Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 95: Kaishen dances with a sword, what is his intention? [Quick View]

A Fenghua accent was heard on the stage.

"There have been more than 50 large-scale wars in Xuzhou throughout the ages. It is difficult to say whether they were right or wrong, but the aristocratic families have all noticed that it was on this ancient battlefield that the rise and fall of many dynasties was determined."

"Everyone, now that the Japanese pirates are invading China, they have evil ambitions. There is a voice in all walks of life, as if this anti-Japanese battlefield is doomed to be a disaster for us, and they want us to make peace with the Japanese and become traitors!"

"The honor and disgrace of the party and the country, and the honor and disgrace of the Chinese nation, all depend on you here!"

"Although we have suffered some setbacks in the military, the international situation is very good and favorable to us. We have many supporters because we are just, while the enemy has few supporters because we are unjust. We will win the war of resistance and build our country!"

"As long as you senior generals can obey my orders, I will be able to command you to defeat the enemy, and I will be worthy of being your commander!"

"."

Chiang Kai-shek was well prepared for this meeting, and his morale-boosting speech alone lasted an hour.

The officers below were so excited after hearing this that they couldn't wait to fight the Japanese right away.

But Wang Feng was almost falling asleep while listening below.

Let’s not talk about what Chiang Kai-shek did afterwards.

Just now, through this speech, Wang Feng could clearly feel one thing.

After the fall of Beijing and Shanghai, the pro-war faction within the Nationalist government might not be able to hold on. This was originally just a guess, but now it can basically be settled.

If the Battle of Xuzhou had been a disastrous defeat, Chiang Kai-shek might have directly announced his resignation, and the peace faction would have come to power and completely changed the strategic stance of the Nationalist government.

The situation will then get out of control.

In fact, Wang Feng was not sure either.

Nothing is set in stone.

Thanks to the war history that he had studied in his previous life, he was able to understand the details of his side, but for the Japanese side, the situation became a little confusing.

Originally, the two most courageous divisions of the Japanese army were the Itagaki Division and the Isogai Division.

The officers and soldiers of these two divisions were the most deeply poisoned by aggression, and almost all of the young Japanese officers who launched the "February 26" coup were in these two divisions.

But now, the Itagaki Division has lost all its elite troops in Shanxi, and the entire division is resting in the rear, and it will take at least a year or two to return to the battlefield.

The division commander Seishirō Itagaki was even more miserable. He was directly transferred back to the mainland and served in the reserve, which was equivalent to being put on ice.

In the absence of Itagaki's division, who will take this position?
The Japanese army had a difficult time in the Battle of Taiyuan. Will they be cautious when it comes to Xuzhou and deploy more troops to speed up the war?
No one knows
After more than an hour of passionate speech, Chiang Kai-shek finally walked off the stage and returned to his seat.

"Delin, report the current battle situation!"

Li Zongren stood up upon hearing the voice, and the guards brought something similar to a large blackboard with a map of Qingxu pinned on it.

Regarding the combat strategy, Wang Feng had heard it once at the temporary headquarters of the war zone. It was basically the same, with the only difference being the wording.

After all, Chiang Kai-shek was still sitting downstairs, so we had to be more careful and not talk in a whisper behind closed doors.

After the Fifth War Zone Commander-in-Chief Li Zongren and the First War Zone Commander-in-Chief Cheng Qian finished describing the battle situation, Wang Feng felt that the meeting was basically over.

Glancing towards the front row, Han Fuju was still sitting there, with an expression of someone who had survived a disaster on his face.

Wang Feng shook his head. Chiang Kai-shek had always harbored murderous intentions towards him, and he had just spoken out in the meeting. There was no doubt that he would not survive.

Chiang Kai-shek stood up and announced the end of the meeting.

The officers walked out, and Wang Feng was among them.

Just as I was about to reach the door, a voice came from behind.

Liu Zhi suddenly stood up and shouted, "Commander-in-Chief Han, please walk slower. The Chairman has something to say to you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, not only Han Fuju stood there in a daze, but the officers who were originally walking out also turned back.

Wang Feng walked relatively slowly and was located at the back, with an excellent view, so he could see Han Fuju's expression clearly.

His face was livid and hesitant.

I want to leave, but I don’t dare to leave.

Everyone knew what to watch and what not to watch. There were fewer and fewer people in the meeting hall. Chiang Kai-shek had already left. In the end, only Liu Zhi, Li Zongren, Han Fuju, Wang Feng and Zhao Fangyuan were left.

And two or three other officers who were also keen to watch the fun.

Wang Feng found a perfect perspective. It would be a great loss if he missed this famous historical scene.

Liu Zhi pointed to the plainclothes guards in the middle of the field and said, "Commander-in-Chief Han, you can go with them!"

Han Fuju was in a state of confusion, wavering between leaving and not leaving.

When going to Guide to attend the meeting, other officers were only allowed to arrange a guard company to accompany them, and they were deployed near the outskirts of the city.

On the contrary, although Li Zongren patted his chest to assure that the trip would be worry-free, he still felt uneasy and couldn't sleep. He simply pulled a pistol battalion to Guide and arranged for them to move directly into the city.

The city defense guard was the responsibility of the Fifth War Zone. As the deputy commander-in-chief, ordinary officers had no control over what Han Fuju wanted to do.

Just like that, an entire battalion of troops marched into the city in such a brazen manner.

If there is a problem, we can take care of each other.
If everything is peaceful, then we can say that we are doing everything for the safety of the Chairman and we are just being a good person.

But since he entered this meeting place, he had lost contact with his troops, and it seemed that his life and death were no longer in his control.

Han Fuju looked around coldly, trying to find someone to exonerate him.

Like him, Liu Zhi was also known as the "Long-legged General", but he was a loyal lackey of Chiang Kai-shek and obeyed his orders.

Li Zongren. Even more impossible.

As for the remaining officers, Han Fuju shook his head. They were all people he had never met before and had done no favors to them in the past, so how could they possibly help him today?

With no other options left, Han Fuju's face turned pale and he left with several plainclothes guards.

Zhao Fangyuan looked at the receding figure and couldn't help but sigh: "Alas, Commander-in-Chief Han is also a man of great stature. I heard that he has been in charge of Shandong for eight years and has made great achievements in rectifying the administration and developing education. It's a pity that he made a mistake and regretted it forever! He retreated again and again, not only delaying the opportunity to fight, but also handing over the natural barrier of the Yellow River to the Japanese. What a pity."

Wang Feng snorted coldly: "There are many heroes in the world, but there are few who are as cowardly as him. Let's go!"

Now that Han Fuju has been arrested, we will probably hear the news of his execution soon.

Wang Feng and his companion walked out of the meeting place and returned to their temporary residence to have a simple lunch. Just as they were about to return to Xuzhou with the military train, they were stopped.

Xu Zuyi: "Commander Wang, please pass on the chairman's message. Please come to the headquarters for a private discussion this afternoon!"

Wang Feng frowned.

What does it mean?
The scene of Han Fuju being taken away in the morning was still fresh in my mind. In the afternoon, Chiang Kai-shek invited me to have a secret talk with him again.

It's strange!
Wang Feng pretended to be anxious and said, "General Xu, my troops are still stationed in the suburbs of Xuzhou. All the soldiers are waiting for me to return and take charge. Please inform the chairman."

Xu Zuyi smiled and said, "Chief Wang, please don't embarrass me. It was Chief Li who asked me to help pass on the message. He said that we can rest assured."

Wang Feng frowned even more.

When dealing with this bunch of cunning old foxes, you have to be vigilant at all times. On the surface, they seem to be enthusiastic towards everyone, but in fact, who knows how many sinister tricks they are hiding behind the scenes.

Those who can stand out from the war between warlords have stepped on countless corpses, and none of them are good people. At the beginning, Li Zongren also told Han Fuju that there was no need to worry about this trip, but what happened?
But the arrow is on the string and must be fired.

The General Staff of the Fifth War Zone came personally to deliver the message, and it seemed that he had to attend this secret meeting at the headquarters.

Wang Feng turned his head to look at Zhao Fangyuan: "You will return to Xuzhou with the army first."

Afterwards, he followed Xu Zuyi to the headquarters in person.

in the afternoon.

Guide headquarters.

The only participants were Cheng Qian, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi and Wang Feng.

Several people sat together, and Wang Feng looked at the identities of the people around him and couldn't help but be shocked.

Either the theater commander or a senior advisor to the United Front Work Department.

What am I?
This meeting is not easy!

A moment later, Chiang Kai-shek came over and as soon as he sat down, he spoke in a stern voice with a Fenghua accent: "Han Fuju disobeyed orders this time and acted on his own. I will punish him severely!"

Cheng Qian responded: "Han Fuju should be severely punished! If we don't deal with such a general, how can we continue the war?"

Bai Chongxi and Li Zongren sat silently on the side without saying a word.

Wang Feng had not yet figured out the purpose of this meeting, so he remained silent and did not express his opinion.

Chiang Kai-shek snorted coldly, "There is one more thing for this meeting. I originally thought that since the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, the local administrative agencies have failed to effectively cooperate with the military requirements, which has had a great impact. I have repeatedly emphasized that the military chiefs of various regions should also serve as administrative chairmen, but I have discovered some problems in recent days."

"Some senior generals, under the banner of fighting against Japan and saving the nation, secretly try to win over their own forces and form small groups within the party and the country!" Chiang Kai-shek snorted coldly, "Such behavior is extremely bad!"

Wang Feng frowned as he listened.

Why does this sound so harsh and irritating?
But while speaking, Chiang Kai-shek's eyes never fell on Wang Feng.

"Delin, I suggest that you take on the role of chairman of Anhui, what do you think?"

Li Zongren: "Chairman, I think the commander-in-chief should focus on military planning. As for the provincial government, it is better to have a special person to handle it. Moreover, the failure of close coordination between the military and provincial government is the responsibility of both parties. It would be unfair to only blame one party. Please think carefully."

Chiang Kai-shek: "What Delin said is indeed true. The military and the government are one. Some people can do both, but some people cannot!"

After saying that, he turned his attention to Wang Feng.

"Commander Wang, do you have a courtesy name?"

Being suddenly asked about something unrelated to the meeting, Wang Feng was stunned for a moment: "Chairman, I don't have a courtesy name!"

Chiang Kai-shek nodded, his face expressionless: "It's okay if you don't have a courtesy name. Wang Feng, Wang Feng, your name is really good!"

"Lü Fengxian was extremely brave in battle and was known as the Jiuyuan Jiuhu. But no matter how powerful he was, when people mentioned him, they would first think of the three-surnamed slave!"

Chiang Kai-shek's tone was cold and somewhat depressing. After he finished speaking, he turned around and left his seat.

Wang Feng's heart skipped a beat and his brows twisted into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

Don't even think about what this means.

三姓家奴
It really hurts my ears!
Is this considered a warning to others?

First, he used Huang Shaohong to divide the military and political power of Changzhi. Judging from the current situation, Chiang Kai-shek made a stupid move.

Not everyone in the National Government was like him. At this critical moment for the nation's survival, the word "struggle" was all on his mind.

To fight against foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the country?

That's fucking ridiculous!

The current plan of division has failed, and now they come up with this trick, warning us in person.

Tell yourself clearly that the unification of the military and politics was his original intention, but you just can't do it.

Even Li Zongren's face froze.

Li Zongren knew a little about Wang Feng's affairs, but with the war imminent, it might be detrimental to the war if he made such remarks to the chief officer of an army!
After Chang Kai-shen left, Li Zongren looked at Wang Feng and said, "The Chairman is not..."

As soon as he said this, Wang Feng stood up and said, "Commander Li, I will go back to Xuzhou to follow your orders."

After saying this, he turned around and left the camp without caring about the remaining three people.

January 13th.

As soon as Wang Feng arrived at the Xuzhou camp, a telegram was sent to him.

Zhao Fangyuan recited: "On January 12, 1938, the enemy's Second Division forcibly landed at Laoshan Bay and Fukushima in Qingdao. The local garrison troops retreated south. After the enemy occupied Qingdao, they advanced westward along the Jiaoji Road and approached Linyi."

Wang Feng crossed his hands on the table and stared at the map below.

The Second Division replaced Itagaki Seishirō's Fifth Division
Wang Feng was deeply impressed by this army.

Also known as the Sendai Division.

During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Second Division participated in the siege of Weihaiwei. During the "September 18th Incident", the Second Division served as the main force to attack the Northeast Army's Beidaying in Fengtian.

After that, he returned to China for reorganization for a period of time.

Since the full-scale war of resistance against Japan, the 16th Infantry Regiment under the Second Division was withdrawn to participate in the Chahar Campaign.

In the original Battle of Xuzhou, the 16th Infantry Regiment was also included in the Japanese army's combat sequence.

Unexpectedly, this time, the Japanese army transferred the entire division from the Northeast to North China.

If I remember correctly, at this point in time, General Okamura Yasuji was serving as the commander of the 2nd Division.

Itagaki Seishirō left, and Okamura Neiji came
Wang Feng took a sip of hot tea and asked, "Are there any other telegrams?"

Although he was not favored by Chiang Kai-shek, Li Zongren was still a very good person.

All the ammunition supplies were distributed in excess, and even food, fodder, and military pay were provided.

The troops of the Fifth War Zone were originally a gathering of ragtag armies.

If they won, Chiang Kai-shek would be proud and the expansion and reorganization of the troops in Wuhan would be settled. If they lost, the Sichuan and Guangxi armies would be weakened and Li Zongren's reputation would be hit, which was also what he wanted.

Besides, no matter how weak these miscellaneous troops are, they can still hold out on the Jinpu Line for two or three months.

It really is a business that won’t lose money!
Li Zongren knew this of course. This was a trap. He had no choice but to try his best to win a battle to satisfy everyone.

He had always admired Wang Feng's troops.

After the secret talks at the headquarters, in order to win over the hearts of the troops, the attitude towards the two corps of the North China Battle Group was even closer than that towards the direct line of descent.

Zhao Fangyuan: "There is another one."

"This telegram is hereby dispatched to dispatch the North China Battle Group to head south to the Mingguang area to support the 31st Army!"

(End of this chapter)