On the eve of the fall of Liaodong, he led his troops in a remonstrance against the young marshal.

"Commander-in-Chief! Urgent telegram from Deputy Commander Zhang Zuoxiang!"

Zhang Xueming took the telegram and unfolded it.

He glanced down at it, his pupils dilated suddenly, and a smile spread across his face.

He turned around, held the telegram in the air, and spoke loudly to the generals behind him.

"The Great Victory at Fengcheng".

The four words exploded like four bombs in the crowd.

Wang Yizhe was the first to react, and his loud voice startled Tang Yulin, who was standing next to him.

Holy crap!

"You can win even against 80,000 with 30,000! Awesome!"

"Commander, let me see!"

Tang Yulin took the telegram and read it carefully twice. The more he read, the more excited he became. Finally, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Eighty thousand Japanese devils! They were utterly routed by Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong! It was exhilarating! Truly exhilarating!"

Other generals also gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.

Everyone wore a smile, and the fatigue from days of fighting was swept away at this moment.

Before this, although no one said it out loud, everyone had a heavy feeling in their hearts: Fengcheng was the eastern gateway to the Northeast Army.

If Fengcheng were to fall to the Japanese, they would be trapped in Lushun like turtles in a jar.

Now the weight has been lifted, and it's been a resounding victory that surprised everyone.

Zhang Xueliang stood in the corner, and his expression changed three times after hearing the news.

He was initially shocked, as he hadn't expected that Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong could actually withstand the Japanese attack.

After that, everyone could relax. Fengcheng had been defended, and Fengtian was safe.

Finally, there's a hint of indescribable complexity.

The second son's generals are getting stronger and stronger, each one a fierce warrior. Will he still have a place to stand in the Northeast in the future?

Zhang Xueming ignored their reactions.

By the light of the torch, he carefully read the entire telegram.

The telegram, forwarded by Zhang Zuoxiang, provided a detailed account of the Battle of Fengcheng.

The process was simpler and more exciting than Zhang Xueming had anticipated.

..........

Let's rewind to one day earlier.

Late at night, the Yalu River was shrouded in mist, and the river was so wide that the opposite bank could not be seen.

On the North Korean side of the riverbank, countless Japanese military tents stretched as far as the eye could see, forming a gray sea.

Smoke rose from the chimneys in the morning mist, mingling with the water vapor from the river and enveloping the entire riverbank in a hazy glow.

The soldiers of the 20th Division have set off from the Yalu River and are heading to Fengcheng one after another.

According to the orders issued by Commander Honjo Shigeru before heading to Fengtian.

The Kwantung Army should first capture Fengtian, and then the 19th and 20th Divisions should join forces to attack Fengcheng, cutting off Zhang Xueming's retreat.

When news of the fall of Fengtian reached Fengcheng, the morale of the Northeast Army was thrown into chaos. Two divisions, together with the Kwantung Army, joined forces and annihilated Zhang Xueming and Zhang Xueliang under the walls of Fengcheng.

In Honjo Shigeru's mind, the plan was perfect.

While Honjo Shigeru was still alive, he firmly believed that this plan would completely destroy the Northeast Army.

But Honjo Shigeru didn't know that less than two hours after he sent his telegram, Huo Quji's tanks had run over his direct regiment, turning him into a pile of minced meat in a mound of corpses on the banks of the Liao River.

The 20th Division departed from Seoul three days ago and marched north without stopping, only arriving at the south bank of the Yalu River late last night.

According to the normal marching rhythm, the troops should have rested for a day before crossing the river, but Kawagishi Bunzaburo couldn't wait.

Honjo Shigeru's telegram was so urgent that he dared not delay, so he crossed the river overnight and arrived at Baoshan Town in the early morning.

"Your Excellency Commander."

A respectful voice came from ahead.

Kawagishi Bunzaburo was slightly taken aback when he saw Lieutenant General Mori Hisashi, commander of the 19th Division, walking towards him.

Mori Hisashi looked unwell, with dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well for several days.

He walked up to Bunzaburo Kawagishi and saluted.

Kawagishi Bunzaburo nodded.

He paused, then spoke:

"I heard that your advance troops were attacked by the Northeast Army in the direction of Fengcheng the day before yesterday, and suffered considerable losses?"

Mori Hisashi's expression changed.

"The enemy is very strong and should not be underestimated, Commander."

Mori Hisashi forced a smile and explained, "Let's still..."

"Alright, alright."

Kawagishi Bunzaburo waved his hand, his face showing undisguised disdain. "We now have two major delegations joining forces, totaling nearly 80,000 people."

"How many troops does the Northeast Army have in Fengcheng? At most, ten or twenty thousand. Even if they have tanks, they only have a few."

"Eighty thousand against one or two thousand, we could kill them with bayonets."

He patted the hilt of his military knife, his voice full of confidence.

"Commander Honjo is still waiting for our good news."

"We will advance after dawn today, capture Fengcheng before nightfall, and cut off Zhang Xueming's retreat by the day after tomorrow. Understand?"

"Hai!" Mori Hisashi stood at attention and saluted.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the sun was fully up and the fog gradually dissipated.

The troops of the 20th and 19th Divisions were all mobilized and assembled on the plain outside Baoshan Town.

The 80,000-strong army was arrayed in battle formation, creating an extremely imposing sight. The infantry were arranged in more than a dozen square formations, the bayonets on their rifles reflecting a blinding glint in the sunlight.

The cavalry regiments patrolled the flanks, their hooves thundering.

The Type 92 infantry guns and field guns of the artillery regiment were lined up in neat rows, their muzzles pointing to the sky.

The supply convoy stretched for several kilometers, fully loaded with ammunition and food.

From a distance, the entire plain was covered in gray military uniforms, like a gray tide crawling forward.

Kawagishi Bunzaburo rode on horseback, followed by the division's staff and guard company.

He raised his binoculars and looked north.

In the direction of Fengcheng, several low hills can be vaguely seen on the horizon; those are Luofengpo, the southern gateway to Fengcheng.

Once you cross Luofeng Slope, Fengcheng will have no more natural defenses to protect it.

"All troops, advance!"

He put down his binoculars, his voice calm yet firm, "Target: Fengcheng."

Eighty thousand Japanese soldiers began their northward advance.

............

On the morning of the same day, about 30 kilometers outside of Baoshan Town, outside Fengcheng City, Chang Yuchun issued an almost identical order.

"All troops advance, objective: Baoshan Town."

Five hundred T-34 tanks formed a wedge-shaped assault formation on the plain outside Fengcheng, the roar of their diesel engines deafening.

Some tanks still bear bullet holes and dirt from the last battle, while the 76mm main guns on the turrets are polished to a shine and loaded with armor-piercing shells.

Behind the tank, Yu Zhishan led 10,000 infantrymen who were fully equipped and ready to go, with bayonets fixed and ammunition magazines full.

Chang Yuchun stood in the turret of the command tank, holding up binoculars, his gaze sweeping over the horizon toward Baoshan Town.

His idea was almost exactly the same as Kawagishi Bunzaburo's: to take the initiative.

Rather than waiting for the Japanese to attack while we are in Fengcheng, it would be better to stop them in Baoshan Town and catch them off guard.

He believed that the Japanese had just crossed the river and were not yet firmly established, making it the best time to launch a surprise attack.

Moreover, he had five hundred T-34 tanks, making him virtually invincible in the plains of Baoshan Town.

But what he didn't know was that the Japanese were also advancing north at the same time.

The two are traveling in the same direction, one from north to south and the other from south to north, and they collide head-on.

Both armies were rushing toward each other at top speed, like two trains traveling in opposite directions on the same track.

And the place where they met was Luofengpo.