Chapter 422

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Dai Li now really wanted to slap himself a few times; he actually dared to evaluate Lv Muzhi like that.

It was one thing for an elder like Jiang Dingwen to say such words.

But Dai Li speaking them out regardless was indeed somewhat presumptuous.

"Yes! This subordinate was momentarily muddled and misspoke!"

The old man glanced at Dai Li and helplessly shook his head:

"Foolish! Anything not conducive to unity, think it over before speaking again!"

Dai Li's words were completely guiding himself and Lv Muzhi into opposition.

If that were truly the case, wouldn't Xia Guo have another powerful faction?

You must know, even without Lv Muzhi, those big and small local forces of Xia Guo, he himself couldn't handle them after so many years!

Pushing Lv Muzhi and the Youth Army to the opposing side was undoubtedly pushing the old man himself into a pit of fire.

Lv Muzhi was unwilling to act for him to eliminate rivals; the old man had to accept it even if he didn't accept it.

The bottom line set for Lv Muzhi was: as long as he didn't openly support the Eighth Route Army and was still expelling the Japanese Invaders, he would turn a blind eye.

"Alright, Wei Yue's letter is words of loyalty and good advice; now moving against the various forces of Shanxi, the impact is indeed too bad."

"If they move against Yan Laoxi, this warlord, how will others look at it? Just say Li Zongren's Gui clique, I'm afraid they won't sincerely resist Japan."

People say 'remove the millstone and kill the donkey'; resisting Japan isn't over yet, and now killing the donkey is simply foolish."

Dai Li also hurriedly changed his tune with the wind: "Wei Zuo's high view, currently it is the critical node of the winter offensive; the Central Army entering Jin, I think it should be postponed for now."

"As for the Jinsui Army and the Eighth Route Army, they are also in a relationship of mutual checks and balances."

"Even if the main force of the Central Army does not enter Jin, they won't watch idly as the other side grows strong; no need to worry too much."

"Wait until Wei Yue pacifies Shanxi, then Hu Gongnan bringing troops into Jin is not impossible!"

The old man nodded and waved his hand: "Alright, you all go out; the counterattack situations from all places must be reported to me in time."

After Jiang Dingwen and Dai Li went out, Lady Song walked in holding several sheets of letter paper.

The old man leaned on the sofa, holding his forehead and said: "You don't need to say anything about Wei Yue anymore; my head hurts terribly."

Lady Song was stunned and smiled: "It's not me wanting to say anything about Wei Yue; it's the foreigners urging us to repay interest money."

"Oh?" The old man immediately sat up straight: "Foreigners? Repay money?"

Lady Song handed those sheets of letter paper to the old man and said: "Yes, interest money owed on various loans; New Year's Day just passed, and many Western European countries are urging us to repay money."

The old man looked through those sheets of letter paper one by one.

Good fellow, the money owed is really not a little!

"Loans from Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, etc., most urgent is also France's arms loan..." Lady Song explained from the side:

"They are threatened by Hans's war and are all eager to recover foreign loans and expand armaments."

"Especially France, they directly and strongly demanded that Wei Yue either return 24 155-caliber cannons, or let us settle part of the principal and interest early, totaling five million francs!"

The old man glared: "Mad! Five million francs?! How much money did Wei Yue owe!"

Lady Song sighed, sitting beside the old man: "The money Wei Yue borrowed are all high-interest loans, interest rolling over interest, interest higher than principal..."

"This five million francs is only part of the amount owed to France."

The old man looked through the letter paper again; inside was sandwiched a sheet of paper, detailedly writing the calculation formula for interest and principal.

Counting how many zeros were at the back, the old man was shocked to the point his eyeballs almost fell out.

"Damn it, we won't repay it; foreigners are blacker than your brother-in-law!"

Lady Song was stunned: "What?"

The old man gave an embarrassed smile: "Nothing... According to the loan contract, the repayment day hasn't arrived yet, and they want us to repay early; that won't do!"

"Also... send the bill to Wei Yue; how much interest money should be repaid this year, let him figure out how to repay it!"

Lady Song nodded: "Yes, not repaying money would lose the prestige of a great power... Especially those French cannons, they were all used up by Wei Yue himself."

"Moreover... this was borrowed in the name of the Xia Guo Government; if something happens, it's absolutely not allowed."

Thinking that this was borrowed in his own name, the old man was even more worried.

Although the money was borrowed by Lv Muzhi, the old man himself had also used quite a lot.

To prepare for the winter counterattack, this nationwide military operation, just grain and weapons consumed huge funds.

Just the reasonable interest money for this year, the old man didn't have the ability to repay it.

After a few months, when it's time to repay money, the old man's government also has to repay money.

Thinking of this, the old man looked at his Lady Song: "That... this debt we also have to acknowledge part of it; the Ministry of Finance has no money now, do you think let you and your brother-in-law's two families advance some first?"

Lady Song was stunned, then very unhappy: "Where is there money? Wei Yue ruined the National Salvation Bonds; our two families now have no spare money..."

"Or send a telegram to Wei Yue..."

The urge repayment telegram was still sent to Lv Muzhi's headquarters; Lv Muzhi was preparing to launch an offensive on Linfen.

A staff officer handed the cipher report to Lv Muzhi; Lv Muzhi just glanced at it.

Immediately said: "Reply telegram: Youth Army 300,000, funds consumed are huge, currently no funds for repayment.

And early repayment violates the loan agreement.

But based on the spirit of honesty, the Youth Army is turning over funds; hope to extend the deadline a few days, at the latest... will be within this year, that is 1940, mid-June repay..."

Qiu Qingquan stood to the side; hearing it, he knew it was those foreign creditors coming to collect debts.

"Commander Lu, are we really going to repay the money?"

Lv Muzhi threw the cipher report onto the desk: "No time for that! If they have the ability, let them come collect the debt in person."

"I want to focus my energy on military matters."

"Send a telegram to the First and Second War Zones: launch a full-scale offensive against the Japanese Army within our jurisdiction!"

Qiu Qingquan stood at attention: "Yes!"

The telegram was transmitted to command headquarters everywhere.

Commander-in-Chief of the First War Zone Wei Lihuang picked up the phone: "Sun Weiru, the Fourth Group Army will borrow a path through Taiyue Mountain and attack Jincheng eastward!"

"Fan Hanjie, the 27th Army will depart from the Taihang Mountains and attack Changzhi westward."

"Wu Shiming, the 98th Army will depart from Taiyue Mountain and attack Gaoping eastward."

Second War Zone Commander Yan Laoxi also mobilized his various forces: "According to Commander Lu's instructions! Have the Cavalry 1st Army launch an attack on the Japanese strongholds around Linfen."

"The rd Army and the Provisional 1st Army are also moving, targeting those puppet armies—capture as many as possible!"

Commander Liu of the Eighth Route Army 129th Division also received the telegram.

"This is a good opportunity; no unit is allowed to stay home—hurry out and find a battle!"

"Leave one regiment of the 386th Brigade to guard headquarters; deploy everyone else."

"Chen Geng will lead the Death-Defying 1st Column to attack Linfen; the remaining forces will be used in the Changzhi direction, focusing on chewing up the 36th Division there."

On the outskirts of Linfen, the Japanese 37th Division and 41st Division stood strictly awaiting battle.

About fifty thousand Japanese and puppet troops were concentrated here, attempting to block the Youth Army's northward offensive on a front less than thirty kilometers wide.

Commander of the 41st Division Tanabe Moritake looked at Commander of the 37th Division Hirata Kenbu beside him and said: "This is truly nerve-wracking!"

Lieutenant General Hirata Kenbu gritted his teeth: "We've already received reports that of the two Youth Armies Lv Muzhi has brought into Shanxi, only the Youth First Army has come to attack our Linfen!"

"The Youth Second Army is advancing lightly equipped, crossing the Taiyue Mountain area to attack the 36th Division defending Changzhi!"

As shown in the diagram, departing from Yuncheng, advancing in two routes.

Lieutenant General Tanabe Moritake said: "This is a good thing; it shows our pressure has reduced."

Hirata Kenbu shook his head: "Even if it's only the Youth First Army, its numbers exceed fifty thousand, and each division has more than forty proper tanks."

"An army has three such divisions; we cannot stop them. What on earth is Commander Xiao Zhong thinking?!"

"Why haven't the reinforcements been sent?!"