Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Just as Okamura Neiji was racking his brains trying to figure out where to get reinforcements.

Frontline General Headquarters.

Chu Yunfei was also having a headache over something.

He repeatedly checked the specific movements of the 24th Division on the "three-dimensional combat map" in his mind.

This direction of attack is completely different from the planned main attack direction.

Like an arrow released from a bow, it pierced the flank and depth of the Japanese defense line, all alone.

Over the years, combat units have dared to act on their own.

The 76th Army was the first one.

"Nonsense!"

Chu Yunfei withdrew his attention from the map, and a complex expression of mixed feelings appeared on his rugged face.

There was anger, and there was helplessness.

He knew it must be Li Tiejun, Hu Zongnan's staunch confidant, who was behind this.

In order to claim credit and to save face for Hu Zongnan.

Li Tiejun actually dared to order Liao Ang to disregard the joint operations plan and act on his own!
Chu Yunfei did not react immediately.

He did not contact Li Tiejun directly to question him about why he disobeyed military orders.

Doing so would only expose the conflict, and it would also make it unclear how he learned of the 24th Division's unauthorized actions so quickly.

Furthermore, this will put Li Tiejun in an awkward position.

It might even provoke a rebellious attitude in the other party.

He chose a more "respectable" way and went around in circles.

Chu Yunfei walked to the phone and then picked it up.

They connected with Fang Ligong, who was directing operations from the front lines in Handan.

"Brother Ligong."

Chu Yunfei's tone sounded like casual concern: "How's the situation at the front?"

"Why do I feel that our overall offensive has been hampered?"

"What is the main reason?"

A series of seemingly unrelated questions.

But it was like a precise scalpel, instantly cutting into the vital point.

Fang Ligong, who was on the other end of the phone, had been working with Chu Yunfei for many years and they were already on the same wavelength.

He understood immediately.

Chu Yunfei's phone call had ulterior motives.

"Lord Yun".

Fang Ligong understood immediately and replied, "This humble servant was just about to report to you."

"On our front, the troops commanded by Chen Zejun and Guo Yanzheng are cooperating well, and the offensive is progressing smoothly."

"We expect to arrive at the city of Handan by tomorrow afternoon."

"but."

Fang Ligong changed the subject: "There are indeed some problems with the direction of the 76th Army."

"Their mission was to launch a feint attack to distract the enemy."

"But the battle has been going on for three days, and they haven't even managed to capture one of the outermost strategic strongholds. They've only managed to seize a few scattered outposts abandoned by the Japanese and puppet troops."

All right.

That should make things quite clear.

Clearly, Fang Ligong also learned about the specific situation at the front through the battle reports.

"Forward the specific telegram from the 76th Army to me."

"Yes!"

hang up the phone.

Chu Yunfei's face was already cold:
He immediately drafted a very strongly worded telegram and ordered Zhao Pengcheng to send it to the headquarters of the 76th Army in Fang Ligong's name.
……

The headquarters of the 76th Army.

When Li Tiejun received the telegram, he was leisurely drinking tea and listening to Liao Ang's "good news" sent back from the front.

"Our 24th Division has successfully broken through the flank of the Japanese and puppet troops and is rapidly advancing towards Jize and Guangzong."

He listened with great enthusiasm.

I felt that this time, I was almost certain to succeed.

But when he finished reading Fang Ligong's telegram, the smile on his face instantly froze.

The telegram was simple, blunt, and utterly uncompromising.

"Li's 76th Iron Army, as the main force of the Central Army, is well-equipped and has sufficient manpower."

However, after three days of fighting, the attack had made less progress than a fully-equipped reserve division!
Army Commander Li Tiejun's poor command and missed opportunities are truly to blame!

"Order: Your army must uphold the honor of soldiers and catch up with the overall operational plan within two days! Arrive at the north of Handan City and, in coordination with the newly formed 14th Division, launch a general offensive!"

"Further delays will jeopardize our chances of victory."

"I, the Chief of Staff, will report to the General Staff and recommend that the Seventh Army under Fu Zuoyi take over your army's combat mission!"

"Fang Ligong, North China Joint Command."

"boom!"

Li Tiejun felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind.

The main force of the 24th Division had been out of battle for less than 48 hours.

It took only four hours to break through the enemy's defenses and the distance of the infiltration was no more than thirty kilometers.

Chu Yunfei seemed to have already noticed their unusual behavior.

The strongly worded telegram showed him absolutely no leniency.

Although it was issued in Fang Ligong's name.

But everyone knows who Fang Ligong is really working for.

even.

The telegram explicitly told him, using the most severe tactic of "replacing the troops."

If you fail to complete the designated combat mission, then your 76th Army can just go to the back and watch how the 7th Army Group attacks.

Li Tiejun was so angry that he trembled all over and crumpled the telegram into a ball.

But he knew.

Li Tiejun had no room for rebuttal, nor the courage to debate with Chu Yunfei.

Military orders are absolute; on the battlefield, any general who dares to disobey orders will suffer the consequences.

Chu Yunfei is not Chang Ruiyuan.

For him, one is one, and two is two.

No matter who made the mistake, he would follow through without hesitation.

However, Li Tiejun was indeed the first person to dare to disobey orders.

Without any choice.

Li Tiejun ordered his troops to intensify their offensive and launch a full-scale attack.

On the other hand, he hesitated whether to tell Chu Yunfei the specific details.

Following the advice of his chief of staff.

Li Tiejun decided to delay for several hours to buy Liao Ang enough time.

After the raw rice is cooked into cooked rice,

……

A full six hours later.

Li Tiejun hurriedly replied, citing his command position at the front lines.

He reluctantly dispatched the 24th Division to launch an unauthorized attack on the Japanese flank.
Report truthfully to superiors.

He argued that he "discovered a weakness in the enemy's flank defenses and made a decision on the spot in order to seize the opportunity."

That evening.

When Chu Yunfei saw Li Tiejun's telegram of "explanation," he laughed instead of getting angry.

He handed the telegram to the officer who had just arrived at the front to "assist" him in command.

Lin Wei was appointed as the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the North China Joint Command.

"Brother Weiwen."

Chu Yunfei's voice was full of sarcasm: "Look at this, this is my 'Whampoa Military Academy senior,' 'pillar of the nation.'"

"For the sake of those so-called war merits, even military orders can be treated as worthless!"

"Unauthorized changes to the battle plan, acting first and reporting later?"

After reading the telegram, Lin Wei gave a wry smile and quickly advised, "Young man, it's only natural to be competitive."

Now that the 24th Division has achieved a breakthrough, should we...?

"Human nature?"

Chu Yunfei sneered and interrupted him.

He naturally understood that Lin Wei wanted to smooth things over and adjusted the subsequent battle plan accordingly.

After all, Lin Wei was in command, but Chang Ruiyuan was basically controlling things remotely.

Even sometimes.

Lin Wei knew perfectly well that there were more suitable tactics, but he still had to obey Chang Ruiyuan's orders.

This kind of opportunistic "loyalty" could not be brought to the North China Joint Command.

Chu Yunfei naturally disagreed: "Brother Weiwen, I'd like to tell you a few stories about how 'disobedience' and 'reckless advance' led to disastrous consequences."

Chu Yunfei stood up, walked to the map, and his eyes became distant and profound.

"Do you still remember Seishiro Itagaki, the commander of the 5th Division, when the War of Resistance against Japan had just broken out?"

"He disobeyed the orders of the army commander Terauchi Hisaichi and forcibly attacked Shanxi from Chahar."

"Although a temporary victory was achieved, it completely disrupted the Japanese army's overall strategic plan to quickly win the war, advance south along the Pinghan and Jinpu railways, and fight in Xuzhou and Zhengzhou, and to destroy China within three months."

"Later, during the attack on Xuzhou."

"It was Isogai Rensuke of the 10th Division who recklessly advanced alone, daring to confront my entire Second Army with only an under-strength brigade. This gave us the opportunity to achieve the great victories at Linyi and Tengxian." "Later, in the Battle of Yuzhong, it was Doihara Kenji of the 14th Division who disobeyed orders and acted recklessly, which allowed me to join forces with several main forces of the Central Army to wipe them out in one fell swoop, achieving the feat of annihilating them on the Yuzhong Plain!"

"Regarding the subsequent victory at Rangoon and the 55th Division's relentless advance, I'm sure Brother Weiwen is already familiar with it, so I won't go into details here..."

As someone who experienced it firsthand, Lin Wei naturally knew the details of that great battle.

If it weren't for the fact that Renya Mutaguchi, the commander of the 18th Division, was a foolish and arrogant militarist...

Is this war really going to be easy?

Chu Yunfei turned around and looked at Lin Wei.

A chilling glint flashed in his eyes: "Brother Weiwen, did you see that?"

"The Japanese have gradually fallen from their initial high morale to where they are today because they have too many disobedient and self-righteous 'excellent commanders'!"

"The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds!"

"I, Chu Yunfei, will absolutely not allow a second or third 'Sakagaki Seishiro' or 'Doihara Kenji' to appear in the ranks of those fighting against the Japanese!"

These words left Lin Wei speechless.

Chu Yunfei is clearly making an example of someone.

Making on-the-spot decisions and changing battle plans are what Chu Yunfei likes to do most.

But the people below did it.

Just like Chang Ruiyuan and Yan Laoxi liked micro-management, they did not like their subordinates to micro-manage and have their own ideas.

Chu Yunfei also disliked others disobeying orders, and even loathed variables beyond his control.

Lin Wei knew that Chu Yunfei was truly determined to kill this time.

Li Tiejun, Hu Zongnan's favorite general.

This time, it seems we've really bitten off more than we can chew.

"Brother Weiwen, now that you have arrived at the command post, the command of the Sixth Army Group will be handed over to you."

"Chief Advisor, what's this?" Lin Wei asked, adopting an official tone.

Chu Yunfei put on the military cap on the table, covering his slightly receding hairline: "Go to the front line and ensure the smooth progress of the battle in the Handan direction."
-

She County.

Headquarters of the Seventh Army Group.

Commander-in-Chief Fu Zuoyi was holding a large, rough porcelain bowl and slurping down a steaming bowl of mutton soup.

This scholar-general, who came from the land of Suiyuan, was full of local flavor.

His lifestyle remained as simple as ever.

at this time.

His sworn brother, Chen Jieshan, walked in hurriedly.

He was holding a document that had just been sent from the front lines.

The telegram marked "Top Secret".

"Commander-in-Chief."

Chen Jieshan handed over the telegram, his face showing an undisguised look of doubt: "An urgent telegram from Chief Advisor Chu."

Fu Zuoyi put down his soup bowl, took the telegram, put on his reading glasses, and began to read it carefully.

The contents of the telegram made him raise his eyebrows slightly.

To Commander-in-Chief Fu Yisheng:

"The battle for Handan has entered a critical stage."

"In order to support the main force's operations and completely shatter the Japanese invaders' plot."

"This order is hereby issued: Your army group shall immediately dispatch at least two main divisions, under the unified command of General Chen Jieshan, to secretly advance and assemble in the northeast direction of Handan, along the line of Daming and Guantao, and await further instructions."

North China Joint Command.

"Advance northeast of Handan?"

Chen Jieshan looked at the map, his brows furrowed. "Commander-in-Chief, if I remember correctly, that direction should be the 76th Army's operational area, right?"

"and."

He said with some confusion, "Moreover, although we are the reserve force, we were not actually assigned to participate in the Battle of Handan."

"Theoretically speaking, this battle shouldn't be our turn to fight."

Fu Zuoyi remained silent.

He simply dipped his finger lightly into the mutton soup in the bowl and slowly drew an arrow on the table.

One, a deadly arrow, piercing straight from the rear of Li Tiejun's defense zone to the junction between him and the Japanese army.

then.

He looked up at his equally meticulous brother, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

“Jieshan,” he said, his voice unhurried, “haven’t you figured it out yet?”

"Chu Yunfei is using this as a warning shot, a covert maneuver."

Chen Jieshan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"Commander-in-Chief, do you mean the 76th Army is in trouble?"

"Most likely." Fu Zuoyi picked up the soup bowl, drank the last drop of soup clean, and wiped his mouth.

“I know Li Tiejun. He’s a top student from Whampoa Military Academy, a staunch supporter of Hu Zongnan, and he’s always been arrogant and has never taken us ragtag troops seriously.”

"I'm definitely not convinced that we're cooperating with Chu Yunfei's direct subordinates this time."

"I guess, most likely, it was because he was on the front lines, trying to steal credit, disobeying orders and acting on his own, which angered Chu Yunfei."

"so."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Fu Zuoyi's eyes. "Chu Yunfei has just deployed our 'surprise force' behind him."

"This move is meant to show Li Tiejun, to tell him not to try anything funny, because I have someone watching him!"

"It's also for Okamura Yasuji to see, so that he can't figure out our true intentions."

"It's an incredible contribution to our Seventh Army Group!"

Chen Jieshan finally understood.

Chu Yunfei is using this fresh force as a "reserve force," or even "the last straw that breaks the camel's back."

If Li Tiejun causes any more trouble, or if the battle becomes deadlocked...

This surprise force can enter the battlefield from an unexpected angle and deliver the decisive blow!
"High! It's really high!"

Chen Jieshan exclaimed sincerely, "Chief Consultant Chu's move was truly killing three birds with one stone, and it was flawless!"

Fu Zuoyi burst into laughter, stood up, and patted Chen Jieshan on the shoulder forcefully.

"So, Jieshan, what are you still standing there for?"

"Assemble the troops immediately!"

"Tell the brothers to polish their weapons!"

"This time, we're not going to Handan to see a play!"

"We're going to compete with Hu Zongnan for meat!"

"Yes!"

Chen Jieshan snapped to attention and saluted, his face also filled with excitement and anticipation.

……

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in a mountain city, at the headquarters.

A telegram jointly signed by Chu Yunfei and the newly appointed Chief of Staff Lin Wei was also placed on the Chairman's desk.

The telegram was concise and to the point.

He truthfully reported on Li Tiejun's unauthorized actions, the 24th Division's deep penetration into enemy territory, and Chu Yunfei's subsequent countermeasures (including the mobilization of the 7th Army Group). He also requested Chang Ruiyuan to dismiss Li Tiejun from his post but retain him in active service, allowing him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service.

Clearly, Chu Yunfei meant that if the 76th Army performed poorly, then Li Tiejun's term as army commander would be over.

If his performance is satisfactory, he can be reinstated to his original position.

Chang Ruiyuan stared at the telegram, remaining silent for a long time.

His face betrayed no emotion.

But the oppressive atmosphere in the office made Zhu Peiji, who was standing to the side, not dare to even breathe loudly.

He knew that the Chairman's feelings at that moment must be very complicated.

Li Tiejun was one of Hu Zongnan's men, and one of his most trusted members of the Whampoa Military Academy.

Chu Yunfei was also one of his favorite generals whom he had personally promoted.

Now, the two beloved generals have caused such a commotion on the front lines, vying for "credits."

This made him, as the "principal," lose face.

What annoyed him even more was Chu Yunfei's rather forceful approach to the situation.

Although it saved Hu Zongnan some face, it was still too disrespectful to him as Chairman.

Without consulting the chairman, he ordered Fu Yisheng's troops to join the battle.

Even from a military perspective, this is the most correct response.

From the perspective of command, Chu Yunfei has the authority to make decisions on the spot.

From a political perspective, this is the principle that "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders."
Chang Ruiyuan disliked this feeling, just as Chu Yunfei disliked Li Tiejun making decisions on his own.

however.

When Chang Ruiyuan's gaze fell on the last signature of the telegram, the two characters "Lin Wei".

All his anger was extinguished as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

Lin Wei is from the Civil Engineering Department and is Chen Cixiu's confidant.

He even signed his name as soon as he arrived at the front line.

What does this mean?
This shows that Chu Yunfei's decision has been unanimously approved by all factions on the North China front!
This is in the interest of all other factions.

Chu Yunfei has completely taken control of the situation there.

Even if Chang Ruiyuan wanted to lash out, he couldn't find any reason to do so.

"Ugh"

In the end, Chang Ruiyuan could only let out a helpless sigh. He picked up his pen and wrote two words on the telegram.

"Approved."

Then, he slammed the pen down and leaned wearily against the back of his chair.

Chang Ruiyuan suddenly realized that the "tiger" he had raised with his own hands seemed to be getting out of control. (End of Chapter)