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Meanwhile, the Japanese army, which had long done unthinkable things in China, lost its will to fight in the face of the advancing Treaty Army. Above all, the leader of the Treaty Army was Russia. Russia, the land of the Saint. Wasn’t it a sign that the country of the Saint was coming to punish Japan for its sins?

The Japanese army on the northern front, who had begun to feel disillusioned after committing atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre across China, could no longer hold on.

There were no supplies, and the world declared Japan to be the axis of evil.

If they felt wronged, they might have fought with resolve, but the truth was they had committed heinous acts.

The Emperor’s desire for revenge was nowhere to be found, as the cries of the Chinese they had killed, pleading for their lives, echoed in their ears.

At first, the soldiers, who had felt pride in killing those who rebelled against the Empire, shook their heads, realizing that this was no longer acceptable.

Wasn’t it the case that the Emperor, the incarnation of the divine, couldn’t survive like the Empress of Russia?

Now that the Saint had raised a holy army to punish them, what could they do?

The Japanese army, who once had a good impression of Russia due to early exchanges, now had to confront the reality of Russian invasion.

Even the Imperial General Headquarters gave the absurd order to the troops in China to hold their current positions and then vanished.

“Are you ready to fight? For the Empire of Japan-”

“Can Lieutenant Suzuki continue to fight? We can’t. We’re done! Is the Empire really the leader of Asia? Why are we committing acts worse than any Colonial Empire?”

“That’s right. Aren’t we here to lead the civilization of Asia?”

“Isn’t it also the case that the Irregulars from the Korean Peninsula are fighting against us?”

“Well, that’s…”

It was becoming unbearable for the commanders commanding the soldiers.

It was the on-site commander who had ordered the soldiers to kill the Chinese on sight as dictated by the General Headquarters.

Now, even holding weapons was a struggle for everyone, and there were even soldiers going crazy and putting holes in their own heads.

Soldiers, who were supposed to be cleansing the Chinese in the concentration camps, were also numerous cases of insanity.

Moreover, the constantly deteriorating conditions at the front were also contributing factors.

Losing Southern Manchuria, rebellions in Qing, large-scale riots in the Korean Peninsula, the Balhae Republic’s declaration of war. The fleet’s destruction.

They had lost air superiority and began to fall behind European air forces from China.

The once invincible Imperial Air Force fighter aircraft were being shot down like flies by Russia’s new fighters, to the point where they couldn’t even send interceptors.

Post-war, Japan would likely not survive.

The Saint would never allow the axis of evil Japan to live.

And in this situation, divine mercy from the Saint was bestowed upon them.

“Do not follow the barbaric will of the Imperial General Headquarters any longer, but follow the will of the Saint. She will embrace even you, the sinners. The United States aims to destroy you, so should you not protect your homeland? The proud commander Mutaguchi Renya also raised an army in Southern Manchuria to save Japan from its wrongs. Surrender to all!”

The army of the Saint, advancing southward, suddenly halted and sent airplanes laden with food boxes to the Japanese army camps while delivering the words of the Saint.

But that wasn’t all.

“I, Japan’s greatest commander, Mutaguchi Renya, proclaim to you! You have become enemies of the world and an army of demons, following that corrupt General Headquarters! However, if you change your mind even now and join me, you may wash away some of your past sins! Your homeland is already turning into a sea of fire from American attacks, and post-war, the Empire will fall into the hands of American imperialists! Shouldn’t we protect our homeland? Join me in overthrowing the General Headquarters and partake in the construction of a new Japan!”

With the greatest general of Japan, Mutaguchi Renya, urging for surrender alongside the Southern Manchurian army, there was surely enough justification to surrender.

Thus, the Japanese army rushed to the food spread by the Russian army, filling their starving bellies, and ultimately lost their will to fight, unlike the southern front, where they were frantically blocking China’s all-out assault, and Commander Okamura Yasujirō waved the white flag.

And the Imperial General Headquarters in Nanjing, before completely losing naval superiority, assigned the local defense to the troops dispatched to China and returned to the mainland.

“100 million subjects of the Empire will fight with the resolve to perish!”

Even though the Balhae army was already entering the Korean Peninsula, Japan announced its absurd plan of total annihilation of all its citizens.

On one side, Russia was dropping leaflets solely detailing Japanese war crimes over Japan, while on the other side, Commander Curtis LeMay of the U.S. 21st Bomber Command was setting Japan ablaze.

Especially, he was inspired by the aerial battles over Communist Germany, launching bombing raids aimed at the total extermination of the Japanese, much like what the Japanese did to the Chinese.

* * *

From the outset, Japan was in no position to defeat the United States.

While fighting against the giant that was the United States, they had pushed their troops into the colonies of allied nations under flimsy pretenses to feed off their resources. They hadn’t even properly concluded the China front.

Of course, it was true that they had no particular opportunities other than then to strike the U.S., but from the beginning, their greed for multiple fronts was a mistake.

If they had ended the China front without going berserk, the future could have been quite different.

But ultimately, they went berserk, and as a result, it spiraled into opening another front.

In a situation where holding firm was the best they could manage, Japan was suddenly dismantled by our intervention.

Reports were coming in that the Japanese troops in China were surrendering to us.

Probably, the Japanese troops on the southern front wanted to surrender too, but the Chinese were holding them back.

It was a case of self-inflicted wounds, so it couldn’t be helped.

“This is absurd.”

It was the Japanese Empire I had only ever seen in TV programs, on the internet, or in novels.

While it was obvious that Japan was inferior compared to Western powers, the Korean independence armies had found it impossible to surpass such Japan.

Reality wouldn’t be much different.

In harsh conditions, independence fighters would have attempted to kill key figures of the Japanese Empire with bombs, desperately trying to launch a vacuum operation in Seoul.

While it was indeed the best they could do in their situation, it didn’t deal a significant blow to Japan.

Their well-trained troops had fought alongside China.

But in this world, my Balhae army, which I had raised, was finally crossing the Amnok River and reclaiming the Korean Peninsula, and from Russia’s perspective, the Japanese army was collapsing far too easily.

Now that they had recaptured Pyongyang, it wouldn’t be long before they recovered the entirety of the Korean Peninsula.

“If it continues like this, Japan will surrender before long.”

If that happens, World War II will truly come to an end.

I’m preparing for the post-war situation.

I need to establish a soft autonomy in post-war China.

If Chiang Kai-shek dies soon, I would gather those who would realize soft autonomy in the name of securing peace with an armed force.

Japan may have been defeated in the war, but like Korea, which was divided due to complex circumstances.

In this history, China will also be partitioned.

So, I started looking for some bandit.

“Are you Zhang Xueliang?”

Zhang Xueliang. Son of Zhang Zuolin. In the original history, he ordered a withdrawal from Manchuria, judging that the Kwantung Army could not defend Manchuria.

Later, he imprisoned Chiang Kai-shek at Xi’an, realized the second United Front, but was sentenced and placed under house arrest in Taiwan, before eventually departing for the U.S. and dying in Hawaii.

His father, Zhang Zuolin, was killed in a train explosion while returning to Manchuria.

For some reason, whether due to concerns about Zhang Zuolin, who had his base in Manchuria, coming back to Manchuria, it seems they assassinated Zhang Zuolin in a similar manner.

With this in mind, blaming the Japanese for assassinating Chiang Kai-shek won’t be too hard.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

For now, Zhang Xueliang obediently came to me with White Army soldiers.

It’s only natural.

That guy probably has no one else except me urging him on.

“You have an impressive background. You’ve troubled the Japanese army on the Shandong Peninsula.”

Originally based in Manchuria, Zhang Zuolin had brought remnants of his army to make trouble for the Japanese.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Seeing him play around on the Shandong Peninsula like his father, who was based in Manchuria, it seemed he’d fought alone without a proper base. If I hand over Shandong after the war, he should rule it well, right?

I can integrate Northern China with the lands nearby and establish a nation in Israel. For Shanxi, I’ll form a soft autonomy for China. The rest will be left to other intelligentsia and commoners to govern by gender.

If Zhang Xueliang disagrees, I can always find someone else.

Shall I confirm Qing’s territory all the way to Shandong? Looking at Zhang Xueliang’s expression, he doesn’t seem likely to refuse what I’m asking.

“Would you be able to govern Shandong after the war?”

“Shandong, you say?”

“China is vast and has an unimaginable population. However…”

I hesitate to elaborate further, but it’s probably better to mention it.

“Please convey Your Majesty’s insights to the officials.”

“China’s losses from this war are far greater than expected. It will be tough to unify at this rate. Even if forcibly unified, the control won’t be good. China, in the end, won’t be better than during the Qing era.”

Right now, I can rationalize the reasons for division.

Even if China were to unify, it wouldn’t last long.

What of the wandering populations and refugees, and how will we handle all that destruction?

Ultimately, governance through division seems to be optimal.

Japan has more or less achieved its goals.

They’re spreading death wherever they go, leaving nothing behind, resulting in a mass of wandering populations across the continent.

In the midst of this, a unified government would be more toxic.

“Then…”

“Historically, China can be considered a strong power when united, but it ultimately doesn’t last. Yet in such a severely hurt situation, speaking of unity… I don’t think so.”

The end of a war washing blood with blood.

There’s no place in China without corpses. In this chaotic situation, will they really have the strength to solve everything if China unifies?

“It’s likely.”

“So, I plan to choose individuals capable of governing each region to resurrect a soft autonomy in post-war China. You’ll oversee Shandong.”

Zhang Xueliang wouldn’t be ignorant of the post-war situation.

Grabbing Shandong to play the ruler of a small region wouldn’t be bad at all.

His father was also someone based in Manchuria, and he’s merely following in his footsteps to establish himself in Shandong.

“I will do so.”

“You’re surprisingly compliant.”

He’s too compliant for my taste. I hope he won’t be saying something along the lines of unifying China when the Treaty Army pulls out later!

“Your Majesty, you’ve avenged my father and swiftly rescued China from the gates of hell. How could I not follow you?”

“Good. You seem likely to live over a century.”

In reality, he might live a long time. It was 2001, right? Anyway, if he lives like in original history, Shandong will indeed become his.

“Am I the subject of this inquiry?”

“If the war with Japan had continued, whether Japan perished or not, you would’ve ultimately died isolated in Shandong. But hard work is usually rewarded. I sense you are likely to live quite long.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

I threw in some compliments that the kid might like.

Considering that he was quite overbearing in original history, his current obedience felt a bit cringey, but I let it slide since it couldn’t be helped in this timeline.

He’d understand he couldn’t reclaim Manchuria anymore.

“Then, have the Shandong army assist in disarming the Japanese army. Strip them of their weapons and avoid the massacre. I know there’s a lot of resentment against the Japanese, but should we retaliate barbarically like them?”

“There’s still likely to be many harboring resentment. If I’m to stabilize Shandong, there must be no dissatisfaction among the troops.”

This fool. He’s still far from it.

I raised my hand, thinking I should explain slowly enough for this moron to comprehend.

“Ah, I feel like I didn’t make myself clear. If we strip them of weapons and food, the Japanese may resist. There might be a minor ‘riots’ situation. I believe you can resolve that well.”

Even the U.S. killed surrendering Nazi soldiers in the concentration camps despite higher orders forbidding it, when they stomped on Nazi Germany.

Knowing that, they essentially turned a blind eye, saying they’d only tolerate the riots that occurred because of injustice.

Moreover, since Zhang Xueliang wasn’t recognized as a regular combatant by Russia, whatever he did was effectively beyond our control.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Zhang Xueliang, who grasped what I meant, eagerly replied and went out to deal with the Japanese army.

In this process of dividing China, I would also need to establish a nation for the Jews somewhere in China. Though there might be some who would head to Palestine.

Unfortunately, currently, Turkey was regaining power in the Palestinian region.

The Jews would likely want their nation, but I doubt they would be satisfied just to go to Palestine and settle for autonomy.

I called Einstein to this place.

 

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