Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

But some people are having a headache now.

That was Fu Zuoyi in Wuyuan.

"They're putting me on the fire."

Some time ago, at the invitation of the commander of the 120th Division, Fu Zuoyi met with General He.

We didn't really talk about anything.

In the past, when the two sides had a tacit understanding, such meetings were frequent. This time, the two sides met merely to divide up the territory. This was because some conflicts had begun to arise between the two armies. Therefore, this redivision of the defense zones was intended to encourage both sides to exercise restraint. After the successful division of territory, there should be no friction between the two sides.

Simple things.

But newspapers in the Eighth Route Army's base area were full of praise for Fu Zuoyi, saying how well he had built Suiyuan and how resolute he was in resisting the Japanese. They even suggested that Fu Zuoyi alone was as powerful as the entire Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

He secretly belittled Yan Xishan.

Then he read a series of articles in the newspaper analyzing the significance of the meeting between General He and Fu Zuoyi.

Originally this was nothing.

The Eighth Route Army had always had a good relationship with Fu Zuoyi, so it was normal for them to praise him. Especially in the past few years, Fu Zuoyi had won many victories in Suiyuan, and the Eighth Route Army newspapers had always praised him a lot.

But this time is different.

The atmosphere is different.

Chongqing was serious about the Eighth Route Army. Although the two sides hadn't yet engaged in actual combat, the atmosphere of war was strong. If Chongqing and Yan Xishan saw what he was being praised so highly in the Eighth Route Army newspaper, what would they think?

damn it.

"Commander, if you're worried, then it's easy. I'll take the 101st Division and take out the Daqingshan Detachment's lair. That way, Chongqing and Commander Yan won't suspect you of collaborating with the Communists."

Guo Jingyun spoke in a very formal way.

He looked down upon Chiang Kai-shek, who was far away in Chongqing, and upon Yan Xishan, who had crossed the river. They fought tooth and nail in Suiyuan, inflicting heavy casualties on the troops in several battles. They boasted daily in the rear, forbidding this and that.

You are just bragging in the rear. If you have the guts, come to Suiyuan and fight a few battles with the Japanese and puppet troops.

Guo Jingyun had no good feelings towards Yan'an.

But at least in Suiyuan, joining forces with them to fight the Japanese is a very good thing from a military perspective. They keep talking about the CCP, and who will fight the Japanese? The Japanese are right next to us, but instead of fighting them, they are making a fool of themselves.

But he was an old subordinate of Fu Zuoyi.

Since 1939, Fu Zuoyi had been criticized by Chongqing and Yan Xishan for being too close to the Eighth Route Army. As a result, Fu Zuoyi's troops began to distance themselves from the Eighth Route Army, and after the Hundred Regiments Campaign, there was little contact between the two sides.

This meeting was just an ordinary meeting, just to divide each other's defense zones again.

If you can't even accept this, then it's bullshit.

"Guo Mazi, you can't just say that. Since the Eighth Route Army captured Jining, the Eighth Route Army in Suiyuan has greatly increased in strength. Our main forces are in Wuyuan. How do you plan to attack the Daqingshan detachment's base?"

Dong Qiwu criticized Guo Jingyun.

Then he said, "Besides, there are still Japanese invaders in Baotou. If we don't fight them, do we have to engage in a firefight with the Eighth Route Army? If a fight breaks out, won't the Japanese invaders laugh at us?"

"I'm just saying."

These direct generals of Fu Zuoyi's army had fought against the Japanese for many years with Fu Zuoyi.

They had even fought the Japanese during the Great Wall War. Later, the Japanese, supporting a traitorous government in Suiyuan, were defeated by Fu Zuoyi's forces. After the July 7 Incident, Fu Zuoyi's forces became even more powerful.

Regardless of whether they are members of the Communist Party in their hearts, they are very determined on the issue of resisting Japan.

Fu Zuoyi nodded.

He said, "Our enemy now is the Japanese. No matter how big the conflict between us and the Eighth Route Army is, we should not engage in war before resolving the Japanese. The only ones who would be happy about that are the Japanese. The situation in Suiyuan is currently favorable to us. If we engage in a firefight with the Eighth Route Army at this time, the Japanese will have a chance to catch their breath. Therefore, you are not allowed to engage in military conflict with the Eighth Route Army."

"But what should we do now? Chiang Kai-shek and Commander Yan have long disliked our commander and have constantly accused him of collaborating with the Communists. Now it seems Chiang Kai-shek wants to have a serious fight with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. Will they accuse the commander of any crime?"

They are all Fu Zuoyi's direct descendants.

If Fu Zuoyi is not good, they will not be good either.

Fu Zuoyi sighed.

damn it.

Why can't everyone just fight the Japanese properly? If there's anything, we can deal with it after we defeat the Japanese. Fu Zuoyi never considered joining the Eighth Route Army, but the Eighth Route Army was indeed very powerful behind enemy lines. So he just wanted to learn from the Eighth Route Army's strengths.

But whether it was Chongqing or Yan Xishan, they would often accuse themselves of collaborating with the Communist Party.

It made him very annoyed.

But he couldn't turn his back on the government because Suiyuan, where he was, was very poor and without the support of Chongqing and Yan Xishan, he couldn't afford to support so many soldiers.

"Report, Commander Yan's telegram."

"Let me see."

When Fu Zuoyi took it and looked at it, his face immediately turned ugly.

Dong Qiwu came over and took the telegram from Fu Zuoyi, his expression also grim. He showed the telegram to all the generals present.

Yan Xishan did not contain a single word of criticism in the telegram.

But he complained to Fu Zuoyi.

He said he was in a difficult situation. He only controlled about 20 counties, but needed to support over troops of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, so he had no money. The military supplies that were about to be sent to Fu Zuoyi's army would have to wait a little longer.

Although the words were said in a more euphemistic way, the meaning was very clear, which was to take action against Fu Zuoyi's logistics.

Yan Xishan's current situation was dire. He had lost all of Shanxi, and the territory he controlled was only about twenty counties. He simply couldn't support so many troops. Fortunately, Yan Xishan had been operating in Shanxi for many years and had extensive connections there. Chiang Kai-shek still needed Yan Xishan to check and balance the Eighth Route Army, so he needed to pay him military salaries.

Yan Xishan reported a staffing of more than 200,000 people to Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Kai-shek deducted half of it and paid the other half as military pay.

So Yan Xishan is not short of money.

Fu Zuoyi thought for a moment and said, "It seems I have to go see Commander Yan in person. All the troops have been behaving well while I'm gone. I'll talk to you when I come back."

Chapter 486 Adjustments in Yan'an

After Chiang Kai-shek adjusted his policy, the pressure in Yan'an increased greatly.

The central government immediately convened a meeting to discuss how to resolve the current situation.

The commander-in-chief said, "We are under too much pressure now. We must strengthen the forces in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Region. It is difficult to stabilize the situation with only the current troops."

"Last time we considered establishing the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army. I think now is the right time."

The chairman also nodded.

There is currently great pressure in northern Shaanxi and a large gap in supplies.

In order to solve the shortage of supplies in northern Shaanxi, the 359th Brigade opened up wasteland in Nanniwan and built a factory there. Later, the th Column captured Zhangjiakou, seized a large amount of gold, and sent it to Yan'an.

This alleviated the shortage of central funds.

However, this time, the Jin-Cha-Ji troops successively captured Zhangjiakou, Jining, and Baoding, which made Chiang Kai-shek increasingly uneasy. So he ordered the troops in the northwest to continue to squeeze the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and make the blockade more severe.

The Nationalist army has a large number of troops in the northwest.

In particular, the 34th Army, led by Hu Zongnan, was currently in Shaanxi. Last year, Hu Zongnan had dispatched troops to capture five counties in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia base area. This time, after receiving Chiang Kai-shek's orders, his troops continued to push forward.

Hu Zongnan even shouted the slogan of "eliminating the border areas."

The 34th Group Army currently possessed three corps, all of which were top-tier, elite units of the Nationalist Army. Because of their preponderance, they possessed a large number of troops, with each corps numbering approximately 34. In addition to the th Group Army, Hu Zongnan was also able to mobilize numerous surrounding troops. This resulted in significant pressure on the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. Consequently, Chairman Mao proposed the establishment of a "Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army" to unify the command of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region's troops with those in northwestern Shanxi and Suiyuan.

“Yes.

The commander-in-chief nodded.

Ren Peiguo, the Central Committee's Secretary-General, echoed the sentiment, saying, "We should establish a unified department. The stubborn enemy is pressing forward. Hu Zongnan, with his 100,000-man army, is clamoring to annihilate the border region. We must strike back forcefully, or they will press their advantage. I agree to establish the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army."

"I have no objection either."

Chen Yun, Secretary of the Secretariat and in charge of the Organization Department, also nodded.

"Then it's settled. I think the 120th Division Headquarters will also serve as the Joint Defense Army Headquarters."

"Suitable."

Most of the troops currently deployed in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and in southwestern and northwestern Shanxi, as well as Suiyuan, are members of the 120th Division. Previously, the headquarters of the 120th Division also served as the leadership of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Region.

The establishment of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army this time actually merged the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region troops and the Jinsui Military Region troops.

"But these troops alone are not enough."

The commander-in-chief wrote on the map, "Currently, the enemy surrounding us, besides the Japanese, consists of approximately 300,000 stubborn Japanese troops. If they launch a surprise attack, the situation in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region will be extremely serious. We must withdraw sufficient troops to deal with any possible military conflict."

"Boss, where do you think it would be appropriate to deploy troops?"

"Some troops should be dispatched from Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, as well as Shanxi and Chahar.

We need a significant number of troops right now, and it's impossible to draw them all from a single military region. However, I believe the bulk of the force should be drawn from the Yizhong Military Region. The 120th Division made significant contributions to the regularization of the Jizhong Military Region. Many of the current Yizhong Military Region's troops are composed of officers who remained from the 120th Division, and there's a certain kinship between them. More importantly, the situation in Hebei is currently very positive, with troops from the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei-Northern Yue Region entering Hebei in large numbers. It's fair to say that Hebei currently has a strong presence. Therefore, drawing troops from the Jizhong Military Region is a natural fit.

The main forces of the 120th Division are developing in southwest and northwest Shanxi, as well as Suiyuan.

But that doesn’t mean the 120th Division’s bloodline is just this little bit.

As the 120th Division developed, it also left its own roots in various regions. The two largest of these were armed forces. One of them followed Song Shilun to Pingxi, where it joined forces with the then Pingxi Detachment to form the th Column of the Eighth Route Army. This force attacked eastern Hebei and supported the Yidong uprising.

At that time, the troops Song Shilun led were from the 120th Division.

后来这支部队改编为冀热辽挺进军12团，而且目前冀东军区的13团、14团、15团里面也有不少当时宋史伦带过去的指挥员。13军分区成立之后，部队扩军很多。其中不少都是从12团发展起来的。算起来都有120师的血脉。

But the 120th Division has the most bloodlines in the Yi Zhong Military Region.

When the Hebei-Central Military Region was established, its troops were mainly a combination of the People's Self-Defense Force established by Lü Zhengchao and the Hebei Guerrilla Army established by Meng Qingshan. Except for a few regular army units, all of them were guerrilla and militia-style troops.

The combat effectiveness is relatively weak.

The 120th Division arrived at the Jizhong Military Region and began to retrain the troops there. It also provided support to a large number of veteran Red Army cadres, improving the combat effectiveness of the Jizhong Military Region's troops. Many units in the Jizhong Military Region had cadres who had been supported by the 120th Division.

In addition to these two largest forces, there are also many descendants of the 120th Division in other regions.

For example, the Independent 120rd Regiment of the Chaxi Detachment of the 120th Column was reorganized from the Jinsui Guerrilla Army of the th Division in the early years. Some of the troops in the current st and th Divisions were reorganized from the Yanbei Detachment of the th Division.

That's why the commander-in-chief said to transfer troops from the Hebei-Central Military Region.

Of course, another reason was that the central government had been trying to adjust the situation in the Jin-Cha-Ji region, hoping to have the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region directly command the Yi-Zhong Military Region. The previous delay stemmed from concerns about potential unforeseen events within the Yi-Zhong Military Region. Although the Ji-Zhong Military Region was part of the Eighth Route Army, its subordinate units were a complex mix of Nationalist troops, local landlord forces, peasant self-defense forces, and even reorganized bandit forces. Consequently, the situation within the Ji-Zhong Military Region was complex.

Therefore, the Eighth Route Army adopted the approach of slowly sending cadres into the Hebei-Central Military Region and finally completely transforming the Hebei-Central Military Region troops.

It's different now.

The Jizhong Military Region suffered heavy casualties during the previous sweep, both among troops and local officials. Seizing the current favorable opportunity, the Beiyue District, along with its own troops and local officials, poured into Hebei in droves, directly impacting the Yizhong Military Region's existing structure. This led to a significant shift in the Yizhong region, with the Jin-Cha-Ji Beiyue District gaining a significant advantage in Hebei, suppressing the former Jizhong Military Region. Since this was already happening, it was decided to withdraw troops from the Jizhong Military Region and place them under the direct administration of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.