Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

North China, Frontline General Headquarters, Confidential Room.

Chu Yunfei had just finished reviewing the documents regarding the allocation of supplies to the Fifth War Zone and rubbed his slightly sore temples.

"Your Excellency."

Li Jingzhong walked in steadily, carrying a manila envelope sealed with a red "Top Secret" stamp.

His expression held an unusual mix of excitement and seriousness, as if he were holding not just a few sheets of paper, but half the world.

"The Annam Military Headquarters forwarded the latest strategic guidance from the Thanh Thanh Command regarding the situation in the southwest border region and Toungoo. The documents were delivered by special plane from Thanh Thanh."

Li Jingzhong handed over the file folder with both hands: "It is said that Aung San officially graduated from the special class of the Army University last week. The Chairman personally received him and conferred upon him the rank of Major General."

"Oh?"

"That leader of the 'Independence Volunteer Army' in Toungoo?"

Chu Yunfei took the file, a playful smile playing on his lips: "No need to think, it's highly likely that our Chairman is planning to let the tiger return to the mountain. However, this tiger will most likely still be chained around its neck."

"Exactly."

Li Jingzhong lowered his voice and reported, "The General Headquarters intends to take advantage of the British losing prestige in Southeast Asia and our army's rising prestige and series of victories to completely resolve the southwestern border troubles."

Chu Yunfei untied the rope and pulled out the documents inside.

What came into view was a plan entitled "Draft on the Post-War Status and Administrative Division Adjustment of the Toungoo Area".

Chu Yunfei sat up straight and carefully flipped through the pages.

This plan was clearly the result of careful consideration by the top leadership; in fact, it could be said to reveal an expansionist ambition that would make even the great powers tremble.

[Top Secret: Outline for the Integration and Development of Dongyu]

I. Political Affiliation and Legitimacy Construction:
1. Referendum on Unification: Dispatch Aung San back to Toungoo to reorganize the Toungoo Independence Army and cooperate with our Dingnan Army to immediately organize a "national referendum." With the dual guarantees of public opinion and military force, facilitate Toungoo's application to return to the Chinese tributary system as a "federal member" or "special administrative region," ultimately achieving legal unification.

2. Expel British forces: Proclaim "Asia is Asia for Asians," emphasize the illegitimacy and incompetence of British colonial rule, and abolish all British privileges in Burma.

II. Adjustment of Administrative Divisions (Establishment of Provinces):
1. Establishment of Toungoo Province (Upper Toungoo): Centered on Mandalay, including Myitkyina, Lashio, and other areas.

This area is mountainous and borders Yunnan. It has a complex ethnic composition, but its members share the same origin as the ethnic minorities in Southwest China.

It was placed under the direct jurisdiction of the central government and served as a southwestern buffer zone.

2. Establish Yangon Region (Lower Taungoo): with Yangon as its capital, encompassing the Irrawaddy Delta and the southern coast.

This area is a grain-producing region and a port city. It was established as a special economic zone and jointly governed by the provincial government and local elites appointed by the central government.

III. Border Entry and Assimilation Policies:

1. Production and Construction Corps: Following the Northwest model, officers and soldiers who were about to retire from the Expeditionary Force were selected and converted into production and construction corps for "land reclamation and border defense".

Each person was allocated land and rubber plantations, and was encouraged to take in family members or marry local women, so that they could settle down in the frontier.

2. Encourage migration: Formulate preferential policies to encourage people from within the country (especially in Henan, Sichuan and other places where the contradiction between population and land is prominent) to migrate to Dongyu.

The government provides resettlement allowances, farm tools and seeds, and all reclaimed wasteland is exempt from taxes for three years.

3. Culture and Education: Implement national language education comprehensively in Toungoo and Yangon provinces, and abolish colonial English teaching.

Primary and secondary school textbooks will uniformly adopt domestic standards, emphasizing the historical ties between China and East Asia, and reshaping national identity.

IV. Economic Development and Infrastructure Support:

1. Infrastructure: Immediately begin expanding the Burma Road and plan the Kunming-Yangon railway.

This will open up the most convenient sea route in Southwest China, allowing goods from the southwestern provinces to reach the Indian Ocean directly without having to detour along the coast.

2. Rainforest Development: Vigorously develop border rainforest resources, especially teak, rubber and jadeite minerals.

A development company was jointly established by state capital and private capital (mainly recruiting patriotic overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia), with profits shared.

V. Public Security and Defense:

……

Chu Yunfei read through the document in one go, closed it, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "It's the same old trick, 'divide and conquer, strengthen border immigration,' but this time it's clear that the higher-ups are planning to implement supporting policies. I just don't know how much money they've prepared."

"Your Excellency, the fourth phase of the counter-offensive in North China requires a large amount of money and supplies. Isn't it a bit premature to promote such a policy at this time?"

Chu Yunfei's eyes gleamed: "At the perfect time, we can advance first, and when the war in North China is over and our prestige is at its peak, we can turn Toungoo into our southwestern bulwark. Dividing Upper Toungoo and Lower Toungoo will not only make it easier to manage, but also prevent local separatism."

"Taungoo Region serves as a barrier, while Yangon Region serves as a window."

"Once that railway is completed, China's strategic depth will extend directly to the Indian Ocean. The temptation is simply too great; no one can resist it."

Li Jingzhong added from the side, "Your Excellency, Aung San himself does not seem to be opposed to this plan."

"During his time at the Army University, he was deeply influenced by 'Pan-Asianism' (which had by then de-Japanized and become dominated by China) and harbored a deep hatred for the British."

“He is willing to be the guide as long as we can guarantee the prosperity of Toungoo and his position.”

"He's a smart guy."

Chu Yunfei commented calmly, "It's better to be a brother to the Chinese, or even a high-ranking official, than a lackey to the British. He can figure this out clearly."

"Jingzhong, draft a telegram to reply to the General Headquarters."

Chu Yunfei stood up, walked to the map, and his gaze fell on the estuary that was about to turn red:

"First, the North China Joint Command, the Annam Army, and the Dinh Ngu Army firmly support the Central Committee's strategic decisions regarding the Toungoo region. This is a great undertaking that will benefit future generations!"

"Secondly, I suggest increasing cooperation efforts."

Not only Aung San, but also other ethnic armed groups in Toungoo, such as the Karen and Shan, need to be won over and divided.

We can promise them a high degree of autonomy, establish 'autonomous prefectures,' and incorporate them into our administrative system.

And relevant local government officials were selected to assist in handling the matter.

"Third, and most importantly—publicity!"

Chu Yunfei turned around, his tone becoming serious: "We need to activate all the propaganda machinery—newspapers, radio, and even movies."

"We must vigorously promote the 'Pauk-Phaw' (brotherly) friendship between China and Toungoo, publicize the brutality and greed of the British colonialists, and publicize the plunder of Japanese fascism."

"We must convince the people of Toungoo that we are neighboring brothers separated only by a strip of water."

"We need to create momentum!"

"Create a grand momentum of 'all nations paying tribute and returning to China'!"

"In addition, a telegram was sent to Commander Stilwell, requesting him to come to North China. Regarding this matter, our side is willing to take the initiative to consult with the United States."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Li Jingzhong closed the folder, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and turned to stride away.

He knew very well that once this telegram to Kunming and Washington was sent, no matter how much Churchill struggled, he could not plug the gap in the collapse of that waning empire in Southeast Asia.

This is not merely a change of color on the map, but the beginning of a nation re-establishing its dominant position in Asia.

The office returned to silence.

Chu Yunfei picked up his teacup and took a sip; the slightly bitter tea made his mind even clearer.

"Politics is a means, but steel is the hard truth."

He put down his teacup, turned his gaze away from the map of Dongyu in the south, and refocused on the huge map of the North China campaign.

There, red and blue arrows are intertwined, and the red Japanese-controlled area is being gradually eroded by the blue arrows, but the core red dot, Quancheng, remains stubbornly fixed on the map like a nail.

"Your Excellency."

Fang Ligong had been standing on the other side of the sand table. Seeing that Chu Yunfei had finished dealing with the "southern affairs," he spoke up and said, "The plan for Dongyu is good, but that's a matter for after the war. Right now, if this fire doesn't reach the walls of Jinan, it's all just empty talk."

"Yes."

Chu Yunfei picked up the baton, his expression suddenly turning cold: "Although Xue Jie's 88th Army Group has captured Liaocheng, it has not annihilated the remnants of the Japanese 12th Army. Tsuchihashi once led his remaining troops into Jinan City, where they are stubbornly resisting by relying on the strong city defenses and the remaining foothills of the Taishan Mountains."

"The north is even more troublesome."

Fang Ligong slammed his pencil down on the northern section of the Jinpu Railway, the line from Dezhou to Jinan: "Intelligence indicates that the vanguard of the Kwantung Army's reinforcements, the 29th Division's train, has passed Cangzhou and is heading south at full speed."

"Although Qian Bojun's Sixth Army launched a sabotage operation along this line and even captured the horse farm, unfortunately, they did not carry out any demolition work before the Japanese armored trains arrived."

"If we allow this new force to enter Jinan..."

Fang Ligong was worried. "With the original garrison in the city, Jinan will become a fortified city defended by tens of thousands of elite Japanese troops. At that time, we will be at a disadvantage."

Chu Yunfei frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "I have a feeling that this is a Japanese reinforcement force that Bo Jun deliberately let over. By the way, has communication with the Sixth Army been restored?"

Fang Ligong shook his head: "Not yet, but Your Excellency, this is too risky, after all, we haven't asked for permission."

"You can't fight a war by asking for instructions."

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow, then his consciousness quickly detached from the three-dimensional combat map: "But no matter what, things have come to this point, and we need to make full preparations."

"If we don't cut off this railway, this new force will appear on the walls of Jinan within two days. At that time, we will no longer be facing the remnants of Tuqiao Yici, but the well-equipped main force of the Kwantung Army."

"The only way to stop them is to bomb the Luokou Bridge."

Fang Ligong stared at the bridge icon, his brows furrowed: "Luokou Bridge, over 1,200 meters long, is the lifeline of the Jinpu Railway. It cost millions of silver dollars to build back then. When Han Fuqu was defeated in Jinan, he ordered the engineering team to carry out demolition operations. The Japanese army quickly restored it during the war. If we want to bomb it, we must bomb it completely. This will make postwar restoration extremely difficult."

"But the battle cannot wait for anyone."

Chu Yunfei took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Brother Ligong, draft a telegram!"

"Send this to the Chongqing Command Headquarters as an urgent and top-secret document, addressed to the Chairman for his personal attention!"

"I suggest that an air force bomber squadron implement the 'Bridge Cutting' plan to block enemy reinforcements!"

……

One hour later, in the mountain city, at the Huangshan official residence.

A telegram marked "Extremely Urgent" was placed in the center of the conference table.

However, what followed was a suffocating argument and a lot of buck-passing.

"Blow up the bridge?"

"Chairman! The Luokou Bridge is the bottleneck of the Jinpu Railway. It was built by the Germans back then, and its construction was extremely complex!"

"If it really bombs, how will we make up for the lack of transport capacity after the war and liberation, and how will we transport food?"

“Relying solely on waterways for supplies is completely insufficient, not to mention that with the power of bombers, repairs would take at least three months, which would greatly slow down the counter-offensive.”

He Jingzhi also frowned, pushed up his glasses, and looked like he was calculating: "Chairman, shouldn't we reconsider?"

"Although the Kwantung Army has arrived, Qian Bojun's Sixth Army Group is still blocking the way in the north. Perhaps they can hold them off?"

Chang Ruiyuan shook his head: "With the Japanese reinforcements arriving, the second phase of the operation cannot even be completed, so how can we talk about the follow-up?"

"If we could only destroy the railway embankment and preserve the bridge piers, that might be a compromise."

"Can the Air Force guarantee that it will only bomb the bridge surface?"

"My concern is that the bombs won't be able to penetrate; bombing doesn't have that level of precision!"

What if it doesn't explode?

"The fuel consumption for a single air force sortie is also a large number. Do we have enough reserves?"

Inside the meeting room, everyone was talking at once.

Some people are worried about the money, some are worried about the infrastructure, some are hoping for a lucky break, and some are simply opposing for the sake of opposing.

Some even suggested that small combat units infiltrate enemy-occupied territory to carry out the demolition mission and ensure the success of the bridge-bombing operation.

But from a time perspective, it's simply too late.

Chang Ruiyuan sat at the head of the table, listening to the noise around him, his cane tapping lightly on the floor, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

He certainly knew the importance of cutting off Japanese reinforcements.

As some participants pointed out, the bridge was indeed quite important, influencing the subsequent plans for the counter-offensive in North China.

Chang Ruiyuan was thinking that since Chu Yunfei still had time to ask for instructions, he must have other combat strategies and methods.

However, blowing up the bridge is currently the best option for the Nationalist army in North China.

However, this is not the optimal choice from the perspective of the command.

The top leadership wanted to achieve victory while ensuring that the pace of the counter-offensive in North China was not delayed.

"Cixiu, Jiansheng, what do you think?"

Chang Ruiyuan was trying to find a foolproof solution.

Although Bai Jiansheng advocated for fighting, seeing Chang Ruiyuan's hesitant expression, he chose to remain ambiguous: "This matter is of great importance. Perhaps we can let the Ministry of Finance hold the line for a while and see how the battle develops."

Chang Ruiyuan spoke slowly, trying to delay this painful decision: "Then let's discuss it again and have the Air Force prepare an assessment report first." North China, Frontline Command Headquarters.

The night outside the window grew even darker.

"Your Excellency!"

"The mountain city side has replied."

Li Jingzhong held the telegram, his voice barely audible, his face filled with embarrassment and anxiety: "The General Headquarters' meaning is that 'this matter is of great importance and needs further discussion,' and they also want the Air Force to first provide a detailed report on the bridge damage."

"What's there to evaluate?"

Fang Ligong slammed his hand on the table in anger, making the teacup rattle: "The fire is already burning our eyebrows! By the time they finish writing their report, the Kwantung Army's tanks will be driving into our command post!"

Chu Yunfei, however, remained surprisingly calm.

He simply waved his hand to stop Fang Ligong's complaints, his gaze never leaving the huge battle map.

His fingers traced back and forth between the three points: Jinan, the Yellow River, and Dezhou, his eyes so deep they were unfathomable.

"Brother Ligong, there's no need to be angry."

"The mountain city's reaction was exactly what I expected."

"That bridge is the lifeline of postwar recovery and is crucial to the success or failure of the subsequent counter-offensive. The Chairman was worried that blowing up the bridge would affect the subsequent results, so that this counter-offensive could not be compared with the major counter-offensive of our allies."

"but."

Chu Yunfei turned around abruptly: "We're at war!"

"On the battlefield, every second is bought with lives. Qian Bojun's Sixth Army Group has paid a huge price to fight for this chance of survival."

"I absolutely cannot risk tens of thousands of soldiers!"

"A general is not bound by his sovereign's orders when he is away from home!"

Mountain City, Air Force Headquarters.

It was already past midnight, but Zhou Zhirou's office was still brightly lit.

When Chu Yunfei called, the director of the aviation committee was looking at a structural diagram of an iron bridge and worrying about it.

The General Staff's decision to ask him to produce an "assessment report" was like putting him on a hot seat.

Even the blueprints for this bridge are not the target blueprints.
"Hello, this is Zhou Zhirou."

"Director Zhou, I am Chu Yunfei."

On the other end of the phone, Chu Yunfei's voice was utterly unpolite, urgent and direct like a cannonball: "The situation is urgent, I'll get straight to the point."

"You're aware of the General Staff's excuses. If we proceed step by step, this battle will never be fought."

Chu Yunfei said, enunciating each word clearly, "At dawn tomorrow, immediately take off all B-25 bombers that can carry bombs, with the target being the Yellow River Luokou Iron Bridge!"

"Blow it up at all costs!"

"I need the air force to block the Kwantung Army on the north bank of the Yellow River, otherwise in this offensive operation, my North China side will lose at least 30,000 more officers and soldiers."

Zhou Zhirou's hand holding the microphone trembled slightly, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead: "Chief Advisor, the Chairman hasn't given his approval yet. Do you think we should ask him again?"

"It's already past midnight, the principal is already resting. How can I, as a student, disturb him? Don't worry, I, Chu Yunfei, will bear all the consequences!"

Chu Yunfei's voice was resolute, carrying an undeniable force: "Director Zhou, you are the director of the Aviation Commission, and also a soldier of the Party and the State!"

"You know how terrible the situation in North China would be if the Kwantung Army crossed the river!"

"The choice is between taking responsibility for that deadly bridge and taking responsibility for the lives of millions of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers!"

"Chief Advisor."

Zhou Zhirou remained silent.

The sound of panting could be clearly heard on the other end of the phone.

After a long silence, he let out a long breath, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Fine!"

"Since the chief advisor is willing to take on this responsibility, I, Zhou, am not one to be afraid of death!"

"I'll make arrangements right away!"

"Operate at dawn!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhirou didn't immediately issue battle orders. Instead, she grabbed her hat, turned around, and rushed to the jeep that had been waiting outside: "To Huangshan's official residence! I need to see the Chairman."

Huangshan Official Residence.

Chang Ruiyuan's study.

Chang Ruiyuan was wearing a black cloak and reading a book.

Upon hearing the guard announce that Zhou Zhirou was requesting an audience, he frowned slightly, but still waved for him to come in.

"Chairman."

Zhou Zhirou entered the study, saluted, and although her face showed signs of fatigue, her eyes were unusually firm.

Chang Ruiyuan put down his book and asked in a calm tone, "Is there something urgent that's happening so late?"

"Report to the Chairman."

Zhou Zhirou straightened her back and didn't hide anything: "Just now, Chief Consultant Chu called."

"Given the critical situation at the front and the urgent need for reinforcements from the Kwantung Army, he has ordered the air force to take off at dawn tomorrow to bomb the bridge."

"what?!"

Chang Ruiyuan slammed the book shut with a soft "snap." He stood up, his gaze sharp as he stared at Zhou Zhirou: "The General Staff is still discussing this, and he's already acting on his own?"

Although Chang Ruiyuan's tone was stern, there was not much real anger in his eyes; instead, there was a hint of complex emotion.

Zhou Zhirou was not intimidated. He lowered his head and said sincerely, "Chairman, when a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders."

"Chief Advisor Chu is on the front lines, and his grasp of the battle situation is much more acute than ours."

"And he also promised me that he would take full responsibility."

Chang Ruiyuan remained silent.

He paced slowly in the study, the sound of his leather shoes on the floor particularly clear in the quiet of the night.

He certainly knew that blowing up the bridge was the best option.

But as the supreme commander, there are some things he cannot say and some responsibilities he cannot bear.

Now that Chu Yunfei has taken the initiative to step forward and take the blame, even taking the blame for "disobeying orders," this is actually a way to extricate him from this predicament.

"This Chu Yunfei..."

Chang Ruiyuan sighed, sat back down in his chair, and waved his hand: "Since the order has been given, then so be it."

"This operation must be prepared with redundancy; success is the only option, failure is not an option!"

"If you're going to blow it up, then blow it up thoroughly!"

"Don't just blast a half-finished bridge and let them fix it in a few days. Otherwise, all the blasting of this bridge would have been for nothing!"

Zhou Zhirou was overjoyed and immediately stood at attention: "Yes! This subordinate understands and guarantees to complete the mission!"

the other side.

North China Area Army Headquarters.

Admiral Okamura Yasuji has not slept for three days and three nights.

His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, and his whole body looked like a skeleton drained of its life force, with only his eyes still gleaming with a morbid, almost neurotic light.

The others stared intently at the Yellow River defense line on the map, gripping their command batons tightly, pondering a good strategy to defeat the enemy.

"report!"

The silence was broken by a shout from the communications section chief.

Okamura Yasuji shuddered, turned around abruptly, and asked in a hoarse and urgent voice, "Is it news from the Kwantung Army?!"

"Hai!"

The communications section chief presented a telegram with both hands, his face beaming with undisguised joy: "Urgent telegram from Commander Gao Pinbiao of the 29th Division of the Kwantung Army!"

"The vanguard of this unit's train arrived at Yucheng Station on the north bank of the Yellow River ten minutes ago!"

"The main force and the 57th Division are continuously passing through Cangzhou, and are expected to arrive along the Yellow River by noon today!"

"Commander Gao Pin requests instructions: Should we immediately cross the river via the Luokou Bridge and directly garrison the Jinan city defenses?"

"Yoshi! Yoshi!!!"

Okamura Neiji snatched the telegram and greedily read every message on it, his previously ashen face instantly flushing red.

"We made it! We finally made it!"

He threw his head back and laughed, his laughter tinged with the madness of someone who had survived a catastrophe: "May Amaterasu protect you!"

"I knew it! North China wouldn't be lost, and the empire wouldn't perish!"

Chief of Staff Shinichi Kitajima, standing to the side, also breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: "Great! With these two fully equipped elite divisions, plus the remnants of the 12th Army in Jinan, our forces will once again exceed 50,000."

"It's not just about defense!"

Okamura Neiji threw down the telegram, strode to the map, and waved his baton with great force, as if he had instantly regained his former commander-in-chief's authority.

"Kikujima-kun, look!"

His baton struck heavily on the Luxi Plain west of Jinan, where a huge blue arrow representing the 88th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army was marked.

"Chu Yunfei is too arrogant!"

"Fang Ligong is too greedy for credit!"

"Their armored forces are advancing too fast. Although they are at the gates of Jinan, their infantry and logistical supply lines have been stretched extremely long!"

"It's like a greedy snake that has its mouth wide open, but its belly is exposed!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Okamura Yasuji's eyes, an instinct born from his status as a top strategist in the Japanese army.

"Previously, we lacked sufficient troops and could only passively endure attacks."

"But now that the Kwantung Army has arrived, we can take advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack."

"I've decided to revise the battle plan!"

He forcefully drew a huge semicircle on the map, extending westward from Jinan and directly into the flank and rear of the 88th Army Group of the National Revolutionary Army.

"Order Gao Pinbiao!"

"After the 29th Division crosses the river, it should not all retreat into Jinan to defend the city walls!"

"Leave one regiment to assist in the defense of Jinan. The main force, including all tank and field artillery regiments, shall immediately move covertly to the southwest of Jinan!"

"I want them to deploy along the Qihe and Changqing line!"

Okamura Neiji became increasingly excited as he spoke, as if he could already see the dawn of victory:

"When Fang Ligong was leading that so-called 88th Group Army and getting wrecked under the walls of Jinan, our 29th Division fiercely penetrated his left flank!"

"We're going to encircle him!"

"flank attack!"

"Commander, that was a textbook example of a flanking maneuver!"

Kitajima Shinichi's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "The Chinese army would never have imagined that we would turn defense into offense!"

"Once the 88th Army Group is defeated, the entire situation in western Shandong will be reversed instantly, and Chu Yunfei's counter-offensive plan will be completely ruined!"

"It's not just stagnation!"

Okamura Yasuji clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "I will bury Fang Ligong's elite troops completely on the banks of the Yellow River! I will let Chu Yunfei know that I am not someone to be trifled with!"

"Call Gao Pinbiao back immediately!"

"Order other units to cross the Luokou Bridge at the fastest speed possible, at all costs!"

"Tell him that this is a critical moment that will determine the fate of North China. Even if it means running yourself ragged, you must get the vanguard across the river within an hour!"

"As long as we successfully cross the Yellow River, victory will be ours!"

In the operations room.

All the Japanese staff officers rallied, and the ticking of the telegraph machines became frequent and brisk again. (End of Chapter)