Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 225 Military Conference, Chief's View
In front of the Central Military Commission office building.

The convoy slowly came to a stop at the entrance. Wang Feng got out of the car, and the officers who had been blocking the entrance and queuing to surrender their weapons immediately made way for him, all staring at him.

"Is this Wang Feng, Commander Wang?"

"Judging from the collar insignia, it should be!"

“Too young!”

"."

Ignoring the murmurs of those around him, Wang Feng strode to the gun-handling area.

The soldier looked up and glanced up:
"Hello, sir, may I ask your name?"

"Wang Feng."

"Okay, here is your gun number. Please keep it safe."

"Thank you."

Wang Feng took back the note and turned around, only to run into an acquaintance from the Battle of Xuzhou.

Sun Lianzhong walked over with a smile: "Oh, Commander Wang!"

"Long time no see, how have you been!"

Wang Feng greeted him warmly: "How have you been?"

Zhang Hu quickly caught up: "Sir, there are too many people."

Sun Lianzhong walked to Wang Feng's side, and the two walked side by side.

"Since we parted ways in Xuzhou, Commander Li has been quite fond of you, mentioning you frequently in military meetings."

Wang Feng was somewhat surprised: "How has Lord De been lately?"

Sun Lianzhong smiled and said, "I came to the Wuhan conference with De Gong. We rested by East Lake. There were many military affairs today, so I arrived a little late. De Gong should have already gone in."

Wang Feng nodded: "Where is your unit currently stationed?"

Sun Lianzhong: "After the breakout from Xuzhou, I was stationed in the Dabie Mountains."

Wang Feng: "Dabie Mountains, the northern front of the battlefield?"

Sun Lianzhong: "Yes!"

As the two were talking, they entered the huge tiered conference room.

Guided by the guards, Wang Feng found his place.

The very first row.

After waiting for quite a while, people came over one after another to greet Wang Feng. Some of them were people he knew, such as Li Pinxian, Liao Lei, Tang Enbo, Xue Yue, and others. There were also some people he didn't know.

Wang Feng felt awkward refusing, so he could only smile and nod in agreement.

After waiting for quite some time, the meeting room finally filled with people, and Chiang Kai-shek walked in. This time, he didn't have the usual pomp and circumstance, and you could tell that he looked somewhat anxious.

On the stage.

Chiang Kai-shek put down his speech and cleared his throat:
"Gentlemen, the main reason I've gathered you all here today is to discuss the defense of Wuhan."

As the distinctive Fenghua accent rang out, Wang Feng yawned, feeling somewhat drowsy.

I barely slept a wink on the train last night, and I'm starting to feel the strain.

What Chiang Kai-shek said earlier was all just empty rhetoric; whether you listen to it or not doesn't matter, it won't make any difference.

It is said that large meetings resolve small issues, while small meetings resolve big issues.

With so many people here today, there probably won't be any substantial discussions. It'll mainly be about publicizing the operational strategy and deployment plans.

To be honest, Wang Feng didn't know what role he would play in this battle.

Although Wuhan, and even the entire Hubei province, are under the jurisdiction of the garrison district, the main force of the garrison is currently resting in Changzhi. The supply line from Shanxi to Wuhan is more than a thousand kilometers long. If we do not proceed cautiously and rashly, it could be enough to wear down a large army.

The only troops he can command right now are Zhang Hu's First Column.

I want to do something, but I really feel powerless.

On stage, Chiang Kai-shek continued his eloquent speech. After finishing the part on political mobilization, he finally moved on to strategic deployment.

Wang Feng sat up straight.

Even after all this time, I still find the Fenghua accent a bit unfamiliar. I often miss words or mishear things, so I have to concentrate more.

Chiang Kai-shek: "The three towns of Wuhan must be defended, but it is not easy to defend them. The outskirts of Wuhan, especially the north of the city, have no natural defenses, and the city is separated by the Yangtze River. The area outside the city is full of ponds and marshes, making it no place for a prolonged battle!"
"Today, I would like to ask all generals to take a longer-term view. Defend Wuhan, but do not fight in Wuhan. Qianshan and Taihu in the northeast, Shuangmenguan and Wushengguan in the north, and the Mufu Mountains, Dabie Mountains and the Yangtze River on the outskirts are the natural barriers for our army to defend against the enemy!"

The hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Wang Feng clapped along, thinking to himself, "It's been a while since I've seen Chiang Kai-shek. He's made quite a bit of progress. It seems I really have to praise him for his 'brilliant insight' this time!"

However, the price of this growth is indeed quite high.

The blood of hundreds of thousands of elite Nationalist soldiers slightly jolted Chiang Kai-shek's muddled military mind.

Wang Feng looked at the expressions on the faces of the others.

Upon hearing this, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Zhang Fakui, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile appeared on their tense faces.

It seems they are afraid.

Most of the generals present had learned from the experience of Shanghai's limited territory and the resulting concentration of their superior forces on dense bombing targets. Before the meeting, they were genuinely afraid that Chiang Kai-shek would launch another plan to defend Wuhan to the death.

The atmosphere in the room was much more relaxed. Wang Feng could hear some people whispering, and Chiang Kai-shek on the stage seemed encouraged, becoming even more radiant.

"You can imagine that if our army were to fight from the three towns, the flames of war would inevitably spread to the city. Wuhan's political and economic importance would be lost. Once besieged, our army would be like a turtle in a jar. The lesson of Nanjing is still fresh in our minds, and we must never forget it!"

"In this battle, both China and Japan have deployed a million troops. If we win, our Chinese nation can escape the danger of national subjugation. If we lose, all our previous efforts will be in vain, and we will be completely plunged into the dangerous situation of national subjugation and genocide!"

Chiang Kai-shek used strong language and occasionally tapped his cane on the ground.

Bai Chongxi, the deputy chief of staff, was prepared. He walked slowly toward the wall chart and pulled back the curtain.

In his previous life, Wang Feng was a hardcore military enthusiast who had read extensively on world war history. He immediately recognized that this was a map of the defense zone in eastern Germany.

Bai Chongxi: "This is a famous battle that took place in the autumn of 1914 on the Eastern European battlefield. You must have heard of it. At that time, the German army had limited forces. In order to secure the capital Berlin, the German army initially planned to retreat to the Outer Xssel River. However, after General Hindenburg took over command, he completely rejected this passive defense plan."

"Instead, they took advantage of the Russian army's separation by the lakes and marshes, turning defense into offense. Today's Wuhan is indeed very similar to Berlin back then. The Yangtze River and the Dabie Mountains have divided the Japanese army into two or even three routes. As long as we can deploy defenses at the foot of the Dabie Mountains..."

Wang Feng sat below, initially clapping incessantly. Bai Chongxi, as the deputy chief of staff, had a high level of command in the campaign, but the more he listened, the more he felt something was amiss.

He looked at the generals beside him, all of whom had smiles on their faces, seemingly agreeing with the strategy of defending the Dabie Mountains.

Wang Feng kept muttering to himself, "Shouldn't we be defending both banks of the Yangtze River?"

Upon closer examination, the strategic policy of defending the foothills of the Dabie Mountains is not difficult to understand.

Six months ago, during the Battle of Nanjing, the Japanese army bypassed the Yangtze River and instead maneuvered through the northern mountains, exploiting a gap in the Nationalist army's defenses, and captured the Nationalist capital in just over ten days.

Logically speaking, Wuhan's terrain is extremely similar to Nanjing's, so the Japanese army would definitely use the same trick again.

But similarities are still similarities; Wuhan is not Nanjing. Although Wuhan has fortresses and defensive barriers along the river, making it difficult for different units to coordinate when fighting across the river, if the attack is carried out along the north bank of the river and the southern foothills of the Dabie Mountains, it can be caught in a pincer movement between the defenders on the north bank and the defenders on the southern foothills.

The roads were narrow, and the mountain passes were treacherous, making it difficult for the large Japanese troops to deploy.

As for the northern foothills
Being too close to the main force of the garrison, Wang Feng had roughly guessed why the Japanese army did not capture Zhengzhou; it was probably to leave a strategic buffer zone.

Although both routes are difficult, it is clear that going upstream and focusing on both banks of the Yangtze River is the most sensible choice.

Instead of the southern foothills of the Dabie Mountains.

What's the point of defending here?

Wang Feng felt he could see it, and the Japanese army's high command could also see the clues.

After Bai Chongxi finished his long and eloquent speech, He Yingqin went up on stage:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will now announce the personnel changes for the next phase—the defense of Wuhan!"

Upon hearing this, all the officers present immediately perked up their ears, not wanting to miss a single word.

"In order to enhance the coordinated combat capabilities of various war zones, troops, and departments, the Central China Garrison Command is established to lead the defense of Wuhan and oversee military and political power. All troops in the war zones shall be under its command. Anyone who disobeys shall be dealt with according to military law!"

"The Provincial Garrison is hereby appointed."

Upon hearing this, all eyes immediately turned to a certain seat in the first row.

Wang Feng raised an eyebrow.

Never imagined.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Chiang Kai-shek established a new temporary command structure.

Thinking of this, Wang Feng stood up while stealing a glance at Chiang Kai-shek's expression.

Um.
His face was expressionless, revealing no emotion.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Wang Feng said politely, "Thank you for your guidance, Chairman!"

As I sat down, a soft, welcoming voice sounded beside me:
"Congratulations, Commander Wang!"

"His future is boundless!"

"A promising future?"
Where is your damn Commander-in-Chief, the Curse King?

"."

Chiang Kai-shek nodded, and He Yingqin continued reading:

"Chen Cheng and Li Zongren are appointed as deputy commanders."

Wang Feng only heard the gist of what happened next.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As expected, after the meeting, Chiang Kai-shek did not meet with Wang Feng, but instead left the venue quickly surrounded by guards.

Instead, Li Zongren came over.

Wang Feng: "Lord De".

Li Zongren smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Congratulations, Commander Wang!"

Wang Feng immediately said, "Lord De, please stop teasing me. What exactly happened?"

Just now at the meeting, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

According to convention, such a significant appointment should be communicated in advance.

It's not impossible for it to happen so suddenly.

There might be a trap here!

Li Zongren leaned close to Wang Feng: "Commander Wang, things are just as you see them!"

Wang Feng frowned: "Is this really true?"

Li Zongren: "Really, but..."

As he spoke, he glanced around.

The two left surrounded by guards. They were all their own people, and they spoke in hushed tones, so the chances of outsiders overhearing them were slim, but they still had to be careful.

Wang Feng hurriedly asked, "But what?"

Li Zongren lowered his voice: "As you can see, the Chairman has already formulated the battle plan at the meeting. The stage for you to show your skills has been set, and we're just waiting for you to take the stage."

Wang Feng frowned even more deeply.

Li Zongren's words were very tactful, and at first Wang Feng didn't even think much of them, but he always felt that there was something more to them, and the more he listened, the more something seemed off.

So you're using me as a thug?
To this day, all pre-battle preparations for the defense of Wuhan have been completed, the strategic policy has been finalized, and the participating troops have been mobilized and entered their respective pre-planned defense zones. All that remains is pre-battle command.

Is it because they don't trust me, or is it because of something else?

Wang Feng's face turned ashen, his expression as ugly as if he had eaten excrement.

It can't be called shit either.

I feel like I've eaten a delicious cake, only to find a dead fly inside—it's incredibly frustrating.

If the pre-war deployment and strategic policy were correct, he would be willing to act as a "henchman" in the face of national righteousness.

The problem is that the current strategic approach is flawed.

It is unlikely that the Japanese army would make the Dabie Mountains their main attack target.

Managing such a large and complex force is no easy task.

Looking at Li Zongren, Wang Feng recalled the precedent of Tang Enbo's army disobeying orders during the Battle of Taierzhuang.

Ugh.
Just thinking about it gives me a headache!
Li Zongren saw through Wang Feng's thoughts and offered him a cigarette: "Commander Wang, there's no need to worry. The Chairman must have given this order a lot of thought. The Battle of Wuhan is a decisive battle between our country and Japan, and no one else would dare to act rashly."

"Yesterday, the Chairman ordered the execution of a group of generals who had previously disobeyed military orders. This is a warning to others!"

Wang Feng sighed and reached out to take the cigarette.

Killing chickens to warn monkeys?
What a waste!

Everyone knows that once war breaks out, the most disobedient are the elite troops of the Central Army!

The officers executed were most likely from local armies.

Li Zongren smiled and said, "Commander Wang, this is not the place to talk. I am currently recuperating by East Lake. We are friends despite our age difference, so why don't we meet by East Lake? I'll treat you to the most authentic Wuchang fish!"

Wang Feng exhaled a puff of smoke. He didn't usually smoke, but Li Zongren had personally offered him one, and it would be a loss of face not to accept it.

"I would be honored to accept your offer, thank you very much, Lord De!"

Li Zongren: "Please!"

(End of this chapter)