Chapter 424: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa, Chapter 434: The Situation of Attack and Defense Has Revers

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The meeting in Beiping had just ended, and footsteps in the corridor had not yet stopped.

Xiao Zhukazuo quickly caught up with Lieutenant General Okabe Naosaburo, Commander of the Garrison Mongolia Army.

He grabbed the other man's arm and said urgently.

"Okabe-kun, I'll skip the pleasantries—the Tank 3rd Division must head south immediately, the sooner the better!"

Okabe Naosaburo looked at Xiao Zhukazuo's bloodshot eyes and nodded slightly: "Don't worry, since Commander Tada has given the order, the Tank Division is already loading onto trains."

As the two were speaking, a staff officer from the First Army ran over:

"Commander Xiao! Urgent telegram from Linfen! Lv Muzhi's main force is advancing in two columns!"

"One column, with tanks as the vanguard, is fiercely attacking the outer defense line of Linfen."

"The other column is lightly equipped, crossing Taiyue Mountain from the direction of Qinxian, to attack the 36th Division in Jin Dongnan!"

Xiao Zhukazuo took the telegram and glanced at it.

Lv Muzhi's move was precise—Linfen is the gateway to Taiyuan, and Changzhi is the hub of Jin Dongnan.

The Youth Army advancing in two columns will ultimately write Taiyuan City as their final destination!

Lieutenant General Okabe Naosaburo, Commander of the Garrison Mongolia Army, asked: "If the Tank Division heads south now, I'm afraid it will be too late, right?"

Xiao Zhukazuo said nothing, thought for over ten seconds, and issued an order that surprised everyone present.

"Order the 37th Division and 41st Division at Linfen: no need to hold the positions to the death; if necessary, retreat toward Taiyuan!"

"Along the line from Linfen to Taiyuan, all units shall block stubbornly at every step and withdraw in an orderly fashion toward Taiyuan."

"The 36th Division stationed in Changzhi, Gaoping, and Jincheng in Jin Dongnan shall likewise adopt a strategy of fighting while retreating, withdrawing overall toward Taiyuan!"

Okabe Naosaburo frowned:

"Xiao-kun, why does your tactic sound so familiar? This momentum of retreat, blocking at every step—isn't it the same as Xia Guo's tactics from the past two years?"

Xiao Zhukazuo's face twitched, and he explained: "This is not a retreat; I am luring the enemy deep in, actively contracting our defensive front."

"My forces are too scattered; to avoid being picked off one by one, I must concentrate my strength."

"I will concentrate my forces beneath Taiyuan City, forge them into an iron fist, and together with the Tank Division, swallow him in one gulp!"

At the Linfen front at this moment, the sound of artillery fire had merged into one continuous roar.

The Youth Army's rocket artillery vehicles spared no ammunition; rows of rocket shells trailing orange-red tail flames poured mercilessly onto the Japanese Army's defensive line.

On the flank of the Linfen battlefield, the Jinsui Army and the Eighth Route Army were not idle either.

They were like a pack of wolves that had smelled meat, bursting out from the mountains and forests to harass the Japanese Army's strongholds and supply convoys.

Chen Geng stood beneath an old locust tree, holding a Japanese officer's "King Eight Box" pistol just captured.

"Listen up, everyone—my 386th Brigade is never picky."

"When the Youth Army's big guns sound, that's our signal to start the feast."

"Once the gunfire starts, no one is allowed to return empty-handed!"

"The Japanese and puppet troops' bullets, hand grenades—even their leather shoes—you'd better scrounge up something before coming back!"

"Whoever dares to return empty-handed, I'll deal with him!"

Meanwhile, at the Jinsui Army headquarters on the other side, Yan Laoxi personally took the field.

"I have just one order: drag back as many puppet troops as possible to replenish our strength—that is the foundation of our Jinsui Army! Whoever catches the most, I'll reward!"

Facing the pincer attack from the Jinsui Army and the Eighth Route Army, plus the Youth Army's frontal assault.

The commanders of the 37th Division and 41st Division defending Linfen were nearly driven mad.

If they held out any longer, both divisions would be finished.

At this moment, a staff officer brought over a telegram just translated and handed it to Hirata Kenbu, commander of the 37th Division.

After reading the telegram, Hirata Kenbu let out a long sigh of relief and said: "Wonderful! Commander Xiao has ordered us to withdraw."

Lieutenant General Tanabe Moritake, commander of the 41st Division, also felt greatly relieved.

"Since it is the Commander's requirement, then we shall withdraw—this is a strategic relocation."

Hirata Kenbu nodded: "Exactly, this is Commander Xiao's plan to lure the enemy deep in. We will gather our strength and settle the outcome with Lv Muzhi at Taiyuan!"

Thus, a rare spectacle appeared on the battlefield: the Japanese Army, which had been resisting desperately, began a large-scale retreat just two hours after the fighting started.

Lv Muzhi stood in the headquarters, watching the Japanese markers on the sand table moving steadily north, and summoned Sun Liren to inquire about the specific situation.

After coming down from the front, Sun Liren said as soon as he entered:

"Commander Lu, the little devils are retreating too cleanly."

"The battle has barely begun, and they're already pulling back—I suspect a trick."

Lv Muzhi thought for a moment and said: "You may send troops to pursue appropriately, but don't chase too far—pull back at most twenty kilometers."

Wei Yue also walked over at this time, looking puzzled: "Muzi, what are these little devils up to? Giving up Linfen just like that?"

Lv Muzhi said calmly: "The situation of offense and defense has reversed!"

"My Youth Army, a full-strength division of 18,000 men, has now entered Shanxi with two armies, six divisions, and 108,000 troops."

"Plus each army's independent Heavy Artillery Regiment, bringing the total strength to 120,000."

"When animals encounter danger, they instinctively flee to a safe place, or huddle together where there are more of their own kind."

"The devils are now closing their five fingers, wanting to concentrate all their forces at Taiyuan and clench them into a fist."

"With no way left to retreat, they will somewhere launch a do-or-die decisive battle against us."

Wei Lihuang asked, "A decisive battle? Wei Yue, where will this decisive battle take place?"

Lv Muzhi pointed at the map: "Of course at Xiao Zhukazuo's headquarters—Taiyuan!"

Meanwhile, in Taiyue Mountain.

Commander of the Second Army Qiu Qingquan had just led his troops to capture Qinshui County in Taiyue Mountain, and the soil beneath his feet still carried the lingering warmth of gunpowder smoke.

"Colonel Qiu, we received a report from the Eighth Route Army: the Thirty-Sixth Division in Jin Dongnan is retreating north in succession, with no intention of entangling with us at all," a staff officer ran to report.

Qiu Qingquan adjusted the German Steel Helmet on his head, his gaze sharp: "Have these devils changed their ways? Where the hell is their Wuwei Spirit?!"

Qiu Qingquan cursed loudly, personally leading the Second Army forward with light equipment, leaving most of the heavy equipment for the First Army to use, all to cross Taiyue Mountain as quickly as possible and knock down Jing Guanren's Thirty-Sixth Division stationed in Jin Dongnan.

But now he hadn't even reached Jin Dongnan, and Lieutenant General Jing Guanren had already fled in panic with the Thirty-Sixth Division!

But soon, Qiu Qingquan figured it out.

"I understand now, the little devils have their day too!"

"I want to see exactly where Xiao Zhukazuo intends to retreat to before he's willing to clash head-on with us!"

Just then, Lv Muzhi's urgent telegram reached his hands.

The telegram was concise: proceed according to the original plan, ignore the retreating remnant enemy, bypass Jin Dongnan, and outflank Taiyuan.

"Understood!" Qiu Qingquan waved his hand: "Transmit the order, the entire army advances at full speed, borrowing the Bai-Jin Railway in Jin Dongnan—we're going to celebrate New Year in Taiyuan City!"

"Also, send a telegram to the friendly forces of the Eighth Route Army, asking them not to tear up the Bai-Jin Railway; my Youth Second Army needs to use that railway!"

Iron Flow surged across the Shanxi Land, and both the Japanese Army and the Xia State Army were rushing toward their respective destinations.

Xiao Zhukazuo gathered all the forces he could summon and concentrated them all in Taiyuan.

Lv Muzhi's two armies, meanwhile, split into two routes.

One route set out from Linfen, which had just been captured, and advanced north to Taiyuan via the Tongpu Railway.

The other route set out from this plateau basin in Jin Dongnan, advancing north to Taiyuan via the Bai-Jin Railway.

A Tank Grand Battle was about to unfold beneath Taiyuan City!