Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 191 Please Call Me Dean Song
Song Mei's formidable reputation did not stem from her ferocity, but from her reputation for saving lives.

Since Su Yaoyang's debut, Song Mei has been by his side, silently undertaking the work of saving lives. In the past year, countless wounded soldiers have been saved by her. Now, in the large Shanxi militia, when the name of Director Song of the field hospital is mentioned, everyone from officers to ordinary soldiers gives her a thumbs up.

Although Li Gaoyuan was the regimental commander, he was inherently inferior to the landlady. Moreover, he was injured and his life was in her hands. When he saw Song Mei coming with anger, his calves started to cramp.

Song Mei came to the bedside, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed: "Old Li, you are a patient now. Since you are a patient, you have to listen to the doctor. You have to do what the doctor tells you to do. Is there anything wrong with what I'm saying?"

“No problem, no problem.” Li Gaoyuan nodded quickly.

"And... look at you, you're almost thirty and still don't have a wife. Mingxi specifically told me to keep an eye out for a wife for you. I'm thinking of all the doctors and nurses in our hospital who aren't married. Is there a problem introducing one to you?"

"No... Sister-in-law... I..."

"This is a hospital, please call me Dean Song!"

"Dean Song...I..."

"Alright, it's settled then. Don't be scared. The person I'm introducing to you is Xiao Wu, who just fed you. He comes from a respectable family, is virtuous, thrifty, and hardworking. He's only twenty years old. Is he really beneath you, a thirty-year-old man?"
"I've made the decision today. In a few days, once your condition improves a bit, I'll arrange for you two to formally meet. If you both agree, I'll arrange a formal wedding for you in a few days."

"Hey, hey... this won't do, I haven't agreed yet." Li Gaoyuan was anxious. How did things suddenly turn into marriage? He quickly protested, "Dean Song... sister-in-law... I think it's better to wait until I'm better before we discuss this further."

"Long-term plan?"

Song Mei raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her face, and said, "Commander Li, what are your plans for a long-term solution?"

"This...this..." Under Song Mei's amused gaze, Li Gaoyuan felt a chill run down his spine. He stammered for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Um...Dean Song, I promise you, after I recover from my injury, I will start to get to know Nurse Wu. If we both feel it's right, we can try to take the next step. What do you think?"

"Hmm, that works too." Song Mei knew she couldn't push him too hard; after all, this was her man's capable assistant.

Men are like springs; if you push them too hard, they'll backfire.

After settling things down, Song Mei left satisfied, leaving behind Li Gaoyuan, who was kicking himself, and Lu Shaobin, who was watching the drama unfold.

…………

Since watching that movie, the leaders of the Eighth Route Army headquarters realized that the opportunity was hard to come by. The main force of the 20th Division was now firmly attracted to the Shanxi militia led by Su Yaoyang in Wild Wolf Valley. The best time to seize Xinxian County had arrived.

Commander Chen, a general renowned for his decisiveness and strategic acumen, skillfully deployed his troops like a chess player. He secretly assembled several elite units under his command—Li Yunlong's eager-to-fight New First Regiment, Kong Jie's steady and experienced Independent Regiment, and Cheng Xiazi's equally valiant 772nd Regiment—along with another formidable force, totaling four main regiments. Like four sharpened knives, they secretly converged on the outskirts of Xinxian, lying in ambush under the cover of night and the mountains. Of course, this operation was not solely reliant on a direct assault by the main force; that was a last resort. Xinxian was essentially an armory; if the Japanese discovered Xinxian was indefensible and detonated the armory, they would face utter annihilation.

A large number of experienced county brigade members, as well as local loyal and reliable militiamen, took off their military uniforms and put on the clothes of ordinary people.

Some disguised themselves as peddlers carrying loads and hawking their wares, conveying secret intelligence through their shouts; others disguised themselves as farmers carrying hoes, meticulously observing the deployment and patrol patterns of the Japanese army during breaks from working in the fields.

These seemingly insignificant "good citizens," like drops of water flowing into the sea, silently infiltrated the seemingly heavily guarded but actually weakened Xinxian County, weaving a huge intelligence and support network.

Finally, on a dark and stormy night, when it was pitch black, the moment to act arrived!

The Eighth Route Army's operational capabilities were quite different from those of the local Shanxi militias who only knew how to fight tough battles and do manual labor.

The night provided them with perfect cover, and the soldiers, like cheetahs in the darkness, silently approached their targets.

The Japanese army originally stationed a battalion in Xinxian, which was considered a strong defense. However, as the battle in the direction of Wild Wolf Valley intensified and the frontline forces became increasingly stretched thin, the defenders of Xinxian had to forcibly withdraw two companies of their main force, leaving only a lone company and a battalion of puppet troops to assist in the defense. This situation of depleted forces had already been thoroughly discovered by the Eighth Route Army's scouts.

At Brigade Commander Chen's order, the four main regiments, like tigers descending a mountain, launched a swift and fierce surprise attack on Xinxian County from different directions. The soldiers moved swiftly and coordinated perfectly, specifically targeting the weak points in the Japanese defenses. Comrades who had already infiltrated the city also launched their attacks simultaneously. With this coordinated effort from both inside and outside, the Japanese and puppet troops' defensive lines were torn apart almost instantly.

Although sporadic gunshots rang out during the battle, breaking the silence of the night, the entire battle proceeded surprisingly smoothly, almost without bloodshed.

Most importantly, the crucial arsenal set up by the Japanese army in Xinxian County was completely preserved thanks to the meticulous planning and swift action of the Eighth Route Army! The mountains of ammunition, firearms, and various military supplies all fell into the hands of the Eighth Route Army.

After daybreak, the news of Xin County's change of hands spread like wildfire, reaching the headquarters of the Japanese 20th Division at top speed.

Lieutenant General Ushijima Sanetsugu, the division commander and a high-ranking Japanese general known for his ruthlessness, was so shocked upon receiving the report that he jumped up from his seat as if struck by lightning! His fleshy face turned a deep liver color from extreme shock and anger.

"Baka yarou!!" Ushijima Saneatsu's roar nearly ripped the roof off the command post. "Xinxian County has fallen?! The armory was raided by the Eighth Route Army?! This... how is this possible?! You bunch of good-for-nothings!!"

The fall of the Xinxian arsenal was a devastating blow to the 20th Division! It meant they had lost their most important source of ammunition, the supply of ammunition to the front lines would become unsustainable, and their ongoing fierce offensive would be unable to continue due to running out of ammunition and supplies! The impact on the entire war situation was catastrophic!

After a brief outburst of rage, Ushijima Sanetsugu forced himself to calm down. He urgently summoned Colonel Kinemura Hisazo, the division's chief of staff, as well as Major General Takagi Yoshito, commander of the 39th Brigade, and Major General Kamitsuki Yoshio, commander of the 40th Brigade, for an emergency military meeting.

The atmosphere in the dimly lit operations room was extremely tense. The faces of several high-ranking Japanese officers were grim. Faced with such a major defeat and the impending predicament, they racked their brains but could not come up with any way to immediately turn the situation around.

(End of this chapter)