Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Jiujiang Prefecture, East City Cannon Tower!

Oyama Iwao, the supreme commander of the Kwantung Army, sat imposingly in a chair.

Instead of kneeling on the cushion as before, he sat on top of the turret.

at this time,

He looked up leisurely at the densely packed bunkers outside Jiujiang City.

then,

Then he looked at the Kwantung Army's camp outside Jiujiang City.

At this moment, he was full of vigor and ambition.

Before that, he had been stationed in Wuchang Prefecture.

but,

As the battle intensified, Da Shanyan feinted and arrived at Jiujiang Prefecture.

He is determined to win this battle!
In his eyes, the 60,000 elite troops of Ximentang stationed near Yangxin County were already like turtles in a jar.

The fortified group between Xianning Prefecture and Yangxin County has been completed.

If Ximentang's main force in Xianning Prefecture wants to support Yangxin County, they will encounter the Guandong Army's interception along the way unless they take a detour.

This bunker tactic was a huge success!
This not only disrupted Ximentang's battle plan.

At the same time, the tactics for countering Ximentang's powerful firepower were confirmed in actual combat.

Although the Kwantung Army suffered heavy losses, it laid a solid foundation for future battles.

When Dashanyan received the military report that Yangxin County had been powerfully destroyed by Ximentang's army's "medium armor-piercing shells", he was greatly surprised.

but,

As time went on, he soon realized that Simon's 'medium armor-piercing shells' were in limited numbers.

As the number of bunkers increases and they are connected by trenches, troops can be moved at any time.

In this way, the bunker's combat effectiveness increased dramatically once again.

Even if the bunker is destroyed, as long as the people inside are alive, they can quickly retreat to the next bunker for defense.

Originally, Ximentang's army had all retreated to Xianning Prefecture.

but,

Dashanyan knew that Ximentang would never give up and would definitely continue to attack Yangxin County.

There was no other way; this was a strategic location between Hanzhong and Jiujiang.

Without opening up this military passage, it would be difficult for Ximentang's army to connect Hanzhong, southern Jiangxi, Huainan, and Nanjing.

The idea was that by annihilating this Ximentang army, they could obtain Ximentang's cannons, heavy machine guns, muskets, and other weapons.

Da Shan Yan felt extremely excited.

Ximentang's weapons were the envy of everyone. According to various intelligence reports, the power of Ximentang's weapons was more than twice that of the Kwantung Army.

As long as we annihilate the more than 60,000 elite Ximen Hall troops under Xu Xiaodao's command.

Then,

He was confident that the Kwantung Army could sweep through the entire Hanzhong region, and he was also confident that he could wipe out the other 100,000-strong Ximen Tang army in Xianning Prefecture.

Even the Shandong headquarters of Ximentang, as well as Ximentang's two major fleets, no longer need to be feared.

By the time,
The Kwantung Army not only wanted to occupy Hanzhong, but also to take over Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, and the entire Zhejiang region.

If the wealthy Jiangnan region were occupied by the Kwantung Army, they could march north to attack Shandong, the base of Ximentang.

Cooperate inside and outside, attack from both sides!
Any force that tries to block the Kwantung Army's path to global domination is destined to become a stepping stone for the Kwantung Army.

Just when he was full of vigor and ambition.

A guard stepped forward and reported, "General, General Oshima Yutaka requests an audience!"

Da Shan Yan nodded slightly and said calmly, "Let him come up!"

finished,

Dashan Yan stood up from his chair, holding binoculars, and looked at the bunkers built by the Kwantung Army outside Jiujiang City.

Oshima Yuutake strode up from under the turret and saluted Oyama Iwao:

"General, the Black Dragon Society has just given us news that Ximen Hall's reinforcements in Jinling have already set off."

"This time, the reinforcements from Nanjing were divided into two routes, one by water and the other by land, totaling 50,000 elite troops."

"According to inside information, it is very likely that Prince Qian, Chen Jie, will personally take command!"

Reinforcements from Nanjing?
Da Shan Yan frowned slightly, turned his head and asked:
What does "most likely" mean?

Oshima Yuu explained, "There was no movement outside the Qianwang Mansion in Jinling, and we did not see Qianwang Chen Jie leave."

"However, the three chief stewards who were originally stationed at the Qianwang Mansion, Cao Shaoqing, Kou Yin, and Guan Shanyue, have all left the Qianwang Mansion."

"Therefore, according to the Black Dragon Society's speculation, Qian Wang Chen Jie is very likely to have left through the secret passage and gone to the Ximen Hall's military camp."

"That bastard is very low-key. He has arranged several puppets and his whereabouts are extremely secretive. It is very difficult to find out his exact whereabouts."

Da Shan Yan nodded, took a deep breath, and said:
"Fifty thousand elite troops from Ximen Hall?"

Currently, the elite troops of the Kwantung Army in the Hanzhong area number 300,000. Adding the armies under Prince Ning, Li Mu, Prince Shu, Li Chuang, and the army under Hong Chaoge, the total force is 700,000.

Ximentang's reinforcements number only 50,000. What are they planning to do?

Are they here to die?

Da Shan Yan was somewhat surprised.

"That's right!"

Oshima Yuutake said, "Thirty thousand men came by land and twenty thousand by water, making a total of fifty thousand troops."

"They are marching very fast, and I believe they will reach the riverbank of Jiujiang Prefecture within a day."

Da Shan Yan curled his lip in disdain and said in a deep voice:

"He wants to send 50,000 men to the rescue? Does he think our Kwantung Army's fighting strength is what it was a year ago?"

"He's dreaming if he thinks he can suppress the enemy with artillery and heavy machine guns!"

The combat effectiveness of the Kwantung Army has undergone tremendous changes after a year of equipment replacement.

not to mention,
This time, in the decisive battle of Jiujiang Prefecture, the Kwantung Army had a force of 700,000 men.

With only 50,000 troops, what can Ximentang's reinforcements do?
not to mention,
The 110,000 troops of Xianning Prefecture are currently trapped by the Guandong Army. It will take at least five days to break through the siege and support the 60,000-strong army in Yangxin County.

Ximen Hall only sent 50,000 reinforcements; isn't that just sending them to their deaths?
but,

Dashanyan still harbors deep fears about the power of Ximentang's incendiary bombs, armor-piercing shells, and artillery array.

then,

He thought for a moment and asked, "Have you found out what heavy weapons they were carrying?"

"The land forces, accompanied by the supply train, should be equipped with artillery and heavy machine guns just like Xu Xiaodao's army, and there should be quite a few of them!"

After a moment's consideration, Oshima Yuutake replied, "However, they are using a forced march, so they are very fast and probably don't have much heavy firepower."

"As for the waterways, we did find more than twenty ships, but we couldn't get close to them because they were covered with cloth. We don't know what kind of weapons were on them."

Oyama Iwao wasn't too worried about the weapons carried by the Ximen Tang army.

When marching quickly, soldiers travel light. What heavy weapons can they carry?

To break the 'bunker platoon' tactic, heavy weapons are necessary.

but,

Dashanyan was also unsure about the weapons and ammunition transported by waterway.

Since the investigation couldn't find anything and no one could board the ship, there must be heavy weapons.

Although transporting any heavy weapon is always the biggest problem, as they are generally very difficult to move.

but,

Once Ximentang's heavy weapons can be moved ashore, even ship-mounted guns, they will pose a significant threat to the Kwantung Army's "fortifications".

The shipborne guns have a very large caliber and their shells are extremely powerful.

A single shell could easily destroy a bunker; if there were too many, they would pose a huge threat to the Kwantung Army.

Seeing that Daiyama Iwao remained silent, Oshima Yuuto hesitated for a moment before saying:

"The fact that the Ximen Hall reinforcements from Jinling Prefecture dispatched troops so quickly clearly indicates that they already knew about our strategic deployment."

“King Qian, Chen Jie, plans before he acts and never fights a battle he is not confident of winning. Since he dared to personally lead his army to Hanzhong to provide support, he must have something to rely on.”

"General, let's seize this opportunity to launch a strong attack and take down Xu Xiaodao's Ximentang army in Yangxin County, lest things get complicated."

in fact,

Taking down Xu Xiaodao's 60,000-strong army by force is no easy task. Xu Xiaodao had already built defensive fortifications at his garrison positions on the outskirts of Yangxin County.

not to mention,
When attacking, the artillery of Ximentang was not very effective against the 'bunker'.

However, even with five times the manpower, the Japanese army would find it difficult to break through when in a defensive posture.

Launching a strong attack would not only fail to break through Ximentang's defensive positions, but would also likely result in heavy casualties and severe damage.

Da Shan Yan lowered his head and pondered for a moment, unable to make up his mind.

Launching a full-scale attack on Xu Xiaodao's army at this time would definitely not be a wise choice.

but,

Once Ximentang's reinforcements from Jinling arrive, it will be much more difficult to encircle and annihilate Xu Xiaodao's army.

He paused for a moment and said, "Although we have the advantage in troop strength, Xu Xiaodao's army is stationed on high ground, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"If we launch a full-scale attack, our bunker tactics will be completely useless. The casualties will be too great, which will have a huge impact on the overall situation of the war in the Hanzhong area."

To put it simply,
If the casualties are too great, even a large mountain rock cannot withstand it.

Oshima Yuutake was well aware that if a direct assault were launched, the Kwantung Army would suffer heavy casualties given the firepower of the Nishida.

but,

Having finally trapped Xu Xiaodao's more than 60,000 elite troops, he was truly unwilling to give up the attack just like that.

For the Kwantung Army, Xu Xiaodao's 60,000 elite Ximentang troops posed a great threat.

It's worth any sacrifice to annihilate Ximentang's fighting force.

He thought for a moment and said, "General, if our Eastern Empire wants to completely occupy the Great Qian Dynasty, we must face the army of Ximentang."

"This is something that cannot be avoided; this battle is unavoidable!"

"No matter the cost, we must take this step."

“Now, within our Kwantung Army, everyone is afraid when they talk about Ximen Tang’s army.”

"Therefore, our most urgent task is to win a victory to shatter the rumors that Simon is invincible."

Upon hearing this, Da Shan Yan nodded slightly.

He understood all this better than Oshima Yuutake. The geographical location of the Eastern Empire was too poor, and it lacked room for development if it wanted to become a true world power.

Therefore,
If the Eastern Empire wanted to grow and expand, it had to occupy more territory.

Although the Kwantung Army had occupied the northeast of the Great Qian Dynasty, for Emperor Meiji, the entire northeast was far from enough.

Taking advantage of the weakness of the Great Qian Dynasty, this is the best opportunity to occupy the entire Great Qian Dynasty.

However, the sudden rise of Ximentang completely disrupted the Kwantung Army's plans.

Ximentang's forceful entry into Hanzhong clearly indicates his intention to fight a decisive battle with the Kwantung Army and drive them out of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Therefore,
A decisive battle is inevitable between the Kwantung Army and Saimon-do!

Daisan Iwao ordered 300,000 elite troops of the Kwantung Army to land in Guangdong and Guangxi and enter the Hanzhong area, in order to draw the battlefield away from the Northeast and avoid fighting there.

Since the Kwantung Army occupied Northeast China, it has carried out large-scale development, and after mining various mines, the products were continuously sent to the Japanese mainland.

If war breaks out in Northeast China, all the industrial construction undertaken by the Kwantung Army after occupying the region will be wasted.

This is why Emperor Meiji sent Oyama Iwao personally to oversee the Hanzhong region.

"We can mobilize 300,000 troops in Jiujiang Prefecture!"

Oshima Yuutake continued, "The original plan was to besiege Xu Xiaodao's army and then attack the reinforcements."

"Aman's 120,000-strong army is still stationed in Xianning Prefecture. The original goal was to defeat them one by one and ambush Aman's troops."

Surround the place to call for help!

They ambushed the main force under Aman of Xianning Prefecture.

Oyama Iwao nodded slightly and looked at Oshima Yuutake.

He truly deserves to be called a fierce general in the Kwantung Army; he is not only bold but also very ambitious.

to be frank,
The original plan was indeed to besiege the enemy stronghold and lure reinforcements, so that the garrison in Xianning Prefecture would support Xu Xiaodao.

Then they laid an ambush on the road.

Using their own methods against them, 'ambush warfare' is Ximen Tang's most proficient tactic.

Oshima Yuutake suddenly said, "We can change our plans now and ambush the reinforcements coming from Nanjing!"

this--!
Upon hearing this, Da Shan Yan frowned slightly.

To be honest, he would rather launch a direct attack on Xu Xiaodao's 60,000-strong army than ambush the reinforcements from Jinling.

Whether it's an army based on waterways or land routes, their equipment must be extremely strong.

Moreover, there are no places for ambush between Jinling and Jiujiang Prefecture, either by water or land.

However, in terms of numbers, ambushing the reinforcements to Nanjing was the most cost-effective military operation.

He hesitated and said:

“Oshima-kun, the reinforcements from Nanjing came via Huainan, which is not within the garrison area of ​​our Kwantung Army, so we cannot ambush them there.”

"As for the waterways, with the Ximentang warships deployed, there are even fewer suitable locations for an ambush."

Oshima Yuuji thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

indeed,

Ambushing them on the road is too difficult.

"If we can't ambush them on the road, then we'll launch a night attack when they come ashore!"

"They've traveled a long way, and based on the timeline, they should arrive in Jiujiang Prefecture tomorrow night, which is perfect for our nighttime ambush!"

A nighttime ambush!?
Dashanyan looked up towards Jiujiang Prefecture, near the Yangtze River.

If we can ambush and annihilate Ximentang's reinforcements, and it just so happens that Prince Qian, Chen Jie, is among the reinforcements.

Then,

The entire war situation of the Great Qian Dynasty will then completely tilt towards the Eastern Empire.

The only uncertainty is whether Prince Qian, Chen Jie, was among the reinforcements that came from Nanjing this time.

Another concern is the possibility of the ambush failing.

Ximen Tang will definitely retaliate in the coming days.

At that time, the Kwantung Army in Hanzhong will face tremendous pressure.

call--!
Da Shan Yan took a deep breath and muttered to himself:

"The art of war is the art of deception! One must consider defeat before victory. A commander must have such profound foresight."

"The reinforcements sent to raid Ximen Hall at night are too risky and have too many uncertainties."

"Moreover, based on the current information, it cannot be confirmed whether Prince Qian, Chen Jie, has come with the army."

"If the ambush fails, we will be attacked from both sides."

Oshima Yuutake said with a confident expression:

"The Ximentang reinforcements from Jinling number only 50,000. No matter how strong their fighting power is, they cannot withstand our 100,000-strong surprise attack and ambush!"

Oyama Iwao turned to look at Oshima Yuuto and said calmly:

"If you suddenly dispatch 100,000 elite troops to ambush Ximentang's reinforcements, can you really hold back Xu Xiaodao's forces?"

"If Xu Xiaodao manages to break through, all our previous efforts will be in vain!"

Ambushes won't work, and neither will direct assaults!

Oshima Yuutake sighed helplessly, feeling somewhat frustrated.

He said in a deep voice, "General, are we just going to do nothing and wait for Ximen Tang's reinforcements to arrive?"

"How about giving me 50,000 elite troops? I'll personally lead them to ambush Ximentang's reinforcements tonight!"

Are 50,000 elite troops confident of successfully ambushing Ximen Tang's reinforcements?
If the forces are equal, aren't we just going to be easy prey?
Da Shan Yan was very clear about Xi Men Tang's combat strength. Even a sneak attack or ambush would require more than twice the enemy's forces to succeed.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then looked up and said:
"Ignore the Ximen Hall reinforcements for now. While they are still waiting for us, let's take down Xu Xiaodao's army completely!"

"We must cripple this army at all costs. Winning this battle is of great importance to our Kwantung Army!"

After careful consideration, Da Shanyan made the painful decision to launch a strong attack and take down Xu Xiaodao's Ximentang coalition.

A portion of Xu Xiaodao's army was the new army of the Daqian Ministry of War.

They possessed powerful weapons for attacking bunkers: medium armor-piercing shells and field guns.

Compared to Aman's army, Xu Xiaodao's elite force actually posed a greater threat to the Kwantung Army.

Therefore,
No matter the cost, we must not allow Xu Xiaodao's 60,000-strong army to break through; they must be annihilated. (End of Chapter)