other party defeated a group of fruit party elders and became chairman, not by military merit, let alone ability, but by playing politics.

This kind of person can be considered a politician at most. The characteristic of politicians is to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and will never risk failure.

He clapped his hands and replied with a smile: "Haha, Saionji-kun, you are right, the other party does not have the courage to go to war with the empire.

 Otherwise, it would not have declared war with the empire until now, but the other side has another characteristic, which is its superstition of the power of Europe and America.

 We must admit that Red Russia is a powerful country with a vast territory, sufficient resources, a large population and developed industry.

If the Red Russians come forward, it is possible that Mr. Chairman will take the initiative to attack, so we must be vigilant. "

Xiyuanji Gongji suddenly realized that this was indeed the case. With Hong Er as his backer, the people of the Republic of China might really be able to fight back.

On the other side, Fumiya Konoe, who was thirsty after talking, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then looked at the peaceful dry landscape shapes in the courtyard, and his tone became soothing.

“Of course, this is just my personal speculation. It cannot be ruled out that all this is false information released by the Republic of China, hoping to sow discord between the Empire and the Red Russians in order to take advantage of it.

I will ask people from the military department to verify the information. Zhukov is a close confidant of Marshal Budyonny of Red Russia. It is impossible for him to go to the Far East alone. He will definitely receive reinforcements or new equipment.

The military has intelligence personnel in the Red Russia and on the Siberian Railway. Such a big move by the Red Russians cannot be hidden from them. Once the intelligence is confirmed to be true, then the 23rd Division alone..."

“Your Excellency, there is urgent information from the General Staff Headquarters.”

Before he finished speaking, there was a shout from outside, and then a major came respectfully into the Japanese room and presented an official document.

 Konoe Fumiya opened the file without thinking, not paying any attention to Saionji Kōji beside him. The other party was a dignified duke. Could he still commit treason? This was simply impossible.

Looking back to the opened file, there were only five pieces of information on it, but every time he looked at one, the veins in Konoe's forehead would jump, and finally he threw the document on the table with a livid face.

“Three days ago, intelligence personnel near Minsk Airport observed a transport aircraft flying eastward.”

“Two days ago, a plane landed at Tamtsag-Blagek Airport.”

“In the past two days, there have been changes in the Red Russian army in the Nomenkan area.”

 “The number of military trains on the Xibei Railway increased.”

“The Red Russian army established a small landing site on the east bank of the Harkha River.”

Saionji Koji glanced at the official document and clearly saw the content on it. He then glanced at Konoe Fumiya, who had an ugly face. He knew it was time to leave, so he stood up to leave.

 Konoe Fumiya was not in the mood to chat at the moment. He sat there and waved his hands. Saionji quickly walked out of the other party's mansion, got into the car with the family crest and said to his subordinates.

“Go back, and invite Mr. Ozaki and Mr. Sorge to the mansion. Tell them that I have something important to discuss with them. Please keep it secret and don’t let others find out.”

 “Hai.”

This echo slowly drifted under the sunset in Tokyo. At the same time, on the second floor of a shop selling high-end fish not far away, the sound of clicking shutters kept ringing.

 (Have a day off tomorrow, do nothing, sleep for a day)