Chapter 156: Opening the Battle

Li Yuxuan's Jeep rattled along the road riddled with shell craters, its headlights cutting through the night over Baoding's outskirts. The command post was set up at the old Qinghe Daoist Office site, the eaves‑laden building now hung with military maps and telephone lines, and a temporary antenna was strung in the courtyard, swaying slightly in the night wind.

"Jing Gong!" the chief of staff of the 29th Army rushed forward, his eye sockets sunken. "The Japanese Kwantung Army's two divisions have already reached the battlefield, and with the garrisoned troops the total strength exceeds eighty thousand. Langfang and Yangcun fell this morning; Song the commander is still hesitating whether to concentrate forces for a decisive battle."

Li Yuxuan strode into the command post, tore off his white gloves and slapped them on the table. Under the kerosene lamp, the blue arrows representing the Japanese on the battle map had already formed an encirclement. "Foolish!" he shouted, grabbing a red pen and drawing heavy circles around South Garden, West Garden and Changxindian. "The 29th Army is dispersed in garrison, right in the Japanese's grasp. Send my orders: the Fifth Army's 14th Division to immediately seize Liangxiang and construct German‑style defensive fortifications; the 200th Division to bypass Mentougou overnight and cut off the Japanese supply line."

He turned, grabbed his armament belt, "I'll take the Guard Battalion to see Song Zheyuan again. Chief of Staff, this is yours now."

The night was as dark as ink. The convoy sped along the muddy road, occasionally having to avoid fleeing crowds. A ragged boy clutching a peeled sweet potato stared blankly as the military vehicle passed. On the opposite truck, wounded soldiers struggled to salute the battle flag, their hoarse shouts drifting in the night wind: "General, save Yanjing!"

Li Yuxuan clenched his sword at his waist; the gilt cloud pattern on the scabbard had darkened from sweat.

On the morning of July 14th, the atmosphere in Beiping City was heavy. Li Yuxuan met the still‑hesitant Song Zheyuan at the Temporary Command Post. On the table lay the Ceasefire Agreement sent by the Japanese, the ink still wet.

"Mingxuan," Li Yuxuan slapped a piece of intelligence onto the table; in the photo the Japanese tanks rumbled forward. "This was taken this morning: the Japanese 20th Division has reached Fengtai, the 5th Division is gathering in Tianjin. They intend to wipe out the 29th Army in one net!"

Song Zheyuan stared at the densely packed tanks in the photo, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. At that moment, a shrill engine roared from outside; a Japanese reconnaissance plane skimmed low, its bomb bay doors clearly visible beneath the fuselage.

"Good!" Song Zheyuan slammed the table, "As Jing Gong said, I order the 37th Division to hold West Garden, the 132nd Division to hold South Garden, and cooperate with the Fifth Army in battle!"

But they did not know that this newly forged joint operation plan was being copied by the traitor Pan Yugui and would soon be sent to the Japanese headquarters.

At dawn on July 15th, the Liangxiang position faced its first test.

Inside the German‑style reinforced concrete bunker, the commander of the 14th Division held his telescope steady. Ahead of the position, a mass of Japanese tanks advanced, their tracks kicking up clouds of dust.

"Range eight hundred, request fire cover!"

In the Baoding command post, Li Yuxuan stared at the sand table: "Howitzer Battalion, provide covering fire! Anti‑tank Artillery Company, advance forward!"

Dozens of German‑made 150 mm howitzers roared in unison, shells whistling through the morning mist and blooming death flowers among the Japanese tanks. One Japanese tank was hit directly, its turret blown several meters into the air. Yet more tanks kept advancing, infantry pouring behind them like a tide.

Inside the bunker, the MG34 general‑purpose machine gun spat fire, spent casings raining down. Waves of Japanese fell, only to be continuously replenished. Suddenly, a shell detonated beside the bunker, concrete shards spraying everywhere. A machine gunner was blown into the trench, landing hard while still clutching an empty ammunition belt.

On the anti‑tank artillery position, the soldiers aimed calmly. Armor‑piercing shells struck the tank tracks precisely, a Japanese tank lurching to a halt. Yet the Japanese tanks were countless; when one was destroyed, another instantly filled the gap. A gunner took a chest wound, still struggling to load the last round, pulling the trigger before losing consciousness.

The fierce fighting lasted until dusk, corpses strewn across the Liangxiang position. The 14th Division suffered over one‑third casualties; an infantry battalion was reduced to fewer than a hundred men. Over the phone, the division commander's hoarse voice came: "Chief, the Japanese assault is too fierce..."

"We must hold!" Li Yuxuan said resolutely, "The 200th Division has cut off the Japanese logistics; reinforcements will arrive in two days. I'll assign another German‑equipped infantry regiment to you; Liangxiang must not fall!"

On July 17th, the Japanese changed their main attack direction, massing forces to slam into South Garden.

The South Garden position was flat, and the 132nd Division's troops were hurriedly repairing fortifications. Upon learning of the Japanese assault, the division commander immediately readjusted the deployment, but the hastily built trenches could not stop the Japanese tanks' impact.

Li Yuxuan, upon hearing the news, urgently ordered Huang Wei to lead the Guard Regiment and a German‑equipped infantry battalion to reinforce. The convoy reached the Yongding River bank, where it was suddenly ambushed by Japanese cavalry.

"Prepare for close‑quarters combat!" Huang Wei brandished his sword and shouted. The German‑equipped infantry scattered quickly, MP18 submachine guns spitting fire, Japanese cavalry falling from their horses.

Huang Wei's left arm was slashed by a saber, blood soaking his uniform, yet he kept swinging his sword in the melee. A Japanese cavalryman charged head‑on; Huang Wei sidestepped, then thrust his sword back, piercing the rider's horse. As the cavalryman fell, he clutched the blade; Huang Wei pulled it out with effort, the sword now drenched in fresh blood.

By now the South Garden position was on the brink of collapse. The 132nd Division's troops used their very bodies to block Japanese tanks, many soldiers rolling beneath tanks clutching bundled grenades. Everywhere the position erupted in brutal close‑quarters fighting; a company commander took a gut wound yet kept commanding from the trench until the last drop of blood drained from him.

When night fell, the South Garden defenders finally linked up with the reinforcements. After quickly bandaging his wound, Huang Wei immediately organized the remnants to build a second defensive line. Looking at the mountain of corpses piled on the position, the usually hard‑hearted man couldn't help his eyes redden.

"Count casualties, resupply ammunition," he rasped, "We must repair the fortifications before dawn."

Far in Baoding, Li Yuxuan received the battle report and silently walked to the window. The Huabei Plain under the night sky was lit by artillery, turning the horizon a dark red. He recalled the wounded who had saluted the battle flag when he left Beiping, and the hopeful eyes of the fleeing civilians.

"Relay orders to all divisions," he said as he turned, his eyes now sharp again, "Pull back the defensive line, hold firm for reinforcements. Tell the front‑line troops that aid is on the way."

The aide noticed that the general's hand gripping the sword had its knuckles turned white.