Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 199 This is a good thing!

Headquarters of the First Army of the Japanese North China Area Army in Taiyuan, Shanxi
These days, the atmosphere at headquarters has been tense at times and relaxed at others due to the rapidly changing situation on the front lines.

Lieutenant General Yoshijiro Umezu, commander of the First Army, a short but always serious-looking senior Japanese army general, was standing in front of a huge battle map, with a pencil between his fingers.

At this moment, his gaze was fixed on the area from Wutai County to Wild Wolf Valley, where the latest intelligence and situation were marked with red and blue pencils.

The 20th Division's crushing defeat, especially the news of its commander, Lieutenant General Ushijima Sanetsune, being captured, was like a resounding slap in the face to Yoshijiro Umezu, casting a shadow over the entire First Army Headquarters.

This was not only a major military loss, but also a serious provocation against the "majesty" of the Imperial Japanese Army. Yoshijiro Umezu faced immense pressure from the Imperial General Headquarters and the North China Area Army Command for this.

Therefore, when the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade successfully repelled the pursuit of that "despicable Shanxi militia," and the 108th Division began to move to its flank, forming a potential pincer attack, Yoshijiro Umezu was filled with anticipation.

He had even secretly ordered the mobilization of more than 50 percent of the First Army's mobile forces in Shanxi, prepared to spare no expense, including temporarily abandoning some minor counties, to completely annihilate Su Yaoyang's audacious troops, in order to wash away the shame of the 20th Division and restore the prestige of the Imperial Army.

His original plan was that if Su Yaoyang's troops were greedy for merit and recklessly advanced, continuing to pursue the remnants of the 20th Division, then the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade and the 108th Division could clamp them down from the front and flanks like two giant iron pincers, while the main force he had mobilized could quickly complete the encirclement from the outside, forming a huge encirclement to completely trap and annihilate this Shanxi militia.

However, just as Yoshijiro Umezu's staff were still nervously working out the details of the encirclement plan on the sand table, and the communications soldiers were busy relaying troop deployment orders, the latest battle report came from the front: Su Yaoyang's Shanxi militia, after noticing the movements of the 108th Division, decisively stopped the pursuit and began to retreat towards Wutai County.

Upon hearing this news, Yoshijiro Umezu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was somewhat relieved. After all, if Su Yaoyang's troops were indeed encircled and annihilated, it would certainly be a great achievement, but before that, the heavy losses suffered by the 20th Division and the capture of Ushijima had already caused him to lose face.

Now that the enemy has taken the initiative to retreat, it has at least prevented the situation from deteriorating further and saved his troops from a larger-scale, unpredictable and bitter battle.

After all, no one could guarantee that when he mobilized his main forces to fight the Shanxi militia, the Eighth Route Army and the Jin-Sui Army would not stab him in the back.

He let out a long sigh and threw the pencil in his hand onto the table.

"At least things didn't get to the worst possible point," Yoshijiro Umezu muttered to himself, a hint of relief in his voice.

But then, a deep sense of regret welled up in his heart.

“What a pity…” He looked at the blue arrow on the map representing Su Yaoyang’s troops retreating, his eyes revealing a hint of regret and resentment. “This Su Yaoyang is much more vigilant and cunning than I imagined.”

Like a startled hare, it immediately shrank back upon smelling danger.

He had already laid a large net, just waiting for his prey to walk right into it. For this net, he was even willing to temporarily sacrifice some "bait" (referring to those secondary towns that might be attacked by the militia).

But now, the prey has cleverly slipped away just before it stepped into the trap. This left him with a sense of disappointment, as if his carefully planned scheme had failed at the last moment.

A operations staff officer cautiously asked, "Commander, should we still proceed with the original plan to pursue and intercept the retreating Shanxi militia?"

Yoshijiro Umezu paused for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the map. He was weighing the pros and cons. Although Su Yaoyang's troops were retreating, their organization was still relatively intact, especially the unit equipped with American tanks, whose combat power should not be underestimated.

If we pursue them relentlessly, it could easily turn into a war of attrition, and even if we manage to achieve some results, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Moreover, the remnants of the 20th Division have not yet been fully regrouped, and the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade has also been through a fierce battle and needs to rest.

More importantly, now that the enemy is on alert, it is almost impossible to easily surround and annihilate them.

“No need.” Yoshijiro Umezu finally shook his head and made a decision. “Order the 108th Division to stop its movement toward Wutai County and instead remain on guard to prevent the Chinese army from returning.”

The Second Independent Mixed Brigade was ordered to gradually withdraw its defensive lines, clear the battlefield, and take in the remnants of the 20th Division after confirming the main force of the Chinese army had indeed retreated. Furthermore, it was ordered to expedite the rescue of Lieutenant General Ushijima's... remains... or rather, if he were still alive, to find a way to do so.

Although intelligence indicated that Ushijima Sanetsugu had been captured alive, Yoshijiro Umezu, in public and when issuing orders, still preferred to use language more in line with the "spirit of Bushido." Of course, deep down, he knew better than anyone how much damage Ushijima's capture would do to the Imperial Army's reputation.

"The main task now is to stabilize the front line, reorganize the troops, and find out exactly how the 20th Division was defeated in such a short time." Yoshijiro Umezu's eyes sharpened again. "This Su Yaoyang, and his Shanxi militia, must be the focus of our First Army's future attention. Their tactics, equipment, and commanders must be thoroughly investigated and analyzed."

Although the meticulously planned encirclement and annihilation battle failed to materialize, which disappointed Yoshijiro Umezu, he was, after all, an experienced commander. He quickly recovered from his disappointment and began to focus on a longer-term strategic deployment.

This time, he will not underestimate this young opponent again. When he fights him again, he will use all his strength. This Su Yaoyang must die!
…………

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was already mid-September. More than a month had passed since Su Yaoyang led his troops back to Wutai County.

For more than a month, the surrounding Japanese troops were unusually quiet, perhaps because they had been badly hurt in Wolf Valley and the subsequent ambush battles, or perhaps because Yoshijiro Umezu was brewing a bigger conspiracy. In any case, this gave Su Yaoyang and his Shanxi militia a precious respite.

However, the so-called "leisure time" is only relative.

As the commander-in-chief of the Shanxi militia, Su Yaoyang is still extremely busy every day.

Recruiting new soldiers to replenish battle losses, reorganizing and training existing troops, inventorying and distributing weapons and ammunition, coordinating various affairs in the base area... he had to personally oversee and make decisions on every single matter. The study of the command headquarters in Wutai County was often brightly lit all night long.

At this moment, Su Yaoyang was buried in a pile of military maps and documents, his brows furrowed as he pondered the next defensive deployment. Autumn sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on him.

The study door was gently pushed open, and a familiar figure walked in. It was his wife, Song Mei.

Today, she wore a well-fitting light blue cheongsam, her hair styled in a simple bun with a hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and beautiful neck. She exuded both the competence of a professional woman and the gentle charm of a mature woman.

"Yaoyang, are you still busy?" Song Mei walked up behind Su Yaoyang and said softly, with a hint of heartache. She reached out her slender hand and gently pressed it against his temple, kneading it gently.

Su Yaoyang gave a comfortable "hmm," put down his pencil, leaned back in his chair, and let his wife's soft hand soothe his fatigue. He took Song Mei's hand, kissed it, and smiled, "Wife, you're here. Isn't the hospital busy?"

Song Mei's cheeks flushed slightly. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Su Yaoyang's lips, carrying a faint herbal fragrance. "It's alright, there aren't any major surgeries today. But you, don't overwork yourself."

Her voice was gentle and soft, filled with deep concern. Their noses touched, their breaths mingling, enjoying this moment of warmth.

She straightened up, a smile in her eyes, and said, "By the way, Yaoyang, I have some good news for you. Do you remember Wu Xiaoqian, the nurse who took care of Commander Li Gaoyuan at our hospital before? She was the quiet young lady when we went to see Old Li last time."

Su Yaoyang nodded, the image of the pretty, wheat-skinned nurse flashing through his mind: "Yes, I remember. What's wrong?"

Song Mei's smile deepened, tinged with a hint of mischief: "Commander Li, you've gotten together with Nurse Wu! This morning, Nurse Wu came to me blushing, saying... saying that Commander Li sent someone to her house to propose marriage, and wanted to ask my opinion!"

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Su Yaoyang was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his mood instantly brightening considerably. "Really? This Li Gaoyuan, who usually seems like a blockhead, I never expected him to have such abilities! This is great news! Nurse Wu is a good girl, worthy of Old Li, this blockhead!" He was genuinely happy for his capable subordinate.

Song Mei nodded with a smile: "Yes, I also think they are a good match. Although Commander Li is a bit old, he is an upright and reliable person, and Nurse Wu is gentle and considerate, and can take good care of him. I'm thinking that once Commander Li's injury has fully healed, I'll organize a feast for them."

"Of course! Of course!" Su Yaoyang nodded repeatedly, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

He looked at his smiling wife, who was even more beautiful because of sharing her joy. Her cheongsam outlined her mature and voluptuous figure, especially her full breasts, which rose and fell slightly with her breath, exuding amazing charm. A special thought rose from the bottom of Su Yaoyang's heart.

"Wife..." he said in a hoarse voice, "We haven't played ball in a long time, how about..."

"Oh dear, it's daytime now..."

"It's alright... You can see clearly during the day..."

(End of this chapter)