Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 613: Stay with me to the end
Tokyo, United Nations Command Headquarters.

Looking at the person in front of him, Li Qiwei was somewhat surprised: "We don't seem to know each other."

Ridgway received a report that an old friend had arrived, but he clearly did not recognize the person.

“Ogg Smith, former Rear Admiral, now a special advisor to Boeing.”

As Smith introduced himself, he stepped forward to shake hands.

“Alright, Mr. Smith, please have a seat.” Ridgway was already starting to suspect something.

"Are you here representing Boeing?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"I do represent Boeing, but I also represent the broader U.S. military."

Smith didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "The gentlemen in Washington think that continuing the Korean War is not beneficial, so they want to negotiate."

"But is this in the interest of the U.S. military? Is it in the interest of General Ridgway?"

“Continuing the fight will not only increase the military’s budget, but also strengthen the position of the U.S. military and the general.”

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Smith's words hit the nail on the head, and Ridgway fell into deep thought.

He succeeded MacArthur in April and was promoted to Army General in May.

But there's still a road ahead for him; he wants to improve.

If the war continues, he can continue to rack up personal achievements.

As long as I don't act rashly and hold the Kansas line, I can remain invincible.

All things considered, it seems that not stopping the war does indeed have more advantages.

After all, it's not their own money being spent, nor are their own family members dying, but the credit is theirs.

Seeing Ridgway's constantly changing expression, Smith knew he had it in the bag this time.

They talked for another half hour, then Smith suddenly said:

"General Ridgway, I heard your wife has retired and is a bit bored now?"

“I suggest that your wife learn to paint; I think she must be a painting genius.”

Li Qiwei nodded knowingly and said, "I think she will."

Having achieved his goal, Smith stood up and said, "General, you are very busy with military affairs, so I won't bother you any longer. We will meet again in the future."

Ridgway personally escorted Smith out.

"Mr. Smith is welcome to explore Tokyo further. If you need any help from me, just give me a call anytime."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Smith got into the car.

After seeing Smith start, Ridgway immediately gave instructions to Van Fleet.

They demanded that maximum military pressure be maintained while efforts were being made to negotiate.

Even during negotiations, active reconnaissance should be conducted, key positions should be seized, and air strikes should be launched.

According to Ridgway, this would facilitate the peace talks process.

The Chinese and North Korean allied forces attached great importance to this peace talk.

A complete negotiation team was dispatched, consisting of the deputy commander of the Chinese Communist Party headquarters, the chief of staff, and the chief of staff of the Northern Army.

Meanwhile, the General Headquarters and the Central Committee also maintained real-time communication with the negotiating team.

However, the simplicity of the UN negotiating team during their first meeting at Sanmenli surprised the Chinese and North Korean side.

The UN forces' negotiation team consisted of only five officers.

其中有美国海军1个中将1个少将、空军1个少将、陆军1个少将，另外1个则是南1师师长白尚业少将。

The members of the China-North Korea group exchanged glances.

This configuration is very wrong. Putting aside why the navy is the leader, the absence of other countries, especially Britain and Turkey, is very strange.

The negotiating team had no personnel restrictions, yet the U.S. military preferred to send two relatively unrelated naval officers rather than allow other belligerent nations to send representatives.

Most importantly, these five people have no support team behind them. Except for major matters that need to be reported to Washington, they make all other decisions on the spot.

This is unlike any negotiation in history.

Despite the surprise, the Chinese and North Korean sides did not delay the negotiation agenda.

As soon as the two sides sat down, U.S. military representative Hawkins spoke first.

"This negotiation will only focus on military matters, not politics."

China and North Korea exchanged a glance. The US military's tough stance was quite different from the US government's initiative to propose peace talks.

Upon receiving the signal, the Chief of Staff of the Union Army spoke up: "This peace talk is for the purpose of a ceasefire."

"Our opinion is that all foreign troops should withdraw from Korea, with the 38th parallel as the boundary before the war."

No sooner had the Union Army finished speaking than Hawkins immediately said, "I'm sorry. There are political issues involved here, which are beyond the scope of negotiation."

"What political issues are involved here? You might as well speak frankly."

When faced with questions from the Union Army, Hawkins offered no explanation, only reiterating that negotiations were not possible.

Seeing that things were getting tense, the Chinese side took the initiative to say, "This matter can be discussed later. Why don't we exchange our agendas for the peace talks first?"

The agenda refers to what everyone will mainly discuss in this negotiation.

However, even on this very issue, after exchanging agendas, both sides immediately expressed their complete inability to accept it.

Then they started banging on the table and arguing.

That wasn't the end of it. The next day, the US military withdrew from the meeting, citing China and North Korea's refusal to allow Western journalists inside.

A few days later, Western journalists were allowed to attend the meeting, but the US military personnel who returned did not engage in serious discussions.

Both sides are either banging on the table or cursing every day.

As a result, the two sides argued for half a month over just one negotiation agenda.

It wasn't until China and North Korea took a step back that the agenda was finally settled.

"Sir, the negotiation team's telegram has been sent; the agenda has been set."

When the leader took it, he saw that there were only the four most basic ones.

First, as a basic condition for a ceasefire, the military demarcation line between the two sides and the establishment of a demilitarized zone were to be confirmed.

Second, the specific arrangements for the ceasefire and the composition, rights, and responsibilities of the oversight body.

Thirdly, there is the issue of prisoners of war.

Fourth, recommendations to the governments of the relevant countries.

After sending the telegram, the commander sighed, "It seems that this peace talk will be very difficult."

The specific details haven't even been discussed, and just one agenda item is already so difficult to produce; you can imagine how difficult it will be later.

"The central government has such foresight; they saw it coming long ago."

The Central Committee has sent a telegram requesting the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to prepare for a protracted war.

The central government plans to eliminate hundreds of thousands of Americans within a few years, forcing them to back down.

They believed that only in this way could the North Korean issue be completely resolved.

"The first five campaigns have proven that when the Chinese People's Volunteer Army carries out a strategic flanking maneuver to encircle several or even one US division at a time, it is very difficult to annihilate them."

"At this time, the central government's approach of 'nibbling away at the problem' is the best option."

If the enemy is too numerous and too tough to be defeated in one bite, then knock it down little by little, and then knock it down a little more each time. As you keep knocking, the enemy will gradually become smaller.

"Sir, the US military still has a strong fighting will and confidence. Only by destroying the enemy's confidence can we achieve the goal of encirclement and annihilation."

"Hmm." The commander nodded: "In every battle we fight in the future, we should not be too ambitious. In one battle, an army should annihilate an entire enemy battalion, or at most two entire battalions.

"There are now eight armies on the front line. If each army annihilates one enemy battalion, that's eight battalions, which is enough to deal a heavy blow to the enemy."

"Of course, if the enemy is the Southern Army, then a strategic encirclement should still be implemented."

In previous battles, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army would fight against a US division or encircle a regiment.

However, with the overwhelming firepower and rapid air support of the US military, it was difficult for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to eliminate them in a short period of time.

But if the target is to be annihilated, then it's a completely different story.

Any army corps of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army could completely surround the enemy and prevent American reinforcements.

There doesn't need to be many battles like this. If each army fights three or four of them, the casualties will add up to seven or eight regiments, and the confidence of the US military will definitely be shaken.

At that time, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army will be able to encircle one or even two or three US divisions as strategic targets.

"Our army has completed part of the small-scale annihilation battles in the five campaigns since entering Korea."

"However, this is not enough. We need to go through this stage several more times."

"As for the location of the mass annihilation, let the enemy come in as long as they are willing to enter."

"The further north the better, as long as it doesn't go beyond the Pyongyang-Wonsan line."

Having confirmed the next steps, Zhisi immediately sent a telegram back to Japan.

The Central Committee approved the plan submitted by the General Headquarters and determined that future operational objectives would be limited.

Each army's objective in a campaign was to take one or two battalions of the US Army or one or two regiments of the Confederate Army, and they could not advance too far south.

Meanwhile, in order to strengthen the logistics of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the Central Committee also established a Logistics Department and a unified railway management agency between China and North Korea.

In addition, two more corps, four armored regiments, and four artillery regiments were deployed to North Korea, and the air force was also ready to enter the war.

By this point, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was prepared to fight to the bitter end.

The negotiations unfolded exactly as the headquarters and the central government had anticipated. According to the agenda, the first issue was the military demarcation line for the ceasefire.

The stance of China and North Korea remains the same as before: the 38th parallel will be the boundary.

When the US government sought negotiations, it repeatedly mentioned the idea of ​​a ceasefire along the 38th parallel.

However, when it came to the actual negotiations, the situation was completely different.

Hawkins seemed not to hear the Union Army's statement and simply placed a map on the table.

Pointing to the map, Hawkins said, "Now that the UN forces have the advantage in the navy and air force, we must take into account the US military's advantages in the sea and air when drawing up the land ceasefire line."

Looking at the map, the Chinese and North Koreans were completely baffled. They had never heard of such a thing before.

The Chinese representative grabbed the map and said, "I am very surprised to hear your unbelievable opinion."

“On this map, there are three lines: red, blue, and black. This black line, which is dozens of miles north of our actual control line, is clearly the dividing line that you have claimed to draw.”

"I'm starting to wonder if you're really soldiers? Can't you see the situation clearly?"

"If your naval and air superiority is so advantageous, why doesn't the army advance to the Pyongyang-Wonsan line, which you have previously reached, under the cover of the navy and air force?"

"Why did we retreat all the way south of the Han River? Did we not want those lands?"

"I sincerely advise you that such naive remarks will not benefit our negotiations, so it's best to say less of them."

"You need to understand, we are not the defeated side!"

If it weren't for the presence of journalists from various countries, China and North Korea would probably be cursing each other out by now.

However, this time the US military seemed determined, stubbornly refusing to change a single word.

For several days in a row, the peace talks made no progress, which puzzled the central government.

Although the difficulty in negotiating was expected, no one could have predicted that the US military would do things this way.

The US was the one that was eager to negotiate before, but it is also the US that has stopped talking altogether after the peace talks started.

If you don't want a ceasefire, why go to all the trouble of negotiating peace talks?
Finally, someone came up with a brilliant idea.

Xinhua News Agency directly published the content of the negotiations between the two sides to the world.

I want to show everyone what Americans are doing.

As expected, the announcement of the current status of the negotiations and the US military's demands caused an uproar around the world.

Other countries, especially those that joined the war alongside the US and South Korea, could hardly believe their eyes.

The ambassadors of various countries went directly to Acheson; they genuinely didn't want to fight anymore.

This put immense pressure on the US military negotiating team.

Hawkins was forced to issue a public statement saying that the United States had never said it would draw lines on the territory occupied by China and North Korea.

The next day, Hawkins, under immense pressure, immediately revealed his hand.

"Everything else is negotiable, but using the 38th parallel as a dividing line is absolutely unacceptable! Don't bring this up again, and we'll pretend we didn't hear it."

The Union representative immediately said, "That won't do. The 38th parallel must be used as the dividing line!"

Now, the situation has reached a stalemate again.

Just as he said, Hawkins seemed not to hear and sat there without saying a word.

So, starting at 1:30 p.m., both sides remained motionless during the negotiations.

For two whole hours, everyone just stared at each other blankly.

In the following days, negotiations stalled again due to the issue of this dividing line.

Every day, the negotiations begin with each side saying a sentence, and then they just stare at each other blankly.

For several days the situation remained unchanged, then the central government's instructions for negotiations arrived.

Since the US is wary of the 38th parallel, then let's draw a line around it that everyone can accept.

East of the Imjin River, it is designated as north of the 38th parallel; west of the Imjin River, it is designated as south of the 38th parallel.

The goal is simply to ensure that the northern and southern regions are roughly equal in size.

Of course, the name could no longer refer to the 38th parallel; it was changed to the Military Demarcation Line.

According to the central government's plan, this is the best direction for peace talks.

If the United States truly wants to negotiate, it should be acceptable; at most, we can discuss the details further.

Surprisingly, the US military representative rejected the proposal without even looking at it after it was put forward at the meeting.

This made everyone feel that something was wrong.

After the meeting, China and North Korea immediately held emergency consultations with their superiors.

Because of the need for negotiations, Sanmenli was designated as a safe zone.

Both sides only had a small squad of soldiers responsible for guard duties here.

That night, a platoon of soldiers from the Southern Army quietly assembled.

In the darkness, the South Korean soldiers stared intently at the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers patrolling in the distance.

Just then, a Southern soldier quietly ran over.

"Platoon leader, we've received orders from above: move out!"

The Southern Army platoon leader nodded, waved his hand, and ordered, "Move out!"

The Southern army immediately deployed in battle formation.

Although the South Korean army's movements were well-concealed, the dense footsteps immediately attracted the attention of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers.

"who!"

Upon realizing they had been exposed, the Southern soldiers did not hesitate for a moment and immediately shouted, "Fire!"

Intense gunfire immediately erupted.

Faced with the Southern army's sneak attack, the nine soldiers on patrol immediately began to fight back.

Although the South Korean army used only M1 Garand rifles, at close range, the two submachine guns and seven carbines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army were in no way inferior.

In particular, the two PPSh submachine guns suppressed the Confederate army with their powerful firepower, preventing them from raising their heads.

Seeing the battle situation, the Southern Army platoon leader angrily slammed his fist on the wall.

He never expected that his platoon would be no match for an entire squad on the other side.

"Xiba!"

"Retreat! Take the wounded and retreat immediately!"

The battle, which started suddenly and ended just as quickly, gripped everyone's attention.

The Chinese and North Korean representatives found the US military team.

"This is a neutral zone! Why did the UN forces launch a surprise attack on our unit?!"

"Two of our soldiers were wounded, and you must give me an explanation!"

“No explanation!” Hawkins shook his head. “This was all done on the own by the Southern Dynasty soldiers; it has nothing to do with us.”

"I have urged the Southern Army to thoroughly investigate this matter."

The Union representative angrily exclaimed, "Shameless!"

Who doesn't know that the Confederate Army is a puppet of your American forces? Now you're trying to shirk responsibility?
“You can protest to the Southern Dynasty government, but if there’s nothing else, please leave. It’s evening now, and we need to rest.”

Looking at the shameless US military representative, the Chinese and North Korean representatives were so angry they were panting heavily.

However, for the sake of the overall situation, this matter can only be postponed for the time being.

After returning to their lodgings in a huff, the group was about to enter when the Chinese representative suddenly stopped.

"Let's go somewhere else!"

"What?" The Northern Army representative did not understand what he meant.

"What happened tonight is definitely related to the US military," the Chinese representative affirmed. "Although we don't know why, just in case, let's change locations."

In addition to secretly changing their accommodations, the Chinese and North Korean delegations also strengthened security at their residences.

Even if the US military were to cause trouble, it would only do small things and wouldn't make sure the whole world knew about it.

Otherwise, they would have no credibility whatsoever internationally.

Because of what happened that night, the peace talks did not take place the next day; both sides continued to exchange telegrams.

No one expected that a fighter jet would roar past at noon.

The machine guns fired a barrage of bullets at the former residence of the Chinese and North Korean delegations.

The powerful machine gun fire instantly reduced several houses to rubble.

Looking at the house, which was almost completely destroyed, the members of the delegation were incredulous.

If the location hadn't been changed, who knows how many more casualties would have occurred this time.

With such a large commotion, the US military delegation naturally came as well.

Looking at Hawkins, the Chinese representative said expressionlessly, "I think the US military should provide an explanation!"

Hawkins shook his head without hesitation: "This isn't our plane!"

"I have already sent a telegram to check the records, and no planes have taken off from North Korea."

Compared to his anger last night, the Chinese representative showed no sign of anger this time. He simply glanced at Hawkins twice and then left.

Upon receiving news of the delegation's renewed attack, the Central Committee immediately decided to suspend negotiations, effective immediately.

"Since we haven't had enough, let's keep fighting."

"We have the support of the entire nation! No matter how long American imperialism wants to fight, we will fight to the bitter end!"

(End of this chapter)