Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 216 Banquet
On a clear morning in early November, before the mist had completely dissipated, Wutai County had already awakened and was gradually showing signs of life.

Two swift horses, bathed in the faint light of dawn, galloped from the dusty official road outside the city. After a brief but wary interrogation by the local militia sentries at the city gate, they entered the county town without incident.

The man in the lead was about thirty years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, and he always had a hint of unruly smile on his lips.

He was wearing a slightly worn Eighth Route Army uniform, with the collar open, making him look somewhat unkempt, but he exuded a fierce and battle-hardened aura.

This person was none other than Li Yunlong, the famous commander of the New First Regiment of the Eighth Route Army.

Following closely behind was another officer, about the same age as Li Yunlong, with a square face and a relatively calm expression, but also with the resolute look characteristic of a soldier. He was also wearing an Eighth Route Army uniform, and his military bearing was relatively neat.

This is Kong Jie, Li Yunlong's old comrade-in-arms and the commander of the Independent Regiment.

Behind them, two elite guards followed, also on horseback, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.

As they entered Wutai County and walked slowly along the main street paved with bluestone slabs, the expressions on Li Yunlong and Kong Jie's faces gradually changed from their initial casualness and indifference to undisguised surprise and admiration.

The Wutai County town before them was completely different from the desolate and lifeless towns they had seen before, which had been ravaged by war!
Shops lined both sides of the street. Although they weren't exactly ornately decorated, they were all newly renovated and had clean, tidy storefronts. Cloth shops, rice shops, pharmacies, blacksmith shops, general stores, snack stalls... all sorts of signs and banners fluttered in the wind, and a dazzling array of goods were neatly displayed.

What surprised them even more was the bustling crowd on the street. Although it was still early in the morning, the street was already teeming with people. Farmers carrying loads on their shoulders to the market, porters pushing wheelbarrows to transport goods, merchants in long gowns, schoolchildren with backpacks, and even some young women in fashionable Western-style dresses with permed hair... all sorts of people, shoulder to shoulder, flowed endlessly.

Although their faces bore the weariness and toil typical of wartime, they also showed a sense of peace and hope for life, something that could not be seen in other areas occupied or harassed by the Japanese army.

The air was filled with the aromas of various foods: the crispy fragrance of freshly baked sesame cakes, the oily aroma of fried dough sticks, the bean aroma of tofu pudding, and the mixed aromas of various unknown snacks... making one's mouth water.

The street food stalls were bustling with activity, with vendors loudly hawking their wares to attract customers, while diners sat around simple tables and chairs, slurping their food with great relish.

"Good heavens! Old Kong, pinch me and see if I'm dreaming!" Li Yunlong stared wide-eyed at the bustling scene before him and couldn't help but say to Kong Jie beside him, his tone filled with disbelief.

Kong Jie was also shocked by the scene before him. He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Old Li, it seems we underestimated Su Yaoyang before! To be able to govern a county town so well and in such an orderly manner under the noses of the Japanese army, this man... is definitely no ordinary person!"

Li Yunlong nodded in deep agreement, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, not missing a single detail. He noticed that although the pedestrians on the street were dressed in various ways, their spirits were quite good, unlike the emaciated and ragged people in other places. Moreover, there were almost no beggars or vagrants on the street, which was practically a miracle in times of war.

What impressed him even more was that he could see squads of militia soldiers in gray uniforms, armed with guns, patrolling the streets from time to time.

These soldiers were all in high spirits, marched in unison, and had alert eyes; they were clearly well-trained elites. Their military bearing and discipline were even better than those of the Central Army and the Jin-Sui Army that he usually saw.

"Damn it, this Su Yaoyang is really something!"

Li Yunlong couldn't help but swear, but his tone carried a hint of genuine admiration: "Just by looking at the level of governance in this county, you can tell that this kid is a good manager."

No wonder he was able to assemble such a force and even acquire airplanes and artillery from the Americans!

Kong Jie also exclaimed, "Indeed, seeing is believing. I had only heard that Su Yaoyang's militia was well-equipped and capable in battle, but seeing the scene of Wutai County today, I realize that his ability to govern the area is also extraordinary. It seems that we made the right choice in coming here."

As they walked and observed, their surprise and admiration grew stronger. The prosperity and order displayed in Wutai County stood in stark contrast to the hardship and poverty in their base areas and other anti-Japanese armed control zones.

Li Yunlong's mind started to work. Such a prosperous county, and a shrewd Su Yaoyang, must have a lot of good stuff under his control.

When I see Su Yaoyang later, I must have a good talk with him and see if I can get some guns, ammunition, medicine, food, or something like that.

Even if we can't get these hard currencies, it would be good to learn some experience in governing the region and developing the economy!

Kong Jie, however, thought further ahead. Su Yaoyang's militia was able to grow and thrive under the heavy pressure of the Japanese army, and manage the base area so effectively. His experience and practices were worth learning from and emulating by the Eighth Route Army.

If a good cooperative relationship can be established with Su Yaoyang to jointly resist Japan, it will have a positive impact on the overall anti-Japanese war situation in North China.

As the two were marveling at the "prosperity" of Wutai County, each lost in their own thoughts, they arrived at the gate of a heavily guarded mansion in the center of the county.

A black plaque with gold lettering, reading "Su Residence," hangs high above the entrance to the mansion. Two rows of armed sentries stand guard, their sharp eyes watching every passerby.

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie dismounted, handed the reins to the guards, and then went forward to inform the sentry of their identities and purpose.

After the sentry carefully checked their identification and reported to his superiors via internal communication, a second lieutenant in a militia uniform quickly came out of the yard to greet them.

"Is this Commander Li Yunlong and Commander Kong Jie? Our commander has been waiting for you for quite some time! Please follow me!"

With a smile on his face, the young staff officer spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and then led the way, guiding Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, along with their guards, into the mansion.

Led by the young lieutenant, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie passed through several courtyards and arrived at a spacious and bright front hall.

The front hall is simply and practically furnished, with a set of polished mahogany eight-immortal table and armchairs placed in the center, and several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, giving it a simple yet grand feel.

As soon as they stepped into the front hall, they saw a young man in a crisp militia officer's uniform, smiling as he came out from the inner hall to greet them.

This man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a tall and straight figure, handsome face, deep and sharp eyes, and a faint air of authority in his every move. He was none other than Su Yaoyang, the commander-in-chief of the Shanxi militia.

"Commander Li, Commander Kong, we meet again. Welcome to Wutai County!" Su Yaoyang clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice loud and clear, his smile sincere and composed.

"Commander Su, you're too kind! We brothers have heard so much about Commander Su's name!" Li Yunlong laughed and clasped his hands in a fist salute, just like Su Yaoyang, though his movements were a bit rough.

His shrewd eyes, however, were subtly observing Su Yaoyang and the furnishings of the front hall.

Kong Jie, on the other hand, was more composed. He returned the salute with clasped hands and said, "Commander-in-Chief Su is young and capable. He has governed Wutai County in an orderly manner, and the militia is strong and well-equipped, which we greatly admire."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Su Yaoyang invited Li Yunlong and Kong Jie to sit down as guests, where orderly served them fragrant tea.

The three of them sat down as host and guest, sipped some tea, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Li Yunlong said solemnly, "Commander Su, Lao Kong and I are here today on the orders of our headquarters commander to thank you."

A few days ago, it was thanks to your unit that we were able to successfully raid Xinxian County, seize their armory, and obtain a batch of urgently needed military supplies, which greatly helped us recover from our poverty.

Not only that, the movie you sent to the headquarters leaders was an eye-opener for us. It was the first time we knew that war could be fought in such a way. To be honest, it really touched us.

"To express our gratitude, the headquarters leaders asked me and Lao Kong to bring you a small gift." After saying this, Li Yunlong carefully took out a command sword wrapped in brocade from his satchel, handed it to Su Yaoyang with both hands, and said, "Commander Su, this is a thank-you gift that our brigade commander and headquarters leaders specially asked me to bring!"
A captured Japanese officer's sword! A small token of my respect; I hope Commander Su will accept it!

Su Yaoyang took the command sword; it felt slightly heavy in his hand. He slowly drew the blade, and a flash of cold light revealed its incredibly sharp edge, with some Japanese characters engraved on it. It was indeed a fine officer's sword.

"What a fine knife!" Su Yaoyang exclaimed, then sheathed the knife and said to Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, "Your Excellency's commanders are too kind! I, Su Yaoyang, appreciate this sentiment! Please convey my gratitude to Brigade Commander Chen and your Excellency's commanders on my behalf!"

He expressed his gratitude verbally, but his eyes were fixed on Li Yunlong.

He knew very well that giving gifts was just a prelude; the real purpose was probably yet to come.

As expected, after exchanging "thank you gifts" and a few compliments, Li Yunlong's expression suddenly changed, turning gloomy and dejected. He sighed deeply and, in an almost tearful tone, began to plead poverty to Su Yaoyang.

"Oh dear! Commander Su! You have no idea how hard life is for us Eighth Route Army soldiers!" Li Yunlong slapped his thigh, looking distressed. "The Japanese devils are implementing the 'Three Alls' policy in our base area, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities! Our people in the base area can't even get enough to eat, and they're barely clothed. It's a truly miserable situation!"

"Our Eighth Route Army soldiers are even more lacking in clothing, food, guns, and ammunition! Look at our uniforms, they're patched so many times! And our guns and ammunition are pitifully scarce!"
Sometimes when fighting the Japanese, bullets had to be used sparingly; a single bullet was practically split in half to be used! Medicine was even more precious; when soldiers were wounded, there wasn't a decent medicine available, and we could only watch helplessly as they were killed…sigh!”

As Li Yunlong spoke, his eyes reddened, as if he had truly suffered a great injustice.

Su Yaoyang listened quietly to Li Yunlong's "complaints," his face showing sympathy and understanding, but inwardly he was secretly laughing.

He had long heard of Li Yunlong's "crying poor" trick.

It seems that this "Commander Li" is planning to "beg" for alms from him today.

After Li Yunlong had finished "crying," Su Yaoyang slowly spoke up and said, "Commander Li, Commander Kong, your army has persisted in the resistance behind enemy lines under harsh conditions, which I deeply admire."

The atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders are countless. As fellow members of the anti-Japanese resistance, we should support each other and overcome these difficulties together.

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong's eyes lit up immediately. He quickly replied, "Commander Su is very understanding! We, the Eighth Route Army, don't ask for anything else, we only hope that Commander Su, considering that we are both fighting the Japanese, can provide us with some...some urgently needed supplies, such as...guns, ammunition, medicine, food, cloth, etc...We, the entire Eighth Route Army, will be eternally grateful! In the future, after we drive out the Japanese devils, we will repay them tenfold!"

Su Yaoyang pondered for a moment, seemingly carefully considering his options. Of course, he couldn't be easily persuaded by Li Yunlong's few words to give him all his help.

Although I have a cheat code, and resources are just a matter of lifting a finger for me, everything should be done in moderation. Once it goes too far, it will not be good for either party.

However, understanding the course of history, he also knew that maintaining good relations with the Eighth Route Army would be beneficial to him.

Appropriate "bleeding" can not only demonstrate one's "generosity" and "big picture" but also, to some extent, earn the friendship and support of the Eighth Route Army.

Thinking of this, Su Yaoyang smiled slightly and said, "Commander Li, Commander Kong, since you have spoken up, I, Su, naturally cannot stand idly by."

Well then, we're afraid we can't help with firearms and ammunition. After all, our militia uses American-made weapons, so even if we gave them to you, they wouldn't be of much use.

Alright then, I still have quite a few captured Japanese weapons and ammunition here, which are not needed even if they are stored in the warehouse. I will have the logistics department select two thousand Type 38 rifles, fifty Type 92 heavy machine guns, one hundred Type 14 light machine guns, three hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, fifty grenade launchers, and five thousand hand grenades for you.

In addition, a quantity of civilian supplies such as medicine, food, and cloth were provided to alleviate the immediate crisis.

He paused, then added, "We can discuss the specific amount later. In addition, I will personally sponsor your army with some silver dollars, as a small contribution to the war effort."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong was overjoyed! Although the quantity of guns and ammunition was not large, obtaining the medicines, food, cloth, and silver dollars urgently needed by the base area made the trip worthwhile!
He quickly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Su Yaoyang, and said with tears of gratitude, "Commander Su is truly a great benefactor of our Eighth Route Army! On behalf of all the soldiers of our New First Regiment and on behalf of the people of our base area, I thank Commander Su for his generosity!"

We, the Eighth Route Army, will never forget your kindness!

Su Yaoyang smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Commander Li, there's no need to be so polite. It's everyone's responsibility to resist Japan and save the country. We're all fighting to drive out the Japanese devils and restore our beautiful land. A few supplies are nothing to worry about."

After the matter was settled, it was already close to noon. Li Yunlong and Kong Jie got up to take their leave. Su Yaoyang naturally couldn't let the guests leave like that, so he immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared and warmly entertained Li Yunlong and Kong Jie.

At the banquet, there was naturally a lot of toasting and drinking. Li Yunlong had a good capacity for alcohol and he and Su Yaoyang drank back and forth in a very harmonious atmosphere. In the end, even the way he addressed Su Yaoyang changed from "Commander Su" to "Brother Su".

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Li Yunlong slurred, "Brother Su, your name has recently spread throughout Shanxi and even the whole country. I'm so tired of hearing it."

Especially the air battle your planes had with the Japanese in the Wutai Mountain area a few days ago, it was so damn satisfying.

But... there's something... bro, I don't understand. It's one thing that you can get your hands on American guns and ammunition, but how did you even manage to get your hands on airplanes? Those things are beyond the capabilities of most people!"

Listening to Li Yunlong's drunken ramblings, Su Yaoyang smiled slightly, "Old Li, this is a secret. If I tell you, can you guarantee you won't tell anyone else?"

"Of course!" Li Yunlong thumped his chest loudly.

"Even if Brigade Commander Chen or your headquarters leaders ask you, you can keep it a secret for me?"

"This……"

Li Yunlong was momentarily speechless. He had only asked the question because he was drunk, but Su Yaoyang's question had practically cornered him.

But now there are only the three of them present. If he dares to agree, once the news gets out, it will be obvious that the two of them leaked the secret. Once that happens, how will he have the face to see Su Yaoyang?

After a long silence, Li Yunlong gave a wry smile, "Alright... Brother, I was wrong. Forget what I said earlier... Come on... let's drink..."

After a sumptuous lunch, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie bid farewell to Su Yaoyang with satisfaction. Su Yaoyang personally escorted them to their doorstep and watched them ride away on horseback.

Once outside the city gate, Kong Jie said to Li Yunlong, "Old Li, you were really a bit reckless just now. How could you ask about the origin of their airplane so casually?"

It's only because Commander Su is magnanimous; anyone else would have turned against you long ago.

Li Yunlong shook his head: "I only dared to ask him the question because I was drunk. I was just thinking of taking this opportunity to build a relationship with him and see if we could get their air support. If we could get their support, we would make a fortune."

After all, as you know, the Japanese have been making increasingly frequent moves against our base areas lately, so I'm just taking precautions."

"Eh..." Kong Jie's soft sigh was the only response he received.

(End of this chapter)