The Republic of China: A Letter of Appointment Creates the Most Powerful Warlord

"Victory has arrived from the Chuzhou heavy artillery positions. The Eagle Sauce First Fleet has been driven back by our fierce artillery fire. According to the latest battle reports from the front lines, three enemy warships were sunk and two were severely damaged. The command ship fled in panic and is no longer capable of fighting!"

"The First Corps has sent a request for battle. They have successfully established a defensive position fifty kilometers from Zhili Province and now want to turn and attack the Central Plains!"

"General Yao Kuanyi of the 23rd Army of the Fifth Corps, who are on the front lines of Zhijiang, are advancing at an extremely rapid pace. I have sent a telegram to headquarters requesting to fight in Zhijiang!"

"All rejected!"

Zhang Ye, who was having dinner, heard the successive calls for battle. He immediately slammed the table and stood up, his brow full of anger, and shouted angrily.

"Tell He Wei that the role of their First Corps is to guard Zhili Province and prevent small groups of troops from infiltrating and harassing the people of Donglu. They must not move!"

"And Yao Kuanyi from the 23rd Army, I want Zhijiang Province, not just him being a hero. If he can defeat Lu Yongxiang and the Minfu National Army within three days, I'll give him the position of Grand Marshal!"

"Report! News has arrived from Huishan. The 140,000-strong coalition forces from Feng's Qianhu and Zhongyuan provinces launched the first round of a general offensive half an hour ago. The Second Corps is fully engaged, engaging the enemy while continuously advancing. Commander-in-Chief Chang Rui has repeatedly stated that within 48 hours, they will penetrate the enemy camp!"

Battle reports were transmitted to Qizhou headquarters one after another, preventing Zhang Ye, who was having a meal, from taking a break.

After hearing the telegram sent back by the Second Corps, Zhang Ye was not happy but worried. He stared at the sand table in front of him for a long time without saying a word.

This scene made Lu Shan extremely puzzled. He came forward with his bowl of rice and tried to persuade him in a low voice.

"General, let's eat first. We can talk about these things after dinner."

"Ugh……"

Zhang Ye sighed softly when he heard this, and looked at the staff department who kept marking their own advance speed on the sand table, frowning and saying worriedly.

"You all heard the call to battle just now, right? It's only been a year, and look how crazy they are! They're all so cocky! The 23rd Army has only 30,000 troops, and they're going to attack Zhijiang Province alone. They really don't know their place!"

"Haha, Marshal, you really worry too much."

Hearing this, Lu Shan finally understood his concerns and chuckled to comfort him.

"Our ground assault force is already strong, and the heavy armored brigade is invincible. It's normal for our soldiers to be a little arrogant."

"It's no secret that pride comes before a fall. I'm afraid if I can't control my energy, chaos will break out."

Zhang Ye sat in front of the sand table like a sculpture, staring at the virtual battlefield in front of him with somewhat empty eyes.

He lit a cigarette, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The white smoke instantly spread, blurring his slightly tired and anxious face.

As the smoke inhaled and exhaled, Zhang Ye's thoughts gradually dissipated like the smoke.

He knew very well that his brothers had been holding back for a long time, and now that the war had come, they were all eager to try, wanting to make great achievements in this legion battle and get the opportunity to be promoted.

This determination and courage to achieve success is certainly commendable, but if this emotion is allowed to continue to ferment without guidance and control, it will probably cause some unexpected problems sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Zhang Ye couldn't help but frown. The cigarette in his hand burned faster and faster, and the ashes fell down piece by piece, as if telling of his inner uneasiness and worry.

"Marshal, I have a way that may be able to eliminate this problem."

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, Lu Shan hurriedly ran up to him and whispered a suggestion.

"They want to fight and get promoted, so let them fight!"

"Don't worry about Zhongyuan, Qianhu, Zhijiang or Jiangyou. As long as they are capable of conquering them, we will take them all!"

"This way, the soldiers' desire to achieve merit will be fulfilled, while also helping to gradually wear away their initial excitement during this brutal battle."

"That's what we say, but it's not easy to do it." Zhang Ye narrowed his eyes, rubbed the cigarette ash on his fingertips, and shook his head slightly: "The battle line is too long. At the current speed of advancement and consumption, if there is a problem with logistics supply, the heavy armored brigade on the front line will become the enemy's main target!"

"Hey, Marshal, have you forgotten a crucial point? We have a new means of supply transportation."

Lu Shan winked at him, pointed in the direction of Chuzhou on the map and reminded him.

"In a week at most, the Chuzhou First Fleet will be successfully launched. By then, they will not only be able to protect the coastal waters, but also deliver strategic materials to major coastal cities."

"Although sea transportation is slightly slower, it's safer and unobstructed. It can travel day and night, and we can definitely deliver the supplies needed for the front lines in the shortest possible time!"

"Using Shanghai as a transit point will make the journey faster than starting from Qizhou, both in terms of time and speed. We can easily expand the battlefield radius by several times, covering Minfu and Yangcheng!"

"Central Plains, Qianhu Lake, Jiangyou, Zhijiang..." Zhang Ye stood up and looked at the vast land on the sand table, his eyes flashing with brilliance: "Your idea is to wipe out the Feng faction in one bite!"

"Yes, I regretted not cleaning them up last time."

Lu Shan looked at Feng's headquarters, his words full of regret.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have eradicated it completely. That way, there wouldn't be any battle today."

"Tsk... Wait for me to study it and have a meeting."

Zhang Ye did not make the decision lightly. This matter was of great importance and he had to hold several meetings with the General Staff.

Conquering new territories is not a big deal. The real difficulty lies in how to maintain a smooth transition of social order when the old regime replaces the new one.

If chaos and turmoil occur during this period, those unarmed and innocent civilians will fall into extreme panic and helplessness.

They could lose their homes, their jobs, or even their lives, and the consequences would be catastrophic.

Therefore, when formulating specific strategies, these factors must be fully taken into consideration to ensure that every decision can maximize the safety and well-being of the people.

Only in this way can this operation be truly called a success.

……

The next morning, at the Zhijiang Provincial Governor's Office.

Lu Yongxiang, who had not slept all night, was as anxious as a donkey pulling a mill, pacing back and forth in the room.

At this moment, in the huge mansion, nearly a hundred servants were hurriedly packing up things, including gold, silver, jewelry, jade, and even the landscape trees in the yard, which were carried by several soldiers together.

The speed of the Independence Army's advance was beyond everyone's expectations. Even Lu Yongxiang himself did not expect that this group of people would be so decisive. They would start fighting as soon as they said they would, leaving no room for buffer or negotiation.

Moreover, according to the news from the front, they have dispatched a more powerful tank unit this time, with strong firepower and frighteningly fast advancing speed, regardless of trenches, mines, or bombs.

Throwing it at someone is just like tickling them, and won't cause any harm at all.

Even if there is a team of tens of thousands of people standing in front of him, he is not afraid at all. He steps on the accelerator and turns into a battlefield meat grinder, harvesting like cutting wheat!

Faced with such an opponent, Lu Yongxiang had no courage to resist at all and was ready to pack up and run away!