Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 319 Meeting
It was 9:30 a.m. the next day.

The fire in western Taiyuan is still raging, and the huge column of smoke connecting heaven and earth has become the most conspicuous and terrifying landmark in the entire city.

Inside the Allied Forces' headquarters outside the city, however, the atmosphere was strangely frozen, a mixture of anxiety, shock, and ecstasy.

On the table covered with a huge military map were three items that John had just sent back urgently from the front lines.

A general's command sword, scorched by high temperatures, with its scabbard carbonized and peeling off, but the blade still gleaming with a chilling light.

Another officer's ID card, also charred and curled, but with its core relatively well-preserved by the body, still shows a photo and handwriting that can be faintly discerned.

And a lieutenant general's collar insignia, blackened but intact, torn from the charred collar.

These three things just lay quietly on the map.

The three men, Yang Aiyuan, deputy commander of the Second War Zone, Brigade Commander Chen, and Su Yaoyang, sat around the table, their breathing becoming heavy.

They had been staring at those three things for several minutes without saying a word.

Finally, it was Commander Chen who broke the silence.

He stretched out his calloused hand, but instead of touching the officer's ID, he slowly grasped the hilt of the command sword.

A cold, heavy sensation came from his palm. He took a long breath and then slowly exhaled, as if to expel all the shock in his chest at once.

"If there are no unforeseen circumstances," his voice was hoarse from issuing orders for days, "if I'm not mistaken, the body in this tank should be that of the Japanese officer."

This sentence is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Yang Aiyuan's body trembled as well. With trembling hands, he picked up the half-burnt military officer's ID card and carefully, as if holding a precious treasure, brought the document close to his eyes.

In the name column, the three characters 'Shinotsuka Yoshio' were still clearly legible, though they had turned yellow from the smoke.

Next up is the title 'Lieutenant General of the Imperial Japanese Army'!

it is true!
it is true! !

The highest-ranking commander of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi just... died like that? So quickly and thoroughly that not even a complete body could be found, leaving only these few broken belongings?
Yang Aiyuan's lips moved violently, and he made a "hoarse" sound in his throat, as if he was in ecstasy or crying.

Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, startling the staff officer next to him.

"Good...good!" he almost shouted, his voice cracking with excitement. "I'm going to send a telegram to Commander Yan right away, to report this incredible good news to him immediately!"

Yang Aiyuan's telegram, like a spark thrown into a pile of dry tinder, instantly ignited the whole of China.

After receiving the telegram confirming the authenticity of the three pieces of evidence, Yan Xishan was almost ecstatic.

Having been suppressed for too long and suppressed by the Japanese army for too long, he desperately needed a resounding victory like this, a victory worthy of being recorded in history, to vindicate himself and the entire Jin-Sui Army.

Without hesitation, he immediately sent a report of victory to Chongqing, the wartime capital, and at the same time, he used all his propaganda channels to send a telegram to the whole country!

Extra! Extra! The Japanese officer commander of the North China Area Army was killed on the spot by our valiant Nationalist army during the Battle of Taiyuan!

This bombshell exploded across the country in just a few hours!
Chongqing, the wartime capital.

A ragged newsboy, waving a freshly printed newspaper still reeking of ink, dashed through the street, shouting as he ran.

"Extra! Extra! Great victory in Shanxi... Our heroic National Revolutionary Army has killed the Japanese Lieutenant General Commander!"

The people on the street, who had been hurrying along and looking numb, suddenly stopped in their tracks.

People swarmed in from all directions, surrounding the newsboy, stuffing banknotes into his hands, and snatching newspapers away.

When the crowd saw the shocking headline printed in the largest font, there was a deathly silence at first, followed by a thunderous cheer!

"Really? A Japanese officer was killed?"

"It's in the newspaper! There's even a photo! It's Yoshio Shinozuka! That old Japanese devil!"

"God bless China! God bless China!"

A teahouse owner brought out a large tray of firecrackers and lit them at the entrance, creating a deafening roar and filling the street with smoke.

Shanghai, Japanese-occupied zone.

A middle-aged man in a long gown casually bought a copy of the "Shen Bao" newspaper at a newsstand, then quickly walked into an empty alley.

He unfolded the newspaper, and when he saw the small news item cleverly tucked inside the social news section, his hands trembled violently.

He looked at it three times, and after confirming the name, he suddenly pressed the newspaper tightly to his chest, leaned against the cold wall, and silently grinned, but tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Headquarters of the Japanese North China Area Army, Beiping.

"Clap!"

A delicate celadon teacup was smashed to the ground by Tada Shun, shattering into pieces.

In front of him was a photocopy of a Chongqing newspaper that had just been translated.

The glaring headline and the photo of the Japanese officer were like two resounding slaps to his face.

After his outburst of anger, Tada Shun plopped down in a chair, staring at the newspaper in front of him with a deathly pale face.

He knew that from the moment this news was published in the newspaper, his career, future aspirations, and so on had already left him. Someone had to be held responsible for the death of the Japanese officer and the fall of Taiyuan.

The original Japanese officer was the only suitable candidate, but with his death, the responsibility and pressure fell on his own shoulders.

"Damn it... that bastard, he can't even escape properly, and he's dragging me down with him even after he dies!" Tada Shun cursed angrily.

After a long silence, Tada Shun finally stood up. He called over the communications officer and, after a moment of silence, spoke.

"Draft a telegram for Commander Nishio. The telegram reads as follows: It is an urgent report that a Japanese officer was ambushed by the main force of the Chinese army while commanding operations near Taiyuan yesterday (August 9). Unfortunately, he was killed in action."

The situation in Shanxi has deteriorated sharply, with intense fighting for security around Taiyuan, and the First Army's command system is temporarily in chaos.

Given Shanxi's extremely important strategic position as the core of the Empire's occupied North China region, the fall of Taiyuan would severely impact the entire North China war situation. The First Army urgently needs an experienced commander to quickly assume command, stabilize morale, and immediately organize a counterattack to ensure the safety of Taiyuan and the Tongpu Railway.

"I earnestly request the Expeditionary Army Headquarters to quickly select a suitable candidate to replace the Japanese officers and to transfer the necessary troops to support the Shanxi battlefield in order to reverse the current unfavorable situation." After Tada Shun finished speaking, the staff officer quickly organized the telegram and presented it with both hands.

But in the instant he handed over the telegram, looking at the Commander-in-Chief's deathly pale face, he finally couldn't hold back and asked the question that had been swirling in everyone's minds, yet no one dared to ask:
"Commander... can Taiyuan still be defended?"

"Defend?" Tada Shun shook his head with a wry smile: "Taiyuan is naturally indefensible. Our main task now is to strengthen our defenses and prevent the situation from deteriorating further."

Even he himself didn't believe that statement.

three days later

Tada Shun's premonition, or rather his telegram shirking responsibility, unfortunately came true.

After several days of indiscriminate heavy artillery bombardment, followed by an unstoppable general offensive, all organized resistance in Taiyuan was reduced to scorched earth and corpses.

The capital of SX province, which had been occupied for nearly three years, has finally raised the flag of the Republic of China again.

The city streets were scarred by war. Collapsed houses, walls riddled with bullet holes, roads wrecked by tank tracks, and the lingering, acrid smell of gunpowder and blood in the air.

Of course, Yan Xishan would not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win over the people and put on a political show.

Just after Yang Aiyuan's troops had completed the control of the entire city and posted notices to reassure the people, he led his main force of the Jin-Sui Army into Taiyuan in a grand procession.

At this moment, the main streets of the city are packed with people.

"Commander Yan is back!"

"Shanxi is saved!"

People spontaneously flooded the streets, waving everything they could find—small flags, handkerchiefs, even relatively clean bed sheets that had just been dug out of the ruins.

Although the war caused them to lose their homes and loved ones, the joy of driving out the invaders was enough to temporarily overwhelm all the pain.

Military trucks, fully loaded with soldiers of the Jin-Sui Army, slowly moved forward amidst the crowd.

The soldiers stood tall, basking in the glory of being treated like heroes.

Along the way, citizens kept throwing boiled eggs, homemade pancakes, and even bunches of wildflowers they had picked from who-knows-where onto the truck.

Beside this bustling and frenzied ocean, a relatively intact three-story teahouse presents a completely different scene.

Beside the elegant table by the window, Su Yaoyang, Pi Ruoyu, and Brigade Commander Chen were quietly sipping their freshly brewed hot tea, seemingly oblivious to the thunderous welcome they were receiving downstairs.

The tea is excellent, Biluochun, with a delicate and elegant aroma.

Pi Ruoyu held his teacup, but his gaze never left the lively scene outside the window.

He looked at Yan Xishan's black sedan surrounded by guards, at the citizens who were crying with joy, and then at the commander-in-chief beside him who was calmly blowing on the tea foam, as if everything was none of his business.

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, put down his teacup, and exclaimed sincerely:
"Commander, I finally understand why you spent so much to take Taiyuan, but only asked for a symbolic two million silver dollars before returning the city to the Jin-Sui Army."

Upon hearing this, Su Yaoyang didn't even lift his eyelids. He simply took a sip of tea, let out a satisfied sigh, and then put down the teacup. "Tell me about it."

"The most important reason is whether the people's hearts are with you or not!"

Pi Ruoyu sighed.

"Commander Yan has been operating in Shanxi for decades, with countless protégés and former subordinates. His influence has long since permeated all walks of life, and celebrities and gentry from all walks of life only recognize him."

Even ordinary people trusted him, especially since he was appointed by the central government as the chairman of SX Province and the commander-in-chief of the Second War Zone.

If someone else were to take charge of Taiyuan, who would have the ability and prestige to suppress so many people?
Moreover, Taiyuan today is more like a huge mess.

The food, drink, and daily necessities of hundreds of thousands of citizens, the destroyed houses, factories, water and electricity... the reconstruction of all of this requires a bottomless pit of human and material resources.

Our militia is newly established and has limited resources; we simply cannot bear such a heavy burden.

Upon hearing this, Brigade Commander Chen laughed heartily and praised, "Regimental Commander Su, your chief of staff is truly remarkable. He is indeed an excellent advisor, with insightful and incisive observations."

He saw both the military advantages and disadvantages, and also understood the intricacies of human relationships. Remarkable!

Su Yaoyang smiled faintly, picked up the teapot, and personally refilled the tea for Commander Chen and Pi Ruoyu.

The scalding hot tea was poured into the cups, and wisps of steam rose up, blurring the faces of the three people.

"If Ruoyu can see this level, it shows that he is a qualified chief of staff."

Su Yaoyang continued, "To conquer the world, you rely on the barrel of a gun."

But ruling the world depends on winning hearts and minds. Our militia's task now is to conquer the world, not to be trapped by a mere "world."

He put down the teapot and turned his gaze back to the window.

The welcoming ceremony for Yan Xishan had reached its climax, with deafening slogans resounding one after another.

"Let Commander Yan enjoy his glory."

Su Yaoyang's lips curled into a deep smile. "The higher he sits, the louder the cheers he receives, and the less way out he will have when the Japanese invade. As for us, we can do what we should really be doing while he has attracted all the attention."

Commander Chen picked up his teacup, touched it to Su Yaoyang's in mid-air, and drank it all in one gulp, his eyes gleaming.

The three drank a few more cups of tea until Yan Xishan's convoy disappeared from sight. Brigade Commander Chen stood up and said with a smile, "Alright, we've had our tea. Let's hurry up and get ready. Commander Yan will definitely want to see us later."

Commander Chen's words proved true. Half an hour later, they saw the King of Shanxi, who had ruled Shanxi for decades, in a heavily guarded courtyard.

As soon as they entered, they saw an elderly man with a short, flat-topped haircut, neat sideburns, a short mustache, and wearing a gray-blue cloth military uniform striding towards them.

This person was Yan Xishan, who was known as the King of Shanxi.

As soon as the two sides approached, Yan Xishan took the initiative to extend his hand to Brigade Commander Chen: "Brother Chen... it's been a long time!"

Brigade Commander Chen smiled and saluted before shaking his hand: "Commander Yan, it really has been several years since we last met."

"Hahaha..." The two laughed at the same time.

(End of this chapter)