The Flames of Resistance Against Japan in Jiangnan

Battalion Commander Ma Bingsheng stood at attention and replied:

"Reporting to the division commander, we plan to have Instructor Wang impersonate the deputy chief of staff of the Zhejiang Army division. He was originally from the 21st Division and is also from Taizhou in eastern Zhejiang."

"Comrade Wang Guohua, in order to better complete this mission, you must dress up more convincingly. Here's what we'll do: we'll provide you with a car so you can have a taste of the finer things in life."

At this moment, Xu Wenqing suddenly remembered that there was a captured luxury car belonging to the commander of the Zhejiang East Garrison Division that was sitting idle in the division headquarters compound. So Xu Wenqing came up with an idea: this luxury car could be turned into a valuable resource.

Then, with a hint of interest and a slightly teasing tone, he asked:

"Comrade Wang Guohua, you've never ridden in a car before, have you?"

"No, I'm a country bumpkin. How could I possibly ride in a car? I only rode in a truck once in my life when I came to our 19th Division."

Wang Guohua replied happily,

"Just a few days ago, when our 19th Division left Jinhua, I was with a platoon guarding the medicines we had captured from the Zhejiang army in a military vehicle."

"Very good, this time I'll let you have a good taste of the West and ride in Master Wang's car!"

After receiving their mission, the two men stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave, their figures quickly disappearing into the night outside the division headquarters.

The chief of staff immediately directed the division staff to pack up documents and maps, and at the same time arranged for the entourage of Division Commander Xu Wenqing.

Xu Wenqing walked out of the division headquarters and stood at the gate, gazing at the starry sky outside.

In the cold wind of a winter night, gazing at the endless night sky, daydreaming about the future, and reveling in his meticulously planned military deployment, his smiling eyes seemed to pierce through the boundless darkness, seeing the enemy chasing the main force of the Red Army in a desperate retreat; seeing the red military flag adorned with a sickle and hammer fluttering across the land of Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi;...

Zhong Shitou, the guard who was feeding the black horse outside the gate, saw the division commander come out but stand there in a daze. He quickly untied the reins, led the horse to the division commander's side, and asked with concern:

"Commander, should we leave now?"

Startled from his sweet dream, Xu Wenqing glared angrily at his honest-looking bodyguard, took the reins, placed his left foot in the stirrup, and with a graceful and skillful leap, landed firmly on the horse's back. Looking back at the accompanying division personnel, he felt a surge of pride and softly murmured:

"Everything is ready now, all that's left is the time!"

Grandma Gu, let's see if you know what's good for you.

If they're smart, they'll attack again in two days.

We can then live in peace without any loss to anyone, and everyone will be happy!

Xu Wenqing flicked the reins and spurred his horse forward, with the soldiers following closely behind.

The clatter of hooves mingled with the clatter of footsteps as they galloped toward Mengshan.

While the officers and soldiers of the 19th Red Army Division were making tense military deployments, the Zhejiang East Pacification Headquarters in Hangzhou was shrouded in gloom. The dark building stood tall against the cloudy night sky, and the thick curtains tightly blocked out the lights, like a ferocious and huge beast crouching in the shadows, ready to pounce and hurt people at any moment.

Under the bright lights of the operations room on the third floor of the Pacification Headquarters, many officials were also busy at work. The constant "drip-drip" of telegrams coming from the communications room sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

In the pitch-black night, the window of an office on the top floor suddenly opened.

As soon as the cold wind blew in, the people in the room felt a chill. Gu Zhutong stood silently by the window, gazing at the dark night sky, her brows slightly furrowed and her thin lips tightly pressed together, as if she were deep in thought or burdened with worries.

"Xu Wenqing, Tenth Army Corps of the Red Army!"

The thought of his mortal enemy made him feel as if he had a bone stuck in his throat, unable to express his suffering. He never expected that his lifelong reputation would be ruined by them!

From the Battle of Tanjiaqiao onwards, the Red Army became a nightmare in his mind, and he etched this person into his mind ever since.

Unexpectedly, the main force of the Red Army suddenly and secretly occupied Wenzhou, which made him even more nervous. Although he had already made plans to recover Wenzhou, he still felt uneasy. The military plan was meticulous, but would the generals obey orders?

In particular, the Zhejiang army, located in the prosperous Jiangnan region, is known for its soldiers who value their lives highly. Unlike soldiers from poorer areas who are fearless and willing to fight to the death, the key question is whether the Zhejiang generals will launch a full-scale attack on Wenzhou. It is hard to predict what kind of trouble the division commanders might cause.

Besides, the Red Army has always been elusive; who knows what their next move will be?

The more Gu Zhutong thought about these things, the more uneasy she felt.

Seeing his subordinates and generals entering one after another, Gu Zhutong left the window and sat upright in the armchair behind the exquisite mahogany writing desk. His fingers tapped the tabletop rhythmically, and he appeared confident and composed.

"The people suffered greatly when the Red Army passed through the area. Yushan, Quzhou, Jinhua, Chuzhou and Wenzhou fell into enemy hands one after another."

It's fair to say we lost this battle!

"I regret my momentary lapse in judgment, which allowed that scoundrel to succeed. I vow to avenge this humiliation; if I do not avenge this, I will have failed as a son of Zhejiang!"

Once all the attendees had arrived, Gu Zhutong stood up from his chair and said with a face full of resentment.

All the Zhejiang officials present immediately stood up and shouted in unison:

"If we don't avenge this humiliation, we will be unworthy of being called sons of Zhejiang!"

Gu Zhutong nodded in satisfaction and gestured for the Chief of Staff of the Pacification Headquarters to explain the battle plan.

Ye Qi stood up and walked closer to the situation map hanging on the front wall:

"Gentlemen, starting tomorrow morning, local militias in western Zhejiang will search and advance towards Wenzhou along roads of all sizes. They must move quickly and report any sightings of the Red Army immediately. Garrisons in various locations will move swiftly to assemble near Wenzhou. The original defenses will be taken over by the divisions that were originally pursuing the Red Army. I hope all units will be on high alert and absolutely not allow the Red Army to set foot in the heart of eastern Zhejiang!"

"Commander-in-Chief, why won't you let my division pass through the Shahe area to attack the Red Army?"

Wang Tiebin stood up and raised a question.

Ye Qi said mysteriously:

"Commander-in-Chief Gu's brilliant move was to not send a single soldier to the Shahe area!"

Gu Zhutong nodded approvingly after hearing this, but fearing that others might not understand the meaning, he walked to the map and explained:

"Our Zhejiang army has suffered heavy losses since the series of defeats at Tanjiaqiao. If we continue to fight to the death with the main force of the Red Army, we will only benefit the central government by killing each other. It is a losing proposition that we cannot do!"

"Does the Commander-in-Chief mean that if it turns out to be the main force of the Red Army, we should launch a full-scale attack and drive the Third Army Corps of the Red Army into southern Anhui as soon as possible?"

Wang Tiebin suddenly realized and nodded quickly.

"Better to die than lose myself," as the saying goes. "I can't do things that will make me suffer a loss, and I can't afford to lose money in business."

After Gu Zhutong nodded in agreement, he began to issue the battle orders: