One man's resistance against Japan, I mobilized a million people to aid Shanghai.

Almost at the same moment the first poison gas bomb exploded in Jinzhou, in Wuchang, in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

After a long period of silence, sails and billowing smoke suddenly appeared on the river, obscuring the sky.

Hundreds of wooden boats of varying sizes, requisitioned civilian ships, and even a few old shallow-draft gunboats formed a massive fleet, fully loaded with soldiers and equipment, sailing down the river.

On both sides of the Yangtze River, countless figures, like migrating ants, surged eastward along the roads on both banks.

Smoke and dust filled the air, stretching as far as the eye could see.

In the mountain city, he finally got the opportunity he had been waiting for.

After receiving further promises of weapons and hints of joint operations from the Bald Eagle, he decided not to wait any longer.

He wanted to take advantage of the opportune moment when Zhu Ganglie's main force was deeply involved in Southeast Asia and North China was suddenly plunged into chaos, and seize the core of Jiangnan—Nanjing—in one fell swoop!

When he personally led the expedition, his slogans were even louder.

"Suppress the rebellion in the north and recapture Nanjing!"

"Expel the traitor Zhu and restore our lost land!"

He deployed almost all of his elite troops, along with hastily assembled units, creating what was known as a "million-strong army," which was divided into multiple routes.

The main force along the central route advanced along the Yangtze River by both land and water, heading straight for Anqing and threatening the western gateway to Nanjing.

The northern route will flank Luzhou from the direction of the Dabie Mountains, thus containing the defending forces in the direction of the Huai River.

The southern route detours from northern Jiangxi towards Wuhu and Xuancheng.

Although the weapons promised by the Bald Eagle have not yet arrived, John Bull has transported the first batch of supplies from the Myanmar-Guizhou Highway.

This time, the troops' equipment was significantly improved, with British-made rifles, machine guns, mortars, and even some mountain guns being deployed in large numbers, and morale was boosted by international support.

The operation progressed rapidly in its initial stages.

Several poorly defended small towns along the Yangtze River were captured one after another, and the enemy forces quickly advanced towards Anqing.

......

Nanjing, the headquarters of the Expeditionary Force.

Zhu Wenzheng stood before the huge map of Central China, his expression more solemn than ever before.

The intelligence he had was becoming increasingly urgent.

"From the Wuchang direction, the enemy's vanguard has passed Huangshi, and its naval advance is approaching Wuxue. Fighting has already broken out on the outskirts of Anqing!"

"A large enemy force has been spotted moving in the direction of Luzhou; it belongs to the 7th Army of the Guangxi Clique!"

"Enemy troops have been spotted building a pontoon bridge across the harbor from Wuhu!"

On the map, the blue arrows representing the enemy forces, coming from South China and Central China, are like two giant pincers, clamping down hard on the East China region he controls, with Nanjing as its core.

And what about the troops he has?

Due to Zhu Yong's "three-day blood edict," a large number of elite troops from East China were transferred to Japan and the Indochina Peninsula.

He originally had more than a million troops guarding East China, but now he only has about 500,000 left.

These 500,000 people will be scattered along the long Yangtze River defense line.

Even more deadly was the Battle of Shanghai!

It not only has massive industrial facilities, ports, and foreign concessions, but also requires at least 150,000 to 200,000 troops to ensure Shanghai's basic security and stability.

Excluding the troops defending Shanghai, he only had a little over 300,000 troops left that could be used for mobile warfare to counter the "million-strong army".

Moreover, these 300,000 troops will be divided to defend several key points, including Nanjing, Anqing, Hefei, and Wuhu.

300,000 vs. 600,000.

With such a disparity in troop strength, this is a half-cooked meal.

Moreover, the enemy was well-prepared and their morale was high.

"They're coming on strong..."

Zhu Wenzheng lightly punched the map, his brows furrowed.

He had never faced such a perilous situation.

The staff officers fell silent, awaiting his decision. The air seemed to freeze.

After a long while, Zhu Wenzheng raised his head, and the sharp glint in his eyes reappeared.

"Immediately request reinforcements from the Emperor, and submit a detailed report of the urgent military situation regarding the massive offensive launched by the Central China forces!"

"Order!"

"First, the garrison of Anqing must hold out for three days!"

"Utilize the river defenses to resist step by step, wear down the enemy's morale, and absolutely do not allow the enemy to break through quickly!"

"Second, the Nanjing garrison troops shall immediately enter a state of highest combat readiness, strengthen the city's defenses, and investigate any traitors within the city."

"At the same time, 50,000 elite troops were urgently transferred from the Shanghai garrison to rush to Nanjing's aid overnight!"

"Third, in the Luzhou direction, adopt a flexible defense, utilizing the terrain and pre-established positions to delay the enemy. If necessary, abandon the outer perimeter and retreat to the core positions, but it is essential to hold key points to buy time for Nanjing to adjust its deployment!"

"Fourth, all guerrilla forces and local garrison units north and south of the Yangtze River should be mobilized to harass the enemy's supply lines, create panic, and coordinate with the main force in combat!"

"Fifth," he took a deep breath, "I hereby issue this notice in my name to all soldiers and civilians in East China."

"**The unprovoked killing of righteous soldiers in the War of Resistance is intolerable to Heaven and Earth, and those who commit such acts are traitors to the country. From this day forward, the Expeditionary Force will never coexist with **."

"My expeditionary force will withdraw from the Japanese mainland and Southeast Asia to support Nanjing."

"Until reinforcements arrive, I, Zhu Wenzheng, swear to live and die with Nanjing!"

"All my soldiers should fight bravely to kill the enemy and protect our territory and people!"

"All my people should assist the defending army in resisting the traitors!"

"This battle concerns the fate of China; there is no turning back, only a fight to the death!"

The order was quickly relayed.

The entire East China region is like a bowstring suddenly pulled taut.

The sound of cannons could already be faintly heard in Anqing. The atmosphere in Nanjing was tense, with frequent troop movements and the citizens filled with anxiety.

Zhu Wenzheng walked up to the top of Jinling City and looked westward toward the Yangtze River, the direction from which the enemy army was coming from.

He gripped the sword at his waist tightly.

"bring it on."

He muttered to himself, his voice cold and hard as iron, "You want to take back Jinling?"

"Then let's see if my sword is sharp enough!"

"Let's see if your head is stubborn, or my sword is sharp!"

The poisonous clouds over North China and the flames of war over the Yangtze River were ignited simultaneously.

Zhu Yong, in order to issue the three-day blood edict, transferred a large number of troops from China, which has led to North China and East China being taken advantage of and invaded.

Zhu Yong's forces are facing the most severe test since their rise.

East China is in grave danger!

North China is in grave danger!

However, Zhu Yong was completely unable to spare the time.