Chapter 316: A Great Show

North of the River, 13th Division 65th Regiment Headquarters.

Zuojijianweiren quickly received this telegram. After reading its contents, he completely dispelled his doubts. He patted the map on the table, nodded with satisfaction: "Since the raid was repelled, that's good. The Imperial Japanese Army, truly mighty!"

However, the regiment commander did not notice a fatal detail.

In his final observation, the summit of Moji Shan seemed to be missing something: the huge flagpole that had once stood tall on the main position at the peak. In the first wave of intense artillery fire, that pole was shattered by Yao Quanyi's shells.

At this moment, Huang Long also realized this oversight.

"Damn! The flag's gone!" Huang Long slapped his thigh, looked at the bare summit, and immediately shouted at his men, "Quick! Gather the Little Devil's plaster flags, find a stick, and hang it up! Hang it highest!"

A few soldiers quickly collected every Japanese flag they could find on the position, even tearing strips from corpses to splice together. They fetched a broken wooden pole, re‑hung the extremely ugly, blood‑stained plaster flag, thrusting it forcefully into the ruins at the highest point of the summit.

When the flag unfurled in the wind, Zuojijianweiren on the opposite bank raised his binoculars again.

Seeing the flag flutter, a smug smile spread across his face.

"Very good, Moji Shan remains in our hands," Zuojijianweiren muttered proudly, unaware that what he saw was merely a lie meticulously woven by Yao Quanyi.

Beneath that ugly plaster flag, countless soldiers in yellow‑skinned uniforms, the Little Devils, gripped their steel rifles and stared coldly across the river.

They stood on the corpses of invaders, fixed their gaze on Yichang on the North of the River.

Jiang Anguo also rushed over from Luojia Chong, and the most critical thing was that he actually saw the Little Devils still hopping and leaping on the mountain.

His first thought was what on earth Yao Quanyi was firing; he resolved to have Yao Quanyi removed from his post.

"Find cover, the Little Devils still occupy Moji Shan," Jiang Anguo made a tactical move, rolling on the spot and ducking behind a small earthen mound.

The Guard Company soldiers instantly spread to both sides, surrounding Jiang Anguo, forming a battle formation, and the Machine Gun Position was already erected.

Jiang Anguo rubbed his knee, having hit a stone!

Just as Jiang Anguo was about to launch a second wave against Moji Shan, a Messenger appeared ahead, dressed in his own army's uniform—indeed, likely one of his own.

However, the Guard Company soldiers still stopped the Messenger.

"Order," the Guard Company soldier asked.

The Messenger, panting, shouted, "Fire burn Yiling!"

Good, confirmed to be his own.

The Guard Company brought the Messenger to Jiang Anguo's side; before Jiang could speak, the messenger said, "Regiment Commander, Moji Shan has already been taken by our forces."

Jiang Anguo wore a puzzled expression, certain it wasn't the Japanese Army that had taken it, since he had seen the Little Devils raising that ugly plaster flag.

He pointed at Moji Shan, "You say it's been taken, yet the Little Devils have already raised the flag."

The Messenger immediately replied, "Regiment Commander, it's not like that; over at Yao's side, our soldiers disguised as Little Devils to confuse the enemy on the opposite bank."

With that explanation, Jiang Anguo understood; so that was it.

Xiao Si, with keen eyes, wanted to go up and help Jiang Anguo, because he had just seen the Young Master hit a stone.

"Go, go, go, over there."

Jiang Anguo calmly patted his trousers, though his knee still ached faintly.

"Alright, go up and see," Jiang Anguo waved his hand, stepped forward; though his leg was a bit unsteady, his aura remained radiant, "Let me see this great show that Yao Quanyi the kid is putting on for me!"

May 31, 08:16 a. m.

Jiang Anguo's left foot stepped onto Moji Shan; on this modest hill, a group of Little Devils in yellow‑skinned uniforms still patrolled back and forth, their purpose being to put on a display for the opposite bank.

And Yao Quanyi, immediately upon occupying the hill, re‑established an Artillery position on the Little Devils' ground.

"Commander," Yao Quanyi came to Jiang Anguo's side.

Jiang Anguo nodded, patted Yao Quanyi, "Well done. Next we'll see whether the Little Devils come out of Yichang."

Yao Quanyi looked toward the opposite bank of the Yangtze River; with the naked eye he could see the Japanese Army on the other side waving, and he also raised his hand in response.

"Commander, according to the flight squadron's reports, they located a Japanese unit from Dangyang that came to reinforce in the Jing Mountains, and we bombed that unit in two waves," Yao Quanyi said.

Jiang Anguo glanced; the Little Devils that had already become score points, actually he had known it all along.

"It's like a limb of the 56th Division has been broken; now we'll see how Neishan Yingtaro makes his move," Jiang Anguo lifted his binoculars, looking at the Japanese Army positions across the Yangtze River.

Clearly yesterday's bombing did not hit Yichang's pier; the P‑38 fighters led by William and Nick mainly bombed the bunkers north of Yichang.

Whether ancient or modern warfare, the most common tactics remain feint east to strike west, or encircle Wei to rescue Zhao.

This bombing was arranged by Jiang Anguo's deputy regiment commander Yan Xing, precisely to lure the Little Devils into the northern Yichang area, making them think an attack would come from the north.

Perhaps they would never think that Moji Shan is the true launch point of the main offensive.

"By the way, Yao Quanyi, do you need a 155 mm howitzer later? I've already prepared it for you," Jiang Anguo glanced back at the Artillery position.

Yao Quanyi thought for a moment and said, "Commander, we don't need the 155 mm howitzer for now; we're too close to the Little Devils—only six or seven hundred meters away. Your marksmanship should reach the Little Devils across, so just prepare more 105 mm howitzers."

Jiang Anguo considered the Japanese 13th Division, which should have its own artillery regiment: 16 mountain guns, 36 field guns, all 75 mm caliber.

In fact, the Japanese division lacks heavy artillery; the Little Devils and Huaxia are on equal footing, and the 105 mm howitzer already counts as heavy artillery.

Heavy artillery is usually organized as regiments, attached to the Little Devils' first‑level army, then allocated to subordinate divisions as operational needs dictate.

Yichang, one could say, is a key defensive stronghold for the Little Devils and also a staging point for the upcoming assault on Chongqing, having dispatched the 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment.

A total of 24 150 mm heavy howitzers.

Unfortunately, that unit, under yesterday's P‑38 lightning‑strike bombing, lost seven or eight howitzers; the remaining pieces were hidden in tunnels by Neishan Yingtaro.

Fearing that Huaxia's aircraft might return and bomb these prized howitzers.

ps: In 1910 he went to Japan as a student, studying field artillery with the 19th Regiment of the 13th Division's artillery, and now the Japanese army has placed this unit in Yichang.