The Emperor’s Stubbornness

Chiang Kai-shek does not trust the Southern Military Region. At least at the Party Central, it’s clear he doesn’t trust it. Zhou Lizhi had somehow managed to establish an information network that allowed her to obtain real-time information about Chinese military movements within her capacity. It seems proper telephones or computer-based communications aren’t working, but somehow she was able to obtain and share with me information about how the Chinese military was moving.

Actually, this is the kind of information I should be providing to Zhou Lizhi. Jefferson’s letter was a clear sign of caution against me. It was obvious that the CIA would not show any cooperative attitude until I shot and killed Zhou Lizhi, and it was too dangerous for me to act directly.

“Anyway, I poked a few acquaintances I somehow knew and confirmed that the Central Army Group has begun redeploying southward.”

“Toward Liangguang?”

“No, Yunnan. Around 30 divisions of the Party Central Army, who follow no one’s orders except Chiang Kai-shek’s, have gathered near Yunnan Province. This is a force suitable for suppressing warlords on the scale of the National Revolution, or even larger.”

“The Nanjing Central Army is the most elite force in China. It’s hard to understand why such forces would be deployed near Yunnan, not in the Northeast or Mongolia, in times like these.”

“Can’t you understand? They intend to suppress Yunnan. Otherwise, why would a U.S. aircraft carrier enter Ningbo instead of Shanghai? The Kuomintang is prepared for civil war. All the Yunnan garrison troops did was accidentally fire and cause Julia Curoo’s tragic death. But the Party leadership is terrified, not knowing how the United States will respond. So they’re bringing in U.S. forces to help suppress their own troops, lumping them together with my faction that attempted to restore the Qing Dynasty.”

I felt dizzy. China cannot handle the current situation at all, so it has chosen an unimaginable option, one that feels almost blasphemous to even contemplate.

They’re branding the entire Yunnan garrison as traitors. In a normal situation, such a mission would be assigned to troops stationed in Guangdong Province, but the Party has specifically sent Chiang Kai-shek’s 500,000-strong personal guard corps to begin surrounding the rugged Yunnan region.

With the intention of labeling all of Yunnan as a region involved in the rebellion and suppressing it. Are they in their right minds? Such actions could lead to China’s collapse.

Or perhaps this is the only remaining option for the Republic of China to survive. Zhou Lizhi really made a big mess. The nuclear bombing she initiated in Beiping has pushed China to the brink of collapse. I pulled the map of China on Zhou’s desk toward me and placed a ruler on it.

“From Ningbo to Kunming… it’s too far. It’s beyond the range of carrier-based aircraft. Do you think U.S. Marine landing forces will directly land on Chinese territory?”

“No, I don’t think the Party would allow that, no matter what. Of course, they might cooperate with air force deployments as a way to allow revenge for the killing of Julia Curoo, but allowing U.S. troops on the ground is another matter. There must already be heated debates in Nanjing just for letting the carrier in…”

“Then there’s nothing a MacArthur-class can do. This MacArthur-class is not targeting Yunnan Province.”

“Then it’s the Guangzhou army.”

I nodded.

“That interpretation aligns with the context of the warning message I received. Chiang Kai-shek is sending the Central Army to suppress Yunnan Province. Simultaneously, he plans to destroy the Huangpu School with U.S. assistance. Coincidentally, Julia Curoo was the only American foreign student…”

“There are British and French people here too. And all their governments are aware of that. I think differently. They plan to move carrier-based aircraft inland, then use air power projection to support the suppression of Yunnan Province.”

“Lizhi. You’re wrong. The U.S. military intervention now has a justification. When the United States has both justification and a purpose that must be achieved, it doesn’t hesitate. Even without justification, if there’s a purpose that must be achieved, it doesn’t hesitate.”

“What on earth is that purpose?”

“The carrier-based aircraft from the MacArthur-class carrier might be coming to kill a CIA traitor.”

At my words, Zhou Lizhi’s expression hardened. About three minutes of silence passed with no words. What broke the quiet silence was Zhou Lizhi’s laughter, almost a roar.

“Ahaha… Ahahahaha! Uwahahahaha!”

“Major?”

“Yes, I see. Indeed, thinking that way, the United States would have a reason to deploy fighter jets toward Huangpu, even at the risk of attacking British nobles and French and Italian soldiers. Because you’re too dangerous! Eun-young, I’m happy. I’m happy, extremely happy. Now that the U.S. carrier has entered Ningbo, we’re in this together, right? Aren’t we?”

“Don’t expect me to kneel before you and beg for my life.”

“But at least I’ve received an answer to my plea, haven’t I?”

“Let’s consider that settled then.”

Feeling awkward, I turned my gaze back to the map. Zhou picked up a pen and marked Chiang Kai-shek’s personal guard deployed around Yunnan Province with simple corps unit number notations.

“It would be good to know the detailed division-level deployments, which specific divisions were deployed, and whether there are superhuman officers among them, but we can’t know. China has issued a mobilization order, but it’s still only at stage one. Conscripts can’t be used in a civil war in the current state, so they must all be regular army troops. If so…”

“Five divisions of martial law troops in the North China region. Thirty divisions for Yunnan suppression. Can you calculate how much force will be concentrated in Guangzhou?”

“Anyway, there must be redeployment at the Sino-Soviet border too. Of course, the Soviet Union doesn’t seem likely to invade, and the Party leadership would think the same… but still, in the current situation, withdrawing or weakening frontline troops wouldn’t pass Party policy.”

“If they’re redeploying troops, they should also reinforce the Sino-Soviet border divisions. It’s concerning. Didn’t you say you had friends in the Northeast region who would respond to the coup?”

“I did get promises from several Manchurian generals, but… in the current situation, they’ll be loyal to the Republic of China. Don’t expect much.”

“Hmm…”

Zhou and I looked over the map in various ways before sighing and reaching a conclusion.

“The entire regular army size of the Republic of China is only 5 million, and with 500,000 Shanghai and Nanjing guard troops in Yunnan, there’s no capacity for more Central Army troops to come here. At this rate, military redeployment is impossible.”

“Then Nanjing has no intention of sending troops. They plan to destroy the school with only the Liangguang armies.”

Zhou swallowed hard.

“If the U.S. fleet is the supervisor for that…”

“That makes sense. Chiang Kai-shek would know that the Liangguang commanders have been somewhat obsequious to me. So instead of mobilizing them to attack Yunnan Province, he created a situation where they directly attack me. To reconfirm their loyalty to the Party and completely sever their connection with me. That is, they… will attack with full force to prove their loyalty to the Republic. I thought the Central Army would be sent here too because the Southern Army couldn’t be trusted, but this is even more vicious if anything…”

“Is it not possible to attempt recruitment even now? If the Guangxi Army decisively joins the coup, Yunnan Province, backed into a corner, would also cooperate. While we’re reading the enemy’s approximate movements, Guangxi could suddenly move mobile units to surround the forces surrounding Yunnan, and if the Yunnan army advances from all directions in the meantime… we could annihilate Chiang Kai-shek’s elite troops in one fell swoop. With Shanghai’s elite forces annihilated, it wouldn’t be impossible to advance from Guangdong to Jiangnan. If we can move up fast enough before the forces redeployed to the Sino-Soviet border respond, we could capture Chiang Kai-shek…”

“Eun-young.”

Zhou Lizhi sighed and said.

“If we do that, then the Soviets really will come down. I may not like China under Chiang Kai-shek’s rule, but I find giving my land to the Russians even more abhorrent. We can’t induce direct Soviet intervention. The time isn’t ripe. The Northern Expedition is rejected.”

“But renegotiation with the Soviet Union can be done anytime.”

“Are you joking? No matter how well we negotiate, if the situation flows that way, we’d have to give Fengtian to Russia!”

“You asked to be saved. First survive, then worry about the rest. We need to start an uprising. We must decide on military action while there’s still a possibility that the Yunnan garrison will respond. The Liangguang armies are unlikely to be accepting the central orders very well right now. The possibility of negotiation remains. This is the only opportunity, with the Party’s military control weakened.”

“Not the Soviet Union.”

Zhou’s attitude was firm.

“I can’t give even a point of land to the Soviet Union. Friendly relations are possible, but I cannot give up Chinese territory. I cannot let them set foot on Chinese soil. I’m sorry. That’s my principle. I would rather be defeated here and flee to a remote place to wait for a future opportunity than attempt to seize an incomplete regime by splitting China in half now.”

“But inside Shanhaiguan is also China.”

“Outside Shanhaiguan is our ancestral land.”

There seems to be no way to break her stubbornness. I sighed heavily and swallowed this topic. This is a rebellion I expected and joined anyway. While I find this stubborn woman repulsive…

On the other hand, I thought that if she weren’t this stubborn, I wouldn’t be doing stupid things drawn by her charm. She’s a mysterious woman. I’ve never seen a woman so fitting for the title of Emperor. She pretends to be rational and wants to be rational, but in reality, she’s more passionate, violent, emotional, and quick to cry and laugh than anyone else.

Yet she exudes an extraordinary demeanor that seems inhuman. She’s like a classical hero torn from the pages of history and placed in the modern world. Such a person is not easily refused. It’s not surprising that many people follow such a person.

They follow her knowing full well. Knowing they are tools to be used and discarded before this giant, yet seduced by her tears. Following her because they know that if the tool that is themselves breaks, she will cry for them. They follow her, seduced by that one fact.

I don’t have such charm.

“Then the movement of the Guangdong Army will be the signal for attack…”

“Probably an official dismissal order will come soon.”

Zhou nodded.

“The same goes for Yunnan Province. All these suppression operations are the same. First comes the dismissal procedure. The governor, military region commander, division commanders, all at once will receive orders to be relieved of their positions and summoned to the capital. Since the future waiting for them if they comply is obvious, they’ll disobey the orders and refuse the dismissal. Then the suppression forces will immediately enter. The same fate awaits me. Prepare the children. As soon as the orders come down, gather the Chinese students at the volcanic training ground.”

“That side won’t be splattered with blood, I suppose.”

“I’ll make it bloody. Throwing them into lava would be too cruel. It would be painful. They haven’t committed any particular crime, so it would be more merciful to kill them first and then throw them in, don’t you think?”

Zhou’s expression was gloomy. Whether or not, the fact that her thoughts dwell in a cruel place would not change.