Chapter 78: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 78 Sitting on the Cold Bench

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"Two tigers, two tigers, run fast, run fast, one has no eyes, one has no ears...."

Lv Muzhi rode on horseback, the melody of this nursery rhyme cycling uncontrollably in his mind.

The soldiers of the Northern Expedition Army were singing the Northern Expedition Army Song, "Down with the imperialist powers! Down with the imperialist powers! Eliminate the warlords! Eliminate the warlords......"

The tune of the Northern Expedition Army Song and the nursery rhyme "Two Tigers" were exactly the same, both adapted from a French nursery rhyme.

The brisk and catchy Northern Expedition Army Song rose and fell in the marching column, the soldiers singing the Northern Expedition Army Song with high morale.

In the marching column of the Second Division Supplementary Regiment, Lv Muzhi rode a tall horse.

Du Yuming rode his horse over beside him and asked, "Muzi, don't you feel it's a pity?"

"Pity what?"

"We've all heard that before the oath-taking assembly, the Principal originally intended to transfer you to the First Division's First Regiment as regimental commander—that's our main force. I said you wouldn't stay in our supplementary regiment for long, but you didn't go, and the position was taken by Sun Yuanlang. Don't you have any thoughts about it?"

Song Xilian had long wanted to discuss this topic, and he spurred his horse to catch up, interjecting, "Exactly! Now in the First Division, Sun Yuanlang is the First Regiment Commander, Hu Gongnan is the Second Regiment Commander. If it were me, hearing this news I'd be so angry I'd slap my thigh!"

Guan Linzhen was equally curious: "That fellow Sun Yuanlang can become a regimental commander, yet you're still stuck in our supplementary regiment, Muzi. What are you after?"

Lv Muzhi smiled, his gaze still fixed on the column advancing ahead: "Sun Yuanlang got up there because he climbed onto Wang Bolin's connections;

as for Hu Gongnan, he indeed has military merit and is smooth in his dealings, so becoming a second regiment commander is no surprise.

I'm different—I've been following Chief Liu from the start. I'm unfamiliar with the people in the First Division; even if I went there reluctantly, I might not be able to stand firm."

Lv Muzhi said this with his mouth, but in truth there was another important reason he was unwilling to go to the First Division: to save his life!

He knew clearly in his heart that Wang Bolin had a record of deserting in battle during the Eastern Expedition to Danshui, and Sun Yuanlang was a notorious teammate-saboteur.

Going to the First Division looked like a promotion, but was actually jumping into a pit of fire.

According to historical context, in the later Nanchang Campaign, Wang Bolin would flee in battle for the second time in his life, and Sun Yuanlang would contribute his first act of desertion in his military career.

In later online comment sections, these two men had very bad reputations. With this foreknowledge, why would he go stir up that muddy water?

By comparison, following Liu Zhi at the present stage, although it was only a supplementary regiment, had the advantage of knowing each other well, and he had greater autonomy.

At least, fate could be held in his own hands.

Moreover, the current Liu Zhi had not yet become senile; his fighting will and command skill level could be considered a highlight period in his own life, and following him would be smoother.

The current progress of the Northern Expedition was going much more smoothly than expected.

The oath-taking for the Northern Expedition was officially held on July 9th, and on July 11th, good news from the front had already arrived: the vanguard composed of Li Jishen's Fourth Army, Li Zongren's Seventh Army, and Tang Shengzhi's Eighth Army had, like a force smashing through bamboo, captured the Hunan provincial capital of Changsha!

And at this very moment, the First Army had just arrived at Zhuzhou by train along the Canton-Hankou Railway, preparing to make a forced march of forty kilometers to Changsha.

For this Northern Expedition, the First Army had only dispatched the First Division and the Second Division; the other three divisions were led by Army Commander He Yingqin, remaining to guard the Two Guang Base Area.

"Leaving Army Commander He Yingqin in Guangzhou, and transferring Wang Bolin to the front—the Principal is giving Wang Bolin a chance to make amends through merit." Du Yuming said thoughtfully.

Lv Muzhi nodded: "After all, Wang Bolin and the Principal have a close relationship. In this Northern Expedition, if Wang Bolin's First Division can achieve merit, the matter of Danshui will no longer be mentioned."

However, Lv Muzhi knew that under current circumstances, the First Division could not achieve merit, and the Second Division likewise had no place to shine, because the Hunan battlefield was entirely the home turf of the Fourth Army, Seventh Army, and Eighth Army!

Especially the Fourth Army, which had earned the name of Iron Army in the Northern Expedition, and the Seventh Army, which had earned the name of Steel Army; cooperating with Tang Shengzhi's Eighth Army, they fought from Hunan into Hubei, almost all of them fighting at the front, while the First Army's two divisions served as the reserve force, sitting on the cold bench in the back.

If the First Army's First Division and Second Division wanted to achieve results, they would have to go to Jiangxi to fight the warlord Sun Chuanfang of Nanchang.

However, Hunan had not yet been fully taken at present, so this cold bench would probably have to be sat on for some time.

The day after capturing Changsha, the Principal and several army commanders held a meeting; Tang Shengzhi was made Frontline Commander-in-Chief, deciding that the Northern Expedition forces in Hunan would be divided into two columns: Tang Shengzhi's Eighth Army as the left column, and the Fourth Army and Seventh Army as the right column;

The First Army's Wang Bolin First Division and Liu Zhi Second Division, serving as the reserve force, with Wang Bolin as the commander-in-chief of the reserve force.

The left and right columns advanced northward all the way, pushing the blade of their troops into Hubei territory, while the reserve force followed behind, and the Principal sat in the Northern Expedition General Headquarters watching.

Along the way, countless large and small battles occurred.

The Miluo River Campaign: the Fourth Army and Seventh Army crossed the Miluo River by force, captured Pingjiang City, captured over seven thousand enemy soldiers... the First Army sat on the cold bench in the back,

The Fourth, Seventh, and Eighth Armies captured Yueyang, took Wulipai, and drove the Hunan warlords cleanly away...... the First Army sat on the cold bench in the back,

Troops dispatched to Tongcheng, the Northern Expedition Army entered Hubei... the First Army was still sitting on the cold bench in the back,

Now fighting a bloody battle at Tingsiqiao, facing the first natural barrier of southern Hubei, unsurprisingly, the First Army was again and again sitting on the cold bench in the back.

"Brothers, cheer up, our reserve force is always ready to... enter... combat..." Du Yuming raised his fist before the soldiers to inspire morale, but the more he said, the less confidence he had.

"Battalion Commander, we're always ready—we've been ready for over a month. Every time, at most after the Fourth Army and Seventh Army finish fighting, we go out to pursue the remnants..." a platoon leader said helplessly, clearly dissatisfied.

"Shut up! What are you saying? Defeatist talk!" Second Battalion Commander Guan Linzhen waved his whip, about to go teach him a lesson, but Lv Muzhi reached out to stop him.

Song Xilian stepped forward and said, "Muzi, serving in this reserve force is truly stifling! Most importantly, it wears down morale."

Seeing all three battalion commanders staring at him, Lv Muzhi was somewhat speechless: "What are you all looking at me for? Is it because I made you serve in the reserve force?"

Everyone lowered their heads and dispersed in all directions to maintain order.

"We took it! We took Tingsiqiao!" the scout Lv Muzhi had sent out returned to report.

The reconnaissance soldier was obviously exhausted, gulping water while saying, "The Fourth Army, with Zhang Fakui's unit as the main attack, took Tingsiqiao; Ye Ting's Independent Regiment led the pursuit of the defeated enemy, expanding the battle results!"

The success of the Tingsiqiao Campaign was a victory for the Northern Expedition Army, a great and satisfying thing, but for the men of the First Army, it was simply too lacking in a sense of participation.

This helplessness of sitting on the cold bench spread from the division commander down to the soldiers among the First Army's two divisions; even for the Principal, who served as the Northern Expedition's Commander-in-Chief, it was like sitting on pins and needles!

"Regiment Commander Lv! Division Commander Liu wants to talk to you!" The division's communications soldier conveyed Liu Zhi's order.