Chapter 421: The World is Bustling, All for Profit; The World is Hurrying, All for Gain

Regarding the upcoming Wuhan Battle, the Nanjing Command in Hankou made the following decision: establish frontal defensive positions in northern Gan Province and southern Henan to block the Japanese Army's advance, with firepower deployed in echelons!

Among these, all positions east and north of the Dabie Mountains, as well as the region north of the Yangtze River, are to be held by the Fifth War Zone.

After receiving the order from the Nanjing Command, Bai Zhuge of the Fifth War Zone immediately began deploying the battle plan.

Sun Lianzhong's Second Group Army performed well in the Taierzhuang Campaign, annihilating the Segaya Detachment and the Sakamoto Detachment, and was therefore commended.

Sun Lianzhong's Second Group Army was promoted to the Third Army Group; meanwhile, the Guangxi Clique Troops blocking the Japanese Army's northward advance south of Xuzhou, Li Pinxian's Eleventh Group Army, were also promoted to the Fourth Army Group for their meritorious service.

Now, both the Third Army Group and the Fourth Army Group of the Fifth War Zone are under the command of Bai Zhuge!

This is the arrangement for the Jiangbei front. On the Jiangnan front, Xue Laohu was appointed by Chang Kaishen as Commander of the First Army Corps, while Zhang Fakui serves as Commander of the Second Army Group; both army groups are operating in Jiangnan.

To cope with the upcoming Wuhan Battle, the Nanjing Command established the Ninth War Zone, which includes the region south of the Yangtze River in E Province, the northeastern part of Gan Province, and the entirety of Hunan Province.

The Commander of the Ninth War Zone is concurrently held by Wuhan Garrison Commander Chen Cheng, who has unified command over the two army groups of Xue Laohu and Zhang Fakui!

Xue Laohu and Zhang Fakui are also old acquaintances under Chen Cheng, and both have served under Chen Cixiu many times.

During the Battle of Songhu, Zhang Fakui and Xue Laohu were the commanders of the left and right wing forces under Chen Cheng; furthermore, Chen Cheng has a very good personal relationship with both, and they can be considered Lao Chen's capable generals.

While the Chinese side is discussing the strategy for the Defense of Wuhan, the Japanese Army is not idle either!

At the Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo, many internal personnel of the little devils believe that as long as they concentrate their forces to take Wuhan, the National Government might quickly surrender to the Japanese Army.

Because it has been a year since the war started, and "he who gains the Central Plains gains the world"—Xuzhou has already been taken by the Japanese Army, and combined with the Pingjin Region and East China, the little devils occupy almost half of China's territory.

If they take Wuhan now, it would be like stabbing a knife into the heart of the National Government.

Most of the Japanese Army agrees with this view; one wonders what medicine the little devils took or what wine they drank?

It is likely the fake liquor sold by Gazi, as many Japanese soldiers actually believe such rhetoric, thinking that once Wuhan is taken, and then Guangzhou is taken, the National Government will completely surrender.

To take Wuhan, the little devils have decided to mobilize 400,000 troops this time, including 240,000 newly formed troops, with a war budget of 3.3 billion yen.

In terms of troop strength, this is the largest battle the little devils have invested in since the start of the major battles, and the budget investment is also unprecedented, which is enough to show the importance the devils place on Wuhan.

Originally, the Japanese Army and Navy were clearly at odds; what the Army supported, the Navy would certainly oppose, and conversely, what the Navy wanted to do, the Army would certainly oppose.

However, for this Wuhan Battle, the Navy firmly agreed with the Army's plan; the reason is that the little devils' Navy must advance along the Yangtze River to attack Wuhan, so the Navy could join in and win certain benefits.

Due to the participation of the Navy, the devils' Navy naturally sought more benefits, so the Navy strongly demanded that the Army units attack along the Yangtze River;

With the Central China Area Army serving as the main force, the Japanese Army north of the Yangtze River would strike directly at Hankou, while the Japanese Army on the south bank would outflank Wuhan, cut off the Han-Yue Railway, sever the Chinese army's retreat route, and encircle the defenders! But!

Just as the little devils were wholeheartedly preparing for the Wuhan Battle, in the border area between China, Korea, and the Maozi country, a small mountain peak suddenly entered everyone's field of vision.

This mountain peak is called Zhanggufeng, and it is a peak less than 160 meters high!

Due to the weakness of the Qing Dynasty, many territories in the Northeast region were not clearly demarcated when signing treaties with the former Tsarist Russia; after the Maozi country inherited the legacy of Tsarist Russia, they were also bickering with the Republic of China Government over border issues.

Zhanggufeng is located in the border area of the three countries; the Maozi country believes Zhanggufeng is theirs, while the little devils believe Zhanggufeng is adjacent to Korea and Manchuria, and since they now occupy these places, this Zhanggufeng is naturally their territory as well.

A squad of soldiers from the Maozi country was the first to climb Zhanggufeng, digging trenches and setting up Barbed Wire on the mountain, which immediately alerted the Kwantung Army.

Furthermore, several Kwantung Army soldiers disguised as scouts were discovered by Maozi country soldiers while drawing maps on the border line and were killed on the spot.

The Kwantung Army felt that this was the Maozi country provoking them first; in their view, the Nanjing Command had been beaten to a pulp and routed for thousands of miles by the Imperial Army, and the reason they had not surrendered yet was that the Maozi country had provided aid to the Republic of China.

If not for the weapon support from the Maozi country, given the nature of the Nanjing Command, having lost so much territory, they would have long since been beaten to the ground by the Imperial Army and obediently signed unequal treaties with the Empire.

This is all the fault of the Maozi country, and the little devils decided it was time to teach the Maozi country a lesson and let them know their power! Ever since the Russo-Japanese War, when the little devils defeated Tsarist Russia, Japanese soldiers have had a natural contempt for the soldiers of the Maozi country, believing them to be vulnerable.

Many low-ranking soldiers were also clamoring to have a fight with the Far East Area Army of the Maozi country.

For low-ranking soldiers, military merit is the path to promotion; what is the purpose of the Kwantung Army's existence? It is to guard against the Far East Area Army of the Maozi country! The Central China Area Army and Pingjin Area Army inside the Great Wall have captured so much territory, and many people have gained huge military merits and been promoted very quickly, which makes the low-ranking soldiers and officers of the Kwantung Army very jealous!

They also want to be promoted and get rich; staying in the Northeast region every day, staring at the Maozi country, they are tired of looking at each other. It would be better to have a fight, test the combat effectiveness of the Maozi country, and at the same time, see if the Maozi country has any intention of moving south to support the Republic of China.

First, the Kwantung Army in the Northeast region began to assemble rapidly, and at the same time, the Japanese 19th Division stationed in Korea was also moving toward the border of the Maozi country.

This series of Japanese troop movements was naturally detected by Director Dai of the Military Statistics Bureau.

After analysis by the Military Statistics Bureau, Director Dai knew that the small mountain peak of Zhanggufeng had now become the focus of the dispute between the Maozi country and the Japanese Army.

After this matter was reported to the Nanjing Command, many military and political officials were very happy.

Everyone urgently needed external forces to aid the Republic of China Government because, having fought the Japanese Army for more than a year, their family assets were almost exhausted.

Coupled with the appeasement policy of Europe, the isolated Nanjing Command seemed to have been abandoned by the whole world.

In a small courtyard in Hankou, Xue Laohu, Zhang Fakui, Sun Zhen, Sun Lianzhong, and Li Pinxian were also eating hot pot! This gathering was initiated by Xue Laohu! The hot pot was a "mandarin duck" pot with spicy red broth and clear broth; as Sichuan Army officers, Sun Zhen and Yu Hua certainly liked the red broth! If you don't have red broth when eating hot pot, can you even call it hot pot! Xue Laohu held the gathering mainly to build rapport with Sun Zhen and Yu Hua, although Yu Hua had served under Xue Laohu for a while during the previous Battle of Songhu.

However, Yu Hua now has a certain influence within the Sichuan Army, and his future is boundless!

Furthermore, after the Sichuan Army left Sichuan, they fought bloody battles in Songhu, Taihu, and fought fiercely at Niangziguan and Xuzhou, achieving many battle records.

Due to the Lanfeng Battle, the army under Xue Laohu was beaten into a mess by Doihara Kenji's 14th Division, which made Xue Laohu quite unconvinced. If he had a team like the 22nd Group Army under his command, Xue Laohu would definitely be able to twist off Doihara Kenji's head and kick it like a ball.

Right now, for the Wuhan Battle, Xue Laohu needs to build a relationship with the 22nd Group Army to avoid a situation like the Lanfeng Battle.

Who knew that just as the hot pot started, the adjutants of Xue Laohu, Li Pinxian, Sun Zhen, Sun Lianzhong, and others all ran into the small courtyard and began to tell their respective superiors about the Zhanggufeng incident.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fakui shouted: "Good!"

"Gentlemen! If the Maozi country joins the Sino-Japanese War, then we are very likely to launch a counterattack against the Japanese Army ahead of schedule!"

Sun Lianzhong also nodded: "These little devils are quite bold this time, actually daring to touch the Maozi country."

"Once we form an alliance with the Maozi country, the old Maozi will definitely provide us with a steady stream of military aid;"

"Unlike now, being stingy and not generous at all; after we hand over materials like Bristles and Tung Oil to the old Maozi, we still have to urge them before they slowly ship the goods."

Many generals at the scene were also very much looking forward to the old Maozi having a fight with the Japanese Army and then entering the fray to directly send troops to aid the Republic of China Government.

After all, during the Tsarist Russia era, the old Maozi were beaten once by the little devils, and both sides have a deep blood feud; once they start fighting this time, the old Maozi will likely fight hard to take revenge! For the Republic of China Government, that means having one more ally, and they are no longer fighting alone!

To this end, the National Government also sent diplomats to contact the old Maozi frequently.

The frequent contact between the Chinese side and the old Maozi also caught the attention of the Japanese Special Higher Police, who also cabled back to the Imperial General Headquarters.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters also constantly thought about countermeasures; once the old Maozi and the Republic of China form an alliance, the pressure they face now is great, and they need to consider how many troops to invest to stabilize the situation.

The pressure from the old Maozi on the little devils is naturally greater than that of the Republic of China Government, and the Japanese Army began to actively abandon the Wuhan Strategy, preparing to invest the 400,000 mobilized troops into the Northeast region.

As long as they solve the old Maozi first, the remaining small Republic of China Government would be like an adult beating a child for the little devils, and they could easily take Wuhan.

In the small courtyard!

Sun Zhen heard everyone's discussion and was also inclined to believe that the Russians might enter the fray and participate in the Sino-Japanese War.

Only Yu Hua did not think so; Xue Laohu and Sun Zhen both noticed that Yu Hua had not expressed an opinion on this matter, and both of them asked Yu Hua.

"Brother Yu!"

"Regarding the Zhanggufeng Incident, do you think the Russians will form an alliance with us?!"

After Yu Hua finished chewing the food in his mouth and swallowed it, he said: "Commander Xue, Commander Sun."

"Regarding this matter, my view is that the Russian nation is not yet prepared to go to full-scale war with the Japanese Army."

"The final result will be that big problems are reduced to small ones, and small ones are reduced to nothing!"

After Yu Hua reached this conclusion, many at the scene widened their eyes, and everyone inside kept exclaiming that it was impossible! This was absolutely impossible!! Facing this group of people who looked at him with disbelief, Yu Hua could not very well say, "I am a transmigrator, history is just like this; after the Japanese devils and the Russians had a fight at Zhanggufeng, both sides eventually reconciled."

Yu Hua looked at everyone: "I know you are unwilling to believe it, but from the perspective of the international situation, the Russian nation is unwilling to expand; the best outcome for this matter is reconciliation."

"If you don't believe it, then let's just wait and see the final result!!"

In the following few days! The Russians assembled 10 infantry battalions, and the Japanese Army assembled four infantry regiments; the two sides fought the first battle at Zhanggufeng.

The Russian commander was initially Vasily Konstantinovich Blyukher; everyone might find this name unfamiliar, but he also had a Chinese name, which was Galyun! Galyun was one of the five Marshals commissioned by the Russian nation in 1935.

Afterwards, the Russians increased their troop strength to 23,000, while the Japanese Army remained the 19th Division; during this engagement, the Japanese Army's firepower was clearly at a disadvantage, but because the Russian nation was unwilling to expand the war, and furthermore, had indicated it would not intervene in the Sino-Japanese War.

Once the Japanese Army had probed and clarified the Russian nation's ultimate goal, they also did not intend to continue mobilizing troops on the Northeast border, and turned their focus back to the Wuhan Battle.

The two sides finally issued a statement that the Zhanggufeng Incident had been resolved through peace negotiations! In Hankou, many high-ranking military and political officials of the Nanjing Command were dumbfounded when they learned that the Russians had actually chickened out and yielded to the Japanese devils.

Everyone had completely failed to anticipate this result! How had the Russians become so cowardly, without a shred of mettle, not daring to have a big fight with the Japanese devils! In a small courtyard in Hankou, Xue Laohu, Zhang Fakui, Sun Lianzhong, and others were still eating from a mandarin duck hotpot.

This time, everyone had gathered together after obtaining the result of the Zhanggufeng Incident.

Everyone was cursing the Russians for chickening out, saying they had no backbone at all; to be provoked by the Japanese devils like this and still not dare to have a big fight.

A group of generals were now all very angry; those who were usually refined and humble gentlemen had all turned into ruffians.

Seeing everyone cursing the Russians, Yu Hua spoke softly: "Gentlemen, to forge iron, one must be strong oneself; our War of Resistance cannot rely on Europe entering the fray; at critical moments, we must rely on ourselves."

"Why the Russians are unwilling to expand the war with the Japanese Army is nothing more than their own core interests; they are not in the Far East right now, but in Europe!"

"National interest is always the first priority; Stalin cannot possibly sacrifice his own country's interests to intervene in the Sino-Japanese War and help us fight the Japanese devils."

"Regarding the intervention of external forces, my view is that the time is not yet ripe; the War of Resistance must still rely on us, continuing to maneuver with the Japanese devils and holding on bitterly while waiting for change."

The Grand Historian was right: the world is bustling for profit, and the world is jostling for profit; the Russians certainly won't do a losing business, and this little conflict in the Far East is far less threatening to the Russians than the aggressive rise of the Third Reich.

Yu Hua's words also made the generals at the scene think carefully; to forge iron, one must be strong oneself—this principle is eternal!

(End of this chapter)