Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 580 The Gratitude of the People of Shanxi; The Argument Within the Joint Command Center! (Please Subscribe)
While Chu Yunfei was engaged in a silent diplomatic game with the Soviets in Puyang, Sichuan.

Changshan, thousands of miles away.

Inside the joint command center, a heated argument is erupting.

North China Joint Command, Changzhi.

In front of a huge war sand table, two figures were arguing heatedly about an upcoming strategic decision.

Qian Bojun rose from a lowly battalion commander in the Jin-Sui Army to become the commander-in-chief of an army group.

And now, he is known as the second most formidable general in the North China Theater, after Chu Yunfei.

Although his combat style tends to be conservative, his personality is full of the toughness and decisiveness unique to soldiers.

Qian Bojun at this moment.

He slammed his right hand heavily on the sand table, making the small flags representing the various units vibrate loudly.

"Brother Ligong! I disagree!"

His voice was as loud as a cannonball: "Okamura Yasuji has transferred his two main divisions, the 5th Division and the 8th Division, to the Henan direction!"
Beiping now is a ghost town!
The defenses consisted of only second-line garrison brigades and newly reinforced puppet troops!

Qian Bojun used his baton to draw a powerful, straight-on attack arrow on the sand table, pointing directly at Beiping.

"This is a golden opportunity!"

"This is our best chance to wipe out the North China Area Army Headquarters and recapture the old capital! Why should we hesitate and miss this opportunity for the sake of a mere Handan?"

Standing opposite him was Fang Ligong, who also held a high position but had a completely different demeanor.

This is a scholar-general who grew up around the same time as Chu Yunfei.

Unlike Qian Bojun's "composure," Qian Bojun's caution was for the purpose of reducing casualties and for further consideration of adopting a more conservative playing style.

His personality is characterized by caution and a calm, deliberate approach.

Fang Ligong pushed up his glasses, his tone equally firm yet organized.

"Brother Bojun, I understand how you feel."

"Recapturing Beiping, eliminating Okamura Yasuji, and taking down the Japanese North China Area Army Headquarters are things that every army wants to do."

"but."

Fang Ligong then changed the subject: "Have you ever considered that this might be a trap set by Okamura Yasuji?"

"He knew perfectly well that we had concentrated our main forces in North China, so why did he dare to so boldly transfer our main forces south?"

"This doesn't fit his style of warfare!"

Fang Ligong pointed to the other side of the sand table: "I am more inclined to believe that Okamura Neiji is bluffing. His real killing move is likely hidden in other directions!"

Our primary task is to stabilize our position and, according to the operational mission assigned to us by the commander before his departure, first take control of the area surrounding Handan.

"This way."

He emphasized, "It will allow Chen Zejun to gain enough military merits to pave the way for his future transfer to Siam."

This also provides an opportunity to completely eliminate the spies planted by the CC Clique.

Ensure the integrity of our North China team's command.

This is the safest and most beneficial course of action for us at present!

The two men held sharply contrasting views and refused to yield to each other.

One advocates "taking risks and advancing aggressively to achieve victory in one decisive battle."

One advocates "taking steady steps and eliminating internal troubles first".

The debate quickly escalated from tactical discussions into a heated argument involving banging on the table.

"Fang Ligong! This is cowardice! This is a missed opportunity!"

Qian Bojun's face turned bright red.

"Qian Bojun! You're gambling! You're risking the lives of hundreds of thousands of our soldiers in North China. Everyone knows that the North China Area Army is incredibly strong now that the main force of the Kwantung Army has been drawn from it. We can't possibly wipe them out in one go. Even if we capture Beiping, we'll still face a pincer attack from the Kwantung Army and the North China Area Army!"

Fang Ligong was equally unyielding.

It looked like the two supreme commanders were about to start arguing.

Major General Zhang Dayun, deputy head of the operations section of the North China Joint Command, was sweating profusely with anxiety.

He wanted to step forward and try to smooth things over.

But upon closer examination, one of these two options is too radical and the other too conservative; there is simply no possibility of a compromise.

The enemy situation and circumstances in North China are like a taut string; one must either advance or retreat. Any hesitation or wavering could lead to the string breaking and the bow being destroyed.

Just as tensions were about to rise, a sudden inspiration flashed in Zhang Dayun's mind.

Zhang Dayun thought of a third possibility.

He mustered his courage, stepped forward, and said loudly, "My lords, please calm down! I have a third option, but I don't know if I should say it?"

Qian and Fang both turned their gazes toward him at the same time.

Zhang Dayun took a deep breath, pointed to the south of the sand table, and made a suggestion that surprised everyone.

"Please take a look, officers."

"Since advancing north is too risky, and staying put means missing a golden opportunity, why don't we head south?"

"southward?"

Qian and Fang both spoke in unison, their expressions showing confusion.

Zhang Dayun explained, "Yes, southward! Our main force doesn't need to fight Okamura Yasuji to the death in North China."

"We can leverage our mobility advantage, march south, and coordinate with the Fifth and Ninth War Zones in combat!"

"Now, with the great victory at Pyinmana, the main force of the Japanese army in Southeast Asia has been annihilated."

"The Chairman has ordered a strategic counter-offensive in South China. However, the troops of the Fifth and Ninth War Zones are far inferior to our elite troops in North China in terms of both equipment and training."

"We can focus our efforts on 'training through combat'!"

"We can send a highly skilled military advisory group, or even draw some troops, to help them in coordinated operations."

"This way."

Zhang Dayun's eyes gleamed with "wisdom": "We can both respond to the Chairman's call for a nationwide counter-offensive and avoid the risk of a major battle with Okamura Yasuji in North China."

"More importantly, we can take this opportunity to promote our advanced combat concepts and command systems to other ROC military units."

"Use real combat to strengthen those local military units with weak combat capabilities and optimize the command system of the entire National Revolutionary Army!"

"This is truly a long-term plan that focuses on the overall national situation and the ultimate victory!"

Zhang Dayun's words were like a breath of fresh air, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere in the conference room.

Qian Bojun and Fang Ligong both fell silent.

They had to admit that Zhang Dayun's plan was more ambitious and had a better strategic vision.

But
Qian Bojun frowned: "Southward? What about North China? If Okamura Yasuji takes the opportunity to counterattack, won't we be facing a crisis in our own backyard?"

Fang Ligong also raised his concerns: "Our logistical supply lines mainly rely on the north."

"How will supplies be guaranteed as we march south?"

"Moreover, troop movements are no small matter and require the approval of the General Staff."

"If the scale is too small, it cannot affect the course of a battle; if the scale is too large, it is very likely to affect the military balance in North China."

For a while.

Three options were presented on the table.

Attacking the Gyeonggi region is a high-risk, high-reward gamble.

Striving to hold onto the Handan area is a safe but potentially risky and conservative approach.

Heading south is a long-term strategy, but fraught with difficulties.

North China Joint Command.

This power center, having lost Chu Yunfei as its "stabilizing force," is facing a decision-making dilemma for the first time.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfei, far away in Sichuan, was unaware of the strategic plan he had laid out before leaving.

Unexpected changes have already occurred due to the differing opinions of the generals.

Fang Ligong, Qian Bojun, and Zhang Dayun could not convince each other.

a long time.

The group was tired of arguing.

Fang Ligong sighed silently and tapped the table: "How about we ask Your Excellency for instructions?"

"Brother Ligong is absolutely right." Qian Bojun's anger dissipated considerably because of Zhang Dayun's plan.

"In that case, sirs, I'll make a trip to Taiyuan. The construction group's consultation meeting is about to begin, so I'll take this opportunity to discuss this matter with you."
-
Two days later, Chu Yunfei's private plane landed smoothly at Taiyuan Wusu Military Airport.

This trip to Puyangchang.

The event went very smoothly, and the opening ceremony and other related activities were successfully completed.

Negotiations with the Soviets also made decisive new progress.

Chu Yunfei was well aware that the Russians had long coveted the interests in the Far East.

Just like Britain, the United States, and Japan, during the warlord era of the Republic of China, almost every seemingly powerful warlord had the support of foreign forces behind them.

Even when Zhang Zuolin raided the embassy, ​​he could discern the Soviet Union's ambitions from the documents he found.

Not to mention Chu Yunfei, who came later.

That's practically playing your cards right out of the box.

The Soviets are still fighting the Germans in Stalingrad, but the astute leadership has already roughly guessed the future course of the war.

The Germans, having lost their offensive prowess, have lost the ability to win.

Even at the very least, the Soviet Union could only manage a draw with the Germans, under these circumstances.

It is normal for Moscow to choose to continue its strategic moves in the Far East and attempt to gain more interests in the Northeast.

Chu Yunfei expressed his support and tolerance for the mysterious force with an ambiguous attitude, and he also quite agreed with its style of serving the poor.

The Soviet ambassador thought that Chu Yunfei agreed with their political ideas, but to his surprise, Chu Yunfei turned around and talked directly about the current situation.

in short.

He poured out his grievances, saying that the Republic of China was so poor that they were almost starving.

As a member of the Allied Powers, and a friendly neighbor separated only by a strip of water.

We hope to receive further support from the Soviet Union.
After several hours of negotiations.

The Soviets also promised to provide some "basic industrial equipment" to aid the countries and peoples that Chu Yunfei described as "so poor that their people couldn't afford trousers."

However, the condition was that the Soviets would send a portion of their air force instructors to participate in the training of young air force officers.

From its inception, the KKK Kindergarten has rejected ideological barriers.

At Wang Qiang's suggestion.

As long as applicants meet the requirements, love this country and nation, and are willing to work hard for the cause of the Air Force.

Whether it's communism or the Three Principles of the People, one can enroll in school and receive a good education.

As for Soviet and American instructors, they wanted to infiltrate these places with their culture and ideas.
It's really difficult.

The airport at this moment.

Those who came to pick him up at the airport were Xie Ming and Xie Yufa, who had just been appointed as the executive vice president of "Shanxi Construction Group".

The two were old acquaintances.

"Commander Chu, you must be tired from your journey."

Xie Ming strode forward and gave a standard military salute, but his brows were filled with genuine excitement and joy.

Chu Yunfei's series of actions all proved Xie Ming's foresight back then.

As one of the mentors who guided Chu Yunfei in his life.

Xie Ming naturally earned Chu Yunfei's respect as well.

"Brother Yufa, there's no need for such formalities."

Chu Yunfei stepped down the gangway and shook hands with him.

A familiar scent of air, mixed with the smell of coal ash, made him feel a sense of warmth.

Although it's a bit pungent, it really tastes like home.

No excessive pleasantries.

The group boarded the military vehicles that had come to greet them and headed towards the headquarters of the Second War Zone Commander.

In the car, Chu Yunfei did not close his eyes to rest.

Instead, he took advantage of this rare free time to chat with Xie Ming about the current situation in Shanxi.

"Brother Yufa, how's the situation now? Is the industrial park operating at full capacity?"

Xie Ming immediately took out a briefing from his briefcase and reported with great enthusiasm, "The situation can be described as extremely favorable!"

"According to the latest statistics, since we implemented the new policies of 'work-for-relief' and 'land reclamation'..."

In just six months, more than 700,000 refugees from occupied areas such as Henan, Hebei, and Shandong have poured into Shanxi!

"These refugees provide us with a large workforce and reserve soldiers."

"at present."

He pointed to the data on the briefing, "We have reclaimed 10,000 hectares of new land this year! These areas are mainly planted with high-yield, drought-resistant crops such as potatoes and corn."

"In southeastern Shanxi, the water conservancy projects that we previously repaired and newly built have already begun to show results."

"Although this year's weather is drier than in previous years, according to the forecasts of agricultural stations in various regions, our grain harvest will not only not decrease, but is expected to reach a new high!"

"A bumper harvest is a foregone conclusion!"

Xie Ming spoke with great enthusiasm and excitement.

Chu Yunfei listened quietly.

A genuine smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Nothing could make him feel more satisfied than hearing that his hometown had a bountiful harvest and that the people lived in peace and contentment.

This was his ultimate goal in leading his officers and soldiers in countless battles across the country.

What they seek is nothing more than the four words: national prosperity and peace.

The convoy soon arrived at the headquarters of the Second World War Zone Commander.

Acting Commander-in-Chief Chu Xichun was already waiting at the door.

This veteran, also from the Jin-Sui clique, quickly adjusted his position after Yan Xishan stepped down and became a strong supporter of the new Shanxi campaign.

"Yunfei, you're finally back!"

Chu Xichun stepped forward and patted Chu Yunfei's shoulder forcefully, her eyes full of affection.

"Senior, how have you been?"

After simple greetings.

Chu Xichun, however, did not lead Chu Yunfei to the conference room.

Instead, with a mysterious smile, she led him to a small banquet hall next door.

Chu Yunfei was curious, so he pushed open the door and was stunned.

The banquet hall was devoid of delicacies and filled with distinguished guests.

There was only a simple eight-immortal table.

On the table were several ordinary Shanxi home-style noodles.

A bowl of golden corn porridge, a plate of crystal-clear jelly, and several plates of stir-fried oat noodles and buckwheat noodles.

It was so simple, like a dinner at an ordinary family's home.

"Seat Master."

Chu Yunfei glanced at the dishes from his hometown and asked with some curiosity, "What's this?"

Chu Xichun burst into laughter, pulled Chu Yunfei down to sit, his face beaming with undisguised pride.

"Yunfei, try it first, and then we'll talk!"

Pointing to the bowl of corn porridge, he said proudly, "Don't underestimate this bowl of porridge! It was brought to our headquarters by the people from Niangziguan who spontaneously organized representatives and walked over a hundred miles of mountain roads!"

"They say this is called 'water-milled flour,' and it's the best local specialty of Niangziguan Village."

"Thanks to you this year, the mountain spring water has been piped into the fields. The dry land that used to only grow sorghum can now grow wheat!"

"They say, 'When you drink water, you should never forget the well-digger.' This first bowl of freshly ground flour must be enjoyed by your great benefactor!"

He then pointed to the plate of cold noodles: "And this, these were sent by the people of Hunyuan County!"

"I don't know if you remember, but last year the local construction corps built a reservoir there."

"They said that in the past, the area suffered from drought nine out of ten years. Now, the reservoir is full of water, the dry land has been turned into irrigated fields, and every household has hope for the future!"

Chu Yunfei nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

"You don't know, Yunfei?"

Chu Xichun said with deep emotion, "Now, the people of Shanxi are united in their hearts and minds! According to the latest household registration statistics, the population of our province has officially exceeded 14.5 million! That's more than 2 million more than before the war!"

"The common people all say that in Shanxi, there is land to cultivate, food to eat, and a stable life!"

Chu Yunfei listened quietly, a warm current slowly flowing through his heart.

He picked up the bowl of golden corn porridge, scooped up a spoonful, and gently put it into his mouth.

A long-lost, earthy, and simple sweetness instantly blossomed on the taste buds.

This taste was sweeter and more moving than any delicacy he had ever eaten.

He knew that this bowl of porridge contained more than just the sweetness of grains.

It carries even more weight.

On this land, the most sincere and profound gratitude and expectations of millions of simple and honest people.

For a moment, his eyes, which had long been accustomed to life and death on the battlefield, became slightly moist.
(End of this chapter)