Nine Songs of Anti-Japanese War

hand, and then lay back on the sofa, looking extremely tired.

"How are the negotiations going?" Guangzhou asked.

"It's okay. Britain and the United States promise to continue to put pressure on Japan. Let's hold on for a few more days. The situation should not deteriorate too much, and the war should be able to cease."

Half of the stone in Guangzhou's heart fell, and it was only half: "Signing the armistice agreement in this way...will give up a lot of benefits to Japan."

"I know. But there's nothing I can do. Nanjing and I have tried our best." Shanghai shook his head slightly, "To be honest, in the past two months, sometimes I still feel like a dream. We all understand that Japan will In response to the aggression in the Northeast, I did not expect to target my territory first. I thought that Japan would not dare to provoke easily because of the special interests of the great powers in the Yangtze River Basin. I was still in Beiping when the first shot was fired The family commented on the situation in North China..." He smiled wryly, "I'm still too young."

"It's not your problem. We didn't even think about it." Guangzhou said, "International pressure is still effective, isn't it? It didn't let Japan take too much advantage."

"...It's just not too cheap."

pause.The pendulum swings lonely.Shanghai leaned against the window, wiping off the damp mist on the glass little by little, and the coolness penetrated through his fingers and penetrated into his heart.

"I have always believed that economic power is the strongest guarantee. Although it is ridiculous that there are not many things that really belong to me in this city that never sleeps, the intricate chain of interests of various countries contained in it is enough to discourage those who try to destroy it. One After the February [-]th Incident, I discovered that some people in this world really can’t be recognized with common sense..." Shanghai looked at the raindrops slowly sliding down the glass separated from his fingertips, and said softly, "For the future, I You have to adjust your attitude again."

"Adjust your attitude to prepare for a new war?" Guangzhou easily guessed, looking at Shanghai with both approval and anxiety, "After signing the armistice agreement, your city will be under special protection, even if your surroundings are in flames You are still safe, so you don’t need to be too nervous.” [Note 4] Shanghai nodded: “I understand. But it’s always good to take precautions. Guangzhou, before the ceasefire in the next few days, you can take me with you Together? I have seen many local battles, but I have too little actual combat experience."

"Yes. You know the basic common sense on the battlefield, right?" After getting an affirmative answer, Guangzhou took out a training gun from the drawer and threw it to the other party. He pointed to the target on the opposite wall and said, "How about the marksmanship? show me."

Shanghai handled the gun skillfully.Guangzhou saw him holding the gun in one hand and his non-standard posture, thinking that he really learned the wild way from some corner of the city, but he didn't bother to care about it at this time.

He was still wondering who taught it, and with a bang, Shanghai had already shot at the edge of the Nine Rings.

"Very good, beyond imagination." Guangzhou gave sincere applause.

"Just luck."

"Then shoot four more shots and average them out."

Shanghai raised its gun again.Aim, delay pulling the trigger.

"What's wrong?" Guangzhou wondered.

"...There is a saying that I always want to say recently. I should have said it to Nanjing, but that's not good... After thinking about it, it seems that I can only say it to you."

"Ok?"

"I am very grateful to you, Guangzhou, and thank you and the Cantonese Army for your efforts to defend my city. However, it seems a bit fake from my point of view... I am actually quite embarrassed. So many Cantonese and Central Army troops have been used to defend my city. Helping me with a city, but allowing such a large area of ​​northeast China to let the situation worsen, is this... really good?"

Guangzhou raised his eyes to look at the opponent, while Shanghai still held his gun and stared at the target.

You've finally asked, he thought, and you're really picky...

"Some things are forced to be done or not to be done, and no one knows how to do it." He said, "Besides, you are not comparable. First, the Central Committee of the Northeast Army has little control, and the Shanghai Municipal I am in the core circle of influence of the national government; second, the Northeast has been eroded by Japan for too long, and Japan is not dominant in your stakeholder countries; third, although I am your predecessor in all aspects, you The wind and rain that I have experienced in these years is only a lot more than mine... Do you still think that people and people, cities and cities are equivalent?"

As soon as the voice in Guangzhou fell, the bullet had already been fired, and it hit the bull's-eye impartially.

Shanghai pushed the third bullet, with a very calm voice: "Thanks to the great love, I will work harder."

After the funeral, the crowd of condolences gradually dispersed, and only the former prime minister's widow and a few relatives wept softly in front of the grave.Yokohama also left, but not far away. He just stood at a corner, looking at the sad old woman through five or six rows of tombstones.

This tragedy came so suddenly that he still hasn't figured it out.In particular, the news of the assassination of the head of state was held in his hands, every single word seemed to be soaked in blood, and his heart jumped like a hot potato, but he could not shake his hands away as if it had never happened; how people will choose. [Note 5] Sighing, he immediately rushed to tell Tokyo, Tokyo could see that he was very angry, but finally he didn't write his anger on his face, and said, I see, you go back.

The conflict between the military department, especially the young navy faction, and the cabinet has a long history.The conflict has intensified since last year, apparently as a result of the Kwantung Army's unauthorized occupation of Manchuria.The former Prime Minister became the object of hatred of those who supported the Kwantung Army, which is completely predictable—he quickly expressed his position after September [-], condemning the Kwantung Army’s move as too reckless, and the country’s interests in Manchuria should be obtained step by step according to the normal model , instead of using simple, crude and hard-to-handle violent means.But he was assassinated in this mid-spring season and it was completely unexpected-he said not long ago that he would support the independence of Manchuria and Mongolia, which made it clear that he had compromised with the Kwantung Army.

Standing here and thinking about it will not give you an answer.But Yokohama didn't just leave.He stood where he was, waiting with little hope for the person who might not come—fortunately, he waited before the soles of his feet went numb.

Like the mourners, Tokyo is also dressed in heavy black.But he didn't go to the tombstone, and bypassed the group of family members who were unaware of his coming from a distance, and came straight to Yokohama.

"You shouldn't wait for me." Tokyo said, with a natural and relaxed expression, and it was only by careful observation that he could catch the faint dark circles on his lower eyelids. "I didn't even intend to come, but I just thought of taking a look."

Yokohama also made no excuses. "I want to... hear your thoughts."

"what idea?"

"There are a few assassination targets that are very strange. Apart from the fanatical young officers who can be generally thought of, is there anyone else who actually promoted it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Don't try to figure out their psychology rationally. Maybe the assassin thinks this way: He used to be an obstacle to us, but now he is no longer. What if he becomes an obstacle after he can? It's better to get rid of it once and for all."

"If this is the case, the country's future will be in jeopardy." Yokohama sighed, "The bad effects of the earthquake and economic crisis have not been eased, and the order of the political arena has been repeatedly disrupted by assassinations and other low-level methods. How can we get back on track in the future? ?”

"There's always a way out." Tokyo didn't use a comforting tone, but a simple statement.This sounded reassuring, and it almost dispelled Yokohama's plan to continue asking questions—if it wasn't for Tokyo's sudden change of tone: "You didn't just want to ask me when you waited for me, did you?"

Yokohama immediately remembered his purpose of coming here: "I want to know a little more. If you are willing to tell me..."

"Then let me tell you, there is nothing to keep. The domestic situation is complicated, the economy is weak, and people's hearts are fluctuating. It really needs external military victories and internal high-level centralization to stabilize the situation. Those fascists in the military sometimes Although lack of reason, it is not impossible to rely on. Just don't hinder them, just wait and see what happens."

If anyone else was standing here, they would have been terrified.The dispute that has troubled the country from top to bottom including them for a long time, Tokyo has come to a conclusion like this, and it is still leaning towards the side that seems extremely risky and blind.But the shock only stayed in Yokohama's heart for a short time, and quickly disappeared.He knew that Tokyo had considered everything, and he really just told him this idea, without intending to exchange opinions with himself.

"also……?"

"Besides, if they do a good job, I might consider being an opportunist once."

Have you already decided to withdraw from neutrality and join those people?Yokohama has no position to criticize, and nodded silently, expressing that no matter what, he will always support him.

"It's a pity that the freedom of the Taisho era is destined to become a thing of the past." [Note 6] Tokyo's emotion is sincere, but there is not much nostalgia for it, as if these two unrelated things, And the infinite glory of the future they will face will definitely dilute this little melancholy of remembering the past to nothing.

"Then," he suddenly remembered, "you didn't go on the founding day of Manchukuo. What about the future?"

"I'm thinking about it." Tokyo turned to him and said, "You can help me arrange it, it's time for me to make an interview... Although the young Xinjing can't be seen yet."

"Okay." Yokohama bowed.

Not long after, they stepped on the stone bricks and left the cemetery without making a sound.

Family members of the former prime minister have also disappeared.There are fresh and delicate flowers piled under the newly engraved words on the tombstone, but they will quickly wither in a few days, and then they will be completely forgotten.

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Note 1: The confrontation between Ning and Guangdong in 1931 started with the imprisonment of Hu Hanmin. Afterwards, the anti-Chiang forces quickly assembled and formed an alliance with the powerful factions in Guangdong. A new government headed by Wang Jingwei was established in Guangzhou to challenge the central government.The September 12th Incident interrupted the process of confrontation. In December, Mao Zedong resigned due to the defeat in the Northeast War, and the two sides reached a temporary settlement.

Note 2: It is said that the news of abandoning Jinzhou was reported back to China by foreign news agencies, and Zhang Xueliang did not inform the central government first.

Note 3: Shanghai’s speech in this paragraph and the following two paragraphs mainly refer to the excerpts of Professor Ding Wenjiang’s article on "Independent Review" quoted on Wikipedia.

注4：1932年3月24日，中日在英美法意各国调停下在上海谈判，5月5日签署《淞沪停战协定》。协定把先前交战区划为非武装区，理论上对上海形成了特殊保护。

Note 5: On May 1932, 5, the young and strong soldiers of the Japanese Navy led a fascist coup, and Prime Minister Inukai Takeshi was killed. This is known as the May 15 Incident in history.This incident had a wide impact, leading to a great increase in the power of the Japanese army, the end of the era of the political party cabinet, and the weakening of the civilian cabinet, which also paved the way for the "military runaway".

Note 6: The Taisho era refers to the reign of Emperor Taisho from 1912 to 1926. During this period, the wave of democracy was very prosperous, and its early stage was regarded as an unprecedented prosperity in Japan since the Meiji Restoration.Later, due to natural and man-made disasters such as the Great Kanto Earthquake, it disappeared quickly before it could be developed.