Chapter 106: Moon

After leaving the President's Office, Li Yuxuan immediately rushed to the Fifth Army garrison. He wants to ensure the unit remains in optimal condition at all times to meet any possible foreign invasion.

In the camp, he summoned officers above the regiment level for a meeting. When he announced that Jiang had originally planned to redeploy the Fifth Army to participate in the suppression over there, the hall instantly erupted in murmurs.

"Commander, the Chairman is about to ruin our national defense!" the First Division Division Commander said emotionally, "If the Fifth Army is exhausted, who will resist when the Japanese come?"

The Chief of Staff was comparatively calm: "However, the Chairman's concerns are not without reason. The forces over there are indeed growing, and if they are not eradicated early, we may face endless trouble later."

"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser," Li Yuxuan said in a low voice, "The trouble from those people can still be controlled. An external invasion, however, would be a disaster that could bring down the nation. We must preserve our strength for unforeseen needs."

After the meeting, Li Yuxuan climbed alone to the camp's watchtower. Looking far to the northeast, his heart was filled with worry. Since last year's Middle East Road Incident, the Japanese Kwantung Army's activities have become increasingly frequent, and various signs indicate they are brewing a larger plot.

"Time is running short," he muttered to himself, "We must accelerate the pace of national defense construction."

While Li Yuxuan was busy preserving the Fifth Army's strength, the President was already planning the second "encirclement". This time, he mobilized eighteen divisions and three brigades, totaling 200,000 troops, vowing to erase the previous humiliation.

At the Nanchang camp, the President personally summoned the commanders of each unit. He stood before a massive Sand Table, holding a pointer and gesturing at the map: "For this encirclement, we must adopt a steady, methodical tactic, advancing step by step. Each unit must cooperate closely and advance gradually."

At the same time, in the central Soviet area of Gannan, Yongzhi and Yujie were also actively preparing for battle. At the military meeting, Yongzhi sharply pointed out:

"The President's current approach is even more ferocious, but the enemy's weakness is also evident. There are heavy contradictions among the units, and command is not unified. We must continue to employ a tactic of luring the enemy deeper, concentrate our superior forces, and defeat them one by one."

In April, the second "encirclement" officially began. The Jinling forces advanced in four columns toward the Soviet area, but as Yongzhi had anticipated, the units' coordination was inexperienced, and progress was slow.

Late at night on a day in May, Li Yuxuan was urgently summoned. When he arrived at the President's Office, he found the President's complexion unusually grim.

"We just received a secret report," the President pushed a telegram onto him, "The Japanese Kwantung Army has been moving frequently lately; they may be planning a major action."

Li Yuxuan felt a jolt in his heart and quickly skimmed the telegram. The intelligence showed that the Kwantung Army was reinforcing Fengtian, Changchun, and other locations, while also intensifying military exercises.

"President, now you understand why I insist on preserving the Fifth Army, right?" Li Yuxuan said in a low voice, "The external threat is imminent!"

The President sighed deeply: "Jingxing, perhaps you are right. Issue the order: the Fifth Army shall immediately enter Level‑One combat readiness, prepared to deploy north at any moment."

At this critical moment, battle reports from the front kept arriving. The Red Army employed flexible, mobile tactics, consecutively securing victories at Futian, Baisha, and several other locations, while the Jinling forces suffered heavy losses.

In June, as the second "encirclement" entered its critical phase, the situation in the north deteriorated further. The Japanese Kwantung Army repeatedly provoked incidents, and the clouds of war loomed over the northeast.

"Order the front‑line units," the President had to make a difficult decision, "to halt the offensive and shift to defense."

Facing the increasingly tense international situation, Li Yuxuan intensified the preparation work. He personally supervised the Arms Factory's expanded production, while also ordering the Fifth Army to conduct targeted training.

During a military exercise on the banks of the Yangtze River, Li Yuxuan said to the troops:

"Brothers, we may soon have to face a truly formidable enemy. The Japanese are well‑equipped and well‑trained; this battle will be exceptionally arduous. But for the country, for the nation, we must stand up!"

"Swear to die for the country!" The soldiers' shouts rang up to the heavens.

Meanwhile, on the other side in northwest Fujian, the scorching sun beat down. Yongzhi stood on a height outside Jianning City, gazing at the extending Wuyi Mountains. He lightly tapped his leather boots with the riding crop in his hand, his eyes reflecting a sharply considered resolve.

"Comrade Political Commissar, all units are ready," the Chief of Staff reported, "but... many comrades cannot understand abandoning the northwest Fujian base."

Yongzhi turned, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers waiting behind him. They had just won a victory in Jianning, yet now they were to voluntarily abandon this base won with blood.

"Tell the comrades," Yongzhi's voice was calm and strong, "this is not a retreat; we are drawing the enemy into our own arena. Like fishing, you must first cast the line."

On the morning of July 10, the main force of the western front quietly set out. This contingent of over 30,000 men did not choose to retreat directly to Gannan, but instead moved secretly along the rugged mountain roads at the Fujian‑Gannan border. Yongzhi and Yujie walked side by side at the front of the column, and their cloth shoes were quickly dampened by the dew.

"Chief," Yongzhi said, looking at the continuous mountain range, "the President's forces are even more ferocious this time; a 300,000‑strong army wants to swallow us whole. We'll lead them around these mountains and see who collapses first."

Yujie smiled in understanding: "It's perfect to let those Jinling forces taste the strength of our army's iron soles."

During the march, Yongzhi occasionally stopped to talk with local villagers. In a small village called Huangpi, an elderly farmer recognized him: "Comrade Political Commissar, where are you all heading?"

Yongzhi smiled and handed the old farmer a cigarette: "Sir, we are going to guide the Jinling forces, to show them the beautiful scenery of our Gannan."

When night fell, the troops camped in the deep forest. Yongzhi, by the faint glow of the campfire, carefully marked the marching route on the map. He explained to the commanders beside him:

"By moving along the Fujian‑Gannan border, we aim to keep the enemy uncertain of our movements. He Yingqin must now be guessing whether we intend to advance east into Fujian or retreat west to Gannan. By the time they figure it out, we will already be waiting at our doorstep, ready to strike from ease."

Sure enough, while the troops there were secretly redeploying, the Jinling forces' front‑line commander He Yingqin was raging at the map in the Nanchang camp: "Where exactly is the main force of those troops? Is the air‑recon just eating dry rice?"

In July, the situation continued to worsen. The Japanese military openly boasted of "thoroughly solving the Manzhou issue," and the Kwantung Army's provocations intensified.

Inside the Jinling Presidential Office, the President finally realized the seriousness of the situation and urgently summoned Li Yuxuan: "Immediately formulate a northward operation plan; the Fifth Army must be ready to deploy at any moment."

However, everything was already too late. While they were anxiously preparing, the Kwantung Army had already completed its final deployment.

Standing before the Military Map, Li Yuxuan stared at the northeast region for a long while. He knew that this time, the Fifth Army truly had to march to the battlefield.

"Once we go, I don't know how many brothers will return," he sighed softly, his eyes showing both worry and resolve.

Outside the window, thunder rumbled and a storm approached. A tempest that would change Huaxia's destiny was about to sweep across the northeast lands.