Chapter 511

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Tang Enbo recounted everything he had seen and heard in detail.

The old man waved his hand impatiently and said: "What 'preparing for a rainy day' and 'guarding against famine'?"

"I still say the same thing: Lv Wei Yue wants to stockpile grain and bide his time to become king."

Song Zhiwen thought for a moment: "Henan is densely populated; if a famine truly occurs in a few months, I estimate that if we do not take out over a billion legal tender notes to buy grain for relief, a large number of people will starve to death."

Upon hearing this, the old man was startled; he actually wanted so much money to buy grain for relief, his printing press would practically smoke from overuse.

Song Zhiwen sneered: "If a disaster truly breaks out, we might as well let Lv Wei Yue handle the relief."

"Lv Wei Yue absolutely cannot produce so much money for relief; we will watch from the side, and if people starve to death in Henan under his governance, first, the Youth Army will lose the people's hearts, and second, we can justly punish Lv Wei Yue and denounce him!"

Hearing this, the old man thoughtfully said: "Observe first; you all collect the grain taxes Lv Wei Yue owes the central government."

"My energy must still be placed on the military affairs of the Expeditionary Force!"

The military affairs of the Expeditionary Force mentioned by the old man finally kicked off not long after.

On February 15, 1942, Malayan Army Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Percival announced his surrender.

Eighty thousand British soldiers directly became prisoners of Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu, Commander of the Japanese 25th Army; this was the largest organized surrender in British Army history.

This victory was considered by the Japanese Army to be the greatest land victory in history, and was called by British Prime Minister Churchill the worst disaster in British Army history.

Yamashita Tomonobu led over forty thousand men sweeping south from the north across more than a thousand kilometers of the Malay Peninsula, until occupying Singapore.

Army Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu thus earned the title "Tiger of Malaya."

The Japanese Army achieved final victory on the Malay Peninsula; Southern Army Commander-in-Chief General Terauchi Hisaichi arranged for Yamashita Tomonobu to lead his troops back to Thailand to garrison and recuperate, guarding against attacks on Thailand's Imperial General Headquarters by Zhongnan State and the Youth Army.

On the basis of Yamashita Tomonobu ensuring Thailand's stability, General Terauchi Hisaichi mobilized four divisions—the 18th, 33rd, 55th, and 56th—to launch an attack on Burma.

Under the Japanese Army's powerful offensive, Rangoon, Burma's largest city, was captured by the Japanese Army.

Burma Governor Smith was helpless and could only arrange for the British Army to withdraw northward.

The British could no longer hold out, nor did they dare to put up a brave front; while retreating, they sent telegrams requesting aid from Xia Guo's Expeditionary Force.

The Expeditionary Force had long been waiting on the border between Xia Guo and Burma; after receiving the central government's order to depart, they rushed to the battlefield at full speed.

Luo Zhuoying, Du Yuming, Stilwell, and others established the Expeditionary Force Headquarters at Lashio.

Burma Governor Smith also hurried to Lashio to seek help from Xia Guo's Expeditionary Force.

"Gentlemen, the Japanese Army has occupied Rangoon; our army is retreating toward Pyinmana and Tonggu; we request Xia Guo's troops to cover our army's retreat."

In Smith's words, it was clear that the British Army no longer had any intention of continuing to fight.

The only significance of Xia Guo's Expeditionary Force to the British Army was to cover the British Army's safe withdrawal.

Luo Zhuoying and Du Yuming were very unhappy after hearing this; it was obvious they were using the Expeditionary Force as a tool.

Expeditionary Force Chief of Staff Stilwell said: "Governor Smith, the situation may still turn around; as long as the British Army cooperates, these Xia Guo young men of the Expeditionary Force can play a significant role."

Governor Smith paid no attention to this: "Role? Over a hundred thousand soldiers of my Great British Empire cannot stop the Japanese Army's offensive... they..."

He had originally intended to belittle the Expeditionary Force, believing it could play no role at all.

But upon second thought, he was the one asking for help.

The British Army was suffering defeat after defeat and wanted to withdraw to India, but the Japanese Army pursued them relentlessly from behind.

Governor Smith needed Xia Guo's Expeditionary Force to take action and pin down the Japanese Army, so that his British Army could smoothly withdraw to India to recuperate.

Thus, Governor Smith said: "The determination of Xia Guo's Expeditionary Force moves me greatly; the Japanese pursuit toward Tonggu is extremely urgent; please have your troops immediately advance toward Tonggu, where over three thousand of my men are alone facing the Japanese Army's attack."

Having spoken to this extent, and to ensure the Burma Road remained open, Du Yuming voluntarily said: "My Fifth Army can go to support Tonggu."

Smith was very excited: "Excellent; I have already prepared trains at Mandalay that can transport a division's troops to the Tonggu front; please send your troops to Mandalay to take the train south!"

Under Du Yuming's arrangement, the 200th Division struck first, advancing south along the Burma Road.

The 200th Division marched day and night with such vigor, certainly not to defend the British, but to ensure the Burma Road remained open and to break the Japanese Army's encirclement and blockade of Xia Guo.

The 200th Division, serving as the vanguard, had 11,000 men under its command, equipped with many T26 Tanks; it had repeatedly achieved military merit on Xia Guo's anti-Japanese battlefield, and its division commander was Dai Anlan, a graduate of Whampoa's Third Term.

That the elite 200th Division served as the vanguard for this battle showed how much the old man valued it.

The 200th Division's troops reached Mandalay Train Station via the Burma Road, where British officials were already waiting.

The British had prepared trains in advance and loaded all of the 200th Division's personnel and equipment onto the trains, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

The train traveled south for over three hundred kilometers, delivering the 200th Division's personnel and equipment to the Tonggu front.

Tonggu City was on the front lines of combat, with a railway running through it and an airfield available not far to the northwest; it was a place the Japanese Army urgently wanted to occupy.

The morale of the British-Burmese First Division stationed here was extremely low; after experiencing one defeat after another, everyone wanted to leave this place quickly and withdraw to India to defend.

The British and Burmese soldiers of the British-Burmese First Division, upon seeing Dai Anlan's 200th Division arrive to support them, were all elated; they then packed their gear and directly withdrew northward.

Dai Anlan rode a Dogu horse, and his troops were advancing south toward Tonggu City.

Meanwhile, the British troops ran out of Tonggu City one by one, withdrawing north along the Railway Line.

The two forces were moving in completely opposite directions.

The soldiers of the 200th Division watched the British soldiers flee in a sorry state and felt that a fierce battle was imminent.

The British soldiers watched the fine appearance of the 200th Division's soldiers, their opinion of the Xia State Army improved, and they secretly sighed in their hearts: these people were merely here to fill the line; their only role was to pin down the Japanese for a day or two, or even just a few hours, to buy time for the British Army's retreat.

Zheng Tingqi of the 200th Division's 598th Regiment drove a jeep out from the city and came before Division Commander Dai Anlan, who was riding a tall, large horse.

"Division Commander, the Japanese Army's 55th Division is pursuing toward Tonggu City; the British-Burmese First Division has handed over the full defense of Tonggu City to us; they are retreating to Pham Na to recuperate!"

This was a true situation of the weak attacking the strong.

The Japanese Army's 55th Division had over twenty thousand men under its command, with sufficient air support and an advantage in artillery fire.

Meanwhile, Du Yuming's 200th Division, with over eleven thousand men under its command, had no air support and inferior artillery fire compared to the Japanese Army.

Du Yuming's face did not change color as he waved his horsewhip: "We came here to fight, not to save the lives of the British; a foreigner's life is not worth more than ours!"

The Japanese want to cut off the Burma Road and encircle Xia Guo; we absolutely cannot let them succeed.

Don't be scared; dying for the country is the utmost glory!