Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 199 People's War
Li Dezhu mingled in the crowd, looking around. The howling wind blew into his clothes, and he couldn't help but shrink his neck.

"idiot!"

"Get to work quickly!"

Li Dezhu turned his head and saw the Japanese soldiers behind him urging him on with their gleaming bayonets, so he immediately quickened his pace.

He looked up at the city wall and spotted the old man he had just spoken to among the row of bound people.

The gunfire outside seemed to have stopped, and the Nationalist army appeared to have halted its offensive.

Thinking of this, Li Dezhu became extremely anxious. He looked around and waved his hands frantically, trying to break free from the ropes.

But it was all in vain.

A Japanese soldier noticed his unusual behavior, strode over, and slammed his rifle butt into his lower back.

Li Dezhu was in pain and stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

The Japanese soldier babbled incoherently, "Behave yourself! Or I'll kill you!"

Li Dezhu gritted his teeth and silently swallowed his anger.

Damn those Japanese devils, one day I'll kill you all!

------

On the city wall.

Yamamoto Ichiro peeked out from behind his bunker, looking at the Chinese soldiers below the city wall who hesitated to fire. He was overjoyed, and glancing at Matsushita beside him, he couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.
"well!"

"Matsushita-kun, your idea is brilliant!"

Company Commander Matsushita smiled and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, the Chinese dare not attack anymore. Now we should shout down to the city walls to tell them to retreat!"

Yamamoto Ichiro nodded and beckoned to a soldier beside him, "Go get a megaphone!"

The soldier responded with a "Hai!"

A short while later, a soldier brought over a dark green megaphone and handed it to Yamamoto Ichiro.

Company Commander Matsushita: "Sir, it's too dangerous on the city wall. Why don't I do it?"

Yamamoto Ichiro shook his head: "Don't be afraid, the Chinese would never dare to fire a shot!"

Having said that, he stood up and spoke in broken Chinese:

"Chinese soldiers below the city! Listen up!"

“I know you are Wang Feng’s troops, and I have heard of your reputation for benevolence. I believe your commander is merciful! If you don’t want to see all these civilians die here, lay down your weapons immediately and retreat!”

Yamamoto Ichiro's smile grew increasingly ferocious, while the Japanese soldiers on the city wall exchanged glances, seemingly certain of victory.

Hundreds of people, tightly bound with hemp ropes, sobbed and shivered in the cold wind.

Standing below the city gate, Li Dezhu witnessed everything, and his resentment grew stronger.

Instead of participating in defending their homeland, they became a burden to the Nationalist army here.
"Damn those Japanese devils!"

"Fight them!"

Li Dezhu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, which were bound behind his back.

But how should we fight?
His hands were tied together, and he was surrounded by Japanese soldiers whose bayonets were so bright that he couldn't open his eyes.

"Sir! Sir! I am a law-abiding citizen!"

"Please, sir!"

"No!"

"boom--!"

While he was pondering, a commotion caught Li Dezhu's attention.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

A woman lay in a pool of blood, facing him, her eyes wide open in death.

He remembered this face.

The woman lived right next to my house. She had a 17-year-old daughter who, like her sister, had been abducted by the Japanese on the street.

Li Dezhu's chest heaved, and at that moment he wished he could grab a gun and fight the Japanese to the death.

If only I had applied to the Changzhi Military Academy earlier!
Li Dezhu felt remorseful.

Suddenly at that moment, a voice came from the city wall:
"If you retreat twenty miles, I will immediately release all the people here. Otherwise, I will kill a row of people every ten minutes, starting with the elderly and children!"

The crowd suddenly became commotion.

"Get out of here! What are you waiting for?"

"Please, God, I'll do anything as long as I can live."

"."

A few scattered voices and sobs broke the silence, and Li Dezhu heard two discordant voices: "Damn it! How dare you say that! Are you even Chinese?"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Damn it, Qiu Lao Er, my father shouldn't have given you grain on credit when your family was facing famine!"

Qiu Lao Er turned his head, about to erupt in anger, but upon seeing it was Li Dezhu, he forcefully suppressed his rage: "So it's Young Master Li."

"idiot!"

"What are you doing!"

The argument between the two attracted a group of Japanese soldiers, and the leader of the Japanese soldiers kicked Li Dezhu in the stomach.

His body immediately arched like a shrimp, and he collapsed to the ground in agony.

The other people who were also tied up nearby also cast strange glances at them.

At this point, when death is imminent, what's the point of arguing?

"boom--!"

Li Dezhu tried to stand up in pain, but then heard a gunshot from the city wall.

"father"

Li Dezhu had excellent eyesight. Although the view from the city wall was not ideal, he could still see clearly that the person rolling down the wall was none other than his own father, the owner of the largest grain shop in the west of the city.

At this moment, the Japanese soldier pointed his gun at another person, the old man he had been chatting with.

Li Dezhu stared wide-eyed at the scene before him in disbelief.

Didn't they say they'd wait ten minutes before killing him?

How long has it been?
"Let me go!" Li Dezhu roared hysterically, desperately trying to break free of the ropes binding him. "Fuck those little devils, I'll kill you all!"

What are you all standing there for?

"Are they all still Chinese?"

"Damn it, we're going to die anyway, let's fight those damn Japanese devils to the death!"

Li Dezhu shouted at the crowd, and two Japanese soldiers walked over, cursing incessantly.

"idiot!"

"kill him!"

"Hai!"

A Japanese soldier gripped his bayonet and, with lightning speed, plunged it into Li Dezhu's left lung.

"Pfft!"

The sound of swords piercing flesh was particularly clear, and the bound civilians nearby retreated as if afraid of being splattered with blood.

Li Dezhu's face flushed red, his eyes fixed on the Japanese soldier in front of him, trying to struggle and fight back, but he couldn't muster any strength.

"boom--!"

On his deathbed, he heard another gunshot.

The killings have started again on the city walls!

"Hahahaha!" The Japanese soldier in front of him laughed ferociously like an executioner, then pulled out his bayonet and plunged it into his right lung.

Li Desheng collapsed completely in a pool of blood.

"Father, Mother, I can't follow Commander Wang to fight the Japanese anymore."

The thought flashed through his mind for a moment, and then he was completely gone.

"Damn those Japanese devils!"

"I'll teach you to fucking kill someone!"

Several shouts rang out from the crowd, and a man with his hands bound rushed out and headbutted the Japanese soldier whose hands were covered in blood.

They then quickly went to Li Dezhu's body:

"Brother Zhu."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three gunshots rang out, and the man fell onto Li Dezhu's corpse.

The shooter was a Japanese lieutenant. He swept the gun across the crowd and said in broken Chinese:
"Bagaya road!"

"Anyone who dares to make another move will suffer the same fate as these two!"

"boom!"

At the same time as gunshots rang out below the city, on the city wall, Yamamoto Ichiro executed another elderly man in his sixties.

"boom!"

the fourth!
"boom!"

the fifth!
The Japanese soldiers below the city were also stunned. The lieutenant looked down at the time. Only four minutes had passed. Why had they started killing people? Because too many Chinese people had been captured this time and the number of soldiers in the city was very small, only their hands were bound for the convenience of temporary relocation. Their feet were not tied with ropes.

If things really get out of hand, it will be difficult to handle.

"boom!"

sixth!
Blood was everywhere on the city wall, slowly flowing down the steps.

"Tick! Tick!"

The strong stench of blood assaulted the senses, causing a commotion among the bound civilians who looked at each other in bewilderment.

"grass!"

"Those little devils have no intention of giving us a way out!"

"Fuck them!"

"Since we're going to die anyway, what's the big deal?"

"My husband and son are both dead, I can't go on living!"

"Only if our Nationalist army brothers break in can we all survive!"

"If I die today, I'll be considered half a martyr!"

The crowd immediately became agitated, with hundreds of civilians charging headlong into the Japanese soldiers who were sharpening their knives.

"Nani?"

"Riot! Riot!"

"Suppress! Suppress them now!"

The Japanese lieutenant guarding the area hurriedly shouted, and the few remaining Japanese soldiers quickly retreated behind the barricades and opened fire.

The second lieutenant also held up a rifle and pulled the trigger.

According to the Infantry Manual, soldiers should not use rifles to fire in close combat. The most correct method is to attach bayonets and engage in hand-to-hand combat.

But the Japanese soldiers don't care about that now.

The number of rioting civilians far exceeded the number of guards.

Even if the bullet penetrates through, it will only harm other Chinese people, and will have nothing to do with oneself.

The commotion below the city walls immediately attracted the attention of the soldiers guarding the walls. A Type 91 light machine gun turned its muzzle and unleashed a hail of bullets into the crowd.

"Da da da--!"

Amidst the dense gunfire, civilians attempting to charge at the Japanese soldiers fell in droves, like wheat in stalks.

Although there were many civilians, their hands were tightly bound, so they were not even empty-handed. In no time, the area at the foot of the city wall was piled with corpses.

Blood stained the earth red, a cold wind blew by, sleeves fluttered, and a pungent smell of blood filled the nostrils.

On the city wall.

Yamamoto Ichiro was changing the magazine of his pistol when he was attracted by the sound of gunfire. As soon as he turned his head, a commotion broke out around him.

The Japanese soldiers hastily raised their bayonets, shouted "Banzai!", and began fighting with the bound civilians.

The situation was naturally one-sided massacre.
Most of the hostages on the city wall were elderly people and children. Hundreds of able-bodied men below were unable to subdue the Japanese soldiers armed with firearms, let alone the hostages, who were driven to a corner of the city wall in less than two minutes.

"My son!"

"Don't be afraid! Eighteen years from now, I'll still be a hero!"

Yamamoto Ichiro paused for a moment, then flew into a rage: "Don't kill! Don't kill!"

The group below the city walls is already dead. If all the hostages on the city walls die, then he will have nothing left that the provincial garrison will fear.

He could clearly see the gazes of the Chinese soldiers below.

Once the city gates are breached, the one who will suffer the most will surely be themselves.

"Stop! Stop now!" Yamamoto Ichiro shouted, "Matsushita! Matsushita!"

"Old brothers, we're all old bones now, so if we die, we die. We absolutely cannot become a burden to the Nationalist soldiers!"

But these children…

"I can't help it anymore. My wife and son are both dead. In this world, even children can't survive." An old man glanced at his grandson, then at the approaching Japanese soldiers, and a feeling of despair welled up inside him.

He understood.

From the moment his body was bound with ropes, he was already sentenced to death.

Those damn Japanese devils had no intention of letting me live.

A somber atmosphere spread through the crowd. In fact, everyone understood this truth, and some people had already guessed their fate even before they reached the city wall.

They just lack the courage to face it.

"The Japanese devils will continue to use us to threaten the National Army. If I, an old man, die here, it will be considered a contribution to the War of Resistance. I hope our younger generation can live peacefully."

Yamamoto Ichiro snorted coldly, clearly hearing the whispers in the crowd: "Arrest them all and tie their legs!"

Matsushita, covered in blood, stood to the side and said, "Hai!"

After saying that, he waved to the soldiers behind him.

Yamamoto Ichiro glanced down at the city walls: "Cowardly Chinese!"
"Hurry up!"

Matsushita nodded, drew his military sword, his eyes fierce, and walked forward step by step.

"Jump!"

"Let our Nationalist brothers kill a few more Japanese devils so they can be buried with us!"

The group of acquaintances exchanged glances, made their decision, and then turned and jumped.

The child burst into screams:
"grandfather!"

"thump!"

One person takes the lead, and others rush to follow suit.

Some people, in order to prevent their grandchildren from falling into the hands of the Japanese army, bent down, picked up the children, and held them tightly in their arms, willingly becoming "buffers" after they fell to the ground.

Yamamoto Ichiro was greatly alarmed.

He turned to look at Captain Takeshita beside him and grabbed him by the collar:
"Didn't you say there was no need to tie your feet? That the Chinese couldn't possibly run away!"

"idiot!"

Yamamoto Ichiro's face was contorted with rage; he hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.

"you"

No sooner had he spoken than a 122mm grenade flew through the air and landed directly on the city wall.

"boom--!"

With a loud bang, flames rose from the center of the explosion, bricks and tiles flew everywhere, and the surrounding smoke enveloped the entire city tower.

--------

Inside the command post.

Wang Feng stood there, stunned, his mind completely absorbed in the view from above.

When the explosion rang out on the Heze city tower, his heart clenched. After a long pause, he managed to utter a few words: "The people are not afraid of death, so why threaten them with death?"

Wang Feng no longer had time to curse the Japanese.

That phrase is all I can think about.

What is a people's war?

The people are the decisive force in determining the outcome of a war!

They were not famous generals in history books, but farmers whose faces were blackened by the smoke of battle.

The victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan was by no means achieved by relying on a small number of troops.
Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, news has come from the artillery column that they have conducted two rounds of firing. Should we order the frontline troops to continue the attack?"

Wang Feng snapped out of his daze: "Attack! Be quick! Don't give the Japanese any chance to catch their breath. Give Zhang Hu half an hour."

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and glanced at his watch: "It's 11:23 now. I'm going into the city in 45 minutes. Also, remind them to try not to hurt the civilians in the city when the artillery fires."

Zhao Fangyuan saluted: "Yes!"

Wang Feng nodded, his consciousness remaining immersed in the overhead view.

Although the process was somewhat bumpy, overall, the initiative on the battlefield remained in their own hands.

With no hostages in their hands, it was only a matter of time before the First Column captured Puyang.

The remnants of the Fourth and Sixth Columns are on the eastern side guarding the 59th Infantry Regiment in the direction of Yutai, but judging from the current situation, this Japanese regiment does not seem to have any intention of supporting Heze.

They remained in the city, holding their troops still.

As for the Puyang direction
The second and third columns seem to have encountered some problems.

Normally, although Puyang was far from Lanfeng, it should have been the first city to be recaptured. Liu Zhijian and Kong Zhiyong's two columns arrived in Puyang in early May and had been using a siege strategy to harass the Japanese army.

The Japanese troops in North China also seemed unwilling to give up this important town in the Central Plains.

Although no Class A divisions were dispatched to provide support, tens of thousands of soldiers were sent to Puyang City in the form of detachments or independent mixed brigades.

Air support has never stopped.

Bomber squadrons also occasionally fly over Puyang.

The Second and Third Columns were entirely mountain-specialized units, not equipped with many heavy weapons, and their officers' tactical training focused more on mountain warfare.

They were simply incapable of serving as the main force in the Great Plains Campaign.

If it weren't for the scarcity of frontline troops during the Dangshan Campaign, I wouldn't have sent out the Second and Third Columns to feign an attack on Puyang in order to draw the attention of the Fourteenth Division.

(End of this chapter)