Chapter 446: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 456 Chu Yunfei: Seven Columns, Conquering the World

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Henan Anyang, the gateway to Northern Henan, was now in Chu Yunfei's grasp.

At this moment, the entire county city had become a huge barracks.

Youth Army soldiers carrying rifles were everywhere on the streets; they were the Guerrilla Corps led by Chu Yunfei.

Standing in the command post of Anyang City, Chu Yunfei's next target was Handan, the southernmost point of Hebei.

Right now, Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps had expanded to seven columns, nearly fifty thousand men.

Although nominally called a Guerrilla Corps, its firepower and organization were second only to the Youth Army's reorganized forces, making it extremely powerful.

"Brother Yunfei, once you deploy those seven columns, you're planning to conquer the world!" Li Yunlong's loud voice shouted.

While speaking, he pilfered half a pack of cigarettes from Chu Yunfei's table.

Chu Yunfei watched Li Yunlong's little move, shook his head and laughed:

"Brother Yunlong is joking. Attacking Handan still requires everyone's generous help and close cooperation. In your words, that's called everyone getting rich together!"

At this time, Chu Yunfei's map room gathered the most powerful forces currently in Northern Henan.

Sitting next to Li Yunlong was Ma Liwu, division commander of the 95th Division of the First War Zone, whose troops were known as the Zhao Zilong Division.

Ma Liwu said in a voice like a great bell: "Corps Commander Chu, just give the order!"

"The brothers of my 95th Division will surely launch the fiercest attack on the Japanese Army, without hesitation!"

A month ago, it was precisely these forces cooperating with Chu Yunfei that drove the Japanese 20th Division out of Anyang and into Handan, Hebei.

The current situation is clear: everyone cooperates again to march north and take Handan.

Following Chu Yunfei, these generals had indeed gained many real benefits along the way.

Chu Yunfei was a generous man; when incorporating puppet armies or seizing supplies, he never kept everything for himself.

In just one year, Chu Yunfei expanded from twenty thousand to fifty thousand, while Li Yunlong's New 1st Regiment surged from over a thousand to seven thousand.

Ma Liwu's 95th Division also reached over ten thousand men through recruitment and purchasing horses.

Outside Anyang City now, a full seventy thousand troops were assembled, all their gun barrels aimed at Handan City.

Inside Handan City were the Japanese Infantry 20th Division and the Independent Mixed 1st Brigade; although tough nuts to crack, facing seventy thousand tigers and wolves, the pressure was imaginable.

Li Yunlong chuckled, edged up to Chu Yunfei, and gave him a look.

"Brother Yunfei, I'm not hesitant in battle, but lately I got a cavalry battalion from the puppet army. We men can go without food, but the horses can't."

"Can you allocate ten big carts of the black beans your horses eat to me? We can't let warhorses fight on empty stomachs."

Chu Yunfei glanced at him sideways: "Black beans are easy; I'll have someone take care of it right away."

"Then... while you're at it, allocate a hundred thousand bullets?" Li Yunlong seized the opportunity, grinning even more slyly.

Chu Yunfei's eyes went black, and he waved his hand in annoyance.

"Brother Yunlong, last month you led men to rob a Japanese ammunition depot. Do you think I'm blind?"

"Not a single bullet! If you really want bullets, there are plenty in Handan City."

"Once we take Handan, the Japanese warehouses will be sufficient. Whoever loots them keeps them; I, Chu, will not interfere."

Hearing these words, Li Yunlong's eyes lit up immediately, like a wolf seeing meat.

"Good! With Brother Chu's word, that's enough! Whoever doesn't put in effort is a grandson!"

Afterwards, the war meeting quickly moved into detailed deployment; the various generals received their tasks and left in a hurry.

That night, three red signal flares tore through the night sky.

The rocket artillery groups hidden in the wilderness roared simultaneously, countless fire dragons sweeping toward the Japanese Handan defensive line.

This long-range firepower provided by Lv Muzhi instantly turned the Japanese frontline positions into a sea of fire.

Li Yunlong drew his boxer pistol, stood on a dirt slope, and roared: "Artillery Company! Bring those few captured cannons up here!"

"At all costs, wipe out the nearby ghost strongholds and blockhouses!"

Chu Yunfei watched the sky full of firelight from the rear observation post and issued orders: "First Column and Second Column attack the left wing, Third Column and Fourth Column attack the right wing, Fifth Column cooperates with the tank column to break through the center, Sixth Column serves as the reserve!"

Tens of thousands of officers and men of the Guerrilla Corps surged forward, charging toward the Japanese 20th Division's defensive line guarding Handan.

The news that Chu Yunfei had started fighting in Northern Henan quickly reached Chongqing.

Inside the old man's official residence, cursing filled the air without cease.

"Actually not permitted?!"

"Completely disregarding orders, insisting on fighting? What on earth does Lv Wei Yue want to do!"

The old man was so angry his hands were trembling; pointing north, his aged face was full of anger.

"Not satisfied after taking Shanxi? Not satisfied after taking Henan, and now he's fiercely attacking Hebei!"

"Does Lv Wei Yue want to take Beiping in one go, sit on the Dragon Throne, and become emperor!"

"Does he still put me in his eyes?!"

Lady Song, sitting to the side, was startled, but this was indeed what she wanted to see.

"The Youth Army is growing too fast, and has the people's hearts, so we must be on guard. Now we just fear Lv Wei Yue has grown rebellious bones behind his head!"

"And this battle has already been fought for two months. Before the war, we didn't expect the winter counteroffensive to develop to this scale; logistics can barely hold on."

The old man said nothing.

Minister of Military Administration He Yingqin sat outside the door, head bowed, also saying nothing, only waiting for the final result.

After a while, Lady Song came out: "Minister He, send a telegram to the frontline. Recall the Central Army forces, and let Lv Muzhi know who is the one who calls the shots in the army."

He Yingqin was startled, then calmed his mood and nodded: "Yes!"

On the Xubeng Battlefield, inside the headquarters of the st Army Group.

Commander-in-Chief Tang Enbo was buried in deep thought, looking at the telegram in his hand demanding withdrawal from combat, his complexion grim.

"The operation has lasted long enough, and the current battle results are already great; we should quit while ahead and withdraw now." Tang Enbo said tentatively to his deputy commander.

Tang Enbo's deputy commander, namely Guan Linzhen, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the st Army Group, was a Whampoa Class 1 Graduate.

After hearing these words, he refused outright.

"We cannot withdraw!"

"Lu Commander is preparing to attack Pingjin, and we withdraw at this time? I disagree!"

"This is betraying comrades-in-arms and deserting before the enemy; I, Guan Linzhen, cannot do it!"

Tang Enbo licked his lips and looked at the other generals of the st Army Group.

Most of these generals were of the Whampoa Clique, and everyone showed indignation.

"Lu Commander has sent a letter; he wants to counterattack Pingjin, and we cannot draw firewood from under the cauldron!"

"Lu Commander charges ahead, and we dismantle the stage behind him; when Whampoa classmates meet in the future, where shall we put our faces?"

"Yes, once we withdraw, the Japanese Army's main force will return from the Xubeng Battlefield to defend Pingjin; once Lu Commander loses because of this, we are all sinners!"

In this decisive game of strategy, the Xubeng Battlefield absorbed the main force of the Japanese Army.

Lv Muzhi absorbed the hearts of most Whampoa young faction generals.

What could Tang Enbo do? Originally he had regarded these Whampoa generals as confidants of the st Army Group, but unexpectedly he was now about to become a bare-pole commander.