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

At the Qizhou Government Office, the highest government meeting began.

Fang Yu looked at the conscription order coming in front of him, his tired expression full of helplessness. He raised his head to look at the heads of various departments around him and announced.

"The Marshal's latest order is to immediately requisition all strategic materials from the three provinces of Donglu and send them to the Central Plains battlefield within three days. Leave nothing behind!"

"Also, all ammunition stocks at the Qizhou Arsenal must be loaded onto trucks and shipped to the Central Plains!"

"Boss Fang, has the Marshal gone mad? Spending everything on this battle is a complete waste."

On the left side of the conference table, a girl with shoulder-length hair, fair complexion and gold-rimmed glasses began to complain in front of everyone.

"The textile factories in Wuyue have already doubled their profits. If they all stop working now to focus on military orders, what will happen to our existing orders? How will the people survive?"

"Also, the port and offshore areas are under daily blockades, and people are already becoming agitated. They also need to make a living and eat."

The girl looked at Fang Yu's increasingly sharp gaze without any fear and continued to express her opinions and views.

"Our independence army was able to win the support of the people of the three provinces of East Shandong in such a short period of time because of our benevolent policies and our commitment to the welfare of the common people. But now the coastal blockade has left a large number of fishermen without food, and now they are requisitioning factory productivity, causing a sharp drop in workers' incomes. Isn't this destroying our foundation and eroding the people's trust?"

"Oh, what do you mean by public trust? Are the three provinces of Donglu independent?"

Fang Yu sneered and warned everyone while looking at them.

"Why blockade the sea? It's a helpless act to resist the attacks and encroachments of foreigners. Can't you explain the pros and cons to the restless people?"

"What about the issue of mobilizing factory productivity and the sudden drop in workers' income? What's the situation now? The battle for life and death has begun. Only by ensuring that the independence army survives can the people below have food to eat and earn money. They don't understand this principle, and neither do you, the so-called top students?"

In the silent conference room, Fang Yu's sharp gaze was like a knife, piercing into everyone's heart.

Having been in a high position for a long time, his aura and majesty are incomparable to ordinary people. Moreover, everything he said is true. Even when facing thousands of people, he thinks there is nothing wrong with it.

"We are all from Daxia, brothers of the same clan living on this land. We attacked Zhili Province in the Central Plains so that more people could have enough food, clothing, money to earn, and education to go to."

"They're already complaining about it even though we haven't had enough to eat or go to school yet. So, should we consult with them about any major military operations or foreign wars in the future?"

"Remember this: our Independence Army doesn't recruit soldiers from the public. We don't force ordinary people to risk their lives in battle. They should be grateful. If it weren't for the Marshal's benevolent rule and his concern for the people, even in another hundred years, the lower classes wouldn't be able to eat their fill!"

Having said this, Fang Yu's sharp eyes noticed that someone seemed to be unconvinced, so he immediately changed the subject and tapped the table to remind them.

"The concept of serving the people and considering the people was proposed by the Marshal, and it is a governing philosophy that must be implemented repeatedly. I am very happy and relieved that you have been able to implement it, ensure that orders are carried out, and consider the people."

"But there is one thing I hope everyone present here can remember and engrave it in their hearts!"

"Obeying the Marshal's orders is the first rule you should adhere to and must follow!"

"Without the Marshal, nothing would exist today, including you, me, and the 800,000-strong Independence Army. So, if you have any opinions, ideas, or plans of your own, you can discuss them with me privately. But at this high-level meeting, I don't want to hear any other tone!"

“It’s Mr. Fang!!”

Everyone straightened their backs and responded in unison.

Fang Yu was right. Without Zhang Ye, there would be no them. It has been like this from the beginning to the end.

The cadre just now had no intention of opposing Zhang Ye. He just held a different opinion and did not seize the opportunity.

The things she was thinking about were only suitable to be discussed privately in Fang Yu's office. She absolutely could not stand up and contradict the Marshal in front of everyone!

……

A day later, at the Yudu battlefield, Feng’s frontline position.

The fertile land had been burned black, as if it had been trampled by the devil.

The dense craters are like scars on the earth, of varying sizes and depths. Some are still emitting wisps of blue smoke, telling of the violent explosion not long ago.

In the trenches on the front line, there was a suffocating atmosphere. Gusts of wind carrying rolling heat waves whistled past from time to time, rolling up wisps of thick smoke, which sometimes gathered and sometimes dispersed, and finally disappeared into the distant sky.

The extremely simple field hospital was filled with groups of seriously wounded soldiers. They were crowded in small and extremely hot tents, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and decay.

Due to multiple factors including the scorching hot weather and extremely scarce medical resources, most of the wounded soldiers were unable to receive timely and effective treatment.

Their wounds began to fester, become inflamed, and even developed various pathological symptoms, and the situation was becoming increasingly difficult to control.

Those veteran soldiers who have been through many battles know this very well. They know too well the style of Feng’s army.

In their view, going to a field hospital for treatment is tantamount to seeking death and will only make them die faster.

Therefore, even though their injuries were severe enough to be unbearable, they still gritted their teeth and persevered, refusing to step into the field hospital.

"Well, how many wounded soldiers are there now, and how many are seriously injured?"

Outside the tent, Sun Chuanfang asked with a frown, surrounded by his men under the scorching sun.

The weather was too hot, and the soldiers were huddled together with their injuries, surrounded by flies everywhere. This created an extremely bad environment, with a foul odor that was impossible to avoid.

"There are about 5,000 people with minor injuries, and nearly 8,000 with serious injuries."

The person in charge bent over and reported carefully.

From his cautious and uneasy look, it can be seen that there is probably a lot of water in this number.

"There are over 10,000 wounded alone!?"

However, this concealed number still shocked Sun Chuanfang. Drops of sweat slid down his temples, and his mood once again plummeted to freezing point.

It has only been a few days, and 20,000 soldiers have been killed and more than 10,000 have been injured, varying degrees of severity. This loss data is really unacceptable.

He brought 80,000 troops from Qianhu Province. Including the Central Plains garrison that had been regrouped in the past few days, the total number of troops was 120,000 to 130,000. However, after two large-scale battles, the number of casualties had exceeded 30,000.

If the fighting continues like this, the 180,000 Feng faction troops on the Central Plains battlefield may not be able to hold out for even a month.