Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Peking, North China Front Army Headquarters.

Okamura Neiji slumped in his office chair, his eyes filled with emptiness and despair.

On the table in front of him, telegrams were flying in like snowflakes.

The content is shocking, yet all the same:
"The puppet army in Zichuan mutinied, and the instructor was killed in action."

"The Weixian garrison has defected to the enemy, and the entire garrison battalion is out of contact."

"The Jiaodong Security Command issued a telegram announcing its change of flag and its support for the Chongqing government."

Even some puppet army strongholds around Beiping showed signs of desertion and wavering.

The North China defense line, painstakingly built up over five years.

It collapsed directly due to the defeat on the main battlefield.

While the strategy of using Chinese against Chinese certainly has its advantages, there is a prerequisite: maintaining a sufficient advantage on the battlefield is essential.

Otherwise, who would be foolish enough to become a traitor?
Historically, after the Japanese army marched south, many traitors began to waver and even began to hedge their bets on both sides, or even on all three sides.

Only a truly stupid person would follow the Japanese down a path of no return.

Faced with absolute power and the will of the people, these so-called strategies become a huge joke.

The puppet army system that Okamura Yasuji was so proud of, with its hundreds of thousands of puppet troops used to maintain order, blockade the Eighth Route Army, and provide blood transfusions for the Japanese army, suddenly turned into the most ruthless gravediggers of the Japanese army in North China.

Because they knew the Japanese army's deployment best, knew their weaknesses best, and knew that if they didn't kill a few Japanese, they wouldn't survive until tomorrow.

"Your Excellency Commander"

Major General Shinichi Kitajima lowered his head, his voice hoarse: "According to intelligence, the vanguard armored forces of the Chinese army are less than 150 kilometers away from Qingdao."

"There were almost no obstacles along the way. The Locust Army not only did not resist, but also took the initiative to guide them, build bridges, and repair roads."

"Some of the collaborators even launched suicide attacks on our retreating troops in order to compete for the right to present gifts to the National Army."

"At this rate, they will reach the Yellow Sea coast in less than two days."

Okamura Neiji closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently: "This shows that the prestige of the younger brother's country, and the fear-based rule of the younger brother's country, have completely collapsed."

a long time.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with malice.

"If we can't defend it, then let's destroy it!"

"Send the order to the Qingdao Garrison Command."

"Execute the 'Shattered Jade Plan' immediately!"

"Now, immediately begin the process of destroying all the docks, shipyards, and cranes in Qingdao Port!"

"Burn down all the yarn mills, flour mills, and locomotive factories!"

"Smash all the equipment at the Qingdao Brewery and the ceramics factory!"

"Not even a single brick or a single sleeper should be left to the Chinese."

"What we want them to get is a worthless dead port, a ruin belching black smoke!"

"Hai!"

Shinichi Kitajima gave Neiji Okamura a deep look before accepting his orders and leaving, his footsteps sounding particularly jarring in the empty corridor.
-
Mountain city, Huangshan official residence.

Chang Ruiyuan sat upright behind his desk, the wolf-hair brush in his hand suspended in mid-air, the ink spreading out as a dot on the rice paper.

"Chairman."

Zhu Peiji, the chief of staff, strode across the threshold, his steps light as the wind, clutching a telegram that was still warm to the touch, his expression exceptionally excited.

"We finally have news from the Fifth Theater Command."

Chang Ruiyuan slowly put down his brush, turned his gaze to his trusted confidant who had a happy expression, and picked up the cool tea from the corner of the table and took a sip.

"read."

"Yes!"

Zhu Peiji straightened his back and said in a loud voice: "Commander Li Pinxian called to say that the main force of the Fifth War Zone has successfully broken through the Japanese Huaihe River defense line and is advancing rapidly northward. Its vanguard has already engaged in firefights with the Japanese forces outside Pengcheng."

"Pengcheng's flank is now completely exposed to our firepower!"

Upon hearing this, Chang Ruiyuan raised an eyebrow, then stood up and walked to the huge battle map on the wall.

His gaze swept across the Yangtze River and landed on the winding blue line of the Huai River.

"besides."

Zhu Peiji quickly followed, drawing a circle with his finger over the central Anhui region. "According to intelligence gathered from the front lines, the Eighth Route Army under Liu is moving extremely fast, and its main force has already arrived in central Anhui."

"They are coordinating with the main force of the New Fourth Army to launch a fierce offensive towards Huai'an, intending to cut off the canal line."

Zhu Peiji's voice revealed an barely suppressed excitement: "Chairman, if the various armies cooperate properly, we may indeed be able to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Japanese army in the Huaihai region, repeating a great victory, or even surpassing it!"

Chang Ruiyuan did not respond.

He took the baton from Zhu Peiji and gently tapped Pengcheng's position, his deep eyes flashing with scrutiny.

on the map.

Blue arrows representing the Second and Fifth War Zones are launching a combined attack on the area surrounding Pengcheng.

However, Chang Ruiyuan's gaze went beyond Pengcheng, looking towards Haizhou (Lianyungang) further east and Qingdao to the north.

"That's too optimistic."

Chang Ruiyuan shook his head, his tone indifferent, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Zhu Peiji's hot head.

"The Japanese army is not stupid."

"To defend Xu, one must defend Huai; this is common sense in military strategy."

Chang Ruiyuan drew his baton heavily northward along the Jinpu Railway: "Now that the Huaihe River defense line has been breached, the central Shandong defense line has also been pierced through."

"Pengcheng is now a dead city."

“As long as Hata Shunroku isn’t out of his mind, he will never fight us to the death here.”

Chang Ruiyuan turned around, threw the baton back on the table, put his hands behind his back, and looked out at the gloomy sky: "They will definitely run away."

"Either retreat eastward to Haizhou and use sea transport to evacuate, or retreat northward to Qingdao and hold out for reinforcements."

"The so-called encirclement and annihilation battle will most likely turn into an unprecedented pursuit battle, and it is even possible that we will not be able to catch them."

Zhu Peiji was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and nodded in agreement, his fervor cooling down.

The operational troops of the Fifth War Zone could not move as quickly as the Japanese army.

Moreover, the Japanese still occupy the eastern section of the Longhai Railway.

A brief silence fell over the study.

The only sound was the humming of the ceiling fan.

After a moment, Zhu Peiji seemed to realize something, and his expression became somewhat subtle.

He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and tentatively asked, "Chairman, now that the Japanese defeat is a foregone conclusion, what about the takeover of the liberated areas?"

"Large swathes of land in North and East China are about to return to the embrace of the Party and the State, including those enemy and puppet assets, factories, mines, and banks."

Zhu Peiji paused, then looked meaningfully to the north: "If we go too late, we're afraid it will be completely divided up under the pretext of 'using this to pay salaries'."

Chang Ruiyuan's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Of course he understood what was being said.

In Chang Ruiyuan's view, the "wartime economic coordination" system implemented in North China was also for the purpose of resisting the Japanese invasion.

But if not a single penny of the enemy's property in North China reaches the central government.

So where does the central government's authority lie?
The fiscal system in North China has become a separate system from the central government's fiscal system.

This will inevitably lead to more problems.

Chang Ruiyuan was quite troubled by this.

When Zhu Peiji brought it up, Chang Ruiyuan also sighed heavily.

Under Zhu Peiji's watchful gaze, Chang Ruiyuan sat back down in his chair, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrests, making a "tap-tap" sound.

"you're right."

Names flashed through his mind.

The receiving official must be knowledgeable, loyal, and able to maintain order in front of arrogant and fierce soldiers.

Most importantly, this person must represent the absolute will of the central government and firmly grasp the economic lifeline of North China, rather than enriching himself.

"Let Mu Yin go instead."

Chang Ruiyuan suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Zhu Peiji was startled: "You're sending Director Qian again?"

When Qian Dajun was taking over enemy property on Qiongzhou Island, he had some unpleasantness with Huang Huanran and the Qiongya Column.

Even though both sides are exercising restraint, it's impossible to avoid disagreements when faced with real interests at stake.

Fortunately, Qian Dajun was a veteran in the entourage, experienced and extremely tactful in his work.

They successfully took over the Japanese and puppet regime's property on Qiongzhou Island and nationalized it.

In this respect, Qian Dajun certainly carries considerable weight.

Chang Ruiyuan said in a deep voice: "Send him a telegram, telling him to set off for North China immediately."

"This trip is not for him to make a fortune, nor is it for him to become some kind of complacent official."

"He represents the Nationalist Government, the central government!"

Chang Ruiyuan took a red pen from the pen holder and wrote the words "Special Envoy" heavily on a blank official letter.

"We must take over all the heavy industries and financial institutions left behind by the Japanese puppet regime, register them, and incorporate them into the national system!"

"This is both the cornerstone of national strength and the foundation for future nation-building."

Chang Ruiyuan's gaze was sharp as he stared intently at Zhu Peiji: "You must make sure he remembers this clearly. Even if there are objections from the North China side, there can be no compromise on this matter of principle. If Yunfei has any objections, have him come to Shancheng to talk to me."

"Yes!"

Zhu Peiji felt a chill run down his spine. He snapped to attention, took the order, and strode away.

Chang Ruiyuan looked at the door that had closed again.

He rubbed his temples wearily.

As the war drew to a close, both sides were forced to confront numerous pressing and even deeply entrenched problems.

Chang Ruiyuan was gambling, gambling that Chu Yunfei was still the same pure soldier who put the overall situation first.

They also gambled on the central government's righteous cause.

It was still able to keep the increasingly powerful North China military group in the north under control.
-
On the other side, Japan.

Tokyo, a city inhabited by locusts.

The doors to the Imperial Conference Room were tightly shut.

On either side of the long conference table, the military and political giants of the Great Japanese Empire sat upright like clay sculptures.

The faces of the group of old Japanese soldiers looked particularly ashen under the pale light.

Army officials, in particular, were sweating profusely, their hearts filled with unease.

All eyes were carefully focused on the small, thin figure in the main seat.

Emperor Hirohito sat upright on his throne, his knuckles white from the force of the "battle report" from the General Headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army clutched in his hand.

"The city of Jinan has fallen."

"The entire headquarters of the 12th Army was wiped out, and General Tuqiao was killed in action."

"Even Wuhan and Nanchang, strategic locations that the Locust Army won with the blood of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, were abandoned overnight."

Hirohito slowly raised his head, and the eyes behind his glasses no longer held the usual composure, but were filled with disappointment and suppressed anger: "Is this the 'indestructible North China' you promised me?"

"Is this what they call a 'decisive blow'?"

"Sugiyama, tell me, is the Locust Army attacking or fleeing?!"

Army Chief of Staff Marshal Sugiyama trembled, as if he had been whipped by an invisible whip.

He hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply, almost burying his head in his crotch.

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Sugiyama Gen's voice trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead: "The collapse of the war situation in North China was due to the fact that the Chinese army received aid from the United States and the Soviet Union at any cost."

"The enemy's firepower density far exceeds that of our country's army."

"enough!"

Chief of the Naval General Staff Osami Nagano coldly interrupted him.

Although this naval admiral had also been humiliated by the Americans in the Pacific, he couldn't help but kick the army while it was down when he saw the army suffering a setback: "Sugiyama-kun, stop making excuses."

"It's true that our weaponry is inferior, but the incompetence of our command system is the key issue!"

Nagano Osami turned around, bowed slightly to Hirohito, and said in a sarcastic tone: "Your Majesty, the navy is fighting desperately against the American fleet in the Mariana Islands, while the army is staging a 'thousand-mile retreat' on the Chinese mainland."

"To abandon Wuhan without a fight, exposing the Japanese army's back to the Chinese, is an act of cowardice!"

"According to reports from naval observation posts on the Yangtze River, the army's retreat was completely disorganized and was nothing short of a shameful rout!"

"asshole!"

Sugiyama Gen suddenly raised his head, his face turning a deep purplish-red. "That's a strategic retreat, to preserve our strength!"

"If we don't retreat, hundreds of thousands of troops will be surrounded in that dead end in Central China!"

"Who ordered the retreat?!"

Nagano Osami pressed on, "Who ruined such a great situation?!"

The argument erupted in the confined space, and the pent-up resentment between the Army and Navy exploded once again.

Both sides were being beaten down by the other, and both sides believed that the other side had taken up too many resources, which led to their defeat.

It would be strange if there wasn't any argument.

Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who had been silent all along, now resembled a somber Buddha statue.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes behind his glasses slightly narrowed, coldly observing the farce.

The top-secret telegram that Okamura Yasuji had sent him a few days earlier echoed in his mind.

"If we do not abandon Central China and western Shandong, the empire's lifeline on the mainland will be severed. We must cut our losses and survive by shrinking our defenses to the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River Delta in order to plan for the future."

Hideki Tojo knew better than anyone else.

Abandon Wuhan.

Although the order was issued in the name of Hata Shunroku, the real mastermind was Okamura Yasuji, who was lying in a hospital bed in Beiping.

That was Okamura Yasuji's plan, and it was currently the only way out.

But this pot.

Okamura cannot be blamed, nor can the headquarters.

Someone must step forward to take responsibility for the "loss of troops and territory" and give an explanation to the locusts and to the people.

And Hata Shunroku.

The commander-in-chief, who had been stationed in Central China for many years but "advocated" retreat at a critical moment, was the best sacrifice.

"Gentlemen, please be quiet."

Hideki Tojo finally spoke.

Under everyone's gaze, Tojo slowly stood up, straightened his uniform, turned to face Hirohito, and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, the Cabinet and the High Command bear inescapable responsibility for the defeat at the front."

"But the most urgent task is to regroup and stabilize the defense."

Tojo raised his head, his shaved face revealing a ruthless determination: "General Hata Shunroku, as the commander-in-chief of the China Expeditionary Army, although his initial intention in the face of the crisis was to preserve his troops, his mismanagement caused the Locust Army to lose its prestige and its morale to collapse, and he is no longer suitable to command a million-strong army."

"I suggest that Hata Shunroku be immediately relieved of all his duties, recalled to the mainland, and transferred to the reserves for reflection!"

Upon hearing this, Sugiyama Gen was stunned.

But he quickly realized that this was a case of sacrificing a pawn to save the rook.

Hata Shunroku must leave, otherwise the Ministry of the Army will truly lose face.

"I second that proposal," Sugiyama Gen said through gritted teeth.

Hirohito nodded expressionlessly: "Granted."

"So."

Hirohito's gaze swept over the crowd. "Who's going to take on this mess?"

"Who can stop Chu Yunfei?"

The meeting room fell silent once again.

At this critical juncture, to go to China as the commander-in-chief of the dispatched army would be like jumping into a fire pit.

They might all die on the front lines.

Hideki Tojo took a deep breath, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He knew that the war was lost.

From the moment the Kwantung Army was blocked north of the Yellow River, and from the moment American B-29 bombers began to appear in the airspace of the Empire, Japan had already lost.

Every battle we're fighting now isn't about winning, it's about dragging things out.

In order to keep the war out of our homeland, and to delay the inevitable destruction.

To achieve this, one needs someone who is ruthless enough, vicious enough, and has an intimate knowledge of the Chinese battlefield.

A man who dared to use hundreds of thousands of troops as fuel to fill the furnace of what is called "war of attrition".

"His Majesty."

Hideki Tojo stepped forward, his voice firm and cold:
"I recommend General Yasuji Okamura, the current commander of the North China Area Army."

"General Okamura?"

Nagano Osamu frowned and said, "Didn't he lose North China? Besides, his body can no longer support commanding a battle of this scale."

Hideki Tojo turned around, his gaze sweeping over Osamu Nagano like a blade: "Although Mr. Okamura suffered a defeat in North China, he was still able to devise a plan to use the Kwantung Army to flank him even under extremely disadvantageous circumstances. If it weren't for the unexpected bombing of the Yellow River Iron Bridge, the outcome would have been uncertain."

"more importantly"

Hideki Tojo paused, his tone turning sinister: "He is the one who understands Chu Yunfei the most, and the only commander who has survived so many battles with Chu Yunfei."

"He is also the only one who dares to propose the 'shattered jade' and 'scorched earth' strategy at this desperate moment."

"The Far East battlefield today does not need mediocre people who can maintain the status quo; it needs a wolf driven to the brink of desperation."

"Only the fiercest wolf can bite the hunter's throat and buy the last bit of time for the defense of the brother country's homeland."

Of course, Hideki Tojo wouldn't say that.

The so-called "strategic shift" was actually Okamura Yasuji's idea.

He wanted to portray Okamura as both a "victim" and a "vengeful person".

This was also because if he were to be hanged after the war, Hideki Tojo knew he would certainly die before Yasuji Okamura, and before his death, the old devil still wanted to struggle a little.
Hirohito remained silent for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne.

"General Okamura."

Hirohito murmured the name, the image of the gaunt-faced general with sinister eyes appearing in his mind.

"Ok."

Hirohito sighed deeply, waved his hand as if to shake off his weariness: "Then promote Okamura Yasuji to Commander-in-Chief of the China Expeditionary Army, in command of all the Locust Army within the Great Wall..."

"Hai, Your Majesty the Heavenly Locust."

"Tojo-kun, I only require him to do one thing."

Hirohito suddenly raised his head, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with a cold light, as if in a final burst of energy: "Hold back the main force of the Chinese army!"

"Even if we turn all of China into scorched earth, we must not let them set foot in Manchuria, we must not let them threaten our homeland!"

"This is the empire's last line of defense!"

"Hai!!!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices both tragic and mournful.

Hideki Tojo lowered his head, a barely perceptible bitter smile playing on his lips.

He knew perfectly well that this was not just an appointment, but a death sentence.

In the days to come, Okamura Neiji's sword will be used to give everything for this brotherly nation that is about to sink.

And he will ultimately be forever branded on the pillar of historical shame. (End of Chapter)