Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 245 I feel numb
Facing Li Zongren's eyes, which seemed to see right through people, a major general in charge of intelligence gathering immediately stepped forward, snapped his feet together, and stood at attention to report:

"Reporting, sir! According to the latest intelligence, the Japanese army launched a full-scale offensive in the early hours of this morning!"

His voice was exceptionally clear in the tense operations room. He picked up a long instruction stick and pointed to the huge battle map on the wall.

"Enemy commander Yamawaki Masataka has led the main force of his 3rd Division from the area north of Xinyang. Under the coordinated cover of his air force and tank units, he is launching a fierce attack along the Pinghan Railway towards our positions east of Tongbai Mountain!"

The pointer drew a striking red arrow on the map.

"At the same time," he moved the pole, pointing to another area, "the 13th Division under the command of Tanaka Seiichi has also set off from Zhongxiang, its advance aimed directly at the Xinye-Tanghe line! It is coming on strong, and its vanguard has already clashed with the outposts of our 33rd Army Group!"

The atmosphere in the operations room instantly became even more tense.

Everyone knew that this meant the "Yichang Campaign," which the Japanese army had been planning for a long time and aimed at opening up the Yangtze River shipping route and threatening Chongqing, had officially begun.

However, upon hearing this string of bad news, Li Zongren's expression remained unusually calm, a calmness that sent shivers down one's spine. He didn't look at the map, but simply tapped the table lightly with his fingers, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice not loud, but it drowned out the sound of the wind and rain outside the window:
"Has the air force that Chongqing promised to send arrived yet?"

This question made the major general who was reporting freeze.

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting away, but finally steeled himself and answered in a low voice:
"No."

Seeing that Li Zongren did not speak, he could only add: "The Chongqing side replied that... that the fighting in various places is currently very intense, and they... they do not have any extra planes to support us, and told us... to find our own solutions."

"Find a solution yourselves"—these eight words were like a silent slap across the faces of all the generals present. A suppressed, angry gasp filled the operations room.

"Humph."

A very soft, yet chilling snort escaped Li Zongren's nose. A barely perceptible, mocking smile curved his lips. He seemed utterly unsurprised by the outcome.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd again, and asked:

"What about the Shanxi militia? Have Su Yaoyang's troops arrived yet?"

This question invigorated everyone. Compared to Chongqing, which was out of reach, the Shanxi militia, which had routed the Japanese army and created the myth of annihilating an entire division, became their greatest hope at this moment.

The major general's expression softened considerably, and he immediately replied, "Reporting, sir! Chief of Staff Pi of the Shanxi militia sent a telegram this morning saying that their 'Pirate' air squadron and a task force composed of heavy artillery and infantry are ready and can head south to provide reinforcements at any time!"

“But…” He glanced at the torrential rain outside the window and said helplessly, “But the weather suddenly worsened. They said that in this kind of weather, planes can’t take off at all, and heavy equipment can’t be transported through the muddy roads. They… they have to wait for the weather to improve before they can come over.”

Upon hearing this news, Li Zongren's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed somewhat. He nodded, indicating his understanding.

He knew better than anyone that conducting large-scale air transport and heavy equipment maneuvers in this terrible weather was tantamount to suicide.

The fact that the Shanxi militia is willing to come is enough.

"Maintain contact with the Shanxi militia and urge them to take off as soon as the weather improves."

"understand!"

"Now, I will announce our army's next operational plan..." Li Zongren continued.

"Yes, sir!" came the resounding reply from the generals in the conference room...

…………

Neither the Chinese nor the Japanese army liked the sudden downpour, as it had a significant impact on troop movements.

However, this annoying downpour came and went quickly.

After a whole night of roaring and scouring, the rain miraculously stopped just as dawn was breaking.

Through the torn clouds, the faint light of dawn pierced through. By morning, the sky had begun to clear, and a pale sun hung in the clean sky, illuminating the damp earth and causing it to steam.

It was just past 10 a.m.

Inside the Yichang City Defense Command Headquarters, Li Zongren, who had just finished dealing with a whole night of urgent military affairs and had only been lying down for less than three hours, was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door and the sound of a soldier reporting.

"Sir... Urgent telegram!"

Li Zongren suddenly sat up from his cot, his eyes showing no sign of sleepiness.

"Read!"

"Yes! We received a call from Shanxi. Their first batch of support troops has departed and will arrive at Yichang Airport in an hour!"

"boom!"

The news struck Li Zongren like a thunderbolt. He practically leaped out of bed, grabbed the dried military uniform draped beside him, and began to pull it on, shouting towards the door as he buttoned it:

"Get the car ready! We're heading to the airport!"

When Li Zongren's convoy, kicking up mud and water, sped to Yichang Airport, a faint, buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees, could already be heard over the airport.

He got out of the car and looked up at the azure sky.

On the horizon, a large group of tiny black dots appeared.

The black dots rapidly magnified in the field of vision, and their outlines became increasingly clear.

Li Zongren had been through countless battles and seen countless airplanes, but the scene before him still shocked him like never before.

What a massive and imposing fleet it was!

Twenty massive C-47 transport planes, painted with the emblem of the Republic of China with a white sun and blue sky, formed a neat formation, like twenty moving mountains in the sky, bringing a heavy sense of oppression as they arrived, blotting out the sun.

Around the transport aircraft formation, a squadron of robust and imposing fighter jets circled and escorted them.

The fighter jets had menacing shark mouths painted on their noses, and their wings were covered with a dense array of rockets and bombs. They were the F4U "Corsair" fighter jets that the Shanxi militia had used to strike fear into the hearts of the Japanese army over Xinxian County!

"My goodness..." A general beside Li Zongren exclaimed in surprise.

To the astonishment of the crowd, the massive formation of aircraft began to descend. The F4U fighter jets roared ahead, conducting patrols over the airport, while the twenty C-47 transport planes landed one after another with incredible smoothness on the newly cleared runway.

As the deafening roar of the engines gradually subsided, the first C-47 transport plane slowly taxied to Li Zongren and his entourage. After coming to a stop, the massive cargo door at the rear of the fuselage clicked open and slowly descended, forming a wide ramp.

A figure appeared at the cabin door.

He was a tall and upright young man, wearing a dark gray woolen officer's uniform that was completely different from the Nationalist Army's standard uniform, with a well-tailored cut that made him look more capable, and shiny black high-top riding boots on his feet.

Without his military cap, he revealed a neat head of short hair, a handsome face, and a calm and confident expression.

After he stepped out of the cabin, his gaze pierced through the rising steam on the tarmac and met Li Zongren's eyes from afar.

This person was none other than Su Yaoyang, the founder of the Shanxi militia.

As Su Yaoyang stepped down the wide gangway, his adjutant immediately handed him a German-style mountain division officer's cap that matched the color of his uniform.

Su Yaoyang took the hat and put it on his head properly. Under the brim, his deep and calm eyes appeared even sharper.

He straightened his collar, strode confidently across the tarmac, and came to stand before Li Zongren.

Three steps away from the highest-ranking officer of the Fifth War Zone, Su Yaoyang suddenly stopped, his heels snapping together with a loud "snap," and raised his right hand in a standard military salute.

"Greetings, Commander Li!" His voice was loud and clear. "I am Su Yaoyang, the Chief of the Shanxi Militia, reporting for duty. Please give me your instructions!"

Looking at the young man before him, whom he hadn't seen for over a year and who now exuded an even more extraordinary air, Li Zongren finally revealed a genuine and undisguised smile on his weathered face.

"Hahaha! Okay! Okay!"

Li Zongren stepped forward, grasped Su Yaoyang's hands firmly, and shook them vigorously. He could clearly feel the unique, steady, and powerful warmth emanating from the other's hands, characteristic of a young man.

"Mingxi, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you so long these past few days, my neck must have grown long."

Li Zongren's joy was palpable. He took Su Yaoyang's hand and turned to introduce him to the generals behind him.

"Come, come, let me introduce you. This is Su Yaoyang, the head of the Shanxi militia, who just came from Shanxi."

He then introduced Su Yaoyang to the senior KMT generals present one by one.

"This is Zhang Zizhong, the commander-in-chief of the 33rd Army Group."

"This is Tang Enbo, the commander-in-chief of the 31st Army Group."

"This is Sun Lianzhong, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group."

…………

Su Yaoyang smiled and shook hands with each of these historically renowned figures, exchanging pleasantries. Zhang Zizhong, a solemn and dignified man, held Su Yaoyang in the highest esteem and stepped forward to give him a respectful salute.

"Commander Zhang, greetings! I've long admired your reputation. Your victory in the Battle of Linyi greatly boosted the morale of Chinese soldiers. I'm truly impressed!"

"Commander Su, you flatter me. Your battle at Taierzhuang was truly spectacular."

When it was Tang Enbo's turn, he gave a forced smile, his eyes revealing a scrutinizing and calculating look.

"Commander Su has become quite famous these days, and I, Tang, have long admired his name."

Su Yaoyang took in everything, but maintained a polite yet distant smile.

"Commander Tang, you flatter me. I don't deserve your praise."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Zongren spoke frankly.

“Mingxi, let’s not beat around the bush.”

The military situation is urgent, and I want to know how many troops and personnel you have brought this time. I hope you will report the truth.

"Of course, the department will answer all your questions!" Su Yaoyang nodded in agreement.

"The Ministry of Personnel has sent two infantry battalions this time. The rest of the troops will arrive one after another. It is estimated that it will take three to four days to transport them all."

In this battle, the Fifth War Zone mobilized more than 300,000 troops, a truly formidable force, so what Su Yaoyang brought was nothing.

But you should know that this includes an entire squadron of aircraft, which is quite remarkable.

Didn't you see that Li Zongren had sent several telegrams to Chongqing in order to get air support, but all he got in return was the words "solve it yourself"? Now Su Yaoyang has just sent out a whole squadron of air support, which is really amazing.

Everyone here is used to leading troops; who hasn't suffered at the hands of Japanese planes?
They certainly knew that on the battlefield, whoever received air support would have the advantage of winning.

“Good…good…” Li Zongren was overjoyed.

"Mingxi, I'd like to visit the troops you brought. Is that convenient for you?"

Su Yaoyang was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Of course, it is the honor of the department."

Soon, under Su Yaoyang's orders, the soldiers of the two battalions who had just disembarked from twenty C-47 transport planes quickly completed their assembly.

When Li Zongren led Zhang Zizhong, Tang Enbo, and other generals to the neatly lined-up square formation, even these seasoned veterans who were used to seeing big scenes couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

These aren't just two battalions! They're practically two battalions of steel monsters!

The soldiers before me were all burly and energetic, their eyes revealing a fierce confidence forged in the crucible of war. They wore full German M35 helmets and camouflage combat uniforms, their high-top combat boots adding to their imposing presence.

The weapons they held made Tang Enbo and the others' eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

清一色的美制加兰德半自动步枪！每个班都配备了一挺BAR自动步枪和两支汤姆森冲锋枪，每个排还配备了一挺M1919A1重机枪，甚至每个连还配备了三门M2型60迫击炮以及M18 57毫米无后坐力炮以及喷火兵。

What... what kind of firepower configuration is this? Let alone the National Revolutionary Army, even the most elite Class A divisions of the Japanese army would be no different from beggars in front of them!
Looking back at the rows of P4U fighter jets painted with shark mouths on the tarmac, and the 105mm howitzers being unloaded from the transport planes, everyone felt numb.

"My goodness... Is this still our Nationalist army?" Xu Wenyao, the commander of the 29th Division standing behind Zhang Zizhong, couldn't help but say, "If our entire division were equipped like this, I would dare to take on an entire Japanese division."

(End of this chapter)