Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Yuanping, the Jiang Yuzhen Martyrs' Cemetery.

The bleakness of late autumn was given a tragic color by a solemn and respectful memorial ceremony.

Witnessed by dozens of domestic and international media outlets, Chu Yunfei, dressed in military uniform and with a solemn expression, personally offered a bouquet of white chrysanthemums to the martyr's grave.

Behind him stood his wife, Song Wenying, who also wore a solemn expression, as well as Chu Xichun, the commander of the Second War Zone, and a group of Shanxi generals.

The three children, Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Baoguo, and Jiang Chuchu, dressed in brand-new cotton-padded clothes, followed Song Wenying's lead and bowed deeply to the tombstone, imitating the adults.

The flashes of cameras went off in quick succession, freezing the moment in time.

Chu Yunfei remained calm, knowing that the significance of this memorial service went far beyond simply mourning a fallen general.

He didn't have much interaction with General Jiang Yuzhen, but they had met several times before the War of Resistance against Japan, and he always admired her spirit of loyalty and patriotism.

General Jiang Yuzhen, this indomitable Shandong man, shed his blood on the land of Shanxi. His sacrifice has long transcended geographical boundaries.

In the early stages of the War of Resistance against Japan, a number of generals died in Shanxi. Choosing this time to pay tribute to General Jiang Yuzhen in such a high-profile manner was precisely to create a heroic role model who transcended provincial boundaries and sacrificed his life for the country.

This is a silent declaration, a heroic narrative that unites people's hearts.

After the final moment of silence ended and the reporters dispersed, satisfied, the cemetery finally returned to its proper tranquility.

Chu Yunfei took off his military cap and stood alone for a long time in front of the tombstone.

"Yunfei".

Chu Xichun stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a heavy but gratified tone: "Today's action is of extraordinary significance. With the country in crisis, we need to let the world, our soldiers and civilians see that we have not forgotten any of the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country. Brother Lianbi, your spirit in heaven can rest in peace now."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, turned around, and the sorrow on his face had disappeared, replaced by a calm and businesslike demeanor: "Commander Chu, may I speak with you in private?"

The two walked slowly up the stone steps of the cemetery.

They had in-depth exchanges on issues such as industrial development in Shanxi, troop training, and coordination and cooperation with local authorities.

By the time all this was accomplished, night had fallen.

Chu Yunfei did not rush back, but instead spent a rare and warm evening with his family at the guesthouse in Yuanping.

The next day, the group returned to Taiyuan and then went directly back to Changzhi.

A few days later, after the family members had settled in Taiyuan.

Chu Yunfei reappeared in the operations room of the Changzhi Joint Command.

……

The atmosphere inside the command center was heavy and filled with smoke.

In front of the huge sand table, several figures were gathered in a circle, arguing fiercely.

Chief of Staff Lin Wei, Reconnaissance Battalion Commander Xu Hu, Military Intelligence Bureau Representative Qu Yuebin, and CCP Liaison Representative Gong Jinxuan.

The sand table in front of them was not the North China Theater, but a model of Nanjing City precisely replicated at a scale of 1:5,000.

"No! Infiltrating by water is too risky!"

"The Japanese naval police patrol the Qinhuai River intensively. Our men will be exposed before they even get close to the target!"

Qu Yuebin pushed up his glasses and calmly retorted, "Land route is even more unrealistic. Nanjing's defenses are as solid as an iron barrel built by the Japanese."

In addition, this place was the core area of ​​the Wang Jingwei regime.

Our task force cannot be too large, and carrying heavy equipment is absolutely out of the question.

How can we overcome all the obstacles and get close to the bacteria manufacturing plant located in the east of the city?

Have you tried methods like bribery or lobbying?

Qu Yuebin, with his rich experience in struggle, immediately shook his head: "Jinling is not an ordinary county town. It is not so easy to bribe those city defense troops. We can only try, but the success rate is very low."

Both sides have held several rounds of discussions on how to launch a surprise attack on the bacteria manufacturing plant in Jinling City, but have yet to come up with a foolproof plan.

Chu Yunfei pushed open the door and entered, and the arguing among the crowd stopped abruptly as they all stood up and saluted.

"Everyone sit down."

Chu Yunfei waved his hand and walked straight to the sand table, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Lin Wei stepped forward and reported, "Chief Advisor, our analysis suggests that the closest starting point to Jinling City for this mission is undoubtedly the Third or Fifth War Zone. However..."

Chu Yunfei raised his hand, interrupting him. He looked around at everyone present, his voice not loud, but firm and resolute, filled with unquestionable determination: "However, I do not trust the level of intelligence confidentiality in these two war zones."

These words, spoken bluntly and cruelly, sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Chu Yunfei didn't give them much time to think and continued his analysis: "This is not prejudice, but a judgment based on facts."

These two war zones are riddled with factions and have complex personnel structures, so any order issued could be leaked during the relay process.

This mission is of utmost importance; we cannot afford to take this risk.

Chu Yunfei paused, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "Moreover, even if they can keep it a secret, these two war zones currently cannot muster a single elite unit capable of carrying out such high-risk, unconventional combat operations."

Their soldiers are better suited to positional warfare and head-on assaults, rather than infiltration operations that require a high degree of skill and strategy.

His words shattered all my illusions.

The mission can only and must be completed independently by the elite troops under the North China Joint Command.

Chu Yunfei's gaze finally landed on Xu Hu, on his face which was flushed with excitement.

The chief advisor was referring to elite small units engaged in unconventional warfare.

There is only one such team, and that is the reconnaissance brigade that Xu Hu is currently leading.

Chu Yunfei's gaze towards Xu Hu shifted from sternness to one of expectation and encouragement: "Xu Hu."

"To!"

Xu Hu suddenly straightened his chest.

"Your former superior, Zhou Weiguo, is currently in the Southeast Asian theater, leading his special operations brigade. He is elusive and has repeatedly achieved remarkable feats."

Chu Yunfei's voice carried a hint of approval: "He proved with facts just how much of a role a well-trained and well-equipped small elite combat force can play when carrying out small-scale, unconventional combat missions."

He looked at Xu Hu, his eyes shining with trust: "The reconnaissance brigade is the sharpest sword in North China!"

"I hope that in the future we can continue to expand its scale and build it into an elite force, just like the army led by Wei Guo, that will strike fear into the hearts of all enemies!"

"Wei Guo has recommended you to me several times before, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to take the position of captain of the reconnaissance brigade. I have high hopes for you."

These words were like a surge of scalding warmth, instantly coursing through Xu Hu's entire body!
Xu Hu was flattered and felt a surge of excitement rush to his head. All the tension and pressure transformed into boundless motivation at that moment!

He stepped forward, snapped to attention, and declared in a booming voice, "Please rest assured, Chief Advisor! I, Xu Hu, am willing to pledge my life! I will personally lead the team to Nanjing and we will surely uproot the Japanese invaders' bacteriological warfare factory!"

"it is good!"

Chu Yunfei nodded approvingly, then raised his hand: "It's good to have this determination. But this matter must be carefully planned, and we must not alert the enemy."

Moreover, this operation not only has a certain degree of political significance, but it can only succeed and cannot fail.

Chu Yunfei's eyes became extremely solemn: "Remember, we only have one chance. If we fail, the enemy will definitely strengthen their defenses and even move the factory. At that time, it will be extremely difficult to destroy the Japanese army's bacterial production base."

He turned to Lin Wei: "As for Pengcheng's previous suggestion of the 'Great Bombing' plan, I will personally communicate with the United States in the next few days to see if their bombers can achieve relatively precise pinpoint elimination. If not, we will still need to carry out corresponding infiltration operations."
-

Tokyo, locust-infested gardens, Furuuei Imperial Garden.

The cold autumn rain silently pattered against the meticulously trimmed pines and cypresses in the imperial garden, bringing a chilling cold to the very heart of power in this fraternal kingdom.

Behind the chrysanthemum-patterned curtain, the figure of the Heavenly Locust remained blurry yet majestic, like an idol in a shrine.

Before the curtain, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo stood straight and solemn on the cold hardwood floor, like a javelin.

The floor, polished to a shine, reflected his stiff and blurry figure.

He could even feel the scrutinizing gaze emanating from behind that thin silk curtain.

"How is the 'Divine Punishment' Holy War plan progressing?" Tianhuang's emotionless voice slowly broke the deathly silence in the room.

Hideki Tojo bowed deeply, a complex expression on his face, a mixture of fervor and confidence: "Your Majesty, everything is under control!"

His voice was filled with suppressed excitement.

"According to the joint plan between the General Headquarters and Unit 1644, the first phase of the 'Divine Punishment' plan has been completed."

"We will prioritize Changsha, Changshan, Zhengxian, and other cities heavily defended by the Chinese army, and use our air force to drop the newly developed 'Ishii-type' ceramic bacteriological bombs!"

He paused, his tone becoming even more sinister: "At the same time, the most elite special agent teams of the Brotherhood will carry high concentrations of bacterial protoplasm and infiltrate its densely populated rear areas to artificially create an uncontrollable plague by contaminating water sources and food!"

This is a grand and insidious plan aimed at fundamentally destroying the very foundation of a nation's survival.

There was a moment of silence behind the curtain.

That calm voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of inquiry.

"Is this method feasible? And what will the results be?"

This was precisely the problem that Hideki Tojo had been waiting for.

He knew that no matter how perfect the plan on paper was, it could not truly impress this high and mighty monarch. What he needed was evidence.

"His Majesty!"

Hideki Tojo took out a latest intelligence summary from his briefcase and held it high above his head with both hands.

An attendant quietly stepped forward, took the document, and presented it behind the curtain: "Please forgive my bluntness, but the 'Divine Punishment' plan has already achieved unimaginable strategic results even before it has been officially implemented!"

A confident smile appeared on his face.

"According to our intelligence network in North China, since the news of the 'Divine Punishment' plan spread, our enemies have been in a state of great panic!"
The Nationalist army in North China is frantically setting up checkpoints and establishing blockade lines along the border between its controlled areas and our occupied areas!

"This not only greatly depleted the already dwindling national strength of the Chongqing government, but also, in effect, helped us consolidate our rule in the occupied territories!"

He seemed to see the dawn of victory.

"Your Majesty, you can imagine that countless Chinese refugees who want to escape from our occupied territories to the Nationalist-controlled territories are blocked outside the blockade by their own army, unable to move forward or backward."

This greatly reduces the pressure on us to maintain order.

Meanwhile, our Locust Army can, at the opportune moment, 'pursue' these valuable laborers attempting to escape, 'persuade' them to return, and 'retain' them to continue serving our brother nation!

"We didn't even need to fire a single shot or a single cannon to throw the enemy into disarray and have them guard the fence of the occupied territory for us!"

These words were said without a single flaw.

They portrayed a massacre that had not yet begun as a brilliant strategic victory.

From behind the curtain came a soft "hmm," which seemed to indicate satisfaction.

Then, without warning, the topic shifted: "What about the war situation in French Indochina?"

Hideki Tojo's heart tightened suddenly.

The confidence that had just been radiating from his face vanished without a trace in an instant.

He lowered his head again, concealing the hint of panic in his eyes, and his tone became vague and hesitant.

"Your Majesty, Huang Baitao's troops are still launching a fierce offensive, but my country still has tens of thousands of brave soldiers who are fighting in the local jungles and mountains!"

He tried his best to paint a glimmer of hope for this war that had already become mired in conflict: "Your Majesty, please rest assured! As long as supplies, weapons, and ammunition from the rear can be continuously supplied, they will definitely be able to hold on!"

"and"

He seemed to remember something and hurriedly added, trying to make his argument more persuasive.

"That land, after all, was once a French colony, and the local natives still felt grateful for driving away the French locust army."

Our soldiers there were very clear-headed; they knew that in order to continue fighting, they had to win the hearts and minds of the local people.

Hideki Tojo paused, and even unconsciously used a term he had learned from China: "In Chinese terms, this is called the close relationship between the military and the people. We Japanese can also do this, and we do it much better than them."

This statement, rather than being a report to Tianhuang, seemed more like a way of encouraging himself.

Behind the curtain, another long silence fell.

That silence, like an invisible hand, gripped Hideki Tojo's throat tightly, making him feel suffocated.

After a long while, that weary voice finally rang out again.

"Tojo-kun, I am tired."

"Hai!"

The voice from behind the curtain sounded again, calling out to him: "Tojo-kun."

"And one more thing."

"In order to unify the forces of the army, navy and air force in preparation for the decisive battle on the mainland, I hereby appoint Prince Asaka Yasuhiko as the new Chief of the General Staff."

boom!
Hideki Tojo's mind went completely blank, as if struck by a silent bolt of lightning!
King Jiuyan of Asaka Palace!

The member of the Locust Room who was promoted to Army General in 39 but did not receive any real military position, and who was defeated by Chu Yunfei on the Shanxi front and fled in panic, has been kept in the dark ever since!
Hideki Tojo's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

He suddenly understood.

He, Hideki Tojo, and his military police politics, which had long been the subject of public outrage, were nearing their end.

This piece, used to pave the way for landmines, is about to be completely used up.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Locust is deploying an even more insane and extreme piece!
A madman named Hoshimuro who advocates binding together all forces of land, sea, and air, and is willing to turn the entire Japanese archipelago into scorched earth in order to carry out a "decisive battle on the homeland"!

This is not a military appointment; it is clearly a final gamble to completely bind 100 million citizens to the empire's war machine!

He thought of his predecessor, Konoe Fumimaro, who came from a noble family.

The clever politician of the locust tribe, realizing that the war was heading towards defeat, decisively chose to retreat.

And what about yourself?

He himself was a "war prime minister" who only knew about war.

The warmonger who once issued the "Battle Training" and advocated that all "locust country subjects" should have the spirit of "dedication and public service" has long been awakened by the cold reality after experiencing nearly two years of continuous defeats.

He knew better than anyone that the empire's national strength had reached its limit.

But the locust chamber, high above all, seems to still be immersed in the fantasy of "one hundred million jade shattering," wanting to make this final, destructive struggle!

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko's methods were even more radical and reckless than his own!

Tianhuang is replacing a madman who has begun to face reality with a madman from the locust house.

In an instant, Hideki Tojo felt a chill run down his spine.

But he knew he had no other choice.

Without hesitation, he bowed deeply again, lowering his head to its limit.

"Hai!"

His voice was hoarse, yet still filled with the incurable obedience of a soldier.

Hideki Tojo himself knew perfectly well that he was now completely bound to this out-of-control war machine.

Whether the future holds the glory of victory or the abyss of destruction.

He could only forge ahead relentlessly.

"My lord, please retire."

Hideki Tojo felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle once more, and then, step by step, carefully, he withdrew from the room that had made him feel so oppressed.

As he turned and stepped back into the damp, chilly air of the imperial garden, a gust of cold wind blew past, and he realized with a start that his back was already soaked with cold sweat. (End of Chapter)