Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 282 A God-given Opportunity
Meanwhile, in another village surrounded by mountains, the atmosphere at the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army's Independent Regiment was equally somber, but for completely different reasons.

In the simple mud-brick house, Li Yunlong, the newly appointed regimental commander, and Zhao Gang, the political commissar who had just been sent by their superiors, were facing off like two fighting bulls.

He sat imposingly at one end of the table, his face dark, silently smoking, the smoke obscuring his expression.

The other paced back and forth at the other end of the room, his fair-skinned scholar face flushed red, his chest heaving violently.

Between the two, Deputy Regiment Commander Kong Jie was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, rubbing his hands, looking at one and then the other, opening his mouth several times but unable to utter a single word, only able to worry helplessly.

The cause was simple: Li Yunlong, this fearless fellow, without even informing the newly arrived political commissar, led the First Battalion on a surprise attack on the Japanese cavalry squadron in Wanjia Town. Although they won a great victory and brought back more than 300 tall horses, they thoroughly angered Zhao Gang, who valued principles and discipline.

The two had a big fight over this and are now in a cold war.

In the midst of this suffocating silence, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door, followed by a loud, energetic voice with a hint of teasing that resounded throughout the entire regimental headquarters.

"Li Yunlong... Congratulations on your fortune!"

Upon hearing this voice, Li Yunlong, who had been sulking in his chair like a petulant old farmer, suddenly jumped up as if he had been pricked by a needle. The stubbornness on his face, which he had shown as if he would defy even the King of Heaven, vanished instantly, replaced by an expression that was almost fawning.

No sooner said than done, a burly figure strode in, accompanied by the sound. The newcomer was dressed in the dusty uniform of an Eighth Route Army cadre, but in his hand he carried a gleaming riding whip; he was their superior officer…

"Hello, Brigadier!"

The three men inside the room, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and Kong Jie, almost reflexively jumped up from their spots at the same time, straightened their backs, and shouted with all their might.

"Well……"

Without even glancing at the other two, he walked straight up to Li Yunlong, pointed the other end of his riding crop at his nose, and said with a forced smile:
"Li Yunlong... I heard you've made a fortune and are planning to build a cavalry battalion? Shouldn't I, as the brigade commander, also get a piece of the action and form a cavalry regiment to have some fun?"

"No...no...Brigade Commander..." Cold sweat instantly broke out on Li Yunlong's forehead. He stammered, "Which son of a bitch snitched on me? I...I didn't..."

"Nonsense!" He slammed his hand on the table and roared.
"I'm giving you two choices! One, you keep a company's worth of horses and equipment, and the rest, including the horses, must be delivered to the brigade headquarters before dark! Two, I'm going to investigate you for arbitrarily mobilizing troops and violating discipline. You choose."

Hearing this merciless ultimatum, Li Yunlong's earlier bravado vanished instantly, and he slumped like a punctured balloon. His head hung low, his face contorted with pain and resentment, muttering under his breath:

"Fine...fine...rank makes right, you're the brigade commander, aren't you? I'll give it to you, I'll give it to you, okay?"

His pitiful look was just like that of a child whose candy had been taken away.

Seeing Li Yunlong's expression, he was amused and annoyed. He tapped Li Yunlong's shoulder with his riding crop and laughed, "You little rascal, Li Yunlong, others may not know, but do you think I don't? Stop pretending with me!"

He changed the subject, his eyes sharpening: "You little rascal, have you been secretly trying to get close to Su Yaoyang of the Shanxi militia these days, and getting a lot of good weapons from him?"

"Right now, in our entire 386th Brigade, your Independent Regiment has the best equipment. You even got those damn Japanese Type 92 infantry guns! And you still dare to pretend to be poor here?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong immediately became agitated, jumping up and down and shouting, "Brigade Commander! Heaven and earth bear witness! I earned all that money through my own abilities and risked my life! You are a dignified brigade commander, you can't bully us poor folks like this!"

"Alright, alright...stop wailing!" He waved his hand impatiently, interrupting his lamentation. "Don't worry, I didn't come here today to squeeze a pittance out of you."

"You look down on meager wages, so give me back my cavalry battalion..." Li Yunlong lowered his voice to a whisper, mumbling indistinctly, his eyes filled with such grievance that it was almost tangible.

"What did you say?"

With his sharp ears, he suddenly glared at Li Yunlong with murderous intent.

Li Yunlong was so startled that he shuddered and immediately shook his head vigorously, his face beaming with a smile: "Ah? No, no... I didn't say anything. I said that you, Brigade Commander, are wise and farsighted!"

"Humph!"

He snorted coldly, too lazy to pay any more attention to this clown.

He turned his head and looked at Kong Jie, who had been standing there like a wooden figure from beginning to end. His expression turned serious.

"Kong Jie!"

"To!"

Kong Jie instinctively stood at attention, chest puffed out, and spoke in a loud voice.

Looking at him, his tone became serious: "During this period, the base area has developed rapidly, and the troops are being expanded."

A few days ago, I submitted a report to the division commander and headquarters leaders, recommending you. The headquarters leaders have just replied with their approval, officially appointing you as the commander of the newly formed Second Regiment, and ordering you to depart immediately to assume your post. I hope that once you arrive at your new position, you will perform well and not let down the trust and expectations of the headquarters leaders!

This sudden appointment stunned Kong Jie, followed by a surge of immense joy. He never dreamed that he would be reinstated to his original position so quickly.

"Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Kong Jie shouted excitedly, his face flushed.

Seeing Kong Jie's excited and red-eyed expression, he nodded in satisfaction and softened his tone.

"I hope that after you arrive at your new unit, you can learn from the lessons of the last defeat on the battlefield, lead your troops well, make me proud, and strive to turn the new Second Regiment into a formidable main force as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your concern, sir! If I, Kong Jie, were to embarrass you again, I'd gladly offer my own head!"

Kong Jie knew that the brigade commander was giving him guidance and a chance for a new beginning. He gave a salute with all his might, his voice choked with emotion.

"Alright, that concludes your matter for now."

He waved it off dismissively. Then, his expression turned serious again, his sharp gaze shifting to Li Yunlong, who still looked pained. "Li Yunlong… I'm asking you, are you aware that Su Yaoyang of the Shanxi militia was nearly assassinated by Japanese agents a while ago?"

"I know!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong immediately dropped his playful demeanor, nodded, and his face showed genuine anger. "A few days ago, I even sent a guard to Wutai County to visit Brother Su and bring him some local specialties produced in our base area."

Although Old Li is a poor man and can't give anything nice, this courtesy can't be omitted.

"Damn it, those little devils are utterly despicable! They can't win a fight, so they resort to these low-down, underhanded tricks!"

"Ah."

He nodded approvingly, clearly satisfied with Li Yunlong's attitude.

He continued, "That Su Yaoyang isn't the type to swallow his pride and bear things."

Having suffered such a huge loss, do you think he'll let it go? According to our intelligence, he's been busy preparing for war these past few days, making significant moves. We've heard... he's planning an attack on Taiyuan.”

"What? He's going to attack Taiyuan?!"

This news was like a bombshell, exploding in the small regimental headquarters.

This time, not only were Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, who had just been feeling a mix of joy and sorrow over their horses and their promotion and wealth, but even Zhao Gang, who was usually the most composed and calm, widened his eyes instantly, his face filled with disbelief.

The three of them gasped almost simultaneously.

What kind of place is Taiyuan? It is the capital of Shanxi Province and the core of the Japanese army's rule in Shanxi. The city is heavily fortified and is home to the main force of Yoshio Shinotsuka's First Army.

Just Su Yaoyang's militia?
Are we going to attack Taiyuan?
This... isn't this like throwing an egg against a rock? But then again, considering Su Yaoyang's strength and personality, it doesn't seem like he was just talking nonsense.

If... if Taiyuan really falls, then the anti-Japanese situation in the whole of Shanxi, no, the whole of North China, will be completely reversed!
"Absolutely true!"

He nodded seriously, confirming their guess, and then dropped an even more shocking bombshell.

"After multiple cross-confirmations by our intelligence personnel in the enemy-occupied areas, this intelligence is absolutely true. Now, the main force of the Shanxi militia has begun to advance steadily towards Taiyuan from Dingxiang, Wutai, Mengxian and other places."

He paused, looking at the stunned expressions on the three men's faces, and then dropped an even bigger bombshell:
"Our intelligence personnel in Taiyuan even risked their lives to send back reports that this morning, the Shanxi militia dispatched at least hundreds of aircraft to carry out a comprehensive and fierce bombing campaign against all the defense lines surrounding Taiyuan."

Now, all the defensive fortifications painstakingly constructed by the Japanese army around Taiyuan are shrouded in smoke; it is said that the sun is almost completely obscured from view over Taiyuan!

"My darling!"

Li Yunlong's mouth was agape, so wide it could almost fit a fist. He couldn't even begin to imagine what that sight must have been like.

“Hundreds of sorties… this… how intense must that be?” he muttered to himself, his mind completely blank.

Zhao Gang, who was standing to the side, also stared wide-eyed. Although he had never witnessed such a world-destroying scene, that did not prevent him from using his knowledge to imagine it.

Countless bombs rained down from the sky, turning over the solid fortifications and the ground like a plow, the explosions were deafening, and plumes of smoke shot into the sky... It was an absolute force that no human could resist.

The entire regimental headquarters was deathly silent, with only the heavy breathing of three people.

After a long while, it was Li Yunlong, this born war maniac, who was the first to recover from his shock. His eyes no longer held horror, but instead gleamed with the shrewdness of a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

He rubbed his hands together, leaned closer, and tentatively asked, "Brigade Commander, you came all this way to tell us this... are you planning to get our Independent Regiment involved and make a fortune alongside Brother Su?"

"Oh...not bad."

Seeing his impatient look, he finally laughed, patted him on the shoulder approvingly, and continued.

Seeing Li Yunlong's eager expression, his smile deepened. He knew that the fighting spirit of this brave general under his command had been completely aroused.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a calm yet powerful tone that was enough to get everyone's blood boiling:

"This morning, Su Yaoyang formally informed our Eighth Route Army headquarters and Yan Xishan's Second War Zone Command of the battle plan. He invited us to join this counterattack against the Japanese invaders."

Seeing the three men's expressions change instantly, he threw out the most crucial bait:
"Furthermore, Su Yaoyang made it clear that all friendly forces participating in this battle would receive logistical support from his Shanxi militia."

Furthermore, the Shanxi militia refused all the captured firearms, ammunition, and equipment, distributing them all to the troops that came to their aid!

The air in the room seemed to freeze at those words. Zhao Gang and Kong Jie's eyes widened, almost unable to believe their ears. No logistical support, and they could take all the spoils for free?
Is there really such a good thing in the world? Is Su Yaoyang crazy or stupid?

Only Li Yunlong, after a brief moment of shock, had his shrewd mind racing, and he immediately grasped the most crucial and sensitive issue.

"What about the territory we conquered?" Li Yunlong blurted out, his voice trembling slightly.

He gave him an appreciative look and slowly uttered a few words:
"Whoever conquers the territory owns it."

"Great! This is a good deal!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong slapped his thigh and his face immediately broke into a wide grin, his expression a hundred times more excited than when he had captured Wanjia Town and stolen three hundred horses.

He rubbed his hands together and paced back and forth in the room twice, excitedly saying, "Brother Su is a generous and righteous man!"
Since he said he would provide us with logistical support, he certainly won't break his word! We have guns, territory to occupy, and we don't have to worry about food, drink, or shelter. So why don't we fight?
This is a god-given opportunity! If we don't seize it, we'll be cursed by the heavens!

(End of this chapter)