The Nanjing Incident, 1927 (4)

April 1927 – Hankou Crisis

Descent Into Chaos

As Chiang Kai-shek's forces advanced on Wuhan, Hankou's Japanese concession descended into anarchy. Chinese mobs—led by children waving red flags—stormed the district, looting shops and felling trees.

On April 3, a Japanese sentry was pelted with stones by a child, sparking a full-scale riot. Though evacuations had been advised, many civilians stayed, reassured by the Army's false reports that Nanjing had been "peacefully resolved."

They were wrong.

 1. A postpartum woman was raped and murdered (Central China Refugees Association, 1927 – Historical Fact).

 2. Stores were ransacked; merchants beaten.

 3. Thousands surged into the concession, using children as human shields (Historical Fact).

The Japanese garrison fired warning shots—but the mob advanced, hurling rocks.

"We can't let them reach the consulate! Open fire!"

(Unlike Nanjing, Japan held extraterritorial jurisdiction in Hankou. Legally, they could shoot trespassers.)

Soldiers hesitated. The frontlines were children. Yet as stones cracked skulls, they aimed high—targeting adults' heads.

BANG BANG BANG—

Panic erupted. The crowd stampeded, crushing dozens in a human avalanche. Unaware, troops kept firing into the chaos.

By nightfall, the Navy quelled the riot—but the toll was grim:

 1. 8 Japanese dead, 100+ wounded.

 2. Hundreds of Chinese corpses littered the streets—including children.

The Lie Unravels

April 8 – Imperial Palace

The Army Minister bowed low, sweat beading his brow.

"Your Majesty, the Hankou riot was contained. All civilians were evacuated—only a few died in a freak cart accident during the retreat."

The Emperor nodded. "No massacre? Good. But earlier evacuations could've spared those lives."

"My failure, Your Majesty. We'll station troops to prevent looting."

But the truth arrived via Duke Arima (Anastasia's spymaster). His KGB moles in Chiang's ranks and the Japanese Army uncovered:

1. Communist agitators had incited the mobs.

2. Anglo-American shelling in Nanjing turned Chinese sentiment against the West.

3. Hankou's massacre was deliberate—to provoke Japanese retaliation and inflame anti-Japanese hatred.

The Emperor's voice turned arctic. "Summon the Army Minister. Now."

(All non-historical events are fictional.)

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A/N: "Using children as shields? Typical far-left tactics..."

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