Chapter 343: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 353 Chu Yunfei: I Want to Restore the Three Jins, Ni

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The artillery had barely stopped when, before the Youth Army's infantry could charge, a communications soldier hurriedly reported: "Squadron Leader Song Qi, the Collaborationist Army at the outer position west of the city... they've all run away!"

"What?!" Song Qi flew into a rage.

The cannon fire had just sounded, and the puppet army had already scattered like birds and beasts, more than half fleeing.

The Rare translator trembled: "Your Excellency, the Collaborationist Army should have been guarding the city wall long ago, while the Imperial Army guards the outer positions..."

Song Qi slapped him: "Bastard! If they're up on the wall and defect in the heat of battle, shooting at us, what do we do?!"

Song Qi's anger had not subsided; he knew deep down that the Imperial Japanese Army's forces were simply stretched too thin.

Xia Guo was simply too vast, and the Japanese ambitions too great, with too much land conquered; their limited forces were spread thin like a pancake across various county cities.

Under these circumstances, the Japanese had to rely on the local armed forces they had recruited, using the Collaborationist Army and puppet army for auxiliary defense.

And he had usually treated the puppet army inside the city very harshly, so naturally no one would die for them in wartime—this was foreseeable.

On another outer position outside the city, over forty puppet soldiers wanted to retreat back into the city, but were stopped by over a dozen Japanese soldiers supervising the battle.

Death either way, the puppet soldiers simply vented all their recent dissatisfaction on the Japanese devils.

"Dying at the hands of our own people is death, dying at the hands of the little devils is also death—kill the little devils!"

The Youth Army's infantry charge had not yet arrived, but the devils and puppet army had already started fighting each other, the sounds of bayonet clashes and gunfire rising and falling.

A puppet soldier rode on top of a devil, using his rifle to choke the devil's neck: "I want to live, got a problem?!"

The devil choked, unable to breathe, his heels kicking wildly on the ground, spitting out only a few words: "Baka... yarou..."

The puppet soldier increased his force; even if the Youth Army came up and beat him to death, he would first kill this little devil before him:

"I'll make you not okay! I'll make you not okay! I'll make you not okay!"

After a while, the commotion around them gradually died down, and these puppet soldiers were surprised to discover that they had actually killed all these dozen or so devils.

Although they had won with superior numbers, the puppet soldiers still couldn't believe they were capable of this.

"Hands up, surrender your weapons and you won't be killed!"

At some point, Chu Yunfei's infantry had already charged up. Witnessing this group of puppet soldiers who had killed the devils, the Youth Army soldiers did not rashly open fire, choosing instead to capture this group of puppet soldiers alive.

As for Squadron Leader Song Qi on the city wall, he slowly closed his eyes at this moment, finally convinced he would perish here.

The Youth Army's offensive kept advancing; Chu Yunfei observed the situation from the rear, his heart in turmoil.

Wherever his spearhead pointed, the Japanese forces were all routed.

News from Meng County reported that the Japanese and puppet troops defending the city had been wiped out; this battle had captured Jiyuan, Qinyang, and Meng County—three counties.

Chu Yunfei watched the fighter planes circling in the sky as the Youth Army infantry assaulted into the city through the breach in the wall, declaring with high spirits: "I sing wildly and freely through the days, soaring and domineering—for whom am I mighty!"

After speaking, Chu Yunfei looked at the towering Wangwu Mountain to the north and clenched his fist.

Behind Wangwu Mountain was Chu Yunfei's old home in Shanxi; the major cities there had all been occupied by the Japanese.

"One day, I will march into Shanxi and restore the Three Jins, nine prefectures, and sixteen states!"

At the same time, in Huangchuan County at the northern foot of the Dabie Mountains, the Xia State Army was advancing step by step.

Inside Xinyang City, Hu Gongnan and Song Xilian looked at a telegram.

Song Xilian said: "Commander Lv's telegram asks us to first launch an attack on the enemy within Huangchuan County, to put pressure on part of the Imperial Japanese Army Second Army that has penetrated deep into the Dabie Mountains."

Hu Gongnan nodded: "Qiu Qingquan has already brought two divisions of the Youth Corps to arrive successively; we should also make a move."

Hu Gongnan's true thought was: if the troops didn't move soon, his own position for promotion wouldn't budge either!

After Song Xilian's Seventy-First Army joined at Xinyang, combining with Hu Gongnan's two armies, their total strength reached three armies—enough to threaten the Imperial Guard Division and Fifth Division stationed at Huangchuan County.

"Before Qiu Qingquan's Youth Army officially joins the battlefield, we will first actively apply pressure toward the Huangchuan direction, pin down the Japanese, and not let the Imperial Japanese Army Second Army march south in peace!"

Huangchuan County, Imperial Japanese Army Second Army frontline command post.

Iida Sadakata and Itagaki Seishiro had also received reports sent back by reconnaissance aircraft and intelligence personnel.

"The Chinese army in the Xinyang direction is gathering at our Huangchuan County," the staff officer reported.

Iida Sadakata snorted disdainfully: "Hu Gongnan, Song Xilian—nothing but defeated generals!

If they dare come, it's just right for my Imperial Guard Division to get some practice! Order all units to strengthen outer perimeter security; if the Chinese army attacks, be sure to smash the enemy facing them! Let them have no return!"

Compared to Iida Sadakata's eagerness, the Fifth Division Commander Itagaki Seishiro's expression was not looking good.

He stared at the map, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Iida-kun, don't be careless. Hu Gongnan and Song Xilian dare to take the initiative; they must have something backing them. And these two men's greatest reliance is their old classmate, Lv Muzhi, and his Youth Corps."

Iida Sadakata interrupted him: "Itagaki-kun! Don't build up others' morale and destroy your own prestige. Our task is to defend Huangchuan County to the death, covering Prince Tōgū Toshihiko as he leads the remaining two divisions of the Second Army across the Dabie Mountains;

Have you forgotten what we have in our hands? The Cishou Infantry Squadron! Over two hundred spike mines! Specially prepared for their tanks!"

Itagaki Seishiro opened his mouth, recalling the might of the Youth Army tanks at the Battle of Xuzhou and the actual combat effectiveness of those crude spike mines; he truly had no confidence in his heart.

At this time, in the Dabie Mountains, Prince Tōgū Toshihiko truly felt caught between a rock and a hard place.

He personally led the Sixteenth and 108th Divisions across the Dabie Mountains, hoping to reach the north bank of the Yangtze River, but in the Xiaojieling area of the mountains, they encountered stubborn resistance from Sun Lianzhong's Third Corps of the Chinese army, making advancement difficult.

Even more fatal was that, before he had opened a breakthrough in the Dabie Mountains, Hu Gongnan and Song Xilian's counterattack came first, attacking the Imperial Guard Division and Fifth Division at Huangchuan, trying to cut off his retreat.

"Difficult, too difficult!

The Dispatch Army Headquarters' General Hata Shunroku urges me to cross the Dabie Mountains quickly, but the defenders at Xiaojieling in the Fifth War Zone are truly stubborn; without half a month, it's hard to break through;

Behind us, a group of Whampoa Clique generals are pouncing; once the Imperial Guard Division and Fifth Division fail to hold Huangchuan, this prince will be caught between front and back in these Dabie Mountains like a savage!"

Prince Tōgū Toshihiko rubbed his temples, not knowing what to do.

The Sixteenth Division Commander Nakajima said: "The Dispatch Army Headquarters is now possessed by a demon, demanding we attack madly, but we must think of our own retreat first."

The 108th Division also spoke up: "Exactly, thinking about our own retreat is also thinking about Emperor Chuo's future!

Lv Muzhi's two divisions' troops are moving south; the combat strength of these two divisions is no less than Hu Gongnan's two armies. Once Huangchuan falls, all four divisions of the Second Army will die on the battlefield. Withdrawing from the Dabie Mountains now still offers an opportunity, Prince!"

Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko was somewhat tense, his two hands clasped together and rubbed with force: "General Hata Shunroku's arrangements cannot be changed casually......

But this Prince cannot be surrounded in the Dabie Mountains as a savage!"