Chapter 296: Capture Xiao Ting, Eat Twice‑Cooked Pork

"Does the Military Commission know the 150th Division is attacking Yidu?" Xue Yue asked skeptically.

Not to mention Xue Yue; he was the second to know. The first was Wu Yizhi, and the telegram was in Wu Yizhi's hands.

The others present were even more bewildered; this Xu Guozhang truly had the audacity to attack Yichang.

The 27th Group Army's Yang Sen and the 30th Group Army's Wang Lingji exchanged a glance.

This Xu Guozhang's 150th Division belongs to the Sichuan Army Corps; according to the previous hierarchy, it also belonged to Liu Xiang's faction. After Liu Xiang died, his troops were divided among subordinates, mainly Liu Wenhui and Wang Lingji—just a chaotic power struggle.

"Commander Xue, this 150th Division dares to attack Yidu," said Yang Sen.

"How could it not dare? The telegram has already arrived. Good fellow, he's a division commander yet dares to order me, a war zone commander. What does he mean!" Xue Yue said, somewhat angry.

Wang Lingji, as an important figure of Liu Xiang's faction, usually had dealings with Xu Guozhang.

"Commander Xue, do you think we should send several units to support the 150th Division?" Wang Lingji said anxiously.

"Fang Zhou," Xue Yue paused, drawing a line on the map, "Changsha is over four hundred li from Yichang. Even the shortest support from Changsha would take at least ten days to half a month. This suggests Xu Guozhang is mad; doesn't he know the 13th Division of the Little Devil is stationed in Yichang? That's a Class A Division."

Wang Lingji wrote, Fang Zhou.

Xue Yue was very pessimistic about Xu Guozhang's 150th Division. Changsha to Yichang is only a little over two hundred kilometers; Yichang, like Wuhan, has already been fortified by the Japanese Army with permanent fortifications. Capturing it would require a huge price.

He, Xue Yue, in the th War Zone, concentrated his strongest forces; taking a single Yueyang cost half a division's troops.

Xue Yue shook his head, "First inquire with Chongqing whether they know about the 150th Division."

However, shortly after, Chongqing's telegram also arrived.

To Xue Yue's surprise, the Military Commission gave a confirming reply: the 150th Division and the Independent Regiment were attacking Yichang.

The order to Xue Yue's th War Zone was to contain the Japanese Army's Central China main force toward Yueyang, while also ordering the 18th Army Fangtian Unit and the 11th Division's Hu Lian Unit to fully cooperate with the 150th Division in seizing Yichang.

Xue Yue decisively ordered, "Notify all units to contract the defensive line, strengthen vigilance, and dispatch reconnaissance units to sweep northward along the railway for enemy activity."

Thick fog spread over the river surface.

Five American-made LCI landing craft moved through the fog like ghosts; diesel engines low‑roared, propellers churning the reflected waning moon. On deck, 150th Division officers and soldiers stood silently, strategic supplies arranged in the middle, boots on slick steel plates, rifles cradled at their chests, eyes fixed on the opposite bank,

Xu Guozhang also crossed the Yangtze River with the last batch of troops; now his 150th Division, over 8,000 men, had all successfully crossed, and at this moment it was like the tyrant Xiang Yu breaking cauldrons and sinking boats—a fight with the river at his back.

Xu Guozhang stood on the bridge of the first landing craft, a Colt pistol gifted by Jiang Anguo hanging at his waist, glinting coldly.

He said nothing, merely staring fixedly ahead.

The landing craft proceeded smoothly, stopping at the nearest point to the shore; the soldiers leapt out, stepping shallow then deep as they moved toward the bank.

Xu Guozhang also reached the shore, ignoring the icy water in his boots, and rushed straight toward the most conspicuous line of massive objects on the beachhead.

It was an entire line of freshly landed 105 mm howitzers.

The massive barrels were half‑visible in the thin morning fog, their dark mouths slightly raised, pointing to the heavens. The riverbank mist left droplets on the steel tubes, and these iron behemoths exuded a chilling, suffocating murderous intent; Xu Guozhang seemed to see that with a single order, their shells would blast the Little Devils into the air.

Xu Guozhang halted, reached out to touch the cold barrels; the rough metal texture stirred his heart. He suddenly turned, pointed at the big guns, and shouted loudly to the chief of staff Lin Wenbo behind him:

"Old Lin, take a look! See? My dear brother, it's perfect! Truly magnificent, absolutely magnificent!"

In Xu Guozhang's voice, excitement was hard to hide, even a slight tremor.

On this front where every inch of land costs an inch of blood, heavy firepower is more precious than gold. Each cannon is a lifeline that can save hundreds or thousands of brothers.

Moreover, they are from the Sichuan Army, as if raised by a stepmother.

Earlier, Jiang Anguo, to augment the 150th Division's firepower, deliberately added eight 94‑type mountain guns and six Maxim Heavy Machine Guns; this alone made the division commander and regiment commander adore them beyond measure.

They had never seen so much good equipment; previously they had only a few small cannons, now they got mountain guns, heavy machine guns, and even heavy artillery.

Chief of staff Lin Wenbo stood nearby, looking at the brand‑new gleaming heavy guns; a long‑missing smile appeared on his face as he nodded repeatedly, "Division Commander, you are absolutely right. This Jiang regiment commander's effort is indeed substantial! These are authentic American 105 mm heavy guns, and he managed to equip our 150th Division with six of them in one go. Such generosity and force are unmatched in the entire war zone."

Not only the entire war zone, but all units—these are the first to be equipped with American artillery; Jiang Anguo's troops also field German 105 mm howitzers.

One 105 mm howitzer is only worth 150 points, and compared with Jiang Anguo's daily bounty from killing ghosts, it's trivial.

If it weren't for fearing that Xu Guozhang's troops had grown accustomed to a comfortable life and couldn't be impoverished, Jiang Anguo would consider swapping the Czech‑type light machine guns previously given to them for MG42s.

Xu Guozhang listened to Lin Wenbo's words, his eyes shining even brighter. In his mind it was as clear as a mirror: Jiang Anguo was worried that he might break his teeth on the hard bone of Xiao Ting.

The fighting at Yidu had not yet begun; Jiang Anguo himself was under great pressure, yet even so, Xu Guozhang thought Jiang Anguo had handed over his trump card firepower to him.

This was not only trust in a comrade but also a high regard for Xu Guozhang and the entire 150th Division.

With these six heavy guns, what fortifications at Xiao Ting could remain unassailable?

Xu Guozhang withdrew his gaze; the excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by a pre‑battle solemnity and resolve. He smoothed his wind‑ruffled collar and commanded in a deep voice, "Tell Xie Boluan, no matter what he does, Xiao Ting must be taken today! If we win, I'll treat him to twice‑cooked pork! If we fail, I'll personally smash his skull!"

"Yes!"

The messenger beside him, startled, straightened his back and saluted, then turned and sprinted toward the front‑line positions to deliver the blood‑stained order.

Several kilometers away, in the 448th Regiment's command post, the cannon fire roared deafeningly.

Regiment Commander Xie Boluan was holding a binocular, staring intently at the smoke‑filled Japanese Army positions ahead, his brows knit. Suddenly, a panting messenger rushed in, wiped the dust from his face, and loudly repeated Xu Guozhang's order.

After hearing the messenger, Xie Boluan slowly lowered the binocular, his expression turning remarkably vivid.

The Independent Regiment's first battalion commander, Quan Zong, also stood beside Xie Boluan, curiously eyeing the strange order.

"Our Division Commander, what madness is this..."

Xie Boluan shook his head, silently cursing his mother in his heart.