Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

Time continued to confirm Zhao Yunwen's judgment. In the next two days, a strange scene appeared on the Jinshui River battlefield. The two divisions, which were known as the most ferocious, attacked as if they were just going through the motions.

Each attack involved several rounds of artillery fire, involving hundreds of men, firing from hundreds of meters away. The commotion was significant, but the casualties were less than a hundred.

The Tiger Legion troops in the defensive positions were very cooperative, barely using their artillery, at most firing a few rounds of mortars. The Japanese didn't enter the riverbank, and the defenders didn't pay much attention to them.

Battle reports were indeed sent to the Jiangcheng Military Commission every day, which greatly excited Chiang Kai-shek. He waited for news from the Zheng County direction without fail every day.

As long as the Tiger Legion persists, Jiangcheng will have an extra layer of security, Chen Cixiu excitedly asserted:

"If we keep fighting like this, we can hold Zheng County for another month without any problem."

Chiang Kai-shek unusually refrained from increasing reinforcements at the front lines:

"No need for a month, twenty days will be enough. Yunwen's troops are under great pressure from continuous combat. Once the campaign objective is achieved, Zheng County can be abandoned. We cannot wipe out the troops. The National Government still needs them to play a significant role in the defense of Jiangcheng."

Chen Cixiu's tone changed abruptly:

"The principal is still very considerate of the soldiers. On behalf of the 30,000 Tiger Legion soldiers, I would like to express my gratitude. Holding out for 20 days is no problem at all. I will send a private telegram to Yunwen now, so that he doesn't get carried away and wipe out the troops."

Zhao Yunwen is now the top general in the Civil Engineering Department, and his reputation is no less than that of Luo Youqing. He is Chen Cixiu's right-hand man.

Chiang Kai-shek regarded the Tiger Legion as the Nationalist government's primary force. In addition, Zhao Yunwen's background meant he was a true ally; otherwise, he wouldn't have given him the title "Tiger Legion."

Of the three million troops in the National Government, only Zhao Yunwen was a true elite warrior; there was no other like him.

How could Chiang Kai-shek bear to wipe out such a force?

It was difficult to say it out loud, but resigning understood his heart. Bai Jiansheng couldn't help but purse his lips:

"Sycophant!"

These three short words were laced with a strong sense of bitterness. Even Bai Jiansheng himself admired Zhao Yunwen, acknowledging that among Lao Chang's many students, Zhao Yunwen was someone who could be compared to him.

"Commander-in-Chief, Jiangcheng's defense system can be completed in twenty days. After the Tiger Legion withdraws, what are your plans for them?"

Bai Jiansheng never spoke without a purpose, and his words aroused Chiang Kai-shek's vigilance, so he asked calmly:

"Jiansheng, what's your opinion on how to arrange this?"

Bai Jiansheng did not hide his intentions:

"They moved south to the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains for rest and reorganization, and were placed under the command of the Fifth War Zone as a reserve force."

Chiang Kai-shek grinned, his wrinkles around his eyes forming a pretzel shape. As expected of the two bigwigs of the Guangxi clique, their cooperation was impeccable; it turned out they were thinking of Delin.

"That's good. Jiansheng has thought things through very well. Although the Fifth War Zone has many elite troops and generals, its system is disorganized. With the Tiger Legion in charge, the defense line north of the Yangtze River and the Huai River is secure."

The planned Jiangcheng operation was divided into two groups: Jiangnan and Jiangbei. Jiangnan was led by the Central Army under Xue Boling, while Jiangbei was led by Li Delin's Fifth War Zone. The combination of multiple Tiger and Flower Armies would indeed make the operation more stable.

Although there were many conflicts between Chang and Guangxi, their interests overlapped on the great cause of resisting Japan. Guangxi was also a staunch supporter of the resistance and always stood on Chang's side. Therefore, he did not mind handing over his most capable troops to Li Delin for command.

Seeing that Chiang Kai-shek had given the Guangxi clique ample face, Bai Jiansheng continued:

"General Zhao had a good working relationship with Duke De in Pengcheng, and they will surely continue their good story when they arrive in Jianghuai."

The Battle of Jiangcheng will not be decided in the short term, and the Tiger Legion can have more than a month of rest and recuperation, which will be enough to restore their fighting strength.

Bai Jiansheng's words struck a chord with Chiang Kai-shek, who readily agreed. He knew that Li Delin wouldn't let the Tiger Army sit idle and would definitely treat them like beasts of burden, but as long as he was promised a month's rest, it wouldn't be a problem.

Three days later, on the Jinshui River battlefield, Itagaki Seishiro finally got the answer he wanted. During this time, another batch of shells was delivered to the Fifth Division from the Pengcheng direction.

The Japanese prince of the Second Army, far away in Jinan, had lost patience and issued a divisional order to the Fifth Division.

Seishiro Itagaki finally revealed his true colors and launched a general offensive against the Jinshui River defense line. The 16th Division on the southern front also took the matter seriously, and both divisions exerted their full strength.

The 323rd and 324th Divisions no longer held back and fought head-on with the Japanese from morning till dusk. The battle was so fierce that the sky and earth changed color, and the corpses covered both banks of the Jinshui River. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, especially the Japanese, who were on the attacking side, whose casualties were more than half that of the defending troops.

As the sun set, both sides finally grew tired of fighting, and the battlefield returned to silence. Itagaki Seishiro's face remained calm, only twitching slightly when he saw the casualty figures.

"Sakurada-kun, if I'm not mistaken, Zhao Yunwen will be giving up on Jinshui River tonight!"

Seishiro Itagaki's tone was firm and left no room for doubt, but Takeshi Sakurada still felt uncertain:

"Division Commander, although the Tiger Legion has suffered heavy losses, it's not crippled yet. Surely we don't need to abandon our positions?"

"Sakurada-kun, you don't understand. Most of the fortifications along the Jinshui River have been destroyed. The Imperial Army has shown its utmost resolve. Zhao Yunwen won't fight to the death anymore. Let's wait and see!"

Sakurada Takeshi didn't say anything more. Itagaki Seishiro had a very high prestige in the army. It's no exaggeration to say that he was the idol of the young officers of the Japanese army. No one would question Itagaki Seishiro's judgment.

As Itagaki Seishiro had predicted, the Tiger Army voluntarily abandoned the Jinshui River defense line. The reason they held out until nightfall was to allow for a more relaxed withdrawal and prevent the Japanese from pursuing them relentlessly.

The retreat was scheduled for midnight. First, the two regiments of the 323rd Division would be at the forefront, followed by the fully-equipped 650th Regiment, which would cover the rear.

The 645th and 646th Regiments suffered heavy casualties after the fierce fighting during the day, and it was time for them to withdraw and rest.

To conceal their movements, they did not linger after withdrawing from their positions, but instead retreated in one go to the south of Zheng County, without even having to participate in street fighting.

The 322nd Division on the southern front contracted its defensive line, and the 644th Regiment, which had previously been holding the Jinshui River embankment, also abandoned its position and retreated to the southwest to defend the second line of defense, which protected the flank of Zheng County and prevented the Japanese from outflanking the 324th Division from the south.

The artillery group still occupied the high ground in the rear, deterring the Japanese artillery positions and preventing them from bombarding the city indiscriminately.

Zhao Yunwen made major adjustments to the battle plan. Itagaki Seishiro guessed his actions, but not his true intentions. Street fighting was still rare on the Chinese battlefield.

Just like the Battle of Jinyang that Itagaki Seishiro personally experienced, the fighting on the outskirts was very bloody. After the outcome was decided, Jinyang City was left undefended, and the Japanese occupied it without lifting a finger.

The same goes for Beiping; no city in the entire north has ever fought a proper street battle.

Therefore, in Itagaki's calculations, Zhao Yunwen's abandonment of the Jinshui River meant abandoning Zheng County. Normally, he would retreat to the south of Zheng County or the west of the Pinghan Railway. The Lanfeng Campaign would then come to a complete end, and he would appear before the world as a victor.

As the sun rose, Itagaki Seishiro got up in a good mood and then asked confidently:

"Sakurada-kun, have the Chinese abandoned the Jinshui River as I predicted?"

Sakurada Takeshi's eyes were full of stars as he said admiringly:

"The division commander is truly amazing. Even the most famous generals of the past are no better than him. According to reports from the front, the Tiger Army fled in panic under the cover of night. Lord Guozhi seized the opportunity and crossed the river, successfully taking control of the defending troops' lines."

Seishiro Itagaki said smugly:

"Alright, the Central Plains are secured. Whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world. China is utterly finished. Let's cross the river and enter the city!"