Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

North China Joint Command, Chu Yunfei's office.

The chill of early winter had already seeped in through the cracks in the window, but the heat inside, generated by the political power struggle, did not diminish at all.

On the table, reports from the Guangxi Clique and the Central Army were piled up like two small mountains, and next to it was a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, just emitting a few wisps of steam.

Chu Yunfei, in his capacity as deputy director of the Military Law Enforcement Department, is dealing with an extremely thorny and messy matter.

The Central Army and the Guangxi Clique have started fighting again in the area surrounding the Dabie Mountains.

What was described as friction had actually escalated to the brink of armed conflict and open warfare.

"Chief Advisor." Zhao Pengcheng placed a newly compiled battle damage report on the table, his face showing an undisguised annoyance: "The Fifth War Zone's General Headquarters of Wang Zhonglian and Commander Liao of the Guangxi Clique have brought this case to us again."

Chu Yunfei rubbed his throbbing temples, not bothering to look at the report, and coldly asked, "What's the pretext this time?"

“The same old story.” Zhao Pengcheng’s voice was also full of helplessness: “The Guangxi clique caught a Central Army transport battalion smuggling tung oil and cotton yarn with local merchants. They were caught red-handed and accused of ‘colluding with the enemy and aiding the enemy.’”

"What about the Central Army?"

"They turned around and accused the Guangxi clique of setting up tax checkpoints in the liberated areas without authorization and collecting so-called 'anti-Japanese war construction tax', which caused local people to complain and acted like bandits."

Zhao Pengcheng paused, then added, "Both sides handed over a thick stack of 'evidence'."

Chu Yunfei let out a cold laugh, a laugh full of sarcasm and coldness.

"evidence?"

He picked up the cup of tea, which had long since gone cold, and took a sip: "I think the evidence on both sides is true."

Chu Yunfei stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gray sky outside: "The first snow in North China is not far away."

He knew exactly what Chang Ruiyuan was thinking.

He could tolerate the Guangxi Clique, this sharp knife, to protect the strategic Dabie Mountains for him and to develop it as the Guangxi Clique's base. This was one of the conditions for the Guangxi Clique to support Chang Ruiyuan on the front lines.

And what about the leaders of the central government?

Chang Ruiyuan could not tolerate this knife going too far and slipping out of his control.

Li Bai and his comrade from the Guangxi clique were also unwilling to be merely watchdogs.

A struggle built on this foundation is an unsolvable dead end.

"Chief Advisor, we need to take a stance on this matter. Both sides are waiting for our decision. If this drags on any longer, things could really escalate into a mess," Zhao Pengcheng said worriedly.

"Attitude?" Chu Yunfei turned around, a cold, resolute glint in his eyes. "My attitude is to punish both sides equally!"

He looked at Zhao Pengcheng and said in an unquestionable tone, "Go and investigate. Verify all the evidence submitted by both sides!"
On the Guangxi side, who is the leader of that group that collects extra taxes?

Execute him!

The telegram instructed Liao Lei that his troops were poorly disciplined, allowing them to act like bandits; executing a regimental commander was already showing him leniency!

"The Central Army side."

Chu Yunfei's voice grew colder and colder, "That division commander who was involved in smuggling, dismiss him from his post and investigate him!"
He sent a telegram to Wang Zhonglian, saying, "As I said, with the nation in peril, instead of thinking of fighting the enemy, he's making a fortune off the national crisis in the rear. How can he be a good officer?"

Zhao Pengcheng felt a chill run down his spine.

Nowadays, the Emperor's main focus is on the First World War Zone.

The frontline combat troops in the First War Zone were relatively few, making them easier to organize.

At present, the main forces of the local army are either in the process of reorganization or in negotiations.

After the reorganization of the First War Zone was completed, it was natural to merge the Second War Zone and the First War Zone accordingly and streamline the command structure.

The next step is the Fifth War Zone.

Wang Zhonglian did not intentionally provoke the Guangxi clique; it must have been at Chang Ruiyuan's behest.

Chu Yunfei believed that since both sides were rotten to the core, they should use the most ruthless means to cut off their longest outstretched hand!
Let them both suffer heavy losses and feel the pain deeply, then they will naturally behave themselves.

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

Just as Zhao Pengcheng accepted the order and turned to leave, a communications officer knocked on the door and entered: "Chief Advisor, Lieutenant Zhao, this telegram is addressed to you specifically, Chief Advisor."

Zhao Pengcheng took the telegram, glanced at the sending unit's number, and was taken aback: "It's a telegram from Qiu Qingquan, commander of the First Army Corps of the Dingnan Army."

Chu Yunfei was also somewhat surprised. He took the telegram from Zhao Pengcheng and quickly scanned it.

"British Indian Army provoking trouble?"

He handed the telegram back to Zhao Pengcheng, but his face showed no sign of tension. Instead, a subtle, playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

After reading the contents, Zhao Pengcheng frowned: "They seem to be deliberately trying to provoke a border conflict. Given Commander Qiu's temper..."

“That’s exactly what I wanted.”

Chu Yunfei interrupted him, sat back down in his chair, and poured the tea into the bucket beside him: "Pengcheng, what do you think was my reason for strongly recommending Qiu Qingquan to guard the India-Myanmar border?"

Zhao Pengcheng was taken aback, and then a look of sudden realization appeared in his eyes!
"It's all for today!" Chu Yunfei sneered. "Don't the gentlemen of Shancheng know what the British are thinking?"
They want us to work for them in Southeast Asia, to hold off the Japanese.

They also fear that we might establish ourselves too deeply in this land and threaten the foundations of their colonies.

Therefore, they will inevitably resort to these underhanded tactics to constantly test and disgust us.

"It's useless to reason with this arrogant and hypocritical 'gentleman.' The more you give in, the more he will take advantage of you."

Chu Yunfei tapped his knuckles lightly on the table: "So, I need Qiu Qingquan, a fiery and easily ignited firecracker, to be placed there!"

I'm waiting for him to lose his temper, then I'll give those British bastards a good beating! I'll show them that Chinese soldiers' bayonets don't just kill Japanese, they draw blood too!

Chu Yunfei did not deliberately recommend him.

"Call back."

Chu Yunfei's voice regained its calmness, yet it was filled with undeniable authority: "Tell Qiu Qingquan that Shancheng will definitely prioritize diplomatic protests and resolutely defend its territory, not yielding an inch. This is Shancheng's consideration for the greater good."

If the British and Indian forces do not restrain themselves, warning shots may be fired. If they retaliate, they may launch their own attack and resolutely annihilate the invading enemy!

He paused, then added the most crucial sentence: "But remember, all military operations must not exceed the effective cover range of our own artillery. Punitive operations are permissible, but it is not advisable to launch an attack on 'ally' forces at this time, otherwise we will not be able to explain ourselves internationally."

"Yes!"

"In addition, we also sent a letter to the Yamashiro side. Those damned British must have received some information about this, since they chose such a critical time to provoke us. We can reasonably suspect that they have some ulterior motives and deals with the Japanese."

Chu Yunfei paused, as if he had thought of something, and then added, "Yes, let's also send our guesses to Chief of Staff Stilwell. His attitude toward the British is also quite intriguing."

"Yes!"

Zhao Pengcheng accepted the order and left, already understanding the situation.

This order, while seemingly granting the front lines considerable autonomy, actually used a red line of "artillery cover range" to firmly control the scale of the conflict within a "controllable border conflict."

It can inflict serious damage on the opponent without triggering a full-blown diplomatic crisis.

Moreover, Chu Yunfei's telegram clearly stated his own attitude.

If you follow his telegram and something goes wrong, the person responsible won't be Qiu Qingquan, but Chu Yunfei.

The atmosphere in the office returned to calm after Zhao Pengcheng left.

Chu Yunfei did not rush to deal with the pile of official business on his desk. He simply stood quietly in front of the huge map of North China, his gaze deep, as if he were silently deducing a grander and more complex game of chess.

In this game, the chessboard represents the entire country of China, and the pieces represent the factions and the hearts of the people on each side.

Less than half a day later, a reply from Shancheng was sent to the command center again in an urgent manner.

The speed was beyond Zhao Pengcheng's expectations.

He respectfully presented the translated telegram to Chu Yunfei, a strange expression on his face that he could hardly hide.

"Chief Advisor, Chairman Chiang's reply."

Chu Yunfei took the telegram, glanced at it, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

The telegram was concise and to the point, even straightforward.

"This embodies the spirit of revolutionary soldiers, and it is acceptable."

Watching from the side, Zhao Pengcheng felt a mix of emotions and couldn't help but whisper, "Chief Advisor, how come the Chairman's attitude is completely different from how he treated Commander Qiu before?"

Qiu Qingquan asked for instructions and received the reply, "Be patient and calm, and prioritize the overall situation."

On Chu Yunfei's side, a telegram stating "can attack on its own" was sent, but what it received was the highest praise of "revolutionary soldier spirit"!
This double standard is far too obvious.

"This is Chiang Kai-shek's political maneuvering."

Chu Yunfei gently placed the telegram on the table, his tone indifferent, as if he were commenting on something completely unrelated to himself.

"He didn't agree with my battle plan; he agreed with me as a person."

Zhao Pengcheng felt a chill run down his spine and instantly understood the key to it.

Chang Ruiyuan dared not authorize Qiu Qingquan because he feared that Qiu Qingquan, this "firecracker," would really explode, triggering a diplomatic crisis that he could not control, and Qiu Qingquan could not bear that responsibility.

But he dared to authorize Chu Yunfei because he trusted Chu Yunfei's judgment and control.

More importantly, if a problem arises, he can easily shift the blame to Chu Yunfei, the chief consultant of the military training department who is "in the field".

This is both delegating power and shirking responsibility.

Success is the credit of Shancheng, failure is Chu Yunfei's responsibility.

"The Chairman's telegram has more to come."

Zhao Pengcheng pointed to the lower half of the telegram.

Chu Yunfei nodded; he had already seen it.

In the latter part of the telegram, Chang Ruiyuan raised another matter in a consultative tone.

He planned to transfer the 92nd Army, which had previously ventured deep into Shandong alone and ultimately suffered defeat, from the southern Shandong battlefield back to the First War Zone for rest and replenishment.

He specifically sought Chu Yunfei's opinion on this matter.

“Bring Li Xianzhou back,” Zhao Pengcheng pondered. “This is a good thing; it also gives this direct descendant of Huangpu a way out.”

“It’s more than just steps.” Chu Yunfei’s gaze fell on Shandong on the map again, his eyes filled with pity. “Li Xianzhou, this pawn, has long been drained dry in that war-torn land of Shandong.”

As a key pawn planted in Shandong by Chang Ruiyuan, Li Xianzhou's situation can be described as extremely difficult.

He not only had to confront the frenzied encirclement and suppression by the Japanese army and puppet troops head-on, but also had to be constantly on guard against and was ordered to engage in friction with the increasingly powerful Eighth Route Army in the area.

Fighting on three fronts, attacked from both sides.

It is truly remarkable that his 92nd Army has managed to hold out until now, with only half its troops remaining and very little ammunition left.

The hasty retreat is indeed a last resort.

"Chief Advisor, what is our opinion?" "Agreed." Chu Yunfei's answer was without any hesitation: "Of course we agree. This is in the interests of all parties."

He looked at Zhao Pengcheng and began to analyze in detail: "For the Chairman, he preserved the bloodline of a core force, which can be considered as giving Li Xianzhou an explanation. For Li Xianzhou, this is like pulling him out of hell. But for us..."

Chu Yunfei paused, then lightly tapped the map with his finger.

"A crippled elite force arrives in North China, hoping to recover its strength. Who can it rely on?"

"He can only rely on us; the mountain city has no spare capacity to replenish the 92nd Army."

Zhao Pengcheng suddenly realized, and his admiration for the chief consultant's foresight grew even stronger.

"Furthermore," Chu Yunfei pointed to the last line of the telegram, "the Chairman is still asking about the reorganization plan for the 15th Army Group."

The 15th Army Group, Commander-in-Chief He Zhuguo.

The 92nd Army was nominally under the command of the 15th Group Army.

Chu Yunfei was familiar with this name.

A veteran of the Northeast Army and a former subordinate of Zhang Xueliang.

One of the staunch supporters of the anti-Japanese national united front.

In the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, he fought alongside the Eighth Route Army several times and personally participated in the fierce battles of Xinkou and Taiyuan.

Although Chu Yunfei had never directly interacted with him, there were many rumors circulating in the military about this veteran general of the Northeast Army.

In particular, the "Letter to All Soldiers" that circulated widely in the army was filled with simple and sincere patriotism and was mentioned in many war history books.

In Chu Yunfei's impression, this was a general who could be classified as a "patriotic warlord".

Moreover, this person is quite sensible, which makes things easier.

Chu Yunfei had made up his mind.

"Responding to the call."

He turned to Zhao Pengcheng and gave him orders, his thoughts clear and his words concise.

"First, regarding Qiu Qingquan's department, I am already aware of the Chairman's intentions, and Brother Yu'an will certainly not fail in his trust."

"Secondly, regarding Li Xianzhou's troops, I will do my utmost to provide them with convenience and supplies, and suggest that they go to the rear for reorganization and training in preparation for their arrival."

"third."

Chu Yunfei paused, his tone becoming solemn: "The reorganization plan for the 15th Army Group is of great importance. To show respect and to formulate the most practical plan, I will personally go to Luoyang on a chosen day to discuss it in detail with General He Zhuguo."

"Yes!"

Zhao Pengcheng quickly wrote it down and turned to leave.

Once again, only Chu Yunfei remained in the office.

British India, Imphal Front Command.

The dry winter winds whipped up the red soil outside the camp, bringing a dry and hot atmosphere.

Commander Sir Harold Alexander was more agitated than by the weather.

He had long harbored resentment towards the group of Chinese stationed on the other side of the border.

The entirety of Myanmar, which should have been the glorious territory of the British Empire, is now occupied by these yellow-skinned soldiers, who are keeping them firmly outside.

A British Army captain, an intelligence officer, strode in, his boots making a heavy thud on the wooden floor.

He snapped his heels together.

"Commander, the advance company G of the 1st Division reports that, following your instructions, they have once again conducted a 'close-up observation' of the Chinese checkpoint in front of them."

"Oh?" Alexander took a sip of his drink, without even lifting his eyelids. "Are those Chinese still hiding behind sandbags like dried-up lizards, just like before?"

“No, General.” The captain’s expression was somewhat strange. “This time, they…they fired their guns.”

Alexander's hand, holding the wine glass, paused in mid-air for a moment.

The captain continued his report: "They not only fired warning shots, but also sent an English-speaking translator to sternly reprimand our men through a loudspeaker, claiming that they should not approach within 200 meters of the checkpoint unless absolutely necessary, otherwise they would consider it an armed provocation and retaliate in self-defense."

"Ha~"

Alexander let out a short, contemptuous sneer.

He slowly put down his wine glass, stood up, and walked to the map.

"Self-defense retaliation? A bunch of peasants who barely managed to stand on their own two feet with American aid dare to talk about 'retaliation' in front of the army of the British Empire?"

This British nobleman general, who always valued "gentlemanly dignity," felt that his authority had been challenged like never before.

"Tell the commander of G Company!" Alexander's voice suddenly turned icy, and a rage ignited in his blue eyes. "I order them to keep advancing! I want to see if these 'sick men of East Asia' really have the guts to fire the first shot at my men!"

"General!" the captain exclaimed in alarm. "This could trigger a full-scale armed conflict!"

“Conflict?” A cruel smile curled at the corner of Alexander’s lips. “That’s exactly what we need!”

Don't forget, their best commanders are currently bogged down in the war in North China!
We must seize this opportunity to teach these arrogant country bumpkins a lesson and show them who the true masters of this land are!

"Yes!"

……

The order was quickly relayed to the front lines.

The British and Indian soldiers of G Company, under the officer's reprimand, picked up their rifles again and hesitantly took another step forward.

Inside the checkpoint, the Nationalist army company commander was hoarsely reporting the sudden emergency to his superiors over the phone.

However, less than three minutes had passed since the call ended.

A sharp, chilling whistling sound suddenly cut through the clear, cloudless sky above them!
It's the unique, death-scythe-like whistle of a heavy artillery shell cutting through the air!

The next second, the earth shook violently!

Dozens of shells, like Qiu Qingquan's furious iron fist, accurately smashed into the advancing G Company ranks!
"Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

The explosion was deafening!
The flames from the explosion mixed with the dry red soil, forming plumes of choking smoke that shot into the sky!

The hard red soil on the India-Myanmar border was plowed open by artillery shells in an instant, and countless shrapnel, mixed with soil and gravel, flew wildly in all directions!
The provocative British Indian troops didn't even have time to utter a proper cry of alarm before they were torn to shreds by this sudden storm of steel!

Severed limbs and twisted rifle parts were thrown into the air, then fell like rain of blood.

The Nationalist soldiers inside the checkpoint were also completely stunned by this sudden scene.

I never expected them to open fire right away!
Before they could react, Corps Commander Qiu Qingquan's order came through the phone again: "Give it your all! Reinforcements are just three kilometers away and will arrive within half an hour!"

"Yes, Commander Qiu, we guarantee we won't let a single British devil escape!"

Suddenly, gunfire erupted!

……

North China, command post.

When the first battle report was placed in front of Chu Yunfei, he was discussing the resettlement of Li Xianzhou's troops with Lin Wei.

"Chief Advisor, a battle has broken out on Commander Qiu's side."

Chu Yunfei nodded, his face calm and composed: "As expected."

Zhao Pengcheng looked at him strangely and quickly handed over the battle report in his hand.

When they saw the words "Our artillery opened fire first".

Chu Yunfei's brows finally furrowed slightly.

He knew that Qiu Qingquan would most likely make a mess of things.

But to everyone's surprise, he dared to use heavy artillery directly!

Chu Yunfei's mention of "artillery cover range" was intended to draw a line so that Qiu Qingquan would not suffer losses when attacked.

But he never expected that Qiu Qingquan, that madman, would take this bottom line as a license to fire heavy weapons!
"Brother Yu'an's nickname of 'madman' is really not for nothing."

Chu Yunfei put down the telegram and muttered something to himself.

Lin Wei took the telegram and his expression immediately changed: "This matter will likely have an extremely negative impact on both sides."

This attack completely ignited the powder keg!

The British were completely stunned and enraged!

Upon receiving the battle report that G Company had been almost completely wiped out, Alexander was so enraged that he smashed his beloved whiskey glass on the spot.

He roared and ordered the main force of four whole regiments to press towards the border!
What was originally just a low-intensity provocation.

In just one hour, it escalated into a border shootout that lasted a full six hours!
The fighting even spread to Wu Ziqiang's troops in the neighboring defense zone.

When Wu Ziqiang received the news, he was shocked and immediately ordered the entire army to assemble urgently, consult with the current commander of the expeditionary force, Du Yuming, and be ready to rush to Qiu Qingquan's aid at any time.

In an instant, the entire India-Myanmar border region was thrown into chaos!

……

Yangon, Allied Southeast Asia Joint Command.

Stilwell was speaking animatedly to a group of U.S. military staff officers, explaining his "perfect" border conflict mediation plan.

Just as he was getting into the story, an intelligence officer burst in, looking flustered.

"General! Something terrible has happened! The British and Indian border troops have started fighting!"

"What?" Stilwell was taken aback, then waved his hand impatiently: "It's just a minor skirmish, I'm already prepared..."

“It wasn’t a skirmish, General!” The intelligence officer’s voice trembled. “It was Chinese heavy artillery, covering an entire British company!”

Now, both sides have committed nearly ten thousand troops; they're practically fighting tooth and nail!

Stilwell was completely dumbfounded.

His face, which was always etched with stubbornness and acrimony, turned a deep liver color.

Before he, the US representative, could even offer any mediation plan!
Before he, the nominal "Chief of Staff of the Allied Far East Theater," could even demonstrate the attitude and authority that the powerful United States should have on behalf of the country!
The two sides have actually fought to this extent?!

An unprecedented and immense sense of humiliation and anger at being ignored instantly engulfed him!

"These bastards who have absolutely no regard for the big picture!"

Stilwell slammed his fist on the table and roared at everyone, "This is blatant disrespect to me, the Chief of the General Staff!" (End of Chapter)