Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 246 Besieged
After the inspection, when everyone returned to the tense operations room at the Fifth War Zone Command, the desires that had been forcibly suppressed at the airport finally erupted like a volcano.

All the generals had red eyes.

At this moment, what kept echoing in their minds were those German steel helmets, Garand rifles, M1919 heavy machine guns, and the F4U fighter jets that seemed to have descended from the sky and the huge fleet of transport planes on the airport.

As soon as the meeting began, before Li Zongren could even begin to assign combat tasks, Tang Enbo, commander-in-chief of the 31st Army Group, was the first to stand up.

He straightened his military uniform, his face bearing a sincere expression of "for the great cause of the Party and the country," and said righteously:

"Commander Li! Fellow colleagues! Regiment Commander Su's troops are well-equipped and have formidable combat power. They are a model for our resistance against Japan!"
To better utilize their capabilities and concentrate our forces to strike a decisive blow against the Japanese invaders, I earnestly request that you, sir, temporarily incorporate this Shanxi militia unit into the 31st Army Group, placing it under your unified command and deployment! I guarantee that they will play their greatest role in the most crucial situations!

These words sounded grand and dignified, but his true intentions were obvious to everyone.

Su Yaoyang was picking up the teacup offered by the orderly when he heard these utterly shameless remarks and almost burst out laughing in anger.

He put down his teacup, a cold smile curving his lips, and watched the impending farce with utterance, too lazy to utter a single word.

Sure enough, before Li Zongren could even express his opinion, Sun Zhen, commander-in-chief of the 22nd Army Group, was the first to slam his fist on the table. Pointing at Tang Enbo, he sarcastically remarked without any politeness:

"Pah! Tang Enbo, have you no shame? Unified command? I bet you're just trying to swallow Commander Su's troops whole! Everyone knows what you're up to. You're always thinking about these easy ways to get something for nothing!"

Sun Lianzhong, commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group, was not to be outdone. Although he was not as rude as Sun Zhen, the meaning behind his words was the same.

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Li Zongren, and said, “Commander Li, when it comes to coordinated operations, my Second Army Group has been engaged in direct combat with the Japanese invaders for many years and has rich experience. Brother Su’s troops have strong firepower and can serve as our spearhead. If you can allocate my troops, we will surely be able to crush the Japanese invaders!”

"Commander-in-Chief Sun is mistaken!"

Wang Zuanxu, commander-in-chief of the 29th Army Group, also joined the battle. "Our Sichuan soldiers are fearless and valiant, but what we lack is a weapon like Commander Su."

"Hand over the troops to me, and I guarantee we'll recapture the lost territory within a month!"

"Bullshit! Your Sichuan Army can barely pay its soldiers' salaries, how dare you have such a good army?"

"What did you say? Say it again if you dare?"

In an instant, the originally solemn and dignified war room was transformed into a noisy vegetable market.

The usually imposing army commanders, in their struggle for Su Yaoyang, had shed all pretenses. Some were slamming their fists on the table, others were glaring at each other, and still others were pointing fingers and hurling insults. The scene descended into complete chaos.

Su Yaoyang watched coldly as the group of Nationalist generals argued back and forth, feeling utterly helpless.

"boom!"

A loud bang silenced the entire room.

It was Li Zongren.

He slammed his hand hard on the thick battle map, his weathered face now so dark it seemed to drip water. He stood up abruptly, glancing around at his silent, trembling subordinates, his eyes burning with rage.

"enough!"

He roared, almost shouting, “Look at all of you! With the nation in peril and a formidable enemy at hand, instead of thinking about how to work together to fight the Japanese, you’re here arguing over power and profit! You’ve completely disgraced the Party and the country!”

After finishing his rant, he took a deep breath and turned his gaze to Su Yaoyang, who had remained silent throughout. The anger in his eyes turned into a hint of apology and determination.

"From now on."

His voice was firm and unwavering, brooking no argument: "The Shanxi militia reinforcements are a mobile force directly under the war zone."

Not subordinate to any army group, but personally under my control and direct command! Anyone who objects will be court-martialed!

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent. Tang Enbo's face instantly turned ashen, but he dared not utter another word.

Su Yaoyang nodded almost imperceptibly to Li Zongren, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip.

With Li Zongren bringing Su Yaoyang's troops under his direct command, this farce, which arose from "unequal distribution of spoils," finally came to an end.

Then came the real test—the Battle of Zaoyi—which officially broke out in full force.

However, because Su Yaoyang, this overly powerful "butterfly," flapped his wings, the battle deviated from the course of history from the very beginning, presenting a bizarre and fanatical situation.

The operations room of the Fifth War Zone Command had now been completely transformed into a high-speed war machine.

Telephones rang incessantly, telegraph machines beeped incessantly, staff officers ran around carrying documents and maps, hoarse commands and reports mingled together, and the air was thick with the smells of gunpowder, sweat, and caffeine.

But unlike in the past, this time, the content of the telegram received by the command headquarters underwent a surprising change.

"Sir... Urgent telegram from the 33rd Army Group!"

They were engaged in fierce fighting with the Japanese 13th Division on the east bank of the Xiang River and requested immediate air interdiction! They specifically requested aircraft capable of dropping barrel bombs!

"Sir... The Second Army reports. They say the enemy in front of us is the Japanese Third Division, whose artillery fire is fierce, putting immense pressure on our positions. They request that the heavy artillery units directly under the theater command conduct counter-fire! Commander Sun Lianzhong also said... they say five minutes of fire coverage will be enough!"

"Sir! The river defense force has called, reporting a large number of Japanese boats gathering, seemingly intending to cross the river. They request... request the heavy artillery regiment to provide area fire coverage!"

"Air support," "heavy artillery suppression"... these terms, which were unthinkable in the past, are now flying in from all battlefields like snowflakes, piling up on the desks of the staff officers.

Almost every unit that engaged the Japanese army immediately sent a request for reinforcements to headquarters. They were like drowning people clutching at a straw, frantically calling for the "heavenly soldiers" who could bring about a miracle.

This unprecedented "happy trouble" almost drove the staff officers at headquarters crazy. They were all busy with dark circles under their eyes, their voices were hoarse, and they were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground, yet they were also complaining about their troubles with a hint of excitement.

"Ugh……"

Amidst the commotion, Li Zongren, carrying a stack of newly compiled telegrams, walked over to Su Yaoyang, who was standing in front of a huge sand table, calmly observing the entire battle situation.

He slammed the thick stack of telegrams onto the table next to the sand table with a thud.

Su Yaoyang turned his head upon hearing the sound.

On Li Zongren's face was an extremely complex, helpless expression that was both funny and exasperating.

He pointed to the stack of telegrams and said to Su Yaoyang:
"Mingxi, come and take a look."

"Look... this letter is requesting air support."

This letter is also a request for air support.

And this one, it's a request to allocate your precious heavy artillery..."

Li Zongren picked up the top few telegrams and waved them in front of Su Yaoyang as if they were some rare items. "In just one afternoon, we received thirty-seven telegrams specifically requesting you to provide air and heavy artillery support."

My hundreds of thousands of brothers in the Fifth War Zone now regard you as a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering!

If this continues, I, the commander-in-chief of the theater command, will probably become nothing more than a liaison officer assigning tasks to you!

Although his words were tinged with teasing, the heavy pressure and helplessness he felt were unmistakable.

Su Yaoyang said helplessly, "That's normal. It's like a group of beggars who are used to being poor. When they suddenly find out that they actually have such a fortune, it would be strange if they didn't try to cause as much trouble as possible."

However, we must also be careful to distinguish between how many of these situations are truly urgent and how many are driven by a desire to take advantage of others. Only after we can we provide appropriate support.

Otherwise, with only a few planes, even if all the pilots worked themselves to death, it would be impossible to meet all the requirements.

"Besides, I've been here for several days now, and the troops have all assembled. With such a fierce battle raging outside, you're leaving over ten thousand of us here just to watch. If word gets out, it might tarnish your reputation."

Li Zongren chuckled: "Do you think that at my age, I still care about fame?"

I just hadn't figured out how to arrange things for you all.

Li Zongren was not lying about this.

Despite commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, among all these forces, the Shanxi militia is undoubtedly the best equipped and the most formidable in combat.

This wasn't because he was biased; it was something Su Yaoyang earned through countless battles.

That is why he intends to use the Shanxi militia as the sharpest sword in his hand, and to use it in the most critical places.

However, this opportunity came very soon.

Time flew by and it was May 16th when an urgent telegram suddenly arrived at the Fifth War Zone Command. Zhang Zizhong's 33rd Army Group was surrounded by Japanese troops in the Nanguadian area, and the situation was extremely critical.

Our password has been compromised!

Upon seeing the newly arrived telegram requesting assistance, Li Zongren's expression changed. He realized that their code must have been broken by the Japanese army.

Su Yaoyang was also anxious: "Sir, General Zhang is in imminent danger. We must send reinforcements immediately, or it will be too late."

"I see!"

Li Zongren also said decisively, "You immediately lead your troops to Pumpkin Shop at full speed and you must rescue Jinchen!"

"Yes!"

Without wasting words, Su Yaoyang saluted Li Zongren and strode out of the command post.

Thus, the Shanxi militia faced their first tough battle after arriving in Nanchang, confronting the most elite mobile force of the Japanese army... the 11th Army.

(End of this chapter)