Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Peking, North China Front Army Headquarters.

The atmosphere in the huge operations room was as heavy as a sky covered with dark clouds.

Commander-in-Chief General Okamura Yasuji was leaning on a huge sand table at this moment, looking at the entire North China region with a sharp gaze.

On the sand table, the flags of the red and blue sides are intertwined.

Densely packed.

Lately, he has been feeling a strange sense of irritability and unease.

News of Chu Yunfei's arrival in North China.

Like sharp thorns, they were deeply embedded in his heart.

Every appearance of the War General signifies a bloody storm.

"Reporting to the Commander, requesting instructions!"

An intelligence officer strode in and handed over an urgent telegram: "Our intelligence department in western Henan reports that the 15th Army of the Chinese Army has suddenly mobilized its entire force and is advancing at high speed toward our Ningling defense line!"

"Oh?"

Okamura Neiji straightened up, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

The 15th Army?

Wu Tinglin's unit?

Regarding this unit.

Okamura Yasuji's intelligence department possesses a fairly complete archive.

Originating from the "Zhensong Army," the army was plagued by poor discipline and internal corruption.

Although they had demonstrated some combat effectiveness in the previous battles in northern Shanxi and Nankou.

Overall, in Okamura Yasuji's eyes, this was nothing more than a local ragtag army bearing the name of the Central Army, and not worth worrying about at all.

What he was really worried about were the Sixth Army Group, commanded by Qian Bojun, and the Eighty-Eighth Army Group, commanded by Fang Ligong, stationed along the Taihang Mountains.

Both units are well-equipped, well-trained, and tactically flexible.

It was the greatest threat to their North China Army in the entire North China region.

And now.

Qian Bojun's troops frequently contacted them in the Beijing-Tianjin area.

Fang Ligong's main force remained inactive.

Wu Tinglin's second-rate troops suddenly jumped out and decided to launch an attack?
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

"Everyone."

Lieutenant General Miyano Michiichi, Chief of Staff of the Army Group, pointed to the sand table and analyzed: "The sudden movement of the 15th Army is very strange."

Seeing that Okamura Yasuji was looking at him, Lieutenant General Miyano Michiichi added, "I believe that this troop movement could not have been Wu Tinglin's personal act."

"Behind this, there is very likely a conspiracy by Chu Yunfei. They may be using the 15th Army as bait."

Okamura Neiji nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Your judgment is the same as my opinion."

He said in a deep voice, "This is very likely a premeditated offensive operation. They are trying to launch an attack to disrupt our plans and delay our operations."

His fingers moved slowly across the sand table.

"Chu Yunfei's intention is likely to use the 15th Army, which appears weak, as bait to lure us into attacking."

"Then, Fang Ligong's main force can move south from the Taihang Mountains, strike directly at our flank, and form a pincer movement with other main forces to tear through our defenses in eastern Henan in one fell swoop!"

"Don't forget, the 31st Army Group under Zhang Xuezhong is only 180 kilometers away from us, and could come to our aid from the north at any time. This could very well be a feint attack."

Miyano Michiichi couldn't help but exclaim, "What a brilliant feint, combining deception and reality!"

Although they were enemies, he couldn't help but admire Chu Yunfei's tactical ideas.

The current strength of the Nationalist army is more than twice that of them.

Even if some units are not particularly strong in combat, the current Nationalist army is quite skilled in positional defense.

It won't be so easy for the Japanese army to tear apart the National Revolutionary Army's defenses again.

At least in North China, after Tang Enbo, the number one black sheep, was purged.

No unit was so "weak" as to be unable to withstand the Japanese attack and dared to openly preserve its own strength.

A cold smile flickered across Okamura Neiji's face. "Does he think I'll fall for his tricks again?"

"Since he's trying to use bait to catch fish, let's play along!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Okamura Neiji's eyes: "Let him be a fish, and swallow the bait and the hook whole!"

He suddenly waved his hand, making his decision.

"Order!"

"The 5th Division, directly under the Army, immediately cease the standoff, hand over the entire defensive line to the 9th Division, and advance south at full speed!"

"Order: Eighth Division, advance westward from Shandong!"

"The two divisions will form a pincer movement from the north and south, ignoring the movements of other Chinese troops. Their only target is Wu Tinglin's 15th Army!"

"I deployed two of my most elite standing divisions, with overwhelming force, in the shortest possible time, to completely and cleanly crush his isolated force into dust!"

"I want Chu Yunfei to know that no matter what schemes or tricks they use, they are all futile in the face of the Locust Army's absolute power!"

"Hi!"

In the operations room, all the Japanese officers responded in unison, their expressions excited.

Okamura Neiji's thinking was almost identical to Terauchi Hisaichi's.

This was a common problem among all senior Japanese military commanders.

This was also a behavioral habit of high-ranking commanders in the National Revolutionary Army.

That's why it's said that Japanese soldiers like to engage in encirclement and annihilation warfare; it's a consistent style of fighting and mindset.

……

However, neither Okamura Yasuji nor the Nationalist Army had anticipated this.

The "grand show" was directed remotely by the two of them.

From the very beginning, they went beyond their baseline.

When Wu Tinglin led the 15th Army, news of a "tragic and heroic expedition" emerged.

When transmitted to the First and Second War Zone Commands.

The reactions of Wei Junru and Chu Xichun, the two highest-ranking officers in the war zone, were surprisingly consistent.

Respond to all changes with constancy and observe the changes calmly.

They unanimously issued strict orders to their respective main forces: "Hold your current positions and do not launch any attacks. All actions must await orders from the command headquarters."

To make this decision.

This caused quite a stir within both war zones.

Especially in the First War Zone.

Some junior and middle-ranking officers, unaware of the facts, expressed strong dissatisfaction.

"Sir!"

"How can we just stand by and watch them fight alone?"

"Yes! Don't the officers understand the principle of 'the lips and teeth are cold'?"

"Commander Wei, my division requests reinforcements!"

"I am willing to sign a military pledge and live and die with the 15th Army!"

The subordinates were in a state of high spirits.

Wei Junru simply waved his hand without offering any explanation.

What could he say?
Should we tell them that Wu Tinglin "took the initiative to resist Japan" this time?

Was it just a ruse to escape military punishment?

Should we tell them?

Behind this is the consensus reached between the war commanders and the command headquarters to purge the bad elements.

Wu Tinglin was clearly trying to drag the 15th Army down with him!
He couldn't say anything.

He could only silently endure the mistakes and criticisms from his subordinates.

Meanwhile, Chu Xichun was far away in Taiyuan.

They also face enormous pressure.

But he carried out orders with even greater courage than Wei Jun.

Because he was not merely the acting commander of the war zone.

Moreover, he is the person who understands Chu Yunfei's strategic significance best.

He was aware of the seemingly chaotic situation on the North China battlefield.

The real protagonist was never Wu Tinglin, nor the Japanese 5th Division.

The 15th Army was merely a pawn used to disrupt the Japanese army's deployment.

As for the future of this unit, and what it should be done.

Chu Xichun hadn't actually figured it out either.

Chu Yunfei didn't make the slightest move.

With no troops even deployed and no air support available, how should the 15th Army fight this battle?
-
That night.

On the paved road from Luoyang to Ningling.

The marching column, like a long black dragon, meandered across the desolate fields of the eastern Henan plain.

The soldiers of the 15th Army silently hurried on their way.

As early as the first year of the War of Resistance against Japan.

The incompetent officers in the General Staff had already summarized their experience in marching at night to avoid harassment by Japanese warplanes. Wu Tinglin, in order to "demonstrate" his own anti-Japanese stance...

The soldiers of the 15th Army were ordered to set off directly that afternoon.

If the Japanese army hadn't been wary of the air defense forces in the Second World War zone, they probably would have bombed it long ago.

even so.

The soldiers, who had been "putting on a show" and marching for several hours, had faces full of fatigue and confusion.

Nobody knows.

What exactly is the purpose of this sudden "proactive attack"?

They just know.

Ahead, the dark muzzles of Japanese guns loomed.

And behind them.

It seems there is no way out.

There was no word of any so-called reinforcements nearby.

The temporary tent at the military command post was brightly lit.

Army Commander Wu Tinglin was studying the map, planning the next marching route.

His face bore a morbid excitement.

They were less than fifty kilometers away from the main Japanese defensive line in Ningling County.

If we can just march for another day tomorrow.

He would then be able to "clash" with the Japanese.

Until then.

He could then completely bind himself to the crazy war chariot of "resisting Japan".

The mountain town authorities could no longer do anything to him.

"Commander-in-Chief."

Chief of Staff Liu Hebi lifted the tent flap and walked in, his face unusually solemn: "We just received an urgent telegram from the Commander-in-Chief's headquarters."

"Commander's Headquarters?" Wu Tinglin didn't even look up, waving his hand impatiently: "No need to look! It must be a telegram from Commander Wei telling us to go back!"

"Tell the chief of staff to ignore it! We will be out in the field and may not obey the emperor's orders!"

"Commander!"

Liu Hebi's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable firmness: "You must read this telegram!"

Wu Tinglin looked up in surprise.

This was the first time he had ever seen his usually gentle and refined chief of staff speak to him in such a forceful tone.

He was about to have an attack.

But then they saw Yao Beichen, commander of the 64th Division, and Li Jiyun, commander of the 65th Division, also walk in with Liu Hebi.

These two were the most powerful generals in the 15th Army besides him.

In Wu Tinglin's heart.

A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Liu Hebi did not seek his opinion again, but read out the contents of the telegram word by word in front of the two division commanders.

"Secret Telegram: According to reliable intelligence, the Japanese North China Area Army has urgently dispatched the 5th and 8th Divisions, which are rapidly advancing towards your army from both the north and south. Their intention is to encircle and attack your army from both sides in the Ningling area. We urge your army to assess the situation and make a decision as soon as possible."

The 5th Division! The 8th Division!
That was the ace unit of the Japanese Army's Class A standing division!
They were the true elite main force of the Kwantung Army!
Okamura Yasuji actually went to such lengths to deal with this ragtag army!
"Impossible, this is impossible! The Fifth Division should be confronting Qian Bojun!"

Wu Tinglin's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He snatched the telegram and examined it repeatedly, as if trying to find traces of forgery.

But he knew that this telegram, jointly signed by the First War Zone Command and Chu Yunfei, could not possibly be fake.

They wouldn't go so far as to fabricate false information just to deceive Wu Tinglin.

If we continue eastward...

The annihilation of the 15th Army was now a foregone conclusion.

Facing a full-scale attack from two elite Japanese divisions.

With the equipment and combat strength of the 15th Army, it wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap.

This so-called "anti-Japanese army" of theirs.

In the eyes of the enemy, they were nothing more than a piece of fat meat delivered to their mouths.

"Commander-in-Chief."

Liu Hebi looked at him with a hint of pity in his eyes: "It's not too late to stop now."

"Immediately order the entire army to halt its advance, turn around, and retreat back to Luoyang! Perhaps we can still save the lives of our brothers!"

"Retreat? Where to retreat?"

Wu Tinglin suddenly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed at Liu Hebi's nose and roared hysterically, "You fucking make it sound so easy!"

"If we retreat now, wouldn't we be walking right into Chu Yunfei's line of fire?"

"I'd rather die at the hands of the Japanese than put up with Chu Yunfei's wrath!"

His eyes were bloodshot.

He was completely caught in a state of frenzy, caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Commander! The Japanese are paranoid and clearly see us as bait for Commander Chu. They intend to devour us directly. You are stubbornly continuing your eastward advance."

Yao Beichen couldn't help but speak up, saying, "You're going to bring 20,000 brothers to die with you!"

Although he was not a direct subordinate of the Zhen Song Army.

But having served in the 15th Army for many years, he still has feelings for the officers and soldiers under him.

Li Jiyun also said in a deep voice, "Commander, with a formidable enemy at hand, acting rashly is a major taboo in military strategy. Please think twice!"

"Think it over? Think it over my ass!"

Wu Tinglin completely dropped his pretense, revealing his unreasonable and bandit-like nature.

"What do you know! This is my army! If I want him to go east, he has to go east! If I want him to die, he has to die!"

He pointed at Liu Hebi, his face contorted with rage, and roared, "Liu Hebi! I bet you've been bought off by Chu Yunfei long ago! You're spreading rumors and undermining morale here!"

"Guards! Drag him out and lock him up!"

"Anyone who dares to utter the word 'withdraw' again will be killed without mercy!"

The guards at the door rushed in and dragged Liu Hebi out.

Yao Beichen and Li Jiyun exchanged a glance but did not make any rash moves.

Seeing this, Wu Tinglin felt relieved. At least his troops were still under his control and obeyed him!

……

Late that night.

Inside Yao Beichen's tent, only a dim kerosene lamp was lit.

He and Li Jiyun sat facing each other, both with extremely solemn expressions.

"Brother Li."

Yao Beichen spoke first, breaking the silence: "We can't go on like this. Wu Tinglin has gone mad. If we continue to follow him, we're all doomed."

Li Jiyun nodded, his eyes deeper than the night.

"Wu Tinglin has only himself to blame, but the more than 20,000 brothers below him are innocent."

"Most of them were just poor people trying to make a living, and they couldn't just die here in vain."

Yao Beichen looked at him and lowered his voice: "Then, in Brother Li's opinion, what should we do?"

Li Jiyun remained silent for a moment, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

He took something out of his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

It was a small Japanese-made radio.

There is another one, also a codebook in Japanese.

Yao Beichen's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Brother Li, what are you doing?"

Li Jiyun slowly said, "This is something a friend of mine 'accidentally' seized a few days ago."

"I think it might come in handy now."

His meaning is self-evident.

Yao Beichen instantly understood, and he felt a sudden dryness in his mouth.

Fabricating evidence of Wu Tinglin's treason!
This is a military coup!
This is a high-stakes gamble; if you lose, you will be utterly disgraced and ruined forever.

"Brother Yao."

Li Jiyun looked at him, his voice carrying a powerful persuasive force: "We are not doing this for ourselves. It is to protect the entire team, to leave a way out for those more than 20,000 brothers. The mountain city has made up its mind, and we have no way out."

“As long as we can obtain irrefutable evidence that Wu Tinglin has ‘colluded with the enemy,’ we can legitimately detain him.”

"Then, rescue Chief of Staff Liu and have him negotiate with Chief Advisor Chu."

"At that time, we will be the heroes who restore order!"

Yao Beichen's heart was pounding.

He looked at the small radio on the table.

He seemed to see a sliver of hope for the 15th Army, and even for himself.

Finally, he nodded heavily.

"it is good!"

"Let's do it!" (End of Chapter)