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Of course, it will likely end as mere suspicion, but even the warlords probably have their limits.

Supplies are cut off, their territories are starving to death, and the core of the matter is that the head of the National Government is actually having an affair hidden from her husband.

“Your Majesty, will this work?”

It will definitely work. No, it can’t not work.

“If Soong Mei-ling is having wild parties with various men, it’s not just truly unjust but even if she’s a virgin, it wouldn’t matter. People tend to only hear what they want to hear. Just look at Zhang Xueliang; the warlords are only formally subjugated to the National Government and likely don’t want to stick together forever. Especially with their current starving situation, the National Government being ineffective only makes it worse. It seems they’re cooperating again reluctantly because of statements like ‘for China.’ Ultimately, all it takes is a reasonable justification, and they’ll collapse like a sandcastle.”

That’s how it appears to me.

Honestly, Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of American John F. Kennedy, and Eva Perón, wife of Argentina’s President Juan Perón also had affairs, so it’s quite possible to just let it slide.

I may not know all the warlord leaders in China, but a flimsy justification would be enough.

The warlords had no choice but to be re-subjugated to the National Government, but they surely know the reality.

If things continue this way, the National Government will collapse. Then, even a divided soft autonomy state might be preferable.

They could think that way.

“Indeed, that seems to be the case.”

“Therefore, there’s no need to overthink it for now. We should observe how those guys turn out and respond accordingly.”

Japan is now irrelevant to me.

After all, the U.S. will surely mess things up more than in the original history, and we have already retaken the Korean Peninsula. What matters to us is not Japan but China.

Before Russia grows and becomes an obstacle in Korea, we need to make sure to stake our claim at this opportunity.

I always mention it, but a unified China, especially one that isn’t communist but a free-market China, is dangerous.

The Rome Treaty Organization could handle China if they got their act together, but that vast continent is risky if not divided beforehand.

We need to establish clear distinctions ahead of time.

“Still, please continue to support Mutaguchi Renya. At the very least, he should be able to eat half of Honshu.”

“I will do so, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty, how about saving a battleship from Japan at this opportunity?”

“A battleship? Didn’t the combined fleet get wrecked at the Battle of Leyte Gulf?”

Aren’t they also pretty much all wrecked too?

It seems like we can only be satisfied with French warships.

“That’s true. However, I heard that their pride, the battleship Yamato, along with several other ships, survived and reached the Sasebo naval base. They surrendered to Mutaguchi Renya’s forces.”

Really? Then, it might be possible for us to have them.

Instead of breaking like in history, they will be reborn as Russian ships. How wonderful is that?

“Is that so? Then let’s go after them.”

It wouldn’t be bad to turn Yamato into my toy.

Even if it’s turned into a resort or decommissioned, Yamato can still be included as spoils of war.

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

“They’ve retaken Shikoku and are currently marching toward Osaka with the support of our navy.”

Fast indeed. They will definitely secure Western Japan.

If the U.S. drops nukes, they might reach the devastated Goto as well.

Kyoto isn’t bad either, but purely based on territorial distribution, it should be retaken at least up to Nagoya for a more presentable picture.

Well, even advancing up to Kyoto would be beneficial for Mutaguchi Renya.

The population will definitely concentrate more in Western Japan. To compete evenly with Eastern Japan in the future, Mutaguchi must secure as much land as possible, right?

Now, we need to prepare for the future Cold War.

* * *

National Government Nanjing

The Treaty Army handed over Nanjing to the National Government after dropping a nuclear bomb there.

After all, the Treaty Army had no reason to keep it, and it was to demonstrate the power of the nuclear bomb to the National Government.

Soong Mei-ling fled from the Forbidden City as if she had seen a ghost and went back to the National Government, heading towards Nanjing with the warlords after reporting on the bomb.

“Is this really Nanjing?”

Everyone was horrified by the living hell they witnessed.

No, everything is fine. It’s really possible to destroy the whole urban area with overwhelming firepower.

However, aside from that, it was hell itself.

“Water. Please.”

“I’m hungry. Anyone will do; just give me something to eat—”

What Soong Mei-ling saw in Nanjing was horrifying.

The sight of the living dead, wandering about, struggling to survive.

The Japanese army, once fierce and bent on the extermination of the Chinese people, now seemed almost pitiable.

Torn uniforms melded with flesh, melting away.

Soldiers wandering around, blinded by flashes, unable to see anything as they searched for water.

Soldiers unable to do anything but lie there, breathing and staring at the sky.

The undead, dripping something from their bodies, wandering about.

“Please, something to eat. Something to drink.”

A soldier, speaking in broken Chinese, begged Soong Mei-ling for food.

So heartbreaking that Soong Mei-ling couldn’t help but have her soldiers feed those in need of food and water.

How could the once-demon-like Japanese soldiers be in such a pitiful state?

Even the National Government soldiers, seeing this scene, were prompted to share their water and food.

And faced with such weapons, the National Government had to make a decisive decision.

Accept the collaboration with the soft self-government that the Treaty Army wishes or defy the treaty at the risk of facing those weapons.

One thing was certain: if they responded to those weapons, the National Government would perish.

The warlords weren’t foolish enough to share that fate with Soong Mei-ling.

“Are we really going to fight against Russia, who has such weapons now?”

“Isn’t it clear that they’re saying they can drop one in Chongqing if we don’t comply?”

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

“Absolutely not. Let’s just follow the Tsar’s will here.”

The warlords were trying again to detach from the National Government upon witnessing Nanjing’s gruesome condition.

Even if they seriously attempted to stay united, everyone would still be equally annihilated in the face of those weapons.

Even Soong Mei-ling’s letter was interpreted by the National Government as a threat saying, “If you don’t behave yourselves, the Japanese military might murder you too.”

However, that still seems a bit too much.

“Are you telling me to tear China apart?”

Soong Mei-ling protested to the warlords one last time, but it seemed they had made up their minds.

“While Japan carries out a scorched earth policy, the Treaty Army’s supply chains are also cut off. We’re on the brink of starvation. While it’s not like the Treaty Army sees us as enemies, we are dying in isolation just like Japan. Can the head of State bear this?”

“It’s nonsensical to resist an emperor armed with such weapons. It’s clear that unifying in this state won’t last long. We were already under soft autonomy before; it’s just returning to that.”

In reality, Soong Mei-ling also knew.

This was a fight they couldn’t possibly win.

No matter how they forcefully stuck things together, they would ultimately fall apart.

Even if they were lucky enough to unite South China due to the warlords’ fervent patriotism,

They wouldn’t be able to defeat the Qing Dynasty and the soft government that received overwhelming support.

“How many casualties have we sustained due to this war, Dairi?”

“Reports indicate over 40 million. And given the current situation, it seems many more will die from starvation.”

Is that so? That sounds about right. It’s an undeniably tough situation.

The Japanese army’s scorched earth tactics inflicted severe damage on China, and we may be facing a truly tough time for a while.

If the Treaty Army doesn’t provide supplies now, we will utterly perish.

But still. Is there really no way?

If not now, there may never be another chance to unite again. Day by day, the negotiations with the Tsar were being postponed.

Then, something finally happened.

“Head of State, take a look at this.”

[b][Zhang Xueliang: If my love, Soong Mei-ling, seeks help, I will definitely offer my support][/b]

[b][Is it a love story between Zhang Xueliang, a married man, and Soong Mei-ling during the war?][/b]

[b][Did Soong Mei-ling have an affair with her lover Zhang Xueliang while having a husband?][/b]

[b][An affair of the century that transcends the battlefield!][/b]

What on earth is this? The rumor of an affair with Zhang Xueliang!

Of course, Soong Mei-ling exchanged quite affectionate letters with Zhang Xueliang.

However, they were not of a nature that would lead to an affair. The letters sent to Zhang Xueliang were from a desire for him to effectively carry out guerrilla warfare against the Japanese army.

There was never such a thought.

What kind of crazy person has an affair with a man far away during a war while having a husband?

Moreover, because Zhang Xueliang even disclosed the letters that Soong Mei-ling sent, the suspicions of her having an affair with Zhang Xueliang ignited.

“Is it just nonsense? Surely, people aren’t actually believing this, are they?”

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

That does make sense. The warlords would probably believe it.

“The warlords believe it?”

“Yes. Head of State.”

Damn it. They’re already dissatisfied with the National Government.

They could use this to try breaking away.

As Soong Mei-ling predicted, to the warlords, it no longer mattered if this was true or false.

The warlords were always looking for ways to detach from the National Government, and Soong Mei-ling’s affair rumor was the perfect justification.

“We can’t follow Soong Mei-ling, who committed adultery while leaving her husband behind.”

“Though nothing is certain, isn’t it true that there’s smoke where there’s fire? A plausible suspicion is enough for such rumors to arise.”

“While the Chinese people are being slaughtered by the Japanese army’s guns and blades, was Soong Mei-ling rolling around with some young warlord?”

Simply thinking about it, there was no way Soong Mei-ling could have an affair with Zhang Xueliang.

How could Soong Mei-ling in Chongqing connect with Zhang Xueliang in Shandong?

For them to actually have an affair, either Soong Mei-ling or Zhang Xueliang would have had to avoid the Japanese army, but if either were doing that, the chaos would’ve already erupted, and the support would have only secretly provided them with guns.

Moreover, Zhang Xueliang was directly engaged in guerrilla warfare, meaning he didn’t even have time to meet Soong Mei-ling.

It clearly looks like nothing more than speculation and rumors.

Regardless of the truth, Soong Mei-ling became known as a woman who would go out of her way to meet Zhang Xueliang.

Unlike the original history, Soong Mei-ling, who only remained in China, was now also known as an attractive woman overseas.

But she only had the title of “China’s First Lady,” and for that reason, there weren’t many supporting her abroad.

The Treaty Army certainly wouldn’t think well of Soong Mei-ling either.

“Damn it.”

In the end, there was only one thing Soong Mei-ling could do.

Simply surrender. Is there any other way?

Soong Mei-ling had to heed the words of the Treaty Army, and immediately thereafter, the National Government lost its legitimacy for unification.

Soong Mei-ling raised a white flag and accepted Mao Zedong’s soft autonomy.

On the surface, it was soft autonomy, but underneath, the age of warlords’ brutal infighting was just beginning.

* * *

Meanwhile, at this time, Mutaguchi Renya’s army had received reinforcements, including some of the China Expeditionary Army, and was wreaking havoc within Western Japan.

“I, Mutaguchi Renya of Japan, declare to the subjects of the Empire: We were the first in Asia to embrace civilization and, from the Meiji Restoration to this day, have soared high like the Rising Sun. However, the Imperial General Headquarters has treated Korea, which was legitimately annexed into the Empire, merely as a colony, and for the reason of avenging the Emperor, massacred millions of Chinese. Moreover, they resorted to the ridiculous gambit of waging war with the United States when a peaceful resolution could have been made, and when the war with the U.S. became difficult, they betrayed their allies and recklessly attacked Britain’s and France’s colonies, expanding the frontlines. If I had been given command of the troops sooner, all of this could have been resolved, but the General Headquarters has been causing these incidents under the pretext of control! Is this truly the duty of the Imperial Way Faction that leads the Empire? Is this what a true Empire is? Look at the result! Now our Empire is hostile to the world, and our territories are engulfed in flames, filled with the dead from starvation! If we do not surrender, the United States will attempt to destroy us! Fortunately, before it is completely too late, I have led the army myself, so Imperial subjects! Rise up and overthrow the corrupt emperor and General Headquarters as we attempt to preserve our national debts! Follow me! Let’s create a new Japan!”

Mutaguchi Renya, with a tongue as skillful as the deceased Goebbels, traveled around Western Japan, recruiting the few remaining soldiers and winning the hearts of the people.

Japan’s archipelago had already turned into a hell of flame, isolated with an uncountable number of starving dead.

And the civilians drafted for complete mobilization in Western Japan had reached a point where they had to seek a way to survive.

At that moment, the supplies brought in by Renya’s forces were like rain during a drought, and the aircraft from the Treaty Army dropped food daily.

Naturally, those following Mutaguchi Renya were increasing day by day, with their final goal to reach Tokyo before surrendering.

At least that way, they could raise their voices, and Russia would help.

“Let’s sweep away the General Headquarters in Tokyo and rescue the capital with our own hands!”

“Long live Shogun Mutaguchi Renya!”

Thus, Renya surged over Osaka toward Kyoto in a single breath.

Of course, Russia was at least formally trying to force a Japanese surrender by dropping Grozny in Sendai, and the U.S. dropped Little Boy (a Russian-made bomb) in Kokura, but the General Headquarters did not surrender. As soon as Mutaguchi Renya secured Osaka, the desperate U.S. dropped Fat Man on Kyoto.

As they began the defense of the homeland, the Dojo Hideki cabinet, centered around the General Headquarters, officially convened and cried out for total mobilization, but by that time, it was already too late.

All the land except for Tokyo had turned into a sea of flames.

 

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