Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 209 Countermeasures
The atmosphere inside the command post was tense and confrontational.

Cheng Qian stared at Wang Feng with bloodshot eyes. Judging from his posture, he was determined to deal with this matter today no matter what.

Wang Feng: "Commander Cheng, we have different views and cannot work together. On the Yellow River issue, we each hold our own opinions. Since that's the case, please leave!"

"Furthermore, I would like to trouble you to convey a message to the Chairman: the Yellow River is a matter of livelihood for millions of people. To breach the dikes and release water, cutting off people's means of survival, is no different from the actions of the Japanese invaders!"

"We hope the Chairman will think twice before acting!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pointed to the door.

Cheng Qian was furious: "Wang Feng! Why can't you understand the reasoning behind this!"

Wang Feng: "Our primary duty as soldiers is to defend our country and drive out the Japanese invaders. I am truly unable to comply with the Chairman's decision!"

"As for Wuhan, I am well aware of the critical situation there!"

"I will take responsibility for stopping the Japanese invaders. Commander Cheng, please return!"

He gave the order to leave, but Zhao Fangyuan heard the noise outside the door and quickly walked in, standing beside Cheng Qian: "Sir, the car is ready, please come in!"

Cheng Qian glanced at the two men and snorted coldly: "I will convey every word we said today to the Chairman. If the Japanese army arrives before Wuhan's defenses are fully prepared, Commander Wang, you will likely have to bear the responsibility for this crime!"

Wang Feng remained expressionless, only glancing sideways at the scene: "Thank you for the kind reminder, Commander Cheng. I understand."

"Fang Yuan, see the guests out!"

Zhao Fangyuan nodded and led Cheng Qian out of the command post.

outside.

The adjutant lit a cigarette and chatted with the guards beside the jeep.

A tall, thin soldier joked, "Sir, where do you think they'll entertain us tonight?"

The adjutant exhaled a smoke ring: "I think Puyang City is quite desolate. There isn't even a decent building nearby. Could it be that they're cooking in a communal kitchen?"

Another soldier, who was rather plump, chimed in: "A big cooking stove?"

"I've heard for a long time that the garrison's food is plentiful, and eating from a large pot is alright, but at least they should cook a few more dishes and open a bottle of foreign liquor!"

"Get out of here! Drinking foreign liquor? Is that something you can handle?"

The general's guard followed his superior wherever he went. According to Cheng Qian's rank, no matter where he went, whether it was Wuhan or Xuzhou, the local troops would arrange a banquet to welcome him.

This has become an unspoken convention.

The crowd laughed and made a ruckus, completely unaware of any warning.

There were at least a dozen light and heavy machine guns set up nearby, so it was very safe. If anything happened, such as a Japanese assassin coming over, the first to get nervous would be the guards of the garrison.

They're just guests; they should put on a show in front of their superiors.

The adjutant took a puff of his cigarette: "You know what, after all this rushing and traveling, we're actually quite hungry!"

"Hey! The officer's out!"

The sharp-eyed taxi driver quickly spoke up, and everyone immediately took their places, stood up straight, as if nothing had happened.

The adjutant went to greet him and saw that Cheng Qian's face was ashen, and only Zhao Fangyuan was by his side; Wang Feng was nowhere to be seen.

"How did the talks go, sir?"

Cheng Qian, with a cold face and without saying a word, opened the back door of the Jeep and climbed in.

The adjutant hurriedly followed, glancing back at Zhao Fangyuan with suspicion in his heart.

Talking broke?
what is the problem?

Cheng Qian sat in the car, glanced at the command post tent through the window, and clenched his fists tightly: "Drive!"

The adjutant asked cautiously:

"Sir, where are we going?"

Cheng Qian: "Back to Zhengzhou!"

"Huh?" The adjutant was taken aback, then immediately realized, "Back to Zhengzhou! Back to Zhengzhou!"

Inside the command post.

As the sound of the car engine faded into the distance, Wang Feng sat in his chair, glancing occasionally at the war zone map.

Zhao Fangyuan walked in: "Sir, the person has been sent away."

Wang Feng said "Oh," and pondered for a long time: "Cheng Qian is right in some ways. The evacuation from Wuhan will take time. At present, the Japanese army is coming on strong. Judging from the situation, they will be advancing on Zhengzhou in a few days. If the Pinghan Railway falls into enemy hands, the Japanese army can take a short rest and then carry a large amount of heavy equipment to Wuhan and penetrate deep into the heart of China."

Zhao Fangyuan thought for a moment: "Sir, is there really no other way besides breaching the Yellow River's dikes?"

Wang Feng sighed, secretly pondering a solution.

"Nothing in this world can be perfect; you can't have your cake and eat it too."

He silently muttered to himself what Cheng Qian had just said.

Based on the current situation, only three units remain in the First War Zone.
The Yudong Corps, remnants of the Fifth War Zone, and its own provincial garrison,
The Yudong Corps had already suffered two battles in succession, Lanfeng and Dangshan, and was exhausted and demoralized. They also urgently needed to replenish their weapons and equipment. At this time, sending them to the battlefield would be no different from sending them to their deaths, and would be a pointless waste of national defense forces.

The situation was similar for the remnants of the Fifth War Zone and the garrison troops, only slightly different in degree.

At that moment, a staff officer strode in: "Report! A call from friendly forces!"

Zhao Fangyuan took the telegram and glanced at it: "It's a telegram from the Fifth War Zone, personally sent by the Duke of De!"

Wang Feng was somewhat surprised: "Lord De?"

"show me!"

He took the telegram and read it quickly.

The war in eastern Henan is in dire straits. Although the decision of the Supreme Command has its concerns, the Yellow River is hanging by a thread and cannot be stopped by a single dam. My unit is in the front line of the enemy and should make decisions based on the actual situation of the war, without being bound by the orders of the superiors.

Furthermore, Jiansheng has secretly informed the Chairman about the potential danger of the Yellow River changing its course. He advised that the younger brother should proceed with the matter freely, as Zongren and others at the central level will handle the negotiations.

Wang Feng was stunned for a moment.

He originally thought that the purpose of this telegram was the same as Cheng Qian's: to persuade him to give up protecting the Yellow River and tacitly approve of the dike breaching.

But to his utter surprise, this telegram, which supported him...

Zhao Fangyuan sighed from the side, "Sir, De Gong is a kind and honest man, unlike Cheng Qian. With his support, perhaps we can really change the Chairman's mind!"

Wang Feng carefully received the telegram: "It would be great if you could help with the Yellow River matter, but we cannot place all our hopes on others. The most urgent task is to find a way to slow down the Japanese invaders' advance as much as possible."

"How are the various units doing with their rest and recuperation?"

Zhao Fangyuan looked bitter: "Sir, the brothers have been fighting continuously for half a year since they left Shanxi in January. If we launch another attack on the Japanese army, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to morale!"

Wang Feng sighed.

Zhao Fangyuan is absolutely right.

The troops had already fought their way here, almost at their doorstep, and now suddenly an order was issued for the soldiers to turn back and continue fighting the Japanese. The morale was low, but the real problem was poor fighting, heavy casualties, and the resulting delays in the next phase of the operation. Wang Feng rubbed his temples.

The path of using military means to stop the Japanese invaders has basically been successfully completed.

What else can be done?
Wang Feng: "Where is the Fifth Division currently?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "We should arrive in Lanfeng in about two more days!"

Wang Feng muttered to himself, "Lanfeng... We'll arrive in Lanfeng in two days, and in about a week we'll reach Zhengzhou."

"The Japanese army has suffered successive defeats in the Battle of Xuzhou. Even if they can continue fighting, the participating divisions will continue to rest and reorganize. Without support from North China, the Central China Area Army will certainly not advance rashly. Therefore, we have at least one more month."

Zhao Fangyuan scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "Sir, a month doesn't seem like enough time for our troops to rest and recuperate."

Wang Feng waved his hand, an idea forming in his mind:

"No, sometimes military means are not needed to stop the Japanese army's operations in North China!"

Zhao Fangyuan was even more bewildered: "No military means required?"

Wang Feng: "Do you still remember the congratulatory telegram that the Japanese sent me after the Huaibei Campaign?"

Zhao Fangyuan remembered: "Is it that representative of the Japanese Communist Party, Nosaka Sanzo?"

Wang Feng nodded and stood up: "I remember asking you last time, recently in Japan, the Japanese Communist Party has been severely suppressed by the fascist regime. Perhaps we can make a move on this!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, do you mean to support the Japanese Communists and let them cause unrest in their country?"

Wang Feng smiled and said, "Whether this plan succeeds or not depends on whether these Japanese can grasp the revolutionary truth of Nenggao!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "What truth?"

Wang Feng turned his head and glanced at the map:

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun!"

"The situation in Japan is very complicated. The Japanese Communist Party may not be able to gain much influence, but it is not difficult for them to cause a short-term disturbance. I only need one or two months! The Japanese invaders are trying to penetrate into Wuhan, and the supply lines are getting longer and longer. Even a slight problem with the domestic weapons supply will have a huge impact on the front line!"

Zhao Fangyuan frowned: "But relying solely on the Japanese Communist Party's strength may not have a significant impact on the Japanese army's weapons supply. After all, Japan also has quite a few military industrial enterprises in Northeast China."

Wang Feng grinned: "What if we add the Soviet Union to that?"

Zhao Fangyuan was somewhat surprised: "The Soviet Union? The Soviets would go to war with the Japanese directly to help us?"

Wang Feng shook his head: "Of course not, but if the Soviet Union's own interests are violated, it is very possible that a border conflict will break out with Japan."

The geopolitical conflict between Japan and Russia is significant. As far as I know, since 1935, the Japanese Kwantung Army stationed in Hailar has repeatedly provoked the Soviet Union under the pretext of historical "border issues." I estimate that a direct war between the two sides is not far off!

He was referring, of course, to the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.

It was unrealistic to expect the Soviet Union and Japan to go to war within a month, but by stirring up trouble between the two sides, if the Soviet Union could put some pressure on Japan on the northeastern border, the situation on the domestic battlefield would be much easier.

Although the Kwantung Army was the one affected, Japan's military production capacity could not compare with that of the European and American powers. So, if more was used in Northeast China, less would be used in North China and Central China.

In addition, military preparedness is in place.

Delaying it for a month shouldn't be a big problem.

Zhao Fangyuan: "But we can't contact the Soviets right now. How about we send Lao Xie back to the Soviet Union?"

Wang Feng: "Forget it. He was going to be purged in the Soviet Union anyway. If he goes back now, wouldn't that just put him through another ordeal? Let's talk about contacting the Soviet Union after I take office in Chongqing!"

Zhao Fangyuan responded.

Wang Feng took a sip of her cold tea: "Contacting the Soviet Union isn't difficult; the key is how to contact Uenosaka Sanzo."

The Japanese Communist Party was almost driven to the ground by militarism within Japan. Its core members were scattered in various places, and its organizational structure was that of an opposition party rather than a legitimate government. It would probably take some effort to make contact with them and provide military assistance.

Zhao Fangyuan suddenly remembered something: "Sir, perhaps we can ask the Eighth Route Army for help. I remember that Nosaka Sanzo was some kind of member of the Comintern!"

Wang Feng nodded and put down his teacup: "Alright! Go and contact the 386th Brigade immediately. No! All columns will continue to rest and reorganize in Puyang. You take the guard battalion and come back to Changzhi with me!"

"Leave now!"

Zhao Fangyuan tapped his heels together and saluted: "Yes, sir!"

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6 month 8 day.

evening.

Zhengzhou.

The Chairman's Headquarters.

Chiang Kai-shek, leaning on his cane, paced back and forth in the room: "Songyun, is that what Wang Fengzhen really said?"

Cheng Qian stood behind him, head bowed in a repentant manner: "Yes. He asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that you should think twice before you act."

"This matter is due to my poor performance, and I humbly request Your Excellency to punish me!"

Chiang Kai-shek trembled with rage and cursed in his Fenghua accent, "Wang Feng, you brat! You've gone too far!"

"No matter what, I must punish him this time!"

Cheng Qian lowered his head, not daring to say a word. Seeing that he was not blamed, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Standing by the window, Chiang Kai-shek looked at the colorful flags scattered on the street, which bore the four large characters "Defend the Yellow River," and his anger intensified.

“Wang Feng, that brat, holds military power and has no respect for the central government. Songyun, you are the commander of the First War Zone, what do you think should be done?”

Cheng Qian was in a dilemma.

He was indeed the commander-in-chief of the First War Zone, but Wang Feng was not directly under the First War Zone!
Cheng Qian muttered to himself, "You personally issued the order to establish that garrison zone, and now that problems have arisen and the 'new faction' has become too powerful to control, you're asking me for advice again."

That's what I think, but I can't say it out loud.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "Chairman, in my opinion, Wang Feng is not like Han Fuqu or Long Muhan. He has a strong military force and a high reputation among the people. This matter needs to be considered carefully!"

Cheng Qian threw the question back at him.

"Let's take it slow. Let's take it slow." Chiang Kai-shek sneered. "You all say we need to take it slow, so what are we going to do about breaching the Yellow River dike right now?"

Cheng Qian was speechless.

After the newspaper was published the night before, it caused an uproar throughout Zhengzhou. After a day of fermentation and the covert efforts of some people, it has now spread to most of the Kuomintang-controlled areas.

Almost everyone is focused on the Yellow River dike. Taking action at this time, not to mention the garrison soldiers who are constantly guarding the dike, just considering public opinion, every word from everyone could nail us to the pillar of historical shame.

But by the time the storm had passed, the Japanese had already attacked, and it was too late.

Chiang Kai-shek sighed: "You should go back first. There are still many military matters to attend to!"

Cheng Qian saluted, quickly stepped back, and left the office.

(End of this chapter)