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

On the Shangxin Highway, the main force of the 323rd Division was advancing towards Luoshan. It was getting dark, so Zhao Yunwen stopped the troops and ordered them to camp on the spot.

Chief of Staff Maweilan brought the latest battle report:

"Commander, the 646th Regiment has launched another ambush against the Japanese, severely damaging the main force of the Japanese regimental headquarters. 671 Japanese soldiers were killed, and 11 artillery pieces of various types, more than 500 guns, and a certain amount of ammunition and supplies were captured."

The 646th Regiment wiped out almost all of the 38th Infantry Regiment's artillery and supplies. Their ammunition and provisions were barely used, all going to us. In addition, we looted valuables along the way, including gold bars and silver dollars, totaling approximately 3 silver dollars.

After reading the battle report in detail, Zhao Yunwen praised it highly:

"Commander Sui did a great job this time. The 38th Infantry Regiment committed numerous crimes of burning, killing, and looting along the way, and everyone should punish them."

Colonel Sui Youlan was promoted to Major General and Deputy Division Commander, concurrently serving as Commander of the 646th Regiment. All meritorious personnel were also awarded titles, which were to be reported by the military headquarters to the Military Commission for approval.

The 646th Regiment continued its harassment to tie down the Japanese troops, buying more time for the defense of Luoshan.

Ma Weilan readily accepted the order and left. Division Commander Qiu Fengzi also happily came over and said:

"Deputy Division Commander Sui did a really good job this time. Since abandoning the gorge, he has won several battles and killed more than 1500 enemy soldiers, almost crippling the 38th Infantry Regiment."

The cavalry regiment played a crucial role in the 646th Regiment's brilliant achievements, but the credit cannot be solely attributed to the 646th Regiment.

The outstanding performance of the 646th Regiment brought him pride as the division commander, but he still took the initiative to propose that half of the battle merits be given to the cavalry regiment, which made Zhao Yunwen very gratified.

Healthy competition is possible within the Tiger Legion, but they cannot focus solely on military achievements; they must recognize each other's contributions.

Under Zhao Yunwen's deliberate guidance, the atmosphere within the Tiger Legion was excellent. Even if there were some minor conflicts, they were not brought up in the open, and everyone was working together towards the same goal.

Zhao Yunwen nodded and said:

"That's natural. The cavalry regiment has made numerous meritorious contributions since the Battle of Pengcheng. I know all of them. We'll consider it together after the Battle of Xinyang is over."

Qiu the Madman stopped there, naturally changing the subject:

"The Second Army split into two routes to attack Xinyang from the east and north, with the northern advance temporarily halted at Huangchuan."

The 59th Army has held out for ten days, fighting against the main force of the 10th Division alone. It has suffered huge losses in manpower and supplies and it is estimated that it cannot hold out for much longer.

Fortunately, Hu Xuechang's 17th Army Corps has arrived at the Guangshan and Zhuganpu line behind Huangchuan today. Even if Huangchuan is lost, the 17th Army Corps can hold off the Japanese in Guangshan.

While the 323rd Division was blocking the westward advance of the Japanese, the main force of the army was not idle either, and built three lines of defense.

The first line of defense at Guangshan was carried out by the 324th Division.

The second main line of defense was located in Wulidian and Wujiapo in the eastern suburbs of Xinyang, and was also under the responsibility of the 324th Division.

The third core position, including Changtaiguan, Wushengguan and Xinyangcheng, was the responsibility of the 322nd Division, with the artillery brigade providing support and the army's directly subordinate regiments serving as reserves.

In addition, the deputy commander dispatched armed work groups to various townships to train militia and establish and train dozens of security battalions, arming all the able-bodied men in the county. He assured them that if any small Japanese troops dared to enter the villages or towns, they would never return.

Qiu Fengzi, the temporary chief of staff, performed well, reporting the entire deployment of Xinyang to Zhao Yunwen;

As for the 31st Division, the two sides were not part of the same system. After they were assigned to assist in the defense of Huangchuan, they were effectively separated and returned to the Northwest Army camp. However, the camaraderie forged between the two sides at Xiakou will not disappear.

Zhao Yunwen was quite satisfied with Qiu Fengzi's performance. After pondering for a moment while looking at the map, he said:

"Dozens of security battalions sound impressive, but they are severely lacking in equipment. The cavalry regiment, the 646th Regiment, and the 31st Division have accumulated a lot of spoils of war, enough to arm tens of thousands of people."

All personnel were arranged to be sent to the rear to arm the security battalion. Arming alone was not enough; training also had to be provided.

In the early stages, the training regiment was responsible for selecting some recovered veterans to serve as battalion, company, and platoon leaders. Each person was required to have at least 15 rounds of training ammunition, and the training was conducted in three rounds.

The training focused on guerrilla warfare. After returning to Xinyang, the 323rd Division rested and reorganized on the spot, sending some combat veterans to assist the training regiment. The 323rd Division served as the general reserve force.

Since the 323rd Division went to Fujin to fight, it had been fighting continuously for more than a month and deserved a good rest. Therefore, Qiu Fengzi did not object to Zhao Yunwen's arrangement, but carried it out unconditionally, even though he still wanted to fight.

"Commander, the 323rd Division guarantees to complete the mission and awaits orders from headquarters at any time."

Zhao Yunwen said approvingly:

"Yu Yan, I am pleased that you have this understanding. After the Battle of Jiangcheng is over, the Chinese battlefield will enter a protracted war. No matter who wins or loses, it will not change the general trend;

Our Tiger Army needs to make advance preparations. From Shanghai to the Central Plains, we have fought across thousands of miles without our own territory, which is not conducive to a long-term war of resistance.

From now on, the Tiger Legion's strategy can be summarized in nine words: Build high walls, store ample grain, and delay the decisive battle!

Delaying the declaration of kingship was impossible, so Zhao Yunwen changed his mind to a decisive battle, which was the future great counter-offensive. Qiu Fengzi understood immediately and was thrilled.

Once this strategy is realized, the Tiger Legion will become a self-contained system with vast territory and hundreds of thousands of troops, and no one can touch them, including the principal.

Some things can't be said too directly, so Qiu Fengzi stood up and made his stance clear:

"Brothers and soldiers of the 323rd Division will follow our senior's lead."

Qiu Fengzi expressed his loyalty at just the right moment. Zhao Yunwen simply patted him on the shoulder. It was normal for people to form their own factions within the Nationalist Army.

If Hu Shoushan could become the King of the Northwest, so could Zhao Yunwen, only the territory would be different—Central China, Southwest China, or Southeast Asia, one step at a time.

The 1st Battalion of the 646th Regiment held the blocking position, while the Okubo Battalion launched a frenzied attack, attempting to break through the road and join up with the main force of the regiment.

They were unaware that the main force of the 38th Regiment had been scattered. If it weren't for collecting spoils of war, the 646th Regiment wouldn't have bothered to forcibly stop them.

The Chief of Staff reported to Sui Youlan:

"Commander, news has come from the cavalry regiment that a portion of the 16th Division has rapidly arrived as reinforcements, and the spoils have already been transferred. Should we clear the main road?"

Sui Youlan looked at the map and said:

"No rush, hold out for another half hour. Once the Second and Third Battalions have established blocking positions to the north, the First Battalion and the artillery company will abandon their positions and withdraw northward, leaving the road to the Japanese."

He had barely finished speaking when the regimental communications staff officer came to report:

"Commander, urgent telegram from division headquarters!"

After reading it, the chief of staff smiled and said:

"Commander, no—I should say Deputy Division Commander, congratulations on your promotion!"

Sui Youlan took the telegram with suspicion, but soon a smile appeared on his face. He was the first of the three regimental commanders to be promoted to major general and deputy division commander. This was the commander's high regard for him, and it was worth his hard work in the rearguard.

"Chief of Staff Yue, forward this telegram to all battalions and have them report any meritorious personnel. Anyone who fought well will be promoted!"

"Tap tap tap..."

Gunfire interrupted his words as the Japanese launched a new offensive. The soldiers of the First Battalion calmly fought back, and the charging Japanese soldiers fell one after another, hit by bullets.

The artillery company under direct command was also busy, pressing down on the Okubo Battalion; the firepower of the two sides was not on the same level.

Major Okubo's face was ashen. They were now an isolated force. If they couldn't open up the Shangxin Highway, their deaths would be imminent once the Tiger Army was free to act.

The adjutant suggested to him:

"Mr. Okubo, the Chinese have strong defenses on both the northern and southern fronts, making it difficult to break through in the short term. It would be better to abandon the highway and bypass it by heading south."

Okubo had considered it, but shook his head and said:

"The north and south flanks are the defensive depth of the Chinese, with an unknown number of troops deployed there. With just a few hundred of us, far from the road, we wouldn't even be enough for them to share the spoils."

My 38th Regiment was ambushed by the Chinese. The main force of the division will not stand idly by. They are advancing westward along the highway at full speed. We will attack from the east, attacking from both sides. The Chinese will not be able to hold out for long, and the risk will be minimal.

The adjutant thought about it and agreed, then continued:

"It is indeed Okubo-kun who is very thoughtful. The Chinese still have a cavalry force, so we cannot venture too far. Our few hundred warriors are no match for the cavalry."

This was also what Okubo was worried about, but he couldn't say it out loud, as it would be embarrassing.

Time passed slowly, and before they knew it, half an hour had gone by. Faint gunfire could be heard from the east. Okubo shouted excitedly:

"Reinforcements from the division headquarters have arrived. Order the warriors to intensify the offensive. If I'm not mistaken, the Chinese are about to escape!"

The adjutant asked eagerly:

"Should we pursue them?"

Okubo really wanted to slap him, thinking to himself, "If you're looking to die, don't drag me down with you."

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy; just focus on clearing the road and rejoining the main force!"

Although the adjutant was unwilling, he carried out the order without question, and the Japanese then intensified their offensive.

Just as Major Okubo had predicted, the 1st Battalion of the 646th Regiment cleared the main road and retreated southwest.

The artillery and supply troops blocking the northern front ceased firing and withdrew deep into the northwest. The Okubo Battalion successfully opened up the Shangxin Highway and joined up with the main Japanese force.

The battle at Yangang came to an end. The cavalry regiment covered the 646th Regiment as it retreated westward, preparing to continue blocking the Japanese in a new location.