Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Tokyo, Imperial Palace, Fukiage Gyoen.

Behind the heavy chrysanthemum-patterned curtain, the locust's figure remained blurry yet majestic.

In front of the curtain.

Chief of the General Staff Gen Sugiyama stood with an almost humble posture, bowing respectfully.

In his hands lay a newly released assessment report on China strategy; those few thin pages seemed to carry an immense weight.

“Your Majesty,” Sugiyama Gen’s voice was dry and weary, “regarding ‘Operation No. 5,’ namely the Sichuan offensive operation plan, I believe it is no longer possible to implement.”

He slowly laid bare the cruel reality before Tianhuang.

"Originally, the General Headquarters had considered that, given the overall situation of the China Expeditionary Army, launching an offensive in Sichuan would be advantageous in order to force the Chongqing regime to quickly submit."

To this end, we have formulated relevant plans, strengthened some facilities, and made necessary operational preparations.

“But,” his voice paused, becoming even more strained, “given the current grim situation both inside and outside the Empire, especially the development of the Soviet-German war, the situation in the South Pacific, and the national strength, particularly the situation of shipping, it seems impossible to carry out this operation in Showa 18 (1943), whether from the perspective of following war guidelines or from a purely operational standpoint.”

Clearly, the Great Japan, for which Sugiyama Gen had given everything, had lost its last chance to achieve a decisive victory on the Chinese battlefield.

Not only are they unable to extricate themselves from this quagmire, but they have also lost even the chance to win.

Sugiyama Gen didn't spell it out too clearly, but the implication was self-evident.

However, the locust behind the curtain did not seem to fully understand the despair behind the report.

His thoughts were still immersed in another illusory "victory".

"Sugiyama-kun," Tianhuang's emotionless voice slowly rang out, "Hasn't the Nanjing government already declared war on Britain and the United States?"

"Isn't this a good start?"

Yes, at the very beginning of 1943, Wang Jingwei, representing his Nanjing puppet government, declared war on the Allied powers, including Britain and the United States, in a meticulously planned ceremony.

This was a carefully planned move by the headquarters in order to extricate itself from the "endless" battlefield in China.

Its core strategy was to gradually "localize" this war of aggression by supporting proxy regimes, so as to achieve the so-called "using war to support war" and "using Chinese to control Chinese," thereby freeing up the valuable military forces of the fraternal country and investing them in the more critical Pacific theater.

This so-called "Greater East Asia Military Force" was to recruit more people from Japanese-occupied areas and incorporate them into the ranks of the Locust Army and the Peace and National Construction Army, making them serve the empire.

To this end, the General Headquarters even put forward an untimely propaganda policy aimed at "winning the hearts and minds of the Chinese military and civilians and achieving close cooperation between China and Japan."

However, this idea was immediately rejected by all the senior generals who had led the invasion of China.

In their reply, Hata Shunroku, Okamura Yasuji, and others pointed out without reservation.

This is utterly empty talk and a complete lack of understanding of the actual situation in the occupied areas and the Chongqing government!

How could an aggressor simultaneously regard China as a colony that can be plundered at will, while also shouting slogans such as "End colonialism" and "coexistence and prosperity"?
Who can be fooled by this self-contradictory argument?

Ultimately, the grand concept of "the will of the Chinese people" was helplessly confined to an extremely narrow and tragic scope—that is, the "will of the people" of the current Wang Jingwei regime.

All previous attempts at political inducement and military intimidation aimed at dividing and disintegrating the Chongqing government have failed.

It seems that this is the only political card the Japanese government can play now.

……

Eleventh Army, Puqi Forward Command Post.

Unlike the vague political fantasies of Tokyo.

The atmosphere here is as real and cruel as blood and fire.

Commander Yokoyama Isamu stared grimly at the battle summary previously reported by the frontline troops.

The words above, like steel needles, stung his eyes.

"...On the morning of the 22nd, the battalion encountered fierce resistance from the enemy at Luojiaqiao, and four men, including Lieutenant Yoshitaka Oi, the first company commander, were killed in action..."

"...Subsequently, at around 10:00 AM, the battalion attacked the Yijiaji fortress, which was not covered with mats...Initially, the First Company was tasked with the attack, but seven men, including a probationary sergeant, were killed in action, and the attack failed."

The battle reports, when pieced together, revealed a harsh reality: their offensive, though seemingly swift, came at a bloody cost with every step forward!
The Chinese army's will to resist far exceeded their expectations!
Now, even worse news has arrived, plunging the entire battle into a state of utter chaos.

Under the proactive attack of the Guangxi Clique troops in the Fifth War Zone, the fragile "tacit understanding" between them and the Japanese army was completely shattered.

The Japanese army's defense line in northern Hubei is in dire need of attention!
This means that Yokoyama Isamu's 11th Army not only had to face possible counterattacks from the main force of the Sixth War Zone, but also had to be constantly on guard against the Guangxi Clique's "steel army" that had broken out from the Dabie Mountains.

Will they be like a sharp knife, stabbing viciously into the flank of the 11th Army?

No one can tell.

Most importantly, they couldn't even figure out why the Guangxi clique would save Wang Jinzai's troops, who were only superficially aligned with the Chongqing government.

Why would the Guangxi clique break their tacit understanding and choose to leave their long-established "mountain base" to engage in a meaningless battle with them?
Yokoyama Isamu couldn't understand it.

His troops were also caught in a dilemma, unable to extricate themselves from the predicament.

If he were to continue his fierce attack on the remaining enemy forces in the Fengkou area at this point, and annihilate them at great cost, then his already exhausted troops would likely be caught in a pincer movement by the Guangxi Clique and reinforcements from the Sixth War Zone in the following battles, suffering heavy losses.

However, if he did not continue the attack and instead withdrew his troops, then this "Jiangbei Annihilation Battle," in which he had staked his entire reputation, would end hastily and in a dismal fashion.

The 11th Army, already demoralized by repeated defeats, will inevitably become even more demoralized after this battle, and will no longer be able to launch any decent offensive.

"Your Excellency Commander!"

Chief of Staff Major General Takeji Shimano walked quickly to the map.

His face was also filled with anxiety, but his eyes revealed a ruthless glint.

"Now, we can no longer limit our focus to Wang Jinzai's remnants!" He pointed to the Guangxi clique's arrowhead on the map, which was rapidly advancing south from the north. "Instead of passively waiting to be attacked from both sides, we should take the initiative!"

A fierce glint flashed in Yokoyama Isamu's eyes; Shimanobu Takeji's thoughts were exactly what he was thinking now.

Shimano Takeji continued, "I suggest that we immediately shift our operational target from Wang Jinzai's troops to this prominent Guangxi clique force—Zhang Gan's 7th Army!"

"Concentrate our main force and, with overwhelming force, defeat them first, or even severely damage them!"

"Once we eliminate the Guangxi Army, the biggest threat, then Wang Jinzai's remaining forces will be nothing more than turtles in a jar!"

"The initiative in the entire battle will then be back in our hands!"

This is a bold and risky suggestion.

Yokoyama Isamu's heart skipped a beat!
He stared intently at the map, his mind racing.

A few minutes later, he slammed his hand on the table!
"The Jianghan Plain has already fallen under our control. If we can annihilate the main force of the Guangxi clique in China, then this will be a glorious victory."

"Alright! That's what we'll do!"

Yokoyama Isamu's face was full of determination: "Immediately report the new battle plan to the General Headquarters of the Expeditionary Army!"

……

Nanjing, the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army.

Inside the operations room, the "extended operations" plan submitted by Yokoyama Isamu, which aimed to extend the war to the Guangxi clique, had been officially approved.

The red arrows representing the movements of the main Japanese forces were rearranged on the map, forming a new net that was about to sweep towards northern Hubei.

However, the excitement of the initial victory in the heart of Commander-in-Chief General Hata Shunroku had gradually cooled, and what replaced it was a lingering sense of confusion.

He couldn't understand it. Hata Shunroku really couldn't understand why the Yamashiro government would care so much about this general named Wang Jinzai and his 128th Division.

They were even willing to disrupt the balance of the entire Central China front in order to pull them out of their desperate situation.

This is completely contrary to the political norm of Chongqing government, which is characterized by numerous factions and infighting.

"Matsuda-kun."

Hata Shunroku waved to Colonel Matsuda Takeshi, the intelligence chief of staff beside him.

"Hai!" Matsuda quickly stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

"Regarding that Wang Jinzai," Hata Shunroku's knuckles tapped lightly on the now-disorganized number of the 128th Division on the map, "how much does our intelligence department know about him?"

“Commander,” Matsuda said, his expression also showing a hint of confusion, “to be honest, we have always had very mixed feelings about this person.”

He took out a pre-prepared file from his folder and respectfully handed it over.

"After Wang Jinzai led his troops into the Jianghan Plain Delta region, their behavior was more like that of an independent warlord's armed force than a regular army of the Chongqing government."

Matsuda began to give a detailed report, while Hata Shunroku listened and flipped through the files in his hands, his brows furrowing more and more.

"He expanded his power in this area, using infighting to absorb a large number of guerrilla forces and other local armed groups, and established a system that resembled an independent regime."

"They not only levied taxes and conscripted soldiers on their own, but they even set up arsenals and mints within their own defense zones!"

"So much so that his 128th Division, on the Jianghan Plain, was like a solid, impenetrable independent kingdom."

Hata Shunroku raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion: "So, this person should be outwardly friendly but inwardly estranged from the Chongqing government, or even disloyal. Why would Chongqing go to such lengths to rescue him?"

This is precisely the most illogical part of the whole incident.

Logically speaking, the Yamashiro side should be eager to use the younger brother country to get rid of such an uncontrollable "troublemaker".

The name Wang Jingzai seems to have appeared several times in past battle reports. What kind of person is he?

He continued to peruse the file, the words on it painting a more complex and violent picture.

"Wang Jinzai was a violent man who came from the Northwest Army and served as a brigade commander in Yang Hucheng's Shaanxi Army."

"In 1935, they fought a fierce battle with the Communist Red Army in southern Shaanxi, and the two sides had a blood feud."

Upon seeing this, Hata Shunroku thought to himself, "So that's how it is. He has a grudge against the Communists. This does fit Chongqing's criteria for hiring people."

"At the same time, he was also one of the main participants in the Xi'an Incident."

Upon seeing this, Hata Shunroku's pupils constricted sharply.

"What?!" he couldn't help but exclaim. "He was involved in the Xi'an Incident?"

"Hai." Matsuda quickly explained, "According to our intelligence personnel who have infiltrated the upper echelons of Chongqing, Wang Jinzai was indeed Yang Hucheng's trusted lieutenant and was deeply involved in that mutiny."

This is precisely why a huge rift always existed between him and Chang Ruiyuan of Shancheng; they were practically estranged.

Hata Shunroku was completely confused.

Why would the mountain city government save a general with a "historical problem" with the supreme leader and a warlord who runs an "independent kingdom" on his own territory?
The next page of the file records a series of unbelievable "misdeeds" committed by Wang Jinzai.

"This unit was briefly incorporated into Tang Enbo's Central Army, but he not only executed all the political officers who had been placed there by Chongqing on some pretext, but he also ordered the liaison officers sent by neighboring friendly forces to be buried alive over a minor argument!"

He even publicly declared: "I, Wang Jinzai, would rather serve under Li Zongren in Guangxi than submit to Chang Ruiyuan in Chongqing!"

When Hata Shunroku saw this, he felt like his head was about to explode.

This is a complete, unruly war maniac!

"For a man like this, it's already a great favor that Yamashiro didn't kill him. How could they possibly send their elite forces to rescue him? There must be a reason behind this that we don't know about!" A flash of inspiration struck Hata Shunroku.

Could it be Chu Yunfei?

its not right.

The Fifth War Zone was the Guangxi Clique's private territory, a product of compromise between Chongqing and the Guangxi Clique.

How could Chu Yunfei, a general from the Jin clique and a direct descendant of the Central Army, possibly command the direct descendant of the Guangxi clique?

Giving him a token amount of support to save face is one thing, but it's even less likely that they would mobilize their main combat forces to move south.

But what if Chu Yunfei personally went to the front lines to command the battle?
Thinking of this, Hata Shunroku broke out in a cold sweat.

Damn it, it's Chu Yunfei again?

Is Yokoyama Yuichiro a match for Chu Yunfei?

Difficult, difficult, difficult. This battle to annihilate the enemy north of the Yangtze River is likely to end badly again.

Or should we order a halt to the attack?
Having already occupied the Jianghan Plain, even halting the offensive at this point could be considered a symbolic tactical victory.

Just now.

Matsuda's voice pulled him back to reality, and his tone carried a hint of undeniable admiration: "However, as a soldier, Wang Jingzai has never been ambiguous in his stance on fighting against our army."

He led his troops in the Battle of Xuzhou and the Battle of Wuhan.

Their troops were among the most courageous and tenacious in their fighting against our army, making them second to none among the enemy forces they faced.

Hata Shunroku slowly closed the file.

An image gradually became clear in his mind.

A fierce, unruly, and alienated man from the mountain city, yet resolutely resisting the Japanese invasion.

"Would you rather seek refuge with Li Zongren?"

A thought suddenly popped into Hata Shunroku's mind—a thought that he himself found somewhat absurd, yet seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Wang Jingzai has already established his own independent kingdom in the Jianghan Plain.”

"He had soldiers, food, and territory; he was practically a local tyrant."

"But now that his stronghold has been destroyed by our army, he has become a stray dog. Under such circumstances, why doesn't he move closer to the main force of the Sixth War Zone, which is just a stone's throw away, instead of going to the Fifth War Zone in the north to break through?"

The more Hata Shunroku thought about it, the clearer it became: "He's not trying to break out; he's trying to join Li Zongren."

"He knew he had a grudge against the mountain city, and even if he returned to the Sixth War Zone, he would inevitably be annexed and purged."

Staff Officer Matsuda summarized it in one sentence: "Therefore, he chose to join Li Delin, the leader of the Guangxi clique who had always been at odds with the mountain city side. In order to win over Wang Jinzai, a fierce general, and his troops, which were crippled but still had considerable fighting power, Li Delin did not hesitate to break the tacit understanding with our army in the Dabie Mountains and brazenly sent troops to support him!"

This reasoning perfectly explains all the illogical parts of the whole incident!
This explains why Wang Jinzai chose what seemed to be the most dangerous escape route.

This explains why the Guangxi clique troops in the Fifth War Zone suddenly changed their usual approach and launched an attack on them!
Wang Jinzai's choice was forced upon him by the complex and intense factional struggles within the Shancheng government.

scare yourself!
"They actually dragged the entire Central China front into the war just to fight for a remnant of the army!"

Hata Shunroku muttered to himself, "Foolish! But also terrifying!"

He seemed to have already foreseen the next step in the battle: the Guangxi clique, in order to demonstrate its strength and win over Wang Jinzai, would undoubtedly spare no effort in this support operation.

His Eleventh Army will have to face a mad tiger driven to the brink of despair and eager to defect to a new master, and a pack of hungry wolves that have mobilized their entire force to recruit this mad tiger!
Hata Shunroku abruptly stood up and gave Matsuda an urgent order: "Send a telegram to Yokoyama-kun, reminding him that the enemy we face possesses extremely strong fighting spirit, and instruct him to proceed with extreme caution in this operation, and not to underestimate the enemy or act rashly." (End of Chapter)