Chapter 186

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Luodian Town, a wasteland.

Under the Japanese joint offensive by sea, land, and air, Luodian Town had become a meat grinder.

After receiving troop reinforcements, Huang Wei's Sixty-Seventh Division had endured day after day and night after night in Luodian.

Lv Muzhi arrived at the Left Wing Army headquarters and saw Chen Cheng with a worried frown.

"Wei Yue, the little devils have gone mad! This offensive against Luodian is far larger than any before!" As soon as Chen Cheng saw Lv Muzhi arrive, he launched into his complaint mode again.

Luo Zhuoying also said: "That fellow Huang Wei—I had other divisions relieve his Sixty-Seventh Division, but unexpectedly he flatly refused to withdraw and held out in Luodian."

Lv Muzhi smiled: "Huang Wei, don't you understand yet? His fighting spirit is unquestionable; once he sets his mind on something, he won't let go."

"Wei Yue, our Left Wing Army is completely overwhelmed. Not only Luodian, the Japanese are attacking multiple places within the Left Wing Army; the situation is as precarious as a stack of eggs!" Xue Yue, commander of the Nineteenth Group Army under the Left Wing Army, also looked anxious.

Everyone looked at Lv Muzhi, because Lv Muzhi's Center Army was now the only force that had not suffered a large-scale attack, and everyone hoped Lv Muzhi would extend a helping hand.

Lv Muzhi said calmly: "Since the situation is as precarious as a stack of eggs, tidy up Luodian here and fall back a bit. The Left Wing Army still has Jiading and Wunaozham to defend, and the railway supply line remains unaffected."

Chen Cheng's face darkened at once: "Retreat? How do we explain that to the Principal?"

"We commanders can explain things to the Principal, but how do the troops in Luodian pass the Gates of Ghosts? I built three Yongbei National Defense Fortification in the rear of Songhu; if not now, when? If the troops are wiped out, who will guard those three defensive lines?"

"Luodian is still too far forward; the Wunaozham area is farther back, and the accuracy of Japanese naval gunfire support will further decline. We must play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses."

Chen Cheng thought for a moment, waved his hand: "Let's discuss it again."

A staff officer ran into the headquarters: "Huang Wei has sent even the cooks of the Sixty-Seventh Division to the battlefield, and the division headquarters clerks have been issued guns and entered the positions!"

"Enough! Remove Huang Wei from command!"

Chen Cheng's headquarters descended into chaos, and the telephone rang incessantly.

Lv Muzhi did not try to persuade him too much. For a long time, Chen Cheng's troops had not suffered major casualties; their main force was still intact, and Xue Yue's Nineteenth Group Army was under Chen Cheng's command. Suffering some hardship was fine, and with so many troops stationed there, even if they poured more into Luodian, they could pour in for a good while...

However, on the Jiangwan front, Lv Muzhi had already withdrawn his main forces to prevent Japanese naval gunfire retaliation.

Around Yangxing, hearing that the Japanese were unwilling to continue mixed fighting with the Xia State Army and were beginning to withdraw troops in succession, Lv Muzhi also began withdrawing troops in succession. Clearly, the little devils wanted to pull their infantry out and bring their naval gunfire advantage into play.

After Lv Muzhi had operated this way, Zhu Shaoliang, the Second-Class General and commander-in-chief of the Center Army, took office at lightning speed.

Previously, Lv Muzhi had only been the deputy commander-in-chief of the Center Army; now that he had arrived, Lv Muzhi continued to command his own Ninth Group Army.

Zhu Shaoliang did not come alone; accompanying him were reinforcements from Jinling: the Eighth Army, reorganized from the Central Tax Police Corps.

"Wei Yue, I just took office—why have you withdrawn your main force from Yangxing and Jiangwan?" Zhu Shaoliang asked, puzzled.

"The Japanese are bombarding Yangxing Town with naval gunfire. If I don't withdraw my main force, won't they all become cannon fodder?"

Zhu Shaoliang sighed. This hot potato had ultimately landed in his own hands. Lv Muzhi had stepped back, and the Principal had air-dropped the authentic Center Army commander-in-chief Zhu Shaoliang over, bringing along the elite blood of the Tax Police General Corps from the Ministry of Finance.

Zhu Shaoliang advised: "You also know that the Nine-Power Treaty Conference will be held in a few days. The Principal is waiting for us to shine on the Songhu battlefield and win international support. If we shrink from battle, won't that leave a bad impression on the international community?"

Lv Muzhi shook his head helplessly: "Since the war began, there have been plenty of shining moments, many reported in the newspapers. Capturing the regimental flag of the Japanese Sixth Regiment even made international news. How could the so-called Nine-Power Treaty Conference not know? Wei Yue is a soldier; from a military standpoint, playing to our strengths and avoiding our weaknesses is necessary. Those national defense works I built in the rear cannot have been built for nothing."

Zhu Shaoliang knew he could not persuade Lv Muzhi, but he also did not want to force the issue. The Youth Army had already won many battles in Songhu, and creating unpleasantness would look bad.

Zhu Shaoliang directly exercised his authority as commander-in-chief: "Transmit the order: let Hu Gongnan's First Army advance to defend Yangxing Town; the Guangxi Army will send two divisions as a reserve; the Tax Police General Corps will proceed to Miaohang and stand by."

The order from beginning to end made no mention of Lv Muzhi's Ninth Group Army—this was Zhu Shaoliang preserving some dignity for Lv Muzhi.

Behind Jiangwan Town, Hu Gongnan led the First Army, watching Yangxing Town being bombarded by Japanese naval gunfire, with soil churning up several zhang high. He couldn't help but swallow: "Damn it, they want my First Army to go to their deaths!"

Some troops withdrawing from inside Yangxing Town happened to pass by Hu Gongnan's headquarters. Seeing that the First Army actually wanted to enter and garrison, they couldn't help but shout loudly: "Didn't Commander Lu order the troops to withdraw? What are you going in there to do?"

Hu Gongnan sat in the headquarters, heard the shouting outside, and in anger pounded the table: "I really wish Lv Wei Yue could make the decision! At least I can answer to these brothers under my command!"

The naval gunfire weakened somewhat, and the First Army headquarters judged that after the enemy's big guns finished, the infantry would charge.

A burst of urgent whistles sounded. A vanguard regiment of the Principal's direct-line First Division of the First Army charged toward Yangxing Town, preparing to enter and block the enemy.

Hu Gongnan hurriedly raised his binoculars, watching over a thousand soldiers charge into Yangxing Town without looking back, and broke into a cold sweat.

"Report to the Army Commander, our vanguard regiment has occupied Yangxing Town, is organizing defense, and awaits the Japanese attack."

The staff officer's words had barely fallen when Yangxing Town erupted in another burst of firelight. Hu Gongnan felt that even the ash kicked up by the shells was red. The Japanese naval gunfire had intensified again; the little devils simply did not want to take Yangxing Town at all for the time being!

This made Hu Gongnan so angry he could hardly breathe: "Little devils, truly treacherous—deliberately luring my troops in to be bombed!"

Two hours later, the staff officer delivered a telegram: "After the Japanese launched a probing attack on Yangxing Town, they again covered Yangxing Town with naval gunfire. The vanguard regiment's losses have reached three-fifths. Japanese infantry attacked again, and the regiment commander sent a final telegram from the frontline."

After Hu Gongnan received his subordinate's final telegram, the staff officer handed him another urging telegram from the Principal. Hu Gongnan hardened his heart: "Let the next regiment prepare!"

Fighting until evening, with the help of the Guangxi Army's 171st Division, Hu Gongnan finally held his ground in Yangxing Town.

The little devils' naval gunfire temporarily ceased. Taking advantage of the night to maintain their equipment, they would continue the next day.

Hu Gongnan collapsed onto his chair, motionless, frightening the surrounding division commanders and staff officers who rushed forward to pinch his philtrum: "Army Commander, wake up!"

"Commander Hu, the First Army cannot be without you!"

"Supreme Commander!"

Hu Gongnan was pinched awake by everyone and shouted loudly: "Send a telegram to the War Zone Headquarters—no, no, I want to call the Principal. Give our First Army some seeds to keep!"