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

On the Ye-Shang Highway, at the command post of the 323rd Division's blocking position, Chief of Staff Ma Weilan strode in, his voice preceding his arrival:

"Commander, urgent telegram from headquarters!"

After sending the telegram, Zhao Yunwen waited for Commander Bai's reply. Although the voluntary abandonment of Fujinshan had achieved unexpected results, the act of disobeying orders was also real, so he adopted a very humble attitude.

In the telegram, he proactively took responsibility, requested disciplinary action, and proposed suggestions for the next phase of operations.

He believed Bai Jiansheng would change his mind, and after reading the telegram, he was right.

Commander Bai first flew into a rage and warned them not to do it again.

Then the tone suddenly changed, saying that Fu Jinshan's punishment would be remembered for now, and the Tiger Army would take over the defense of the gorge, with the original 31st Division under his unified command for the time being.

Considering the heavy casualties suffered by the 71st Army, it was ordered to retreat to the Shawo-Xiaojieling line for rest and reorganization and to set up defenses.

If Zhao Yunwen can hold the gorge for a week, he will have made amends for his past mistakes.

After reading it, Zhao Yunwen smiled, showing no sign of sadness at being punished, and turned to Ma Weilan, saying:

"Reply to the command and say that my unit guarantees to complete the mission and has signed a pledge that if the mission is not completed, the command can dismiss me!"

In addition, notify Division Commander Qiu and several regimental commanders to attend a meeting.

Ma Weilan accepted the order and turned to leave. Zhao Yunwen turned his gaze to the gorge. In another timeline, the remnants of the 71st Army and the 31st Division were fighting against two Japanese divisions for three days and three nights.

Now it has become the 323rd Division and the 31st Division, under his unified command, and the time has also changed to one week.

If they could hold out for another four days, given the current combat strength of the 323rd Division, it wouldn't be a big problem. What he was thinking about most now was how to wear down the Japanese at the gorge.

Just as Zhao Yunwen was staring at the map, pondering how to outmaneuver the Japanese, Qiu Fengzi and the others arrived one after another;

All officers of regimental rank and above were present, except for Li Xikai, the commander of the 645th Regiment, who was on guard duty on the perimeter.

Zhao Yunwen nodded to Ma Weilan, who then stepped forward to convey the latest military order from the command. After hearing it, everyone was filled with righteous indignation and spoke up for him.

Qiu Fengzi was the first to jump out and say:

"Commander Bai, you're being too indiscriminate. In the Battle of Fujinshan, both the 71st Army and my Tiger Army achieved remarkable results. Even if you don't get a reward, you shouldn't be given a punishment."

These local warlords always harbor prejudice against our Central Army and make trouble for us. We should complain to the principal!

The others echoed this sentiment, showing little regard for Commander Bai Dai; truly a protégé of the Emperor.

Zhao Yunwen coldly shouted:

"Alright, no matter how well Fujinshan fought, it doesn't change the fact that he disobeyed military orders. Giving me a punishment is not excessive."

Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. If everyone voluntarily abandons their positions, how can Commander Bai control hundreds of thousands of troops?

I didn't call you here to complain; the main purpose is to discuss the new combat mission and how to defend the gorge.

When Zhao Yunwen got angry, everyone shut up, which was also his way of giving others a warning.

That's how it is in the military; one can have a little temper, but others can't imitate it, and Zhao Yunwen was no exception.

After taking the opportunity to make a name for himself, Zhao Yunwen looked at the map and got down to business:

"Brothers, the gorge is officially called Qingshan Gorge. It is located 30 miles northeast of Shangcheng County. It is a broken pass of the Qingshan branch of the Dabie Mountains on the northern foothills and is the gateway to Shangcheng."

The canyon is about three miles long, 200 meters wide at its widest point and only 80 meters wide at its narrowest. The Yexin Highway runs directly through the valley floor, and the Japanese heavy artillery, vehicles, and supplies all had to pass through here, as there was no other way to detour.

Qingshan Gorge is easy to defend and difficult to attack. To the northwest is Yingzui Mountain, which is over 350 meters above sea level. The mountain is steep, with many bare rocks and strange stones. The slopes are covered with shrubs and mixed forests. From its high vantage point, one can overlook the entire gorge and the highway. It is the core high point on the left flank.

Schneider Mountain Artillery Battalion was positioned here, and its firepower could directly block the road at the bottom of the valley.

To the southeast is Yanjia Mountain, which has an altitude of 240 meters and a gentle slope, but its ridgeline is long and full of gullies, making it suitable for setting up infantry defense lines and digging a series of foxholes.

The cavalry regiment was deployed east of the canyon, ready to flank the enemy marching through the valley if necessary.

The terrain of Qingshan Gorge is characterized by a narrow valley floor, which prevents the main Japanese force from deploying in a full line. They can only advance in a long, serpentine pattern along the main road, making it difficult to deploy heavy artillery. If they are ambushed, they will only be able to passively take hits.

It is important to note that there are mountain trails on the outer sides of the two mountains that can be used to outflank our troops from behind, so when defending the rear, you must protect your back.

The canyon is densely forested on both sides, which makes it easy to hide troops and dig trenches and communication trenches.

The original garrison at the gorge was the 31st Division of the Northwest Army. Commander Bai has made it clear that I will take unified command of it. However, you cannot look down on local armies just because you are from the Central Army.

The 31st Division, which defended Taierzhuang, was a formidable and indomitable force, worthy of our utmost respect.

Everyone listened attentively. Zhao Yunwen didn't say much, but he conveyed a lot of information, covering every detail. He must have put in a lot of effort.

Qiu the Madman immediately volunteered for battle:

"Commander, the Northwest Army is poorly equipped, so I'll have the 323rd Division primarily responsible for defense, while the 31st Division will serve as a reserve. They haven't even warmed up yet at Fujinshan!"

Several regimental commanders also volunteered for the battle, their morale high and unaffected by the abandonment of Fujinshan.

Zhao Yunwen did not rush to express his opinion, but instead said:

"Crazy Qiu, you take the 646th Regiment with me to take over the defense at Xiakou. Also, bring some mortar shells and food as a gift."

Staff Officer Ma will stay behind to look after the troops and await my orders!

Everyone else, please perform your duties and ensure proper air defense!

Everyone stood up in unison to receive the order. Zhao Yunwen then adjourned the meeting and, with the 646th Regiment, some supplies, and spoils of war, headed straight for the gorge.

Although the command had long ago made his command clear, Zhao Yunwen did not want to put on airs as a protégé of the emperor in the Central Army, but instead relied on personal connections to open up the situation.

The 31st Division had long been deployed at the gorge, and Chi Fengcheng was a veteran of the army, having made a name for himself in the Battle of Taierzhuang. Such a patriotic general was worth befriending.

The 31st Division had informants stationed on the perimeter, so they were detected as soon as they appeared outside the warning line;

General Chi Fengcheng had also received orders from the command headquarters. Upon learning the news, he personally led a group of core officers out of the mountain pass to welcome them.

Although Chi Fengcheng had a long service record in the military, Zhao Yunwen held a higher military rank and was the designated commander.

Some people in the division suggested that Commander Chi should use his seniority, but he resolutely refused and adopted a very humble attitude.

Chi Fengcheng first saluted Zhao Yunwen, and after exchanging a few polite words, he took the initiative to say:

"Commander Zhao, shall we go to the command post for a while?"

Zhao Yunwen nodded and headed to the command post under Chi Fengcheng's guidance. Although he respected Chi Fengcheng, he still needed to acknowledge the proper status.

Upon arriving at the command post, Chi Fengcheng first introduced the main officers to Zhao Yunwen:

"Commander Zhao, this is General Wang Guanwu, commander of the 91st Brigade!"

Major General Wang Guanwu saluted and greeted:

"Commander Zhao, greetings! Wang Guanwu reporting for duty!"

Zhao Yunwen nodded, and Chi Fengcheng continued:

"This is General Nie Zibin, commander of the 93rd Brigade!"

General Nie also greeted him, and Zhao Yunwen smiled and said:

"General Nie is a renowned daredevil, his tenacious fight at Taierzhuang is truly admirable!"

"Commander Zhao, you're too kind. My reputation is nothing compared to yours."

Chi Fengcheng then went on to talk about the situation of the 31st Division:

"Commander Zhao, my unit belongs to the 30th Army and consists of two brigades and four regiments, as well as a special service company, a communications company, a cavalry company, an engineer company, a supply battalion, a medical team, and other units, totaling about 6,000 people. We only have a small number of old-fashioned mortars and two mountain guns."

Zhao Yunwen recalled that before the Battle of Taierzhuang, the 31st Division had a full strength of 8,000 men, but now only 6,000 remained. They had fought well, and the Military Commission had provided reinforcements, but it would be difficult to restore the original strength.

"There are too few cannons. Here, I have a few captured mountain guns and infantry guns that I can give to you!"

In addition, there were mortar shells, light and heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, bullets, medical supplies, and gas masks.

Everyone was stunned, wondering if they had misheard. When did the Central Army become so generous?

Brigade Commander Nie's first reaction was that Army Commander Zhao wanted to use them as cannon fodder, but they were already used to it. At least Zhao Yunwen still fed the horses, and that was enough.

He immediately took over the conversation and said:

"Is Commander Zhao's statement true?"

The others also looked at him expectantly. This was no small amount of fodder; medicine was more valuable than gold, artillery was extremely scarce, and machine guns, rifles, and grenade launchers were also what the 31st Division was eagerly awaiting. They usually relied on broadswords to replenish their ammunition shortages.

Zhao Yunwen said solemnly:

"No jokes in the military!"