Chapter 234: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 234 Wei Yue, You're So Muddled

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Seeing Lv Muzhi already half-risen, everyone thought he also wanted to vie for this Jinling Garrison Command, and their gazes turned toward Lv Muzhi again.

Liu Zhi saw Lv Muzhi stand up to take this garrison command and grew anxious; this was no plum assignment!

So he leaned back against the chair back, straightened his back, and began to cough, hoping Lv Muzhi would understand his meaning.

But he saw Lv Muzhi adjust his collar and sit back down, and only then did everyone's gazes return to Tang Shengzhi.

Tang Shengzhi's chest heaved: "Jinling is our country's capital, tied to international opinion, and moreover the site of the Prime Minister's mausoleum!"

Now the Wang Jingwei Regime invades our borders, and national crisis looms; if we senior generals, fearing the enemy's strength, lightly abandon the capital and place the Prime Minister's tomb beneath the enemy's iron hooves, then in the netherworld, how shall we have any face to meet the Prime Minister?!"

Tang Shengzhi's gaze swept over everyone present, finally fixing on the old man's face, and he said decisively:

"Today, I, Tang Mengxiao, though unworthy, volunteer to take up the post of Jinling Garrison Commander!"

I will live and die with the capital, live and die with Jinling City! Even if we fight to the last soldier and shed the last drop of blood, we will never let the Wang Jingwei Regime easily defile an inch of our capital's soil!"

I want the whole world to see that our China's senior generals are not cowards! There are also those who dare to be National Pillars and die for the country!"

These words rang out resoundingly, righteous and stirring! They made Tang Mengxiao's face turn red.

Many generals were moved, and even the old man's eyes flickered slightly.

No matter how Tang Mengxiao had opposed attacking him before, the courage and determination he showed now were at least beyond reproach in posture.

"Good! Tang Mengxiao is loyal to the public and serves the country, loyal to the public and serves the country!"

Hearing the old man's high praise, everyone also praised Tang Mengxiao.

Tang Mengxiao said: "I haven't been on the battlefield for a long time, so I don't dare hope to defeat the Little Devils; I have only one condition: I am willing to live and die with Jinling City!"

"Good!"

"Well said!"

Everyone applauded.

After the stirring words were spoken, it was time to consider the actual situation.

Tang Mengxiao began to speak awkwardly: "Currently, I still lack a unit that can be commanded and dispatched; my garrison command has no troops—wouldn't that be a clever woman unable to cook without rice?"

The old man was very happy; the thing he had long been thinking about finally had someone willing to undertake it: "No rush, no rush; as for the troops, I'll have the Ministry of Military Administration coordinate for you;

He Yingqin, the matter of dispatching troops is handed to you; put the troops into Commander Tang Mengxiao's hands, and then you can take a plane to Chongqing."

He Yingqin stood up and said: "Yes!"

Lv Muzhi saw Tang Mengxiao stay to defend the city and felt very uneasy in his heart.

The old man had already confirmed Tang Mengxiao as Jinling Garrison Commander; for the soldiers and civilians within Jinling City, he should also do something.

Just as Tang Mengxiao spoke passionately and everyone had their own thoughts, another calm yet clear voice sounded: "Student Lv Muzhi is also willing to stay and assist in defending Jinling."

Everyone's gazes instantly focused on the young figure behind the conference table.

Lv Muzhi's posture was straight as a pine; his face had none of Tang Mengxiao's flushed excitement, only a firmness as still as water.

Liu Zhi rubbed his forehead, shook his head slightly, and thought he still hadn't been dissuaded; this battle was no small matter, and he might end up ruined in reputation and person.

The old man looked at Lv Muzhi with complex eyes; over these years, Lv Muzhi had become his most valued student—let him stay in this dangerous city of Jinling? A Youth Army he had finally trained, just left here like that? He truly couldn't bear it!

"Wei Yue, your Ninth Group Army and your Yangtze River Defense Command both need you; I don't think it's suitable to hold too many positions concurrently."

After hearing the old man's words, Liu Zhi cleared his throat and said softly: "Yes, Wei Yue, as long as Commander Tang is in Jinling, you just kill more devils at Jiangyin Fortress..."

Lv Muzhi said: "General Tang serves the country with a sincere heart; his courage is admirable; I, the student, admire him;

Currently, the Jinling Garrison Command has generals but no soldiers, and defending a city is not merely a matter of hot blood; it requires careful deployment, steadfast command, soldiers willing to risk their lives, and moreover remaining calm in crisis and composed in the face of change.

I, the student, believe I have some insight into defensive operations; Songhu, Jinshanwei, Wufu, Taihu, Xicheng—all were fortified step by step, with layered resistance.

I, the student, am willing to use my meager experience to assist General Tang and defend Jinling together! The Ninth Group Army can dispatch some elite troops to participate in the city defense, without placing all its forces within Jinling City."

The old man stared at Lv Muzhi for a full ten-plus seconds.

It seemed he had caught some meaning between the lines? Assisting Tang Mengxiao was genuine, but he probably also lacked confidence in Tang Mengxiao's actual command ability.

Tang Mengxiao was a famous general of the Northern Expedition, senior in rank, but hadn't been on the battlefield for a long time, especially facing the Japanese Army's elites; even his own Blessed General Liu Zhi had been routed by the Japanese Army, so how Tang Mengxiao would perform under such extreme adversity was indeed questionable.

Having Lv Muzhi, a student rich in actual combat experience, stubborn in style, and meticulous in thought, by his side—anyway, Jinling had to be defended; Lv Muzhi, as his direct lineage force, could at least help him save face first.

He Yingqin, Gu Zhutong, and others exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

He Yingqin supported Lv Muzhi volunteering; he had been worrying which troops to leave behind to defend the city, and Lv Muzhi willingly staying saved him a lot of trouble.

Gu Zhutong spoke in support, anyway he didn't have to stay himself.

Tang Mengxiao was not very pleased with what Lv Muzhi said, and at the same time, Lv Muzhi's prestige and battle achievements were probably not something he could suppress.

But Lv Muzhi himself rushed to assist him, and he couldn't let someone's warm face meet a cold butt; after all, he truly needed help.

Tang Mengxiao thus showed magnanimity and welcome: "Good! With Wei Yue assisting, two people of one heart will surely make the Wang Jingwei Regime come to grief beneath Jinling City!"

The old man fell silent again, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Tang Mengxiao and Lv Muzhi's faces.

Finally, making up his mind, he said in a deep voice: "Since Mengxiao is loyal to the public and serves the country, his courage admirable, and Wei Yue is also willing to assist in defense, this is the nation's fortune!

My decision is made: Appoint Army Level One General Tang Mengxiao as Jinling Garrison Commander!"

"Appoint Army Major General Lv Muzhi as Jinling Deputy Garrison Commander, concurrently serving as Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command!"

The meeting adjourned; the generals saw the old man to the airport to take a plane to Southwest Chongqing. Before boarding, the old man patted Lv Muzhi's shoulder and said: "Wei Yue, I'll wait for you in Chongqing to come see me!"

Lv Muzhi nodded: "Don't worry; on the Chongqing side, my wife has already arranged everything, and public property has long been transported; you can go with peace of mind."

The old man then waved goodbye to the others, and afterward, under the escort of the generals' gazes, boarded the plane to fly to the Southwest.

Seeing the plane fly far away, Liu Zhi looked toward Lv Muzhi and said: "Wei Yue, you're so muddled!"