Bright Sword: Iron Will 95

Chapter 95: Kai-shek’s Sword Dance, Intent Unknown? 【Quick Read】

2025-01-21

Chapter 95: Kai-shek’s Sword Dance, Intent Unknown? 【Quick Read】

On the stage, a voice with a Feng Hua accent (a dialect from Chiang Kai-shek’s hometown) rang out.

“The Xu Zhou region has seen over fifty large-scale battles throughout history. Right and wrong are hard to determine, but everyone here must acknowledge that it is on this ancient battlefield that the rise and fall of countless dynasties have been decided.”

“Gentlemen, now that the Japanese invaders have attacked our China, harboring wolfish ambitions, a certain sentiment has emerged in society, as if this war of resistance is doomed to bring us more losses than gains, urging us to sue for peace with the Japanese, to become traitors!”

“The honor and shame of the Party-State, the honor and shame of the Chinese nation, rest upon all of you present!”

“While we have suffered some setbacks militarily, the international situation is favorable to us. We have the support of many, while the enemy is isolated and alone. Our war of resistance will certainly be victorious, and the establishment of a new nation will be achieved!”

“As long as you high-ranking officers obey my commands, I have the ability to lead you to victory over the enemy. I will not fail you as your Commander-in-chief!”

“…”

For this meeting, Chiang Kai-shek had made ample preparations. His morale-boosting speech alone lasted a full hour.

The officers below were moved to the point of their blood boiling, eager to fight the Japanese devils immediately.

But Wang Feng, sitting below, was almost falling asleep.

Let’s leave aside what Chiang Kai-shek did afterwards.

For now, from this speech, Wang Feng could clearly sense one thing.

After the fall of Nanjing and Shanghai, the pro-war faction within the Nationalist government might be unable to hold on. It was only a guess before, but now it was virtually confirmed.

If the Battle of Xu Zhou ends in a disastrous defeat, Chiang Kai-shek might resign and the pro-peace faction could take power, completely changing the Nationalist government’s strategic goals.

The subsequent situation would spiral out of control.

Actually, Wang Feng wasn’t sure either.

Nothing is immutable.

Relying on the war history he had thoroughly studied in his past life, his side could grasp the situation, while the Japanese side had become somewhat mysterious.

Originally, the two most formidable divisions of the Japanese army were the Itagaki Division and the Isogai Division.

The officers and soldiers of these two divisions were most deeply poisoned by imperialism. The Japanese junior officers who launched the February 26th Incident (a 1936 coup d’état in Japan) were almost all from these two divisions.

But now, the Itagaki Division had suffered heavy losses in Shanxi, and the entire division was reorganizing in the rear. It wouldn’t be able to return to the battlefield for a year or two.

Division Commander Itagaki Seishiro was even worse off, directly recalled to Japan and assigned to the Reserve Force – essentially shelved.

With the Itagaki Division absent, who would fill its place?

The Japanese army had a tough time in the Battle of Taiyuan, would they be hesitant to deploy more troops to accelerate the war process in Xu Zhou?

Nobody knows.

After more than an hour of passionate speech, Chiang Kai-shek finally stepped down from the stage and returned to his seat.

“De Lin (Li Zongren’s courtesy name), report on the current situation!”

Li Zongren rose at the sound, and guards brought a large blackboard-like object, on which a map of the Qingxu region was pinned.

Wang Feng had heard about the operational strategy once at the temporary headquarters of the war zone, and it was essentially the same, the only difference being the wording.

After all, Chiang Kai-shek was still sitting below, so he had to pay attention and couldn’t speak as if they were having a private conversation.

After Li Zongren, Commander of the Fifth War Zone, and Cheng Qian, Commander of the First War Zone, had finished recounting the situation, Wang Feng felt that the meeting was basically over.

He glanced at the front row, Han Fuju was still sitting there, with a look of relief after surviving a disaster on his face.

Wang Feng shook his head. Chiang Kai-shek already harbored murderous intent towards him, and he had spoken out of turn at the meeting, so he was definitely doomed.

Chiang Kai-shek stood up and announced the end of the meeting.

The officers walked out, and Wang Feng mingled among them.

Just as he was about to reach the door, a voice came from behind.

Liu Zhi suddenly stood up and shouted, “Commander-in-Chief Han, please wait a moment, the Chairman has something to tell you!”

As soon as the words fell, not only Han Fuju froze in place, but the officers who were walking out also turned back.

Wang Feng walked slower, located in the rear, and had an excellent view, clearly seeing Han Fuju’s expression.

His face was livid, showing hesitation.

He wanted to leave, but dared not.

Everyone knew what to look at and what not to look at. Fewer and fewer people remained in the hall. Chiang Kai-shek had already left. In the end, only Liu Zhi, Li Zongren, Han Fuju, Wang Feng, and Zhao Fangyuan remained.

As well as two or three other officers who were enjoying the drama.

Wang Feng found the perfect viewing angle; this historical scene would be a great loss if missed.

Liu Zhi pointed to several plainclothes guards in the center of the room: “Commander-in-Chief Han, you can go with them!”

Han Fuju was distraught, wavering between leaving and staying.

For this meeting in Guide, other officers were at most accompanied by a guard company, stationed on the outskirts of the city.

But he, even though Li Zongren had assured him that the trip was safe, was still uneasy and couldn’t sleep. So he simply brought a machine gun battalion to Guide and directly stationed them inside the city.

City defense was the responsibility of the Fifth War Zone. As Deputy Commander-in-Chief, ordinary officers couldn’t control what Han Fuju did.

He allowed a whole battalion to enter the city in broad daylight.

If something happened, they could look out for each other.

If nothing happened, it could be said that it was all for the Chairman’s safety, acting as a good guy.

But since entering this hall, he had lost contact with his troops, and his life and death seemed to be no longer in his own hands.

Han Fuju coldly looked around, trying to find someone to help him escape.

Liu Zhi, like him, was nicknamed the “Long-Legged General,” but he was Chiang Kai-shek’s faithful lackey, obeying his every command.

Li Zongren? Impossible.

As for the remaining officers, Han Fuju shook his head; they were all strangers. He had no favors to call on them.

With nowhere to turn, Han Fuju, with a livid face, sullenly followed several plainclothes guards away.

Zhao Fangyuan looked at the departing back, sighing, “Alas, Commander-in-Chief Han was also a prominent figure. It is said that during his eight years governing Shandong, he achieved considerable success in rectifying officialdom and developing education. It’s a pity that one misstep caused eternal regret! Repeated retreats not only delayed the war effort, but also yielded the Yellow River defense line to the Japanese. Such a pity!”

Wang Feng coldly snorted, “Heroes are as numerous as the sands of the Yellow River, but those as cowardly and unwilling to fight as him are truly rare. Let’s go!”

After Han Fuju was arrested, the news of his execution would likely soon follow.

Wang Feng and Zhao Fangyuan left the venue, returned to their temporary residence, had a simple lunch, and were about to return to Xu Zhou with the troops, but were stopped.

Xu Zuyi: “Commander Wang, a message from the Chairman, please come to the headquarters for a private meeting this afternoon!”

Wang Feng frowned.

What does this mean?

The scene of Han Fuju being taken away this morning was still fresh in his mind, and this afternoon, Chiang Kai-shek wants to invite him for a private meeting.

Suspicious!

Wang Feng pretended to be anxious: “Chief of Staff Xu, my troops are still stationed on the outskirts of Xu Zhou City, and all the officers and soldiers are waiting for me to return to oversee things. Please inform the Chairman…”

Xu Zuyi smiled: “Commander Wang, don’t make things difficult for me, Commander Li asked me to deliver the message. The Commander says you can rest assured.”

Wang Feng’s brows furrowed even deeper.

Dealing with these cunning old foxes requires constant vigilance. On the surface, they seem friendly to everyone, but secretly they are full of tricks.

Those who emerged victorious from the warlord era had countless corpses under their feet; none of them were kind people.

Li Zongren had also assured Han Fuju that the trip would be safe, but what happened in the end…?

But the arrow is already on the string and must be fired.

The Chief of Staff of the Fifth War Zone personally came to deliver the message; this meeting at headquarters seems unavoidable.

Wang Feng turned to Zhao Fangyuan: “You return to Xu Zhou with the troops.”

Then, he followed Xu Zuyi to the headquarters.

Afternoon.

Guide Headquarters.

Only Cheng Qian, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and Wang Feng were present.

Wang Feng looked at the identities of those around him and was somewhat astonished.

They were either war zone commanders or senior staff officers of the Political Department.

What am I…

This meeting is not simple!

A moment later, Chiang Kai-shek arrived and as soon as he sat down, he spoke sternly in his Feng Hua accent: “Han Fuju disobeyed orders and acted without authorization. I must severely punish him!”

Cheng Qian responded: “Han Fuju should be severely punished! If we don’t punish such officers, how can we continue to fight?”

Bai Chongxi and Li Zongren sat silently, saying nothing.

Wang Feng hadn’t figured out the purpose of this meeting yet, so he remained silent and did not offer an opinion.

Chiang Kai-shek coldly snorted: “There’s another matter for this meeting. Since the beginning of the war, I had believed that the local administrative agencies failed to cooperate effectively with the military, causing significant impact. I repeatedly stressed that the military commanders in various regions should concurrently serve as the administrative chairmen, but I’ve discovered some problems recently.”

“Some high-ranking officers, under the banner of resisting Japan and saving the country, are secretly gathering their own forces, trying to form cliques within the Party!” Chiang Kai-shek coldly snorted, “Such behavior is extremely egregious!”

Wang Feng listened with furrowed brows.

Why does this sound so harsh… so irritating?

However, Chiang Kai-shek’s gaze never fell on Wang Feng.

“De Lin, I propose that you concurrently serve as the Chairman of Anhui Province. What do you think?”

Li Zongren: “Chairman, I believe that a Commander-in-Chief should focus on military planning. As for provincial administration, it’s better to have dedicated officials handle it. Furthermore, the lack of close cooperation between the military and provincial governments is the responsibility of both sides. If we only blame one party, it’s unfair. Please reconsider carefully.”

Chiang Kai-shek: “De Lin’s words are indeed reasonable. Military-government unity works for some, but not for others!”

Then, he turned his gaze to Wang Feng.

“Commander Wang, do you have a courtesy name (a secondary name often used by scholars and officials)?”

Surprised by the sudden unrelated question, Wang Feng hesitated: “Chairman, I don’t have a courtesy name.”

Chiang Kai-shek nodded, his expression unreadable: “Not having a courtesy name is fine, Wang Feng, Wang Feng… what a good name!”

“Lü Bu (a powerful warlord in ancient China) was known for his exceptional bravery in battle, known as the ‘Nine-Source Hawk-Tiger,’ but no matter how powerful he was, when people mentioned him, they first thought of him as a ‘three-surname servant’ (a person who served three masters, a symbol of disloyalty).”

Chiang Kai-shek’s tone was icy, making people feel somewhat oppressed. After speaking, he turned away from his seat.

Wang Feng’s heart skipped a beat, his brows furrowed into a ‘川’ (chuan) shape.

What does this mean? It’s obvious.

“Three-surname servant!”

How irritating!

Is this a veiled threat?

He first used Huang Shaohong to divide the military and political power in Changzhi. Judging by the current situation, Chiang Kai-shek made a wrong move.

Not everyone within the Nationalist government is like him, preoccupied with “struggle” during this critical moment for the nation.

“First pacify the interior before resisting foreign enemies”?

How ridiculous!

Now that his strategy of division has failed, he uses this approach, openly reprimanding him.

Clearly telling him that military-government unity is his intention, but he just isn’t allowed.

Even Li Zongren’s face froze.

Li Zongren knew something about Wang Feng, but now that a major battle was imminent, saying such things to a military commander could be detrimental to the war effort!

After Chiang Kai-shek left, Li Zongren looked at Wang Feng: “The Chairman didn’t…”

As soon as he spoke, Wang Feng stood up: “Commander Li, I shall return to Xu Zhou to carry out my duties.”

Then, ignoring the other three, he left the headquarters.

January 13th.

Wang Feng had just arrived at the Xu Zhou camp when a telegram arrived.

Zhao Fangyuan read aloud: “On January 12th, 1937, the enemy’s Second Division landed forcibly in Laoshan Bay and Fuzhou, Qingdao. The local garrison retreated south, and the enemy occupied Qingdao before advancing westward along the Jiaoji Railway, approaching Linyi.”

Wang Feng crossed his arms on the table, his gaze fixed on the map below.

The Second Division, replacing the Itagaki Division’s Fifth Division…

Wang Feng had a deep impression of this unit.

Also known as the Sendai Division.

During the Sino-Japanese War, it participated in the siege of Weihaiwei. During the “September 18th Incident” (the Mukden Incident, which marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria), the Second Division was the main force that attacked the Northeast Army’s North Camp in Fengtian (Shenyang).

After that, it returned home for a period of reorganization.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war of resistance, the Second Division’s 16th Infantry Regiment was dispatched to participate in the Chahar operations.

The Japanese order of battle for the Battle of Xu Zhou originally included the 16th Infantry Regiment.

Unexpectedly, this time, the Japanese army transferred the entire division from Northeast China to North China.

If he remembered correctly, at this point in time, Okamura Neji was serving as the commander of the Second Division.

Gone was Itagaki Seishiro, and here was Okamura Neji.

Wang Feng took a sip of hot tea: “Are there any other telegrams?”

Although Chiang Kai-shek didn’t favor him, Li Zongren was still pretty good.

All necessary ammunition supplies were provided in excess, even the grain, grass, and military pay were all supplied.

The troops of the Fifth War Zone were mostly miscellaneous troops.

If they won, Chiang Kai-shek would gain face, and the expansion and replenishment of troops in Wuhan would also be settled. If they lost, the Sichuan and Guangxi armies would be weakened, and Li Zongren’s reputation would suffer a blow, which is what he wanted.

Moreover, no matter how bad these miscellaneous troops were, they could still hold out on the Jinpu line for two or three months.

Truly a win-win situation!

Li Zongren knew this; it was a trap, and he had no choice but to try to win a battle to please everyone.

He admired Wang Feng’s troops.

After the meeting at the headquarters, in order to rally morale, his attitude towards the two corps of the North China Combat Group was even friendlier than towards his own elite troops.

Zhao Fangyuan: “There’s one more.”

“Telegram…dispatching the troops of the North China Combat Group to Mingguang to support the 31st Army!”

(End of Chapter)

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