This scapegoat is not something that a chief of staff at the rank of Colonel Kawatani Jiro can take on. Besides, now that Kawatani Jiro has gone to meet their Amaterasu, Sakamoto Masaemon can't find anyone to blame him even if he wants to.
It can only be Lieutenant General Masaemon Sakamoto himself, the division commander.
How could someone without any sense of politics sit in the position of commander of the Japanese standing division?
What's more, Sakamoto Masaemon also had friends in the military headquarters and the Kwantung Army headquarters, so naturally the news reached his ears.
He already knows his fate. The moment the 10th Division arrives, his position as the supreme commander of the Eastern Front Group will change hands, and the position of division commander will soon be dismissed, and then transferred back to the country.
Accept the endless criticism from politicians and the military.
His official career may have ended here, but before leaving, he still had some private matters to explain to his confidant Yamada Guiura. These matters cannot be communicated through text messages or phone calls. They need to be handed over in person, and there cannot be many.
The kind where people are present.
…
"Sir Sakamoto, this is so unfair. Our 6th Division has fought bloody battles for several years, and our warriors have sacrificed countless lives. Seeing that the door to the entire north is about to open, you must be punished at this time, which will affect the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers.
Heart..."
This was in a room at the headquarters of the 12th Brigade. There were several plates of meat and vegetable dishes on a low table, but there were only two people sitting on the floor. It was Lieutenant General Masaemon Sakamoto and his confidant Yamada.
Major General Guipu.
Sakamoto Masaemon didn't answer, he picked up the wine cup on the table, took a sip of wine, then squinted his eyes and thought about it, but between the opening and closing of his eyes, there was a hint of silence in his eyes.
"Sigh... the wine from my hometown is more delicious..." Masaemon Sakamoto sighed in confusion.
"Your Excellency..." Yamada Guiura said anxiously.
But his words were stopped by Masaemon Sakamoto who raised his hand.
"Yamada-kun, you and I have worked together for many years, so it goes without saying. I have served in the military all my life, and my loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire is as clear as the sun and the moon, and can be learned from the heaven and the earth. But things like politics have never been based on human opinions.
The will is transferred.”
"You just need to remember one thing, the current situation of the Kwantung Army needs a victory to reverse, and I am the martyr who won the final victory for the Kwantung Army. This victory not only refers to the Battle of the Great Wall, but also refers to the response to the cabinet and the military.
Fight for our Kwantung Army to finally gain greater autonomy."
"So, let me go in peace. Don't think more. Just cooperate with the new commander, defeat the Nao Na people in front of you, and win more victories for the 6th Division and yourself.
Honor it."
Speaking of this, Sakamoto Masaemon lowered his voice and said softly: "As for my coming today, there are some things that I need to explain clearly to Yamada-kun face to face..."
The two drank and ate, whispered to each other for half an hour, and then walked out of the house with red faces and hot ears.
Masaemon Sakamoto looked up at the sky. The colorful clouds at dusk inlaid the clouds in the sky with a golden edge. He sighed softly: "The scenery is picturesque! I just don't know if I can set foot on this gorgeous land again in the future.
The mountains, rivers and land.”
At this point, a feeling of reluctance suddenly arose in his heart, and he turned to Yamada Guiura and said, "Yamada-kun, are you interested in accompanying me, an old man, to have a final inspection of this land? The mountains and rivers there are really amazing."
People envy and yearn for it!”
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, I promise you that within a few years, these mountains and rivers will become the territory of the empire for you to roam. However... it is not safe here now. There have been snipers from Zhi Na recently.
, for safety reasons..."
"Haha... Mr. Yamada is overly concerned. We are just going out on horseback to have some fun and get rid of the alcohol. Could it be that that person's sniper had no idea that we were going out?"
At this time, Yamada Guiura really didn't want to disturb the interest of the division commander. At this time, the majestic and upright general had turned into a lonely old man in his eyes, and he couldn't bear to let him down when he was about to leave.
.
But he managed to stay awake for a while, signaled to the worried adjutant Ohno Yuhei, and then smiled and asked his other men to prepare their horses.
At this time, Masaemon Sakamoto was not really drunk, but for his last wish, he no longer cared about snipers.
If he is really unlucky enough to be beaten to death by the Chinese, it may be the best ending for him at the moment.
It is much better to die on the battlefield than to return home in disgrace with a guilty conscience and then be investigated and punished.
When dozens of Japanese soldiers rode out of Liujiaji, Zhao Xiaojin, who was the first to discover them, couldn't believe his eyes.
In his telescope, he could clearly see the center surrounded by Japanese soldiers. Two Japanese generals, one old and one strong, were trusting their horses and came towards the sunset, chatting and laughing happily.
The silver stars on their golden collar badges shine brightly under the setting sun.
"One lieutenant general and one major general, direction 11 o'clock, 900 meters away."
Zhang Xiaoping heard Zhao Xiaojin's voice in the headset and was completely impressed by Zhou Wen's luck.
"Senior brother is really blessed with the luck of the Buddha. He really grasped such a slim opportunity. Moreover, there are two generals. The lieutenant general must be the leader of the Japanese division. This is the first target to be sniped."
Zhang Xiaoping cheered up, but remained motionless and did not raise his head to look for the target. Instead, he lowered his body further and held his breath.
Because he knew that now was not a good time to shoot, and the little devil would not let two generals come out and mount their horses without taking any precautions.
Sure enough, Zhao Xiaojin's voice rang in his ears again.
"Twenty-six Japanese cavalry spread out in a semicircle to search, and two of them are facing your direction."
Zhang Xiaoping soon felt the vibration from the earth, and then the sound of horse hooves.
As an observer, Zhao Xiaojin was still a little nervous at this time, because this sniper opportunity couldn't be better, it could be called perfect.
He could tell at a glance that the two Japanese generals were not out on a journey, but out to walk their horses.
Haha... Walking horses means that they must stay in this field for a long time. Zhang Xiaoping can calmly find the right shooting opportunity. Of course, he has great faith in this junior brother's ability.
In other words, half of the sniper mission has been completed so far, and I don't know whether I can kill one or both.
Another favorable condition is that it is already dusk, and there is only about half an hour until dark. As long as it gets dark, the chances of him and Zhang Xiaoping retreating safely will be greatly increased.
This is simply the best opportunity God can give, bar none.