After receiving this news, Ma Xingbang no longer had the intention to fight and led the 103rd Division to withdraw from the battlefield. He was pursued by the Japanese army on the way and suffered heavy losses.

At this point, the battle to siege Kaifeng was completely failed.

The Disaster Relief Committee has raised a large number of disaster relief supplies and is waiting for the troops of the guo army to open up the traffic line. Unexpectedly, this is the result. They questioned the Ninth War Zone and reported the matter directly to the Military Commission.

The Military Commission was very confused. They had heard that Gao Jiu had eaten the 42nd Division of the Japanese army and opened up the traffic line. Why did this happen again? After investigation, they realized the whole story and rebuked the Ninth War Zone.

Xue Dongsheng led his troops to withdraw his original garrison. In order to shirk responsibility for the failure, he first complained and sued the 93rd Division of the Northeast Army to the 9th War Zone Command. The 228th Division of the Northwest Army did not arrive at the designated location on schedule. The 69th Division retreated to the Nanyang area without authorization, and the 103rd Division withdrew from the blocking position without authorization, which eventually led to the failure of this battle. He asked the 9th War Zone to hold these generals responsible, especially the commander of the 93rd Division of the Northeast Army, and Zhang Jizu, commander of the 228th Division of the Northwest Army, and they were sent to the military court for trial.

The generals of these troops felt that they were more unjust than Dou E, so they sent telegrams to Li Fengming, asking him to help him complain to his superiors.

Commander Song of the 69th Division knew that Gao Jiu had a deep background, so he sent a telegram to Gao Jiu, asking him to find connections and convey the truth to the senior management of the Military Commission.

Gao Jiu sent a telegram to Ouyang Xue, asking her to convey the details of the failure of the Kaifeng Campaign to the Disaster Relief Committee.

The Ninth War Zone Command.

Li Fengming passed on the situation reported by the generals of the 103rd Division, the 69th Division, the 93rd Division and the 228th Division to Deputy Commander Zhang and Chief of Staff.

Deputy Commander Zhang said angrily: "Xue Dongsheng is pure nonsense. These troops have just annihilated the 42nd Division of the Japanese army and achieved such a major victory. Why did they all become deserters after he commanded?"

The Chief of Staff smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "The ending of the Kaifeng Battle was long ago as I expected. If the battle failed, someone would always be a scapegoat."

Deputy Commander Zhang was very angry and slapped the desk with a slap, shaking the teacup on the table so that it fell on the table, rolled on the ground, and fell into pieces.

He said angrily: "Xue Dongsheng is so dereliction of duty. He will shirk responsibility if he fails. If he is not punished severely, he will be disappointed. If the commander-in-chief does not uphold justice, I will directly sue the Military Commission."

In the commander-in-chief's office, Xue Dongsheng said that he had formulated a careful combat plan. Unfortunately, the original coalition forces did not obey the command and disrupted his combat deployment, which led to the failure of the battle. He demanded that the generals of the 103rd Division and other troops be severely punished, and it would be best to disband the 93rd Division and the 228th Division directly.

He knew what the commander liked to listen to, so he reported it with great utmost importance.

Seeing his beloved general feeling a little distressed. He was also very annoyed about the result of the Kaifeng Battle. The defeat of this battle slapped him in the face. The original coalition troops had only 60,000 troops, but they ate the 42nd Division of the Japanese army. The 120,000 coalition troops commanded by Xue Dongsheng in the Kaifeng Battle suffered such a crushing defeat at the beginning of the battle, and he could not explain to the Military Commission. So he followed Xue Dongsheng's opinion and prepared to find a scapegoat.

He cannot do too much for the 103rd and 69th Divisions of the Central Military System, because they also have backers, and there will be a lot of trouble when they are charged. The Northeast Army and Northwest Army are most suitable for scapegoats.

So he asked Xue Dongsheng to write a detailed report, focusing on the troops of the Northwest Army and the Northeast Army, and let them bear the responsibility for the failure of the Kaifeng Battle.

At this moment, a call came from the attendant's office of the Military Commission. The person who called was a fellow villager of the commander-in-chief of the Ninth War Zone. He said: "The Disaster Relief Committee has introduced me details about the Kaifeng Campaign and reported to the Military Commission. The Military Commission has already believed that the main responsibility lies with Xue Dongsheng. When you deal with the problem, it is best not to mention the responsibilities of other troops, otherwise, you will have any opinions on you at the summit."

After listening to the notice from his fellow villager, the commander was very depressed. He looked at Xue Dongsheng who was looking at him, and a burst of anger arose in his heart. He said dissatisfiedly: "Xue Dongsheng, you really don't make a contribution to me. Gao Jiu and his friends led a group of miscellaneous troops to annihilate a division of the Japanese army. I gave you so many troops, and even a squadron of the Japanese were not eaten, and the troops were defeated. You really disappointed me.

Someone has reported the disaster relief committee to the disaster relief committee, and the disaster relief committee has reported to the Military Commission, demanding that you be held responsible for your defeat.”

Xue Dongsheng was scared, and he begged with a crying voice: "Old sir! This defeat is really not my responsibility. It is the miscellaneous army that does not obey the command, and it is really evil. During the last battle, the Japanese air force did not go out. Why did the Japanese bomb when I got there? Old sir! I am really wronged. For more than ten years of following you, please save me!"

Of course, the commander-in-chief wants to protect his confidant. If he can't, he is obviously responsible for being the commander-in-chief. He sighed and said, "It's really difficult for the Japanese to deal with it. The coalition forces won the battle last time, probably mainly because Gao Jiu was there. This time you just want to seek credit and did not invite Gao Jiu to stay. Even if you let him be a staff officer, the Kaifeng Battle would not be like this.

Forget it, it’s too late to say this. You can’t shirk responsibility to other generals now, as it will be more likely to cause disgust from Shangfeng. Write a report immediately and take responsibility for the failure of this battle on yourself. You must be sincere in your attitude. I will want to plead for you to Shangfeng.”

Not long after, the result of the failure of the Kaifeng Battle came to an end. Xue Dongsheng took the main responsibility and was criticized by the 9th War Zone. The 103rd Division and other troops were not held accountable, and the matter was left in vain.

Seeing that the disaster in the south of Henan area became more and more serious, the Disaster Relief Committee passed the Military Commission's request to the Ninth War Zone to resolutely take down Kaifeng City to ensure the safety and smooth traffic lines from the rear to the south of Henan area.

Ouyang Xue sent a telegram to Gao Jiu and conveyed the request of the actual person in charge of the Disaster Relief Committee, so that Gao Jiu could drive away the Japanese army in Kaifeng area to ensure the safety of the transportation of materials of the Disaster Relief Committee.

After receiving the order from the Military Commission, the commander of the Ninth War Zone felt very embarrassed. He no longer wanted to get involved in this matter. He knew that Deputy Commander Zhang had a close relationship with Gao Jiu, so he found Deputy Commander Zhang and discussed with him about organizing the new Kaifeng Battle. After discussing with the Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander Zhang sent a telegram to Gao Jiu, hoping that Gao Jiu would lead the original troops of the coalition forces to continue attacking and open the Fengfeng. They promised to replenish all participating troops this time and to supplement them in advance before the war began.

At this time, Gao Jiu was in Zhiyuan County and was planning to return to Taohua Mountain. He received a telegram from Ouyang Xue, Deputy Commander Zhang and others, and felt a little embarrassed. He really didn't want to get involved in these things anymore, and he did have a lot of things to do. No matter how fast the coalition forces were, it would take at least 20 days.

Gao Jiu's schedule is very full. He plans to go back to Taohua Mountain for two days, go to Jinan, and then prepare to return to the Golden Triangle.

Seeing Gao Jiu a little worried, Zhang Quan said, "Master Jiu, the meaning of these two telegrams is to take Kaifeng. In fact, if you want to take Kaifeng, you may not have to fight in person. Otherwise, you can send a letter to the Japanese and ask them to give up Kaifeng, wouldn't it be enough? Master Jiu, you are famous, and the Japanese will definitely give you this face."

After hearing this, Gao Jiu laughed and said, "Second leader, your mind is getting more and more flexible. It's better that we give the Japanese a polite gift and then a soldier. If they don't know the qualities, we will deal with him."

Gao Jiu came from the 37th Division of the Japanese Army and called out the radio station of the 38th Division and sent the telegram.

The telegram reads: "Your Excellency, the Henan region is suffering from a severe drought that has not been seen in a century. In order to help the victims, I hope your army can withdraw from the Kaifeng area and make clear the passage for the materials and personnel of the disaster relief committee. If you can do good deeds, you will be of great success. I and the millions of victims in the disaster area will thank you for your kindness. Gao Jiu, Taohua Mountain."

After receiving the telegram, the commander of the 38th Division suddenly became big. The person he was most reluctant to deal with was Gao Jiu. Now Gao Jiu came to him by name, and he had to deal with this matter well.

He discussed with the Chief of Staff for a long time and believed that the 38th Division was not Gao Jiu's opponent. If Gao Jiu led his army to attack and open the city lockdown, he would not be able to defend it anyway. However, they did not dare to make decisions on this matter without authorization. They discussed and decided to hand over the conflict, which would give the superiors a headache.

The telegram was quickly transferred to the North China Expeditionary Force Command, and the commander was also very troubled. He asked: "Chief of Staff, what do you think should be handled?"

After reading the telegram, the chief of staff first felt that he would not provoke Gao Jiu. He was still vivid in his mind about the tragic death of Deputy Chief of Staff Sakai. He said: "Commander, Gao Jiu is quite sensible in his work. For a long time, the troops stationed in Shandong have not provoked Gao Jiu, so he has never caused trouble for the 12th Army. Since Gao Jiu asked our army to give up Kaifeng City in a negotiated tone, it would be better to give him this face, otherwise there would be endless troubles."

The commander actually meant this, but it would be a big trouble if he talked about it. As a general of the Japanese army and the highest commander of a major strategic area, he was very worried that someone would use this matter to attack him, saying that he would collude with the enemy, which would be very troublesome at that time.

Both of them were a little confused, and the Chief of Staff remembered Hamada Yoshihiro. He said: "The person who knows Gao Jiu best is Hamada Yoshihiro. Why not call him here to ask for his opinion."

The commander nodded and said, "Then let him come over."

Not long after, Hamada Yoshiji rushed over. He had not dealt with Gao Jiu for a while. He hoped that Gao Jiu would disappear in the south forever and never run back to cause trouble. He heard from the Chief of Staff that it was related to Gao Jiu, and he immediately felt a headache.

But after Hamada Yoshihiro finished reading the telegram, he couldn't help but feel happy and even a little excited.

He said: "Your Excellency Commander, this is a good thing, and it is very beneficial to our army. It can be said that this provides a good opportunity to defeat Gao Jiu."

Seeing Hamada Yoshiji's excited look, the commander and the chief of staff looked at him with some confusion.

The chief of staff asked: "Yizhi Hamada, explain your reasons in detail."

Yoshiji Hamada said, "Commander, I am frank, not long ago, the 42nd Division of the Central China Expeditionary Army was completely wiped out by Gao Jiu. The 38th Division of our North China Expeditionary Army was not as in the situation as that of the 42nd Division. The Nanyang area not far from Kaifeng is Gao Jiu's old nest, which is stockpiled with a large amount of troops. If Gao Jiu is determined to eat the 38th Division, it will be difficult for the 38th Division to escape unscathed. Therefore, it is best not to let Gao Jiu attack open the city lockdown.

Gao Jiu also has weaknesses, that is, he claims to cherish the people. Since he asked our army to give up Kaifeng City in the name of helping the victims in the telegram, our army simply gave up Kaifeng City and then made a big fuss about this matter.

Our army can hold a press conference while withdrawing troops, saying that in order to avoid conflicts, our army voluntarily withdrew from Kaifeng City. This shows the kindness of our great Japanese Huang army cherishing the people. Didn’t that person always accuse the Huang army of massacre the innocent people? This move of our army can effectively restore the influence.

In this case, I think although I have suffered some minor military influence, I have won a big victory in politics. I think this result is something that the domestic base camp is willing to accept."

"Yaxi! Hamada, you are really smart!" The commander smiled and couldn't help but praise him.

The Chief of Staff was also very happy and felt that Hamada Yoshihiro was really a talent. Hamada Yoshihiro's idea solved all their troubles at once. Not only did they not have to fight with Gao Jiu, but they also had a good explanation to their superiors, and even gained a lot of political gains.

Inspired by Yoshihiro Hamada, his mind became more and more flexible. He said: "In order to expand the influence, when the press conference was held, it was publicly announced that our army also took out 100,000 kilograms of grain to provide relief to the victims."

The commander also thought this skill was very high, and he said: "We just had a bigger stomach and took out 300,000 kilograms of grain to help the victims."

When Hamada Yoshiji saw the two commanders happy, he hurriedly gave him a big flattery. He said, "Your Commander, Your Chief of Staff, are still your high-level situation, which makes you very admire."

The commander and the chief of staff were both happy, so they trusted Hamada Yoshihiro even more.

The commander said on the spot: "Hamada, from today on, you will no longer be the acting director of the Special High School Course of the Central China Expeditionary Army, and you can officially take over as the Special High School Course."

Hamada Yoshiji was so excited that he was a little star-eyed. Although he just removed the word "agent" of the acting section chief, his military rank could be improved to a first-level position, and he will become a dignified Japanese Army Major General in the future. No matter where he goes, he will be called the General.

He said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Commander, thank you, Chief of Staff for your cultivation. Husband will definitely be loyal to His Majesty Tian Huang, the Great Japanese Huang Army, the Commander and Chief of Staff."

Happiness came a little too suddenly. Hamada Yoshihiro's mind was a little short-circuited. When he came out of the commander's office, he seemed to walk in the clouds, deep and shallow. The person he thanked the most now was Gao Jiu. It was precisely because of Gao Jiu's existence that he could step by step from a small intelligence staff officer in the field army to a dignified major general of the Imperial Japanese Army. He now hopes that Gao Jiu will live a hundred years old, and he will also rise with the water.

The Japanese army was moving very quickly. On the afternoon of the second day after Gao Jiu sent the telegram, they held a press conference in Zhengzhou, announcing that in order to provide disaster relief in the southern region, the 38th Division voluntarily withdrew from Kaifeng City in order to avoid conflicts with the government and affect disaster relief activities, and was willing to provide 300,000 kilograms of food for disaster relief in the southern region.

The Japanese and puppets used this matter to make a big deal and carried out extensive publicity at home and even internationally.

The Japanese army did not mention in the telegram that Gao Jiu sent them a telegram in advance. Jiang Xiaomei said angrily: "This Japanese is so shameless! He was obviously afraid of Brother Jiu and ran away, but he actually said so well."

Gao Jiu smiled and said, "This is a good thing. No matter what, it provides convenience for the relief of the victims. It can also take out 300,000 kilograms of grain, which can also save many victims. People give up their territory and take out the food, so that they can take advantage of others verbally, which seems not too much."

Jiang Xiaomei smiled and said, "Brother Jiu, I feel that I can accept it when you say this, and it's true. Brother Jiu, if you send a telegram, the Japanese will have to withdraw from Kaifeng City. I feel so frustrated, Princess."

Xue Dongsheng became more and more angry when he heard that the Japanese took the initiative to withdraw from Kaifeng City. He was not only angry with Gao Jiu, but also with the Japanese. He said hatefully: "These Japanese are really hateful! Why didn't they run away when I went to fight them? I withdrew my troops, but they evacuated from Kaifeng City."

He was angry, but he soon realized a great opportunity to seize credit from this. He immediately called the commander and asked to send the 116th Division of the 44th Army to take over Kaifeng City.

This time, the commander did not follow his advice, but asked Deputy Commander Zhang and others about their opinions. Although Gao Jiu did not talk to Deputy Commander Zhang about the ins and outs of this matter, Deputy Commander Zhang could also guess that this matter must be related to Gao Jiu.

So, Deputy Commander Zhang said to the commander: "Don't be satisfied with your words, I have sent a telegram to Gao Jiu to try to capture Kaifeng City. Now that the Japanese army in Kaifeng has withdrawn, this matter is definitely related to Gao Jiu. As for which army to send to Kaifeng City, it is better to listen to Gao Jiu's opinions."
Chapter completed!