Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 170 Meeting with Li Zongren, Chu Yunfei leaving Shanxi? The secret agreement between Yan Laoxi and Chiang Kai-shek! (Subscribe
After the meeting, Chu Yunfei followed Zhu Shouguang and left.

Just walked out of the meeting room.

Zhu Peiji stepped forward and stopped the two men: "Commander Zhu, Commander Chu."

"Mr. Zhu, what can I do for you?"

"The chairman invites Chief Chu."

Zhu Shouguang nodded expressionlessly, "Go ahead."

"Yes."

Chu Yunfei followed Zhu Peiji and walked quickly towards the small conference room.

On the way, we also met several generals of the Sichuan Army.

Obviously, they had the same destination.

"Yunfei!"

"Commander Deng."

"Commander Sun (Sun's position is deputy commander-in-chief. Although his military rank is one level lower, his position is two and a half levels lower.), Commander Wang."

"The chairman has summoned me, so let's go together."

"Yes."

Chu Yunfei followed behind the few people.

After arriving at the meeting room.

Everyone sat down and waited.

Soon, footsteps were heard.

Zhu Peiji came forward with an apologetic look on his face: "Commander Deng, everyone, I'm really sorry, the chairman just left because he had something important to deal with."

"The chairman has asked me to preside over this temporary meeting."

"No problem, please."

"Everyone, please."

At Zhu Peiji's suggestion.

Everyone sat down in the small conference room.

After a few simple greetings.

Zhu Peiji also got straight to the point and said, "Commander Deng, this time the 22nd Army Group has been ordered to fight in Shanxi and will be transferred to the Fifth Theater of Operations and will be under the direct command of Commander Li."

"We know about this."

Deng Jinkang nodded expressionlessly.

Zhu Peiji then praised the Sichuan Army generals led by Deng Jinkang.

"Commander Deng and his troops left Sichuan in September to fight the Japanese. They walked thousands of kilometers along the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, entered Tongguan and crossed the Yellow River to enter the Shanxi battlefield, and fought with the Japanese for more than a month. In this battle in southeastern Shanxi, they performed outstandingly and withstood the attack of the elite main force of the Japanese army."

A group of Sichuanese traveled thousands of miles out of Sichuan to fight in the war and shed blood and sacrificed their lives, rather than living a good life in the Sichuan Basin which was not affected by the war.

The only wish of such a force is to fight against the Japanese invaders and kill the Japs.

Who heard this and didn’t give a thumbs up?
What’s more, the Sichuan Army today.

But they were not the Sichuan Army in the war history that robbed Yan Laoxi's arsenal after being defeated, harassed the people from time to time and forced them to buy and sell, and was even driven away by Yan Laoxi himself.

It is not the case that in the history of war, the Second War Zone did not want them and the First War Zone could not allow them to stay.

Chiang Kai-shek was even more angry and wanted to transfer him back to Sichuan, where the Sichuan Army was the dominant force.

They are heroes now, real heroes.

The bloody battle of Xinkou, the great victory of Yangquan, and the defense of Shouyang.

Sichuan troops can be seen everywhere.

At this time, it was no longer Commander Li who took in the Sichuan Army.

But it is the real reinforcements that are "asked for"!

Chu Yunfei vaguely remembered the content of the last telegram sent by General Wang Mingzhang.

At present, the enemy has been bombarding the city wall with field artillery and aircraft from morning to noon. There are several gaps in the city wall. The enemy infantry has repeatedly climbed up the city wall but has been repelled every time.

Recalling the Chairman's teaching of martyrdom, I opened the cover of the imperial edict with words of commendation, and determined to defend it with all my might to repay the country and the kindness given to me.

This opening edict of commendation...could it be ruined by Han Fuju today?

So far, I haven't heard of any reward for the Sichuan Army.
"The chairman is fully aware of the hardships faced by the 22nd Army in the war of resistance. He has ordered the Sichuan Army to make a second replenishment, totaling 500 new rifles, 12 82mm mortars, 1,000 sets of cotton clothes, 1 million rounds of ammunition, and 100,000 grenades."

"And provide military expenses of 5.5 million to reward various units and provide military expenses for the 22nd Sichuan Army Group for the next six months."

It seems that what he gave was not as much as what Yan Laoxi gave. But this military expenditure was advanced and completely exceeded the scale of the 22nd Army at this stage. This military expenditure actually represents Chiang Kai-shek's sincerity.

To know.

The 41st Army and the 45th Army under the 22nd Army Group are both Type B combat organizations.

It has two divisions and two brigades under its command.

In reality, each of their brigades can now only be organized into a regiment, and the actual strength of each army is only about two brigades.

Even after this period of rest and reorganization, the entire army could not gather more than 20,000 people.

For the Sichuan Army, Chiang Kai-shek's actions were just like Yan Xizhi's advance provision of equipment.

This will require the Sichuan Army to fight to the death.

Deng Jinkang was well aware of this, but he still said: "We, the Sichuan Army, have traveled thousands of miles out of Sichuan just to kill the devils and fight against Japan. We must obey Commander Li and the Chairman's command.

We are not Ma Bingren (121-123, deputy commander of Taiyuan city defense, who was executed by military law for deserting the battlefield), and the Sichuan Army is not Han Fuju.

Mr. Zhu, please tell the Chairman that we should look forward to our Sichuan Army's performance on the battlefield. We will definitely stand up and will never give up!"

Chu Yunfei seemed like a complete outsider. He said nothing and sat quietly in his seat.

Listening to Zhu Peiji relaying Chiang Kai-shek's praise and compliments.

After the dry content was quickly narrated, at Zhu Peiji's signal, several Sichuan Army generals left the meeting first.

"Commander Chu."

"Mr. Zhu, this is..."

Zhu Peiji smiled and said, "The chairman asked me to tell Commander Chu that he is very satisfied with your performance and asked me if you are willing to go out to fight in Jin."

"Go out to Jin to fight?"

Chu Yunfei didn't understand what Chang Kaishen was planning for a while.

Yan Laoxi and Chiang Kai-shek were fully aware of the little tricks he had carried out in southeastern Shanxi.

That is a serious place for development, to stabilize the morale of the army and consolidate the hearts of the people.

Chu Yunfei was even confident that he could make it more stable and even impregnable within half a year!
At this time, why would he suddenly let him lead his troops out of Jin to fight?
Could it be that Chiang Kai-shek will support Fu Zuoyi in splitting up Shanxi and Suiyuan as happened in history?

It doesn’t make sense!

Chu Yunfei thought that he was obviously more suitable for Chiang Kai-shek to bet on.

How old are Yan Laoxi and Fu Yisheng?

How old is Chu Yunfei!
"Mr. Zhu, are you talking about the Battle of Jinpu Road?"

It seemed that he had noticed Chu Yunfei's doubts.

Zhu Peiji immediately explained: "Yes, this is what the chairman meant. He hopes that you can take your troops to temporarily transfer to the Fifth War Zone as guest troops and participate in this Jinpu Campaign."

"On the one hand, you must be aware that most of the troops in the Fifth Theater are ragtag troops. Their morale has been affected by the defeat of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Han. The troops are demoralized and the people are in panic."

"The deployment of the five war zones has been completely disrupted"

Chu Yunfei sensed something was wrong, and this didn't seem to be a test.

It is highly likely that the two have reached a consensus on certain things.

under these circumstances.

Chu Yunfei naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to express his attitude: "I will resolutely obey the orders of Commander Yan, the chairman."

The two were talking.

There was a sudden knock on the door of the conference room.

"Please come in."

Li Zongren walked in, and Chu Yunfei and Zhu Peiji stood at attention.

"Chief Li"

"Ah."

Li Zongren walked to a chair nearby and sat down, then explained: "The Chairman instructed that I should communicate with Deputy Chief of General Staff Chu about the transfer of operations."

"Yes!"

Zhu Peiji didn't waste any time and just turned around and left the meeting room.

Chu Yunfei also felt a little "flattered" at this time.

Wow, first he was Chiang Kai-shek’s personal aide-de-camp and deputy chief of the imperial guard.

Now he is the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone and the leader of the Guangxi clique.
"Chief Li"

"Yun Fei, don't be nervous, and don't worry or be concerned."

Li Zongren was very kind and continued, "This matter has been approved by Brother Baichuan, the commander-in-chief of the Second War Zone. You should be able to receive the news later."

Chu Yunfei's expression suddenly tensed.

A sense of crisis instantly enveloped my heart.

The dog is eaten after the rabbit dies?

This is impossible.

It is impossible that Yan Laoxi is unaware of the Japanese military and national strength.

Chiang Kai-shek wanted him to teach at the Army University, but Yan Laoxi was unwilling to do so (from Chu Yunfei's perspective), let alone lead the Shanxi Army out of Shanxi to fight the Japanese.

Chu Yunfei ruled out this option immediately.

Could it be that Chiang Kai-shek gave too much and he was too close to the Red Party?

Did Yan Laoxi simply agree "reluctantly" for the sake of the overall situation of the War of Resistance?
Chu Yunfei is very inclined to this possibility.
He thinks that's besides the point.

There is no way Yan Laoxi would let his 358th Brigade leave Shanxi easily.

"Yun Fei, the chairman thinks highly of you, and you have excellent strategic command capabilities. I originally wanted to transfer you to the Fifth War Zone as the chief of staff...but Brother Baichuan did not agree."

Li Zongren smiled as he talked about this little thing: "The reason why I asked the Chairman to transfer you to the Fifth War Zone to fight is because Tianjin and Puyang are in danger."

"The Japanese army has assembled a large number of troops and is preparing to march south to capture Xuzhou. The loss of Xuzhou will inevitably have an extremely bad impact on the overall situation of the war."

"The Military Commission has decided to make every effort to defend Xuzhou and thwart the Japanese invaders' attempt to open up the Jinpu railway line, so as to buy enough time to continue the war of resistance."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly to show that he was listening.

"From the current strategic situation, the Japanese army intends to use it."

Li Zongren introduced the situation.

When it comes to specific strategic deployment.

Chu Yunfei responded from time to time.

It made Li Zongren smile even more.

Both people in the conversation are living maps.

Even if there was no strategic deployment situation map of the five war zones in front of the two of them.

But there was still no obstacle in communication between the two.

Although Chu Yunfei's strategic command level is not high and he does not have much experience, he still knows where the cities and strategic locations are.

Of course, I have a clear idea of ​​how to deploy it.

The admiration in Li Zongren's eyes could hardly be concealed.

"Yun Fei, if you were to be the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone, how do you think the Battle of Xuzhou should proceed?"

On paper.

Chu Yunfei is very good at this.

The counterattack in Jining, the great victory in Linyi, the bloody battles fought by the Northeast Army on both sides of the Huaihe River, the defense of Tengxian County, the Battle of Taierzhuang, and even the Yuwangshan Anti-Japanese Blocking Battle in the later Battle of Xuzhou.

Chu Yunfei remembered all these familiar battles.

But it is obvious that what Li Zongren wanted to see and understand was Chu Yunfei's strategic thinking ability.

Rather than being limited to a battle in a specific place.

Chu Yunfei is an expert at knowing what to say in front of different people.

He knew the opinion of the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone in front of him.

After thinking for a moment.

Chu Yunfei said: "After losing central Shandong, Xuzhou has actually become a place that is easy to attack but difficult to defend."

"Commander Li, please forgive me for being blunt, but from a military perspective alone, Xuzhou is impossible to defend, and we cannot give up this strategic location."

Li Zongren nodded slightly, motioning Chu Yunfei to continue.

"If I were the commander-in-chief of the Fifth War Zone, I would still have to defend Xuzhou. The essence of this Jinpu Campaign should be to buy enough time for the Wuhan Campaign.

We evacuated factories and people from the coastal areas.

Even the foreign aid and related materials transported northward via the Guangdong-Hankou Railway are now piled up in Wuhan.

As far as I know, our transportation efficiency is not just average, it can even be described as extremely poor.

If the transfer continues at the original speed, it will take at least another year.

Commander Li, we Chinese don't have much time left."

Li Zongren nodded with a dazed look in his eyes.

Chu Yunfei then went on to say: "The reason why these little devils have not yet attacked Wuhan is because the main force of the National Army in the Xuzhou area has not experienced a major battle so far.

The combat effectiveness of the various troops in the Fifth War Zone was relatively intact.

The Japanese army must be worried about what would happen if they moved westward from Nanjing.

If we attack Wuhan, we will immediately be attacked from the flank by the troops from the Five War Zones.

If you are not careful, you may even run the risk of having your retreat cut off, or being divided and surrounded.

and so.

They will certainly fight the Jinpu Road battle first, clear the flank threat, and then attack Wuhan, our hinterland."

"Well, the Military Commission also made such a judgment."

"It's just that the Japanese Central China Expeditionary Force has not yet made any specific strategic deployment adjustments..."

Li Zongren was surprised at Chu Yunfei's performance and judgment.

Before this exchange.

He felt that even if Chu Yunfei couldn't explain it.

That's normal too.

After all, Chu Yunfei was just a mid-level officer and a small regiment commander before the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War.

He had no previous experience as a senior staff officer.

My vision is limited to the three acres of land in Shanxi.

There is nothing to blame, but it can be considered from an overall strategic perspective.

We know that the Battle of Jinpu was essentially to buy time for the Battle of Wuhan.

It is understood that Xuzhou is the next strategic target of the Japanese army, not Guangdong and Henan.

Just based on this.

This is enough to prove that Chu Yunfei's strategic thinking ability exceeds many people.

He is indeed a talented and capable person who can shoulder great responsibilities.

No wonder Chiang Kai-shek paid such a high price.

Just to find an opportunity to lure Chu Yunfei into the Central Army's combat sequence.

"The Japanese army may have disagreements on whether to capture Xuzhou, but no matter what, the Japanese North China Front will not miss the opportunity to avenge their humiliation.

They suffered a great loss in Shanxi. If I were Terauchi Juichi, I would definitely seize the opportunity of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Han's escape, and then take advantage of the fact that the troops of the Fifth Theater have not yet been deployed to launch the most rapid attack on the troops stationed in the southern part of Shandong."

"And now, as far as I know, the Japanese army still hasn't made any moves, delaying the so-called battle opportunity. This situation points to the possibility of disagreements within the Japanese invaders."

"With the fall of Nanjing, the Central China Expeditionary Force's continued operations and the North China Expeditionary Force's southward attack will most likely receive support from the enemy's Central China Expeditionary Force. Under such circumstances, the differences within the Japanese army will be resolved quickly."

"The Battle of Jinpu Road is inevitable!"

Chu Yunfei understood too well.

How could someone who is familiar with military history not know Li Zongren’s strategic deployment and starting point before the Battle of Xuzhou?

Hold on to this starting point.

If you put yourself in Li Zongren's shoes, you can understand what Li Zongren was worried about at that time.

It was simply that the troops at hand had poor combat effectiveness, lacked manpower, and Chiang Kai-shek's support was not strong enough.

It doesn’t matter that the Fifth War Zone doesn’t have elite troops.

Once the 358th Brigade receives the transfer order, it will definitely go to Shanxi to fight and provide urgent assistance as soon as possible after completing its rest and reorganization.

Chu Yunfei even expressed his position on the spot.

Once the order is given, he will absolutely obey Commander Li's command.

Make due contribution to the Battle of Jinpu Road.

Li Zongren had never admired an officer so much.

All the judgments it makes are well-founded.

And it perfectly fits his perception.

This made Li Zongren feel that they had met too late.

Unfortunately, it’s almost time.

He had other things to do next.

Otherwise, he would prefer to stay with Chu Yunfei for a while longer.

"Yun Fei, let's stop here for today. The written order will be issued soon. The Second War Zone Commander's Headquarters has completed the coordination. I believe you will be able to receive the news after you return."

"Yes, Commander Li, Yun Fei will take his leave then."

"Ah."

Returned to the courtyard where he lived.

Just as Li Zongren said, Zhu Shouguang found Chu Yunfei as soon as possible.

And informed him of the latest orders from the Second War Zone Commander Headquarters.

Chu Yunfei frowned, while Sun Ming beside him poured tea for them.

"General, if we let Commander Li take command of us, I'm afraid our 358th Brigade will most likely have to make considerable sacrifices."

Zhu Shouguang naturally understood Chu Yunfei's concerns.

Just like the battle in northern Shanxi commanded by Yan Laoxi.

The guest troops and central army troops trapped in the pit suffered heavy casualties.

Until Ru Yuekou was broken through by the Japanese army and Fanzhisi County was lost.

Only then did Yan Laoxi react.

Li Zongren, who was also the leader of the New Guangxi Clique.

It is also a basic operation to trick the Jin army.

To take a step back, even if we treat everyone equally.

Facing the North China Expeditionary Army, it was difficult for Chu Yunfei's troops to avoid being targeted by the Japanese.

On the Japanese side.

Especially the North China Expeditionary Army that we need to face in this operation.

Who doesn’t want to defeat Chu Yunfei’s troops, or even kill Chu Yunfei?
Among the bounty orders issued by the Japanese.

The price of Chu Yunfei's head has exceeded 150,000 oceans.

This means.

Chu Yunfei's head is more valuable than some local army group commanders.

And he surpassed the vast majority of the direct lineage Central Army Corps commanders.

If they want to avenge themselves, they must destroy the 358th Brigade and Chu Yunfei.

Once we go out of Shanxi to fight...not to mention the logistical supply, or even whether we will hit the Japanese invaders' main targets.

But in terms of geographical advantages and people's support, it is definitely not as good as fighting in Shanxi.

Moreover, even Chu Yunfei himself.

He was also not sure whether the fighting will and initiative of the soldiers under his command would be as strong as before after they knew they were going to Shanxi to fight against the Japanese.

After all, fighting in Shanxi was to defend their own hometown and their own loved ones.

Go out to Jin to fight.

That is truly serving the country and the people!
"You don't need to worry about that."

Zhu Shouguang gave Chu Yunfei a reassurance: "The chairman promised that you have independent command authority. Although you are directly under the Fifth War Zone, you do not need to be accountable to Commander Li."

No need to be accountable to the theater commander.

So what kind of direct-affiliated unit is this?
Could it be that Chiang Kai-shek was directly micromanaging and giving orders?

Thinking of this, Chu Yunfei frowned slightly and then asked, "That is to say, once we go out to fight in Jin, there is a high possibility that no one will take care of us. Then who will be responsible for the supply?"

Zhu Shouguang explained: "The Fifth War Zone is responsible for supplying weapons, ammunition, and supplies."

"As for combat command"

“You only need to be accountable to the chairman.”

Chu Yunfei's brows were instantly twisted together.

this moment.

Even Chu Yunfei was a little panicked.

In the Second World War zone.

Chu Yunfei received orders from Chiang Kai-shek and even refused to execute them.

He has an old boss, Yan Laoxi, above him, so it's not a big problem.

But when it came to the Fifth War Zone, there was only a chairman left.

When the order is issued, what should he do?

It was the first time that Zhu Shouguang had seen Chu Yunfei like this. He asked tentatively, "Yunfei...are you worried that the chairman will issue a direct military order?"

(End of this chapter)