Chapter 453: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 463 Troops Advance into Central Hebei

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Niangzi Pass, a long train packed with Youth Army soldiers roared toward the Hebei Plain.

Lv Muzhi watched train after train head east, unable to help but feel satisfied.

The troops were to head for Zhengding County in Jizhong, stationed at this military stronghold on the Pinghan Railway.

From then on it was flat country, and the Youth Army would charge straight to the gates of Beiping City.

On the platform, Lv Muzhi and Chen Geng stood with hands behind their backs watching the trains.

Both understood in their hearts that it was time to part.

But before they could say goodbye, Sun Liren came to Lv Muzhi's side holding a freshly translated telegram.

"Lu Commander, the Old Man has sent a commendation telegram."

Sun Liren handed the telegram to Lv Muzhi, saying: "Just a few dozen words, nothing else."

"But it looks like the Old Man finally agrees with our actions."

Chen Geng laughed upon hearing this: "The Old Man agreeing? He has no choice, I know him too well!"

"He found he couldn't scare Lv Muzhi, so he's taking the initiative to make peace, to avoid the reputation of sabotaging the War of Resistance."

Lv Muzhi put away the telegram, saying: "Last night my wife sent a secret telegram, Jiang Dingwen has been removed from office, and it's said the retreat order on the Xubeng Battlefield was his suggestion to the Central Government."

Chen Geng snapped his fingers: "A scapegoat, taking the blame for the Old Man!"

Sun Liren was shocked: "Jiang Dingwen is a First Class General, and he's just become a scapegoat like that?"

Lv Muzhi said: "Otherwise? He was previously Chairman of Henan Province, but we squeezed him out, and those matters in Shaanbei were all taken by Hu Gongnan, and he didn't hold any important posts, so it had to be him."

Chen Geng looked at the surrounding mountains and asked: "How do you plan to proceed from here?"

Lv Muzhi looked at this old classmate and understood this was his hint.

The Old Man had even specially asked Lv Muzhi to persuade Chen Geng to switch camps, but now it seemed there was no need to ask.

Lv Muzhi directly countered: "Not long from now, I will march into Beiping City, do you want to come with me and take Tada Shun's head?"

Chen Geng laughed heartily upon hearing this and seriously shook his head.

"Fine, that counts as your answer."

"The place you're going isn't my defense zone, so I won't go."

"But rest assured, we support the Youth Army, and if needed, once out of Shanxi our troops will still help you."

Chen Geng finished and solemnly saluted: "The road is long and the mountains high, I won't see you off, until we meet again!"

Lv Muzhi raised his hand and returned the salute: "Until we meet again!"

The two finished their farewells.

Chen Geng mounted his horse, leading ten or so guards, and rode off toward the mountains.

The figures of men and horses grew farther and farther away, finally disappearing into the vast mountains.

Lv Muzhi withdrew his gaze and said to Sun Liren:

"Let's board the train too, the whole army will insert into Jizhong, then strike straight at Beiping City!"

At this time, inside the headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army in Beiping City.

Tada Shun never expected Niangzi Pass to fall so quickly.

The speed at which Niangzi Pass fell completely exceeded his expectations; in his view, it could at least hold Lv Muzhi for half a month.

Now it seemed the entire battlefield situation had changed greatly.

Tada Shun watched the arrows on the map representing the Youth Army, wildly expanding along the railway, finally reaching Zhengding County and gaining a foothold in the Jizhong Plain.

What made Tada Toshin even more anxious was that in Xingtai on the Jinan Plain, Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps was fighting the Japanese 20th Division and the Japanese 1st Mixed Brigade.

Now Lv Muzhi had burst out of Niangzi Pass, reached Zhengding County, and gained a foothold in Jizhong.

Then, Lv Muzhi could attack the weakly defended Beiping City to the north.

To the south he could join with Chu Yunfei to encircle the Japanese 20th Division and the Japanese 1st Mixed Brigade at Xingtai, and the two forces would link up, forming a military force of one hundred thousand.

The current Beiping City had its defenses emptied to the extreme, with only a Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade of the Garrison Mongolia Army maintaining order.

It could be said that Lv Muzhi didn't even need to link up with Chu Yunfei to take Beiping City directly.

With this force, before Lv Muzhi's Armored Cluster, it probably couldn't hold out for even half a day.

Flee toward Manchuria?

Tada Toshin quickly rejected this idea.

He had already received orders from the Imperial General Headquarters; even if he died, he must die within Beiping City.

His superiors had clear orders beforehand; if he fled back to his country, he would still be executed.

After thinking for a long time, Tada Toshin could only make a final struggle.

To the west of Beiping, in Jinbei, Suiyuan, and Chanan, the Garrison Mongolia Army had not yet been broken through by Qiu Qingquan.

The Garrison Mongolia Army had received support from the Kwantung Army's Japanese 1st Division and Japanese 11th Division, and with their original forces, they could also match Lv Muzhi beneath Beiping City.

"Telegram to Garrison Mongolia Army Commander Lieutenant General Okabe Naosaburo! Ask him to gather his troops, retreat along the Pingsui Railway, and defend Beiping City!"

"The entire Garrison Mongolia Army will withdraw, with the Japanese 26th Division defending Juyong Pass."

"The Japanese 1st Division, Japanese 11th Division, Japanese 2nd Mixed Brigade, Japanese 9th Mixed Brigade, and Cavalry Group will guard Beiping!"

"The Japanese 20th Division and Japanese 1st Mixed Brigade in the Xingtai direction, to avoid being encircled by Lv Muzhi, please break out on your own; I can no longer support them!"

This was almost the last gamble of the Japanese in North China.

And near Shanhaiguan, further north, the Kwantung Army had stationed heavy troops here.

This was the throat of entry into and exit from Manchuria, now crowded with Japanese Army soldiers and tanks.

Kwantung Army Commander Lieutenant General Umezu Yoshijiro was expanding the Kwantung Army; upon hearing of changes in North China, he had piled three hundred thousand Kwantung Army troops at Shanhaiguan.

This was the largest troop mobilization since the founding of the Kwantung Army, all to prevent Lv Muzhi's troops from charging into Manchuria.

Umezu Yoshijiro personally stepped forward to the frontline to supervise combat, and the headquarters moved to Huludao.

Dozens of warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy Third Fleet had already sailed into the Bohai Sea, blockading Shanhaiguan.

This was a joint sea-and-land great blockade, with only one purpose: absolutely not letting the Youth Army's tracks set foot on Manchurian soil.

Of course, Lieutenant General Meijing Meijiro could also choose to leave the pass to support Beiping, doing his utmost to preserve North China.

But if he did so, the troops would lose naval support.

If they suffered major losses before the Youth Army, it would be a case of losing more than gaining.

More importantly, if the Kwantung Army left the pass, who would guard against the greedy old Russians eyeing the land?

Weighing both sides, the Kwantung Army Commander could only choose to position the troops at Manchuria's entrance and exit, focusing on preserving Manchuria.

While the Kwantung Army guarded Shanhaiguan and the Garrison Mongolia Army returned to aid Beiping City.

Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu at Xuzhou smelled the scent of danger.

If he did not withdraw soon, once Beiping City fell, Lv Muzhi's main force would likely head south to encircle him!