Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Mountain city, command headquarters, operations conference room.

In stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the Japanese command headquarters.

There was an almost frenzied excitement permeating the air.

The news of the great victory at Xinyang greatly excited every senior officer present.

"That was great! That was a really good fight!"

"The Third Division was a regular elite unit of the Japanese army. To be able to annihilate it in this battle is a rare victory in the current situation."

Chang Ruiyuan sat quietly in the main seat, listening to the praise coming from all around him.

A long-lost, genuine smile appeared on his face.

But what he was thinking about at that moment was not the victory itself, but the key to creating this victory.

"Everyone."

Chang Ruiyuan spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it instantly drowned out all the noise.

He stood up and walked to the map.

Instead of looking at the arrows representing the army, he used his baton to draw a heavy circle in the sky above the map.

"The victory of our army in the Battle of Xinyang was certainly due to the bloody battles fought by the soldiers on the front lines." His gaze swept over everyone present, "But what truly sealed the deal?"

Before anyone could answer, Chang Ruiyuan gave his own answer.

"It's the Air Force! It's a squadron of B-25 bombers that we got from our American allies."

"Without them."

Chang Ruiyuan's tone became extremely solemn: "Without those heavy aerial bombs falling from the sky, even if we added two more corps, we might not have been able to take down Xinyang, this tough nut to crack!"

These words instantly silenced the previously noisy operations room.

"The Chairman is absolutely right!" Chen Cixiu was the first to stand up and express his agreement: "This battle has made me realize that in future wars, air superiority will be the key to victory or defeat!"

"I believe we should allocate more resources to the Air Force!"

"I second that! Our military must build a powerful bomber force. With the support of our American allies, as long as we build up our air force, we will surely continue to win in the upcoming battles."

The vast majority of generals expressed strong support for Chang Ruiyuan's idea.

however.

A few people, however, offered different opinions.

“Chairman,” Zhang Zhizhong slowly stood up, “the importance of the Air Force is self-evident.”

"But airplanes can never occupy land."

"In the end, it will still depend on our army soldiers to recover the lost territory inch by inch."

Bai Jiansheng nodded in agreement: "Brother Wenbai is right."

"While the Air Force can provide tremendous assistance, it cannot secure a decisive victory."

"Our current national strength is probably not enough to support a massive air force capable of fully confronting the Japanese invaders."

"The foundation remains in the army."

Chang Ruiyuan listened quietly without refuting, but in his heart, the seed of "decisive victory for the air force" had been completely planted.

"You all need to think about this matter carefully when you get back. We can discuss the follow-up construction of the National Revolutionary Army after this battle has settled down."

As the meeting ended, Zhang Wenbai was about to chase after them when he was stopped by Zhu Peiji, who was accompanying him: "Wenbai, the Chairman specifically instructed that you should get some rest after the meeting."

Zhang Wenbai sighed heavily: "Chairman..."

When Chang Ruiyuan returned to his office, he showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
At this moment, Chang Ruiyuan's voice was filled with an unprecedented eagerness: "Contact the US side immediately."

"Tell them we need more bombers!"

More aviation fuel! More planes!

Zhu Peiji hesitated slightly, but ultimately did not say the words.

Chang Ruiyuan was extremely excited.

He paced back and forth not far from Zhu Peiji, leaning on his cane.

Seeing this, Zhu Peiji was quite glad that he had kept his mouth shut.

"We have already tasted the fruits of victory."

A near-fanatical light gleamed in Chang Ruiyuan's eyes: "And now, we urgently need to continue developing our air force."
-
North China Joint Command Headquarters, Operations Conference Room.

An encrypted telegram from the Fifth War Zone Command was quietly delivered to the desk of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li Zongren by a cipher clerk.

He slowly unfolded the telegram, glanced at it, and the gentle smile on his face instantly froze, turning ashen.

The telegram contained very little.

Li Pinxian, in the name of the Fifth War Zone, "requested" the North China Joint Command for the emergency allocation of military rations, arguing that "after the recovery of Xinyang, everything is in need of reconstruction, and military rations are in dire need of attention."

How could he not know that the Guangxi Army's warehouses had enough grain to fight another major battle?

Li Pinxian didn't want grain.

He was using this method to assert his "sovereignty" over that land!
What made Commander Li feel even more embarrassed and indignant was the naked ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness behind the telegram.

Li Pinxian may treat the people like dirt, but he shouldn't be so blunt.

He's been in North China for so long.

Through constant exposure and influence.

How could anyone not know what Chu Yunfei and the entire North China military and political system valued most?
It's the will of the people!
They are the ordinary people struggling in the flames of war!

In North China, "not taking a single needle or thread from the masses" is not just empty talk, but an ironclad rule.

Even during the most difficult 42 years, large quantities of military supplies were needed on various battlefields.

Yet still, no one dared to touch the people's food rations or seed grains.

You should know that this is a serious crime punishable by immediate execution.

And what about Li Pinxian?
Even with his eyes closed, Li Zongren could recall all the rumors about his "capable lieutenant".

Using his position of power, he established commercial firms and banks in the names of his subordinates, extorting and plundering them, almost like scraping the land dry, accumulating astonishing wealth amidst the flames of war.

Previously.

In order to maintain the "autonomy" of the Guangxi clique and to survive under the suppression of Chang Ruiyuan.

Commander Li tacitly approved of all of this.

Because all the wealth and resources plundered from the people eventually became the guns, cannons, and provisions of the Guangxi clique troops, and became his capital in the struggle against Chongqing.

But it's different now.

When he made up his mind to put aside past grievances and prepare to join hands with this emerging force in North China, he was only asking for trouble and digging a hole for himself.

The premise of not holding past offenses accountable is that similar problems will not occur again.

Li Pinxian's telegram was like a resounding slap across his face!
This is not just a provocation against Chu Yunfei.

It is also challenging the resolve he has just made.

This is shaking the very foundation upon which the new Guangxi clique has established itself on this new land!
Commander Li even suspected that Bai Jiansheng was behind this.

Did Bai Jiansheng reach any secret agreement with Chang Ruiyuan?
Commander Li could imagine: once Chu Yunfei, and those young generals in North China who couldn't tolerate any wrongdoing, knew that the Fifth War Zone was actually watching the people starve to death on the liberated land while begging for food from outside.
Li Pinxian will definitely not stay in the Fifth War Zone peacefully.

The Inspectorate will definitely target Li Pinxian.

The new Guangxi clique has always been a thorn in the side of Chongqing, so where will it be placed?
No!

This must never be allowed to happen!
Commander Li, who had been frowning in thought, suddenly opened his eyes.

Those eyes now held only a cold, resolute determination!

He quickly got up, grabbed the telegram, and without even having time to explain to his adjutant, strode straight to the confidential room of the North China Joint Command.

Liu Tao, the director of the confidential office, was full of surprise when he saw the newly appointed deputy commander-in-chief come in person.

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li, what brings you here?"

"I want to draft the telegram myself!"

Without wasting any words, Commander Li sat down directly in front of the telegraph machine: "Please have Director Liu send this message."

Since Liu Tao was asked to post it, there was no intention to keep it a secret.

It was also to show his attitude.

"The people of Xinyang are also my compatriots."

"At this moment of liberation, the most important task is to appease the people!"

"I order you to immediately allocate some grain and fodder from the military reserves to provide priority relief to the disaster victims!"

"We must ensure that the tragedy of widespread starvation never happens again!"

"This is a military order, and it must not be violated!"

After sending the telegram.

Commander Li nodded slightly to Liu Tao: "Is it ready?"

"It has already been sent out, Commander Li."

"It's troublesome."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, Commander Li, thank you for your hard work."

Commander Li himself knew this.

A military order may not be able to change Li Pinxian's deep-rooted warlord mentality.

He decisively took the embarrassing "request for food" telegram.

He turned and headed toward Chief of Staff Lin Wei's office.

This matter is no longer a "domestic affair" for his Guangxi clique.

He had to take the initiative to bring this issue to the forefront in North China.

At least the Guangxi clique's combat troops could not be left without replenishment after their military rations were allocated.

Otherwise, how would they maintain their strategic posture in the upcoming battles?

"Duke De..."

"Chief of Staff Lin."

Commander Li handed over the telegram, his face full of sorrow and self-reproach, saying, "I'm sorry to have made my colleagues in North China laugh at me."

Lin Wei frowned slightly after reading the telegram, but did not show much surprise.

Commander Li looked at him, his tone extremely sincere: "I have already forwarded the true situation of the people of Xinyang suffering from the disaster, as well as Pinxian's foolish actions, to the front lines. I also intend to report this matter to the General Headquarters to see if relief grain can be allocated and relevant disaster areas can be designated for relief work."

Lin Wei nodded in agreement without hesitation: "This matter should indeed be reported as soon as possible, but it would be best to also hear Chief Consultant Chu's opinion."

Commander Li nodded: "In that case, why don't we send a joint telegram to inquire about this matter?"

"it is good."

Fifth War Zone, Laohekou Command Headquarters.

The atmosphere in the operations room should have been relaxed after the news of the great victory at Xinyang.

However, at this moment, there was no trace of joy of victory on the face of acting commander-in-chief Li Pinxian.

He held the telegram that had just been sent from North China, his fingers trembling slightly with confusion.

"We must ensure that the tragedy of widespread starvation never happens again! This is a military order, and there must be no deviation!"

"Snapped."

He gently placed the telegram on the table, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

"What does De Gong mean by this?"

Upon hearing the sound, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Zhang Yichun walked over, picked up the telegram, glanced at it, and his expression instantly turned serious.

“Chief.” He lowered his voice, a hint of unease in his tone, “Duke De’s attitude is very stern. This wording doesn’t sound like a normal reprimand.”

“I know it’s strict.” Li Pinxian paced back and forth in front of the map, his mind a jumble of confusion. “But what did I do wrong? I’m preserving the strength of the Guangxi clique and protecting the Fifth War Zone for them. Isn’t that right?”
Are the lives of those civilians in Xinyang more important than the lives of our Guangxi soldiers?

He stopped, turned around, and stared intently at Zhang Yichun, as if trying to find the answer in the other's face: "Isn't my request for grain from North China also to lighten our own burden?"

Haven't we always done it this way before?

Why did Lord De get so angry this time? "That's the problem!" Zhang Yichun stamped his feet anxiously. "Sir, times have changed! Lord De is now in North China; what he sees is different from what we see!"

"Our telegram requesting grain requisition"

He paused, then lowered his voice even further, "That telegram will ultimately end up in Chu Yunfei's hands!"

"Think about it, if Chu Yunfei knew, we would rather watch the people of Xinyang starve to death than not ask him for grain."

What will he think?

"How should Lord De conduct himself in North China?!"

"Commander, don't forget, he indirectly controls the North China Inspectorate, which has enormous power to monitor all military and political officials!"

Li Pinxian's expression changed.

A chill ran up his spine.

Only then did he belatedly realize that he seemed to have stirred up a huge hornet's nest.

In the new political environment, sticking to old practices has become a terrible mistake!
"Now I feel like it's too late to do anything. I was blinded by the victory at Xinyang and did something incredibly stupid!"

Li Pinxian's voice carried a hint of panic that he himself was unaware of.

"This telegram from the Duke of De is probably more than just a reprimand."

Zhang Yichun calmly analyzed, "It's more like a warning; he's definitely giving us a chance to make amends."

"Moreover, given Lord De's status, the North China side will definitely give you face before you make any major mistakes, General."

Yes.

After all, he was the leader of the new Guangxi clique.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the North China Joint Command.

Li Pinxian took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Yes, to make amends.

He walked to the telegraph machine, and speaking to the clerk in an unprecedentedly serious tone, said, "Reply!"

He paused, carefully choosing his words.

"Just say that the Fifth War Zone will resolutely carry out the orders from the North China Front!"

"Before the Battle of Xinyang, the transportation of grain and fodder in the rear of Anhui was not smooth due to the weather, so the inventory was not large."

"Even so, our department will overcome all difficulties and immediately open the granaries to distribute food for disaster relief!"

After sending this reply, which was meant to explain, Li Pinxian did not feel relieved at all.

He looked at Zhang Yichun and said in a dry voice, "The Hubei-North Front Command must have seen that telegram requesting grain. Is it too late to do this now?"

"It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost."

Zhang Yichun said in a deep voice, "Commander, what we need to do now is not just to distribute grain."

"We must make a proper show of our sincerity, so that North China, Chu Yunfei, and especially De Gong can see it!"

A glint of light flashed in Li Pinxian's eyes.

That makes a lot of sense; at the very least, we need to be mindful of our posture.

"Give me the order!"

Li Pinxian said to his adjutant, "Have each army draw half a battalion from the supply battalion directly under the army headquarters to form the 'Xinyang Post-War Reconstruction Working Group.' You will personally lead the team and set off immediately!"

"Have Qin Guoliang cooperate with you to set up soup kitchens all over the city and surrounding villages and towns."

"We must ensure that every starving person can drink the hot porridge made by our Guangxi soldiers!"

Li Pinxian paused, then added a sentence, as if speaking to Zhang Yichun, yet also as if speaking to herself.

"We have to keep performing this play, and we have to perform it better than anyone else."

In fact.

Chu Yunfei had no time to read the telegrams forwarded by the Fifth War Zone Command regarding "people's livelihood" and "disaster relief."

That morning at the Hubei-North Front Command Post, Chu Yunfei had already completed the pursuit plan for the Guangxi Army's combat forces.

However, the joy of the victory at Xinyang, like the sunshine after the rain, briefly illuminated the oppressive frontline command post, but was soon replaced by new dark clouds.

Surprisingly, the main forces of the Guangxi clique all refused the order to pursue, citing excessive casualties and the urgent need for replenishment.

At this moment, Chu Yunfei's entire attention was fixed on that huge battle map.

On the three-dimensional combat map, he could clearly see that the organization of the Japanese army's Nogo Detachment was rapidly declining.

As if affected by the remnants of the 3rd Division, their marching speed dropped to six kilometers per hour.

At this speed, the main force of the Guangxi clique will definitely be able to catch up!

Beating a drowning dog to a pulp was Chu Yunfei's only thought at that moment!
"Pengcheng, send another telegram to the Seventh Army!" Chu Yunfei's voice was like a taut bowstring, full of urgency and decisiveness: "Order Zhang Gan not to linger in Xinyang, but to immediately organize the main force and head south at full speed to pursue them!"

"We must keep a close watch on the remnants of the Japanese army and not give them any chance to catch their breath!"

However, less than half an hour after the telegram was sent, the Seventh Army's reply was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, igniting his anger.

“Your Excellency.” Zhao Pengcheng held the translated telegram, his face somewhat grim. “Zhang Gan of the Seventh Army has replied, stating that the casualties from the assault were heavy, the officers and soldiers are exhausted, and the main force urgently needs a day of rest. Pursuit troops have been dispatched to pursue them. In addition, the roads in the war zone are muddy, and the Japanese army has abandoned a large amount of heavy equipment and is fleeing lightly equipped, which may make it difficult to catch up.”

"Unable to catch up?!"

Chu Yunfei snatched the telegram, glanced at it, and then slammed it heavily onto the map.

The paper fluttered in the air, much like the raging anger surging within him.

"fart!"

"Significant casualties?"

"Muddy roads? That's just an excuse!"

"Does anyone think Zhang Gan's little scheme is invisible?"

"They've won the battle, so they want to stop and reap the rewards, and consolidate their territory!"

Zhao Pengcheng immediately suggested, "Sir, should we send a telegram to Commander Li and have him issue an order?"

"By the time we get here, it's all too late. I'll teach those sons of bitches warlords a lesson they won't forget!"

Chu Yunfei was extremely angry and immediately lost his temper, uttering a curse.

After Tang Enbo was pulled off his horse.

Chu Yunfei rarely swears anymore.

These Guangxi clique generals are a first.

Almost at the same time, another reply from the 39th Army arrived.

The content is exactly the same.

Zhao Pengcheng and Pang Junming exchanged a glance, both seeing the same helplessness and anger in each other's eyes.

Once they win, they want to stop and divide the spoils, consolidating their territory.

If they lose, they will be completely routed.

When not at war, they would maintain a peaceful standoff, but they would exploit the local people.

This is the norm for local military units.

That's why they're called the "Kuomintang" troops; after all, the disciplined Central Army's elite troops are a minority.

This kind of rotten mud is what most of the Nationalist army consisted of.

Just when Chu Yunfei's mood was at its lowest point.

On a three-dimensional combat map.

One unit, like an arrow released from a bow, decisively pursued southward.

It instantly attracted Chu Yunfei's attention.

He unfolded the telegram, and a barely perceptible, approving smile finally appeared on his tense face.

It was the troops of Lin Maohua, the commander of the Provisional 51st Division.

Although their combat strength was reduced to less than 4,500 men.

But after receiving Chu Yunfei's order, there was no excuse or shirking of responsibility.

Instead, it was executed immediately.

This instantly brought Chu Yunfei a great deal of relief.

Not long after, a telegram arrived from the Provisional 51st Division.

The telegram was concise and powerful: "The department completed a brief rest at 10:00 a.m. today."

"We are now leading our troops south at full speed to pursue and annihilate the remaining enemy forces!"

Chu Yunfei gently placed the telegram on top of the other reply telegrams, as if making a silent comparison.

He muttered to himself, "Good, very good."

The main force of the Guangxi clique thought they could get away with simply sending symbolic troops to pursue them.

Little did they know that Chu Yunfei could see their actions clearly on the three-dimensional combat map.

Although the senior commanders of the Guangxi clique carried out the orders, it was all symbolic.

They either dispatched a regiment or a battalion.

The main force remained stationary to rest and regroup, with no intention of pursuing the enemy.

at the same time.

Telegrams from the Sixth War Zone were also arriving in succession.

Chu Yunfei received telegrams almost non-stop.

It wasn't until 4 p.m. that he saw the telegram from the North China Joint Command.

Since it wasn't an urgent telegram, Zhao Pengcheng didn't take it to heart.

After dealing with the urgent telegrams at hand, this telegram, along with subsequent telegrams, was handed to Chu Yunfei.

"Sir, Chief of Staff Lin contacted the Eighth and Second War Zones thirty minutes ago, requesting the allocation of some provisions for support..."

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow: "Doesn't the Fifth War Zone have any explanation?"

"Commander Li called an hour ago. They have allocated about 40,000 catties of military rations and 10,000 catties of wheat bran for disaster relief. Considering that there may be fierce battles ahead, in order to avoid affecting the combat effectiveness of the troops, they hope that the corresponding rations can be transferred from other places as soon as possible."

"Send a telegram back to the Fifth War Zone to inquire about the current exact figures for grain reserves in the entire Fifth War Zone, and also send a telegram to the General Headquarters to inquire about the figures they have received from the higher-ups."

"Yes!"

Just as Chu Yunfei was paying attention to the situation in western Hubei and had found the weak point in the Japanese defenses, he planned to launch a micro-operation attack by the 74th Army.

Zhao Pengcheng returned again.

Half an hour later: "Your Excellency, I have just received good news. The front line in northern Hubei has successfully advanced thirty kilometers southward."

"Oh?"

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow and then turned his attention back to the front-line battlefield in northern Hubei.

Four thousand people, three regiments, including about a thousand new recruits.

As if unstoppable, they chased and beat the Japanese devils.

The Japanese army seemed to have no will to fight, only thinking about preserving their manpower, and lost all the pre-arranged positions along the way without any defense.

Just as Lin Maohua stated in his telegram: "Our troops pursued along the way, and the enemy offered almost no real resistance, fleeing south all the way."

"Our army has successfully advanced the battle line 30 kilometers southward."

Soldiers are very fast!
In this quagmire filled with shirking responsibility and excuses.

Lin Maohua and his not-so-elite troops proved what a true soldier is through their resolute actions!

Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Yunfei immediately beckoned to Zhao Pengcheng: "Send a telegram to the Chairman in my name."

"I told you that I had discovered a talented general in the 21st Army Group of the Guangxi Clique and wanted to recommend him."

"This man acted decisively and fearlessly in the battle to overcome Xinyang and the subsequent pursuit, and he embodied the spirit of 'attack' of our army."

"Although his troops were poorly equipped, they were able to overcome difficulties and fought with great prowess."

"Such fierce and resourceful generals should be entrusted with important responsibilities; they should not be wasted on a 'temporary' army." (End of Chapter)