Chapter 10 3. The Broken Dream of Persuading the Surrender

On December 10, Suzhou, Japan's Central China Front Army Command. Ever since the pilot sent the "Surrender Advice" to General Tang Shengzhi yesterday, Matsui Iwane has been immersed in extraordinary excitement.His troops have occupied almost all the strongholds on the outskirts of Nanjing, and surrounded Nanjing tightly from three sides; Japanese ships have also broken through the Zhenjiang defense line and are about to enter the Yangtze River in Nanjing.Surrounded on all sides, Tang Shengzhi had become a shackle. Under the strong military pressure and psychological offensive of the Imperial Japanese Army, he believed that General Tang Shengzhi had no choice but to surrender.Last night, he repeatedly dreamed excitedly that at noon tomorrow, the representative sent by General Tang Shengzhi would fly a white flag and drive to the outpost line from Zhongshan Gate to Jurong Highway to discuss the surrender with the Imperial Japanese Army.Then his troops will march into Nanjing in a majestic and mighty queue, writing a splendid new page for the history of the Imperial Japanese Army.However, on the morning of the 10th, Dawn did not bring the happy news he was looking for.Chief of Staff Tsukada Gong reported: Gao Kouwu, who was lurking in the city of Nanjing, sent information last night that Tang Shengzhi tore up the "Surrender Advice" and issued an order to his subordinates to stick to Nanjing.

The chief of staff said angrily: "Commander, we immediately order to attack Nanjing and wipe out all the Chinese troops that are hostile to the imperial army!" "Slow!" Matsui Iwane said thoughtfully, "Tang Shengzhi will be shaken, maybe, at the last moment, he will change his mind." Then he ordered Deputy Chief of Staff Akira Muto to lead senior staff fairness, intelligence staff Zhongshan and translator Okada Shang to Zhongshan Waiting outside the door for representatives of the Chinese garrison to come to discuss the matter of surrender, and asked "be sure to wait until after twelve o'clock noon before returning."

In the morning, Matsui Iwane was sitting in the office, looking at his watch from time to time. In the headquarters, 8 telephones were ringing one after another, and 4 radio stations were ticking non-stop.Today, he has no time to take care of other things, and his mind is all focused on the surrender of the Nanjing defenders.However, as time went by, his dream was gradually cut off by the minute hand and the second.As noon approached, Matsui Iwane couldn't sit still anymore. He walked back and forth in the office in a hurry, like a hungry lion in a cage, anxiously waiting for the food to come.At twelve o'clock at noon, the phone rang suddenly, and the chief of staff, Tsukada Tsukasa, reported that the deputy chief of staff, Akira Muto, called from the front to say that no Chinese soldiers had been found on the outpost line of the Jurong Highway to inquire about surrender.Tsukada Gong asked: "Commander, do you want to order the troops immediately to launch a full-scale attack on Nanjing City?!" Matsui Iwane tried his best to control his anger, and then said calmly: "No! Let's wait a little longer!" Tsukada Gong Immediately conveyed Matsui Iwane's order to ask Muto Akira and others to wait for another half an hour.

Matsui Iwane was sitting in the office, not even in the mood to taste the delicious lunch.The clock was ticking, and every second was like a bug crawling on his body, which made him extremely uncomfortable.At half past twelve, the bell rang "", like a heavy sledgehammer hitting Iwane Matsui's heart fiercely, and his fantasy was finally shattered by the ruthless reality.The distraught Matsui Iwane was stunned at first, his face turned from blue to purple, then from purple to red, and then two fierce flames shot out from behind the binocular barrel-like glasses.He bared his teeth and roared: "Order all the troops to launch a general attack on Nanjing City at 1:00 p.m.! Be sure to display the might of the imperial army and punish the violent China! Destroy all the enemies defending Nanjing!"

After issuing the siege order, Matsui Iwane walked out of the office, still feeling lingering hatred.Seeing a Chinese guerrilla captured in the courtyard of the headquarters, he was so angry that he disregarded his identity as the commander and walked forward from behind. Huo Di drew out his saber and swung it violently, beheading the prisoner viciously.Kotani Goro, a Japanese military reporter who was present at the scene, just took a camera and took this rare shot without losing the opportunity.After Matsui Iwane beheaded the Chinese captive, he breathed a long sigh of relief, wiped away the blood, inserted his saber, and looked proudly at the sky in the direction of Nanjing.

In the sky around Nanjing, gunfire rumbled, gunpowder smoke filled the air, and flames shone brightly.Under the gunfire of the Fascist butcher, a brutal massacre kicked off its bloody prelude cruelly.