Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Northern Hubei, Laohekou, the headquarters of the Fifth War Zone.

Compared to the bustling activity in western Shandong and the war-torn central Hebei, the atmosphere here exudes a subtle restlessness.

Acting Commander-in-Chief Li Pinxian was pacing back and forth in front of a wall chart depicting the situation in North China, his hands behind his back.

Although the cicadas chirping outside the window were annoying, his mind was more active than theirs at that moment.

"Commander."

Chief of Staff Wang Hongshao strode in, holding several newly translated telegrams in his hand, a knowing smile on his face: "We just received word that the offensive from the north seems to have stalled."

"Oh?"

Li Pinxian paused, turned around, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes: "Is it that Xue Jie's side can't be defeated?"

"Or is Qian Bojun blocked?"

"neither."

Wang Hongshao shook his head and lowered his voice, saying, "It's Tang Huaiyuan's Fifth Army Group."

"According to our liaison officer at the North China Joint Command, when Tang's troops advanced east of Puyang, their logistics were severely disrupted due to the muddy conditions caused by the rainy season, and at one point they couldn't even supply artillery shells."

"For this reason, Tang Huaiyuan even sent a telegram of self-reproach to the command headquarters."

"Hey!"

Upon hearing this, Li Pinxian not only showed no concern, but instead slapped his thigh and smiled knowingly.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

Pointing to the map, Li Pinxian said with certainty, "Commander Chu has spread the spoils too thin!"

"We need to develop the economy, launch a counter-offensive, and do business with the Soviets and Americans."

"With supply lines stretching over a thousand miles and battle lines extending hundreds of kilometers inland, even a god would find it difficult to maintain logistical support!"

"Tang Huaiyuan had no choice. After all, he was part of a mixed unit. Although he defected to the North China side, in the end, he was still unwanted and could only complain about being poor."

At this point, Li Pinxian's eyes darted around, and he walked back to his desk, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the surface: "But for our Fifth War Zone, for our Guangxi Clique, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Wang Hongshao understood immediately and tentatively asked, "Does the Commander mean we should take this opportunity to offer timely assistance?"

"Offering help is a given, but it can't be done for free."

Li Pinxian snorted coldly, his eyes revealing a seasoned calculation: "Now that the counterattack on the northern front is blocked, the pressure on the southern front is greater."

"Although the Japanese 59th Division withdrew south, the Japanese troops along the Xuzhou and Bengbu line were still there."

"If we increase our attack on the Huai River direction at this time, threaten Xuzhou from the flank, or cut off the southern section of the Jinpu Railway, we can greatly relieve the pressure on the central and northern routes."

"Our Commander Chu is a smart man and a generous man."

"He now has a huge amount of combat supplies in his hands, but he is suffering from insufficient transportation capacity and is unable to effectively supply the front line."

“Since it’s all a counter-offensive, there shouldn’t be any problem transporting them to northern Hubei or western Anhui.”

Li Pinxian waved his hand and said with great enthusiasm, "Brother Hongshao, send a call to Chief Advisor Chu in my name!"

"Tell him that all officers and soldiers of the 21st and 33rd Group Armies of the Fifth War Zone are extremely anxious upon hearing that the battle on the northern front is at a stalemate, and are willing to volunteer to launch a fierce offensive to the east to support the main force's operations!"

"but."

Li Pinxian abruptly changed the subject, his face displaying that classic "even the richest man has no surplus grain" expression:

"We were determined to kill the enemy, but we were powerless to reverse the situation!"

"The weapons our brothers have are too poor. After the Battle of Northern Hubei, let alone fighting the Japanese regular divisions, it's even difficult to fight the puppet troops."

"Therefore, the joint command must 'give our brothers a hand'!"

Wang Hongshao suppressed a laugh and picked up a pen: "Chief, shall we make a list?"

"List!"

"Make it detailed! Make it so that people will really believe we're poor!"

Li Pinxian cleared his throat and began listing his needs as if reciting a menu:
"First and foremost, small arms."

"We need to change our clothes!"

"Throw away all those old rifles and Hanyang rifles!"

"Please allocate 45,000 'Chiang Kai-shek' rifles, or 30,000 American-made rifles."

"The light machine guns should be Czech-made or American-made Browning, with at least six per company!"

"We need Type 24 heavy machine guns, at least eight per battalion!"

"As for bullets, 35 million rounds of rifle and machine gun ammunition is not too many, 10 million rounds is the bottom line!"

Wang Hongshao's calligraphy flowed like dragons and snakes, but inwardly he was amazed.
Li Pinxian wasn't thinking about supplementing; he was clearly thinking about rearming the main combat forces of the two army groups.

Li Pinxian didn't stop there; he continued to add: "Secondly, there's the support firepower."

"We realized during the Battle of Xinyang that without disposable rocket launchers and mortars, we would be at a huge disadvantage in urban warfare."

"Request the allocation of 300 Type 31 rocket launchers and 5,000 rockets!"

"Two hundred 60mm mortars and one hundred 82mm mortars."

"Twenty thousand shells each!"

At this point, Li Pinxian paused, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes, filled with a desire for heavy firepower: "And, most importantly, heavy weapons."

"Our artillery units suffered heavy losses in the previous battles."

"Please, Chief Advisor Chu, for the sake of the Party and the country, and for the sake of our Fifth War Zone's consistent cooperation with him."

"Even if we don't get the 150mm guns, we should at least give two regiments of American-made 75mm mountain guns, right?"

"Or a Soviet-made 76.2mm field gun would also work!"

"We can't let our brothers risk their lives to crash into the enemy's pillboxes, can we?"

Wang Hongshao's hands trembled slightly as he wrote this down, and he subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Chief, isn't this a bit too much?"

"Is it much?"

"They're asking for an exorbitant price, but let's negotiate!"

Li Pinxian didn't take it seriously and added, "Finally, it's about being dressed."

"After this battle, it will probably be autumn, and we haven't issued new uniforms to the brothers yet."

"We need 20,000 sets of summer clothes and 20,000 sets of autumn clothes!"

"Forty thousand pairs of rubber boots! And those American steel helmets, the M1 helmets, I heard they can protect against shrapnel, give us twenty thousand of them!"

"We need communication equipment too!"

"Telephone lines and walkie-talkies, the more the better!"

After finishing his sentence in one breath, Li Pinxian picked up his teacup, gulped down a large mouthful, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Send it this way!"

Li Pinxian picked up the list from the table, her eyes gleaming as if it were a pile of gold bars: "Just write, 'If the supplies arrive, the entire department will launch a full-scale attack, heading straight for Xuzhou and Bengbu, and will never let our allies on the northern front fight alone!'"

"Yes!" Wang Hongshao finished tidying up the records. "I'll go send the telegram right away."
-
The following day, in North China, at the front-line command headquarters.

Although the sounds of gunfire outside the window had ceased, a faint smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air.

Inside the command post, which had just been established along with the 88th episode, the telephones rang incessantly, and staff officers were coming and going, creating a bustling scene.

"Snapped!"

A thick document was slammed onto the makeshift desk in front of Chu Yunfei, making the teacup lid rattle.

Fang Ligong's face was full of anger, his chest heaving violently, and even his gold-rimmed glasses tilted slightly.

He pointed at the documents on the table, his voice trembling slightly with extreme indignation: "Sir! This Commander Li is utterly shameless!"

"This isn't some kind of supply request list at all!"

"This is clearly a ransom note taken advantage of our misfortune!"

"This is blatant warlord and bandit behavior!"

Chu Yunfei was studying the Japanese army's deployment in the Jinan direction on a three-dimensional combat map. Hearing Fang Ligong's words, he was not too surprised. He simply reached out and picked up the document that had made Fang Ligong furious.

The document's cover included the instructions from Lin Wei, Chief of Staff of the North China Joint Command, and Li Zongren, Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

Commander Li's instructions were very tactful: "The difficulties at the front are real. I hope you will provide support as appropriate to benefit the overall situation."

No matter what, Li Pinxian was still his old subordinate.

Li Delin still deserves some face, but it's quite obvious.

Chu Yunfei could sense the helplessness in Commander Li's words.

Lin Wei's opinion, however, was full of concern: "The amount of supplies is enormous, which may affect the sustained combat capability of our main force. We should consider enhancing our attack capabilities as appropriate."

Chu Yunfei flipped through the list, his gaze sweeping over the astonishing string of numbers:
45,000 Type 24 rifles
35 million rounds of rifle and machine gun ammunition
Forty-eight American-made 75mm mountain guns
"Heh." Chu Yunfei chuckled as he looked at it. "They've got quite the appetite. They're going to replace all the equipment in their Guangxi Clique combat units."

"Your Excellency."

Fang Ligong exclaimed urgently, "This is simply outrageous!"

"What does Li Pinxian take us for?"

"The supplies in North China were also saved up by the teeth, and were obtained by trading tobacco and resources with the Soviets and Americans!"

"Just look at the equipment of those two mountain artillery regiments. How many main divisions in North China have such equipment?" Fang Ligong became increasingly agitated as he spoke, pacing back and forth in the room.
"In my opinion, this is simply the behavior of warlords!"

"They wield military power and demand exorbitant prices."

"I believe this trend must not be allowed to continue."

"If we give it to them, others will follow suit, and then we won't be able to fight this war anymore."

"Your Excellency, my suggestion is to reject their supply request and instead supply them with some ammunition and support weapons."

As Chu Yunfei listened to Fang Ligong's complaints, his smile only deepened.

He stood up, walked to the map, and drew a circle around the areas of northern Hubei and western Anhui with a red and blue pencil in his hand.

"Brother Ligong, calm down."

Chu Yunfei turned around and gently patted the list in his palm: "You're calculating economic costs, you're calculating military costs."

"But I'm calculating the political costs, the strategic costs."

"I know Li Pinxian quite well; he's Commander Li's confidant and his black glove."

"A typical opportunist, he won't act until he sees the benefits."

"The fact that he dared to ask for such an exorbitant price shows that he has identified our weakness."

"We urgently need all combat troops from the Dabie Mountains region to be deployed."

Fang Ligong sighed and said with emotion, "For the current fourth phase of the counter-offensive, the addition of a fresh force is indeed very necessary."

Chu Yunfei walked up to Fang Ligong, his tone becoming serious and deep: "Yes, even if we take Liaocheng, there is still Jinan ahead, a tough nut to crack. In episode six, we will be entangled with the Japanese in the northern section of the Jinpu Railway."

"The battle in Jining in the fifth episode was naturally also a tough one."

"We are under a lot of pressure."

"If at this moment, the more than 200,000 fresh troops of the Fifth War Zone could be mobilized, like a sharp dagger thrust towards the Huai River..."

Chu Yunfei made a slicing motion in the air with his hand: "That's like cutting the ankle of the Japanese army in North China. But we can't just supply these materials to North China; we also need to give the Chairman and the others a headache."

mountain city.

The headquarters, a small conference room.

Only four people were present: Chief of the General Staff Bai Jiansheng, Minister of Military Affairs Chen Cixiu, Commander-in-Chief of the Army He Jingzhi, and Director of the Ordnance Bureau Yu Dawei.

Clearly, this was a typical "meeting of giants".

"Kensheng."

Chang Ruiyuan broke the silence, gently pushing the telegram in front of Bai Jiansheng. His tone was calm, yet carried a profound meaning: "Commander-in-Chief Li has high aspirations."

He pointed to the list on the telegram and said casually, "Forty-five thousand rifles, more than thirty million rounds of ammunition, and two regiments of mountain artillery."

"I know, it's because his Fifth War Zone wants to coordinate with the counter-offensive in North China."

"If you didn't know better, you'd think he was going to liberate Nanjing all by himself."

Chang Ruiyuan picked up his teacup, gently blowing on the tea foam, but his eyes glanced at Bai Jiansheng almost imperceptibly: "Under normal circumstances, I would support such an appetite even if I had to sell everything I own. But you know the current situation regarding finances and logistics."

Although these words were spoken lightly, they carried great weight in Bai Jiansheng's ears.

Bai Jiansheng remained expressionless, but he knew in his heart that Chang Ruiyuan was giving him a warning.

Li Pinxian was a key figure in the Guangxi clique, and this telegram was sent by Chu Yunfei.

But in reality, it was also a test of the central government's attitude and bottom line.

Bai Jiansheng took the telegram, glanced at it briefly, then put it down. His expression was solemn, and he spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"Chairman, Commander Li is an old acquaintance of mine and also one of my former subordinates."

"He's a master at leading troops into battle, but he's a bit too impatient and doesn't quite understand the difficulties the central government faces."

"but.."

Bai Jiansheng changed the subject and began to defend his old subordinate: "He was forced into a corner."

"The equipment of the Fifth War Zone has indeed suffered serious wear and tear in recent years, and it also recently cooperated with the Sixth War Zone in the Battle of Western Hubei."

"We haven't had a chance to rest properly, and now we have to go head-to-head with the Japanese army's regular divisions. It's really a difficult situation."

"This counter-offensive in North China was massive in scale."

"Li Pinxian also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make a difference on the southern front, and did not want to hold the Party and the country back."

"That's why I dared to speak up, presumably in order to better accomplish the strategic mission."

Bai Jiansheng's words both acknowledged that Li Pinxian was "ignorant" and attributed his motives to "serving the country."

Chang Ruiyuan couldn't give a clear answer either.

"Yes, wanting to win battles is a good thing, I support it."

Chang Ruiyuan sighed, revealing an expression that said, "I'm in a difficult position too." "But Jiansheng, managing this household is tough."

"David!"

Chang Ruiyuan turned to Yu Dawei, the director of the Ordnance Department: "Give Chief of Staff Bai the bottom line: how much of our current resources can satisfy the needs of the Fifth War Zone?"

Yu Dawei opened the folder he carried with him and reported with a serious expression:
"Reporting to the Chairman, reporting to Chief of Staff Bai."

"Regarding light weapons, with the various arsenals working day and night, it is still possible to assemble 10,000 rifles and 200 machine guns within a month."

"Some of the bullets can also be allocated."

“However, heavy weapons, especially American 75mm mountain guns,” Yu Dawei said with a troubled expression, “are currently in very limited stock.”

"The artillery pieces previously provided by the United States were given priority to the Expeditionary Force, and the rest were put into training."

"We are truly unable to provide the forty-eight M1-75mm mountain guns that Commander Li requested."

Chang Ruiyuan shrugged and looked at Bai Jiansheng: "Jiansheng, the next batch of aid will arrive in two months. Although there are no 75mm mountain guns, there are ninety-eight Sherman tanks. How about..."

Bai Jiansheng frowned slightly but remained silent.

He knew that Chang Ruiyuan was telling the truth, but he also knew that there was some reservation in what he said.

But as Chief of the General Staff, he couldn't force the leader to hand over all the family's assets to the Guangxi clique.

"Chairman."

Chen Cixiu, who had been observing the situation from the sidelines, spoke up at this opportune moment.

He was Chang Ruiyuan's confidant and a key figure in balancing the situation.

"Commander Li is eager for battle. If the Fifth War Zone can launch an attack, it will be crucial to contain the Japanese army and coordinate with the decisive battle in North China."

"If we reject it completely, it will probably discourage the soldiers and cause us to miss the opportunity to win the battle."

Chang Ruiyuan asked, "Oh?"

What insightful opinions does Rhetoric offer?

Chen Cixiu smiled slightly and proposed a seemingly fair solution: "Since it is a joint counterattack, then all parties must contribute."

"The work in North China is progressing well, and the production capacity of the arsenal is steadily increasing."

"This list of supplies was forwarded to us, which shows that Minister Chu is also willing to coordinate."

"How about this..."

Chen Cixiu held up two fingers:
"First, the Central Committee took the responsibility of providing some light weapons and ammunition, which solved the urgent needs of the combat troops in the Fifth Theater Command."

"Secondly, regarding those expensive heavy weapons."

Chen Cixiu pointed to the north: "I authorize the North China region to be responsible for coordinating and resolving this issue!"

"After all, Chief Advisor Chu has access to a large number of captured items and foreign aid channels. Let him figure out a way, and we can assist him in the process."

"In this way, the needs of the front line are met, the central government has done its best, and all parties can accept it."

Upon hearing this, Chang Ruiyuan's eyes lit up, and a genuine smile finally appeared on his lips.

That was a brilliant move of "switching flowers and grafting trees".

This approach both gave face to the Guangxi clique (providing them with guns and ammunition from the central government) and prevented them from becoming a threat (by withholding heavy weapons).

Chang Ruiyuan turned to Bai Jiansheng for his opinion: "Jiansheng, what do you think?"

Bai Jiansheng pondered for a moment and then nodded.

He's a smart man; he knows this is the best possible outcome.

The fact that the central government agreed to provide this batch of light weapons is already a huge favor.

As for the heavy artillery, it would be best if we could get it from Chu Yunfei; if not, Li Pinxian has nothing to say.

"Brother Cixiu's plan is mature and strategic, and the Ministry of Personnel has no objections."

Bai Jiansheng stated, "I will personally call Commander-in-Chief Li to ask him to understand the difficulties faced by the Central Committee and to make every effort to launch an attack after obtaining the supplies, so as to demonstrate the might of our National Revolutionary Army."

"it is good!"

Chang Ruiyuan made the final decision: "Then let's do it this way!"

"Jingzhi, go and draft a telegram to reply to Chu Yunfei."

"David, you're in charge of allocating supplies and arranging the corresponding transportation..."

"Jiansheng, you must personally oversee the operational plans for the Fifth War Zone. No, you must personally command them. Make sure to cut off the connection between the Japanese and puppet troops in North China and Central China."

"Yes!" (End of this chapter)