Chapter 33: Pre‑emptive Zhuge, Jiang Anguo!

Jiang Anguo arrived at the hospital, which was actually just a courtyard that had been cleared out and turned into Lei Ao and Li Qing's operating room.

Some critically ill patients are here, while the mild cases are in the house next door.

"Commander."

Jiang Anguo made a round of inspection, and everyone was very grateful to Jiang Anguo.

Jiang Anguo said to everyone, "Everyone, rest well; I'm waiting for you to recover and fight the devils!"

"Alright, Commander."

"Commander, I want to kill ten."

"I'll kill a hundred."

"Haha."

Someone else said silently, "Commander, I've lost my leg; can I still go to the battlefield?"

It turned out to be a severely wounded soldier who had withdrawn from the Guangzhou battlefield; because treatment was delayed, his leg could not be saved.

"I remember you; you're Li Jun," Jiang Anguo said.

In fact, Jiang Anguo knows all the wounded, not only because the system records every case; he comes almost daily, so he's become acquainted with everyone.

Li Jun's left calf was not saved; it is still wrapped in bandages stained with blood, and he needs morphine daily to dull the pain.

"Yes, Commander." Li Jun did not expect the commander to still remember him.

Jiang Anguo stepped forward, patted Li Jun's shoulder, and said, "How can you not fight the devils? We fight them on the front lines; you can help transport supplies from the rear, which is also fighting the devils."

"The rear is even more important than the front; you can also produce ammunition and grow food. Look at the potatoes I've been feeding everyone these past days—they have to be cultivated. We've reclaimed so much land; when the main army moves out, someone has to tend it."

"Besides, you've only lost a leg; you can still wield weapons. As for Xu Deyou, your right arm is useless but you still have your left; I'll give you a pistol, meant for killing the enemy—don't go committing suicide on my watch."

The one called Xu Deyou was clearly amused by the commander, grinning, but his missing arm truly hurt.

"One apple per person; the extras go to Lei Ao and Dr. Li Qing. Heal well. My troops don't keep waste; you still have great use—eggs are still there, the bride isn't married yet, why the hurry?"

Before leaving, Jiang Anguo also checked on Meng Fanle; Meng Fanle's surgery was simple—debridement and suturing—after which rest and avoiding infection will allow recovery.

"How's the recovery?" Jiang Anguo asked.

"Commander, quite good; in a few days I can go back to the field," Meng Fanle said happily.

He was very concerned about his leg; he truly didn't expect to meet Jiang Anguo, Lei Ao, and Dr. Li Qing in Chanda.

"Rest a few more days and heal your leg," Jiang Anguo said. A hundred days for bones and tendons; Meng Fanle's wound had been long, but timely treatment saved him, otherwise he'd have had to Air Drop into Myanmar to find the British.

"Yes, Commander." Meng Fanle's voice was strong; his recovery was good.

Jiang Anguo nodded and continued to inspect the next wounded; for each, he would go up, greet them, and ask about their condition.

Lin Yi served well as recorder, documenting everything Jiang Anguo did.

"Lin Yi, don't just focus on recording; you also need to study well. When there's nothing, you don't have to follow me; just train with the main force," Jiang Anguo said to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi, he's still useful.

"Yes, sir."

"Go then." Jiang Anguo dismissed Lin Yi.

He wondered inside whether Dai Anlan had received his letter.

The time reverted to yesterday, March 1.

Chiang Kai-shek arrived at Lashu, convened a pre‑war mobilization conference, and on March 3 Stilwell flew over from the Middle East; the two discussed the Myanmar matter.

After the mobilization meeting ended, Dai Anlan was about to head to his division headquarters when Liao Yaoxiang caught up from behind.

A figure hurried forward, voice clear and strong, "Senior, please stop!"

Dai Anlan stopped, turned around, and saw Liao Yaoxiang of the New 22nd Division, "Jianchu, what's the matter?"

"Knowing you're a Vanguard Unit, busy with duties, I'll take a moment of your time," Liao Yaoxiang said, his expression full of respect.

Liao Yaoxiang was a Huangpu Sixth Period graduate, Dai Anlan a Huangpu Third Period, so calling Dai Anlan senior was appropriate.

The Huangpu Faction and Zhejiang Faction are both Chiang Kai-shek's direct units, and their generals likewise.

Liao Yaoxiang took three Brocade Bags from the adjutant and handed them to Dai Anlan.

Dai Anlan laughed, "Jianchu, are you trying to emulate the Marquis Wu and set a clever Brocade Bag scheme for me?"

He found the junior amusing, actually pulling out three Brocade Bags, each inscribed with characters.

Liao Yaoxiang shook his head, his expression unusually solemn: "Senior, you've misunderstood; this isn't my idea, someone asked me to pass it on."

"Oh, Jianchu, then I wonder who commissioned you." Dai Anlan was puzzled now; he had thought Liao Yaoxiang was trying to imitate the ancients with a clever Brocade Bag, but it turned out someone else was involved.

Liao Yaoxiang didn't hide anything: "On the day our main army set out, in Tengchong I met a lieutenant named Jiang Anguo; he said he was the Supplement Battalion Commander of the th Division."

"Anguo," Dai Anlan was surprised; Jiang Anguo was his wife's brother, his own brother‑in‑law, the only male in the family—how could he have written these things?

Dai Anlan was strict in military discipline; such a familial tie inserted into the army was normally forbidden, but his wife whispered in his ear!

Liao Yaoxiang nodded, "At that time his expression was terrible; after countless reminders and instructions, he asked me to give you these three Brocade Bags."

"I understand." Dai Anlan examined the three Brocade Bags carefully; Liao Yaoxiang had handed them to him in order.

They were, respectively, "Tong", "Ping", and "Ye".

Before entering Myanmar, the main army had already assembled, and the maps had long been handed to the key commanders; meanwhile, Dai Anlan had already thought of Tonggu.

"Jianchu, the 'commander' I wrote as commander should refer to Tonggu," Dai Anlan said.

"Perhaps senior should open it and see; your th Division, as a Vanguard Unit, will go to Yangon, inevitably passing Tonggu, which lies on the China‑Myanmar Road, a crucial transport route flanked by high mountains and treacherous terrain," Liao Yaoxiang said, curious yet not opening the Brocade Bag.

Dai Anlan wondered whether to open it upon reaching Tonggu or to open it now.

After thinking, he realized his brother‑in‑law had shown no military talent; assigning Jiang Anguo as this Supplement Battalion Commander was really to reassure his wife, since the Jiang family had only this one male—any further incident would be hard to explain.

Dai Anlan fell into a brief struggle. He had placed Jiang Anguo in the Supplement Battalion to keep him away from the front and give his wife an answer. In his view, this brother‑in‑law had no military talent; what world‑shaking words could he possibly write?

Dai Anlan opened the cloth sack—a very plain one—and pulled out the paper inside.

It read: The immediate enemy is the Japanese 18th Division, rd Division, 55th Division, 56th Division; seize British Army supplies and equipment for our own use.

Liao Yaoxiang stared at Dai Anlan, noticing his expression change so quickly—what exactly was happening.

So he also stepped to Dai Anlan's side and saw the words written on the paper: "What."

"How could this be? Didn't the intelligence say the Japanese Army only had one 448th Regiment, or maybe two 448th Regiments," Liao Yaoxiang said in disbelief.

The intelligence Liao Yaoxiang referred to was the intel provided today by the American and British, or rather the intel the British gave to the American.

The British are utterly untrustworthy; they now only want to use the Chinese army and then retreat to India.