Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

On the banks of the Yellow River, Chu Yunfei continued his conversation with Sun Ming.

"The reorganization of troops in the Fifth War Zone was already difficult to carry out. Several months ago, the Chairman transferred Commander Sun Lianzhong's Second Army Group to be stationed under Commander Chen of the Sixth War Zone."

Sun Ming raised an eyebrow, looking at Chu Yunfei with a cold smile on his face, and asked with some doubt in his tone: "Commander Chen is openly calling for the elimination of the miscellaneous troops, so why is he transferring Commander Sun's Second Army Group there at this time?"

"Most importantly, the troops under Commander Sun are mostly northerners, especially from Shandong and Henan, who mainly eat wheat-based foods. Not only would they have difficulty adapting to the southern climate if they were transferred to the Sixth War Zone, but even getting food would be a major problem."

Chu Yunfei rubbed his fingers on his knees and said slowly, "Commander Sun's troops can be considered a branch of the Central Army, and they have a fairly good relationship with Commander Chen Cixiu. If he is transferred there, Commander Sun will most likely actively align himself with Chen Cixiu."

What kind of person was Sun Lianzhong?
Li Zongren described it in three words in his memoirs, which Chu Yunfei quite agreed with.

That's an honest person.

Even if they were dissatisfied or frustrated, they would still choose to obey the orders from the central government.

Sun Lianzhong may be an honest man, but he's not stupid either.

If given a choice, he would not relinquish command of his troops.

Besides, the war has reached this point, and all the efforts and sacrifices have been made.

Then we can take away his power as the commander-in-chief of the army group.

He could only follow the example of Feng Qinzai and go to the mountain city to serve as a sinecure general.

How could Sun Lianzhong, who had spent his life in the military, possibly accept this?
"The people of Chongqing are on high alert, treating their comrades like thieves. The infighting among the Whampoa Military Academy members is still difficult to resolve, and there are also many conflicts with the veterans of the local factions."

“In the western Henan region, which we will pass through a few days later, bandits have been rampant since the late Qing Dynasty. The situation improved slightly after 1921, and then Bie Tingfang was elected by local generals as the commander-in-chief of the local militia, who could command tens of thousands of people in battle.”

“Just a mere militia,” Sun Ming said, clearly not taking them seriously. “I’ve heard of them before. They’ve cooperated with the Fifth War Zone in guerrilla warfare, and their performance may have been commendable, but overall, their combat strength is nothing to fear. Besides, their leader is dead, and their remaining troops have all been incorporated into the army.”

Chu Yunfei shook his head: "Incorporate? That's just Tang Enbo's rhetoric."

Objectively speaking, Bie Tingfang made contributions to the resistance against Japan.

However, as an independent armed force, its attempt to create a state within a state in Henan was naturally unacceptable to the authorities in Chongqing.

When Liu Zhi took charge of HEN province, he wanted to get rid of him.

However, Bie Tingfang never went to the meeting, so he naturally missed the opportunity.

Later, the War of Resistance against Japan broke out.

In operations coordinated with the Fifth War Zone, the performance of its militia could be described as "acceptable".

However, due to its close relationship with the CCP and the fact that its forces were relatively large (claiming to have 200,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of elite militia), it was able to gain a foothold in the CCP.

After Wei Lihuang was transferred to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the First War Zone, he also carried out Chang Ruiyuan's orders to eliminate him.

However, someone (Li Hanzhen, then president of HEN Provincial Bank) intervened and prevented him from being eliminated directly.

Later, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. At the time of his death, his estate consisted of only three acres of fertile land, which was private property inherited from his ancestors.
During the Republic of China era, there weren't many people who were this honest and incorruptible.

However, there were many such "warlords" during the Republic of China period and even during the War of Resistance against Japan.

He was honest and upright, and he established schools, built power plants, and developed water conservancy projects, while also expanding local infrastructure.

Does this sound familiar?

Han Fuqu did something similar when he was in charge of Shandong.

It's simply that Han Fuqu didn't do a good job in resisting the Japanese.

Otherwise, a warlord like Han Fuqu would most likely have received some positive reviews.

Of course, that's a long story.

Since the Battle of Zaoyi in 1941, the lives of ordinary people in Henan Province had already been devastated.

Chu Yunfei's journey also included an investigation into the local people's livelihood.

We just left Shanxi and entered Shaanxi.

The group had already noticed the poverty in Shaanxi.

In Shanxi, what they saw was a simple yet vibrant scene.

On both sides of the road are newly built irrigation canals and reclaimed farmland;

In the villages and towns, although the people were simply dressed, most of them looked pale and sickly, but their spirits were still good. Children would even chase and play by the roadside, their eyes sparkling with hope for the future.

However, when the convoy entered Shaanxi province, what greeted them was a desolate and dilapidated landscape that made their hearts sink.

Large tracts of farmland lay barren, overgrown with weeds half a person tall.

The road was full of potholes and had been in disrepair for years.

The villages along the way are mostly low mud-brick houses, many of which have cracked walls or even half collapsed, yet no one repairs them.

What shocked Sun Ming the most was the local people.

Most of them were pale and emaciated, with numb and empty eyes.

The clothes he was wearing were less like clothes and more like a pile of tattered strips of cloth, their original color unrecognizable and covered in countless patches.

The children stopped laughing and playing, and instead timidly hid behind the door, their disproportionately large eyes, filled with hunger and fear, staring at the unfamiliar military vehicles.

The entire eastern part of Shaanxi seemed to be shrouded in an invisible, despairing haze.

"What exactly is going on?"

Sitting in the passenger seat, Sun Ming looked out the window at the heartbreaking scene and couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath, "It's even poorer here than on the front lines of the War of Resistance against Japan!"
It needs to be broken again!
Compared to Shanxi, it's like comparing heaven and earth!

The convoy stopped for a rest outside a county town called Lantian.

Chu Yunfei got out of the car and looked at the gloomy county town in front of him, his brows furrowing tightly.

He asked Sun Ming beside him, "Sun Ming, did you read Shaanxi's provincial report for this year before you set off?"

Sun Ming immediately replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I have seen it."

Shaanxi has enjoyed favorable weather this year, with no major droughts or floods.

Militarily, the main force of the Japanese army never penetrated into this area, not even with small-scale infiltration or harassment.

According to the telegram, the local banditry had already been eradicated by the local troops.

Logically speaking, this should be one of the most stable provinces in the rear area.

"There was no war, and no natural disasters..."

Chu Yunfei's gaze swept over the people on the roadside who were staring longingly at the supplies in their truck, and his voice turned icy cold: "So that means this 'disaster' here is a man-made disaster!"

Sun Ming also thought of this, and he said angrily, "Your Excellency! This must be those local officials, those so-called gentry and powerful people, who are preying on the people!"

They withheld relief grain and imposed exorbitant taxes and levies!

Otherwise, the people would never have suffered to such an extent!

Chu Yunfei didn't speak; he just watched quietly.

He saw that at the tax checkpoint at the entrance of the county town, people dressed in local security regiment uniforms were still exploiting the few merchants they had.

He also noticed that the county government building with its blue bricks and green tiles was far more impressive than all the surrounding houses.

The stark contrast speaks volumes silently.

That night, Chu Yunfei spent the entire night without sleep at the county town's guesthouse.

He knew he was facing a difficult choice.

As the "Deputy Chief Military Law Officer," he had every right to conduct a thorough investigation of the county's officialdom, and even the entire Shaanxi province. But he also knew that Shaanxi was not Shanxi.

The power structures here are deeply entrenched, and many officials don't even need to heed orders from the mountain city.

If he were to wield the sword again here, he would undoubtedly create more political enemies, making his future situation even more difficult.

"Your Excellency."

Sun Ming also noticed his hesitation: "Perhaps we should turn a blind eye to this matter."

After all, our main task is still to fight in Myanmar.

The situation in these places is very complicated; if we get caught up in it, we might delay important matters.

Chu Yunfei gazed at the cold, clear moon outside the window and remained silent for a long time.

In his mind, he saw the innocent smiling faces of children on the streets of Taiyuan, the unwilling eyes of young soldiers on the battlefield before their deaths, and the numb and desperate gazes of the people of Shaanxi in front of him.

"Sun Ming."

Chu Yunfei spoke slowly, his voice tinged with weariness, yet unwavering: "Tell me, what are we fighting for?"

Sun Ming was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "We soldiers fight to drive out the Japanese devils and to protect our homeland."

"Defend our homeland..."

Chu Yunfei repeated these four words, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes: "But if the country is no longer a country, the family is no longer a family, and the people are displaced and slaughtered like pigs and dogs."

"Then what's the point of us driving the Japanese away?"

"If we soldiers who hold military power saw the devastation on this land, we would choose to turn a blind eye."

"Then what's the difference between us and those traitors who only know how to fight for power and exploit the people?"

Sun Ming nodded emphatically: "Your Excellency, you are right."

That's why so many people are willing to follow Chu Yunfei to the death.

He turned to Sun Ming beside him and said, "Sun Ming, draft a telegram."

"From the mountain city, personally opened by the Chairman."

"It is said that when the student Yunfei was traveling south, he passed through Shaanxi. He saw that the fertile land of Guanzhong was desolate for thousands of miles; and that nine out of ten houses of the people of Shaanxi were empty. The poverty and suffering of the people he saw along the way were far worse than those in Shanxi and Yunnan."

However, upon investigation, it was found that there was no war, drought, or flood in Shaanxi this year.

How did things come to this? The reasons behind it are deeply worrying, and I dare not fail to report them.

We earnestly request the Chairman to investigate this matter thoroughly, so as to reassure the people and secure the foundation of the nation.

Shaanxi has suffered to this extent even though it has not experienced a large-scale drought.

What about Henan and Hebei, which are suffering from severe drought and have just experienced a major battle?

Sun Ming looked worried: "Your Excellency, our journey is likely to be quite risky. Even the problems in Shaanxi are so serious, I'm afraid..."

Chu Yunfei frowned and remained silent: "You're right, it might be a bit difficult."

Sun Ming then asked, "Sir, shall we head directly to the Fifth War Zone, or remain in Shaanxi for further investigation?"

"Let's wait for a reply from the mountain city. Since we've encountered this, we can't ignore it. Even if we can't resolve it in a short time, we should still give the Chairman some trouble and find something for him to do, so that he doesn't focus his energy on military matters and affect the counter-offensive operations in the Siam direction."
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mountain city.

The Chairman's official residence.

Chang Ruiyuan, who was in a great mood because of Chu Yunfei's "sensible" behavior, unusually wanted to go to bed early.

Just as I was walking towards the bedroom, I saw Zhang Zhizhong walking towards me.

Zhang Zhizhong, who had intended to report the situation directly, saw that Chang Ruiyuan wanted to rest, so he simply smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, abandoning his intention to report directly.

Chang Ruiyuan smiled and stopped, then asked, "Wenbai, is something the matter?"

Zhang Zhizhong nodded slowly: "It's not a big deal."

"You wouldn't come to me to report something that wasn't important, so go ahead and tell me."

Zhang Zhizhong smiled and said, "Considering that it was sent by Yunfei, I simply came over."

Chang Ruiyuan took the telegram from Zhang Zhizhong's pocket, glanced at it, and frowned.

The encrypted telegram from Chu Yunfei instantly froze the smile on his face.

"There is no war, nor drought or flood."

He pondered those seven words repeatedly, and a deep chill rose from the bottom of his heart.

He knew better than anyone what those eight words meant.

That means that, unseen by him, in what he thought was a secure rear area, corruption and incompetence were already frantically eroding the body of the country like a malignant tumor.

Ahead, generals like Chu Yunfei are expanding his territory and winning victories.

Behind him, however, countless bureaucrats and local warlords were digging his grave and destroying the people's hearts.

"Well... such a thing actually happened under Sun Weiru's rule!"

An unprecedented vigilance and worry erupted in Chang Ruiyuan's eyes.

Commander-in-Chief Sun has a good reputation in Shaanxi and is known for his virtue.

Even so, this situation still occurred under his rule.

Ultimately, the economic devastation was caused by years of war and the excessive number of soldiers sent from Shaanxi.

Whether this consequence was caused by other reasons remains to be seen in the short term.

But Chang Ruiyuan knew clearly that if the local officials were truly dedicated to their work...

He wouldn't have only found out about this situation so late.

Moreover, Chang Ruiyuan thought of it immediately.

Even Shaanxi, one of the model provinces in the War of Resistance Against Japan, has encountered such problems.

The situation was probably even more serious in the provinces where the front lines were frequently locked in a tug-of-war with the Japanese.

"Wenbai, the domestic situation seems more severe than before."

Zhang Zhizhong nodded slowly, his face grave: "Commander Li reported in the summer that the people were in a state of utter depravity, having eaten everything from tree bark to grass roots, and even resorting to cannibalism."

Chang Ruiyuan sighed heavily.

He knew this was not just a problem for one province.

Xue Yue also made similar reports, except that 39 was a bumper year.

From 40 to 41, and even now, not only are there droughts, but the number of disaster victims is also increasing.

It is impossible for the people to escape hunger in a short period of time.

Even when supplies to the officers and soldiers at the front were difficult to obtain.

Where would the relief agency find relief food, and where would the local people get food from?

This telegram was sent by Chu Yunfei, his most capable and feared general.

What was revealed was the most hideous side of the entire Nationalist government, beneath its glorious facade of successive victories, a facade already rotten and festering. (End of Chapter)