Ch.265Sunset

***

Of course, it would all remain mere suspicion, but even the warlords must have their limits.

When supply lines are cut off and their territories face starvation, and after seeing that nuclear weapon, plus learning that the acting president of the National Government had a secret lover behind her husband’s back.

“Your Majesty, will this work?”

It will definitely work. No, it has to work.

“Whether Song Meiling had orgies with multiple men or was actually an innocent virgin despite being wrongfully accused—none of that matters to the warlords. People only hear what they want to hear. Just look at Zhang Xueliang. The warlords are only nominally subordinate to the National Government, but they don’t want to continue the alliance. Especially when they’re starving to death and the National Government can do nothing to help. They might reluctantly cooperate again ‘for China’s sake,’ but in the end, they just need one decent pretext. Then they’ll collapse like a sand castle.”

That’s how I see it too.

Honestly, even John F. Kennedy’s wife Jacqueline Kennedy and Argentine President Juan Perón’s wife Eva Perón had affairs, so this could be swept under the rug.

I don’t know all of China’s warlord leaders, but even the flimsiest excuse will be enough for them.

The warlord leaders are reluctantly subordinate to the National Government again, but they know the reality.

That the National Government will collapse if things continue this way. In that case, they might prefer a fragmented federalist state.

They could start thinking this way.

“Indeed, you’re right.”

“So there’s no need to overthink things right now. We should wait to see what happens to them and respond accordingly.”

Japan is now outside my sphere of concern.

America will definitely crush them more thoroughly than in the original history, and we’ve reclaimed the Korean peninsula. What’s important to us now isn’t Japan, but China.

We need to divide it up now while we have the chance, before Russia grows and becomes an obstacle to Korea.

As I always say, a unified China—especially one with a free market rather than communism—is dangerous.

The Constantinople Treaty Organization could keep China in check in the future if they’re determined, but that vast continent is dangerous unless we divide it preemptively.

We need to establish points of differentiation in advance.

“Still, please continue supporting Renya Mutaguchi. We should help him take at least half of Honshu.”

“I will do so, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, what about salvaging some battleships from Japan while we’re at it?”

“Battleships? Wasn’t the Combined Fleet already destroyed at the Battle of Leyte Gulf?”

Aren’t most of them destroyed already?

I think we’ll have to be satisfied with French warships.

“That’s true, but their pride, the battleship Yamato and several other ships survived and entered Sasebo Naval Arsenal. They’ve surrendered to Renya Mutaguchi’s army.”

Is that so? Then it might be possible for us to take them.

Instead of being destroyed as in the original history, they’ll be reborn as Russian warships. How satisfying.

“I see. Let’s try to acquire them then.”

Making the Yamato my plaything wouldn’t be bad at all.

I could turn it into a resort or keep it as a trophy even if we reduce our military.

“By the way, how far has Renya Mutaguchi’s army advanced now?”

“They’ve recaptured Shikoku and are now marching toward Osaka with our navy’s help.”

That’s fast. They’ll definitely secure Western Japan.

When the Americans drop their nuclear bombs, they could enter the destroyed Goto.

Kyoto wouldn’t be bad either, but in terms of territory, they should recapture up to Nagoya to make it look impressive.

Still, even advancing to Kyoto would be good for Renya Mutaguchi.

The population will shift more toward Western Japan. Somehow Mutaguchi needs to secure as much land as possible to fight evenly with Eastern Japan in the future.

Now we need to prepare for the future Cold War.

***

National Government, Nanjing

After dropping a nuclear bomb on Nanjing, the Treaty forces handed the city over to the National Government.

The Treaty forces had no reason to keep it, and they wanted the National Government to fully comprehend the power of nuclear weapons.

Song Meiling, who had fled from the Forbidden City as if she’d seen a ghost, returned to the National Government and headed to Nanjing with the warlords after hearing Duan Qirui’s report about the nuclear bomb.

“This can’t be real. Is this truly Nanjing?”

Everyone was horrified by this living hell.

Fine, the complete destruction of downtown Nanjing showed that enough firepower could simply obliterate everything.

But beyond that, it was hell itself.

“Wa-water. Please.”

“Hungry. Someone, please, food—”

The Nanjing that Song Meiling saw was truly horrific.

The sight of the walking dead who couldn’t die.

The Japanese soldiers who had rampaged everywhere trying to exterminate the Chinese people now looked pitiful.

Torn uniforms fused with melted skin.

Soldiers wandering around searching for water, their eyes burned by the flash and unable to see anything.

Soldiers who could do nothing but lie down, breathing and staring at the sky.

The walking dead, dripping something from their bodies.

“Please, food. Something to drink.”

A soldier begging Song Meiling for food in broken Chinese.

It was so pitiful that Song Meiling unconsciously ordered her soldiers to provide water and food to those who needed it.

How pathetic that these once demonic Japanese forces now looked so miserable.

Even the National Government soldiers gave them water and food after seeing this scene—that’s how bad it was.

After witnessing this weapon, the National Government had to make a decision.

Either accept the Treaty forces’ desire for a federalist government and cooperate with the Qing, or defy the treaty even if it meant facing that weapon.

One thing was certain: if they tried to resist that weapon, the National Government would be destroyed.

The warlords weren’t foolish enough to share that destruction with Song Meiling.

“Are we supposed to oppose Russia when they have weapons like this?”

“Isn’t it obvious they’re threatening to drop one on Chongqing if we don’t comply?”

“Not just Chongqing. They could target each warlord’s stronghold.”

“No way. Let’s just do what the Tsar wants.”

The warlords, after seeing Nanjing’s horrific state, were trying to break away from the National Government again.

Even if they seriously wanted to stay together, everyone would be equally destroyed in the face of that weapon.

Moreover, the letter Song Meiling received was interpreted by the National Government as a clear threat: “If you don’t behave properly, we might label you as Japanese forces and kill you.”

But still, wasn’t this going too far?

“So you’re saying we should tear China apart?”

Song Meiling made a final protest to the warlords, but they had clearly made up their minds.

“While Japan was conducting scorched earth operations, our supply lines from the Treaty forces were cut off. We’re on the verge of starvation. The Treaty forces aren’t exactly hostile to us, but we’re becoming isolated and dying like Japan. Can you, Acting President, handle this?”

“It’s nonsensical to resist an emperor with such weapons. Even if we unified now, it obviously wouldn’t last long. We were originally under federalist autonomy, so we’re just returning to that state.”

In fact, Song Meiling knew it too.

This was clearly an unwinnable fight.

Even if they forcibly held things together, it would be nothing but tatters that would eventually fall apart.

Even if, by some miracle, the warlords showed insane patriotism and remained loyal to the National Government, unifying even southern China…

They couldn’t defeat the Qing and the federalist government that received overwhelming support.

“Duan Qirui, how many casualties have we suffered in this war?”

“Over 40 million are reported. And given the current situation, many more will likely die from starvation.”

I see. That makes sense. This is clearly a difficult situation.

The Japanese army’s scorched earth operations had caused massive damage to China, and they might face difficult times for a while.

If the Treaty forces don’t provide supplies now, everyone will die.

But still, is there really no other way?

If not now, they might never have another chance at unification. As she postponed negotiations with the Tsar day after day, something finally happened.

“Acting President, look at this.”

[Zhang Xueliang—I will fully support my lover Song Meiling if she asks for help]

[Zhang Xueliang’s tender love story with married woman Song Meiling during wartime?]

[Did Song Meiling have an affair with her lover Zhang Xueliang while married?]

[The affair of the century that transcended the battlefield!]

What on earth was this? An affair scandal with Zhang Xueliang!

Of course, Song Meiling had exchanged rather affectionate letters with Zhang Xueliang.

But it was nothing that would lead to an affair. The letters she sent to Zhang Xueliang were hoping he would properly conduct guerrilla warfare against the Japanese army.

She never had such thoughts.

What kind of madwoman would have an affair with a man far away while her husband was fighting a war?

Moreover, Zhang Xueliang even released the letters Song Meiling had sent, adding fuel to the suspicion that he was her lover.

“It’s just a baseless rumor. Surely people don’t actually believe this?”

“Of course we don’t believe it, but the warlords do.”

Of course. The warlords would believe it.

“The warlords believe it?”

“Yes, Acting President.”

Damn it. The warlords were already full of complaints.

They might use this as an excuse to declare independence.

As Song Meiling expected, it didn’t matter to the warlords whether it was true or false.

The warlords had been looking for any excuse to break away from the National Government, and Song Meiling’s alleged affair was the perfect pretext.

“We cannot follow Song Meiling, who committed adultery while married.”

“Although there’s nothing definitive, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Such rumors exist because there are plausible suspicions.”

“While Chinese people were dying by Japanese guns and swords, was Song Meiling rolling in bed with a young warlord?”

Logically, there was no way Song Meiling could have had an affair with Zhang Xueliang.

How could Song Meiling in Chongqing and Zhang Xueliang in Shandong possibly connect?

If either of them had tried to meet for an affair, they would have had to evade Japanese forces, which would have caused an uproar long ago. The only support was secretly sending guns.

Moreover, Zhang Xueliang was directly engaged in guerrilla warfare and didn’t even have time to meet Song Meiling.

It was obviously just a suspicion, a rumor, but that was enough.

Whether true or false, Song Meiling was now known as a woman who would bypass Japanese forces to meet a man like Zhang Xueliang.

Unlike in the original history, Song Meiling, who had stayed only in China, wasn’t known abroad as a charming woman.

She only had the title of China’s first lady, and there was no particular support for her from overseas.

The Treaty forces certainly wouldn’t look favorably on a disobedient Song Meiling.

“Damn it.”

In the end, Song Meiling had only one option.

Simply surrender. What other choice was there?

Song Meiling had to listen to the Treaty forces, and immediately the National Government lost its legitimacy for unification.

Song Meiling raised the white flag and accepted Mao Zedong’s federalist autonomy.

On the surface it was federalist autonomy, but internally it marked the beginning of an era of bloody warlord conflicts.

***

Meanwhile, around this time, Renya Mutaguchi’s righteous army, reinforced by some of the China Expeditionary Army, was advancing through western Japan.

“I, Renya Mutaguchi of Japan, address the imperial subjects. We were the first in Asia to embrace civilization and have risen like the sun since the Meiji Restoration. However, the Imperial General Headquarters has treated Korea, which was rightfully annexed into the empire, as a mere colony, and massacred tens of millions of Chinese in the name of avenging the Emperor. Not only that, they took the extreme measure of war with America when the situation could have been resolved without conflict, and when the war with America became difficult, they betrayed our allies by attacking British and French colonies, unnecessarily expanding the front. If they had entrusted the army to me from the beginning, these issues could have been resolved, but the Imperial General Headquarters committed all these acts, citing the need to check my power! Is this what the Imperial Way faction of the General Headquarters should be doing? Is this the true empire? Look at the results! Our empire now faces the world as an enemy, our sacred lands burn everywhere, and starvation victims overflow! If we refuse to surrender until the end, America will try to destroy us! Fortunately, before it’s too late, I have personally raised a righteous army. Imperial subjects! Rise up and overthrow the corrupt Emperor and General Headquarters to preserve our national honor! Follow me! Let us create a new Japan!”

Renya Mutaguchi, as if possessed by the deceased Goebbels, traveled throughout western Japan with his silver tongue, recruiting what few troops he could and winning public support.

The Japanese archipelago had already become a fiery hell, isolated with countless starvation victims beyond statistical measure.

Even civilians mobilized for the final stand in western Japan had reached the point where they needed to find a way to survive.

The supplies that Renya brought with his righteous army were like rain in a drought, and Treaty aircraft dropped food daily.

Naturally, Renya Mutaguchi’s followers grew daily, and the final goal was to reach Tokyo before surrendering.

That would at least give them a voice, and Russia would help.

“Let’s sweep away the General Headquarters in Tokyo and save our sacred land with our own hands!”

“Long live Shogun Renya Mutaguchi!”

Thus, Renya advanced from Osaka to Kyoto in one swift movement.

Of course, Russia dropped Grozny on Sendai and America dropped Little Boy (Russian-made) on Kokura to formally obtain Japan’s surrender, but the General Headquarters refused to surrender. By the time Renya Mutaguchi seized Osaka, the anxious Americans finally dropped Fat Man on Kyoto.

As homeland defense began in earnest, the Tojo Hideki cabinet formally opened under the General Headquarters in its final days, calling for total resistance, but it was already too late.

The entire country except Tokyo had already become a sea of fire.