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

At the cavalry ambush site, the embers were still burning. Major Eguchi, facing the mess all around, was utterly enraged, having come from a humble background!

These precious supplies meant the blood and sweat of countless people to Japan. After more than a year of full-scale war, although the Japanese army occupied half of China, it also consumed strategic materials that had been stored in the country for decades. The national treasury was emptied, so empty that rats could starve to death.

To support the war, the country had long been living beyond its means, accumulating huge debts, and everyone from the Emperor to ordinary citizens was tightening their belts.

The same applies to the Eguchi family; if it weren't for his military rank, the whole family would have gone hungry.

The battle at Fujinshan was going poorly, and they were counting on this batch of ammunition for emergency use. Now that it has been destroyed by the Chinese, he cannot escape responsibility.

Major Eguchi grew increasingly furious, gritting his teeth and cursing:

"You bastards! You despicable Chinese, all you know is these underhanded tricks. I'm going to catch you and skin you alive!"

Company Commander Captain Yasui came over with a grim face to report:

"Mr. Eguchi, a large number of mortar shell fragments were found at the scene. The weapons and equipment were very mixed. Several 7.92mm bullets were found. The spent shell casings included not only 7.92mm bullets but also those from submachine guns."

It is now certain that the Chinese not only had artillery, but also a large number of infantry and cavalry. The cavalry that were last discovered were likely the rearguard, numbering over a hundred, fleeing northwest.

"Damn it, they're trying to escape! These Chinese must have sneaked across the Shi River. Chase them down quickly! We absolutely can't let them get away!"

Major Eguchi reacted quickly, and Captain Yasui said worriedly:

"Mr. Eguchi, there are quite a few Chinese. They are cavalry, so be careful, it might be a trap. Should we wait for the main force to arrive before pursuing them?"

"Yasui-kun, you're too timid. By the time the main force arrives, the Chinese will have already crossed the river."

The Chinese have succeeded, and now they only want to escape. The cavalry were just covering their retreat and had long lost their will to fight.

"Say no more, pursue them quickly!"

Captain Yasui dared not say more and was preparing to give chase when a communications soldier rushed over and loudly reported:

"Urgent telegram from division headquarters, ordering our unit to pursue at all costs; reinforcements will arrive shortly!"

Major Eguchi took the telegram, read it, and burst into laughter:

"Yasui-kun, don't worry anymore. The division commander has sent a cavalry battalion to help. They will arrive soon."

"Quickly, we must catch the Chinese!"

Captain Yasui was now completely relieved and led his squadron in pursuit, following the hoofprints. Major Eguchi left a detachment to provide backup, while the rest followed closely behind Yasui's squadron, heading straight for the east bank of the Shi River.

The Japanese soldiers' movements did not escape the eyes of the cavalry company's scouts, and the scouts quickly reported to the company commander, Gao Mingyuan, which was exactly what he had been hoping for.

In order to lure the Japanese soldiers into a trap, he deliberately slowed down his pace, removed the cloth covering his horse's hooves, and exposed himself.

Gao Mingyuan snorted coldly:

"These Japanese devils are really courting death. Two or three hundred of them dare to chase my cavalry company. Who gave them the guts?"

The deputy company commander reminded him:

"Company commander, we only have a little over a hundred cavalrymen. We don't have enough troops, and I'm afraid we won't be able to defeat them."

Gao Mingyuan shook his head and said:

"We don't have the appetite to eat them all, but teaching them a lesson is definitely an option!"

After speaking, he gave a serious order:

"Deputy Company Commander Li, there is a suitable ambush site 800 meters ahead. You take a squad and about 20 warhorses, pretend to be the main force, and drag tree branches towards the ferry."

"Make sure there's a cloud of dust everywhere, to lure the Japanese into pursuit. The rest is up to us."

Deputy Company Commander Li roared:

"Class One, follow me to lure the enemy, one person, two horses!"

After Deputy Company Commander Li and his men left, Gao Mingyuan led the remaining troops to the ambush point. He wanted to show the Japanese soldiers that even dismounted cavalry could still deal with them.

The ambush point chosen by Gao Mingyuan was a very ordinary small hill, which can be found everywhere in the hilly area. It was covered with miscellaneous trees and was very suitable for hiding people.

The small hill is located on the west side of the dirt road, with an area of ​​only a few hundred meters in circumference and a depth of two or three hundred meters. You can see its end at a glance.

Deputy Company Commander Li led his troops to set up a maze behind the hill to lure the Japanese soldiers into pursuit.

The others dismounted and hid their horses on the reverse slope of the hill, where they were looked after by several soldiers.

The main force of the cavalry company ambushed the Japanese on the mountain ridge, waiting for them to come.

Unaware of the trap, the Yasui Squadron, with over a hundred Japanese soldiers, pursued them, forming a long, serpentine formation stretching over a hundred meters long.

After most of the Japanese soldiers had entered the ambush position, Gao Mingyuan roared:

"Beat him!"

A volley of grenades was thrown from the bushes on the mountain ridge, tracing long parabolic arcs as they fell down into the ranks of Japanese soldiers from above.

Explosions rang out one after another, and the pursuing Japanese soldiers screamed and cried out in alarm:

"Baka yarou, there's an ambush!"

Several more rounds of hand grenades were used to bombard the ground, clearing out more than 400 grenades in just a few breaths, taking down most of the Japanese soldiers, either dead or wounded.

The rest were also in chaos, and Gao Mingyuan immediately ordered them to open fire, with submachine guns and M1 semi-automatic rifles firing fiercely at the remaining Japanese soldiers;

Caught off guard, the Japanese soldiers were overwhelmed and unable to fight back. The remaining soldiers fled in disarray, and not a single Japanese soldier dared to retaliate towards the mountain ridge.

Major Eguchi, who was lagging behind, heard the sound of gunfire and his expression changed drastically. He immediately ordered his men to run and provide reinforcements.

At this time, the Yasui Squadron had already suffered heavy losses, and the remaining forty or fifty men fled east and south, posing no threat to the First Company.

Gao Mingyuan did not dare to pursue, and decisively ordered the ambush position to be abandoned, retreat to the reverse slope and leave on horseback, fighting and leaving without getting entangled with the Japanese.

By the time Major Eguchi and his men arrived, the company had already ridden away, leaving behind the thunderous sound of hooves.

Having suffered a great loss, Jiang Kou dared not pursue the matter any longer, but stubbornly insisted:

"Baka yarou, let them go for now, hurry up and rescue the wounded!"

"That incompetent Yasui underestimated the enemy and acted rashly; he must bear the responsibility for it."

Jiang Kou was truly terrified. In just a short time, one of his squadrons had been decimated. How could he dare to pursue them?

It must be said that Captain Yasui was quite lucky to be found by the Japanese soldiers who were treating the wounded. At that time, he was covered in blood and had two Japanese corpses on his body, looking very disheveled.

Captain Yasui quickly explained:

"There were thousands of soldiers lying in ambush on the mountain. I was knocked unconscious by the artillery fire and don't know much about what happened afterward."

Major Eguchi casually slapped him twice and cursed:

"You bastard, that's no excuse for your defeat! Your underestimation of the enemy and reckless advance caused enormous losses to the Imperial Army!"

Captain Yasui dared not argue and listened obediently. He really had to take the blame; he couldn't let Major Eguchi do it.

"Hai, it's all my fault!"

"Your Excellency the Captain is right to reprimand me!"

"Please allow me to pledge my loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor!"

Captain Yasui's retreat was a strategic move, and his attitude was quite agreeable. Major Eguchi's expression softened, and he slapped him twice more before saying:

"Seppuku won't solve the problem; it's a cowardly act. Only the blood of the Chinese can wash away the shame."

There are over a thousand Chinese men, including many cavalry; we cannot pursue them rashly.

Your task is to quickly handle the aftermath, await reinforcements, and then send your noble cavalry contingent to annihilate the Chinese!

Captain Yasui deserved those slaps; Major Eguchi no longer pursued the matter and believed him.

It wasn't that the Yasui Squadron was incompetent; it was that the Chinese were too cunning. Being ambushed by thousands of people, it was already difficult for a few dozen to escape.

Major Eguchi knew that Captain Yasui was lying about military intelligence, but he acquiesced, because he couldn't very well admit that Eguchi's battalion was incompetent.

Captain Yasui and his men piled up the bodies of the fallen and burned them, but they couldn't find a single Chinese body; they could only say that the bodies had been taken away.

The bodies had barely been burned when a cavalry battalion arrived, its menacing aura palpable. The battalion commander, his brow furrowed, arrogantly questioned Major Eguchi:

"Eguchi-kun, where are the Chinese? All we see are the corpses of warriors!"

Major Eguchi said without batting an eye:

"I have driven back the Chinese. There were thousands of them. The Imperial Army lost hundreds of brave soldiers. They took the bodies of the Chinese away."

"Cavalrymen are like royalty in the Japanese army; they've always looked down on the army," Major Fujita said sarcastically.

"You didn't manage to eliminate a single Chinese person? Useless!"

"You bastard, Fujita-kun, how dare you insult someone's innocence!"

"Most of China was conquered by infantry. Our warriors fought bloody battles against ten times their number of Chinese, repelling a powerful enemy. You must apologize to them!"

Seeing that Major Eguchi was getting angry, Major Fujita, not wanting to provoke the crowd, stopped his mockery and changed his tone, saying:

"Which direction did the routed Chinese soldiers run in?"

Major Fujita gave Major Eguchi ample face this time, and the latter, not daring to truly offend the cavalry nobles, could only go along with him, saying:

"They have already fled towards the ferry crossing. They have cavalry, so we dare not pursue them."

Major Fujita, not wanting to waste time with him, mounted his warhorse and waved his large, white-gloved hand:

"Cavalry battalion—pursue!"