The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Chapter 201 Navy dispatched

Naotoshi Osako changed into a brand new kimono and knelt on the ground. His hands trembled as he picked up a one-foot-long wakizashi.

He didn't want to die, but the gunshots outside the door were getting closer and closer, leaving him no time to hesitate.

With a "whoosh," Naotoshi Osako drew his short sword, gripped the hilt, and pointed the tip at his abdomen.

Naotoshi Osako took a deep breath, suddenly closed his eyes, and plunged the knife into his abdomen.

A sharp pain shot through him, and beads of sweat streamed down Osako Naotoshi's forehead. He endured the agony, gripped the knife handle, and slashed to the right.

A huge gash was cut open in Osako Naotoshi's abdomen, and blood gushed out.

He glanced weakly at Kojima Murakami, then lowered his head.

Kojima Muraki's long sword, raised high, came crashing down, and Osako Naotoshi fell to the ground. His head had been severed, with only a thin skin connecting his neck.

With a loud bang, the door was kicked open, and a soldier walked in with a gun.

Kojima Muraki was startled and was about to speak when a shot rang out, hitting him in the chest.

With a clang, the long sword fell to the ground. Kojima Muraki clutched his chest and slowly collapsed.

"Luo Hao, why are you in such a hurry? A major general, and you killed him! It would have been better to capture him alive." A lieutenant rushed in, shaking his head at the sight of the officer on the ground.

“Platoon leader! I saw him holding a knife and couldn’t help but shoot! I…” the soldier stammered.

"Forget it! You're lucky, kid, you killed a major general. You're pretty awesome!" The platoon leader went forward to examine the body on the ground.

"Someone actually committed seppuku! This old guy is so ruthless to himself! He's a monster!"

"Luo Hao, go find a few Japanese officers to identify him. Is this old bastard the one who beat up Shang Min?"

"Yes! Platoon Leader!"

Shen Xiaohu strode into the room with his guards, and a smirk crookedly appeared on his face as he looked at the two corpses on the ground.

"Commander, it's confirmed. The one who committed seppuku is Naotoshi Osako, the commander of the Japanese 7th Division. The major general we killed was his chief of staff, Itsuki Kojima."

"These are their sidearms!" The lieutenant presented two long swords with both hands.

Shen Xiaohu took it, played with it for a moment, pulled it out and examined it closely. He nodded.

I don't have anything good to give the young master, but I'm sure he'll like these two knives!

"They're both generals, so let's give them two coffins and find a place outside the city to bury them. We should also erect a monument for them!" Shen Xiaohu shook his head, turned, and walked out.

Oyama Iwao knelt on the tatami mat, the telegram slipping from his hand. It was Osako Naotoshi's farewell telegram.

After fighting Russia for over a year, not a single high-ranking officer had been killed in action. Unexpectedly, Naotoshi Osako, a division commander, was killed in Liaoyang. This, along with the earlier capture of Matsushima Tsutomu, added to the tragedy.

Only a dozen days into the war, four of my generals have already fallen to Shen Lian!

Shen Lian! One day I will tear you to pieces! Da Shan Yan thought fiercely to himself.

"Marshal, should the 4th Division still depart as planned?" Kodama Gentaro asked cautiously. He knew that the Commander-in-Chief was furious.

"Tell them to set off immediately! Anyone who delays will be sent to a military court!"

"Tell Ogawa Yutsugu that if he can't recapture Liaoyang, let him commit seppuku!" Oyama Iwao said coldly.

"Good! Well done! Little Tiger has done a great job! Hehe!"

Shen Lian felt relieved upon receiving news of the recapture of Liaoyang; the first strategic objective had been achieved.

We can now implement the second phase of the operation plan!

"Gentlemen! The Marquis's orders have arrived, it's time for us to take action!" Sa Zhenbing said excitedly, looking at the naval officers in the conference room.

"Great! It's finally our turn!" an officer shouted.

"Exactly! I've wanted to avenge myself for ages!"

"Commander, just give the order! My cannons have been itching for battle for ages!"

"Alright! Everyone go back and prepare. We'll depart promptly at 7:00 AM the day after tomorrow. Destination: Lushun!"

"Yes, sir!" All the officers stood up, saluted, and then left excitedly.

"Sir, Chinese warships have set sail!" Two days later, a large number of ships sailed out of Weihai Naval Harbor. Their movements were immediately detected by the British.

The navy was already determined to force the Japanese into a decisive battle, so they didn't care at all about being discovered.

The news quickly reached Japan via radio waves!

"Hmph, the tiny Chinese navy dares to mobilize! Have they forgotten the disastrous defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War? Then I'll give them another profound lesson." Togo Heihachiro said disdainfully upon receiving the telegram.

"Commander, news from the British. Their two newly ordered battleships are very powerful, and they're reminding us to be careful," said the chief of staff beside him.

"So what! They're just four battleships. The Russian fleet is ten times stronger than them, yet they still lost to me. Chinese, humph!"

The Japanese navy's annihilation of the Russian fleet despite being outnumbered led to a surge in morale within the navy. They no longer took the navies of most countries seriously, let alone the Chinese navy, which they had once defeated.

"Pass down the order: prepare for war immediately and monitor the movements of the Chinese navy at all times!"

"Hi!"

The Japanese Navy dismissed it with disdain, but Oyama Iwao was completely bewildered.

The 4th Division, together with the garrison of Chaoyang, attacked Liaoyang, but instead of recapturing Liaoyang, they were defeated by the Chinese garrison.

Dashanyan had to gather 20,000 men to provide support in order to barely stabilize the battle line.

Meanwhile, several corps on the Fengtian front had their rear and supplies cut off and could no longer withstand the Chinese army's offensive. They began a slow retreat.

If the sea route were cut off again, the battle would be lost without even being fought. Oyama Iwao immediately sent a telegram back home, urging the navy to immediately engage in battle and annihilate the Chinese navy.

"Hmph! These damned army idiots, they're scared out of their wits the moment the Chinese navy has even set out. A bunch of cowards!"

Despite cursing under his breath, Togo Heihachiro still ordered the preparations for battle to be accelerated.

Although many of his damaged warships are still under repair, he believes that with his current strength, eliminating the Chinese navy is no problem at all.

The alarms sounded, and a dozen or so Japanese warships in Lushun Harbor started up.

Upon receiving news of the approaching Chinese warships, the Japanese ships, unwilling to sit idly by and await their doom, rushed towards the port.

They had only captured this naval port a few months ago after a great deal of hardship, and almost all of its coastal defense batteries had been destroyed. There hadn't been any time to repair them, and if they were trapped in the port, they would be doomed.

"Let's not move! Let the brothers practice first!" Sa Zhenbing said with a faint smile, looking at the dozen or so Japanese ships rushing out through his binoculars.

"Cruiser squadron, proceed!"

At the command, more than ten Japanese warships surged out of formation and charged menacingly towards the Japanese ships.

“These kids!” Sa Zhenbing shook his head.

The Japanese fleet had only two cruisers; the rest were small gunboats, torpedo boats, and transport ships.

These guys deployed six cruisers; isn't that bullying?!