Chapter 447: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 457 The Unresponsive Central Army Mobilization

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Inside the headquarters of the Thirty-First Group Army, Tang Enbo looked at the stubborn faces before him, cold sweat breaking out on his palms.

The Whampoa generals who had always been respectful to him had now become the vanguard of defecting.

"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!" Tang Enbo slammed the table, hoping to suppress his subordinates.

"This is the Old Man's highest directive!"

"If you refuse to execute it now, that is insubordination, ruining your own futures, and outright rebellion!"

The scene fell silent for a moment, then Group Army Deputy Commander-in-Chief Guan Linzhen stepped forward and said candidly, "Rebellion? Commander-in-Chief Tang, what are you talking about?"

"We hold guns in our hands, and across from us are wolf-like and tiger-like Japanese invaders."

"Back at the Battle of Xuzhou, to put it bluntly, we were defeated here, and nearly two years have passed. Now we've finally returned—are we supposed to retreat again?"

"May I ask Commander-in-Chief Tang, resisting the Japanese invaders and defending home and country—whose rebellion is this?"

Guan Linzhen's voice echoed through the spacious headquarters.

After so long of lost territory, the young and vigorous officers of the Whampoa clique had already had enough of obeying commands under political maneuvering.

They only wanted to decide victory or defeat on the battlefield.

"I command: none of the Whampoa classmates present may withdraw from their positions!" Guan Linzhen turned to face everyone and shouted with raised arm.

Then Guan Linzhen turned to Tang Enbo: "Please, Commander-in-Chief, withdraw the retreat order!"

With a clatter.

More than twenty officers of colonel rank and above stood up in unison.

Forming an impenetrable human wall, they tightly surrounded Tang Enbo in the center.

"Please, Commander-in-Chief, withdraw the retreat order!"

The voices of all were uniform and orderly, leaving Tang Enbo terrified.

He knew that if he insisted on withdrawing today, he probably wouldn't make it out of the headquarters' main gate.

These generals had been ignited by Lv Muzhi's victory reports from the north; they couldn't be suppressed by a few cipher telegrams from above.

"Fine, fine..." Tang Enbo sighed deeply: "Pretend I never said this. All consequences are yours to bear..."

At the same time, Deputy Commander of the Youth Corps Zhang Fei walked into Tang Enbo's command post.

Zhang Fei had originally been worried that friendly troops would pull the rug out from under them, and hurried over to persuade Tang Enbo.

Unexpectedly, all of this had already been resolved internally by Guan Linzhen and the others.

Zhang Fei couldn't help but give Guan Linzhen a thumbs-up: "I represent the Third and Fourth Armies of the Youth Corps on the Xubeng Battlefield—thank you! I also thank Commander Guan on behalf of Commander Lu of North China."

What happened in Tang Enbo's Thirty-First Group Army also occurred in various forms among other friendly forces.

Chen Cheng rushed from the center to the Xubeng Battlefield to meet Luo Zhuoying and Xue Yue.

Luo Zhuoying was Chen Cheng's direct-line subordinate, the second figure of Chen Cheng's faction, and Commander-in-Chief of the Nineteenth Group Army.

Xue Yue was considered a collateral-line subordinate of Chen Cheng, Commander-in-Chief of the Fifteenth Group Army, and also served as acting commander of the Ninth War Zone.

Chen Cheng's expression was stern: "The troops of your two families must, according to my instructions, immediately withdraw from the battlefield and return to the Ninth War Zone in Central China."

Could Xue Yue fail to hear the trick in Chen Cheng's words?

The Japanese invaders were currently weak; better to let the Japanese go first, but suppress one's own people first—this made Xue Yue shake his head involuntarily.

"During the War of Resistance, we should present a united front to the outside." Xue Yue stared into Chen Cheng's eyes and said furiously.

Luo Zhuoying also spoke calmly: "I have spent my life in military service and have always obeyed the orders of the central government and Commander Chen. Withdrawing troops now, I fear we will be laughed at by the nation in the future."

"As a soldier, if one cannot fight for national independence and freedom, what use is it even if one rises to the rank of general?"

Chen Cheng was very angry; he never expected his own troops to be so unresponsive to mobilization.

Plus, urged by cipher telegrams from above, Chen Cheng couldn't help but curse loudly:

"Ungrateful!"

"The two of you have reached your positions today because I promoted you personally. Don't forget who signed your commission letters?"

"The Central Army cannot be led by the nose by Lv Wei Yue! The army can have only one person calling the shots!"

Xue Yue stood up and unfastened the top discipline button of his uniform.

"I have not forgotten Commander Chen's kindness in promoting me back then, but for such an erroneous command that disregards the greater cause of the nation, I, Xue, find it difficult to carry out."

"Also, Commander Chen, how is it that the higher your position, the more muddled you become? How many benefits did the Old Man give you?!"

Luo Zhuoying also said: "Just this once, Commander Chen. I have always obeyed the central government's orders without question, but only this time, I must respectfully decline to comply."

Chen Cheng stood stunned, hardly able to believe this was happening to him.

In the end, Chen Cheng met with failure and could only leave in anger.

In the Guangxi Army's main camp, however, the atmosphere was quite relaxed.

Bai Zhongxi handed a cipher telegram to Li Zongren, smiling: "Old Neighbor, the Old Man has gone all out, saying that as long as we withdraw from the Xubeng Battlefield, all of Liangguang will be given to us."

Li Zongren took the cipher telegram and glanced at it, then laughed heartily.

"Haha! The Old Man's old ailment has flared up, to the point of desperate measures!"

"He's sent Du Yuming's Central Army Fifth Army to my Guangxi, and now promises us Liangguang? Isn't that a blank check?"

"I love seeing the Old Man's embarrassed look! The more urgently he tries to pull the rug out from under us, the more I want to add fuel to the fire on this Xubeng Battlefield and pull Liao Lei's group army over too!"

Bai Zhongxi pointed at the cipher letter and said: "This Lv Wei Yue doesn't obey the central order to withdraw troops, angering the Old Man. I think this is beneficial to our Guangxi clique. Should we contact this Lv Wei Yue?"

Li Zongren took the cipher telegram and glanced at it, then laughed heartily.

Li Zongren nodded: "First finish this battle at hand, pin down more Japanese main forces on the Xubeng Battlefield, and support his advance into Pingjin! After it's done, see if we can win over Lv Wei Yue!"

Thus, an unprecedented wonder appeared on the Xubeng Battlefield.

Orders from the center flew in like snowflakes, but became waste paper in the headquarters of each army.

The Central Army and Local Army, each originally with their own thoughts, miraculously united their front at this moment.

They had no written agreement, yet all launched a fierce assault on the enemy before them.

Guan Linzhen stood at the frontline command post of the Thirty-First Army Group.

He looked at the faintly visible lights of the Japanese army in the distance, and heroic spirit surged in his chest as he recited verses he had written during the Great Wall Resistance:

"The great hall tilts toward soup and fire; the survival of the Divine Land hangs in an instant."

"Would not bend the knee for a base peace; stand straight, throw away the skull, and laugh with a living face."

"The Yanhuang descendants have many proud bones; I now resist Japan with three requests for battle!"

After reciting, he pointed forward: "Transmit the order down—night attack the Kwantung Army positions opposite! If a sky-shattering matter occurs, I, Iron Fist Guan, will bear it alone!"

Meanwhile, in the great camps of the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Army Groups, Luo Zhuoying inspired the frontline officers and soldiers.

"Brothers! Mount the enemy's horses, and quickly cut off the enemy's heads!"

"Launch a full-scale offensive against the Japanese 13th Army!"

Xue Yue, meanwhile, commanded the artillery to begin ranging shots.

"Seek life in death, seek survival in peril! Tonight we night attack the Japanese army's great camp!"

The center had originally planned to draw firewood from under the cauldron on the Xubeng Battlefield, but unexpectedly, the war flames burned even more fiercely on the Xubeng Battlefield.

Lieutenant General Nishio Toshizo, Commander of the China Expeditionary Army stationed in Jinling, was awakened from his sleep.

"Not good, Your Excellency! At the frontline of the Xubeng Battlefield, the Xia Guo Army has launched a full-scale counterattack!" Lieutenant General Gangcun Ningci came to report.

Lieutenant General Nishio Toshizo looked puzzled: "Has the Xia Guo Army received more troop reinforcements?"

Gangcun Ningci: "They have not received reinforcements!"

"Then why! After facing off for so long, the China Men have actually chosen today to launch a full-scale counterattack against our army? What are our losses?"

Gangcun Ningci replied: "Zhang Fei of the Youth Army and a unit of Liao Yaoxiang have already entered Su County at the center of the Xubeng Battlefield, and Su County has been half seized by the Youth Army!"

After hearing this, Lieutenant General Nishio Toshigo turned pale and clutched his chest: "Tell Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu in Xuzhou that part of his North China Area Army must retake the positions!"

"Also, we must prepare for the worst. If Lv Muzhi takes Pingjin, he will cut off the retreat of Yamashita Tomonobu's seven divisions and five mixed brigades near Xuzhou!"

"Send a telegram to the Qingdao Naval Base, have them prepare transport ships; in a critical moment, be ready to receive Yamashita Tomonobu's troops boarding ships to withdraw!"