Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

That afternoon. The operations room of the Shanghai Garrison Command on Longhua Road.

Chen Zijun leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

Chen Zijun opened his eyes.

The door was pushed open.

Moranzhi walked in.

She was wearing a black cheongsam, her face expressionless. But Chen Zijun had known her for over a decade, and he knew that this woman only concealed all her emotions when she discovered extremely important information.

"Young Master..."

Moranzhi slammed a manila envelope on the table.

"At 2 a.m. last night, Qi Yingcai's staff officer Zhou Qinian secretly infiltrated the Japanese concession in Hongkou and met with Tanaka, the head of the Shanghai intelligence agency of the Japanese Tongwen Association. Su Guiying's men took photos at the teahouse across the street."

She took out the photos and laid them out on the table one by one.

In the black and white photograph, Zhou Qinian and a middle-aged man in a kimono are having a private conversation in a tea room. A map is spread out on the table.

"We've also obtained the contents of the secret agreement." Moran's voice was as cold as a knife.

"Qi Yingcai promised: First, to publicly recognize the legal status of the Japanese concession in Hongkou and expand its area. Second, to allow the Japanese army and navy to be stationed in the Japanese concession without restriction. Third, to cede all customs duties and tax revenues in Shanghai. On the condition that the Japanese Combined Fleet blockade Wusongkou, cut off the Chen family army's sea supply lines, and cooperate with Qi Yingcai and the Fengtian clique to launch a pincer attack from the north and south."

There was a three-second silence in the operations room.

Shen Li's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"That bastard... he's going to sell the whole of Shanghai to the Japanese?!"

Yang Yanzhao had just returned from Jiangyin, his military overcoat still smelling of gunpowder. He leaned against the doorframe and said coldly.

"Traitor."

Zang Keping slammed his hand on the table. "Young Marshal! Let me take men to Yangzhou and twist Qi Yingcai's head off!"

Chen Zijun remained silent.

He looked through all the photos one by one, then neatly stacked them and put them back in the envelope.

In the operations room, a dozen staff officers and generals were waiting for his decision.

In the corner, an elderly staff officer with gray hair stood up.

"Young Marshal...forgive my bluntness. Qi Yingcai is colluding with the Japanese, and the Fengtian clique is eyeing us covetously in Anhui. If we add the Japanese fleet to blockade the seas...it will be a three-front war. Although Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai are wealthy, they are still just small areas. Besides, Commander Qi and our Marshal Yu have been comrades-in-arms for many years. If we take a step back...temporarily retreat to Jiangnan and avoid their sharp edge, I remember that Commander Qi will not pursue us to the bitter end—"

retreat?

Where to retreat to? Zhejiang?

Besides, if it weren't for him in this life, the Jiangzhe War would have ended in Qi Yingcai's victory. At that time, Zhejiang, including his own father, would not have had a good ending. They could only resign miserably and disappear into the long river of history.

Besides, if Qi Yingcai wants to go to Shanghai, then I can retreat from Shanghai to Zhejiang.

So, what about Sun Yuanfeng in the south who wants Zhejiang?

How should my Chen family conduct itself?

Snapped!

Chen Zijun smashed the enamel mug in his hand on the ground.

Tea splashed everywhere. Shards of porcelain spun twice on the floor.

The entire operations room was completely silent.

Chen Zijun stood up.

His eyes were extremely cold.

"Retreat? Retreat to where?"

He walked step by step to the old staff officer.

"Retreat to Jiangnan? Then Qi Yingcai led the Japanese to occupy Shanghai, and then retreat to Zhejiang? Then the Fengtian clique pressed in from the north and west, and where to retreat to next?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail driven into the ears of everyone present.

"Tell me, in the end, where do you mean to retreat to?!"

The old staff officer's legs were trembling.

"Retreat into the sea?!"

Chen Zijun turned around and faced everyone.

I'll say it once. And then I won't say it again.

His voice was like a knife.

"I'd rather die standing as a warlord than kneel and sell out my country!"

"Anyone who mentions the word 'retirement' again, I, Chen Zijun, will be the first to kill him!"

No one in the entire operations room dared to utter a sound.

Even breathing stopped.

Three seconds later, Zang Keping was the first to stand up straight and snap to attention.

"The young marshal commands attack, and this humble general commands attack!"

Yang Yanzhao straightened up from the door frame and stood at attention as well.

"Second Tax Police Regiment, ready to obey orders at any time."

Shen Li's eyes were already red. He gritted his teeth and gave a deep military salute.

"The entire General Staff swears to follow the Young Marshal to the death!"

He Maofeng and Feng Yong stood up one after another, their military boots making a neat sound on the floor.

More than twenty people stood at attention and saluted.

Chen Zijun glanced at them.

Then turn to Moranchine.

"Lanzhi, send the photos and copies of the secret agreement to Shen Bao, Ta Kung Pao, and Xinwen Bao. Every single newspaper, without exception. Use this sentence in the headline."

"I'd rather die fighting as a warlord than betray my country and become a subservient subject."

Moranzhi nodded. "Understood."

"Attached is the full text of Qi Yingcai's treasonous terms. Let all of China see how a dignified provincial governor kneels before the Japanese to sell out his country for personal gain."

Moranzhi turned and left.

Chen Zijun sat back down in his chair and closed his eyes.

The system panel in his mind lit up in the center of his field of vision.

That's enough. It's time to spend the money.

He worked rapidly on the system panel.

`` `

[Large-scale purchases & bulk redemptions]

Product: Complete set of equipment for a Chinese German-equipped infantry division (base quantity 3)

√Includes: 30,000 Mauser 98K rifles

MG34 general purpose machine gun × 900

MP18 submachine gun × 3,000

108 75mm infantry guns

180 81mm mortars

Full set of ammunition/clothing/helmet/communication equipment

Total price: £1,500,000

Delivery method: Physical redemption in three batches (all within 48 hours)

Funds balance: £3,199,836

`` `

Ding!

One and a half million pounds.

The full set of equipment for three German-equipped infantry divisions would certainly not be so cheap, but the German-equipped divisions of the Republic of China were a compromise result adapted to local conditions, so the cost was reduced a lot.

Thirty thousand Mauser rifles. Nine hundred MG34s. Three thousand submachine guns. One hundred and eighty infantry guns. One hundred and eighty mortars.

Enough to arm 30,000 people.

Chen Zijun opened his eyes and picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Shen Li."

"exist!"

"Order: Effective immediately, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui will enter a state of first-level combat readiness. The 10th and 19th Divisions of the Central Army will be stationed in Shanghai and placed under military control, assisted by the 5th and 6th Independent Mixed Brigades, the Shanghai Garrison Brigade and the Tax Police Corps."

"At the same time, the newly formed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Divisions of the Zhejiang Army were formally reorganized and established as the National Defense Force. They were assembled in Shanghai within 72 hours and completed the basic equipment deployment. The required key personnel, officers, and staff were drawn from the 4th Division, the 10th Division, the Independent Mixed 6th Brigade, the Shanghai Garrison Brigade, and the Shanghai Tax Police Corps."

"Young Marshal! Reorganize three divisions? Seventy-two hours?" Shen Li's voice trembled.

"The framework is already in place. Of the four newly formed army divisions in Zhejiang Province, I only need three. I believe my father will support me. Veterans will lead the new recruits, key personnel will take the lead, and the officers are our trusted subordinates whom we have trained for many years. Seventy-two hours of reorganization is already giving you a lot of face. My real requirement is to achieve combat readiness within three months."

Chen Zijun's tone left no room for negotiation. "Qi Yingcai is giving us little time. Once the Japanese agree to cooperate, the flag of the Combined Fleet will appear at the mouth of the Huangpu River in as little as a month."

"Understood! I'll arrange it right away!"

The sound of Shen Li running came from the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Chen Zijun put down the walkie-talkie and his gaze fell on the nautical chart of the Yangtze River estuary on the table.

Wusongkou.

The Huangpu River flows into the Yangtze River at its confluence.

His fingers traced a path from Wusongkou all the way to Paotaiwan on the south bank, and then to Yuepu on the north bank.

We need to build a fortress.

It's not one of those old-fashioned earthen mound gun emplacements.

It is a true, modern, permanent coastal fortress complex capable of withstanding heavy cruisers.

The door was pushed open again.

Mo Huixin walked in. She had just returned from the warehouse area, holding a stack of lists in her hand, her eyes a little red.

"Young Marshal...the goods have started arriving at the warehouse. Crates of Mauser rifles are being carried in...the wooden crates of MG34s are piled up higher than a person...I...I've been counting for over an hour and I still haven't finished..."

Her hands were trembling.

Chen Zijun looked at her and softened his tone.

"Huixin, keep good records. Not a single bullet can be lost out of this £1.5 million worth of goods."

"Hmm..." Mo Huixin lowered her head and responded softly.

Chen Zijun stood up and walked to the huge nautical chart on the wall.

His fingers pressed heavily on the Wusongkou.

"Didn't Qi Yingcai want the Japanese fleet to attack me from both sides?"

He turned his head, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Alright. I'll build the most heavily armed fortress complex right at Wusongkou."

"I want to turn the Japanese warships into iron turtles that grow at the bottom of the Huangpu River."