Chapter 247: Commander, we

Jiang Anguo was slightly startled, then understood Yan Xing's meaning, and with interest crossed his arms: "Oh? Tell me. But I must remind you, we currently have only two guard Squads and a bunch of pilots who are just 'babies' that can only fly planes. What do you want to do?"

When will Jiang Anguo have so few cards to play?

A C-47 transport can only carry the weapons of 28 soldiers; if the weapons are removed, perhaps it can squeeze in a few more.

Jiang Anguo's 448th Regiment, with over three thousand men, would need more than a hundred C-47 flights; Changde Airport certainly cannot hold that many transports.

Yan Xing did not answer directly, but strode to the map and jabbed his finger heavily on the word "Yichang".

"Commander, look!" his voice carried an uncontainable excitement, "Because the Japanese Army is attacking our Zhejiang-Jiangxi defense zone, that is the Little Devil's 'Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign', the Japanese Army will definitely pull a large number of elite troops from Wuhan and Yichang southward. Yichang now is manpower‑thin; its defensive strength has dropped to the lowest point since the war began!"

He lifted his head, his eyes blazing as he looked at Jiang Anguo: "What is Yichang? It's the throat of the entry into Sichuan! It's the gateway defending Chongqing! Back in the day, when Guan Yu carelessly lost Jingzhou, Liu Bei could never get out of Sichuan again, because Lu Xun nailed him firmly under Yichang City! This nail, if not pulled out, Chongqing will never have peace!"

Good fellow! Good fellow!

Jiang Anguo's heart leapt. He instantly understood Yan Xing's entire scheme.

Xue Yue's attack on Yueyang is to cut off the Japanese Army's arm reaching into Hunan. Yan Xing's proposal to strike Yichang is to thrust directly at the Japanese Army's dagger pressed against Chongqing's chest!

"Your plan is…" Jiang Anguo asked further.

"Or 'encircle points and strike reinforcements'!" Yan Xing's voice was decisive, "We will use the air force to launch devastating, sustained strikes on Yichang's Japanese Army airport, dock, and command center! We will push Yichang's defenders to the brink of collapse!"

"They will inevitably request aid from Wuhan! And the Japanese Army in Wuhan, being unable to protect themselves, will either dare not move, or can only send limited troops via the Yangtze River waterways or roads to reinforce!"

Yichang is also called Yiling.

Lu Xun's fire‑burned encampments were here; Liu Bei could never have imagined that after entering Yizhou, he would spend his whole life trapped at Yiling by Lu Xun.

"At that time," Yan Xing's eyes flashed with a wolf‑like gleam, "the Yangtze River will become our slaughterhouse! Our bombers, our fighters, will send their reinforcements, together with their warships, down to the riverbed! As long as the reinforcements are annihilated, Yichang will be a solitary city! A solitary city with no air force, no reinforcements!"

This plan is crazy, bold, yet filled with deadly allure!

If successful, its strategic significance even surpasses Xue Yue's capture of Yueyang! Recapturing Yichang will utterly crush any possibility of the Japanese Army threatening Chongqing from the west, granting the rear true peace. This is a feat worthy of the annals of history!

Jiang Anguo's breathing grew rapid; he could feel his blood boiling. He stared at Yichang on the map, as if already seeing the Japanese Army's warships ablaze on the Yangtze River.

But…

The flame of excitement was quickly doused by a bucket of ice water.

Jiang Anguo slowly, slowly lifted his head, looking at the excited Yan Xing, his face showing an extremely complex expression, both approving and deeply helpless.

He stretched out his hand, pointed at himself, then at Yan Xing, and then spread his hands.

"Yan Xing."

"Your plan, perfect."

"Your conception, genius."

"But the problem lies in…"

"I have no troops!"

Jiang Anguo was shaken by Yan Xing's crazy yet meticulous plan beyond measure, but when he calmed down, the most realistic problem resurfaced before his eyes.

"Yan Xing, your plan is practically perfect, but the final step, the 'finishing blow', still depends on someone's mood. What if the Senary War Zone or Xu Guozhang refuses? We can't just send planes to bomb Yichang and let the Little Devil's own forces emerge, delivering Yichang to us, can we?"

Yan Xing, however, shook his head with unusual firmness, a faint inscrutable smile appearing on his face.

"No, Commander. We don't need to watch anyone's mood, because we have troops."

Jiang Anguo was taken aback, then laughed, "You kid are circling me again. I have only this many people, plus the pilots, at most just over two hundred. Call that troops? That's a death sentence for me."

Pilots are so precious; how could Jiang Anguo let them take rifles and charge?

"Commander, you're mistaken." Yan Xing stepped forward, lowered his voice, "When I say 'we', I don't mean the Independent Regiment's two hundred men. These troops, aren't they right here, not far away?"

Jiang Anguo perhaps guessed something, a spark flashing in his eyes: "You mean… borrow troops from Xu Guozhang?"

Changde city has troops, and even a division's strength.

"Not borrowing, cooperating!" Yan Xing corrected, "We go not to ask him to send troops, but to tell him that Yichang is a piece of fatty meat, our Independent Regiment has already roasted it with planes, just needs him to move his chopsticks, and it can be eaten. Do you think a soldier, faced with such sky‑fallen merit, would refuse?"

Xu Guozhang is a decent person; although Jiang Anguo hasn't spent much time with him, this man is straightforward.

"Good! Good job, Yan Xing!" He slapped Yan Xing's shoulder, "Come, let's go to Changde now and meet Xu Guozhang!"

Inside Changde city, the 150th Division headquarters.

Xu Guozhang was sighing at the map. Xue Yue is to attack Yueyang; this ally stationed in Changde also feels great pressure, having to guard against Japanese Army breakthroughs from other directions while staying ready to support.

The main issue is still the sheer gap in strength; the Sichuan Army, being a step‑mother's child, lacks proper weapons and equipment, and supply logistics are a huge problem.

If the Japanese Army hadn't come, needing Sichuan Army manpower, who knows what would happen.

Xu Guozhang was troubled; his adjutant reported that the Independent Regiment's Jiang Anguo, Regiment Commander, had arrived.

"Oh? The junior brother has arrived! Please, please!" Xu Guozhang's eyebrows lifted with joy, personally went out to greet him.

Jiang Anguo entered with Yan Xing, and Xu Guozhang warmly gave him a punch, speaking in authentic Sichuan dialect, laughing: "Junior brother, what wind blew you here! Is there some good news you want to ask old brother for?"

"Old Xu, I only come when there's nothing to do at the Three Treasures Hall." Jiang Anguo laughed in reply.

"Sit, sit! Have tea!" Xu Guozhang pulled Jiang Anguo to sit, personally poured him a bowl of hot tea, "Speak straight, you and I are brothers, no empty talk."