Chapter 266: Old Xu, This Battle Must Be Won

The orders were issued, and Xu Guozhang's dark face suddenly flushed with an excited red glow.

He thrust his chest forward, slapped the table, and began to sing loudly in the command post, his voice rough and soaring, carrying the desolate tone unique to the battlefield:

"Big and small boys, listen to the seed: First, beat the drum to forge battle rations; second, beat the drum to tighten battle robes; third, beat the drum to draw swords from their scabbards; fourth, beat the drum to hand over the troops! Those who advance all receive reward; those who retreat inevitably take a cut!"

The chant rang strong and resonant, thudding the ground, as if the entire command post had become a marching camp about to set out.

Jiang Anguo understood every word, yet he did not grasp the tune or its source. Watching Xu Guozhang gesturing wildly, fully immersed in his emotions, he asked curiously, "Older brother, which song are you singing?"

After finishing his song, Xu Guozhang lowered his stance and said seriously, "Little brother, you wouldn't know that! I love listening to operas the most; this is from 'Dingjun Mountain'!"

"I see," Jiang Anguo realized.

He shook his head, his gaze turning razor‑sharp: "I don't understand opera! But I know Dingjun Mountain! In the Battle of Hanzhong, the veteran General Huang Zhong slew Xiahou Yuan in a single charge, gaining fame! Coincidentally, outside Yichang there is also a mountain called General Mountain!"

He stepped forward, his eyes blazing as he looked at Xu Guozhang, speaking each word deliberately: "In this battle, I will make the Sichuan Army famous abroad! Xu elder brother, your 150th Division will be the first unit under my command to storm Yichang and cut down the Little Devil's 13th Division banner!"

These words ignited Xu Guozhang's blood more than any opera could.

Xu Guozhang nodded heavily, his eyes reddening, his voice trembling yet resolutely firm: "Got it! Since the Sichuan Army left Sichuan in 1937, we have suffered countless casualties, despised by the Central Army as straw‑shoe soldiers! This time, brother, I will stake my old bones and fight to showcase the true might of our Sichuan Army regiment!"

Jiang Anguo pounded his shoulder firmly, his tone brimming with confidence: "Old Xu, rest assured! In this battle, we have enough planes and cannons! We'll let the Little Devils taste what a steel storm is!"

Jiang Anguo knew this was Xu Guozhang's reassurance, but in truth Jiang Anguo had not said that they were only given five days; if Yichang was not taken within five days—

—then retreat would be the only option, each returning to their own defensive sector.

Attacking Yichang, Jiang Anguo had no fallback: either victory or a disgraceful retreat back to Lashu!

The military order loomed like a mountain; overnight, the quiet outskirts of Changde became a rolling torrent of iron.

The 150th Division's army set out, without cheering crowds, without resonant bugle calls, only the countless rustle of straw‑shoes on mud and the dull clang of equipment colliding.

They moved like a silent giant dragon, heading toward the misty mountains of western Hunan, their target Wufeng Mountain.

In the ranks, a young soldier named Deng Mao furtively pulled a yellowish cartridge from his ammo pouch, held it to his nose and inhaled forcefully; the gun‑oil and metal scent of the 7.92 mm round seemed more fragrant to him than any delicacy.

He couldn't help but bring it to his mouth, blew away the nonexistent dust, grinned foolishly and said, "Hehe, Squad Leader, this bullet is really brilliant!"

"Snap!" A large, calloused hand pounded his back of the head hard.

"You brat! Put that bullet away! Don't be disgraceful!" Squad Leader Zhang Yi lowered his voice to scold, but a hint of laughter twinkled in his eye, "You little treasure, never seen a bullet before? Guess you'll get to fire plenty in the future!"

Deng Mao covered his head, laughing even more, deftly shoving the prized bullet back into his ammo pouch.

Zhang Yi cursed outwardly, but his heart was filled with countless emotions.

He had served eight years, since the Sichuan Army left Sichuan; when had he ever seen such a display? In the past, a soldier receiving twenty rounds for the battlefield was a luxury. Most of the time, he carried an old Hanyang rifle, a few Hand Grenades at his waist, and relied on a big sword and a reckless ferocity for the rest.

But now?

He glanced at his own bulging ammo pouch, then at the neighboring soldiers' pouches nearly overflowing, his mind as clear as a mirror.

The Independent Regiment's Regiment Commander, Jiang, ordered that each soldier's rifle ammunition must not be less than 150 rounds! One hundred fifty rounds! That used to be the ammo allotment for two squads!

What amazed these veterans even more was that Jiang Anguo also assigned a Transport Company specifically to the 150th Division. After searching in vain for a few drivers, they had no choice but to let soldiers of the Independent Regiment handle the driving. The Transport Vehicle towed a trailer packed with ammunition, food, and medicine.

This "Motorized Cavalry Company" became a mobile warehouse, allowing the troops to finally abandon the days of marching with heavy rations and scant ammunition.

"Squad Leader, do you think… we really are going to attack Yichang?" Deng Mao whispered, both nervous and excited.

Zhang Yi glared at him, "Don't ask what you shouldn't! Just follow and go!"

But inside, he felt as if he were holding a bundle of fire.

Zhang Yi looked up toward the distance, muttering, "Yichang… damn it, this time we'll make the Little Devils' sky burst open with our Sichuan Army!"

But before they had gone far beyond Changde, everyone was suddenly halted!

Everyone was stunned, seeing a clearing piled with supplies that resembled tiny mountains.

"What is this?" a curious soldier asked, moving closer.

"Uniforms! New uniforms!" someone shouted, voice filled with disbelief.

Jiang Anguo and Xu Guozhang stood side by side, watching the soldiers gather around.

The tattered uniforms, soaked with sweat and torn by rocks during the march, looked especially glaring beside the brand‑new supply piles.

"Brothers! Gather around!" Xu Guozhang cleared his throat and shouted with all his might, "Regiment Commander Jiang has given everyone new clothes! Throw away those ragged strips on your bodies!"

In an instant, a restrained cheer rose from the valley. The soldiers, like during New Year, scrambled to receive the new uniforms—a khaki fabric they had never seen before, thick and crisp.

Squad Leader Zhang Yi also received a set; he ran his fingers over the smooth fabric, his fingertips trembling slightly. He removed his patched‑up old uniform and carefully put on the new one.

When he fastened the final button, he instinctively straightened his back, feeling the heavy ammo pouch at his waist become part of the new uniform, filling him with strength.

Next to him, Deng Mao was even more flustered; the new clothes on his body made him so happy he spun around twice, then patted his equally bulging ammo pouch and laughed broadly at the Squad Leader: "Squad Leader, look! New clothes, new shoes, a full load of bullets! Now we finally look like soldiers!"

From time to time, an officer shouted nearby, "Check the ammo pouches; anyone who loses bullets will be dealt with by military law!"

Under the moonlight, the ragged old uniforms were piled aside like trash, while the soldiers in new attire made the entire unit seem reborn.

No longer the ragged, pale‑faced straw‑shoe soldiers, they were now a meticulously uniformed, spirited elite force. The confidence and pride radiating from their bones set the whole camp's morale ablaze.

Xu Guozhang, looking at the newly revitalized brothers before him, moved excitedly to Jiang Anguo's side, gave his shoulder a firm pat, and said in a hoarse yet powerful voice:

"Little brother, what you give is the face of our Sichuan Army, the dignity of our comrades!"

Jiang Anguo smiled faintly, his gaze deep: "Old Xu, this battle must be won!"

"Older brother, I will sacrifice my life if needed, just to help you capture Yichang!" Xu Guozhang declared loudly.