Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 229: Going with the flow
Yan Xishan's personal study at Kenanpo

The study was simply furnished with an elm wood table, a few chairs, and a huge map of SX province hanging on the wall.

In stark contrast to the tense and busy atmosphere at the front lines and in Taiyuan, a deep and oppressive tranquility permeates this place.

Yang Aiyuan, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Second War Zone and commander-in-chief of the Sixth Army Group, hurriedly pushed open the door and entered. He stood ramrod straight and gave a standard military salute to the thin old man sitting at the table.

"Commander Yan, you wanted to see me?"

Yan Xishan, the warlord who had dominated Shanxi for decades, slowly raised his head. He wore a gray cotton robe, sported his signature mustache, and had cloudy eyes that occasionally flashed with a shrewd glint.

He had just put down his brush when a character for "endure" appeared on the Xuan paper on the table, its ink still wet, its strokes powerful and penetrating the paper.

"Ah... Xingru, you've come."

Yan Xishan's voice was somewhat hoarse as he stood up from his seat, his movements slightly slow.

He pointed to the sofa next to him, an old-fashioned sofa covered with coarse cloth. "Sit down."

After Yang Aiyuan sat down as instructed, Yan Xishan did not speak immediately. Instead, he picked up the teacup on the table and slowly blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, as if organizing his thoughts. The sound of the wind outside the cave made the silence here seem even deeper.

"Have you heard about what happened in Xinxian?" Yan Xishan finally spoke, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Yang Aiyuan immediately straightened his back and replied, "Yes, sir. We just received intelligence that Su Yaoyang's Shanxi militia has launched a general offensive against the Japanese 24th Division on an unprecedented scale. It is said that they have already broken through the Japanese main lines."

"Ah."

Yan Xishan nodded, put down his teacup with a soft "tap". He turned around, put his hands behind his back, and strolled to the huge map. His gaze fell on the area between Xinxian and Taiyuan, and he remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he let out a long sigh.

“Xingru!” He turned his head and looked at his trusted general, his eyes filled with worry. “Whether the Japanese win this battle or that Su Yaoyang wins, it will not benefit our Jin-Sui Army in the slightest.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Aiyuan's face showed obvious astonishment. In his view, as fellow Chinese, fighting back against the Japanese invaders should be a good thing, so why did his superior have such a negative opinion?
"Sir, what do you mean? Su Yaoyang's troops have inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese invaders, which is ultimately beneficial to the overall situation of the resistance against Japan in Shanxi..."

Yan Xishan shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"Profit? Where is the profit?"

He countered, "If the Japanese win, they will inevitably become even more aggressive, and the living space of my Jin-Sui Army will only be squeezed even smaller."

But if Su Yaoyang wins… just think about it. He already has a strong and well-equipped army, with fierce and powerful troops under his command. With another great victory, his prestige will soar to new heights. At that point, it's hard to say whether Shanxi will belong to the Su family or the Yan family!

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yang Aiyuan's heart. He instantly understood Yan Xishan's deep concerns.

Yan Xishan sat back down in his chair, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, and said slowly, "Therefore, it would be best if this battle ended in a draw. Only when they are both severely weakened will we have a chance to catch our breath. If possible, I would like to send someone to mediate and hope that both sides can stop fighting and make peace..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Aiyuan immediately shook his head and said, "Sir, that's probably impossible. Both sides are now really at each other's throats, and they've formed a blood feud. They will never give up until a clear winner is decided. Neither side will listen to our mediation."

"Sigh..." Yan Xishan sighed again, seemingly aware that the idea was unrealistic. Silence fell once more in the cave dwelling.

After a moment, Yan Xishan spoke again. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and asked, "Xingru, do you think that after this battle is over, we have a way to transfer some of Su Yaoyang's Shanxi militia out of Shanxi?"

Yang Aiyuan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head: "I'm afraid it will be difficult. The Shanxi militia is Su Yaoyang's foundation, and he will never leave Shanxi easily."

Moreover, nominally he is under the command of our Second War Zone, so we have no reason to transfer him out.”

Just when Yang Aiyuan thought there was no solution to the problem, Yan Xishan suddenly revealed a cunning, fox-like smile.

"No, Xingru, it's not impossible."

He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and said slowly, "You forgot, Su Yaoyang isn't just one of my Second War Zone's men."

He held up a finger and pointed it in the air, his eyes sharpening: "According to our latest intelligence, the Japanese are determined to capture Yichang in Hubei and will definitely make a major move soon. And who is in charge of Yichang?"

“Commander-in-Chief Li Zongren of the Fifth War Zone,” Yang Aiyuan answered instinctively.

"That's right!" Yan Xishan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "The private relationship between Su Yaoyang, Li Delin, and Bai Jiansheng is famous throughout the world! Even at his wedding, the officiants were Li and Bai! Isn't that a great deal of face?"

Yang Aiyuan's eyes lit up instantly; he understood what Yan Xishan meant.

Yan Xishan leaned back in his chair, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. He slowly and methodically summarized, "As long as we 'inadvertently' reveal the intelligence that the Japanese army is about to launch a fierce attack on Yichang to Chongqing, and then, through our connections in the Fifth War Zone, give it a little push..."

When the time comes, Li Delin will personally ask Su Yaoyang for help. Given their friendship and the favor he owes Su Yaoyang, he will not refuse under any circumstances.

Even if he didn't want to leave, he would have to draw the most elite troops from his precious Shanxi militia to fight in Hubei.

In this way, wouldn't Su Yaoyang's power in Shanxi be greatly weakened?
"This will work?" Yang Aiyuan still felt that the plan was too far-fetched, simply a pipe dream.

But then he thought about it again and carefully considered the details. He realized that although Yan Xishan's method was insidious, it seemed logically... flawless.

By using public opinion to elevate Su Yaoyang to a moral high ground, and then exploiting his personal relationship with Li Zongren to morally blackmail him into sending troops to aid him... This intricate scheme was indeed the kind of thing this old superior could come up with.

"Why not?" Yan Xishan stroked his signature mustache, smiled smugly, and his eyes gleamed with cunning. "Just you wait and see, I've already had someone add fuel to the fire, helping him to make a name for himself..."

Yan Xishan truly did what he said he would do.

In the short one or two hours that he and Yang Aiyuan were plotting in the cave in Kenanpo, a storm of public opinion, secretly instigated by him, had already swept across the entire Kuomintang-controlled area.

From Chongqing, the wartime capital, to Kunming, the Spring City, and then to Guilin, Xi'an... in all the major cities that had not yet fallen, extra editions of major newspapers were scattered like snowflakes throughout the streets and alleys.

The front page of the Ta Kung Pao newspaper featured a headline in bold, striking black letters: "National Army Achieves Great Victory! Shanxi Provincial Militia Launches Shocking Counter-Offensive, Completely Defeating the Elite Japanese Division!"

The Central Daily News went even further, stating: "The lion of Shanxi roars, artillery fire washes the land, and Japanese corpses lie strewn across Xinxian County!"

The Youth Daily also unusually issued a statement of praise: "Good news! Our Shanxi anti-Japanese armed forces took the initiative to launch an attack and dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese 24th Division!"

In just half a day, this news completely ignited the whole country!
What particularly stirred public outrage and disbelief was the shockingly clear photograph in the newspaper, which appeared out of nowhere!
One of the photos, clearly taken from a high altitude, shows countless plumes of smoke from exploding shells forming a deathly forest on the Japanese positions. The once-fortified fortifications and trenches appear as tattered biscuits gnawed by a giant beast. The entire image is filled with a destructive and awe-inspiring power!
The whole country was in an uproar!
The people, who had been oppressed for too long under the iron heel of the Japanese invaders, seemed to see the dawn of victory. In teahouses and on the streets, countless people waved newspapers, ran around spreading the news, and excitedly shouted "Long live the Chinese nation!" Many even wept with joy.

However, this was only the first wave of impact.

Immediately afterwards, a second wave of even more explosive news was quickly followed up and published by other media outlets.

An even more stunning photograph appeared on the pages of major newspapers—a panoramic view of an airport. In the photo, rows upon rows of fighter jets and bombers, painted with the Kuomintang emblem and possessing sleek and powerful designs, were densely packed on the runway and tarmac. A rough count revealed that there were over a hundred of them! The scale and sophistication of this air force were such that even the Central Army had never possessed one of this size.

Below the photo is a detailed text report, which lists in detail the air combat records of the "Shanxi Flying Squadron" under the Shanxi militia over the past year and a half, how many Japanese aircraft it shot down, and what brilliant results it achieved, to the point that the Japanese Army Air Force was almost rendered "ineffective" over Shanxi!
This caused a complete uproar!

If the previous photos of the shelling were "shocking," then this photo of the air force base is "horrifying"!
No one could have imagined that a nominally local armed force would quietly develop into a modern air force with such a large scale and such a brilliant record right under everyone's noses!
This time, it wasn't just ordinary people who were alarmed.

Just as Yan Xishan's invisible net was being cast across the country via radio waves and newspapers, thousands of miles away in Hubei, at the headquarters of the Fifth War Zone, two of China's top military chess players were facing this game, revealing meaningful expressions.

Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, the two giants of the Guangxi clique, sat facing each other. On the table in front of them lay a copy of the Ta Kung Pao newspaper, freshly airlifted from Chongqing, its ink still wet. A photograph of the Shanxi militia air force base occupied the center of the entire page.

“Jiansheng!” Li Zongren spoke first, pointing to the photo with his finger, his tone full of emotion and surprise, “I never expected that in the past year or so, Mingxi would quietly cause such a commotion for us! Even the Air Force has such a scale, we really underestimated him.”

Bai Chongxi, who was known as "Little Zhuge Liang," picked up the newspaper on the table and examined the photograph closely.

After a moment, he exclaimed, "They say that a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. It hasn't even been two years, and this kid has already developed to this scale. He is indeed a force to be reckoned with."

However, after their reflections, both seasoned strategists revealed a hint of seriousness in their eyes.

Li Zongren put down his newspaper and sighed, "It's a pity that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. He's too popular now, and people are already jealous of him."

"Who can argue with that?" Bai Chongxi snorted, a cynical smile playing on his lips. "Such a large air force, achieving such impressive results—who wouldn't be envious?"

Li Zongren picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and a playful smile appeared on his face: "Sigh... Jiansheng, tell me, who is the person behind this?"

"Who else could it be?" Bai Chongxi scoffed, his tone tinged with disdain. "Besides that miser Yan Baichuan, who else could it be?"

This guy may not be good at anything else, but he's a master at scheming, plotting, and sabotaging others! He's putting Mingxi in a very difficult position! Just you wait, it won't be long before someone in Chongqing starts making a fuss about 'nationalizing' his air force!

"They're dreaming!" Li Zongren scoffed, slamming his teacup down on the table.

He bluntly stated, "Only bookworms who have become stupid from reading too much would have such a foolish idea!"

Li Zongren's words were indeed correct and hit the nail on the head.

On the surface, Su Yaoyang's air force appears formidable, with hundreds of aircraft that would make any power drool. However, anyone with a basic understanding of modern military affairs knows that possessing aircraft and having a combat-ready air force are two completely different things.

Airplanes are not as durable as rifles and machine guns. If you drop an airplane on the ground and the barrel gets deformed, you can just use it by hitting it with a hammer and straightening it.

The Air Force is a high-tech, money-burning branch of the military!

An advanced fighter jet is composed of tens of thousands of precision parts. If even one of them malfunctions, it can affect performance at best, or even result in the destruction of the aircraft and loss of life at worst.

Moreover, aircraft are extremely delicate machines. Daily maintenance, inspection, and upkeep require a large number of highly skilled and experienced ground crew members working day and night. Not to mention the replacement and replenishment of high-consumption and easily damaged parts such as engines, landing gear, and avionics.

Without a stable and reliable supply of spare parts and a professional logistical support system, those seemingly imposing and invincible aircraft will soon become a pile of immobile scrap metal due to various malfunctions.

The three Martin B-10 bombers that the Central Air Force purchased from Germany at great expense a few years ago are a prime example of this. Due to logistical and spare parts shortages, they broke down after only a few flights and were eventually scrapped, becoming a laughing stock in history.

Bai Chongxi nodded, deeply agreeing: "Brother Delin is absolutely right. This air force can only play its greatest role in Mingxi's hands. If others take it, they will only waste it."

The two looked at each other and saw the same thought in each other's eyes.

After a moment of silence, the topic naturally shifted to the current battle situation.

Bai Chongxi's expression turned serious: "Brother Delin, according to intelligence, the Japanese army has been making frequent moves around Wuhan recently, with unusual troop movements. I judge that they are determined to take Yichang. We must make preparations as soon as possible."

Li Zongren's brows furrowed deeply. Yichang was the gateway to Sichuan; if it fell, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just then, a glint flashed in Bai Chongxi's eyes. He glanced at the newspaper on the table reporting Su Yaoyang's great victory and, seemingly casually, suggested:

“Brother Delin, look… since Mingxi’s troops are so powerful and have strong air support, could we… ask the Central Committee to borrow some of the Shanxi militia to help defend our Fifth War Zone? That would increase our chances of winning the upcoming Battle of Yichang?”

These words hit the nail on the head regarding Yan Xishan's scheme.

However, contrary to Yan Xishan's expectations, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi were not fools blinded by public opinion and personal feelings. They saw through Yan Xishan's "open conspiracy" at a glance, but instead of resisting, they chose to go with the flow and willingly walked into this "trap".

Because this "trap" happens to be in their Fifth War Zone's greatest interest!
Upon hearing this, Li Zongren immediately understood Bai Chongxi's meaning. He pondered for a moment, then decisively slapped his thigh: "This plan is brilliant! Let's do it!"

Since Yan Baichuan is so kind, how could we refuse?

Besides, I reckon that after this battle, Mingxi's Shanxi militia will definitely become famous and highly sought after. Having them borrow some of their troops will also shut some people up. Why not?

True to their word, the two men quickly sent a telegram to Chongqing, requesting the mobilization of some of the Shanxi militia's troops and air power to the Fifth War Zone.

Their reasons were plausible and irrefutable.

Chongqing could use this opportunity to give Su Yaoyang a warning and strengthen the defense of Yichang, so why not? As for Su Yaoyang, faced with his mentor's personal request for help and the greater good of the national resistance against Japan, he had no reason to refuse.

A telegram jointly signed by Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi was immediately sent from the Fifth War Zone Command to the Ministry of Military Affairs in Chongqing.

The telegram was concise and to the point, requesting the borrowing of a portion of the main force of the Shanxi militia to reinforce the Fifth War Zone and jointly defend against the powerful enemy.

The Ministry of Military Affairs responded even faster than they had expected.

On the thin telegraphic paper, only two bold, lead characters were printed:
"agree!"

(End of this chapter)