Chapter 256: At A Loss
In the Eleventh Army headquarters in Ying Mountain, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy, like the sea surface before a storm.
When Chief of Staff Yamae Masataka presented the telegram—summarizing the front lines and confirming that the Shanxi Militia had completely withdrawn—with both hands to Commander Sonobe Hyoichiro, this lieutenant general, renowned on the Chinese battlefield for his cunning and ruthlessness, nearly twisted his own nose in rage.
“What?!”
Sonobe Hyoichiro snatched the telegram, his hawk-like sharp eyes staring fixedly at the text, as if to burn two holes in the thin paper.
Every word on the telegram was like a resounding slap, fiercely striking his face.
They ran?
Just like that, they ran?!
His meticulously planned “iron pincer encirclement” that mobilized several divisions and brigades, his proud masterpiece worthy of inclusion in military textbooks, had been effortlessly cracked by the enemy?
He hadn’t even had time to issue the “encirclement begins” order; his heaven-and-earth net hadn’t even closed its mouth yet, and the prey had already sensed the danger and slipped away early!
“Li Zongren…”
Sonobe Hyoichiro squeezed out this name through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with a complex expression of hatred and unwillingness.
He had to admit that this supreme commander of the Fifth War Zone possessed beast-like acute battlefield intuition. His own army’s movements had just begun, and Li Zongren had already seen through all his strategic intentions, decisively choosing to withdraw and ordering that detestable Shanxi Militia to slip away immediately.
It was just like two top chess players playing blind chess; he had just placed his first piece, and the opponent had already anticipated his next dozen moves.
Besides marveling at the opponent’s acuity, Sonobe Hyoichiro could only inwardly sigh at their good fortune. If not for Li Zongren’s order, that hateful Shanxi Militia should now be tightly surrounded by his army in Pumpkin Shop, awaiting the fate of being ground to dust.
But, just let it go like this?
Admit that the operation he had poured massive resources and effort into planning had ended in anticlimactic failure?
No! Sonobe Hyoichiro’s pride and ambition would never allow him to stop here.
His gaze returned to the huge operations map, his eyes growing even colder and more frenzied.
The Shanxi Militia had run, but the massive forces mobilized to encircle them were already drawn and had to be unleashed! The Sixth Division was approaching Yichang’s flank, and the Fourteenth Brigade and Fortieth Division had also moved to their designated positions.
Since he couldn’t catch that sly rat, he might as well burn down the entire granary!
A ferocious smile crept onto Sonobe Hyoichiro’s lips.
“Pass my orders!” He suddenly raised his head and issued new, murderous commands to all the staff officers in the headquarters, who were silent as cicadas in winter.
“Order the Sixth Division to no longer worry about flank encirclement! Accelerate and immediately launch a frontal assault on Yichang! I want to see the Empire’s Rising Sun flag planted on Yichang’s city walls in the shortest possible time!”
“Order the Fourteenth Brigade, Fortieth Division, and all units moving toward Pumpkin Shop to change direction entirely! Target—Yichang! I will use absolute superiority in forces to wipe this city, along with the Fifth War Zone headquarters inside it, off the map!”
Since the strategic encirclement had failed, he would make the best of a bad situation, turning this failed annihilation battle into an inevitable siege! He would use the fall of Yichang to wash away the shame of his plan’s failure!
With his new orders issued, the Eleventh Army’s war machine roared back to life, now in an even more violent posture.
Countless Japanese troops began turning direction, like streams of turbid iron-gray floods converging and surging fiercely toward that lonely city on the Yangtze River bank—Yichang.
Thanks to the full motorization’s ultra-high mobility and the Japanese army’s belated confusion, Su Yaoyang’s Shanxi Militia safely withdrew back to Yichang in less than two days.
When that steel dragon composed of thousands of trucks, tanks, and armored vehicles rumbled majestically into Yichang city, it immediately caused a huge sensation among the garrison troops and civilians inside. They had never seen such well-equipped, high-spirited Chinese troops.
Su Yaoyang had no time to heed those stunned gazes; he handed over the troops’ rest and reorganization to Pi Ruoyu and Li Gaoyuan, then took a few bodyguards and drove straight to the Fifth War Zone commander’s headquarters.
He had to personally report the details of this operation to Li Zongren and learn about the next strategic deployment.
The Fifth War Zone headquarters was set in a former Qing dynasty yamen in central Yichang, heavily guarded outside and a scene of tense busyness inside.
As soon as Su Yaoyang stepped through the command post’s gate, he keenly sensed that the atmosphere here seemed even heavier than when he had left the front lines.
A staff officer quickly led him to Li Zongren’s office.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Su Yaoyang immediately saw Li Zongren standing before a huge map, brows tightly furrowed. And beside Li Zongren stood another person.
When he clearly saw that person’s face, Su Yaoyang’s steps involuntarily paused slightly, a surprised expression appearing on his face.
It was a middle-aged man in a crisp Nationalist officer’s uniform, square-faced, with shrewd eyes and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
Though years had left traces on his face, Su Yaoyang recognized him at a glance.
Chen Shijie.
The officer from the Ministry of War, also his old acquaintance.
Since parting in Nanjing amid the chaotic breakout, they hadn’t seen each other for over two years. Su Yaoyang never expected to meet this old friend again here, at this critical juncture.
“Deputy Commander.” Su Yaoyang first gave Li Zongren a standard military salute.
“Oh, Mingxi is back!”
Li Zongren turned around, and upon seeing Su Yaoyang, his furrowed brows finally relaxed, a genuine smile appearing on his face. “Well fought! Splendidly done! Your Shanxi Militia has earned ample face for our Fifth War Zone, for all of China!”
He forcefully patted Su Yaoyang’s shoulder, not concealing his admiration.
After the pleasantries, Li Zongren stepped aside and pointed to Chen Shijie beside him, introducing: “Mingxi, let me introduce you. This is Commissioner Chen Shijie, sent by the Ministry of War.”
“Brother Shijie, long time no see.”
Su Yaoyang smiled and proactively extended his hand.
“Commander Su, long time no see.”
Chen Shijie also smiled and grasped Su Yaoyang’s hand, though a barely perceptible complex glint flashed in his eyes. “Brother Su’s great name is known even to me in the wartime capital.
From Shanxi to Hubei, striking the Japanese invaders along the way, with brilliant military achievements— even the Chairman in Chongqing has praised you multiple times, calling you a pillar of the nation.”
The two shook hands, both wearing formulaic smiles and exchanging polite pleasantries, but who knew what each was really thinking.
Su Yaoyang’s mind raced.
Chen Shijie was from the Ministry of War, plainly representing that Chairman Jiang in Chongqing.
He didn’t come early or late, but appeared right when Su had just won a major victory and was at the height of his prestige—his intentions were obvious.
Here to poach? To win him over? Or… both?
Two years since parting in Nanjing was enough time to change many things.
That small militia commander back then had now grown into a powerful force commanding heavy troops, daring to clash head-on with Japanese ace divisions.
And what was this Commissioner Chen here for this time?
Li Zongren and the others, this veteran of officialdom who had struggled for decades, had seen it all; after seeing Su Yaoyang and Chen Shijie’s forced smiles, he immediately guessed most of it.
He lightly coughed: “Mingxi, it’s good you’re back. Commissioner Chen has been waiting for you for a while. He has important matters to discuss with you this time.”
“Important matters to discuss?”
Su Yaoyang feigned surprise.
“Commissioner Chen, I’m just a minor local militia overall commander. What capability do I have to warrant you coming all the way from Chongqing for important discussions?”
Li Zongren couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, the meaning clear: Don’t overdo it, kid—he’s still a commissioner sent by the Ministry of War; don’t embarrass him.
Chen Shijie felt a wave of helplessness; after two years apart, this guy’s temper was still as foul.
Knowing this lord’s temperament, he stopped beating around the bush and said straightforwardly: “Commander Su, I’m here because Minister He heard you have deep connections in America and thought to entrust you to help buy a batch of arms to relieve the government’s urgent needs.”
“Buy arms?”
Su Yaoyang frowned: “What does Minister He want to buy?”
“The 105 and 155 caliber heavy guns and those fighter planes you’re currently equipping your troops with.”
“Does the government have money?” Su Yaoyang countered: “As far as I know, our national finances aren’t exactly flush right now?”
“Minister He…” Chen Shijie hesitated, seeming a bit embarrassed: “Minister He hopes to purchase these weapons on loan.”
“Hey…”
Su Yaoyang was almost amused to anger, pointing toward the door: “Commissioner Chen, the door’s over there… see yourself out.”
Seeing Su Yaoyang angry, Chen Shijie hurriedly said: “Hey… Commander Su, don’t be angry. You can make any conditions you want.”
“Any conditions?”
Su Yaoyang laughed instead of getting angry: “Fine, I have just one demand: I can sell you the goods, but you must pay in gold or U.S. dollars, cash on delivery. Can you do that?”
“This…” Chen Shijie was dumbfounded; the Nationalist government was dirt poor—where would gold or U.S. dollars come from?
“You wouldn’t be trying to get something for nothing, would you?” Su Yaoyang sneered, arms crossed.
“This…”
Chen Shijie was at a loss for words for the moment…
