Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 251 Asking for help
Yichang, the temporary command post of the Fifth War Zone.

The atmosphere was as heavy as lead. A simple but clean cypress coffin sat quietly in the center of the command post, covered with a flag of the Republic of China.

Li Zongren, a first-class general of the army and commander of the Fifth War Zone, stood straight in front of the coffin in full military uniform.

He didn't shed a tear, but his bloodshot eyes held a deep sadness.

He had just personally prepared the remains of his dear friend, General Zhang Zizhong, who had died for his country, in his coffin.

"Jinchen, may you... rest in peace." Li Zongren slowly raised his right hand and gave a standard military salute to the coffin.

A confidential staff officer entered quietly with a telegram in his hand and whispered, "Commander, Chongqing... Chairman Chiang Kai-shek personally replied."

Li Zongren put down his hand and took the telegram.

The telegram was short, but every word carried immense weight. The Chairman ordered that General Zhang Zizhong's remains be transported safely to Chongqing as quickly as possible for a state funeral of the highest honors.

"Pass on my order!" Li Zongren's voice was hoarse but firm. "Arrange for an aircraft immediately! Select the most elite guards and spare no expense to safely escort General Jinchen's spirit back to the secondary capital!"

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer accepted the order and left.

The command post had just started operating again because of this order when another operations staff officer rushed in, sweating profusely and looking anxious.

"Commander! The situation at Pumpkin Shop is critical!"

Li Zongren whirled around, his gaze sharp as lightning: "Speak!"

"The Japanese 13th Division and their elite 3rd Division have launched a fierce attack on Nanguadian from two directions! They've gone mad, the Japanese devils have completely gone mad!"

The operations staff pointed to the red arrow on the map and spoke rapidly, "Shanxi...the Shanxi militia's firepower is strong, but...but the 33rd Army Group..."

The staff officer's voice choked with emotion, "Commander Zhang has died in battle, and the brothers are leaderless. Although everyone is fighting desperately, they are fighting individually, resulting in heavy casualties! We are about to break down!"

Li Zongren felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly. His worst fears had come true.

He looked at the area on the map that was being relentlessly attacked by the Japanese army. There, not only were his troops in imminent danger, but also that mysterious and powerful allied force.

No! We absolutely cannot allow the 33rd Army Group to collapse! We cannot allow our loyal allies to be surrounded because of our own chaos!
A resolute aura erupted from Li Zongren as he slammed his fist into the map, causing the model on the sand table to jump.

"Send electricity to the front lines!" he commanded his staff with an unquestionable tone.

"In my capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth War Zone, I hereby formally appoint Feng Zhian, Commander of the 77th Army, to temporarily assume the position of Commander-in-Chief of the 33rd Army Group, effective immediately! I order him to immediately regroup his troops, consolidate command, and coordinate operations with the Shanxi militia!"

“Tell him! Commander-in-Chief Zhang’s body is barely cold. If he dares to let the 33rd Army Group be destroyed in his hands, he can come to me with his head!”

This order, brimming with menace, acted like a shot of adrenaline, instantly dispelling the dejection and chaos within the command post. All the staff immediately sprang into action, and the radio's beeping became rapid and forceful once more.

Li Zongren turned his gaze to the coffin again, his eyes filled not only with grief but also with an iron will.

"Jinchen...you watch. I won't abandon a single one of your soldiers. Your revenge...we will avenge you!"

…………

Zaoyang, the headquarters of the 77th Army.

This place is no longer a "military headquarters"; it's more like a temporary field morgue.

The smell of gunpowder and blood mingled together, making it hard to breathe.

Feng Zhian, the army commander who had just been directing his troops on the front lines, was now kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Commander-in-Chief... Commander-in-Chief!" Upon hearing the tragic news of Zhang Zizhong's passing, this tough man wept like a child.

The staff officers and guards around him all bowed their heads in silent mourning, and suppressed sobs rose and fell in the simple command post.

At this moment of utter grief, a communications soldier stumbled in and handed a telegram to Feng Zhian, his voice trembling: "Commander...Commander...Urgent telegram from Commander Li of the Fifth War Zone!"

Feng Zhian forcibly wiped away the tears on his face and took the telegram with trembling hands. When he saw the contents of the telegram, he was completely stunned.

Commander Li Zongren actually ordered him to temporarily assume the position of Commander-in-Chief of the 33rd Army Group!
At this moment, this appointment felt like a heavy burden had been slammed onto his shoulders.

Before he could even process the shock and fear brought on by the order, the piercing radio call pulled him back to the harsh reality.

"Calling the Acting Commander-in-Chief! Calling the Acting Commander-in-Chief! This is Cao Fulin from the 55th Army! The Japanese offensive is too fierce, my unit is about to be cut in half! Brothers, we can't hold on any longer! Requesting instructions on the next move! Requesting reinforcements!"

On the radio, Cao Fulin, commander of the 55th Army, spoke with a hoarse, anxious voice, filled with despair.

Before the words were even finished, another channel rang out with the roar of Huang Weigang, commander of the 59th Army: "Brother Feng! It's me, Huang Weigang!"
The Japanese 3rd Division is like a mad dog! We're about to be surrounded! You need to think of something quickly! If we don't get reinforcements, we're all going to die here today!

The two army commanders' pleas for help struck Feng Zhian like two heavy hammer blows.

He, the newly appointed "acting commander-in-chief," felt utterly dizzy. Support? What kind of support could they offer?
He subconsciously glanced at the troop deployment map on the wall, where the small blue flags representing his own troops were sparse and tattered.

The 33rd Army Group, though nominally composed of three armies, actually only has a total of five divisions.

After days of bloody fighting, the total strength had been reduced to less than 40,000 men, all of whom were wounded and short of ammunition. Every position was struggling to hold on, and he couldn't even spare a single reserve battalion!
Feng Zhian's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails digging deep into his flesh. An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and humiliation welled up inside him. Was his first task upon taking office to stand by and watch his comrades-in-arms be devoured one by one by the Japanese army?
Just as he was anxious and at his wit's end, a young staff officer beside him mustered his courage and whispered, "Sir, I have a suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it."

"Spit it out!" Feng Zhian shouted irritably, already in a bad mood.

The staff officer shrank back after being yelled at, but still forced himself to say, "Could we...could we ask that Shanxi militia for help?"
Their firepower…you saw it with your own eyes. If they were willing to attack from the flanks, the pressure on the 55th and 59th Armies would be greatly relieved!

Ask a local militia for help?
Feng Zhian was stunned.

As a high-ranking general in the National Revolutionary Army, asking a local militia for help was something he would never have dared to imagine before.

This is not just a matter of face, but also a matter of the military system and dignity.

His face flushed red and then turned pale as his inner pride clashed fiercely with the harsh reality.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, all he could hear in his mind were the anxious and desperate shouts of Cao Fulin and Huang Weigang, the images of countless soldiers falling in the artillery fire, and the unseeing face of Commander-in-Chief Zhang Zizhong...

To hell with face!

Compared to the lives of his brothers, Feng Zhian's personal shame is nothing!
"it is good!"

Feng Zhian slammed his hand on the table, having made up his mind. He looked at the communications soldier and commanded in an almost shouting voice.
"Immediately! Connect me to the radio of Su Yaoyang, the commander of the Shanxi militia! In my name! Beg them, for the sake of us fellow anti-Japanese soldiers, to lend a hand to our brother!"

"Tell him that if he's willing to send troops, I, Feng Zhian, will owe him a tremendous favor!"

Feng Zhian's telegram was short, but the anxiety, helplessness, and tragic determination it conveyed were palpable, causing Su Yaoyang to frown slightly as he read it.

He handed the telegram to the guard beside him, then turned his gaze back to the distant battlefield where cannons roared.

At this moment, the pumpkin shop has become a giant meat grinder.

His troops were locked in a fierce battle with the Japanese 13th Division.

Although the militia soldiers had an absolute firepower advantage thanks to their weapons and equipment far superior to those of the time, the Japanese army's fearless and frenzied charges still put enormous pressure on the defensive line.

Support Feng Zhian?
A helpless, bitter smile flashed through Su Yaoyang's mind. He was currently holding onto a whole battalion of reserves, not daring to use them lightly, so where would he find the extra troops to meddle in other people's business?

However, he couldn't just ignore it.

He understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" better than anyone else.

Once the defense lines of the 55th and 59th Armies are completely breached by the Japanese army, the Nanguadian area where he is located will immediately transform from a salient into a dead end surrounded by enemies on three sides.

At that point, let alone wiping out the Japanese 13th Division, we'd be lucky if we didn't get surrounded and killed.

Although Feng Zhian, the newly appointed acting commander-in-chief, was somewhat embarrassed by being forced into the position, the fact that he was able to put aside the airs of a senior Kuomintang general and ask his "military group" for help showed that he was a person who understood the big picture and considered the overall situation.

For people like this, if you can lend a hand, you should.

He definitely couldn't spare any ground troops, but... he still had one force.

An idea quickly formed in Su Yaoyang's mind.

He turned around and gave a clear and decisive order to the communications officer beside him.

“Send a telegram to Cheng Rufeng, instructing him to take off immediately to provide air support to the 55th and 59th Armies, and tell him that the 33rd Army Group must not be defeated.”

"Yes!"

After issuing the order, Su Yaoyang had the communications soldier send a telegram back to Feng Zhian.

The telegram was simple: "Commander-in-Chief Feng, the ground war is critical, and we are unable to divide our forces."

I have ordered my air force to provide full support to your flanks. That's all I can do. The rest is up to fate.

After doing all this, Su Yaoyang raised the binoculars again.

He had done his best. In this game, he had made his most crucial move. As for whether Feng Zhian could seize this opportunity, stabilize his position, or even launch a counterattack in conjunction with his air strikes, that was beyond his control.

War is sometimes not just about strength, but also about a little bit of the elusive...divine will.

Now, all he needs to do is focus on dealing with these equally insane enemies in front of him.

(End of this chapter)