Chapter 43 "Let my horse drink another sip of Yuanjiang water"

Many years ago, I saw an obelisk buried by former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in the famous scenic spot Liulang Wenying Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, with several large characters engraved on it: Because my generation didn't experience that war, I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.But as the exchanges between China and Japan have become more and more frequent in the past few years, until I wrote this book and reviewed the historical origins of the two nations, I gradually figured out some meanings. It can be said that no one needs war, neither the Chinese nor the Japanese.But war is a means, and the desire for war is not the war itself. Not wanting to fight does not mean that the desire will also disappear.

No, although the Japanese eliminated the barbaric way of war, they never gave up on their longing for the fertile land in the East and their dream of a male earth world. In December 1943, the Japanese 11th Army captured Changde City, Hunan Province, China.According to the Japanese army's "よ" battle plan, as long as Changde is occupied, the troops will withdraw and restore the original situation.The pre-war order reads: "1. The commander of the 11th Army launched this operation in early November to attack the vicinity of Changde and destroy the enemy's combat power. Once the purpose of the operation is completed, the original situation will be restored. Regarding the timing, another order will be issued..."

It is recorded in the book "China Dispatched Army in Showa 17 and 18": "The third phase of operations (return operations) "The General Command of the Chinese Expeditionary Army believes that through this operation, most of the enemy's Central Army that is trying to transfer to Yunnan has been restrained in this area, making it difficult for the enemy to launch a counterattack against Burma. Therefore, it is judged that the capture of Changde is basically complete. To achieve the purpose of this operation, it was decided to allow the 11th Army to withdraw from Changde in time. On November 21, an order to send troops was issued with the following gist:

"After the commander of the 11th Army eliminates the enemy's military base near Changde, he should immediately restore the original situation." On December 11, Yan Yongwang received a warrant from Isamu Yokoyama asking him to lead his troops to evacuate Changde.In fact, several other divisions had left early a few days earlier. Yan Yongwang set up his tent by the gurgling Yuanjiang River, looking from a distance, it looks like a reclusive ninja camping place.The captain of the guard once warned the head of the division that the riverside was not safe and there would be a sneak attack by the Chinese army, so he had to send a squadron of Japanese troops to guard him.Yan Yongwang immediately rejected the captain's suggestion. He snorted through his nose and sarcastically satirized in his stomach: he is simply a warrior who doesn't understand pastoral scenery and mountains and rivers.Not only did he not want guards to stand guard around, but even people in military uniform were not allowed to appear in his eyes.He changed into a kimono and clogs by himself, and took two cooks as servants, both of whom put on Japanese-style casual clothes. He lived a life of Tao Yuanming's "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence" by the Yuan River in a leisurely, elegant and distant way.

In the early morning, heavy fog rose on the river, and Yan Yongwang was very interested. He took a small boat and drifted on the river bank by himself, sitting on the bow of the boat and focusing on fishing.Sometimes the fish he catches are taken to the kitchen to make sashimi, and sometimes they are grilled on the bonfire by the river. These all constitute a kind of interesting content for him to get close to nature. However, he should not forget that this nature does not belong to him.There was a rush of horseshoes, and the messenger broke into the territory of his camp, and reported to him towards the river from a long distance away:

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, Commander Yokoyama Isao's urgent message, please set off today and lead the troops to retreat!" The shout echoed across the open river and spread far away.Yan Yongwang felt a warm breath in his body sinking suddenly, and his hands couldn't help softening. At this moment, a river eel, which was probably not thin, slid away from his hook. "Leaving? Leaving?" He sighed in his heart.He was like an infatuated lover, reluctantly looking at the beautiful Yuanjiang, and lost his soul. Perhaps Iwan Yongwang should be a poet at all, because his emotions are too rich, but because he puts his emotions too much on the things he yearns for, he becomes a soldier.A soldier will use force to get the object of his affection.

Finally, Yan Yongwang could no longer extend the time stipulated in the order, and he assembled a team to bid farewell to Changde and Yuanjiang.But just when the team was ready to go, he suddenly had an uncontrollable nostalgia, and he frantically rode his horse towards the Yuanjiang River. Chief of Staff General Yamada shouted and asked: "Master, where are you going?" Yan Yongwang reined in his neighing mount and replied: "I want my horse to drink another sip of Yuanjiang water!" He rode his horse and rushed to the river, and rushed into the river, splashing the waves above his head, and the waves splashed all over his body, so he turned his horse and ran to the bank.

Yamada chased him to the river and said anxiously, "Your Excellency, Commander Iwanaga, please go quickly, we can't delay any longer!" Yan Yongwang didn't say a word, looking at him, he seemed to want to ride a horse into the river for a second time. "Your Excellency!" Yamada almost begged, "The Chinese army is pressing towards Changde in all directions. The front troops are already attacking Changde, and the cover troops we left behind have reached the final evacuation deadline. If it is later, they will have The danger of being surrounded!" "Yamada-kun!" Iwan Yongwang suddenly cried sadly and heavily, "Why are we leaving? Why are we leaving!" He seemed to be asking the sky, but the only thing in the sky was the whining of the northwest wind. "Why are we leaving? Two of my regiment leaders died here, and almost one of my regiment's soldiers died here. This is the city we bought with the blood of tens of thousands of Japanese, Yuanjiang, but we Is it a pity that I have to leave again after I haven’t lived here peacefully for a day? Is it a pity? Is it uncomfortable? If you don’t have one, I do! I can’t let go emotionally! Jiang, this piece of land, move them back, move them to our Japan!"

Yamada was silent after hearing what Iwa Yongwang said.After a long while, he said: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, please forgive me! I also miss this land, but I think, with the might of our invincible imperial army, we don't have to move this city and this river back. , we will come and live here forever. It belongs to us!" "Hahaha..." Yan Yongwang broke out into a burst of outrageous laughter, and after the laugh, he showed a very obvious sad look, "No more, no more, never again." He said to himself in frustration . In 1943, when Japan was going downhill, as the commander of the lieutenant general who controlled the battle situation, he knew his situation too well.

There was a pause. "Let's go, let's go." Yan Yongwang whispered to himself, and he looked at the picturesque Yuanjiang for the last time, then turned around and ran on horseback. He would never come back. Probably, all armies in the world are like this: when they march, they are mighty and majestic, but when they retreat, they are weak. After fighting for more than a month, the Japanese troops huddled together in the icy and snowy land of northern Hunan were cold, hungry, tired and exhausted. When they heard that they were going to retreat, they cheered ecstatically.When they occupied Changde, they had never cheered like this, and one can imagine their eagerness to return under the cheers.

As soon as the order was issued, they turned their buttocks and ran back, and the wounded soldiers also limped and were unwilling to lag behind.Such a team can be imagined without description. Although they did not lose the battle, it was as if they were defeated. There are two documents that can prove the embarrassment of the Japanese army at that time.One is a secret telegram from Wang Jingjiu to Xu Yongchang: ... (Materials left behind by the enemy's retreat) 98 military horses, 6 mountain cannons and poison gas cannons Menyoujun lost 4 Russian-style mountain cannons), 13 light and heavy machine guns, 706 rifles, 56 grenades, 4 martial law knives, 36 masks, 2 flame throwers, 3 telephones, and 23,500 kilometers of covered wires Rulers, bayonets, steel helmets, pistols, binoculars, smoke canisters, gas canisters, gas bombs, 326 pieces of sanitary equipment, 984 pieces of ammunition of various kinds, and 351 items such as the combat orders of the 11th enemy army. One was provided by the Hunan Provincial Counselor's Office, which said: The retreat of the Japanese army was extremely fast. The dense troops ran day and night, holding maps and compass, crossing mountains and wading across mountains and rivers. Few of them left alone.The enemy retreated quickly, abandoning many sick and wounded mules and horses along the way, as well as equipment and ammunition.Most of the mules and horses were picked up and slaughtered by the common people.There are dead bodies abandoned by the Japanese army near the hilltops, buried hastily, and then dug up by the residents, stripped of woolen clothes and leather shoes, exposing the dead bodies to be eaten by wild dogs and crows. Isamu Yokoyama, the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, rushed to the front line from the command post of Guanyin Temple in Shashi, Hubei, and supervised the retreat of the troops. He was extremely angry when he saw the collapse of the army, and immediately ordered the entire army to stop advancing, rectify the appearance and formation of the army, and throw away their guns. Those who bombed were shot dead immediately. Isamu Yokoyama called the captain of the 34th Regiment of the 3rd Division, the captain of the 34th Regiment Ryase, who was the rarest.Liang Lai thought that the commander had something good for him, so he ran over with his butt twisting, shouting loudly: "Report to Your Excellency, Commander! Feng, the captain of this alliance..." Before he finished speaking, Yokoyama swung the back of his command saber and slashed at him, causing blood to flow from the captain's face.Heng Shanyong roared: "If you don't lead the team well next time, I will not use the back of the knife, but the blade of the knife to cut you down!"