Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

As the flames of war in North China gradually subsided, the glory of victory and the scars of devastation were etched together on the land of China.

In the remote southwestern border region of Myanmar, a new storm is quietly brewing.

Chinese Expeditionary Force, Provisional Headquarters in Yangon.

The atmosphere inside the huge operations room was solemn yet uplifting.

Just a few months ago, this was the meeting room of the British military command.

At this moment, what hangs on the wall is the latest strategic situation map of the China-Burma-India Theater.

Du Yuming, acting commander-in-chief of the First Army Group, is personally presiding over a high-level military meeting.

The attendees were all pillars of the expeditionary force.

Huang Baitao, commander of the newly formed 11th Army, who had just led his troops through a period of rest and replenishment.

Wu Ziqiang, the army commander who single-handedly built the newly formed 12th Army and whose strength has already begun to shine in the anti-guerrilla warfare in northern Myanmar.

And Yu Zhixing, the commander of the newly formed 13th Army, which was reorganized from the Yunnan Army.

Besides.

Zheng Dongguo, commander of the Fifth Army, and Dai Anlan, deputy commander of the Fifth Army and concurrently commander of the 200th Division.

Chief of Staff Liao Yaoxiang and a host of other renowned generals were also among those listed.

This was a gift from the great victory of the counter-offensive in North China, and a continuous stream of American military aid.

At this moment, the expeditionary force was strong and well-equipped, and its morale was high.

All the generals wore a look of confidence in the future, a look that suggested they had washed away past humiliations.

"Everyone."

Du Yuming spoke first, his gaze sweeping over each of his colleagues present: "First of all, let us pay the highest tribute to Commander Chu, who achieved a brilliant victory on the North China battlefield, and to all the soldiers who participated in the battle!"

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the meeting room.

General Zheng Dongguo remarked with emotion: "Commander Chu, this time in North China, with overwhelming force, advanced on multiple fronts, combining feints and real attacks, and completely manipulated Okamura Yasuji."

Such boldness and skill are rare even in today's world.

This battle demonstrated the might of our Chinese soldiers and created an excellent strategic opportunity for our subsequent operations in Myanmar and Siam.

Dai Anlan nodded in agreement: "That's right."

"The Japanese army suffered heavy losses in North China, which inevitably shocked the country, and the replenishment of troops and the allocation of supplies would inevitably be tilted towards North China."

"With this shift in power, we have found the best opportunity to launch a counter-offensive in the Southeast Asian theater!"

"Yeah yeah."

The generals echoed his sentiments, with Huang Baitao and Wu Ziqiang particularly lavish in their praise.

Seeing that morale was high, Du Yuming walked to the huge map and pointed his baton directly at the border between Myanmar and Siam (Thailand).

“You are all right.”

His voice became steady and powerful: "Just yesterday, the Chongqing Command officially approved our battle plan."

"The Chairman has decided that, having already gained the initiative on the Burma battlefield, we will extend the war into the enemy-controlled territory!"

"Our next goal."

Du Yuming drew a huge attack arrow on the map with his baton, "That's the main force of the Japanese Thai-Burma Area Army entrenched in Siam!"

"Our strategic objective is to cross the border with overwhelming force and severely damage or even completely crush this Japanese army's fighting capacity!"

"Completely sever their clutches that plunder resources from Southeast Asia and threaten our southwestern rear area!"

Inside the meeting room, all the generals' breathing became rapid.

Their eyes burned with a desire for the impending great battle.

Wu Ziqiang stood up and asked, "Commander Du, has the time for the general offensive been confirmed?"

"The timing estimated by the General Staff is somewhat unusual."

Du Yuming replied, "We need to thoroughly handle the post-war affairs in North China and wait for Commander Chu to arrive in Rangoon and personally take command before launching the operation."

"At that time, our expeditionary force's three main armies, the 11th, 12th, and 13th Armies, will launch a simultaneous attack on the enemy from three directions!"

The elderly general Yu Zhixing also wore a solemn expression. He said with deep emotion, "This will be a decisive battle that will determine the fate of the entire Southeast Asian war!"

however.

Just as Du Yuming and other expeditionary force generals were preparing for war in Burma.

They eagerly awaited the arrival of their chief advisor, Chu Yunfei, and the moment when he would lead them to achieve unparalleled success.

Far away in Taiyuan.

Chu Yunfei, who had just arrived at the airport, received a top-level encrypted telegram from the mountain city, personally sent by the Chairman.

The contents of this telegram had absolutely nothing to do with the war in Burma.

Sun Ming and Zhao Pengcheng stood aside, watching Chu Yunfei unfold the telegram. They could clearly see that their superior, who was usually unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, was frowning more and more as he read the telegram, and his eyes were becoming increasingly deep and cold.

The contents of the telegram were shocking.

The story opens with a secret investigation report on corruption in various war zones, submitted by Dai Li (Dai Yunong), the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau, to the Chairman.

The report, with its bloody facts, exposed the numerous crimes committed by officers at all levels from the Fifth War Zone to the Ninth War Zone, from the Quartermaster Department to the Logistics Station, including the resale of arms, embezzlement of military funds, collusion with unscrupulous merchants, and smuggling of strategic materials. The crimes were too numerous to list.

"In a certain unit of the Ninth War Zone, frontline soldiers were poorly clothed and starving. In the rear supply depots, American-supplied flour was mixed with sand and sold on the black market."

"At a supply depot in the Fifth War Zone, life-saving medicines that were supposed to be sent to the front lines were replaced with counterfeit medicines, while the real medicines flowed to enemy-occupied areas at high prices."

"In the Eighth War Zone, some generals colluded with local powerful figures to falsely report troop numbers, embezzle huge sums of military funds, and line their own pockets. They also smuggled scarce Chinese medicinal herbs along the way."

Each record was like a sharp knife, piercing deeply into Chu Yunfei's heart.

Having thoroughly studied the history of the War of Resistance against Japan, how could he not know that there was corruption within the National Revolutionary Army?

But he never imagined that, at a time of national crisis, corruption had become so rampant!

The second half of the telegram.

It was the Chairman's personal order, filled with anger and murderous intent.

"Yunfei, while soldiers are shedding blood at the front, rats are stealing the country from behind. Such behavior is no different from colluding with the enemy!"

My heart aches, and I cannot sleep at night!
If such traitors are not severely punished with swift and decisive measures, where is the law of the land?
Where is the morale of the army? The great cause of the War of Resistance will surely be destroyed by the hands of these people!

"After much deliberation, I believe that this task is best left to you."

Only your prestige, your iron fist, and your loyalty can keep these lawless and corrupt officials in check!

"This is a secret order: You are hereby granted the position of 'Deputy Director-General of the Military Law Enforcement Department of the National Government Military Commission' during your journey back to Burma from North China!"
You're allowed to act as you see fit!

"In all the war zones you pass through—the Second, Eighth, Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth—you have the right to investigate and prosecute any corrupt or derelict officers, regardless of their rank or background, without prior notification!"

"Yunfei, this journey is not for military exploits, but for saving the country."

"You must cleanse the old man from the filth and restore military discipline for the sake of me and the country. I await good news in the mountain city. Chiang Kai-shek."

Chu Yunfei slowly closed the telegram without saying a word.

Looking at his cold, iron-like profile, Sun Ming felt a storm raging in his heart.

He knew that this telegram was more weighty than any battle report.

On one side, on the battlefield in Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of soldiers are eagerly awaiting their commander to lead them on a great expedition that will go down in history.

On the other hand, there was a political purge personally ordered by the Chairman, a purge destined to offend countless colleagues and cause a massive earthquake in the officialdom. One was to expand territory and achieve unparalleled feats.

One is to undergo painful self-examination, becoming a cold-faced and ruthless official.

Chu Yunfei, the general who just turned the tide on the chessboard of North China.

At this moment, he found himself to be a pawn in a larger and more dangerous game, a pawn against his will.

Zhao Pengcheng, who followed Chu Yunfei from the 358th Regiment of the Jin-Sui Army, fought his way up to the present day.

He can be described as Chu Yunfei's most loyal confidant, and his personality is actually the most straightforward and fiery.

Upon seeing the contents of the telegram, he was the first one who couldn't contain himself.

He stepped forward, his voice filled with urgency and confusion.

"Your Excellency! This is absolutely unacceptable!" Zhao Pengcheng exclaimed excitedly. "Your battlefield is on the front lines amidst gunfire, in the decisive battle against the Japanese invaders! How can you engage in such acts as ransacking homes and arresting people?"

"Strictly enforcing military discipline and investigating corruption—that's Dai Yunong's job in the Military Intelligence Bureau! It's the job of those shady spies!"

Zhao Pengcheng's fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "Assigning you this 'Deputy Chief Military Law Officer' position is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! It's a waste of your talent and an insult to you!"

Sun Ming, standing to the side, had a better political sense than Zhao Pengcheng, and he thought things through more deeply.

He added solemnly, "Your Excellency, what Pengcheng said, though a rough outline, is also true."

"What I am more worried about is the political risks behind this."

"Just think, this investigation covers the Second, Eighth, Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth War Zones—a full five war zones!"

"Who isn't entrenched in these logistics and supply positions in the war zones, with intricate networks of connections and powerful factions standing behind them?"

"It's even quite possible that behind this are the powerful figures of the mountain city."

"If you continue this investigation, you will offend most of the generals in the National Revolutionary Army!"

"This is putting you on the hot seat!"

"At that time, you will be fighting a bloody battle on the front lines, while countless cold arrows will be shot from behind."

"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Chairman's move, ostensibly to 'rely on you,' is actually pushing you to the opposite side of all factions. His intentions are sinister!"

Pengcheng nodded in agreement: "Yes, Your Excellency."

The disadvantages of this matter far outweigh the advantages.

We should immediately call Shancheng and politely decline the offer, citing the heavy post-war situation in North China and the imminent outbreak of war in Burma.

Please ask the Chairman to select another capable candidate, or entrust the matter entirely to Dai Yunong.

The two trusted confidants spoke earnestly, both genuinely concerned about Chu Yunfei's situation.

However, Chu Yunfei remained silent in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table, his face expressionless.

He listened quietly to their advice before slowly raising his head and calmly sweeping his gaze over them.

"What you said is all correct."

Chu Yunfei spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable power, "But you are all only half right."

"You think this is Dai Yunong's job. But have you ever thought about who Dai Yunong can investigate?"

"Could he use his Kuomintang secret agents to investigate the quartermaster of an army group?"

"Could he raid the transportation company owned by the brother-in-law of a deputy commander of a war zone?"

“He can’t. His methods might work against some junior officers and local intelligence personnel, but they fail when it comes to high-ranking generals who actually hold military power.”

"Moreover, Dai Yunong may seem to wield immense power, but in reality, he has close personal relationships with senior commanders in various war zones and is not the murderous monster that ordinary people perceive him to be."

"If he dares to act recklessly, we will investigate thoroughly. Guess what will happen?"

Ultimately, only military personnel can investigate military personnel in this kind of matter.

Chu Yunfei then turned to Sun Ming: "Are you worried that I'll offend people and be pushed to the opposite side of all factions?"

"You're right, this is indeed a thankless and dirty job that will make you a lot of enemies."

A deep, all-seeing light flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes.

"But have you ever wondered why the Chairman didn't assign this dirty work to someone else, but instead gave it to me?"

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and gazed in the direction of the distant mountain city, his voice becoming distant and complex.

"Because, looking across the whole country, only I can do this dirty job, only I dare to do it, and only I have to do it."

this moment.

Chu Yunfei's mind was clearer than ever before.

He was already well aware that with the glorious victory of the counter-offensive in North China, and with his successful integration of the Jin-Sui Army, the Central Army, and even various miscellaneous armies, his prestige and the power he actually controlled would increase.

In some respects, he has even surpassed the chairman who is far away in the mountain city.

Tang Enbo's downfall may seem like he brought it upon himself, but wasn't it also a subtle yet profound warning and rebuke from the Chongqing authorities to their "favorite general" who had overshadowed them?
The chairman was scared.

He feared becoming the second or third powerful regional official who held considerable military power and was too influential to control.

and so.

This secret order from the "Chief Military Law Officer" is both a test and a challenge.

It is both a trap and a political balancing act.

Chu Yunfei knew.

At this moment, he had to show a little bit of his "sincerity" to appease the supreme leader's unease.

This "sincerity" means taking the initiative to accept this most dangerous and potentially damaging "imperial sword."

Dai Yunong was the Chairman's "hidden blade," responsible for handling those shady dealings.

Chu Yunfei, on the other hand, must become another sword in the Chairman's hand, a public and sharpest "legal sword" hanging over the heads of all the arrogant and fierce generals.

He wanted to use the swift and decisive methods of investigating corruption to strike at those deeply entrenched factions and offend those colleagues he could have won over.

He wanted to use this method to actively and deliberately isolate himself.

If we consider Chang Ruiyuan as an emperor high above all others...

Therefore, Chu Yunfei was destined to become a "lone minister".

One who wields great power, yet does not form cliques;

A lone minister with unparalleled merit, yet forever devoted to only the emperor.

Only in this way could he win the war while preserving himself and the future of his hundreds of thousands of soldiers in this treacherous political game.

But what if the investigation eventually leads back to Chang Ruiyuan?

Chu Yunfei fell into deep thought.

After a while,
He turned to his three companions and said in a calm but unwavering tone, "I accept this knife."

"Because only by proving to the Chairman that the hilt of my sharpest blade is forever in his hand, can he feel at ease letting me continue to fight and win this war."

"The war in Myanmar must be fought."

"These grotesque rats that leech off the nation must be killed!"

"Pass on my orders." A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Prepare the vehicles. Our first stop is the Second War Zone Command Headquarters. Start by investigating our own people." (End of Chapter)