Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

By October 1950.

The U.S. landing at Incheon marked a dramatic shift in the war situation. The fighting rapidly spread northward, with enemy aircraft even beginning to frequently cross the Yalu River to bomb cities and villages along my country's northeastern border!

The air throughout Beijing became tense and oppressive.

Every day, loudspeakers in the streets and alleys broadcast the stirring slogan "Resist America, Aid Korea, Protect Our Homes and Defend Our Country." Countless passionate young people flocked to the registration offices, eager to join the army and defend the newly born People's Republic of China.

At this time, the Yuquanshan Military Region compound was in a state of high combat readiness.

That afternoon.

Lin Yang was studying the contour map of the peninsula in his study.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, the study door was kicked open violently.

"I'm so angry! Damn it! This is outrageous!"

With a deafening roar, Li Yunlong, like an enraged black bear, stormed in, his eyes red. He wasn't even wearing his military cap, his hair was a mess like a bird's nest, and his chest heaved violently; he was clearly furious.

Following him in were Ding Wei and Kong Jie.

Compared to Li Yunlong's volatile temper, Ding Wei appeared quite calm, though his brows were tightly furrowed. Kong Jie, on the other hand, was beaming, and although he tried his best to suppress it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"Old Li, you've kicked down several doors in this compound. Who's upset you this time?" Lin Yang put down the red and blue pencils in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

"Who messed with me? Those office workers up there are blind!"

Li Yunlong plopped down on the sofa, making it creak painfully. He grabbed a glass of iced tea from the coffee table, gulped it down, and wiped his mouth.

"Yangzi! The order to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea has come down! General Peng will lead the troops into Korea!"

Li Yunlong slapped his thigh and pointed at Kong Jie beside him, his eyes practically green with envy.

"Guess what? The commander-in-chief selected the best, and that taciturn Kong Erlengzi actually came out on top! His unit, as the first advance force, has already received orders, completed its re-equipment, and will head to the Yalu River tomorrow!"

Kong Jie took a puff of his pipe and exhaled a smoke ring with a hint of smugness: "Old Li, you're wrong about that. What do you mean by 'silent type'? The boss values ​​my steady leadership. When fighting abroad, you can't act recklessly like you."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Li Yunlong cursed and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"When it comes to fighting, when have I ever lost to you? In northwestern Shanxi, my Independent Regiment always crushed your New First Regiment! Why should you get to feast on these big, tough battles while I'm stuck guarding the rear?!"

Ding Wei tugged at Li Yunlong's sleeve, advising, "Old Li, calm down. This isn't Kong Jie's fault, nor is it the boss's. Blame it on your own loose tongue!"

Ding Wei turned to look at Lin Yang, sighed, and explained.

"Yangzi, you've been busy at the factory these past few months, so you probably don't know. Last month, at a military region meeting, Old Li, in front of all the military region's cadres, gave a scathing dressing-down to a deputy commander of the corps over a matter of material allocation. He called him a 'pedantic scholar who can't even poop while sitting on a latrine.'"

"This overseas mission is not only a military battle, but also a political one. The higher-ups considered that Lao Li's personality was too fiery, and that he was undisciplined and prone to causing trouble internationally, so they directly removed his name from the first batch of personnel to go to Korea to fight."

After hearing Ding Wei's explanation, Lin Yang couldn't help but chuckle.

This is indeed something Li Yunlong would do. Old habits die hard. Even though he became a division commander, his bandit-like nature remained unchanged.

"Did I say something wrong? That deputy commander was just pretending to know everything!"

Li Yunlong, still defiant, stuck out his neck, but suddenly, like a punctured balloon, he plopped back down on the sofa, clutching his hair in anguish.

"Yangzi, my heart is breaking!"

Li Yunlong's voice was choked with emotion.

"I've fought my whole life, from the Dabie Mountains to northern Shaanxi, from the War of Resistance against Japan to the Liberation. Now, American imperialism has its cannons right at our doorstep, and I can only sit in this dilapidated compound drinking tea and reading newspapers! This is worse than death!"

Li Yunlong suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Yang, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw.

"Yangzi! Your words carry weight in the Fourth Field Army, Commander Liu values ​​you the most! Take me to see Commander Liu, to see the Generalissimo! As long as I can go to Korea to fight the American devils, even if I have to be demoted to a regimental commander, I'll do it!"

Looking at this old general who was willing to risk his life for the war, the smile in Lin Yang's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep respect.

What is the spirit of the military? This is the spirit of the military!

"Old Ding, do you want to go?" Lin Yang didn't answer Li Yunlong immediately, but turned to look at Ding Wei.

Ding Wei nodded without hesitation, his eyes sharp: "Of course I want to! No soldier would pass up the opportunity to compete with the world's number one power on the international stage!"

"good!"

Lin Yang suddenly stood up, grabbed the officer's coat draped over the back of the chair, and put it on.

"Old Li, Old Ding, Old Kong, let's go!"

Lin Yang strode towards the door, exuding an aura of dominance that commanded thousands of troops.

"Where to?" Li Yunlong was taken aback.

"Go to headquarters! Find Commander Liu!"

Lin Yang turned around, a haughty sneer playing on his lips: "How can the generals of our Fourth Field Army be absent from this battle that determines the fate of the nation! Today, I will not only insert Old Li into the list of those sent to North Korea, but I will also bring my special mountain division to be the strongest spearhead of this first batch of volunteer troops!"

……

Military Region Headquarters, Operations Command Center.

The atmosphere was unusually tense.

In front of a huge sand table, Commander Liu stood with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the topographical model of the peninsula. Several staff officers stood beside him, nervously marking the advance routes of the US and South Korean forces.

"Reporting, sir!"

The door to the operations room was suddenly pushed open, and Lin Yang strode in with the Northwest Iron Triangle.

Commander Liu looked up and saw the four menacing figures gathered together, and immediately felt a headache coming on.

"What are you four doing here instead of staying at your posts? Especially you, Li Da Nao!" Commander Liu pointed at Li Yunlong's nose and scolded him angrily. "Are you here to cause trouble again? Let me tell you, the list was decided by the Military Commission, coming to me won't do you any good!"

Just as Li Yunlong was about to retort defiantly, Lin Yang grabbed him, stepped forward, and gave him a crisp military salute.

"Commander! We're not here to cause trouble, we're here to volunteer for battle!"