Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

The call went directly to the mountain city, to the Chairman's official residence.

The person who answered the phone was Zhu Peiji, the chief of staff.

When Chu Yunfei inquired why it was so difficult to distribute military pay,

Even the 18th Army, a direct descendant of the Civil Engineering Corps, was experiencing arrears in pay.

On the other end of the phone, Zhu Peiji let out a long, helpless sigh.

Then, after a long silence, he indicated that he needed to consult the Chairman.

About half an hour later.

Zhu Peiji told Chu Yunfei some shocking news.

Chang Ruiyuan and Stilwell have fallen out!
After hanging up the phone, Chu Yunfei's expression became more serious than ever before.

He finally understood why the finances in the rear had suddenly become so strained.

It turned out that a fire had broken out in the backyard.

According to Zhu Peiji, this conflict did not erupt overnight.

The root of the problem lies in that most sensitive and core issue.

Command of the expeditionary force.

Stilwell, a US general with a rather acerbic personality.

From the moment he set foot on Chinese soil, he never concealed his burgeoning ambition.

Chu Yunfei was well aware of why Chu Yunfei was so eager to support China's war of resistance against Japan and to secure American aid for China.

The fundamental reason for this is not due to any noble "internationalist spirit".

Instead, he wanted to command the entire expeditionary force.

Once Chang Ruiyuan nodded in agreement to hand over command.

So these 300,000-plus people (nominally, but actually less than 150,000 currently exist)
This powerful army of hundreds of thousands, equipped with American weapons, was completely brought under his command.

This became the most glorious achievement in his personal military career!
He longed to become a "war zone commander" like MacArthur or Eisenhower, leading thousands of troops and achieving great deeds on the Eastern battlefield.

however.

This touched Chang Ruiyuan's most sensitive sore spot.

The army was Chang Ruiyuan's lifeline.

It is his most important, and only, tool for maintaining his rule and balancing the various factions within the country.

He can accept American aid, hire Americans as advisors, and even listen to American opinions at the tactical level.

But do you want to take away his supreme command of the army?

This is an intolerable bottom line!
not to mention.

From the perspective of the mountain city.

Stilwell was indeed exceptional in training troops and logistics.

He was indeed a China expert, but Stilwell had absolutely no experience in commanding combat.

Especially in terms of commanding large-scale operations, he was a complete novice with absolutely no experience.

Let someone like that command the expeditionary force.

This is absolutely a huge joke!
Thus, one was an ambitious "outsider monk" eager to make his mark.

One is an "absolute leader" who is suspicious and distrustful, and values ​​military power more than his own life.

between two people.

In fact, the seeds of irreconcilable conflict were sown from the very beginning.

Stilwell could not tolerate the inefficient and corrupt bureaucratic system of the Nationalist government.

He put forward many modern and rational reform suggestions.

They are always delayed, sidelined, or even outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant amidst various "bickering," "shirking responsibility," and systemic corruption.

From Chang Ruiyuan's perspective, Stilwell was a "megalomaniac" who knew the state of affairs in the Republic of China but was also quite idealistic.

This made him feel incredibly frustrated and angry.

"Stilwell's shortsightedness and tyranny nearly ruined China's future in the War of Resistance against Japan. He never understood Eastern politics and is the worst example of Western interference in China's internal affairs."

This is completely inconsistent with his ambition to achieve great things.

Du Yuming, caught between these two powerful figures, became the most pitiful "sandwich."

On the one hand, he had to obey the orders of the mountain city without question and dared not disobey in the slightest.

On the other hand, they also had to try every means to balance and ease the increasingly deteriorating relationship between Chang Ruiyuan and Stilwell.

This left him, in name only, as the "Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force," feeling constrained and exhausted.

Chu Yunfei had read Stilwell's diary and many of Chang Ruiyuan's diaries regarding the conflict between the two sides.

They also clearly knew that Stilwell was not entirely fighting in support of China.

But in reality, this matter does not conflict with Chang Ruiyuan.

Simply put, the personality flaws of both parties were magnified infinitely during their time together.

In times of victory, these contradictions are masked.

However, this contradiction will be exposed once the war is over.

If the battle is lost, the two sides will inevitably break apart.

Now, this contradiction has accumulated to a certain extent.

It finally erupted in the worst possible way.

Because of their mutual disagreement over command.

Stilwell began to use his most lethal weapon to put pressure on Chang Ruiyuan: the right to allocate resources.

With the formal establishment of the U.S. Central India-Burma Theater Command (CBI).

Stilwell, the nominal "Chief of Staff".

In fact, they have gradually gained control over the final allocation of all aid supplies to China.

All supplies transported to Yangon via the Burma Road.

Its reception, storage and redistribution are all handled by an organization called the "China-India-Burma Theater Logistics Command (SOS)".

This institution was not under the jurisdiction of the Nationalist government or the Ministry of Military Affairs.

It was a personal command system directly under Stilwell!
This directly means that China is completely unable to interfere in the specific allocation process of US aid.

Stilwell possessed absolute power over the "distribution of resources".

He could at any time use the excuse of "needs of the front-line battle" to intercept, misappropriate, or even stop the distribution of military supplies that should belong to the domestic battlefield.

This thoroughly enraged Chang Ruiyuan.

In his view, this is no longer a simple "struggle for power and profit".

This is a blatant conspiracy by the Americans to control or even replace him as the supreme leader by controlling the economic and military lifeline of the Republic of China!

The conflict between the two sides erupted completely.

The most direct consequence was that the originally planned $300 million in economic aid and subsequent military supplies were all stalled and chaotic in their distribution due to Stilwell's interference.

The slightly improved financial situation in the rear was instantly pushed to the brink of collapse.

This led to the predicament of even the 18th Army, a direct descendant of the Civil Engineering Corps, being in arrears with its pay.

……

After hearing all this, Chu Yunfei took a long time to come to his senses.

"I understand, Director Zhu. I'll try to communicate with Stilwell to see if we can get the financial aid to us first."

"Commander Chu, you'll have to put in a lot of effort on this matter."

After hanging up the phone, Chu Yunfei rubbed his temples.

This matter is completely unmanageable.

Marshall was at the height of his power, while Stilwell was merely a pawn.

Before any major mistakes were made (the Nationalist army suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi).

Getting rid of Stilwell is no easy task.

As for Sun Ming and Zhao Pengcheng, who were standing to the side, they were dumbfounded and terrified.

They never expected that while their soldiers on the front lines were fighting valiantly and advancing triumphantly...

Such a serious internal conflict had actually occurred in the rear.

Chu Yunfei didn't speak; he simply walked slowly to the window and looked outside.

The sky was still clear, but it seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gloom.

His opponents were never just the Japanese.
Now, this difficult problem is facing Chu Yunfei, making him feel powerless.

Its diplomatic goodwill with the United States remains at the very top level.

However, disagreements between individuals can indeed affect the specific allocation of aid and the implementation of policies.

in other words.

While the interests of nations are highly aligned, the personal interests of Stilwell and Chang Ruiyuan are in serious conflict.

Logically speaking, individual interests should give way to collective interests and even national interests.

Unfortunately, neither Stilwell nor Chang Ruiyuan were normal people.

Seeing Chu Yunfei's furrowed brows, Sun Ming couldn't help but make a bold suggestion.

“Master Yun,” he tentatively said, “since the root of the conflict lies between Stilwell and the Chairman, then…could we bypass Shancheng and directly engage in dialogue with the American side?”

"For example, through our channels with the Soviet Union, or through some friendly American congressmen, we could directly report our situation to Washington and expose Stilwell's tyranny and autocracy?"

This idea sounds like a shortcut.

However, after hearing this, Chu Yunfei immediately waved his hand and refused.

"No."

His voice was firm and resolute: "Absolutely not."

Chu Yunfei turned around and looked at his trusted confidant, who was loyal but still somewhat politically inexperienced, and explained earnestly.

"Sun Ming, remember this."

"We and the mountain city, no matter how many internal conflicts or disagreements there are."

"But when it comes to external relations, we must be a unified whole."

"If we bypass the central government and make contact with the Americans privately."

"What does that mean in the Chairman's eyes?"

"That means I'm engaging in 'independent diplomacy,' which is splitting the country!"

"This is a hundred times more serious than the conflict with Stilwell!"

"Now."

Chu Yunfei's voice grew even heavier: "Domestically, there are already two de facto joint command centers: 'North China' and 'South China'."

"If the Chairman takes an overly ambitious step, then the country will be in big trouble!"

"Therefore, we must never do this."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ming felt a chill run down his spine and quickly lowered his head, saying, "It was my fault for thinking too simply."

Chu Yunfei patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he didn't need to blame himself.

He knew that this was not Sun Ming's fault.

This is a common political naiveté among soldiers of their generation.

People like Sun Lianzhong.

They thought that by being obedient and siding with Chang Ruiyuan, they would be treated as one of their own.

In reality, Chang Ruiyuan still treated them as outsiders.

Chu Yunfei paced back and forth in his office, his mind racing.

He knew that this matter could not be delayed.

The compensation for those who died in the North China War has not yet been paid out in full with national currency.

The policy of providing relief and compensation was the cornerstone of the fighting capacity of the Nationalist army in North China. Military pay must never be interrupted.

The industrial system that has been painstakingly established should not be allowed to come to a standstill due to a lack of funds and raw materials.

He had to come up with a solution.

A solution that can resolve the immediate crisis without escalating the conflict with the mountain city.

After a long while, he stopped, a resolute glint in his eyes.

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

"exist!"

"Go and inform Fang Ligong, Qian Bojun, Sun Weimou, and Luo Weiguo to come to my place in an hour for a meeting."

He paused, then emphasized, "It's just a few of us."

……

As the saying goes, important matters are discussed in small meetings.

after an hour.

Those who were able to enter Chu Yunfei's temporary office were all his most core and absolute confidants.

When Chu Yunfei revealed the astonishing inside story he had learned from the mountain city.

Everyone present was extremely surprised.

"what?"

"Stilwell is trying to seize command?"

Qian Bojun was the first to jump up, exclaiming, "Damn it! Has this American guy lost his mind?"

“I remember that when he was in North China, he spoke highly of our troops.”

"How did things escalate to this point with the Chairman in the blink of an eye?"

Fang Ligong saw things a step further. He frowned and said, "We already thought Stilwell was too ambitious. We never expected that he would actually dare to reach for command."

It seems his view of the Nationalist government is indeed extremely pessimistic.

Sun Weimou is now more concerned with practical issues.

“Master Yun,” Sun Weimou said worriedly, “if American aid really does stop, then our ongoing railway renovation can continue, but the corresponding agricultural development plan will probably have to come to a standstill.”

Agricultural development plans require substantial funding, resources, and technological support.

In addition, our wartime internal circulation system has not yet been established at this stage.

“The same applies to the arsenals,” Sun Weimou added. “Many of our slightly more advanced machine tools and special steels still rely on imports from the United States. If the supply is cut off, our research and development and production of new weapons will be fatally affected.”

For a while.

The atmosphere in the small office became incredibly heavy.

"Your Excellency!"

Qian Bojun slammed his fist on the table and proposed the most direct solution from a military perspective.

"How many combat troops does the United States have in Myanmar?"

"At most, it's just an armored division, and most of the troops are logistics and engineers."

"In my opinion, we should just have Brother Ziqiang and Brother Huanran bring two divisions over there!"

"Take over their so-called 'logistics command'!"

"Let's see if he dares to withhold our supplies!"

"Nonsense!"

Chu Yunfei immediately retorted, "Bojun, are you trying to put us on the opposite side of the entire Allied Forces?"

"Sir, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Those damn Americans have always had ill intentions towards us, wanting to interfere in everything. Those damn American advisors are constantly studying our tactics, clearly treating us as a hypothetical enemy. Didn't you always say that we should be psychologically prepared?"

"That was after we had defeated the Japanese devils. Now we absolutely cannot afford to have a fierce military conflict with the Americans!"

"Unless we want to become the next Japan!"

Qian Bojun sighed, "This is fucking frustrating."

Silence fell over the office once again.

All eyes were on Chu Yunfei, waiting for him to make his final decision.

Chu Yunfei knew that this matter couldn't be dealt with by force.

Complaining about being poor to the chairman won't have much effect.

The only breakthrough lies with the Americans themselves.

"Aside from the deadlocked 'personal feud' and 'command struggle' between the Chairman and Stilwell, let's focus on resolving the most practical issues."

"Does Brother Ligong mean we should just ask Stilwell for the money?"

Fang Ligong nodded slowly: "Although Stilwell has the power to distribute supplies, these supplies still need to be used. Even if they are handed over to the expeditionary force, we can still transport them into the country through the expeditionary force."

Regarding economic aid, Stilwell knew better than anyone that the Nationalist government's finances had collapsed, and without a massive injection of resources and funds, the national currency would likely be experiencing more than just simple inflation.

Luo Weiguo frowned and asked, "Brother Ligong, do you mean that as long as the United States still needs us, this money will eventually be handed over to us?"

"That's right. Stilwell's personal power is relatively insignificant compared to the common interests between the allies. Even if the Chairman insists that Stilwell return to the United States and be replaced by someone else, the Americans will probably be the ones to compromise in the end."

Chu Yunfei nodded, then voiced his concerns: "Brother Ligong, I wonder if you've considered this: the current American strategy is to prioritize Asia over Europe, dealing with the Japanese first before providing full aid to Europe."

If Stilwell were to actually return home, the United States might very well change its overall strategy, shifting to a "Europe first, Asia later" approach, since the Germans would pose a greater threat to them.

After hearing what Chu Yunfei said...

Fang Ligong also fell into deep thought.

He was more concerned about whether Chu Yunfei's intervention would ignite a conflict with Shancheng.

Before Chu Yunfei could speak.

Fang Ligong believes that the main contradiction at present is between Stilwell and Shancheng. Under this premise, the Americans should know how to choose to win this war.

Now, Fang Ligong is unsure whether the United States will be influenced by this and change its strategy to choose the British, whose ideology is closer to that of the United States.

Sun Weimou stroked his chin and suggested, "Why don't you talk to Mr. Stilwell and see what his attitude is?"

Chu Yunfei nodded slowly: "Yes, I plan to talk to him and hear his thoughts."

It is said that the three cobblers are the equal of Zhuge Liang.

Even with all the talented people in his room, he couldn't come up with a good solution; each option had its advantages and disadvantages.

Time was of the essence, so Chu Yunfei immediately tapped the table and said, "First, I will personally have a call with Stilwell."

"I will not discuss command with him, nor will I try to mediate the conflict between him and the Chairman."

“I only talked to him about the most practical issues: our troops need pay; our factories need more alloy steel.”

"This is the most basic requirement for us to continue to win this war."

"I believe that he, as a soldier, understands this principle."

"second."

A glint of light flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes: "If he remains stubborn, we can put pressure on him through Brigadier General Stevens, through General Chennault, and through all the American military attachés we can contact."

"All American military attachés in China need to know this."

"Stilwell's personal actions are seriously affecting the stability of the entire Asian theater and the common interests of the Allies!"

"I believe that General Marshall will make a wise choice when faced with the national interest."

soon.

A telegram, drafted by Chu Yunfei himself, was worded in an extremely "sincere" and "humble" manner.

It flew thousands of miles away to Yangon, Myanmar, via an encrypted channel.

The recipient of the telegram was General Joseph Stilwell, the current commander-in-chief of the China-Burma-India Theater.

"Dear Sir Stilwell: It has been a long time since I last greeted you, and I have been thinking of you very much."

I heard that General Wen and Chairman Chiang Kai-shek recently had a slight disagreement due to their busy military affairs.

Yunfei, being on the front lines, was unable to mediate and felt deeply ashamed.

At the beginning of the telegram, Chu Yunfei adopted a very humble attitude, first describing the conflict between the two sides as "a slight disagreement," and taking the initiative to find a way out for the other party.

Then, he changed the subject and began to pour out his grievances.

"However, although we have achieved a small victory in the current war in North China, we are actually weak inside and full of crises."

"Due to the delay in supplies from the rear, our hundreds of thousands of soldiers have not received their full pay for several months."

"The families of fallen soldiers are also facing financial difficulties, leading to unrest within the army and a worrying decline in morale."

"Furthermore, the reorganization and training of the army in North China has also come to a complete standstill as a result."

"The weapons are of poor quality, the ammunition is in short supply, and the recruit training department has even suspended training."

"If this continues, it will be difficult to continue the war."

"If Okamura Yasuji seizes the opportunity to launch a counterattack, North China will be in grave danger."

Chu Yunfei portrayed the Nationalist army in North China as a weary force that could collapse at any moment due to "running out of food and pay".

Yunfei knew that the general was renowned for training and reorganizing troops.

"Our North China troops, despite having fought several battles, still have lingering problems and urgently need guidance and correction from renowned experts like the general."

"Therefore, Yunfei humbly invites the general to take time out of his busy schedule to come to North China and inspect the results of our army's reorganization."

"Any valuable suggestions from you will be a guiding light for the future development of our military."

"At that time, Yunfei will certainly welcome you with open arms and await your arrival."

"Chu Yunfei, please report."

Yangon.

Allied Joint Command.

After Stilwell finished reading the telegram sent by Chu Yunfei...

His face, which was always etched with stubbornness and acerbity, revealed an extremely complex expression.

Stilwell handed the telegram to his adjutant, Brigadier General Bradley, beside him: "Bradley, take a look. What has this Chinese 'war commander' sent us?"

Bradley looked surprised after reading the telegram: "General, is this putting pressure on us?"

Stilwell did not answer immediately.

He stood up, walked to the map, looked at it, and then fell into deep thought.

"Our maximum pressure on the Nationalist government has reached a critical point, as evidenced by Chu Yunfei's call."

"General, you withheld 80% of the supplies for the expeditionary force, allowing only 20% to enter the country. While this allowed the expeditionary force to develop rapidly, without naval cover, we were unable to conduct amphibious landing operations and open a third front."

Bradley's tone was slightly worried: "Moreover, if the situation in North China continues to deteriorate, given the Japanese's madness, they are very likely to transfer more army troops to the Pacific theater."

These crazed Japanese soldiers put considerable pressure on us. Their fighting spirit and the ingenuity with which they constructed bunkers caused our troops considerable trouble.

Chu Yunfei was the only commander on the entire Chinese battlefield who was able to truly and on a large scale annihilate the main force of the Japanese army.

It is the sharpest dagger of the entire Allied forces on the Eastern continent.

His presence could effectively restrain and deplete the Japanese army's manpower, and rapidly deplete Japan's already limited national strength.

This has immeasurable value for the entire Allied global strategy and for the United States' counter-offensive in the Pacific theater.

If, due to one's own reasons, this sharpest knife becomes dull or even breaks because of a lack of money and supplies.

This responsibility, too, was one that Stilwell could not bear.

Stilwell nodded slowly: "I understand. If North China is lost, I will not be able to explain to the people, nor to General Marshall and President Roosevelt."

He knew that Chu Yunfei's telegram was both a request for help and an attempt to exert pressure.

But the thought of having to compromise with Chang Ruiyuan...

Stilwell found it extremely offensive.

The inefficient and corrupt Nationalist government thwarted his ambitions, while Chang Ruiyuan was extremely arrogant and often used classical Chinese phrases to fob him off.

Stilwell understood that Chang Ruiyuan was mocking him for not understanding Chinese politics.

But he was an outsider monk who pursued efficiency and success, not some political game with the KMT guys.
"Sir, we might suggest that the Chongqing government establish a joint inspection office in South China and Southeast Asia to improve resource utilization efficiency and reduce negative impacts."

Stilwell's eyes lit up: "That's good. Perhaps this organization could be led by the Chinese while we oversee it. That way, we'd have sufficient grounds to intervene and monitor the subsequent use of resources. It's just unclear whether the Yamashiro side will agree to our proposal." (End of Chapter)