Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

In the Military Commission's operations hall, a gathering of generals, Zhao Yunwen spoke eloquently while referring to the map.

The strategy for the Battle of Jiangcheng had been decided long ago, and the senior advisors of the Military Commission had repeatedly deliberated on it. It had been tested in practice and found no major problems.

Unable to discern the intention, Zhao Yunwen took it as a test for himself and, after a moment's thought, said:

"The Japanese army's strategic objective, besides conquering cities and seizing territory, was primarily to seek a decisive battle, annihilate a large number of our forces, and force the government to surrender."

War serves politics, and the Japanese military's strategy precisely revealed their unwillingness to wage a protracted war and their desire for a quick victory. Japan is resource-poor and has been on a long-distance expedition; it cannot withstand prolonged attrition—this is their lifeline.

The Japanese army wanted a quick victory, but we naturally couldn't grant their wish. Therefore, the student believes that the core strategy of the Battle of Jiangcheng should be a protracted war of attrition, trading space for time, defending Jiangcheng without fighting it outright, sacrificing the gains and losses of one city, preserving the main force, delaying the war, and laying the foundation for a long-term resistance.

"The core of this strategy is not to defend the city walls to the death. The outcome of the war does not depend on the gain or loss of Jiangcheng, but on maintaining the living force for continuous resistance and avoiding the annihilation of the main force in a decisive battle with the Japanese army."

The operational principle was to maneuver along the outer lines, resist in stages, defend in layers, and counterattack from the flanks. Relying on the mountainous, marshy, and hilly terrain along the Yangtze River, the Dabie Mountains, and Poyang Lake, the Japanese forces were blocked layer by layer to maximize the depletion of their manpower and supplies.

The aim was to deplete the main force of the Japanese army, thwart their attempt to achieve a swift victory and force the Nationalist government to surrender in one battle; and to gain four to six months to complete the relocation of coastal industries and materials to the southwest, reorganize the army, and improve the rear-area resistance system, thus laying a solid foundation for a protracted war of resistance.

Seeing that Zhao Yunwen's proposed strategy was remarkably similar to the one drafted by the National Government earlier—which was precisely the one he had overseen—Bai Jiansheng smiled and said:

"General Zhao, this is called great minds think alike. It seems that the National Government's plan has no major problems. The main reason for inviting you here is to hear the opinions of the frontline commanders."

Zhao Yunwen quickly and modestly said:

"General Bai, you flatter me. You are a senior military officer with extraordinary strategic vision, and are known as the Zhuge Liang of our time. The General Staff is full of talented people, and the strategies you formulate are naturally sound. I am just showing off my limited skills in front of an expert."

Flattery never fails. While praising Bai Jiansheng, Zhao Yunwen also flattered a group of senior advisors, which made everyone nod in agreement and greatly improved their impression of him.

Bai Jiansheng invited Zhao Yunwen not to set up a stage for someone else, but simply to get back at him after being humiliated multiple times in the past.

Taking advantage of Zhao Yunwen's initial statement, Bai Jiansheng revealed his battle plan.

"Based on operational needs, the battlefield is pre-defined as the Fifth War Zone and the Ninth War Zone, with the navy coordinating the deployment of fortresses and the scuttling of ships to block the waterway on the river."

The Ninth War Zone, commanded by Commander-in-Chief Chen Cixiu, was located on the south bank of the Yangtze River.

The First Army Corps under Xue Boling was stationed along the Nanxun Railway and the west bank of Poyang Lake, with Hongdu City as its rear base, to block the Japanese army's westward advance along the south bank of the Yangtze River and to wait for an opportunity to launch a counterattack from the flank.

Zhang Xianghua's Second Army Corps held the front along the Jiujiang-Ruichang river, constructing riverside positions to prevent the Japanese army from advancing into Yueyang and Xianning.

The Mobile Corps under Tang Enbo was deployed in key positions deep within the enemy lines to provide support to the front lines and to flank and attack isolated Japanese troops.

The Fifth War Zone, commanded by Li Delin, was primarily located on the north bank of the Yangtze River.

The right-wing army group under Li Pinxian relied on the hills and lakes on the southern slope of the Dabie Mountains to prevent the Japanese army from advancing directly towards Jiangcheng along the north bank;

Liao Lei's Central Army Corps was positioned in the Taihu and Qianshan mountainous areas to flank the westward-advancing Japanese forces from the south.

The left-wing army group under Sun Lianzhong was responsible for defending the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains and along the Huai River, blocking the Japanese army from outflanking the north side of Jiangcheng.

The entire force relied on the Dabie Mountains as a natural barrier to delay the Japanese army's encirclement from the north. Zhao Yunwen's Tiger Legion served as the general reserve force, stationed in Xinyang.

The fortresses along the Yangtze River, such as Madang, Hukou, and Tianjiazhen, were fortified in layers, and the waterway was blocked with mines, sunken ships, and shore artillery to slow down the Japanese army's advance up the Yangtze River.

It must be emphasized here that when the Japanese army approached Jiangcheng from the north and south and formed an encirclement, the main force should take the initiative to withdraw from Jiangcheng in an orderly manner and move to the mountainous areas of northern Hunan, western Hubei, and southern Henan to avoid being surrounded and annihilated by the Japanese army and to preserve the backbone of the resistance.

At the same time, guerrilla forces were maintained in western Anhui, northern Jiangxi, and eastern Hubei to disrupt Japanese transportation and supply lines, and to tie down Japanese offensive forces, with the main battlefield and harassment behind enemy lines working together.

The plan was to deploy a million troops, trading space for time, and at the cost of about 60% casualties, to hold off the Japanese army for four to six months, consuming 100,000 to 200,000 Japanese soldiers.

After hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn. This was definitely a devastating battle. Gathering a million troops and preparing for the worst-case scenario of losing 60% of them, sacrificing so much to lay the foundation for a long-term war of resistance, was a difficult decision to make.

After Bai Jiansheng finished speaking, he still politely asked Zhao Yunwen for his opinion. He didn't say anything more, as he couldn't steal the limelight.

The Tiger Legion's combat mission has been clearly defined, so there's nothing more for him to do here.

Three days later, the attendant's office came to inform him that there was a press conference he needed to attend, leaving Zhao Yunwen somewhat confused. He tentatively asked:

"Director Lin, I'm just a lowly army commander. Asking me to be the lead in such a grand event is like forcing a duck onto a shelf!"

Lin Wei smiled and said:

"Commander Zhao, this media briefing is of a very high standard. Not only are there representatives from major domestic newspapers, but also many journalists from Europe and America. They are all here because of you, the famous general in the War of Resistance against Japan."

Zhao Yunwen gave a wry smile:

"I've only been in Jiangcheng for a short time, how did they know? What happened to the secrecy?"

Lin Wei lowered his voice and said:

"This is information intentionally released by the Nationalist government. The US government has sent a high-level observation delegation, related to military aid. The government wants its allies to see China's determination and achievements in the War of Resistance. This stage is set up just for you!"

Now Zhao Yunwen could no longer refuse, so he had to ask:

"Do you have a script? I'm afraid I'll get punished for saying the wrong thing."

Lin Wei revealed a gloating smile:

"General Zhao, is there anything else you're afraid of? You've been quite the loose talker and licentious before."

Zhao Yunwen didn't mince words and said frankly:

"How can that be the same? That was my private matter. I did it quite a lot when I was in school. At most, I would be caught and put in solitary confinement."

Dealing with journalists is no small matter. They are all nitpickers, not to mention foreigners. Even without a story, they will still draw a few red lines for you.

What can be said, what cannot be said—the most important unpleasant things must be said upfront. Even if I'm wrong, you can't take away my position as commander; I haven't even worn it for a few days yet!

Lin Wei said in an envious tone:

"Speak freely, he'll cover for you. At worst, he'll put you in solitary confinement."

Zhao Yunwen shrank his neck:

"Stop! If you're afraid of being confined at school, you might as well lose your official position!"

The two ended the topic there and then chatted about other things, clearly Lin Wei was trying to make friends with them.

Zhao Yunwen was an even more astute man, and the two got along very well, almost to the point of becoming sworn brothers.

Zhao Yunwen extracted a lot of information from Lin Wei. When Lin Wei returned, Zhao Yunwen asked Xiao Jianyun to bring him a fine military knife and handed it to him.

"This officer's sword was captured when we stormed the headquarters of the 9th Division. It was Yoshizumi Ryosuke's personal sword. It's nothing special. You can take it and play with it."

Lin Wei didn't stand on ceremony, took the piece, pulled out half of it, and exclaimed in praise:

"Great knife! Thank you."

Get ready, I'll pick you up tomorrow!