Ch.201Age of Turbulence (8)

* * *

Why not just hand over Zyklon B while we’re at it?

I’d like to ignore this, but if we want the Sino-Japanese War to intensify, this might be necessary.

With the Emperor dead, Japan will absolutely not spare any Chinese.

They must fight desperately, knowing they shouldn’t become prisoners if they want to survive exposure to poison gas. That’s the mindset we need to instill.

From what I can see, Japan will use it to crush the National Government one way or another. Beyond that, it’s Japan’s business.

“Yes. Well, since their Emperor died and it’s pitiful, let’s send it.”

China needs its population reduced anyway.

And if we want to capture Chiang Kai-shek, Japan needs to go berserk here.

Russia has its dignity to maintain, so directly attacking China would require strong justification, but using Japan is different.

It’s called using one enemy against another.

We’ll use Japan to inflict maximum damage on China, then stab them in the back later and annihilate all Japanese forces in China when the time comes.

The now-berserk Japanese military will throw everything they have into crushing China, bringing all available forces into the country.

When China suffers enormous damage, we can enter under the pretext of saving them.

The Emperor’s death might actually be beneficial for us.

If Japan goes around killing people with poison gas, we’ll have even more justification to strike against them.

“Then, we’ll support sanitation in China by providing pesticides. That should be sufficient. Additionally, let’s send agricultural tools and food exports to support China.”

There’s a saying about hiding a tree in a forest.

The presence of Zyklon B should just appear as one item among the support supplies.

Pesticides mixed in with agricultural tools and food. Isn’t that perfect camouflage?

“Oh, that’s an excellent method.”

“As expected of Your Majesty. This way, no one will suspect we’re forcing damage on China through Japan.”

Someone listening might think I enjoy killing people.

That’s absolutely not the case.

I just want imperialist Japan, our current threat, and China, our future threat, to destroy each other nicely.

“And don’t forget to send condolences to Japan regarding the Emperor’s death.”

We should at least do that much for Japan, which will fight China to mutual destruction on Russia’s behalf.

I hope they’ll be nicely prepared for consumption later.

“I will do so, Your Majesty.”

If Yasuhito ascends to the throne, hmm, that’s rather pitiful.

Hirohito committed the crimes, but Yasuhito will become the war criminal.

Thinking about this, being a commoner is certainly easier.

“Your Majesty. We just received a report from the Okhrana London branch that Britain’s movements are concerning.”

“Britain?”

“Yes. They’re gathering troops.”

What’s going on with them?

I previously mentioned that a preemptive strike to quickly subdue communist Germany would help maintain their colonies. Did they take that literally?

Churchill doesn’t seem like someone who would actually do that.

“Surely they’re not planning a preemptive strike?”

No way. Would they really consider attacking communist Germany first? Surely not.

* * *

Chinese Imperial Palace Headquarters

After the Emperor’s death by explosion, the headquarters, while occupying Henan Province, fell into chaos and had to surrender Henan back to Chiang Kai-shek’s counterattack.

Japan, now seeking revenge, didn’t immediately attack China.

With the Emperor’s death, their control over the continent began to waver, and they needed to quickly enthrone a new Emperor to continue the conquest of China.

Meanwhile, they incited vengeful sentiments among the Japanese people on the home islands.

“Kill all those damn Chinese!”

“Extermination of China! That’s humanity’s wish!”

“I’ll avenge His Majesty with my own hands!”

“If he were really a god, he wouldn’t have died like Ana-chan!”

“There must be spies somewhere?”

The death of the Emperor, believed to be a living god, was that shocking.

Above all, they needed to clearly establish their influence over China, as China might try to break free from Japan during this confusion.

After Yasuhito ascended to the throne, Ishiwara Kanji, who had enticed Hirohito to the front lines, couldn’t escape punishment.

“Ishiwara Kanji. You’ve been too active. Now rest. Your sentence will be decided after we fully occupy China.”

“I accept responsibility for accompanying His Majesty the Emperor to Henan Province. However, we must not go berserk and exterminate the Chinese people. The harmony of five races—”

“That harmony nonsense! We already have the Qing! The South Chinese should be castrated!”

Ishiwara Kanji, having failed to protect the Emperor and clashing with the rising Tojo Hideki, was completely purged from the army.

Afterward, Japan requested weapons and humanitarian aid for China from Russia to completely crush China.

“Russia has offered to support China with food, agricultural tools, and Zyklon B.”

“That’s fortunate. Russia doesn’t suspect anything.”

Japan was planning something enormous, just as Anastasia had predicted.

The so-called extermination of the Chinese.

Of course, they didn’t intend to eliminate everyone. After all, they needed to enslave South China’s population for the Empire.

But before that, they planned to completely destroy any possibility of government formation.

So that China could never bare its teeth at Japan again. So that the inferior Chinese couldn’t have their own government. This was the “China Castration Operation” – literally a castration operation.

Now was the opportunity, with European powers unable to focus on China.

As long as they didn’t touch the concessions, there would be little objection until China collapsed.

“Shouldn’t Russia be grateful? We’re capturing all the communists on the continent.”

For Japan, China was already viewed as communist itself.

That was the perfect justification for executing the castration operation.

“We must capture all those Chinese communists who sent His Majesty the Emperor to heaven.”

“We must conduct more epidemic research using the Chinese.”

The Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department Unit 731, started by Ishii Shiro, officially began. This project, later known as “Maruta” in history, was now in full swing.

Numerous prisoners captured in South China were taken to Ishii Shiro’s department to undergo all kinds of torture and experiments.

Meanwhile, in Shenyang, Renya Mutaguchi, in charge of supplies, complained.

“Damn. Why are there so many supplies?”

It wasn’t bad coordinating the army’s supplies with materials coming from the homeland.

Recently, many Manchurians had moved to Northern Manchuria, causing some manpower shortage.

“Isn’t it because we need to supply hundreds of thousands of troops for the conquest of China?”

Tsuji Masanobu, who had witnessed the Battle of Tianjin and become more loyal to Renya as his aide, continued to flatter him.

“Really. If they were going to do this, they should have sent me to the front lines. If I had gone, His Majesty wouldn’t have died at the hands of the Chinese.”

Someone tried to gain merit and messed everything up. That led to the Emperor coming down to the front lines. And what was the result?

Japan witnessed the death of the Emperor of the unbroken imperial line.

If he, Japan’s greatest general and elite officer, had been there, he would have easily devoured Tangshengzhi’s rotten army like eating sushi.

“Exactly, sir.”

Among the mountain of paperwork, a document caught Mutaguchi Renya’s eye.

“What’s this? Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department?”

Reading it with a frown, it seemed to be about epidemic research.

“Ah, that’s a request from Unit Commander Ishii Shiro of the Epidemic Prevention Department for permission to conduct epidemic research.”

“How do they plan to do it?”

What kind of operation requires such a request?

It clearly seemed to be for epidemic prevention, but being trapped in unsuitable paperwork daily had made his mind dull.

“It seems they want to research what happens when Chinese prisoners from South China, who are very dirty, get infected with diseases, to prevent epidemics among our Imperial Army. Haven’t there been epidemics in our army recently? They want to solve it through water purification.”

“So those Chinese get infected before our Imperial Army. Hmm.”

Even with castration, they seem to be working hard to manage the Chinese.

This was approved by the late Emperor, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

“This was approved by the late Emperor anyway. I can’t micromanage everything. It’s just hygiene research at most.”

Though something felt off, he dismissed it as nothing significant.

“The Chinese are so dirty, they’re researching for the hygiene of our Imperial Army.”

Agreeing with Tsuji Masanobu, Mutaguchi casually dismissed what might become a regrettable decision.

Separately, Mutaguchi Renya, Japan’s greatest general who had developed sympathy and compassion for the Chinese, didn’t like this castration operation.

“But a castration operation against the Chinese? Is this really right? As a soldier of the Empire, I’m not sure if this is correct.”

This doesn’t seem right.

He personally defeated China’s main forces, but now the Imperial Army is conducting an operation to exterminate the Chinese.

Is this appropriate for a samurai with the Yamato spirit?

“With the Emperor’s death, it can’t be helped. But since you’re the Empire’s greatest general, won’t headquarters call for you soon?”

Swayed by Tsuji Masanobu’s flattering tongue, Mutaguchi Renya nodded in agreement.

With hundreds of thousands of troops already crossing into China from the homeland, they had to fight a decisive battle with China.

It’s obvious what would happen with incompetent people who couldn’t even protect the Emperor commanding the Imperial Army. Soon, they would inevitably turn to him, the Empire’s elite and greatest general.

* * *

10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom

Britain was rapidly strengthening its military recently.

The reason was to prepare for Japan potentially entering Indochina beyond China. But in reality, it was an army to attack Germany.

They were already planning operations to attack Germany.

“Prime Minister, is it right to prepare the army? It feels like we’re following the Tsar’s words.”

In response to Mosley, the Finance Minister, Churchill, who was examining the operation plans, waved his hand.

“I thought so at first, but logically analyzing, if we leave that communist Germany alone, who knows what might happen in our colonies. Moreover, we need to resolve this before communist Germany becomes stronger. Even the young Tsar sees the threat of communist Germany approaching moment by moment.”

They still don’t understand. Tsk tsk.

Churchill clicked his tongue, deciding to personally explain his deep intentions, the intentions of the British Empire, to Mosley.

“The discontent in the dominions is reaching the sky. Now is the time to unite our strength by using external threats.”

“Even so, isn’t preemptively attacking communist Germany dangerous?”

That’s right. Britain was currently considering a preemptive strike against Germany.

More precisely, Churchill was considering it.

Though it was still just a plan, if France responded positively, they would set a date and beat those communists.

Above all, they needed to do this to check Russia.

Churchill wasn’t simply enticed by Anastasia’s words.

Before Germany grows larger, before Russia crushes Germany and takes European hegemony, they must first beat communist Germany and reclaim the authority lost to Russia.

For that, communist Germany must be quickly overthrown.

Wouldn’t Russia try to get involved? There’s that risk, but they can crush Germany before that happens.

They already have sufficient justification. Germany has been causing trouble in the colonies, so they can wage war without violating the Anti-Comintern Pact.

Even if Russia tries to intervene later, they will quickly beat communist Germany and plant the Union Jack at the Berlin Secretary’s residence.

“France must be at its limit too. They’d want to end this before a communist revolution breaks out internally. Can they withstand if the British Empire and France act together?”

Communist Germany isn’t allied with the Habsburgs like during the Great War.

They might even be weaker than the German Empire. Honestly, France alone might be able to handle the German Empire, but they’re not in a normal state either.

“But there’s Italy, isn’t there?”

Italy? Where does Italy fit in?

They’re just causing trouble after becoming communist, and despite calling for Ethiopia’s liberation, they still haven’t conquered it.

They’re engaged in total war with an African nation. How can they be considered a great power?

Even if war breaks out, those pseudo-great powers will be pouring their strength into African nations and won’t be much help.

“What did Italy do in the last Great War? Two divisions would be enough for them. They’re currently engaged in total war with an African nation. They’re worse than the Dual Monarchy.”

The important thing is communist Germany.

If we leave them alone, the colonies might use the fear of communist Germany to stage communist revolutions, thinking the British Empire fears communist Germany.

“Then shouldn’t we also involve the Netherlands and Belgium? As monarchies, they must be hostile to communist Germany.”

“That’s right. Pushing from the Low Countries and France directly into German territory has a good chance of success.”

The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg have no choice but to side with Britain this time.

Unlike Britain, which has the sea between them.

Aren’t the Low Countries bordering communist Germany?

If communist Germany is preparing for war, they probably have enough strength to communize the Low Countries.

No matter how much weaker they are compared to the German Empire era, they can certainly crush the Low Countries.

If that happens, the front line will have to stop the German army in France.