A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

On Zhangjialing Heights, the Southeast Army defenders, positioned high above, could see with the naked eye the Central Army's attacking forces advancing from the north, east, and southeast along a line passing through Zhangling Village, Yaoli Village, Fanjia Village, Caiguo Village, and Zhongwang Village. They advanced in alternating waves, their offensive sweeping and swiftly capturing the forward outposts at the foot of the high ground.

Overwhelmed by the enemy's overwhelming firepower, the defending soldiers lost their will to fight and fled in disarray to the higher ground. Those who were slow to run surrendered.

At this moment, intense gunfire suddenly erupted in the vicinity of Guozhuang Village, directly south of Zhangjialing Heights. The already tense nerves of the defending soldiers could not withstand the sudden stimulation and they jumped up in fright.

Attacked from both sides!

The soldiers' faces were filled with terror, and all fighting spirit had vanished.

A while later, a staff officer rushed over and reported to Gao Fuyuan, the brigade commander of the 1st Brigade of the 105th Division: "About one regiment of the 28th Division of the Central Army has broken through the defense line south of Zhongwang Village from the southeast and is launching a fierce attack on Guozhuang Village. Our army is short of troops and is struggling to hold them off. The situation is critical."

Needless to say, everyone knows what this means. This move by the other party is like a sharp knife piercing straight into their heart. This fatal news is like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The defending soldiers were immediately filled with despair, and their faces turned pale.

According to the battle plan, the left flank regiment of the 28th Division of the Central Army on the eastern front made a flanking maneuver, penetrating directly south of Zhangjialing through the gap in the defense lines of the Southwest Army and the Southeast Army. Suddenly, bugles sounded all over the mountains and fields, and the various units of the Central Army, whose morale was high, immediately seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale general offensive, which was unstoppable.

A sense of despair and fear quickly spread among the troops defending Zhangjialing, causing chaos and panic.

Looking at the pale faces of the soldiers who had lost all fighting spirit, Gao Fuyuan felt a surge of sorrow. However, he was helpless; there was nothing left to fight or defend.

The complete collapse began from some point where the defenses were breached; it seemed the first line of defense was instantly riddled with holes. The defending soldiers retreated steadily, quickly losing command and descending into chaos, fleeing in panic and without direction.

"Don't retreat! Hold the line!" Officers waved their pistols and shouted to stop them, but it was to no avail. The officers were quickly swallowed up by the retreating soldiers, and the officers themselves were swept into the fleeing crowd.

"Lay down your weapons and surrender, or you will be spared!" Under the onslaught of the Central Army's slogans urging surrender, the Southeast Army soldiers trapped on Zhangjialing Heights lost all will to fight.

During the domestic civil war, there was a group of rogue soldiers in the old army who knew that if they were captured on the battlefield, there was usually no deep hatred between the two sides and they would not be harsh or mistreated. The Communist army would even provide travel expenses and release them on the spot.

Some veterans, after receiving their travel expenses, would go back to their original units to continue receiving rations and pay. Some of them went back and forth several times and actually made a lot of money.

So these seasoned soldiers simply played both sides, and whenever the situation turned against them, they would switch sides like a fence-sitter, surrendering their weapons. After all, being a soldier was just about getting a ration; there was no need to risk their lives.

With the situation hopeless, Brigade Commander Gao Fuyuan, perched atop the main peak of Zhangjialing, closed his eyes in anguish. He could only silently allow his panicked and fleeing soldiers to escape on their own, otherwise they would be trapped like turtles in a jar. Soon, even Brigade Commander Gao himself was surrounded by a group of brigade staff officers and guards, their faces filled with panic and anxiety, as they fled southwest.

As evening approached, the sky grew increasingly gloomy, and a cold wind swept through like a knife, leaving the world desolate.

The battlefield of the Chishui River has fallen silent. The vast land and rolling hills are quiet, with only the embers of battle and wisps of smoke remaining, reminding people that a great battle has just taken place here.

Inside Xijing City, the high command of the Southeast Army and the Southwest Army were thunderstruck upon learning of the loss of Zhangjialing Heights. This was the last line of defense for Weizhou and Xijing. The enemy was now at the city gates, eyeing them menacingly, like a battle axe hanging overhead.

This battle caused a huge shock and had a far-reaching impact. The three forces that had been locked in a complex game of strategy and maneuvering but had not yet reached a conclusion were greatly shaken, and all parties at the negotiating table immediately adjusted their previous strategies and deployments.

Suddenly, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and the high command of the Southeast Army and the Southwest Army were extremely anxious.

The military and political officials, who had been detained for more than ten days, suddenly felt the gloom dissipate. If they weren't on someone else's turf and had to maintain a facade of solemnity, they would probably have wept with joy and celebrated their success. With strong bargaining chips in hand, their confidence naturally increased, and the psychological advantage and balance of power in the negotiation table had suddenly shifted.

These days, the high-ranking officials of the Nationalist government, who had been unable to eat or sleep, were beaming with joy. They even had a rare big appetite at lunch, and their dentures suddenly seemed to have some energy as they gnawed on chicken bones with relish.

The highest command of the Southeast Army was horrified. In less than a day, four of the six regiments on the front line east of Weizhou City were almost completely wiped out. The 1st Brigade of the 105th Division was left with only a small number of terrified and defeated soldiers brought down from Zhangjialing Heights by Brigade Commander Gao Fuyuan.

"Training Corps, armored assault. We underestimated the Central Army's fighting strength." The Southeast Army Commander paced anxiously, muttering to himself. The Central Army's formidable fighting power was alarming; he had to reassess the strength of both sides.

The Central Army's move to release all wounded soldiers, both lightly and seriously, was extremely clever. It served to demonstrate that they were a benevolent and righteous army, to show their might and strength, and to show their disdain for the poor combat effectiveness of your troops.

The murmurs among the wounded soldiers further enraged him.

"Our unit has been working diligently and daring not to slacken in the slightest. And look at what your senior officers are doing? Indulging in pleasure and living a life of debauchery!"

"They have no ambition for modern warfare, know nothing about modern tactics, and are completely ignorant of basic inter-service joint operations!"

"The slogans of resisting Japan are shouted loudly, and people boast of their heroic sentiments, but what kind of response and preparation have they made? Soldiers are not numbers, not bargaining chips to be sacrificed at will for personal gain and fame! To irresponsibly push soldiers to the battlefield is tantamount to a crime!"

Every word was jarringly offensive. Everyone secretly tried to relate what the soldiers were saying to themselves, and suddenly realized that it was as if they were being pointed at and cursed. Officers from top to bottom in the Southeast Army felt their ears burning and felt utterly ashamed.

Commander Zhang was so anxious that he couldn't eat or sleep, and his anxiety even caused him to have a toothache.

"Fight back to our homeland!" This was a wish they had held in their hearts for many years. But after this crushing defeat, it was as if they had been awakened. If they were so vulnerable to the Central Army, how could they possibly fight back to their homeland if they did not transform themselves and rise up to catch up with the Japanese who were equipped with a large number of airplanes, tanks, artillery and heavy weapons?

That evening, after much mediation and negotiation, a consensus was finally reached to resolve the issue peacefully.

Late that night, the ceasefire order was officially issued, and the Battle of Chishui River came to an end.

Song Hongfei felt a surge of excitement. The united front of the entire Chinese nation, working together against external threats, had finally arrived.