Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 284 Preparation
Wutai County, Shanxi Militia Command Headquarters.

Since the first explosion over Taiyuan, this place has become the most tense nerve center in the entire Shanxi war zone.

The air was so heavy it seemed like it could drip water, and the pungent smell of tobacco mixed with the smell of sweat permeated every corner.

On the huge sand table, the small flags representing the two sides' troops were interlocked, and two men had been standing beside the sand table for a long time.

Bai Chongxi, the seasoned general known as "Little Zhuge Liang," could not hide the fatigue and anxiety on his face at this moment.

He held a nearly burnt-out cigarette between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the sand table, as if trying to discern the ever-changing battle situation in the sky from those static models.

Su Yaoyang, standing beside him, appeared much calmer.

Dressed in a crisp, neat suit, he looked rather out of place in the smoky environment.

He wasn't smoking; he just had his hands behind his back, but the anxiety in his eyes showed that he wasn't at peace either.

The ground beneath their feet was littered with cigarette butts.

The atmosphere was so solemn that you could hear a pin drop in the command post. Even the staff officers kept their voices down as they marked maps and answered phones, for fear of disturbing the two supreme commanders who held the lives of tens of thousands of people in their hands.

Just as the two were turning the spacious command room into a fairyland filled with smoke, a series of hurried yet steady footsteps broke the silence.

A young staff officer strode up to the two men, stood at attention, and saluted. He tried to suppress the excitement in his voice, but his bright eyes betrayed his inner elation.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief... Commander!"

Bai Chongxi suddenly turned his head, and Su Yaoyang also cast an inquiring glance at him.

"The aerial battle is over!"

The staff officer's voice trembled with excitement. He took a deep breath and reported loudly, "My flight squadron shot down a total of 38 Japanese aircraft of various types! We lost five aircraft, three of whom were killed in action. Two other pilots successfully parachuted and were rescued by the search and rescue team lying in wait nearby!"

Thirty-eight to five!
Upon hearing of this remarkable victory, Bai Chongxi and Su Yaoyang, whose nerves had been on edge for hours, finally relaxed completely.

Bai Chongxi stubbed out his cigarette, which had long since been extinguished, into the ashtray filled with soot, as if trying to extinguish all his anxiety at once, and then exhaled a long, long breath.

Su Yaoyang let out a long breath, a barely perceptible, satisfied smile curving his lips.

"Good...well done!"

After suppressing his emotions for a long time, Bai Chongxi finally exploded. He slammed his hand on the sand table in front of him, causing the small flags representing the Japanese army on it to shake violently.

He stood up excitedly and paced back and forth around the sand table. His usually calm face was now flushed with a long-lost rosy glow, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"This battle can be declared that we have destroyed most of the Japanese air power in Shanxi!"

He paced back and forth, his expression somewhat excited. "Now, the forces that are stopping us from bombing are much smaller. We can go all out and bomb those Japanese tortoise-shell-like ground defense positions flat, inch by inch!"

However, Su Yaoyang, who was standing next to him, simply shook his head calmly. He stretched out his finger and gently tapped a point on the sand table that represented the core fortifications of Taiyuan's city defenses.

"Lord Jian, we can't be too optimistic yet."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"It is impossible to destroy all the fortifications and bunkers that the Japanese army has carefully dug by bombers alone."

In the final battle, we still have to rely on infantrymen with guns to seize every inch of land.

What we can do now is use aircraft and heavy artillery to wear down and eliminate as much of the Japanese army's exposed defensive forces as possible.

Su Yaoyang lifted his gaze from the sand table and swept it over the staff officers around him who were listening intently:
"Pass on my orders: First, intensify aerial reconnaissance efforts. We must thoroughly investigate and map the terrain, roads, and troop deployments within a radius of hundreds of kilometers around Taiyuan. I don't want vague intelligence; I want information accurate down to every single bunker and every single trench!"

"Second, immediately order the ground troops to accelerate their march across the entire front! Before nightfall, they must reach the designated attack positions outside Taiyuan and completely surround Taiyuan from the east, south, and north!"

Bai Chongxi walked to the sand table, looked at Su Yaoyang's deployment, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Surrounding three sides and leaving one open is an essential open strategy for besieging a city since ancient times."

He nodded, a playful smile on his face. "I want to see what Yoshio Shinotsuka will do."
Will you choose to hold out in Taiyuan to the bitter end, letting us trap and wear you down? Or will you make the drastic decision to abandon the city and flee? Or perhaps…

Bai Chongxi's gaze turned deep and cold, "...to mobilize all the mobile forces in Shanxi to fight a real battle with our army under the walls of Taiyuan?"

Just as Bai Chongxi and Su Yaoyang were laying a trap for Yoshio Shinotsuka in Taiyuan from their command post in Wutai County, the atmosphere in the headquarters of the Japanese First Army in Taiyuan City had become extremely tense.

A communications staff officer rushed in, his face pale. His military cap was askew, and he even forgot to tidy himself up at the door. He tumbled and crawled to his knees in front of Yoshio Shinotsuka, his voice trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Commander... Commander! The 60th Fighter Squadron's communications have been completely cut off. According to the latest intelligence, most of the 60th Fighter Squadron was destroyed, with only Iga Tetsuji and six fighters retreating."

The phrase "suicide attack" struck the hearts of every Japanese officer in the headquarters like a heavy hammer. The air froze instantly; everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at their commander in horror.

However, Yoshio Shinotsuka's reaction was unexpectedly calm.

He simply sat quietly in his seat, his expression completely calm, as if he had long anticipated this outcome.

He was already used to the Army Aviation's failures; after all, he had grown accustomed to the Army Aviation's repeated defeats over the past year.

He would never foolishly place his hopes for victory or defeat in war on those empty-headed Army Air Force officers.

His hopes, from beginning to end, rested solely on the solid land beneath his feet, on the fortifications and steel defenses painstakingly built inch by inch by the blood and sweat of countless imperial warriors over the past few years, and on the tens of thousands of elite, battle-hardened ground troops under his command.

He forcefully suppressed the fleeting sense of loss and unease deep within his heart, and with an almost cold composure, slowly stood up from his seat.

His sharp gaze swept over his subordinates in the headquarters, whose faces were pale with fear. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"What's the panic? Since when has the glory of the Imperial Army been defended by planes in the sky?"

He walked up to the huge Taiyuan defense map and tapped the densely packed red defense markings on the map heavily with his baton.

"Order all garrison units to immediately strengthen ground defenses! All front-line positions to enter a state of maximum combat readiness! Artillery units to prepare for counter-battery fire; those Chinese planes are nothing more than a tickle to us!"

Yoshio Shinotsuka's composure acted like a shot in the arm, temporarily calming the panicked hearts of those in the command headquarters.

He turned around, looking out the window at the sky that had been "cleared," a stubborn and mad smile playing on his lips. He couldn't believe that the so-called Shanxi militia could take over Taiyuan, a city he had painstakingly built up over the years and considered impregnable, with just a few tin cans flying in the sky!
…………

Dozens of kilometers away from Taiyuan City, in a carefully surveyed and secluded valley, a large convoy of vehicles came to an abrupt stop amidst billowing dust.

The car door was suddenly pushed open, and a burly, dark-skinned officer jumped out of the passenger seat. It was Xiong Junfeng, the commander of the Second Artillery Regiment of the militia.

He landed and, without even brushing off the dust, put his hands on his hips and roared at the convoy that had just come to a stop.

"Hurry! Hurry, hurry! Get the hell out of here!"

He pointed to the valley surrounded by mountains ahead, spitting as he spoke, "All units, immediately set up artillery positions and prepare camouflage."

The air defense and air defense positions of the air defense battalion and the infantry battalion must also be set up simultaneously.

"In half an hour... that is, before 12:48 PM, I need to see a well-camouflaged artillery position ready to fire immediately! Did you hear me?! All of you, get to it!"

"Yes!"

In the valley, thousands of soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing across the surrounding area.

At the command, the entire convoy instantly came to life, transforming into a high-speed, sophisticated war machine. Soldiers leaped from the trucks like ants and began working methodically and efficiently.

The heavy truck tailgate slammed down with a loud crash, and one menacing 155mm M1 howitzers after another were carefully unloaded from the truck amidst the winches and the shouts of the soldiers.

These steel behemoths, weighing several tons, seemed to come alive in the hands of the soldiers.

The soldiers in the artillery crew had a clear division of labor; some used entrenching tools to quickly dig trenches and tire pits at the designated gun positions.

Then, some people worked together to unfold the two sturdy gun carriages. With a loud "click," the huge spade was slammed into the ground, transforming the cannon from a marching position into a combat position ready to be fired at any time.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of the air defense battalion were setting up quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns and Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns on the high ground around the position, their dark muzzles pointing warily at the sky.

The infantry battalion soldiers built a ring-shaped defensive position on the outer perimeter, with machine guns, mortars and barbed wire, protecting the entire artillery position like an iron barrel.

Huge camouflage nets were unfurled one by one, casting a dappled shadow over the entire valley.

On the entire battlefield, the most challenging and awe-inspiring scene was undoubtedly the one involving the transport of artillery shells.

Gunners, shirtless and wearing only military trousers and boots, revealed bronze-colored, granite-like muscles.

They unloaded heavy wooden ammunition boxes from the ammunition truck.

This is no easy task. A 155mm high-explosive grenade, along with its propellant cartridge, weighs anywhere from 45 to 50 kilograms. Only one of these precious grenades can fit in an ammunition box.

A truck can carry anywhere from a few tons to more than ten tons of artillery shells.

The gunners worked in pairs, gritting their teeth, veins bulging from their necks to their arms, carrying ammunition boxes on their shoulders, their steps heavy but swift as they transported them to the ammunition storage points next to each gun position.

Sweat streamed down their dark backs like brooks, carving furrows in the dust.

Even the toughest man would be exhausted like a dog after carrying a truckload of ammunition at such high intensity, leaning on his knees and panting heavily.

Although the soldiers were all exhausted and drenched in sweat, no one dared to stop.

After a brief respite, they will immediately throw themselves into the next round of moving.

The entire valley echoed with the officers' roars, the soldiers' shouts, and the sounds of clashing weapons.

The hands of the clock struck exactly 12:48.

Xiong Junfeng raised his wrist, looked at his watch, then looked up and surveyed the valley before him, which had been completely transformed.

Half an hour ago, this place was a quiet wilderness.

Now, rows of menacing 155mm howitzers stand proudly in their carefully constructed positions, their muzzles covered by camouflage netting, pointing towards Taiyuan.

Between the gun emplacements were neatly stacked piles of ammunition covered with tarpaulins. On the surrounding high ground, the muzzles of anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft guns stood like vigilant sentinels, monitoring the sky.

The entire position was covered by a huge camouflage net, and from the air, it blended almost into the surrounding mountain and forest landscape, with no trace of human intervention.

Xiong Junfeng nodded in satisfaction, a rare smile appearing on his rough face.

He patted the cold, solid barrel of a cannon next to him and muttered to himself, "Not bad... at least we weren't outdone by those bastards in the first regiment. It seems the extra training these past few days has paid off."

He cleared his throat and roared again:
"Well done! Now, everyone back in position, rest!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers responded in unison again, but this time their voices clearly carried a hint of relieved exhaustion.

As Xiong Junfeng's voice rang out, the war machine, which had been running at high speed, instantly switched to standby mode. The soldiers, who had been busy just a moment ago, retreated like a tide the next second, scrambling into their own dug bunkers or finding shade under trucks or along the mountainside.

"Gurgling..."

The canteen was turned on, and cool water poured into parched throats with a satisfying sound. Some soldiers leaned against the earthen walls of their bunkers, took off their caps, and fanned themselves, letting their sweat-soaked backs enjoy a moment of coolness.

Others didn't think about anything, simply found a comfortable position, rested their heads on their backpacks, and lay down sprawled out.

Most of the soldiers in the 2nd Artillery Regiment were veterans who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They knew better than anyone else that on the battlefield, every bit of time that could be used was extremely precious.

Making the most of every opportunity to rest, in order to maintain sufficient physical strength to cope with any possible battle, is already the most basic quality of a qualified soldier.

Soon, the tense and noisy battlefield gradually quieted down.

Apart from the sentries who remained vigilantly watching their surroundings, most of the soldiers had already fallen asleep.

The wind blew through the valley, and the sounds of snoring rose and fell, becoming the only background noise on this battlefield fraught with danger...

(End of this chapter)