Chapter 282

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Li Zongren's eyes lit up: "Excellent! Weiyue, if you're willing to go, that's best of all! Tang Enbo, I can't sway him, but if you go, he'll still have to weigh it carefully."

"This way, we can slowly lure the little devils' Isogaya Division southward—surely no problem!"

"I understand." Lv Muzhi nodded, "This meal today was delicious, De Gong. Luring the Thirteenth Division on the Southern Front is handled by the Gui clique's Eleventh and Twenty-First Group Armies, but it still requires much effort."

"Of course, as long as we work together, success in the war of resistance is within reach!"

Li Zongren watched Lv Muzhi leave the headquarters, then swept the rice scattered on the table back into his bowl, and said to Chief of Staff Xu Zu Yi: "I'll put it bluntly—sending Lv Weiyue here as Deputy Commander-in-Chief is one of the few correct things the old man did."

Chief of Staff Xu heard this, smiled wryly, and shook his head.

After leaving the Fifth War Zone Headquarters, Lv Muzhi took a train north.

The train first passed through the Twenty-Second Group Army's station near Teng County, where Lv Muzhi got off to inspect; Deng Xihou and Sun Zhen, the commander and deputy commander of the Twenty-Second Group Army, came to welcome him.

Standing on the platform were two people: Deng Xihou and Sun Zhen, the commander and deputy commander of the Twenty-Second Group Army.

As soon as Lv Muzhi got off the train, Deng Xihou came forward, and the two shook hands, gripping each other firmly.

"Brother Wei Yue, you've had a hard journey!" Deng Xihou said in a thick Sichuan accent, smiling, "Dinner is at my place tonight!"

Lv Muzhi smiled too; when he was in Sichuan, he had played mahjong with them a few times.

"Gentlemen, dinner can wait; first let's talk business. How are preparations on the Teng County side for the War Zone's orders?"

The three walked side by side out of the station, with guards carrying lanterns leading the way.

In the distance, rows of temporary tents could be seen, with soldiers faintly patrolling.

"Four divisions, each deployed separately," Deng Xihou pointed to the vague outlines in the night, "According to the War Zone Headquarters' plan, after the devils arrive, Teng County will hold for five days, then put on a show and hand it over to them, but we can't let them take it too easily. As for how to manage that degree, we all understand."

Lv Muzhi nodded; this Sichuan Army was not poorly equipped, and after being tempered on the Shanxi Battlefield, they were no longer pushovers.

Lv Muzhi stopped and looked at Deng Xihou: "I believe our Sichuan Army brothers can hold for five days. There will be casualties, so be prepared. Luring the Isogaya Division into the pocket depends on you gentlemen!"

Deng Xihou was silent for a moment, then said: "Weiyue, we've known each other for more than a day or two. I brought this Sichuan Army out of Sichuan without expecting to return intact."

"The war has come to this point; when it's time to bleed, we must bleed. But I can't command this battle myself; my deputy commander Sun Zhen will command it. I must return to Sichuan immediately."

Lv Muzhi was stunned: "Return to Sichuan?"

"Liu Xiang's situation... you know, he's already seriously ill and passed away. Sichuan-Kang cannot be in chaos; someone must return to hold the fort. Sun Zhen takes my place, and he will lead the Twenty-Second Group Army from now on."

Sun Zhen stood to the side and nodded solemnly.

Lv Muzhi's heart sank; truly troubled times. Liu Xiang had passed away, and now Deng Xihou, commander of the Twenty-Second Group Army, was also transferred away from the army. Internal turmoil among the Sichuan Army on the frontline was inevitable, and it seemed very likely they would be carved up by the Central Government.

Deng Xihou saw his expression and changed the subject: "Let's not talk about that. Since you've come, I'll shamelessly ask for something, counting it as my final contribution to the Sichuan Army on the frontline:"

"The Twenty-Second Group Army isn't short of guns, but bullets are consumed quickly. After several battles in Shanxi, our stockpile is exhausted."

Lv Muzhi did not hesitate: "The Twenty-Second Group Army has four divisions. Each division will first be issued one million rounds, four million rounds of 7.9mm pointed bullets, delivered to Teng County within three days."

Deng Xihou and Sun Zhen were both stunned. Previously, reports to the Ministry of Military Administration had been useless; indeed, finding an acquaintance was most convenient.

"The Sichuan Army is holding the front; I can't let you fight empty-handed. I'll provide the bullets. You fight the battle well, and after annihilating the Isogaya Division, you'll get your share of the spoils."

Deng Xihou and Sun Zhen shook Lv Muzhi's hand firmly, saying no more pleasantries.

When leaving Teng County, it was already dark.

The train continued north; the next target was Zoucheng, where Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group was stationed.

Tang Enbo had already retreated to Zoucheng. Zoucheng was a bit farther north than Teng County, an important stop on the northern section of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, and closer to the Isogaya Division's spearhead.

When the train pulled into the station, the platform was brightly lit. Tang Enbo personally led a group of officers to wait, his uniform crisp, his leather boots polished to a shine.

"Lu Commander! You've had a hard journey!" Tang Enbo stepped forward to salute, his face beaming with warmth, his eyes scanning Lv Muzhi's general's collar tabs, full of envy.

"Lu Commander, haven't had dinner yet? I've prepared some light wine, just waiting for you to grace us with your presence!"

"Group Army Commander Tang is too courteous. I happen to be hungry too. Let's go, we'll eat and talk!"

Tang Enbo saw that Lv Muzhi was so gracious and his tone was also courteous; apparently, he didn't mind the matter of holding back during the defense of Jining.

The headquarters of the Twentieth Army Group was set up in the original county office in Zoucheng. A table was laid out in the side rooms of the rear courtyard, and the dishes were indeed sumptuous:

Braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised trotters, oil-braised large shrimp, Nine-Turned Large Intestine, sweet and sour carp, Baizi meat, oil-burst double crisp, stir-fried kidney flowers, Four Joy Meatballs, Kung Pao chicken, drunken sliced fish, Mu Shu pork... in the middle was also stewed a fat chicken, the soup golden in color.

Lv Muzhi sat down, didn't move his chopsticks, and didn't mention the matter of Jining. Instead, he smelled the aroma on the table: "Wow! So sumptuous. Today at noon when I ate with Commander Li, it was only four dishes and one soup, and the meat dishes were just eggs and cured meat."

After speaking, he looked up at the generals eating with him.

Those who came to dine with Lv Muzhi were the division commanders and brigade commanders of the two Central Armies under the Twentieth Army Group: the Fifty-Second Army and the Eighty-Fifth Army.

Without exception, they were all Whampoa graduates.

Besides Group Army Commander Tang Enbo, they were all classmates from the first phase of Whampoa. This dinner was more like a class reunion.

Guan Linzhen, as commander of the Fifty-Second Army, commanded Zheng Dongguo's 2nd Division and Zhang Yaoming's 25th Division.

Wang Zhonglian, as commander of the Eighty-Fifth Army, commanded Chen Daqing's 4th Division and Zhang Xuezhong's 89th Division.

These six men were all old acquaintances of Lv Muzhi.

Guan Linzhen, commander of the Fifty-Second Army, said: "Lu Commander, you know me. I'm an honest man. This is the first time I've eaten such food. It's not that they arranged this table just because you came, is it?"

Tang Enbo also nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, Lu Commander. Among the notable cuisines of the north, only Shandong cuisine is first-class. You must try it well today!"

Zheng Dongguo picked up a piece of soft, glutinous, and chewy braised sea cucumber with scallions and put it in Lv Muzhi's bowl, saying: "Lu Commander, try it while it's hot."

The dishes were ready; not eating would be a waste.

Lv Muzhi directly took a bite. Indeed, it was a top-quality delicacy. He pointed at the large table of dishes before him and smiled: "Group Army Commander Tang, in these years of war and chaos, this is going too far..."