Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 81 A True Professional Soldier [ words updated, double the monthly tickets, brothers! ]

Moon stars are rare.

Under the leadership of the guards, Chu Yunfei walked straight into the North China Battle Group’s base.

When they arrived in front of a room that was brightly lit, the guard said softly, "The commander is inside."

Chu Yunfei took a deep breath, stepped forward and knocked on the door gently.

Boom boom boom!
"Commander Wang, Chu is here to visit!"

"Enter."

Crunch!

Chu Yunfei pushed the door open and walked out. Wang Feng was sitting behind the table, fiddling with a pen in his hand, with a pile of rough paper in front of him.

"Don't be shy, sit down."

After saying that, he pointed to the wooden chair that had been prepared in front of the table.

Chu Yunfei looked around and closed the door carefully.

"Commander Wang, to be honest, I have encountered some problems recently."

Wang Feng raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling a little surprised.

"what happens?"

Chu Yunfei sat on the chair, looking conflicted: "This..."

The words came to my lips, but I couldn't say them.

Wang Feng realized something was wrong. What kind of trouble could Chu Yunfei have encountered that he had to tell him?

Could it be related to me?
"This is our base, there is no need to be cautious, but you can say it."

Chu Yunfei sighed: "Alas, we are facing a powerful enemy. The Japanese invaders are rampant in China, slaughtering the people. The rulers are not thinking about fighting against foreign enemies, but are focusing on maintaining domestic stability."

"I, Chu Yunfei, consider myself a true professional soldier. Compared to other colleagues in the Party and the country, I am unwilling to intervene in the warlord party disputes and weaken the anti-Japanese war forces. However, some people force me, Chu, to make a statement."

Although the two met only a few times, they got along very well every time they talked. Chu Yunfei also recognized Wang Feng as a friend from the bottom of his heart and they talked quite frankly.

Wang Feng was stunned.

Chu Yunfei and Yan Laoxi were both from Wutai County, Shanxi Province. Their relationship was equivalent to that between Chiang Kai-shek and the Zhejiang military officers.

How could a legitimate descendant of the family bring up this matter?

Seeing Wang Feng's puzzled expression, Chu Yunfei continued, "Commander Wang, I will speak frankly and not be secretive anymore."

"Right now, Commander Yan is eliminating dissidents and suppressing officers from Huangpu. Currently, there are very few senior officers from Huangpu in the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, and you and I are one of them."

Wang Feng frowned, still confused.

It has been a long time since Yan Laoxi has been suppressing the Whampoa military officers. Chu Yunfei was doing fine before, so how could he suddenly end up in this situation?

Could it be?

Wang Feng suddenly realized a problem.

Although Chu Yunfei just realized it now, he was involved in the factional struggle.

However, Yan Laoxi's substantial suppression had already shown its teeth during the meeting in Jinzhong that day.

At that time, he was still wondering why Yan Laoxi would dispatch the elite troops of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army to the Niangzi Pass front line, which was almost the same as sending them to their own death.

What happened today just happened to answer the doubts I had that day.

Chu Yunfei and his 358th Regiment have already been suspected by Yan Laoxi.

Thinking back to what Huang Shaohong said to him, Chu Yunfei might have experienced the same thing.

Just as he was about to speak, Wang Feng suddenly realized another problem.

Why did Yan Laoxi want to suppress the Whampoa military officers at this critical juncture?
As the saying goes, when the birds are gone, the bow is put away, and when the river is crossed, the bridge is demolished.

However, Katsuki Seiji's First Army was still entrenched on the Xinkou line, and the 20th Division was about to break through Niangzi Pass.

The situation is critical, how could it happen?
Wang Feng’s eyes widened.

Could it really be related to me?
If we talk about who has the highest military rank among the Whampoa officers of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, it must be himself.

Chu Yunfei was able to take the position of colonel and regiment commander because of his fellow villager status.

Moreover, at that time in Jinzhong, the North China Battle Group was being reorganized.

Could it be that it was because he intended to defect to the Central Army that Yan Xizhi became suspicious of him, and then the disaster affected innocent people and brought disaster to all the Whampoa officers?

Among the many Whampoa officers in the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, Chu Yunfei had the closest relationship with him. In political terms, they were in the same party.

Old Yan cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes. So what if they are fellow villagers from Mount Wutai? Everything is empty in the face of interests.

If we really have to take action, we will definitely start with Chu Yunfei.

The more Wang Feng thought about it, the more he felt this was the case. The conflicted look on Chu Yunfei's face just now might have been because of this matter.

As the saying goes, the speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Once these words are spoken, they do seem like an attempt to accuse someone.

Wang Feng couldn't be careless about this matter, so he asked, "Brother Yunfei, what about the future?"

Chu Yunfei shook his head: "This morning I rejected Chief Huang's solicitation, and in the afternoon I received a telegram from the theater headquarters, asking me to return to Taiyuan as soon as possible to report on my duties."

"We will set out early tomorrow morning."

Wang Feng frowned: "Reporting?"

"Brother Yunfei, is this probably the Hongmen Banquet?"

Chu Yunfei felt helpless: "This is an order from the theater headquarters. Even if it's a Hongmen Banquet, I have to go there!"

"I only regret that my great plan to fight the Japanese invasion will eventually be ruined by the infighting of different parties!"

As if he had guessed what would happen in the future, Chu Yunfei spoke frankly.

Old Yan is not stupid, he just uses his energy in the wrong place.

After abandoning Taiyuan, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army's strength must have been severely reduced. Fu Zuoyi, the former favorite general, was flirting with the Nanjing government, and the rest of the troops also showed signs of falling apart.

The top priority is not to consolidate Taiyuan’s defense, but to gather as many troops as possible.

Accumulate capital for a comeback.

The 358th Regiment is an elite reinforced regiment. Although one-third of its troops were killed or wounded in the battle of Niangzi Pass, the main force is still intact and it is still a considerable force.

It is impossible for Yan Laoxi to ignore it.

After returning to Taiyuan, there is a high probability that he will be stripped of his military power.

Looking at Chu Yunfei with a heroic look on his face, Wang Feng felt a little reluctant.

There is a statement that he agrees with - factional struggles among all parties will cause losses to national defense capabilities.

After hesitating for a long time, Wang Feng thought of a way and said frankly: "Brother Yunfei, in my opinion, it is better to find another way out."

Chu Yunfei was stunned, and there was some confusion in his words: "What do you mean by finding another way out?"

Wang Feng stood up, walked in front of him, and spoke in a low voice: "Brother Yunfei, there are many heroes in the world, and the Shanxi Suiyuan Army is not the only anti-Japanese team, right?"

Chu Yunfei graduated from the fifth class of Whampoa Military Academy. Perhaps his tactical command skills were slightly lacking, but he had a strategic vision and was a professional soldier at heart.

It's a pity that such a brave general was hidden in the dark due to factional struggles.

If he could be recruited under his command, it would be the best of both worlds.

Chu Yunfei was somewhat moved by the olive branch extended by Wang Feng. He did not care about fame and just wanted to realize his ambitions.

Compared with the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, this newly formed North China Battle Group seems to be more suitable for them.

"Commander Wang, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain this to the higher-ups, right?"

Wang Feng waved his hand, his expression calm and calm: "I will report to Deputy Commander Huang personally. If everything goes well, you will soon receive a transfer order from the Nanjing Military and Political Department."

Now that things have come to this, Chu Yunfei can no longer refuse.

He stood up suddenly, straightened the hem of his military uniform, stood straight, put his heels together, and saluted in a standard military salute: "Hello, sir!"

Wang Feng also responded with a salute: "Let's unite and face the national crisis together!"

Chu Yunfei's eyes were bright and sharp.

"Unite as one and face the national crisis together!"

The two talked for a long time at night, and Chu Yunfei was anxious to return to the 358th Regiment’s base.

Since we have decided to leave the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, it would be best to win over as many of our old brothers as possible.

Continuing to follow Yan Laoxi will not lead to any good solution.

Before leaving, Wang Feng was a little worried, so he called Zhao Fangyuan and took a company of soldiers to accompany him.

358th regiment station.

Chu Yunfei sat in the front row.

The night was shrouded in darkness, and the sentry couldn't see the person's face clearly. When he heard someone coming, he shouted loudly: "Stop!"

"who?"

Chu Yunfei snorted coldly: "It's me!" "Let him go!"

The sentry heard the familiar voice and immediately responded: "Hello, Commander!"

"Quick, move the things away."

Several soldiers came out of the guardhouse and moved quickly together to move the barricades across the gate.

Chu Yunfei looked back and Zhao Fangyuan waved his hand: "Let's go."

At the command, the neatly-formed troops behind him slowly entered the military camp.

The sentry rubbed his eyes, feeling a little surprised.

"Remember when the leader went out, he didn't bring so many brothers with him?"

In the conference room, Chu Yunfei sent someone to call a group of senior military officers. At this moment, everyone was still asleep, but when they heard that an emergency military meeting was being held, they immediately ran over.

The news of setting off back to Taiyuan tomorrow morning had already been passed on.

It is a turbulent time right now, and holding an emergency military meeting at this critical juncture has everyone having their own guesses.

Chu Yunfei sat in the first seat, looking around at the officers below.

Chief of Staff Fang Ligong, Adjutant Sun Ming, First Battalion Commander Qian Bojun, and Deputy Battalion Commander Zhang Fugui.

"Half an hour ago, I received a telegram from the theater headquarters ordering the 358th to stop heading to Taiyuan and accept the reorganization of the North China Battle Group in Yangquan."

Fang Ligong's heart was suddenly shocked. He knew the inside story of the 358th Regiment returning to Taiyuan.

Things have come to this point, why would Commander Yan change his orders every day?
"Is this news true?"

Chu Yunfei glanced at his chief of staff. He had expected him to do this.

The 358th Regiment is not a monolithic entity, and everyone respects the regiment leader.
There are mainly three factions within the army. The first is the faction headed by Fang Ligong. As the name suggests, this group of people like to form cliques and engage in factionalism in the army.

Chief of Staff Fang Ligong was ordered by Commander Yan to monitor the entire 358th Regiment.

Although Chu Yunfei is from Wutai, he cannot wash away his identity as a graduate of the fifth class of Huangpu Military Academy.

Yan Laoxi valued Chu Yunfei's ability, so he entrusted him with the important task of serving as the head of the 358th Regiment.

Trust, but not completely.

The second group is the fence-sitters, represented by the battalion commander Qian Bojun, who believes in the principle of "whoever gives you milk is your mother."

The third is Chu Yunfei’s faction.

Qian Bojun had a complicated expression: "Commander Yan wrote a letter personally about returning to Taiyuan. Commander, in my opinion, we should go back first."

"It won't be too late to organize the group after everything is settled!"

It was hard to hide my excitement when I spoke.

In order to win over the troops and prevent a mutiny among his men after Chu Yunfei was dismissed, Fang Ligong turned his attention to Qian Bojun and informed him of the whole story of the performance review in Taiyuan.

This made Qian Bojun unable to sleep all night and he didn't fall asleep even before the meeting.

Chu Yunfei is gone, who will be the leader?
It is highly likely that Fang Ligong did it.

Who should be the vacant chief of staff?

Among the three battalions under the 358th Regiment, the first battalion has soldiers, which is more than the second and third battalions combined.

Regardless of seniority or ability, the position of Chief of Staff should belong to Qian Bojun.

Besides, Fang Ligong had already promised that he would say a few good words for him in front of Commander Yan.

If what Chu Yunfei said just now is true, the 358th Regiment will be incorporated into the North China Battle Group.

That's just double happiness!

If a soldier wants to get promoted, he relies on military merit.

Following a victorious army, wouldn't it be a lot of military merit?
Chu Yunfei stood up, glanced at the people who all had their own ulterior motives, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

It is ridiculous for such an army to want to defeat the Japanese!
Fang Ligong frowned: "In that case, please ask Commander Chu to take out the war zone transfer order so that the brothers can rest assured."

Chu Yunfei took out a telegram from his pocket and threw it on the table: "The telegram is here, please take a look."

The telegram was forged by Wang Feng in advance in order to silence the people.

Special matters should be handled specially!
At the critical moment, no less necessary measures must be taken.

Fang Ligong was the first to receive it. He glanced up and down, then his brows relaxed: "Commander Chu, your transfer order was issued by Deputy Commander Huang. The order to go to Taiyuan was issued by Commander Yan. It is reasonable for us to obey Commander Yan's transfer order."

Fang Ligong had already seen clearly that Chu Yunfei had accepted the olive branch from the Nanjing government and was going to leave the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

Qian Bojun did not have such a high political consciousness. He only cared about promotion and agreed: "The chief of staff's words make sense. Please think twice, commander!"

Chu Yunfei snorted coldly, not anxious or impatient: "Early tomorrow morning, the official transfer order of the Central Military and Political Department will be issued. Do you have any questions?"

In nominal order, Yan Laoxi is higher than Huang Shaohong, but the local governments must always nominally obey the central government's dispatch.

This is an iron rule that cannot be shaken.

Fang Ligong's face froze.

Yangquan is Huang Shaohong's territory. At present, there are no direct descendants of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army in the entire Niangziguan line, and there is no one to support them. If the central government's order arrives, the entire 358th Regiment will be led by Chu Yunfei.

Thinking of this, Fang Ligong shook his head and said, "Commander Chu, I feel unwell suddenly, so I will take my leave first."

He must leave here as soon as possible and send a message to Commander Yan!
After saying that, he walked out without waiting for Chu Yunfei's response.

As soon as Fang Ligong opened the door, his expression suddenly changed.

I saw several figures standing outside the door in the dark, pointing rifles at me coldly. A murderous atmosphere filled the air. I felt that if I took another step forward, the figures on the other side would shoot.

Fang Ligong staggered and took a few steps back.

Zhao Fangyuan, holding a Browning pistol in his hand, walked over with a grin on his face: "Chief of Staff Fang, long time no see!"

The soldiers behind him filed in, and everyone in the room stood up immediately.

The situation became tense, and under the dim yellow light, everyone had their own thoughts.

Fang Ligong turned his head and looked at Chu Yunfei: "Commander Chu, what do you mean?"

Chu Yunfei said calmly: "Chief of Staff Zhao has been ordered to incorporate our 358th Regiment. Please cooperate."

The scene was in chaos. Qian Bojun frowned and retreated behind the crowd.

My mind started to become active.

Judging from the situation, he probably won't be able to become the chief of staff of the 358th Regiment, but joining the North China Battle Group will naturally have many benefits.

Zhao Fangyuan glanced at everyone in the room and asked coldly, "Who is Qian Bojun?"

Chu Yunfei closed his eyes and turned around silently.

When Qian Bojun heard his name being called, he immediately stood up and flattered, "Sir, it's me, it's me!"

Even though it was dark in the room, Qian Bojun could clearly see the star on Zhao Fangyuan's collar.

Among everyone in the room, the highest-ranking one, Chu Yunfei, was only a colonel.

Zhao Fangyuan glanced at him coldly, waved his hand and turned around and said, "Take him away!"

Soldier behind him: “Yes!”

Qian Bojun instantly realized that something was wrong and reached for his gun bag with his right hand, but the soldier immediately grabbed his wrist and forcibly escorted him out.

The detention of Qian Bojun was ordered personally by Wang Feng, who had obtained Chu Yunfei's consent.

Wang Feng refused to accept any of those wavering officers who had the tendency to surrender to the enemy.

In addition, the deputy battalion commander Zhang Fugui was also taken away after Qian Bojun.

After eliminating the two dissenting voices, the situation was completely under Chu Yunfei's control.

The situation was stronger than the person. Under the glaring gunpoint, Fang Ligong kept a stiff face throughout and agreed that the 358th Regiment should be incorporated into the North China Battle Group.

Adjutant Sun Ming was one of their own, and with the previous experiences of Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui as the lesson, the other four battalion commanders and deputy commanders did not dare to breathe, let alone raise any objections.

on the street.

Wang Feng walked out of Huang Shaohong's residence with a real war zone transfer order in his hand.

The Nanjing government has received the news.

Tomorrow morning, the Ministry of Military Affairs will issue a formal order in the name of the Military Commission.

Guard Company Commander: "Sir."

Listening to his subordinates' reports, Wang Feng smiled.

Zhao Fangyuan has already taken care of it.

This is the end.

The entire 358th Regiment, totaling more than soldiers, were rightfully incorporated into his command.

It directly replenished the troops lost in the battle of Kashiwagijing.

What a beautiful thing!

(End of this chapter)