Chapter 327: Central China! A Pot of Congee!

The whole Central China war zone, at this very moment, is like a water surface into which a massive stone has been thrown, with treacherous waves; especially toward the Xiangxi direction, it has turned into a complete pot of congee.

This chaos spreads as quickly as a plague.

The Japanese Army first fell into disarray; the frequency and scope of their troop movements completely defied conventional combat logic.

The th War Zone is bustling in Yueyang!

Because of this, even the Quinary war zone far away in Hubei is left baffled by this sudden turn of events, not knowing what medicine is being sold in the frontline's gourd.

Besides the war zone commander Li Zongren staring intently at the map in the headquarters, the subordinate commanders below are all at a loss. Within the defense area, the Japanese Army's trucks roar and their movements are extremely frequent throughout the day.

This abnormal large‑scale maneuver makes the Quinary war zone's scouts' hearts race; urgent Telegrams fly like snowflakes to each group army headquarters and are then compiled on Li Zongren's desk.

"Sir, what are the Japanese doing? Are they planning a counter‑offensive or a retreat?"

The Frontline Commanders are terrified, repeatedly consulting their superiors for orders. Yet Li Zongren has not received any clear intent from the Japanese Army; the intelligence in his hands is fragmented. This gives him an unprecedented sense of anxiety.

Li Zongren himself is curious and even a bit uneasy. Can this Yichang be taken? His gaze burns like a torch, fixed on the red city marker on the map.

After all, when Yichang fell years ago, General Zhang Zizhong died on the battlefield; it was not only a loss of territory but also a pain and responsibility that Li Zongren, as commander, can never erase from his heart.

It is precisely because of the shift in the war that Li Zongren returned from Chongqing to take up his post in the Quinary war zone.

Li Zongren looks at the map, his tea cup trembling slightly; he does not know how far the fighting there has progressed, but he can feel a storm capable of changing the entire Central China battle situation quietly rising in Yichang.

At this moment Li Zongren still does not know that all these chain reactions actually originate from beneath Yichang City.

Xu Guozhang's 150th Division is nearly pressing on Xiaoting, just one step away from overrunning the 104th Regiment there.

Jiang Anguo's Independent Regiment, like a lurking tiger, quietly waits for the chance to launch a deadly strike on Yichang.

They are like a sharp dagger thrust into the Japanese Army's heart; the intense pain makes the surrounding Japanese command sit on pins and needles, forcing frantic troop movements to fill the huge hole.

Jiang Anguo anxiously watches his watch as time ticks by; he begins to doubt whether Hu Lian's 11th Division can appear at Dingjun Mountain.

First Xu Guozhang, and Jiang Anguo simultaneously arranged for someone to send a Telegram to Hu Lian; this Telegram was not issued by Jiang Anguo at Moji Shan, but was sent by Yan Xing of Changde to the 11th Division.

Whether Hu Lian comes or not, Jiang Anguo has decided today to take Yichang.

As he ponders the final assault details, a rapid yet steady footstep sounds from behind.

"Commander, the observation post at Dingjun Mountain reports the 11th Division has arrived." Yao Quanyi appears behind Jiang Anguo.

Jiang Anguo's tense nerves finally relax a bit at this moment, and he lets out a long sigh. He turns and, eager, asks, "How many men have arrived?"

"Finally arrived!" Those two words have weighed on his mind for too long. This is the trump card he's been waiting for; if it were only Moji Shan, the risk would be high, but with the 11th Division added, Jiang Anguo estimates a seventy‑percent chance of seizing Yichang!

Yao Quanyi reports, "Commander, the 11th Division is roughly the strength of two regiments; the larger follow‑up force should also be advancing."

In fact, the 11th Division arrived with two regiments.

"Good!"

Jiang Anguo slaps his thigh hard, finally smiling. He gestures with his finger and says confidently, "Two regiments mean at least five thousand troops! Adding my three thousand brothers, we have eight thousand elite. Though the enemy still has a division, eight thousand against ten thousand…"

He pauses, lifts his head, and says the line he's been holding back for a long time:

"The advantage is on my side!"

At this moment, Jiang Anguo no longer hides his ambition. With Hu Lian's 11th Division as the vanguard, he has won this battle!

……

Beyond Dingjun Mountain, deep in the jungle.

This dense forest, originally a natural hideout for troops, now has its silence shattered by the hurried marching footsteps.

The 33rd and 34th Regiments of the 11th Division, elite as they are, still wear fatigue on their faces during this forced march. Sweat soaks their gray uniforms, and mud clings to their leggings.

Hu Lian, with his signature pistol at his waist, moves like a vigilant fox, cautiously climbing to the high point of Dingjun Mountain. He raises his binoculars, peering through the leaf gaps to observe the situation across the River Surface.

The view in the lenses makes his pupils contract slightly.

He sees the wide River Surface and the dock road, where a Japanese Army column is rapidly moving troops, rushing toward Xiaoting. The rolling wheels and rising dust lay the Japanese movements bare.

Deputy Division Commander and 33rd Regiment commander Luo Xianda stands beside Hu Lian, lowers his voice, and, unable to hide his excitement, says, "Division Commander, look! These Little Devils are truly frantic, pulling out Yichang's old reserves! This is a once‑in‑a‑millennium opportunity!"

Hu Lian, however, does not appear so optimistic; he slowly lowers his binoculars and calmly retorts, "Opportunities are good, but have you considered that the River Surface is so wide, how shall we cross the Yangtze River?"

He points to the faint fortifications on the opposite bank and continues, "The Little Devils have long built permanent defensive works at those treacherous passes north of Yichang; if we try a hard land assault from the north, it's like banging our heads against stone—extremely difficult. But now this Yangtze River before us…" Hu Lian pauses, looking at the rushing eastward water, "This wide Yangtze River is a natural barrier. To conduct a river crossing without any heavy artillery fully suppressing the enemy fire on the opposite bank is ten times harder than a direct assault on Yichang's north side!"

Luo Xianda, hearing this, furrows his brows and falls silent for a moment. Indeed, besieging a city is easier than crossing a river; this river divide is a heavenly trench.

As the two discuss crossing plans, the atmosphere tense, a thicket behind them rustles, and a Messenger huffs up breathlessly.

"Report, Division Commander! The Independent Regiment has arrived; its regiment leader Jiang Anguo himself is here!"

Hu Lian, hearing this, is slightly startled, then a smile flickers in his eyes. He puts down his tightly‑gripped binoculars, smooths his collar, and with a playful curl of his mouth says, "Oh? That was quick. Come, Luo Xianda, let's go together; we'll meet my brother‑in‑law, who has mobilized our eighteenth army."

Since Jiang Anguo went to Myanmar, rumors about him have been spreading wildly in the army, though most are hard to verify.

Hu Lian only knows that the 200th Division fought decently in Myanmar, with successes and setbacks, but he hasn't heard much about the so‑called 'Independent Regiment' achieving any earth‑shaking feats.

Later, news came that this Independent Regiment actually captured Bamo and Myitkyina, which indeed counts as a few solid achievements.