Chapter 320: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 320: The Levee Cannot Be Breached

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The old man asked: "Then what should be done? If we are to concentrate our forces to defend Wuhan, we must transfer the main force from the North China Battlefield;

but if the main force is withdrawn, and the Japanese Army takes the opportunity to attack Henan, it will be dangerous. Our strength is insufficient, and we cannot take care of both Henan and Wuhan."

Li Zongren said: "Henan absolutely cannot be lost. Once the Japanese Army occupies Henan, not only will Wuhan be in crisis, but the Japanese Army may even penetrate deep into the Northwest hinterland."

"If the Japanese Army advances deep into the Northwest along the Longhai Railway, they may take Xi'an, then pass through Hanzhong to attack Sichuan. In that case, we might have to relocate the capital again..."

Lv Muzhi nodded and said: "That's right. In my opinion, the priority of Henan is even greater than the key stronghold of Wuhan."

"I believe the Youth Army should remain in Henan to guard against the Japanese Army's frontline forces. The Japanese Army will be wary of us and will not dare to easily set their minds on Henan."

The old man shook his head: "Then what about Wuhan? Without the Youth Army joining the defense of Wuhan, to be honest, I am very worried. Once Wuhan falls, maritime trade will be completely cut off."

The old man's concern was reasonable.

There is a railway connecting Wuhan and Guangzhou. The Canton-Hankou Railway runs north and south, and can transport imported materials from the sea to Wuhan. In other words, Wuhan is an important hub for transporting supplies.

"Whether Wuhan can be held or not, as long as the Japanese Army sends a fleet to occupy Guangzhou, maritime transport will be completely cut off, and transporting imported materials via the Canton-Hankou Railway will no longer work."

"Therefore, once the Japanese Army occupies Guangzhou, Wuhan's strategic position will drop significantly. As for whether Guangzhou can be held, I think the result goes without saying."

After Lv Muzhi's words, Li Zongren and the old man already understood clearly.

Guangzhou is prosperous in commerce, but like Shanghai City, it is located by the sea.

"If the Japanese Army sends a powerful fleet, accompanied by two or three divisions to attack from the sea, relying on the local Yue Army, it will be very difficult to stop them."

The fall of Guangzhou is only a matter of time. The complete severance of Xia Guo's maritime transport is also imminent.

"After Guangzhou falls, there will be no materials left to transport on the Canton-Hankou Railway. Directly concentrating the main force to go south and defend Guangzhou? That is even more impossible."

The old man and Li Zongren both fell silent. In that case, Xia Guo would become a de facto inland country. Without maritime transport, where would the medical supplies and ammunition urgently needed by millions of soldiers across the country come from?

Wuhan and its Canton-Hankou Railway would also lose much of its transportation status. Compared with it, Henan possesses a large population and high-quality plain farmland.

"Dai Chunfeng! Why did you stop? Keep shocking me!!!" The old man was experiencing a brainstorm. Coincidentally turning his head, he glanced at Dizhou Libing, who was unconscious on the electric chair, and said angrily.

Beside the electric chair, Dai Chunfeng watched from afar as the old man, Li Zongren, Lv Muzhi, and the others talked.

In the cell holding Dizhou Libing, the idle people had already withdrawn, leaving only some key figures.

Hearing the order, Dai Chunfeng had to personally pick up a bucket of cold water, splash Dizhou Libing awake, and then turn on the switch of the electric chair.

Ah! Ahhh!! Ahhhh!!!

The miserable cries of Lieutenant General Dizhou Libing echoed in the cell again.

Li Zongren continued: "Since Guangzhou will fall sooner or later, Wuhan's role is much smaller. Rather than trying every means to defend Wuhan, it is better to first secure Henan. The heavy troops in Henan absolutely cannot be withdrawn."

The old man slapped his palms together: "I see another possibility! Use water instead of soldiers. Break open the Yellow River Levee to block the Japanese Army's advance in Henan. That way, we can save the Youth Army and transfer them to the Wuhan battlefield. Isn't it possible to both secure Henan and save Wuhan?!"

After going around in a big circle, the old man still could not forget his strategy of using water instead of soldiers.

Lv Muzhi was anxious: "Principal, have you considered the consequences? The power of the Yellow River's water is not something we can easily control! What will the actual effect be? What about the civilians?"

When faced with a difficult question, the old man simply said nothing!

"Ah! Ahhh!! Ahhhh!!!"

Dizhou Libing began to cry out again as Dai Chunfeng shocked him with electricity.

"So noisy! Stop shocking! Can't you see we are talking?!"

The old man shouted loudly, scaring Dai Chunfeng into stopping immediately. He looked blankly at the old man from a distance, thinking: Just now it was you who told me to keep shocking him!

Lv Muzhi said earnestly: "Please think twice! Once the Yellow River breaches its banks, the flood will rage sky-high. The first to suffer will absolutely not be the Japanese Army, but tens of millions of innocent common people on the Central Plains."

At that time, the flood will sweep across large plains in eastern Henan, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu.

Millions will suffer from the flood. At least four hundred thousand common people will be directly drowned, and those who die from plague and famine are countless!

Li Zongren spoke at this time: "Wei Yue is absolutely right. Using water instead of soldiers is not as good as simply leaving the Youth Army to defend Henan."

"The matter of the Yellow River concerns the foundation of the country and the hearts of the people. It must be handled with extreme caution."

"Moreover, since the Battle of Xuzhou, the Youth Army has gone through bitter battles, playing the main force in every major battle result. From south to north, from east to west, they have maneuvered back and forth for months. The officers and soldiers are actually quite exhausted. Equipment losses and personnel replenishment both need time."

"I think we should not commit the main force of the Youth Army to the Battle of Wuhan. Leave them in Henan to rest and recuperate on one hand, and deter the Japanese Army in North China on the other, so that the common people south of the Yellow River in Henan do not suffer."

Lv Muzhi quickly agreed: "De Gong is right."

The old man still could not let go of Wuhan, saying: "Then what about Wuhan? How can we lightly give it up?!"

Lv Muzhi said: "It is not giving up. On the Wuhan battlefield, we are not without troops to use. Why hang ourselves on the single tree of the Youth Army?"

"After several major battles, the Japanese Army's vitality has been greatly damaged. I dare to affirm that the Battle of Wuhan will be the Japanese Army's last large-scale offensive. Moreover, in terms of intensity and ferocity, it is not insurmountable."

"Actually, besides the Youth Army, the Central Government has many troops that can be committed to the Battle of Wuhan, such as Xue Yue, Tang Enbo, Hu Gongnan, and so on..."

Li Zongren said: "I also agree. The Japanese Army's posture of attacking Wuhan is propped up by force. I see this as the Japanese Invaders' last dance."

"As long as we hold out through the Battle of Wuhan, it may be our turn to launch a counterattack afterward!"

Lv Muzhi was very happy. Li Zongren's view was the same as his own: "I have the same thought. The Battle of Wuhan needs to continue the previous strategy, striking the Japanese Army until they are exhausted."

"Whether Wuhan can be held or not, wearing down the Japanese Army is the most important."

"After the Battle of Wuhan, it will be our Xia State Army's turn to think about how to organize counterattacks successively and recover some lost territory!"

"By then, my Youth Army will definitely be the sharpest sword of Xia State!"

Seeing the old man still thinking and not speaking, Li Zongren, to ease the atmosphere, shook his head with a smile and said: "Wei Yue, you really are not humble at all now..."

The old man said nothing on the surface, but in his heart there were already thousands of waves.

Recover lost territory?! So Wei Yue was already thinking about recovering lost territory for himself!

Calculating the Japanese Army's strength, as long as they hold out through the Battle of Wuhan, they can indeed start to launch partial counterattacks!

Let this sharp sword of the Youth Army remain in Henan for now to build up its strength, preparing for future counteroffensive operations.

Even without the Youth Army, the Wuhan Campaign can still be fought.

Moreover, keeping the Youth Army in Henan can deter the Japanese Army to the greatest extent; even if it needs to join the Wuhan Campaign, it can travel south quickly by Pinghan Railway.

At the same time, the Japanese Army's North China Area Army will be wary of the Youth Army launching a counterattack in the North, and thus dare not commit too many troops to support the Central China Expeditionary Army in the Wuhan Campaign.

With the Youth Army remaining in Henan, dominating Henan and eyeing North China, it will undoubtedly achieve the greatest deterrent effect!