Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

The night was deep, and the stars twinkled.

Southwestern Shandong, outside Jining City.

Ershilipu Town was originally a bustling market town on the banks of the Grand Canal.

With the liberation of Jining, this small town, which had escaped the ravages of war, was quickly requisitioned and became the new forward command post of the North China Joint Command.

The reason for moving the command post from Liaocheng to this location was to more closely coordinate the main forces of the newly joined southern front (episodes 5 and 15) and central front (88th Army Group, episode 36) to form a final iron wall encirclement of the Japanese army on the Qilu land.

At Chu Yunfei's request, the command post was set up in a fairly spacious landlord's mansion, with antennas everywhere and the sound of radio transmitters rising and falling.

Chu Yunfei had just finished marking the troop's infiltration positions on the brand-new battle map.

Chief of Staff Fang Ligong walked over with two urgent telegrams, his steps quick and swift.

"Your Excellency."

Fang Ligong looked much more relaxed: "The first one was sent by Chief of Staff Lin from Luoyang."

"He has arrived safely at the First Theater Command Headquarters."

"Although Commander-in-Chief Jiang Dingwen had some reservations about 'supervising the battle,' he was very cooperative given the current unstoppable momentum of the battle."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly: "He is easy to talk to, but he is quite old and no longer suited to the fast-paced battlefield of today. Brother Wei Wen is relatively easier to deal with."

Fang Ligong smiled, then became slightly serious and presented the second telegram with both hands.

The cover of the telegram was stamped with a bright red seal that read "Top Secret - Limited Access".

Clearly, this telegram was of a very high level.

"Your Excellency, this is a confidential diplomatic telegram forwarded from the Yamashiro Attendant's Office."

Fang Ligong's voice was low, but he couldn't hide the tremor in his tone: "It's an international conference about 'codename: Quarternet'."

"Quarter?"

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow and took the telegram.

The telegram was short, but its contents surprised Chu Yunfei somewhat.

The Allied forces are scheduled to hold a top-level summit (codenamed Quarter) in Quebec, Canada, soon.

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill will lead large entourages to attend.

In view of the recent brilliant achievements of the China Theater, the Republic of China Government is hereby formally invited to send a delegation to participate in the meeting as a member state to discuss the decisive battle against Japan and the postwar world order.

Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Hsiang-hsiung Kung has been ordered to lead a delegation on his journey.

Looking at the telegram, Chu Yunfei slowly walked out of the command room.

Fang Ligong accompanied him silently.

Chu Yunfei held the telegram in his hand, put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the dark night sky above.

His gaze became deep and distant, as if piercing through time and space.

In his memory, China was not invited to the first Quebec Conference in August 1943.

The US side only notified then-Foreign Minister T.V. Soong of the meeting results after the meeting concluded.

At that meeting, the British and American giants argued about whether to prioritize Europe over Asia or pursue both simultaneously, and whether to invest resources in opening up that damned Burma Road.

The Chinese representatives could only wait outside for the results, and even had to endure the contempt of the British.

But now, everything has changed.

"hehe."

Chu Yunfei let out a low, cold laugh and lightly flicked the telegram paper with his finger: "Quarterboard, what a good name."

"Your Excellency?"

Fang Ligong, who followed them out, was somewhat puzzled.

"Brother Ligong, do you know what a quartergrande is?" Chu Yunfei turned around: "It's a navigational tool used for positioning, and this conference is about defining the future world order!"

"The United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and China."

Chu Yunfei held up four fingers: "This is the post-war 'four policemen' envisioned by the Americans."

“In the past, although we were on the list, in the eyes of those three giants, we were just there to make up the numbers, or even just ‘security guards’ with titles but no real power.”

"But now, it's different."

Chu Yunfei suddenly raised his voice, his eyes blazing: "Because we broke the backbone of the Japanese in North China!"

"Because we cut off the Japanese's main artery to the south on Qiongzhou Island!"

"Because we have proven to the world the quality and combat effectiveness of the Chinese military."

"Strength is the ticket to diplomacy!"

"At this Quebec conference, they will probably discuss mostly expeditionary joint operations."

Thinking of this, Chu Yunfei strode back to the operations room, walked to the huge map of the Pacific Ocean, and drew a large circle in the South China Sea with his baton:
"Our army is going to New Guinea to launch a counterattack on Rabaul!"

"Our planes will bomb Japan's air routes!"

"Roosevelt invited us not to hear us complain about being poor, but to discuss with us how to divide up the corpse of the Japanese Empire!"

"They even went so far as to privately discuss how to dismantle British and French colonies after the war and how to limit the expansion of the Red Bear in the North in Asia!"

Fang Ligong was deeply moved; such international strategic vision truly made him feel inferior.

"Your Excellency, now that Minister Kong has gone, let's continue with our plan regarding Dongyu."

"That's the key!"

A glint flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes: "Since we're going to talk about profit sharing, we need to put our chips on the table."

"The confidence that General Yonggong had when he spoke at the conference table came from the patriotic officers and soldiers and the general public."

Fang Ligong sighed, "It's a pity his son is so disappointing."

“One thing at a time. We need to arrest Kong Lingkan, and we need to support him.”

Chu Yunfei rested his hands on the table, looking at the red dot on the map that was not far from here, which was also the final goal of this second phase: Quancheng.

"The louder the cannon fire at the front, the more assertive Yong Gong becomes in Quebec!"

"If we can capture Quancheng during this conference, or even before it ends, and annihilate the Japanese 12th Army."

Chu Yunfei clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white: "Then no one will dare to ignore our right to speak on issues such as regaining sovereignty after the war, and even on islands and related matters!"

"Even that old geezer Churchill would have to think twice before looking at our bayonets stained with the blood of Japanese soldiers!"

"This battle is not only about avenging our fallen compatriots, but also about fighting for the future of the Chinese nation for the next hundred years!"

"Conquer Quancheng and cut off the heads of the people from Tuqiao as the best congratulatory gift for the Quebec Conference!"

"Yes!"

Fang Ligong stood at attention, saluted, and turned to relay the order.

Chu Yunfei stood alone in front of the map, his gaze distant and unfocused.

He knew that with the convening of the Quebec Conference, the course of World War II would be greatly accelerated.

He must secure enough leverage for this long-suffering nation before the wheels of this great era roll over.

"The final four."

Chu Yunfei muttered to himself, "In this life, we're going to make this 'top four' title a reality. Nobody can think they can bully us!"
-
Linxian County, Shanxi Province.

On a midsummer afternoon, cicadas chirped incessantly.

This was the rear area of ​​the North China Joint Command, and also a "retirement home" specially funded by the Second World War Zone for senior generals who were wounded, old, or retired from active service due to troop reorganization during the War of Resistance.

In front of a courtyard house with blue bricks and gray tiles, a tall old man dressed in a blue cloth long gown slowly stopped.

He gazed at the inconspicuous yet powerful plaque above the door—"Jingyangxuan"—and turned to look at his adjutant beside him.

"is it here?"

"Yes, sir, Commander Pang lives in this house."

The old man nodded; he was Yu Xuezhong.

He was once a famous general of the Northeast Army, commander of the 51st Army, and commander-in-chief of the Su-Lu War Zone.

With the reorganization of the troops and the changing situation, this old general, who was already tired of internal strife and only wanted to fight the Japanese but was powerless to do so, chose to voluntarily hand over his military power and come to Linxian to recuperate.

Having heard that Pang Bingxun also lived here, Yu Xuezhong, though not close to him and having heard of Pang's past practice of "preserving strength," still paid a special visit out of courtesy, as they had fought side by side under Commander Li Delin.

"Please inform them that Yu Xuezhong is visiting."

After the guard went in to report, he quickly led Yu Xuezhong through the corridor to the backyard.

however.

The sight before him left the burly man from Northeast China frozen in place, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The once shrewd and calculating "Crippled Pang," who had navigated the warlord conflicts with ease, was now working hard in his newly cultivated vegetable garden, his trousers rolled up, shirtless, wielding a hoe.

Where was there even a trace of the commander-in-chief of the army group?

He looked more like a typical old farmer from Shanxi. "Brother Geng Chen?"

Yu Xuezhong called out tentatively.

Pang Bingxun, who was hoeing the ground, froze, straightened up abruptly, squinted at it for a moment, and showed an extremely surprised expression on his face.

He threw down his hoe, wiped the mud off his trousers, and limped over to greet him, his tone a mixture of surprise and politeness: "General Xiaohou, what brings you here?"

The two were not old friends.

Pang Bingxun never expected that this bigwig of the Northeast Army would personally come to his door.

"I recently moved to Linxian County and heard that you are here too, so I came to ask for a cup of tea."

Looking at Pang Bingxun's crippled leg and mud-covered body, Yu Xuezhong felt the slight estrangement caused by their different factions inexplicably dissipate.

Everyone has lost their military power and is getting old.

All that's left is the bond we formed fighting side by side back then.

"Come in, come in and sit down. Don't mind the mess here."

Pang Bingxun warmly ushered Yu Xuezhong into the house and personally poured him a large bowl of tea: "Brother Xiaohou, you are a rare guest."

After the two sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, the conversation naturally turned to the current state of the war.

"The fighting is fierce at the front."

Pang Bingxun picked up his teacup, took a sip, and sighed, "I heard they even blew up the Yellow River Bridge. Now the main force of the North China forces is besieging the 12th Army under the walls of Quancheng."

"Yes."

Yu Xuezhong nodded, his gaze somewhat unfocused. "That battle was truly impressive."

"Watching them play like this now, I can't help but think back to back then..."

Yu Xuezhong looked at Pang Bingxun and said in a low voice, "Xuzhou, 1938."

Pang Bingxun's hand trembled slightly, his smile faded, and his expression became solemn. That was the only time the two of them crossed paths, and it was also the most memorable experience of their lives.

"At that time, under the command of Commander Li Delin."

Yu Xuezhong recalled: "I was on the Huai River, and you were in Linyi. We were in the south and the north, guarding the gate for Xuzhou."

"Hey"

Pang Bingxun gave a wry smile and patted his injured leg: "At that time, although I only had half a life left, I, Pang, dare to say with my hand on my chest that in Linyi, I did not disgrace the Chinese people!"

"That old devil Seishiro Itagaki, those were the elite of the Japanese army!"

"I led those remaining troops and fought him to the death for seven days and seven nights!"

"If it weren't for Brother Jinchen disregarding past grievances and leading the 59th Army on a forced march to reinforce us, my old bones would have been buried under the walls of Linyi long ago."

When Zhang Zizhong was mentioned, both of their eyes reddened.

Yu Xuezhong sighed deeply: "Yes, although we were poor back then and each of us had our own agendas, we were truly willing to risk our lives when it came to matters of principle."

"I was facing the Japanese 13th Division at the Huai River, a top-tier elite force that was no less formidable than the 5th Division."

"Back then, we didn't have any heavy artillery."

"There are no tanks, we rely entirely on the flesh and blood of our brothers."

"And those brothers from the Sichuan Army, wearing straw sandals and carrying old rifles with worn-out rifling."

A brief silence fell over the room, with only the incessant chirping of cicadas outside the window.

After a long silence, Pang Bingxun broke the silence. He looked at Yu Xuezhong and said with a hint of relief and admiration, "Brother Xiaohou, to be honest, back in Linyi, I was somewhat unconvinced by Chu Yunfei."

"I think he's too young and too arrogant, and I'm also jealous of why Commander Li values ​​him so much."

"Look at us now?"

“The things we didn’t finish in this life, the revenge we couldn’t take, this young man has done for us.”

Yu Xuezhong stood up, walked to the door, and looked towards the northeast.

That was his hometown, the place where the Songhua River flows, the black soil that haunted his dreams.

As a general in the Northeast Army, losing the Northeast was a lifelong pain for him.

"Yes, Brother Gengchen."

Yu Xuezhong's voice trembled slightly: "The reason I came here this time is actually to find someone knowledgeable to talk to."

"I only heard about it a couple of days ago that Chu Yunfei blew up the Kwantung Army's military train and drowned those arrogant Kwantung Army elites in the Yellow River."

Yu Xuezhong clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "These bastards are, after all, my enemies who have occupied my hometown for over a decade!"

Before Pang Bingxun could even offer a word of comfort...

Yu Xuezhong quickly turned around, looked at Pang Bingxun, his eyes full of anticipation: "To be honest, I'm only hoping for one thing right now, that is, that he can take Quancheng as soon as possible, and that he can lead his troops out of the pass!"

"If I can see the day when Northeast China is liberated, then I can close my eyes in peace..."

Pang Bingxun was moved. He stood up, ignoring the mud on his hands, and patted Yu Xuezhong's shoulder heavily: "The day of our triumphant return is not far away. When that time comes, we'll set up a few tables of wine to properly commemorate our old brothers who sacrificed their lives in Xuzhou, Linyi, and Tengxian!"

"Then we will tell them that the country has been defended and their revenge has been achieved."

Two large, aged hands clasped tightly together.

Although we belong to different factions and have not had a close relationship in the past.

But at this moment, faced with national righteousness and the dawn of victory, the two once-renowned veterans shared the same sentiments.

Their relationship quickly warmed up as a result.

They then started talking about their daily lives.

During the family dinner that evening, Pang Bingxun bluntly stated that Linxian was good in every way, except for one thing.

Water shortage.

When it comes to the topic of water scarcity, it is indeed an unavoidable source of suffering for the Northwest region, particularly the Taihang Mountains.

Shanxi's water conservancy projects had been under construction for decades, and with Chu Yunfei's deliberate investment in water conservancy, there were four consecutive years of peace and plenty.

"To be honest, the Second World War zone was extremely short of funds, and everything was focused on the development of the defense industry."

"The Linxian Canal Water Diversion Project, which was approved earlier, was a long-term construction project that Qian Bojun obtained through his relationship with Chu Yunfei. It is unlikely to solve the drought problem in the short term."

Linxian County has water conservancy facilities, but they are far from sufficient. Now, with a group of retired officers gathering at the Linxian Veterans Home, the water source issue has once again become an unavoidable problem.

Yu Xuezhong couldn't help but sigh: "Like you, I'm getting old now, and I can't bear to see people suffer. I'm planning to donate all my savings to repair the irrigation canals."

Pang Bingxun's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this.

Although he has retired from the military, his son is still a staff officer in the Fifth Army.

If he can gain exposure through this incident, it will undoubtedly benefit his son's military career.

The officialdom of the Republic of China was also a place where interpersonal relationships and social skills were highly valued.

Although Chu Yunfei is headstrong, he sometimes needs to consider things carefully.

Pang Bingxun suggested, "Brother Xiaohou, we can mobilize more of our retired comrades. If they're willing to contribute, let them. We can put together a joint telegram, and then we can come up with a nice-sounding name for it."

Luxi Frontline Command Headquarters.

The command post was a bit stuffy. Li Jingzhong presented an urgent telegram from the Linxian Veterans' Home in the rear: Pang Bingxun and Yu Xuezhong jointly sent the telegram, expressing their willingness to donate all their family wealth to repair water conservancy projects.
Chu Yunfei toyed with the red and blue pencils in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly.

He saw through the ulterior motives behind this "righteous cause" at a glance.

A typical pledge of allegiance characteristic of old-school warlords.

It was both to pave the way for his nephews and nieces who were serving in the Fifth Army Group and to reflect the burning desire of the veteran generals of Northeast China to recover their homeland.

"Suppress it for now."

Chu Yunfei casually pressed the telegram under a shrapnel paperweight, his voice cold and hard: "Kindness is earned through battle, not donated."

"The battle of Quanzhou is at a critical moment now. It's not too late to deal with it after this battle is over."

Fang Ligong glanced at the contents of the telegram and said, "However, the name Rongjunqu is not bad. Your Excellency, how about we hand this matter over to Wei Mou?"

Chu Yunfei nodded: "Alright."

The next day at dawn, at exactly five o'clock.

Three red signal flares instantly rose into the air.

"fire!"

As the command flag was waved, nearly three hundred cannons outside Jining City roared simultaneously.

Without any probing, Chu Yunfei wanted a simple, brutal, and swift strike.

Inside the Japanese military headquarters in the city, dust swirled and telephones rang incessantly.

At almost the same time, combat units across Shandong Province launched a fierce attack.

Commander Tsuchibashi, commander of the 12th Army, was jolted awake from his sleep. He knew all too well that the decisive battle had begun! (End of Chapter)