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

On the north bank of the Yangtze River, outside Anqing, the Nationalist Army's forward command post.

Smoke billowed around, and the sounds of dominoes and mahjong tiles clashing replaced the usual radio ticking and map-reading sounds.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells from cheap tobacco, sweat, and leftover food.

Several senior staff officers sat around the table, shouting and yelling, the teacups in front of them reeking of alcohol.

Gu Zhutong, who wore the rank of general, paced back and forth in the simple command post with his brows furrowed.

The faint, intermittent sounds of gunfire coming from outside the window did nothing to disturb the relaxed atmosphere inside.

"Master Mo, want to play a couple of rounds? There's no use in you just worrying." General Tang Shengzhi, his face greasy, greeted him with a grin, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

Gu Zhutong whirled around and slammed his hand on the table covered with a map, making the teacups jump around.

"Play! Play! All you ever do is play!"

"The Chairman issued three imperial edicts in a single day, urging us to capture Anqing swiftly, regardless of the cost, and to open the gateway to Nanjing from the west!"

"Look at this! How many days has it been?! We still haven't even touched the Anqing city wall!"

The command center was quiet for a moment, then became noisy again.

Tang Shengzhi curled his lip, unconvinced:

"Master Mo, please calm down."

"It's not that the brothers aren't putting in the effort, it's just that... this battle is incredibly frustrating."

He lowered his voice and leaned closer: "Back when we were fighting the Japanese, there was no question about it; we risked our lives!"

"But who are we fighting now? It's Zhu Ganglie! The one who just beat the Japanese pirates to a pulp and slaughtered a million devils!"

"To put it bluntly, they were really fighting the Japanese with real swords and guns. What are we doing? Stabbing them in the back?"

"Taking advantage of the enemy's main force being engaged in killing the Japanese, they're coming to seize territory?"

It must be said that since Tang Shengzhi defended Jinling last time and returned to the mountain city, he was directly promoted to general by GT, and his seniority even surpassed that of most generals.

He had genuine admiration for Zhu Ganglie.

He felt ashamed to be asked to deal with Zhu Ganglie now.

Another general chimed in, "Yes, Lord Mo."

"The men below were all wondering: the ammunition was provided by the British, and the slogan was to launch a northern expedition to quell the rebellion, but where did this 'rebellion' come from?"

"Zhu Ganglie didn't provoke us, but instead dealt with the Japanese, avenging the blood feud of countless brothers and civilians."

"If we turn our guns on them now, that's... that's not legitimate! No wonder morale is low!"

"Besides,"

Another voice joined in, carrying a hint of cunning.

"You haven't heard about Zhu Ganglie's methods, have you? How were hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops wiped out overnight?"

"Appearing and disappearing like ghosts, with our hundreds of thousands of people, are we even enough to fill their teeth?"

"A direct confrontation? That's just suicide!"

Gu Zhutong understood all of this perfectly well.

As a frontline commander, he was more aware of the true situation on the front lines than GT, who was far away in Wuchang.

The so-called "offensive" mostly involved firing from a distance of a few hundred meters, with artillerymen firing a few shots haphazardly to get by.

Occasionally, they might organize one or two decent charges, but as soon as the defending troops on the city walls unleashed even slightly stronger firepower, the attacking troops would immediately collapse and retreat, and even the officers couldn't control them.

The battle report was well-written, with phrases like "countless enemy casualties," "valiant assault," and "inflicting heavy damage on the enemy." In reality, the casualty ratio between the two sides was pitifully low, and most of the "casualties" were injuries from falls, accidental discharges, or simply false reports.

The people below didn't want to fight, didn't dare to fight, and felt they shouldn't fight.

But what could Gu Zhutong do?

The telegrams from Wuchang urging an attack became increasingly harsh, increasingly anxious, and even carried a hidden threat of "missing the opportunity and being court-martialed."

The GT has staked all its political capital on this "counter-offensive" and desperately needs a "major victory" to boost morale and secure more Western aid.

"Chairman... has his own difficulties and considerations."

Gu Zhutong offered a weak defense, his voice hoarse.

"The international situation is complex. The West supports us because they see us as a way to restrain Zhu Ganglie..."

"If we don't show some results, how can we explain ourselves?"

"Explain? Explain to the foreigners with the lives of our brothers?"

Tang Shengzhi chuckled, then turned away from Gu Zhutong and continued playing cards.

"If you want to fight, then go ahead and fight. My men have been fighting fiercely all day and have suffered heavy casualties. They need to rest."

He deliberately emphasized the words "fierce battle all day" and "heavy casualties," eliciting a tacit chuckle from those around him.

Looking at his perfunctory colleagues, Gu Zhutong felt a surge of immense sorrow and helplessness.

He knew that the spirit of this army might be able to unite when facing foreign enemies, but in this civil war where even its own people felt they were in the wrong, it had long since dissipated.

He walked back to his seat, picked up his pen, and looked at the "Today's Battle Report" on the table that needed his signature.

It says:

"Our army launched three fierce attacks on Anqing today, involving regiments, and repeatedly fought with the defending enemy for control of the outer strongholds. We killed or wounded approximately 2000 enemy soldiers, while suffering 800 casualties ourselves. We are currently adjusting our deployment and preparing for tomorrow's general offensive..."

Two thousand enemy soldiers were killed or wounded?

Gu Zhutong gave a bitter smile.

Today, the front line didn't kill or wound many enemies, while our side lost about a hundred men for various reasons.

He picked up his pen, hesitated for a moment, and finally silently added another zero after the exaggerated number.

If we don't write it this way, how can we explain it to Wuchang?

Similar "good news" reports were sent out from various units on the front lines, gathered at the Corps Headquarters, and after some "polishing" and "integration," they became even more brilliant results, which were then sent to Wuchang via radio waves.

......

In Wuchang, the former provincial government building has been transformed into the headquarters, which is now brightly decorated and heavily guarded.

In stark contrast to the dejection on the front lines in Anqing, the atmosphere here was vibrant and enthusiastic.

In the spacious operations hall, on a huge military map, blue arrows representing the Nationalist army pointed menacingly at Nanjing from multiple directions, including Anqing, Luzhou, and Wuhu.

Although these arrows were almost making no progress, the daily "victories" embellished the situation, creating a magnificent scene of "the army encircling Nanjing and the city falling in no time."

GT stood in front of the map, dressed in a crisp military uniform, his medals gleaming on his chest.

Holding a pointer, he was full of vigor and spoke eloquently to the civil and military officials, Western advisors, and Chinese and foreign journalists gathered around him.

"Gentlemen! The soldiers at the front are fighting bravely, and good news is pouring in! Anqing is now an isolated city, and it will fall soon! Progress on the Luzhou front is also going smoothly!"

"Zhu Ganglie's rebellious troops are overwhelmed and their defeat is already evident!"

He vigorously waved his pointer, tapping it on the map to indicate the location of Nanjing:

"As long as our army captures Anqing, opens the western gate to Nanjing, and recovers the capital, the morale of the entire nation will surely be boosted, and the treacherous regime of Zhu will inevitably collapse!"

"At that time, the banners of our revolutionary army will not only point towards the recapture of Jiangnan, but also towards the north to sweep across the world and achieve true national unification!"

"The leaves of the Chinese begonia are right before my eyes."

His words, translated, drew frequent nods from the Western advisors and a flurry of flashes from the reporters' cameras.

He Yingqin stood to the side and slightly behind GT, a fawning smile on his face, and loudly echoed at the opportune moment:

"The Chairman's strategic planning and decisive victories!"

"Zhu Ganglie is nothing but a military man who luckily defeated the Japanese pirates. In reality, he is all bark and no bite. How could he possibly be a match for our revolutionary army?"

"This time, the Chairman personally presided over the Northern Expedition to commemorate the people and punish the guilty, which is truly a blessing for the nation and a boon for the people!"

"Victory will surely belong to Chairman Chiang! It will belong to the Party and the nation!"

Dai Li also squeezed forward and whispered ingratiatingly, "Chairman, according to our intelligence, Zhu Ganglie's main force is indeed tied up in North China and Southeast Asia, leaving East China vulnerable."

"Its internal structure is not monolithic either. Once our army captures Anqing and gains momentum, internal strife is bound to erupt!"

"This is the perfect opportunity to turn the tide!"

GT was overjoyed, as if he could already see himself standing on the city wall of Nanjing, receiving the worship of the people.

He nodded reservedly: "Yu Nong's (Dai Li's courtesy name) intelligence work has been effective."

"Gentlemen, the international situation is also in my favor!"

He turned to his British and American advisors, his tone fervent: "The West has clearly expressed its support for the just actions of our Nationalist government!"

"The Bald Eagle Pacific Fleet has already advanced westward and will soon engage in a decisive battle with Zhu Ganglie's rebel forces in the Pacific!"

"At that time, Zhu Ganglie will be attacked from both sides; how can he not be defeated?!"

"Advancing from the east and west, attacking from the north and south! Zhu Ganglie is now trapped like a turtle in a jar!"

GT became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face flushed, "This is God's blessing upon China! God's blessing upon our Party and country!"

"We must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to wipe out the traitors and reclaim our land!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and compliments filled the hall.

"The Chairman is wise!"

"Long live the Party and the State!"

"Victory is assured in the Northern Expedition!"

The atmosphere reached its climax.

The waiter brought out champagne, and everyone raised their glasses in celebration, as if victory was already within their grasp.

GT sipped his wine with a smug look on his face, his gaze sweeping over the map, then over his respectful subordinates and foreigners below. A long-lost sense of control and exhilaration filled his heart.

Zhu Ganglie?

He was just a lucky warlord.

At this very moment of clinking glasses and exchanging toasts—

"Buzz—"

A strange buzzing sound swept through the entire city of Wuchang without warning!