Chapter 48: Northern Expedition 1

Just after New Year's Day 1926, the banyan trees in Yangcheng were still a glossy green, but the air at the Huangpu Military Academy was already thick with the smell of gunpowder. Li Yuxuan stood before the barracks of the Third Division, watching the soldiers conduct their final tactical drills, his brow slightly furrowed.

Time had passed too quickly; before he knew it, it was January 1926. Originally, he had planned to spend two or three months drilling his troops into shape and then join the main force for the Eastern Expedition, but he never expected Chen Jiongming's Rebel Army to collapse so fast—by the time he had his three regiments battle-ready, the fighting on the eastern front was already over.

And now, the gossip had been relentless.

"Look at Li Yuxuan's Third Division, training behind closed doors every day—are they afraid to go to the battlefield?"

"I doubt it. I heard he hired three Germans as regimental commanders. Probably all show and no substance, too scared to fight for real."

"Maybe he's just a useless fool who got to be Division Commander through his connections with the Principal..."

"Division Commander, people are talking about us avoiding battle again." The Adjutant reported in a low voice, hesitating as if he wanted to say more.

Li Yuxuan clenched his fists, turned around, and strode straight toward Jiang Ruiyuan's command post.

"Young Master, I request to go to the battlefield." Li Yuxuan pushed the door open and entered, his tone resolute.

Jiang Ruiyuan was studying the troop deployment map for the Northern Expedition. He looked up at the words, put down the pencil in his hand, and said, "Jingxing, don't mind what others say. I still have great faith in you."

He stood up, walked over to Li Yuxuan, and patted him on the shoulder: "I went to see those three regiments earlier, and they really are quite different from our other units. Their tactical movements are clean and sharp, and their spirit carries a fierce edge. I'd say they're even stronger than Ye Ting's Independent Regiment."

Ye Ting's Independent Regiment was widely recognized as an elite force, and to receive such praise showed that Jiang Ruiyuan truly acknowledged him. But Li Yuxuan shook his head: "Young Master, there's no need to persuade me further. An army that never sees battle is useless no matter how much it trains—what's the difference between that and a paper tiger?"

He looked out the window at the soldiers training, his gaze firm: "The brothers have been longing for the battlefield for over half a year. If we don't let them fight soon, their morale will collapse."

Jiang Ruiyuan was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, Jingxing. Now that we're preparing for the Northern Expedition, you'll go ahead and scout the way."

He pointed at the direction of Jiangcheng on the map: "Go test the waters at Wu Peifu's place first. His troops look numerous, but they're really just a rabble, and their equipment is poor. If you really can't win, come back quickly—don't fight to the death."

"Yes, Young Master!" Li Yuxuan snapped to attention and saluted, then turned and left, his steps as light as if he had shed a thousand-pound burden.

As soon as he left, the staff officer beside him leaned in: "Chairman, are you really willing to let Li Yuxuan's division serve as the vanguard? That's the elite force in our hands."

Jiang Ruiyuan looked back at the map, a hint of meaning curling at the corner of his mouth: "Now that we're preparing for the Northern Expedition, we need to first feel out the three major warlords. Zhang Zuolin is in the Northeast, with too deep a foundation; Sun Chuanfang holds the Southeast, with strong troops and horses. Only Wu Peifu is the weakest, with a disorganized army. Even if Jingxing can't win, he should have no problem making a clean retreat."

He paused, his voice dropping a little: "I never expected him to take Jiangcheng in one go anyway. We're still reorganizing our forces, no need to rush into a head-on clash. Besides..."

The staff officer smiled knowingly: "You want Division Commander Li to shut up those gossips?"

"Everyone outside is saying Li Yuxuan is a useless fool." Jiang Ruiyuan snorted. "Then let him prove whether the soldiers he trained are useless fools or not."

On the other side, in the command post of the Third Division, Li Yuxuan shouted as soon as he entered: "Someone come!"

The guard immediately stepped forward: "Reporting!"

"Notify all officers for a meeting, as fast as possible!"

"Yes, sir!"

Before long, Huang Wei, Du Yuming, Hu Zhongnan, as well as Rommel, Guderian, and Karl Dönitz had all arrived. Around the long table, everyone looked at Li Yuxuan, their eyes full of anticipation—from the look of things, something big was about to happen.

Rommel spoke first, asking in accented Chinese: "What's up, Li? From the look on your face, good news?"

Li Yuxuan nodded, unable to suppress the excitement on his face: "The Chairman has finally allowed us to take the field! For this Northern Expedition, the Third Division will be the vanguard. I want to fight a brilliant battle and shut up all those gossips!"

"No problem!" Guderian pushed up his glasses, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "I've been waiting for this. It's time to test the results of our half-year of training."

Dönitz added steadily: "I've looked into Wu Peifu's forces. Their equipment is outdated and their discipline is lax—they're indeed a good target. But they've entrenched themselves in Central China for years; Local Warlords are hard to beat. We need to plan carefully."

"Then let's start discussing which route to take." Li Yuxuan spread out the map, pointing at the area controlled by Wu Peifu. "There are currently three routes: the left route goes through Hunan, borrowing the way through Changsha to attack Jiangcheng; the middle route goes directly north from Jiangxi, striking straight into Wu Peifu's heartland; the right route follows the Yangtze River east, first taking Anqing, then making a detour to encircle him."

Huang Wei immediately said: "I think the left route is best! Tang Shengzi's forces in Hunan can support us, they know the terrain, and we can avoid a lot of detours."

Du Yuming shook his head: "The left route is safe, but Wu Peifu is definitely guarding that side too. His forces are concentrated there, making it hard to break through. I think the middle route is better—catch him off guard and hit him where he least expects it!"

Hu Zhongnan mused: "The right route follows the Yangtze, convenient for water transport, so supplies of grain and ammunition can keep up. But the dense network of waterways makes it hard to deploy large forces..."

The argument grew heated, but Rommel kept staring at the map without saying a word. Only when everyone looked at him did he tap his finger on the border between Sanxiang and Jiangxi: "I think we can split into two forces."

"Two forces?" Li Yuxuan leaned in.

"Send one regiment on the left route, advancing with great fanfare to draw Wu Peifu's attention, making him think we're going to attack through Sanxiang." Rommel's finger traced toward Jiangxi. "The main force moves covertly, cutting through Pingxiang in Jiangxi and striking straight at Jiangcheng's flank and rear—that's Wu Peifu's supply line, hitting him where it hurts most."

Guderian's eyes lit up: "That's a good move! Feint to the east while attacking to the west—it fits perfectly with the 'Lightning Assault' tactics we've been training! By the time Wu Peifu reacts, we'll have already taken his granaries!"

Dönitz also nodded: "Let me add one thing. Send a small team disguised as merchants to infiltrate Jiangxi in advance, scout out the bridges and ferry crossings along the way, and ensure the main force can pass through quickly."

Li Yuxuan looked at the routes on the map, then at the eager officers before him, his confidence growing stronger by the moment. He slammed the table: "It's settled! Rommel takes the First Regiment on the left route, pretending to be the main attack; I'll take the Second and Third Regiments on the middle route to carry out the penetration mission! Depart in three days—target: the outskirts of Jiangcheng!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone answered in unison, their voices making the window paper buzz.

As he walked out of the command post, the setting sun was dyeing the horizon red. Li Yuxuan looked at the soldiers on the parade ground who had already begun packing their gear, and silently thought: Wu Peifu, and all those who call me a useless fool—just wait.

This battle must not only be won, but won brilliantly—to show the might of the Third Division and the fighting spirit of the Huangpu Student Army!

The bugle of the Northern Expedition had already sounded in the wind, and his Third Division was about to march north.