Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Handan Front, Former General Command.

"Behave yourself and get inside."

"Damn it, don't you dare touch our marching tents with your filthy hands!"

Sun Dianying, the "Great Tomb Robber" who thrived in both the Beiyang and Republican regimes.

At this moment, however, he was like a stray dog ​​with its spine broken, and was roughly escorted to Chu Yunfei by two tall guards.

His puppet army officer's uniform was torn to shreds, and his face was covered in bruises, mud, and blood.

After the guard yanked the rag that had been stuffed halfway into his mouth.

Sun Dianying knelt down with a "plop" and hugged Chu Yunfei's military boots.

He burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Advisor Chu!"

"Commander Chu! Spare my life!"

"I was confused for a moment! I was deceived by the Japanese!"

"My body is in Cao Cao's camp, but my heart is with Han!"

"I still have the Japanese battle plans in my possession!"

"I'm willing to atone for my crimes through meritorious service! Please, Commander Chu, give me a chance!"

He cried and wailed as he desperately kowtowed to Chu Yunfei. Bloodstains flowed across the earthen ground as Sun Dianying's head pounded against the ground with loud thuds.

Zhao Pengcheng frowned as he watched that utterly undignified, groveling manner.

Chu Yunfei simply looked down at the disheveled man, his brows furrowed in the same way.

He recalled Li Delin's evaluation of Sun Dianying.

"He was truly a hero of a chaotic era."

A ruthless and ambitious figure?

Looking at the guy in front of him, who was only crying and begging for mercy, Chu Yunfei really couldn't understand him.

Is it because he is shameless enough, has no bottom line enough, and is like a weather vane, swaying with the wind while maintaining a firm stance?
In Chu Yunfei's memory, the name Sun Dianying was always associated with some less-than-honorable things.

For example, they looted the Eastern Tombs, emptying the tombs of Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Qianlong.

It is said that afterwards, he presented the most precious of the stolen treasures to Chang Ruiyuan.

This resulted in the mountain city authorities issuing a "minor punishment as a warning."

However, a cold look of disgust flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes.

Grave robbing is grave robbing.

Even if it were the tombs of the Manchus, that would only be an internal moral and legal issue.

But to betray one's country and surrender to the enemy, to become a traitor!
In Chu Yunfei's case, there is only one outcome for this matter.

dead!
This spineless and shameless scoundrel is right in front of me.

Chu Yunfei didn't even have the interest to take another look.

He waved his hand dismissively, and Zhao Pengcheng, standing nearby, immediately understood.

He winked at the two guards behind him.

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Sun Dianying, who was still crying and begging for mercy, away like a dead dog.

Silence returned to the command center.

Chu Yunfei walked to the window and looked out at the azure sky, as if trying to wash away the filth that had just been tainted in his eyes.

"How's Sun Ming doing lately?" Chu Yunfei asked without turning his head.

Zhao Pengcheng's expression immediately turned serious.

He took out a report from his briefcase and reported, "Reporting to Yun Gong, the work progress is currently hampered."

"Sun Ming's reorganization of various miscellaneous military units in the Fifth War Zone has reached a bottleneck."

"What's the trouble?"

"in short."

Zhao Pengcheng paused, then summarized in the most straightforward terms: "In short, we have no money, no food, no uniforms, and no weapons."

"Chongqing simply does not have enough resources to support such a large-scale troop reorganization and re-equipment plan."

"Although American aid supplies are still being shipped back to the country."

"But the vast majority of them were completely divided up by the first batch of American-trained engineers."

"Those American-equipped divisions are mostly the elite troops of their respective factions."

"It's virtually impossible for other ragtag groups to compete with them."

Chu Yunfei fell silent upon hearing this.

It is another long-standing problem that has never been eradicated: the country is too weak, and it is even difficult to unify the uniforms of all its troops.

Zhao Pengcheng continued, "Furthermore, Lord Yun, our original plan to rebuild the 13th Army Group in North China has also been officially rejected by the Ministry of Military Affairs."

"The reason is that they believe the existing combat forces in North China are already 'more than enough,' and there is no need to continue to increase the number of troops."

"and."

Zhao Pengcheng's tone carried a hint of resentment: "General Chen's reply also said that the amount of compensation for casualties in our North China Theater has remained consistently high."

Now, other war zones are following suit, demanding the same treatment.

This puts enormous financial pressure on the mountain city.

Chu Yunfei turned around, a cold sneer on his face: "More than enough?"

"A lot of pressure?"

"Sitting comfortably in the mountain city, they naturally felt that our troops on the front lines were 'more than enough'."

"Of course they feel that it is 'too much pressure' to give some compensation to those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country."

Chu Yunfei walked to the table, picked up a pen, and began to write furiously on a blank telegram sheet.

"Pengcheng" (meaning "a bright future").

As Chu Yunfei wrote, he said, "My original plan was to form two heavy assault groups in the north and south, one mainly equipped with Soviet weapons in North China and the other mainly equipped with American weapons in South China. But now it seems that this plan is facing too much resistance."

"The weapons and equipment in each war zone are still a motley collection of different types."

"It is simply unrealistic to achieve unification and standardization in a short period of time."

He handed the telegram he had written to Zhao Pengcheng.

"Send this telegram to the General Headquarters. In the telegram, he argued his case, demanding the reconstruction of the thirteenth volume and explaining its importance to the entire North China defense system, as well as the feasibility of using armored forces after the future operations beyond the Great Wall."

The original tank regiment was planned to be expanded into eight regiments in Chu Yunfei's plan, becoming an indispensable assault and attack force.

Even the Stuart light tank was enough to dominate the battlefield inside the Great Wall.

If the Americans were willing to give him some Sherman tanks, Chu Yunfei would truly have to thank Roosevelt's ancestors eight generations back.

"I'd like to see."

In Chu Yunfei's eyes: "This time, what reason will they have to refuse me?"

However, he knew the truth in his heart.

This could be another protracted wrangling with those KFC bosses back home.

The War of Resistance, the War of Resistance.

What they had to fight was not only external enemies, but also the deep-seated, rotten internal problems.
-

Just as Chu Yunfei was engaging in a power struggle with the K Group executives behind the scenes in order to build the North China dealer assault cluster.

A top-level "commander's order" issued by the Chongqing Command Headquarters in the name of the Chairman himself.

Like twelve imperial edicts, the message was swiftly relayed to the command posts of every army group and even every independent combat division on the North China front.

The contents of the warrant were concise yet unquestionable.

"To all units: According to reliable intelligence, the Japanese invaders outside the Great Wall have once again dispatched a main force division and two field regiments to the south as reinforcements."

"The enemy situation in North China has suddenly become more complex."

"In order to avoid unnecessary attrition with the enemy, to avoid being put on the defensive, and to preserve our strength for the war of resistance, the following order is issued: all pursuing forces shall immediately cease pursuit! They shall immediately switch to defense, consolidate the gains already made, and await further orders."

"This decree is issued by Zhongzheng."

This is the first time in nearly three years.

For the first time, Chang Ruiyuan bypassed the theater command and issued combat orders directly to the front-line combat troops.

This is a typical example of the chairman's micromanagement.

And this order was issued in a way that was "equal to everyone".

The orders were received not only by Chen Zejun's 14th Division, Li Tiejun's 76th Army, and Chi Fengcheng's 30th Army.
Even the Eighth Route Army's Eastern Expeditionary Column, which was commanded by Ding Wei and didn't even have an official designation, was included.

They also received the exact same telegram.

This also subtly sends a very important signal.

At this moment, the Chairman regarded this Eastern Expeditionary Column as a "his own" combat force that he could directly command.

Instead of being a so-called "bandit" that needs to be guarded against and restricted.

Otherwise, whether the Eastern Expeditionary Force pursues or not has nothing to do with Chang Ruiyuan.

Dying at the hands of the Japanese devils also depleted the Japanese forces.
Clearly, the high command was also quite concerned that Okamura Yasuji might use this opportunity to turn defeat into victory, and therefore chose a more conservative approach.

Chang Ruiyuan's micro-management was also in a hurry. From his perspective, the heavy casualties and significant losses reported by Chu Yunfei were the actual situation. The addition of fresh troops from the Japanese could easily put them at a disadvantage.

That's why he's using micro-management again to showcase his command skills.
However, although the order was issued.

But the generals at the front lines all reacted in unison, as if they had planned it together.

Even the 76th Army, a direct descendant of the Central Army, tacitly chose to outwardly comply while inwardly resisting.

On one hand, they politely replied to the authorities in the mountain city, saying that "the order has been received and deployment is underway."

Meanwhile, at the same time, a request for instructions was sent to the North China Joint Command.

Should the pursuit proceed? They are awaiting further orders.

It's clear to everyone.

Now, on this battlefield in North China, there is only one person who can truly decide their fate.

The order from the North China Joint Command came down very quickly.

Equally concise.

"Continue to pursue and attack, avoid direct assault, and focus on depleting the enemy's manpower."

Thus, a peculiar war situation emerged on the North China Plain.

The command headquarters at the rear was shouting "Sound the retreat!"

Meanwhile, the hundreds of thousands of troops ahead continued their frenzied pursuit of the retreating Japanese army, like tigers released from their cages.

……

This pursuit, in which "a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders," lasted for three days and two nights.

three days later.

The remnants of Okamura Yasuji's defeated army.

They finally escaped the pursuit and reached their pre-set final defensive line.

With Dezhou as the core, and relying on the existing strong fortifications along the Hengshui-Dezhou line, they rebuilt a new line of defense.

On its southern flank, the remnants of the 5th and 8th Divisions, which had been routed from the An-Handan direction, also gathered in disarray along the Liaocheng line. They could reinforce Dezhou at any time, and the two mixed brigades deployed in Tai'an and Jining could also travel north by car to reinforce Jinan, and then transfer to trucks to reinforce the front lines.

The closer they got to the railway line, the easier it was for the Japanese army to conduct mobile operations.

Although Okamura Yasuji's various units were defeated in this battle, they did not completely collapse.

He was like a venomous snake with several broken bones.

Although severely weakened, it still lingered there, its tongue flicking and fangs bared, making people hesitant to approach.

The pursuing Nationalist troops were exhausted, their ammunition running low, and they were at their last gasp.

They were no longer able to break through the Japanese army's well-established and fortified defenses, which had been built up over many years.

The casualties in the offensive battle would be considerable, and Chu Yunfei could not possibly order his heavy artillery units to operate independently of the air force and air defense forces.

This is the end.

The entire North China battlefield finally came to an end after a major battle that lasted for twenty-five days.

The front lines have once again returned to a standoff.

……

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

The battlefront has been completely stabilized.

Both sides, like two giant beasts that had just gone through a bloody battle, retreated to their respective lairs with perfect understanding, licking their wounds and gathering their strength.

Even small-scale reconnaissance and probing battles have been greatly reduced.

An eerie silence descended upon the entire North China battlefield.

And it is within this tranquility.

Changzhi.

A high-level summary meeting on the Handan-Anqing campaign was also held as scheduled.

The attendees included almost all mid- to high-ranking commanders, except for the duty officer and adjutant.

There was even Pang Bingxun, who had already retired.

Li Tiejun, for example, did not attend the summary meeting this time; instead, Liao Ang, the commander of the 24th Division, came instead.

Besides.

Also present were Chief of Staff Lin Wei, who returned from Nankou; Fu Yisheng, Commander-in-Chief of the Seventh Army Group; and Chen Changjie, Commander of the Sixty-first Army.

Even Ding Wei, the commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Column who had just made a great contribution.

He was also exceptionally invited to attend the meeting at this moment.

The summary meeting is about to begin.

In the corridor leading to the conference room, Chu Yunfei called out to Qian Bojun, who was about to go in.

The sunlight streaming through the window shone on their equally crisp military uniforms, making the stars on their epaulets sparkle.

“Bojun”.

Chu Yunfei handed him a cigarette, lit it for him personally, and asked in his usual gentle tone, "How's the matter in Lin County going?"

Qian Bojun took a deep drag on his cigarette, his face showing a mixture of shame and determination.

"Reporting to Your Excellency," he said in a low voice, "this humble servant has investigated everything thoroughly."

“All my relatives and friends who took advantage of my name to do evil in the village, I personally sent them all to the county jail.”

"Going forward, the Inspectorate will take over and, in accordance with the newly promulgated laws and regulations of our North China Theater Command, execute those who should be executed and imprison those who should be imprisoned, without any leniency!"

"As for the ordinary people who are affected."

Qian Bojun paused, his voice slightly hoarse: "This subordinate will lead people to apologize to each and every household."

“I bought back all the land that was forcibly seized at a price 20% higher than the market price.”

"I paid for it myself."

"Now, all the procedures for these lands have been completed and they have been handed over to the local government for unified management."

"Part of it will be used to build a house for General Pang Bingxun to live in during his retirement."

"The other part was distributed as farmland to the farmers who were initially harmed."

Chu Yunfei spoke calmly, but he could hear the immense pressure and pain Qian Bojun was enduring behind his "righteous act of sacrificing family ties."

During the Republican era, it was essentially a rural society.

Clan and locality are unavoidable thresholds and topics.

In today's world, where rapid urbanization is no longer the norm, such clan relationships still exist only in certain areas.

Chu Yunfei patted him on the shoulder, his tone full of relief: "Thank you for your hard work."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency," Qian Bojun said with a wry smile. "It's my fault for not managing my family properly, which has tarnished our military identity."

"I am the one who should be punished."

Chu Yunfei smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of which, now that the land has been bought, do you think I should buy General Pang a tractor as well?"

"He is, after all, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Hebei-Chahar War Zone. If he really wants to retire to the countryside in Linxian County in the future, we can't expect him to carry a hoe and go to the fields by himself, can we?"

"Having a tractor can save some effort."

This half-joking remark made Qian Bojun laugh, and the heaviness in his heart dissipated considerably: "What you say is absolutely right, Your Excellency." He also joked, "I think it's feasible."

"Who knows? It might even be recorded in history books in the future."

"General Pang Bingxun, after retiring from the army, did not forget farming and sericulture. He used iron oxen to plow the fields, setting a precedent for the style of a famous general."

The two exchanged a smile, and the last trace of estrangement caused by this matter vanished in that smile.

Just then, Zhao Pengcheng strode over.

Qian Bojun also quickly stubbed out his cigarette.

"Lord Yun, Chief Qian."

Zhao Pengcheng saluted and whispered a reminder: "The meeting is about to begin."

Has Sun Ming arrived yet?

"We have just taken our seats."

"understood."

Chu Yunfei nodded and straightened his military uniform.

Then, with steady steps, he walked towards the door of the conference room.

Zhao Pengcheng stepped forward, pushed open the door, straightened his back, and sang loudly in his booming voice:

"Commander Chu, Chief Advisor of the Military Training Department, has arrived!"

Swish!
In the conference room, dozens of commanders who had already arrived, regardless of faction or rank, all stood up from their seats as if a switch had been flipped, straightened their bodies, and turned their gazes toward the door.

Chu Yunfei walked in slowly, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire room.

"Everyone, take a seat."

He waved his hand, his voice not loud, but it carried an aura of authority that was not angry.

Then everyone took their seats.

Chu Yunfei walked to the front of the main seat.

His gaze lingered for a moment on an empty seat in the conference room.

That was a position reserved for Officer Fu Yisheng.

Fang Ligong, who was standing to the side, immediately understood. He stepped forward, leaned close to Chu Yunfei's ear, and whispered the explanation:
"Lord Yun, on his way to the meeting, Commander Fu suffered a relapse of his old headache due to being exposed to the wind while riding a horse."

"He is currently receiving treatment at a military hospital in Changzhi, so..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei remained expressionless on the surface, but his mind was perfectly clear.

Is my headache recurring?

At this time?
It's just that a little bit of pride is still nagging at me.

However, whether Fu Yisheng comes or not will have no impact on this meeting.

Chu Yunfei did not point it out.

He simply nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.

Then, he turned his gaze back to everyone present.

The meeting began with Chief of Staff Lin Wei summarizing the battle situation.

He reviewed the entire course of the battle in an objective and detailed tone.

From the initial hasty response, to the mid-term stalemate and tug-of-war, and finally to the all-out counter-offensive and great pursuit.

The data was clearly listed.

[Episode 88 - The 14th Reserve Division under Chen Zejun suffered over 4,600 casualties, with an estimated 4,300 enemy troops killed. The following supplies were captured: 340 new Japanese rifles, 64 new Japanese light machine guns, and Type 92 heavy machine guns.]

Episode 88 - The 15th Reserve Division under Guo Yanzheng suffered over 3,400 casualties, with an estimated 2,400 enemy troops annihilated. The amount of supplies captured is as follows:

The words fell.

The attendees immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

The Battle of Handan was undoubtedly a resounding victory.

However, why are the reported numbers of enemy casualties so low?

The generals who had no dealings with Chu Yunfei's troops looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.

Ma Fawu lowered his head and stared at the table, motionless, pondering his next move.

Episode 24 - Liao Ang's unit (unit number 24D) suffered over 5,560 casualties, with an estimated 3,150 enemy soldiers killed or wounded. The amount of captured supplies is as follows:

[Episode 24-40A: Ma Fawu's unit suffered over 7,300 casualties, with an estimated annihilation of over 16,000 enemy troops. The amount of captured supplies is as follows:]

as predicted.

Everyone gasped instantly.

You bastard Ma Fawu, you really dare to report this!

Sixteen thousand? Why don't you just say you took down an entire Japanese division?
Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow, signaling Lin Wei to pause his narration, and then said, "Commander Ma, the overall battle report has not yet been submitted to the command headquarters. Should the battle results be revised?"

Ma Fawu quickly stood up: "Reporting to the commander, the estimated number of Japanese troops annihilated is over two thousand, and the estimated number of puppet troops annihilated is over thirteen thousand, totaling over sixteen thousand."

The way everyone looked at Ma Fawu became even stranger.

You were given a chance but you didn't use it?
Just as everyone was marveling at Ma Fawu's shamelessness.

Ma Fawu hurriedly added, "However, when we were compiling the statistics, our troops suffered heavy casualties, and many illiterate soldiers were temporarily promoted to officers. I think the battle results report would be a bit exaggerated, so it would be better to just make up the numbers."

Chu Yunfei glared at Ma Fawu: "Is that even a thing?"

Lin Wei nodded as if it were common sense: "That's fine. After all, bullets don't discriminate, and the cleanup of the battlefield is rushed. The quality of junior officers is generally not high, so there is a high possibility of miscalculation."

Chu Yunfei readily accepted the advice: "Then let's make six thousand."

Goodness, they cut it by 10,000.

Just as everyone was wondering, Chu Yunfei slowly added, "After all, according to Sun Dianying's confession, his troops actually only numbered a little over 15,000, though he claimed to have 30,000. The number of combat personnel was far from sufficient."

Everyone suddenly realized
One Mafa Wu alone annihilated 16,000 enemies in the air, not counting the other units.

Neither the Japanese soldiers nor the puppet troops involved in the battle had this many troops.
He Cuizhi (Commander of the 12th Army, a former Northwest Army soldier known for his fighting prowess): "Commander Chu, perhaps we should revise our battle report as well."

"What is Commander Sun's opinion?"

Sun Tongxuan nodded silently, too embarrassed to speak. (End of Chapter)