Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

soon.

Under Sun Ming's leadership.

A middle-aged general, dressed in the khaki uniform of the Sichuan Army and with a slightly thin build, was brought in.

He took off his military cap, revealing a weathered face etched with fatigue and anxiety.

"Commander Zhao, how have you been?"

Upon seeing Chu Yunfei, this commander, who was equally resolute on the battlefield, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes.

Instead of saluting, he bent his knees and was about to kneel on the ground.

Sun Ming reacted quickly, stepping forward to help him up: "Commander Zhao, what happened?"

Zhao Weibin looked at Chu Yunfei not far away, his voice choked with emotion, barely audible: "Commander Chu."

This sudden turn of events took everyone present by surprise.

Sun Ming quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Commander Zhao, what are you doing?"

"We can talk it over."

Chu Yunfei waved his hand, looked quietly at Zhao Weibin who wanted to kneel on the ground, and said calmly, "Commander Zhao, a man's knees are worth their weight in gold."

"We are both soldiers of the Party and the State. If you have anything to say, stand up and say it."

Zhao Weibin wiped his face hard with his sleeve before standing up shakily with Sun Ming's help.

However, as soon as he stood firm, the grievances, indignation, and despair that had been building up in his heart for so long poured out like a flood breaking through a dam.

"Commander Chu!" He cried out, bowing deeply to Chu Yunfei, "Today, I am not here for myself, but for the more than ten thousand Sichuan soldiers under my command, and even more so for the hundreds of thousands of Sichuan soldiers who have left their homes to fight the war abroad. I have come to you to plead my case!"

"Our Sichuan Army, since the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan, has been fighting the enemy outside Sichuan, from Shanghai to Xuzhou, from Taierzhuang to Wuhan, and then to the Central Plains War."

"Which major battle didn't involve our Sichuan Army brothers?"

"We have shed no less blood than anyone else! Our brothers have died no less than anyone else!"

"But what about now?"

Zhao Weibin's voice was filled with endless sorrow: "What have we gotten?!"

"Why don't you come and take a look at our military camp!"

He pointed to his faded military uniform: "What do our soldiers wear?"

"Straw sandals, a single layer of clothing!"

"It's almost the end of September, and there's still no news about winter clothes."

"Let's not even talk about that. Who told us Sichuan soldiers to be so cheap?"

"But what are we eating?"

"It's brown rice mixed with sand, and moldy vegetables that even pigs wouldn't eat!"

"The military pay that was issued was embezzled at every level, leaving less than one-tenth of the pay!"

The claim about military pay is exaggerated.

The 22nd Army's pay was still allocated in full, but due to inflation.

The full amount of military pay was distributed to the army group, but after being exploited and deducted by the Sichuan Army generals, it was all gone.

By the time the soldiers reached them, their purchasing power was indeed reduced to only one-tenth, or even less.

The desertion situation is extremely serious.

Chu Yunfei also had considerable knowledge of the problems that arose in the later stages of the National Revolutionary Army.

Even the main forces of the Central Army experienced widespread desertion, let alone the Sichuan Army.

This matter is indeed very tricky.

These soldiers deserted their camps, hoping to return home, but often died on the way due to the high mountains and long distances.

Sadly.

Division Commander Zhao Weibin then stated, "Where are our soldiers?"

"The able-bodied men sent from Sichuan, all the good and strong ones, have been taken by the Central Army!"

"Who are these people being delivered to us?"

"They were skinny teenagers, thugs, and drug addicts brought in to make up the numbers!"

"How can soldiers like these fight a war?!"

Hearing this, Chu Yunfei nodded slowly and then said, "The mountain city has already considered the matter of replenishing troops. This is not a problem only for the Fifth War Zone. Even the Second War Zone is currently facing a shortage of troops."

When Sun Ming heard Chu Yunfei speak, he slowly added, "When the War of Resistance against Japan first broke out, in Shanxi, our recruits often only needed three months of training to acquire strong combat capabilities."

Currently, it takes at least a year to train personnel to join the main combat units, and another six months to train them to join Class B combat units for low-intensity combat missions.

Zhao Weibin asked in bewilderment, "I had heard before that Shanxi had produced high-quality soldiers... How could this happen?"

Sun Ming sighed: "Many sacrificed themselves on the front lines. Shanxi has always been the front line of the War of Resistance against Japan. There have been constant battles, both big and small. No matter how wealthy a province is, or how many young men it has, they will be exhausted in this long war of attrition."

"The war of resistance has dragged on to this point, and the Nationalist government is exhausted. Commander Zhao, your problem is not just a problem of the Sichuan Army, but a problem of the entire Nationalist army as a whole."

Chu Yunfei directly addressed the issue raised by Zhao Weibin, setting the tone to prevent him from further escalating the conflict.

He maintained a cautious attitude towards the problems existing in the Fifth War Zone.

You have to understand that if this kind of thing isn't handled properly, it can easily backfire.

Zhao Weibin sighed: "Most of our officers have not attended a proper military academy, so their command ability is poor and their tactical skills are low."

"We also considered sending them to military academies for further study."

Zhao Weibin remained silent for a moment.
The fundamental reason why I didn't pursue further education is...

Many generals from non-military units lost their military power after attending further training programs.

The original troops will be centralized, but they will no longer be the commanders.

The mountain city government has made considerable efforts in eliminating the ragtag army.

Chu Yunfei nodded, then turned to Zhao Weibin and asked a crucial question: "Commander Zhao, are you saying that Lord De is simply ignoring these issues you've raised?"

"As the supreme commander of the Fifth War Zone, why didn't he try to resolve this?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhao Weibin's face revealed a bitter smile that was even more unsightly than crying.

"solve?"

"Commander Chu, you are a direct descendant of the Central Government, a protégé of the Emperor. Our Sichuan Army..."

Zhao Weibin smiled bitterly: "In the Fifth War Zone, Commander Li's Guangxi Army is his own son; your Central Army is your adopted son; and our Sichuan Army and Northwest Army..."

"We're a motley crew of misfits, not even stepchildren! We're just a bunch of wild kids who have no one to care for us!"

"If there's good equipment, give it to the Guangxi Army first; if there are sufficient supplies, give them to the Central Army first. As for us, all that's left are scraps!"

"If we suffer a defeat, reprimands from the theater command will come pouring in like snowflakes."

"If we win the battle, although our names will be written on the merit list, we will only get a few worthless medals."

Sun Ming sighed and slowly added, "The local army is indeed in a difficult situation. Their supply sequence is basically all at the back. To put it bluntly, they are like stepchildren."

"This is no longer a question of whether it can be solved or not!"

Zhao Weibin's voice was filled with despair: "This is an unsolvable dead end! In this Fifth War Zone, we, these ragtag troops, are like a sea of ​​suffering, with no end in sight, let alone a shore!"

He bowed deeply to Chu Yunfei once more, his eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and determination.

"Commander Chu, I have dared to come here today on behalf of our Commander Wang Mingzhang and the entire 22nd Army Group! We are truly desperate!" "We know that you are the 'Chief Military Law Officer' sent by the Chairman to enforce military discipline!"

"We implore you to do us a favor and help us Sichuan Army brothers who have no one to care for us!"

"Can you help us find a way to survive in this sea of ​​suffering?"

Looking at the Sichuan Army division commander in front of him, who was crying his heart out, Chu Yunfei felt a storm raging in his heart.

He understood instantly.

Zhao Weibin's secret visit tonight was not just a simple complaint.

He was using this most intense and direct method to lay bare the already extremely sharp factional conflicts within the Fifth War Zone in a bloody and undisguised manner.

He was representing Wang Mingzhang and the entire Sichuan military system.

He handed a knife to his newly arrived high-ranking official from the mountain city, who held the "imperial sword" in his hands!

A knife powerful enough to completely stir up the stagnant waters of the Fifth War Zone!

This is an open conspiracy!

They want to escalate the conflict to the extreme and burst all the boils.

He was forced to take action as the "chief military judge" to break the existing, unfair power structure.

They are using their own weakness.

As the sharpest weapon, it is used to manipulate this complex political game.

Chu Yunfei looked into Zhao Weibin's eyes, which were filled with expectation and calculation, and sighed inwardly.

He knew that from the moment he stepped into the Fifth War Zone, he had become a pawn in this game of chess, without any control over his own destiny.

It is the only piece in the game that can change the course of the game in the eyes of all the weak.

He had no other choice.

How to reorganize the five war zones was an extremely thorny issue.

Before arriving, Chu Yunfei had no intention of cleaning up the mess caused by factional conflicts.

"Commander Zhao, let's postpone this matter for now..."

"Commander Chu"

Chu Yunfei frowned slightly and sighed, "Sun Ming, see the guest out."

"Yes!"

Division Commander Zhao Weibin glanced at Chu Yunfei without looking at him, then turned and left.
-

As the figure of Zhao Weibin, the division commander of the Sichuan Army, disappeared into the night, the lights in Chu Yunfei's office remained bright.

The atmosphere inside the room was heavy.

Sun Ming looked at his superior's face, which was flickering in the candlelight, and felt extremely nervous.

"Commander," Sun Ming broke the silence first, his voice tinged with worry, "This Zhao Weibin clearly wants to use you as a pawn! He's trying to push us directly to the opposite side of all the factions in the Fifth War Zone!"

"He doesn't just want to; he just does it."

Chu Yunfei slowly turned around, his gaze calmly sweeping over his three confidants: "He, and Wang Mingzhang behind him, Sun Zhen are using the 'weakness' of their Sichuan army as a weapon, handing me this 'knife' personally bestowed by the Chairman. They are forcing me to cut."

Chu Yunfei walked to the huge map of the Fifth War Zone, on which the complex spheres of influence of the Central Army, the Guangxi Army, the Sichuan Army, the Northwest Army, and others were clearly marked with different colors.

“What that chairman in the mountain city wants to see is me using this knife to cut down these disobedient local factions.” Chu Yunfei’s voice carried an all-knowing calmness. “He is using me to weaken the local areas and centralize power. This is an open conspiracy.”

“And I,” a complex light flashed in his eyes, “if I want to survive in this game, if I want to continue to win this war of resistance against Japan, I must follow his script and perform this play well.”

Chu Yunfei's tone shifted abruptly, becoming incredibly firm, "However, the play must be performed according to his script. But how the play should be performed, and to what extent, is up to me!"

Chu Yunfei knew that he could not become a mere blade that only knew how to kill.

He must become the most brilliant player who can determine the outcome of the game.

Chu Yunfei looked at Sun Ming, "We can replicate the experience from Shanxi here. But the Fifth War Zone is more complex than Shanxi. I can't perform well by myself. We need allies."

"Allies?" Sun Ming asked, somewhat puzzled. "In this chaotic place, who could possibly become our ally?"

Chu Yunfei's gaze slowly moved across the map, finally settling on the defense zone of the Second Army Group.

"General Sun Lianzhong," Chu Yunfei said slowly.

The next day.

Chu Yunfei, under the pretext of "inspecting the defenses of friendly forces and exchanging combat experience in North China," traveled lightly and personally to the headquarters of Sun Lianzhong, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group.

Unlike the splendid barracks of Li Zongren's direct troops, Sun Lianzhong's command post was located in a dilapidated ancestral hall, exuding an atmosphere of simplicity, even austerity.

Sun Lianzhong, a veteran general who emerged from the warlord conflicts in Northwest China, is famous throughout the country for his heroic performance in the Battle of Taierzhuang.

He personally greeted them at the entrance of the command post, dressed in a faded ordinary military uniform, with a robust physique, sharp eyes, and a simple yet fierce temperament unique to veteran soldiers.

"Commander Chu, please forgive me for not welcoming you properly!"

Sun Lianzhong clasped his hands in a fist salute and smiled, his voice booming.

"Commander-in-Chief Sun, you're too kind."

Chu Yunfei returned the greeting with a smile, saying, "I have come here specifically to thank your unit for cooperating with my Second War Zone in several past battles to fight against foreign aggression. You are also my former superior, so in my opinion, we should address each other as brothers."

The two entered the command post and, without much formality, quickly got to the point.

Chu Yunfei shared his tactical insights on the counter-offensive in North China with Sun Lianzhong without reservation.

Sun Lianzhong also gave a detailed introduction to the current defensive situation of the Fifth War Zone.

When discussing the logistical support and troop quality of various units, General Sun Lianzhong, who is known for his tough image, couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Brother Chu, to be honest," he said with a wry smile, "life for us ragtag troops is like Wang Xiaoer celebrating the New Year, getting worse every year."

Good equipment is never available to us; and we never receive our full pay.

Blood is being shed on the front lines, and people are suffering mistreatment at home. The brothers are all seething with anger.

Chu Yunfei looked at him earnestly and said, "Commander-in-Chief Sun, I am aware of these circumstances. This is something I wanted to discuss with you during my trip, in addition to exchanging military views."

He revealed to Sun Lianzhong his identity as "Deputy Chief Military Law Officer" and the power granted to him by the Chairman to "rectify military discipline".

Upon hearing this, Sun Lianzhong's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He remained silent for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "Brother Chu, what do you intend to do?"

"Crack down on the big ones, let the small ones go. Learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones," Chu Yunfei slowly uttered these eight words.

He explained in detail to Sun Lianzhong how he had handled the situation in Shanxi.

"Those traitors who commit heinous crimes, smuggle strategic materials, or even collude with the enemy must be punished severely with swift and decisive measures! In this way, we can uphold the law and reassure the army!"

"But for those who are forced to do so by the need to make a living and whose crimes are less serious, a way out can be given. After all, water that is too clear has no fish."

“Most importantly,” Chu Yunfei’s eyes gleamed, “we can’t just kill people without saving them.”

I plan to use all the confiscated funds and supplies to establish a "War Zone Livelihood Fund" in the Fifth War Zone!

"This fund will be jointly supervised by us generals who truly want to resist Japan!" He looked at Sun Lianzhong and said, word by word, "A portion of it will be used to directly subsidize the soldiers whose pay has been withheld."
Part of it will be used to compensate the families of fallen soldiers; another part will be used to relieve local people displaced by exorbitant taxes!

Upon hearing this, Sun Lianzhong slapped his thigh and stood up excitedly!
"Excellent! What a brilliant 'War Zone Livelihood Fund'!" He looked at Chu Yunfei, his eyes filled with unprecedented admiration and respect: "Brother Chu, your move is a decisive blow! You're winning over the hearts of the army and the people! You're digging out the roots of those corrupt officials!"

He paced back and forth a few steps before finally stopping in front of Chu Yunfei. He said emphatically, "Brother Chu, I, Sun Lianzhong, am determined to be your friend! My Second Army Group will fully support you in this matter, from top to bottom!"

"Wherever you point, we'll fight! If you need us to send troops to arrest someone, just say the word! If you need us to be witnesses, our entire army will be your witnesses!"

Chu Yunfei stood up and bowed deeply to this respectable senior.

"With Commander-in-Chief Sun's words, Yunfei gained confidence." (End of Chapter)