Chapter 252: Shipa

The gaze returned once more to Changde.

Jiang Anguo's plan to attack Yichang was bold, even Xu Guozhang felt a stir.

"Little brother, you really intend to attack Yichang," Xu Guozhang asked, looking at Jiang Anguo.

Xu Guozhang, after receiving the weapons Jiang Anguo sent, was internally panicking; after all, the Japanese Army's 13th Division was a Class A Division!

Jiang Anguo nodded and said seriously, "It's not that I want to attack Yichang; we cannot keep being pressed by the Japanese Army. On Chinese soil, when war breaks out, it must be our decision. This initiative must be in our hands!"

Jiang Anguo's words were unusually firm!

Xu Guozhang looked at Jiang Anguo's flame‑burning eyes and gave a heavy nod.

He no longer harbored any doubt, only the excitement and resolve of being swept into a massive torrent. He turned instantly and shouted at his adjutant:

"Got it! Little brother, I'll sell you my prestige! Go! Call Guard Company Commander Wang Mazi! Have him go to Shipa in person and deliver my handwritten letter to General Hu Lian! Tell him, even if the matter is huge, we must climb to it!"

Shipa Fortress, 11th Division Headquarters.

Rather than a headquarters, this place was a massive cavern. The damp air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and earth; water droplets seeped from the walls, pattering into a bucket and mingling with the distant roar of the Yangtze River. Under a dim kerosene lamp, a huge military map lay on a long table, and a man of modest height, slender face, whose eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, leaned over it, continuously marking with red‑blue pencils.

He was Hu Lian, Division Commander of the 11th Division, one of the youngest Major Generals in the Nationalist army, a fox famed for his silence and ruthlessness.

Throughout the headquarters, only the rustle of pencils on the map could be heard. No one dared speak loudly; the atmosphere was more oppressive than Changde's airport.

"Report!" a guard whispered at the cavern entrance.

Hu Lian didn't lift his head, merely gave a nasal "hm".

"Division Commander, a party sent by General Xu Guozhang of the 150th Division in Changde has arrived, claiming urgent military intelligence and requesting a meeting!"

Hu Lian's pen tip paused, leaving a dark ink blot on the map.

Xu Guozhang? That Sichuan Army commander? What urgent intelligence does he have that warrants sending someone to Shipa in person?

The two belonged to different war zones: Hu Lian to the 6th War Zone, while Xu Guozhang's Changde fell under the 9th War Zone. Though nearby, if there were truly matters, Xu Guozhang shouldn't be coming to Hu Lian.

He slowly lifted his head, his gaze knife‑sharp, sweeping to the guard at the entrance: "Let him in."

A dust‑caked staff officer in Sichuan Army uniform hurried in, stood at attention and saluted: "Guard Company Commander Wang Mazi of the 150th Division, by order of Division Commander Xu, presents an urgent letter to Division Commander Hu!"

Don't judge by Wang Mazi's rustic name; he's educated, and serving as a guard beside a Division Commander requires both bravery and a decent level of culture, lest it become a disgrace.

Wang Mazi set out on May 25, and now it was already May 31.

It took a full seven days for him to gallop from Changde to Shipa!

Hu Lian didn't take the letter; he leaned against his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and coldly examined him: "What matter is more urgent than holding Shipa?"

Wang Mazi, pressed by his aura to the point of breathlessness, steadied himself and loudly reported: "Report, Division Commander Hu! Colonel Jiang Anguo of the Independent Regiment has a combat plan on 'how to completely annihilate the Japanese Army's 13th Division' and wishes to present it to you in person!"

"Boom!"

The words exploded like a bomb in the silent cavern.

All the staff officers and adjutants in the headquarters halted their work, staring in disbelief at the Sichuan Army staff officer who seemed oblivious to reality.

"Total annihilation? The 13th Division?"

That Japanese Class A Division that committed heinous crimes in Nanjing and boasts formidable strength? An air force colonel aiming to wipe them out? It's sheer fantasy!

"You're insane!" the staff officer said.

"Since when has the Military Commission drafted a plan to completely annihilate the 13th Division?"

"What's going on!"

Hu Lian's face showed no expression. He was neither angry nor surprised, not even a hint of curiosity—remarkably calm.

He simply stared at Wang Mazi, his gaze as icy as Shipa's cliff walls.

After a full half‑minute, he finally spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and low:

"So, in Xu's Changde, Jiang Anguo has been quite active lately—he not only bombed Wuhan Airport but also Yichang Airport."

Jiang Anguo, his own brother‑in‑law; Jiang Anguo's third sister, Jiang Anling, married Hu Lian.

He isn't in Myanmar; how did he end up in the 9th War Zone?

Nevertheless, the bombing of Yichang Airport eased a great deal of pressure!

"Yes!" Wang Mazi replied.

"How many ground troops does he have?" Hu Lian asked again.

"He… he only has a Guard Company, perhaps even fewer."

"Oh?" Hu Lian's mouth curled a barely visible, mocking arc. "A Guard Company, plus a handful who can fly planes—he's daring indeed! He wants to annihilate an entire Class A Division?"

He stood, walked slowly to Wang Mazi, the distance between them less than a foot. The invisible pressure instantly soaked Wang Mazi's back with cold sweat.

"Go back and tell Jiang Anguo and Xu Guozhang," Hu Lian said softly yet with weighty force, "My 11th Division guards the gate of Chongqing; we are not a troupe for day‑dreaming. This is no joke. Tell Jiang Anguo, if he's bored, he can bomb a few more Japanese ships in the sky, but not make light of such a military matter!"

Having said that, he turned to leave, clearly regarding the matter as a ridiculous joke.

"Division Commander, hold!," Wang Mazi rushed, mustering all his courage, shouted, "Colonel Jiang also said, if Officer Xue launches an offensive near Yueyang, can the 11th Division cooperate with the 150th Division to attack Yichang?"

Hu Lian's steps halted.

He didn't turn, yet everyone saw his shoulder tremble slightly.

"The 9th War Zone wants to attack Yueyang," he sneered, "Has Xue Yue also gone mad!"

The cavern fell into dead silence again.

He felt his brother‑in‑law had gone insane, having won two victories behind Dai Anlan, somehow acquiring fighter planes and reaching a lawless, reckless state.

Hu Lian turned slowly, slowly.

He wasn't angry; he stared at the map, and after a long while said, "'Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao'—Officer Xue is employing the 'Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' strategy!"

In just a moment, Hu Lian discerned Xue Yue's intention.

The 3rd War Zone was under Japanese attack; if Xue Yue succeeded, the pressure on the 3rd War Zone would lessen greatly, and even without taking Yueyang, it could draw Japanese forces in Wuhan's attention.

"But Jiang Anguo—what does he truly intend?" Hu Lian could not read his brother‑in‑law's mind.

Yichang was indeed crucial, but Hu Lian had no choice; if his strength permitted, he would lead his troops to attack Yichang himself.

It was a full‑strength division that could garrison Yichang—the Japanese Army's Class A Division—while he only had the manpower of one division at Shipa; sending him to attack Yichang would be nothing but a death sentence!

Wang Mazi saw Hu Lian still hesitating and said, "Division Commander Hu, Colonel Jiang said that as soon as the higher‑ups confirm the attack on Yichang, he will have the weapons and equipment ready and will conduct an Air Drop above Shipa!"

Hu Lian still wanted to ask where the Air Drop would be.

"Division Commander, aircraft, our aircraft!" a guard soldier rushed in from outside the house, shouting loudly.

Hu Lian could hardly believe it; his brother‑in‑law had actually persuaded Chongqing!