Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1051 General Attack Plan

It was almost dusk when Yamamoto Satoshi left the house.

As usual, he walked into the inconspicuous little shop deep in the alley. Under the dim light inside the shop, the owner was arranging the shelves.

"Still the same as always?" the boss asked without even looking up.

"Hmm, 'White Crane' cigarettes." Yamamoto Satoshi said casually.

The boss turned around to get a cigarette and suddenly whispered, "The cherry blossoms are blooming, spring is coming."

Yamamoto Satoshi's pupils shrank slightly, but his expression remained calm: "Yes, spring always comes very quickly."

When he took the cigarette, he noticed that the wrapper of the cigarette box was slightly loose. Yamamoto paid for it, left the shop as if nothing had happened, walked through several alleys, and returned to the house where he was hiding after confirming that he was not being followed.

"Are you back?" Fujita Ying asked without raising his head while reading a book.

"Hmm." Yamamoto walked to the window, turned his back to the room, and carefully opened the cigarette box. Sure enough, under the layers of wrapping paper, there was a thin piece of paper.

He quickly unfolded the note and glanced at it in the dim light. This was the latest instruction written by Mitsui Shou himself, and every word revealed the urgency of the action.

After reading it, Yamamoto immediately lit the note with a lighter and watched it turn to ashes in the ashtray.

"Are there any new instructions?" Fujita Ying finally put down the book.

Yamamoto Satoshi nodded: "The Mitsui family has already started to take action. It seems that we will be busy soon."

The dusk outside the window deepened, and Kyoto was shrouded in an eerie silence. But Yamamoto Satoshi knew that undercurrents had begun to surge beneath the ancient capital.

In the Prime Minister's Office, Takehide Tojo's roar echoed in the conference room.

"150,000 troops! A full 150,000 elite troops!" He slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to bounce up. "In just one night, the entire army was wiped out! This is a great shame!"

Watanabe Motoyasu stood aside, bowing his head and saying nothing. As the Minister of the Military, the fall of the two Acropolises left him speechless.

"Uji and Otsu are the gateways to Kyoto!" Tojo Yuei's face turned pale. "Now the Chinese army is at the gates of the city! Our last line of defense in Kanto has been torn open by them!"

He walked to the window, holding the windowsill with both hands, his knuckles white: "Watanabe-kun, explain to me why this happened? Why were those so-called ace divisions defeated so quickly?"

Watanabe Motoyasu's forehead was covered in cold sweat. "Mr. Prime Minister, according to the report from the front, the speed of the attack of the Skull Division and the Revitalization Division far exceeded our expectations. The rocket artillery group of the Imperial Division and the armored grenadiers of the Northern Division..."

"Enough!" Tojo Yuying turned around abruptly, "I know all this information! What I want is a solution! How long can Kyoto last now?"

"The report shows," Watanabe Motoyasu said with difficulty, "there are still 200,000 defenders in the city, but their morale..."

"Morale?" Tojo Yuei sneered, "I heard that the defenders of Uji Castle collapsed before they could even hold out in a head-on battle. Is this the Great Fuso Imperial Army that we are so proud of?"

He slumped down in his chair. "The situation is already bad enough. The southern battlefield is losing ground, the northern defense line is crumbling, and now even Kyoto is in danger..."

Watanabe Motoyasu said cautiously: "Mr. Prime Minister, I have ordered the troops in Kyoto to enter the highest state of alert. In addition, we can also mobilize troops from other war zones..."

"Mobilize?" Tojo Yuying interrupted him, "Mobilize what? Which war zone has extra troops now? Tell me!"

The meeting room fell into dead silence.

Tojo Yuei closed his eyes, his voice full of fatigue: "Go, call a military meeting immediately. I want to know how many soldiers are available in Kyoto now, and..." He paused, "If Kyoto is lost, how should we deal with it."

Watanabe Motoyasu was shocked: "Prime Minister..."

"Go ahead." Tojo Yuying waved his hand, "Every minute is precious now."

Watching Watanabe Motoyasu's departing back, Tojo Yuei looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly and the cherry blossoms were flying, but in his eyes, this beautiful scene was so ironic.

The fate of the Fuso Empire was slipping away bit by bit in his hands. And he, the prime minister who ruled the world, felt unprecedented powerlessness at this moment.

Inside the front-line command post, the city of Kyoto was densely marked on the map.

"Everyone," Stein stood in front of the sand table, his eyes sweeping over the four division commanders present, "the two Acropolises have been taken, now it's time to discuss the general attack plan on Kyoto."

"I suggest breaking through from the southeast," Ike said first. "The Skeleton Division's assault capability has been proven in the Battle of Uji. As long as we can find a breakthrough point, we can tear open their defenses."

Li Feier shook his head: "A simple assault is too risky. The firepower coverage of the Revitalization Division can cooperate with you, but Kyoto's fortifications are much more strict than Uji."

"That's right," Klinge interrupted. "I suggest using rocket artillery to launch a saturation attack first. The Imperial Division's rocket artillery has proven its power and is enough to destroy their outer defenses."

Otto knocked on the table. "The armored grenadiers of the Northern Division can attack from multiple directions. Combined with the firepower of the mortar team, it can cause greater chaos to the enemy."

Stein listened to the four people's speeches and thought: "Everyone's ideas are good, but we still need to consider one issue - the civilians in the city."

"Intelligence shows," he pointed to several marked points on the map, "that the Mitsui family has set up multiple safe zones in the city. Our attack must avoid these areas."

"That requires even more precision strikes," Klinge said. "Rocket artillery groups can provide targeted coverage of military targets."

Ike nodded in agreement: "The Skeleton Division can be responsible for the street fighting after the breakthrough. We have accumulated a lot of experience in Uji Castle."

"The firepower of the Revitalization Division can suppress their artillery positions," Li Feil added, "preventing them from posing a threat to our assault forces."

Otto pointed to several key points on the map: "The Northern Division can launch a feint attack from these positions to distract the enemy."

After listening to everyone's speeches, Stein's eyes became firm: "Very good. You are all experienced commanders. I believe you can execute this operation perfectly."

He drew a few arrows on the map: "The general offensive is scheduled for three days from now. During this time, let the troops fully rest. Remember, Kyoto is not only a military stronghold, but also a historical city. We must reduce unnecessary damage as much as possible."

"Jawohl!" the four division commanders answered in unison.

Stein smiled. "Then let's start planning. This will be a battle that will go down in history."

In the command post, four ace division commanders gathered around the sand table and began to discuss every detail of the attack. They all knew that the battle of Kyoto was not only related to the direction of the war, but also would determine the outcome of the entire war.