Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 86 Mutual suspicion, new faction?

11 month 3 day.

Nanjing Government.

Central Command Military Conference.

The atmosphere at the meeting was depressing.

Bai Chongxi repeatedly advised: "Chairman, the enemy and us are much stronger in the Songhu battlefield. Although our army is determined to die, our flesh and blood cannot withstand the destruction of artillery fire!"

During the Battle of Shanghai, in addition to the commander-in-chief of the front line, Deputy Chief of Staff Bai Chongxi also braved the artillery fire many times and rushed to the front line to supervise the battle.

Chiang Kai-shek frowned, looking unhappy: "Holding on to Songhu is the great plan of the Party and the country in the war of resistance. How can we talk about retreating so easily?"

"Guard for three more days!"

Bai Chongxi looked at Chang Kaishen, who was unmoved, and felt extremely anxious.

Three more days
I said the same thing three days ago.

Three days and then three days, how long is it?

The so-called anti-Japanese war plan, after all, was nothing more than relying on mediation by the League of Nations.

"Committee, this."

Chiang Kai-shen seemed a little impatient: "Jiansheng, I have made up my mind."

"The matter of moving the capital will be implemented after the Battle of Songhu is over."

Although he still had illusions about the League of Nations, he was also prepared for the worst.

As early as October 10, Chiang Kai-shek clearly proposed moving the capital to Chongqing at the Supreme National Defense Conference, and the Nanjing government passed this resolution on the 29th.

Taking into account that relocating the city would affect combat morale, it was not publicized on a large scale.

But all the senior military officers present knew it well.

Chiang Kai-shek looked around and said, "Everyone, is there anything else?"

"The meeting is dismissed!"

Chiang Kai-shek was the first to leave the venue, while Bai Chongxi and Li Zongren looked at each other in bewilderment.

"My dear neighbor, ah." Bai Chongxi had a lot to say, but this is Nanjing, not Guangxi. He didn't know how many eyes were watching him secretly, so he had to be careful with his words and actions.

The two had worked together for many years, so Li Zongren naturally understood what he was thinking: "Jiansheng, since it is the commander-in-chief's order, you should just execute it."

The political arena in Nanjing was like a pool of muddy water. As early as October 10, the Central Command had issued an order, appointing him as the commander of the Fifth War Zone, stationed in Xuzhou.

However, the Battle of Songhu was urgent and the headquarters needed personnel, so he was ordered by the chairman to stay in Nanjing temporarily and did not leave for a long time.
Bai Chongxi: "I heard that Wang Feng from Shanxi is a powerful general. If he can be used properly, he might have miraculous effects."

Speaking of Wang Feng, Li Zongren's brows relaxed. The Fifth War Zone had less than seven armies, and all of them were classified as "miscellaneous troops". They were insufficient in number, and their training and morale were not top-notch. Compared with the troops fighting in Shanghai, they were just third- or fourth-rate stuff.

Fortunately, Chiang Kai-shek had planned to incorporate the North China Battle Group into the Fifth War Zone a few days ago, otherwise he would have been helpless.

Li Zongren smiled and said: "Looking at the Fifth War Zone, there are only a few troops that can be of great use, and Wang's army is one of them."

It was not uncommon for an officer to name his troops after his superior's surname. After the Pingxingguan victory, when Chiang Kai-shek sent a congratulatory message to the Eighth Route Army, he called the 115th Division the "Lin Division."

Li Zongren had never heard of the "battle group" organization, but judging from its scale, it should be no different from a division-level unit.

Therefore, the North China Battle Group was called the Royal Division.

After the meeting, Chiang Kai-shek returned to his office.

The documents on his desk were piled up like a mountain, all containing news about the Battle of Songhu. He sat down on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling light.

I was extremely confused inside.

Will the League of Nations mediate?
Outside the house, the sky was dark and the wind was howling, as if a storm was about to come.

Chiang Kai-shek was well aware of the situation on the Songhu battlefield. Almost an entire division could be wiped out in a day. The troops fighting in Shanghai were the elite of the entire country. If they continued to waste time like this, they would not be able to fight the rest of the battle.

Chiang Kai-shek sighed: "Alas"

The Battle of Shanghai had lasted for nearly three months. He had expressed his determination to defend the country and resist the enemy to the League of Nations and the world, but the long-awaited mediation by Britain, the United States and France was nowhere to be seen.

Should we fight the Battle of Songhu or not?
The Shanghai War broke out on August 1937, 8.

In the first month, he was extremely confident that as long as he could resist the Japanese attack, the League of Nations would definitely intervene in Japan's invasion of China over time.

But in fact, it's not.

The League of Nations was like a pool of stagnant water. Chiang Kai-shek's repeated phone calls did not cause any ripples.

In the second month, he was still convinced that the League of Nations would prevent Japan from occupying Shanghai, and ordered the garrison troops to fight to the death. In order to show his determination to fight the war, he even led Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi and other officers to the front line to boost morale many times.

One night.

He and a group of senior generals took a special car to Suzhou, and happened to encounter an air raid by dozens of Japanese fighter planes. For a moment, flares were scattered all over the sky, making it as bright as day.

In desperation, they could only take shelter on the station platform. Fortunately, the Japanese army only bombed the city and did not affect the station.

But even so, the long-awaited League of Nations mediation still had no news.

It's the third month now.
Chiang Kai-shek was very confused.

He would refer to the latest international news for every decision he makes. Today, the League of Nations convened a nine-nation meeting to discuss this matter specifically.

After thinking it over again, he decided to take another gamble.

Shanghai is a hub where interests of the great powers converge. Such actions by Japan will inevitably affect the interests of countries such as Britain, France and the United States.

Boom boom boom!
There was a knock on the door.

Chiang Kai-shek came to his senses and said, "Go in!"

The door was pushed open, and Dai Li strode in and handed over a summary report.

"Commissioner, secret telegram from Taiyuan."

Chiang Kai-shek frowned, took the report and flipped through the papers quickly.

Then his face changed suddenly.

The content of this report was exactly about Wang Feng's troops looting the Taiyuan Arsenal.

The report was collected by the Secret Service Department of the Chinese National Renaissance Society, which was the predecessor of the Military Control Commission.

It is written in great detail, more than ten pages long.

Chiang Kai-shek suppressed his anger and skimmed through the report. In the end, he didn't even have the patience to read on.

"Wang Feng, this is turmoil! This is rebellion! This is a coup!"

Dai Li stood aside, saying nothing.

He was only responsible for collecting intelligence, and how to deal with the incident was not within his consideration.

Chiang Kai-shek stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

The thing he feared most happened.

Compared with "resisting foreign aggression", "maintaining domestic stability" is the greater concern.

During this incident, more than 70 machines and equipment of various types and thousands of workers were stolen from the Taiyuan Arsenal. As long as Wang Feng made some minor adjustments, he could make his own guns and ammunition.

This is definitely not a good thing.

Once the local army has mastered production capabilities and become self-sufficient, the next step is to break away from control.
His wolfish ambitions are already obvious.

As the atmosphere was gloomy, there was another knock on the door.

Boom boom boom!
"Enter!"

He Yingqin pushed the door open and was surprised to see Dai Li standing beside him.

The director of the Secret Service has always been elusive and his whereabouts are unknown. Even during important meetings, he is rarely seen.

It is estimated that bloodshed will occur again in the country.
Chiang Kai-shek turned his head and said, "Jingzhi, you came at the right time."

"The report is on the table, take a look for yourself!"

He Yingqin frowned and glanced at Dai Li beside him, feeling suspicious.

He quickly walked forward, picked up the report, and glanced at the brown paper cover.

The title was very long - "Detailed Investigation Report on the Taiyuan Arsenal Incident on November 11", with the three characters "Secret Service Department" printed below.

He Yingqin's heart skipped a beat.

When you open the cover, the contents inside are even more shocking.

A few minutes later.

He Yingqin slowly put down the report and stammered, "Commissioner, this..."

Chiang Kai-shek flicked his sleeves and turned to look out the window: "Jingzhi, how do you think we should deal with this?"

He Yingqin was in a dilemma and didn't know what to do.

This time, they came specifically for the defense of the Jinpu Line. In the original combat plan, the North China Battle Group occupied a vital position.

Now that Wang Feng has committed such a serious crime, he will probably be dismissed from his post and investigated.

Changing commanders before a war is a big taboo in military strategy.

He Yingqin was undecided. If he followed the Chairman's wishes, the Jinpu Battle would be short of a great general.

As for exonerating the king.
If you are not careful, you may get yourself into trouble.

"Jingzhi, tell me what you think." Seeing no one responded, Chiang Kai-shek was a little displeased.

He Yingqin paused and said slowly: "I know very little about the situation here, but in the overall situation of the war of resistance, we should make long-term plans!"

Chiang Kai-shek frowned and asked in a questioning tone: "Jingzhi, do you think you should condone such behavior?"

He Yingqin hurriedly explained himself: "Chairman, the world knows that Japan is trying to destroy China. The Jinpu line is in danger. Isn't it the right time to use people? It would be better to divide their power and give them a warning."

Chiang Kai-shek nodded. The Shanxi-Suiyuan Army was defeated in Shanxi and its strength was less than one-tenth of what it used to be.

No need to worry.

However, the development of the North China Battle Group that he had ordered to be organized was somewhat beyond his expectations.

1937 11 Month 9 Day.

Taiyuan City officially fell, and the defending troops broke out on the night of the 8th.

The Battle of Taiyuan, which included a series of battles including Datong, Yanmen Pass, Ruyuekou, Pingxingguan, Xinkou, and Niangziguan, was officially declared over.

Part of the Central Army retreated to the Zhongtiao Mountains in southern Shanxi.

Yan Laoxi led the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and survived in Linfen and Luliang areas in western Shanxi.

The Eighth Route Army had many destinations to go.

The 115th Division opened up the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Anti-Japanese Base in northeastern Shanxi, established the Southwestern Shanxi Anti-Japanese Base at the junction of Shanxi and Shaanxi, and the 120th Division established the Northwestern Shanxi Base.

The 129th Division advanced into Changzhi and established the Shanxi-Hebei-Henan Anti-Japanese Base Area in southeastern Shanxi and other areas.

at this time.

Wang Feng has led the team to the Taiyue Mountains and is expected to reach Changzhi city in two days.

Looking at the information handed over by Zhao Fangyuan, Wang Feng couldn't help but sigh.

In his previous life, he had read the works of a certain scholar.

The anti-Japanese war in Shanxi was complicated.

Almost all types of wars in the country are involved.

The positional warfare at Xinkou, the ambush at Pingxingguan, and the guerrilla warfare that spread across the entire province.

The front battlefield and the battlefield behind enemy lines take care of each other. In future wars, it will be difficult to see the two forces cooperate so tacitly.

"The 129th Division advances into southeastern Shanxi" Wang Feng noticed a piece of news.

After the Japanese army captured Taiyuan, they moved on to other important cities in Shanxi.

The next step is likely to be Linfen, Yuncheng and other places.

Changzhi is isolated from the Japanese army by the Taiyue Mountains, so attacking here first is not the best option.

But the Japanese army may be late, but it will never be absent.

When war comes, it is extremely important to have a solid and stable ally.

(End of this chapter)