Chapter 270

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"Oh... anyway Sun Yuanlang doesn't dare come back, let's swallow his Eighty-Eighth Division first, hahaha, cough cough cough..." Zhang Fei burst out laughing.

Qiu Qingquan patted Zhang Fei's shoulder, signaling him to restrain himself; acting like this was a bit too much like a villain.

"Go!" Lv Muzhi waved his hand, signaling the two to get into the jeep.

"Where to?"

"The field hospital."

The field hospital was already packed to the brim, crowded with wounded soldiers retreating from the Songhu and Jinling battlefields.

Lv Muzhi had just gotten out of the car when news of his inspection of the field hospital spread, and the hospital dean personally came out to welcome him.

"Liu Yuanzhang, no need for courtesy; Colonel Sun Liren is in that ward, I want to go see him."

Liu Yuanzhang, upon hearing this, personally led the way to find Sun Liren's ward.

Qiu Qingquan said while walking: "I know this Sun Liren; he is the colonel regimental commander of the Fourth Regiment of the Central Tax Police Corps, attached to Hu Gongnan during the Songhu Campaign, covered the main force's retreat during the Songhu Campaign, repelled seven Japanese attacks, and Sun Liren himself was also severely wounded."

Zhang Fei suddenly understood what Lv Muzhi was thinking: "Lu Commander, you wouldn't be thinking of incorporating Sun Liren's troops into our Youth Army, would you?"

Lv Muzhi followed Liu Yuanzhang's footsteps, saying unhurriedly: "Why not?"

Qiu Qingquan said: "This Tax Police Corps is Minister Song's private army; do you dare provoke them?"

Zhang Fei thought about it, but said: "Yuan'an, you forgot; the old man cannot tolerate the existence of powerful non-direct-lineage armies. After the January 28 Incident, Minister Song angered the old man, and the commander of the Tax Police Corps has been a Central Government person ever since; this army has actually long since ceased to be controlled by Minister Song."

While speaking, the several people had already arrived outside the ward.

Sun Liren had one hand in a plaster cast, half-lying on the hospital bed, gazing emptily out the window: "The shame of Jinling, not yet avenged; the hatred of the nation, when will it be extinguished...".

"Colonel Sun, Lu Commander has come to see you." Liu Yuanzhang leaned down and said in Sun Liren's ear.

Sun Liren stopped reciting poetry and asked: "Lu Commander? Which Lu Commander?"

"Who else could it be? Isn't the Lu Commander in Wuhan City right now the Youth Army's Lu Commander?"

After Liu Yuanzhang finished explaining, Lv Muzhi brought Zhang and Qiu into the ward.

Sun Liren, seeing clearly, sat up straight on the hospital bed: "Greetings, Lu Commander!"

"Liu Yuanzhang, go ahead and busy yourself first." Zhang Fei called the dean away, then found several chairs and set them up.

"Brother Fumin, long time no see." Lv Muzhi sat on a chair and patted Sun Liren's hand.

Sun Liren said bitterly: "In the Battle of Songhu, my Tax Police Fourth Regiment fought to the death, but still... if I hadn't been wounded, I would have perished together with the little devils in Jinling!"

Zhang Fei and Qiu Qingquan glanced at each other; they, who had survived from Jinling, felt a bit embarrassed.

Lv Muzhi laughed: "Fumin, your words are confused; although my Xia Guo has numerous soldiers and generals, how many can truly fight? You know this in your heart.

The Wang Jingwei Regime is in full swing in North China; someone like you, if you easily die in Jinling, who else could recover our great rivers and mountains?"

After hearing this, Sun Liren had some guesses in his heart.

"Lu Commander, what do you mean?"

Lv Muzhi asked: "After you recover in the hospital, what are your plans? Or rather, how do your superiors plan to arrange you?"

Sun Liren said: "The Military Commission has given me no instructions, but Minister Song of the Ministry of Finance sent word that the Ministry of Finance is about to establish the Salt Administration Bureau Anti-Smuggling Corps, and I will go to the Anti-Smuggling Corps to take office."

"Tsk... what a pity... the frontline territory is lost, and Fumin can only do anti-smuggling in the rear?" Zhang Fei immediately chimed in from the side.

Qiu Qingquan also said: "Yes, I've long heard of Fumin's talents; what a pity. If he served in a frontline unit, surely he could make the little devils tremble with fear!"

Sun Liren stared at his left hand in a plaster cast, silent, and punched the hospital bed hard with his right hand.

Lv Muzhi observed for a while, seeing the time was ripe, and asked: "Brother Fumin, my Youth Army is currently reorganizing and will soon head to North China to fight; there is currently a vacancy for a division commander position. Are you interested?"

Sun Liren raised his eyes: "Division... division commander?!"

I am now only a regimental commander; how could I directly become a division commander?

Lv Muzhi saw his concern and said: "Don't be nervous; you used to lead one regiment, and my division only has three regiments, just leading two more regiments...

Oh... plus some tanks, armored vehicles, cannons, and such; actually there's no difference.

Mainly because you received training at the Virginia Military Institute in the United States, are well-informed, and accept new things quickly.

If you agree, you can bring your division to the rear to train for two or three months first; I will leave various battle cases from the Songhu and Jinling battlefields for you, and I think you will soon be able to master them thoroughly."

Lv Muzhi said, taking out a thick stack of previous operation reports from his briefcase and handing them to Sun Liren.

Sun Liren quickly flipped through them, but still had concerns: "I have already promised Minister Song to go to his Salt Administration Bureau for anti-smuggling; doing this might not be good, Lu Commander, you might easily offend him too."

"It's nothing; actually, even when I established the Central Mining Police Corps, I wanted to pull you over; unfortunately, at that time you had already been taken under Minister Song's command. That year I was only a mere major general and couldn't afford to offend Minister Song...

But now it's different. To accomplish things, one must offend some people. To put it without exaggeration, even if Minister Song blames me, I can take the blame;

Also, the old man has always hoped the Ministry of Finance wouldn't have too many troops under it. He's just a Minister of Finance; what's the point of having so many soldiers? Minister Song can't interfere with our military affairs; you just rest assured."

After hearing these words, Sun Liren finally made up his mind: "Thanks to Lu Commander's favor, I will shamelessly accept this division commander position!"

"Good! I'll immediately file a report to promote you to major general division commander. As for when the qualification evaluation for major general will be... like this: list all the battles you've fought, big or small, don't worry about exaggeration, I'll report it for you first!"

"Lu Commander, how can this be!" Sun Liren, upon hearing that the qualification evaluation for major general was coming, felt a surge of emotion in his heart.

"Why not? After the war with the Japanese Army begins, a large batch of people will be promoted immediately. If you aren't promoted, others will be. Soon our army will have lieutenant generals everywhere and major generals all over the ground; one more of you is not too many...

Also, I have one more thing to ask you to do."

Sun Liren eagerly decided to go through fire and water for Lv Muzhi: "What are your orders, Lu Commander? Please give the command!"

"After your body recovers somewhat, gather the wounded soldiers and stragglers of the Tax Police Corps as much as possible, and incorporate them into your division. The incorporation plan is quite large; I still lack a batch of soldiers and grassroots officers."

Sun Liren directly accepted this task: "No problem. The Youth Army has won many battles in Songhu and Jinling; which of my Tax Police Corps doesn't long for the Youth Army? I accept it, I guarantee. Even if I don't have two divisions going with me, there's at least one division!"

After everyone left the hospital, Qiu Qingquan asked where the vacancy for the remaining division commander would be filled.

Unexpectedly Lv Muzhi said they had already discussed everything and were on standby anytime.