Chapter 232: Seize The Time
As Su Yaoyang became angry, the door was pushed open, and Pi Ruoyu walked in.
As soon as he entered, he saw Su Yaoyang’s angry face and the clear crack on the desk.
His gaze then fell on the crumpled telegram. He reached out and picked it up. With just one glance, the chief of staff of the Shanxi Militia immediately understood the whole story.
“Commander.”
Pi Ruoyu wasted no words. He walked forward, picked up the telegram, slowly smoothed it out, and said softly, “This move by Yan Laoxi is indeed both ruthless and poisonous, pulling the rug out from under us, leaving no room for maneuver.”
His voice was not loud, but it was like a clear spring, pouring onto Su Yaoyang’s imminent volcano.
“Poisonous? He’s trying to kill me! To make the fruits of victory, for which tens of thousands of our brothers paid with their lives, go to waste!”
Su Yaoyang clenched his fists until they creaked, staring at Pi Ruoyu with bloodshot eyes. “Ruoyu, tell me, can I accept this order?
If I withdraw my main force, Yoshio Shinozuka will recover immediately. Won’t the blood of our thousands of brothers be shed in vain!”
Pi Ruoyu listened quietly to Su Yaoyang’s roar. Only when he had vented enough did he slowly begin to speak: “Commander, please calm your anger.
From a military standpoint, we cannot accept this order. But from a political standpoint, we… must accept it.”
He paused, looking at Su Yaoyang with sharp and clear eyes. “Refusing it means disobeying a military order and disregarding the overall war effort.
We cannot bear this charge. Shanxi Yanshan and Chongqing are hoping we will defy the order, so they can solidify their claims of us hoarding power and carving out our own territory.”
“Then I will just watch them carve out my heart?” Su Yaoyang angrily asked, unwilling.
“No.” Pi Ruoyu shook his head, a flash of shrewdness in his eyes. “Commander, this matter is not entirely bad.”
“Bad is bad! How can it be good?”
“Commander, think about it,” Pi Ruoyu’s voice lowered further, yet was full of persuasion. “No matter how well our Shanxi Militia fights in Shanxi, and no matter how far its reputation spreads, to outsiders, we are ultimately just a local force on Yan Laoxi’s territory. They can manipulate us as they please, precisely because they know our foundation is shallow and our fame does not extend beyond the Jin region.”
“But what if we go to Hubei? In the Fifth War Zone, under the spotlight of national media, to fight a brilliant battle against the Japanese army, that would be different.”
Pi Ruoyu’s speech sped up, his eyes gleaming with intelligence. “At that time, our Shanxi Militia will no longer be a local force, but a renowned anti-Japanese elite force nationwide! This title will be more useful than ten thousand rifles or a hundred thousand artillery shells!”
“As long as our reputation is established, it will be our best shield! In the future, whether it’s Chongqing or anyone else, if they want to move against us, they will have to weigh public opinion nationwide! They will have to weigh the importance of our ‘Iron Army against Japan’!”
Pi Ruoyu’s words were like a bolt of lightning, splitting through the fog in Su Yaoyang’s heart.
The anger on his face gradually subsided.
Yes… The reason Yan Xishan dared to set such a trap for him was precisely because he was the commander of the Second War Zone, while Su Yaoyang was just an unknown local militia commander. If it were Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, or even Fu Zuoyi, Yan Xishan would not dare to do this, no matter how many guts he had.
He wouldn’t dare!
Because the reputation of those people was their most solid armor!
Su Yaoyang paced back and forth in the room, his heavy military boots striking the wooden floor with dull, rhythmic thuds.
Although his expression was still as dark as if it could drip water, the rage in his eyes had completely settled, transforming into the icy calm of a Siberian cold current.
Pi Ruoyu stood quietly to the side, not disturbing his thoughts. He knew his boss had broken free from the anger of being stabbed in the back and was now calculating how to counterattack.
After a long time, Su Yaoyang finally stopped pacing. Without looking at Pi Ruoyu, he stared at the large map of Shanxi on the wall, which marked the enemy and our positions, and slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and firm:
“We can send troops. But not all of them.”
He turned around and pointed forcefully at the map, indicating the location of Taiyuan.
“After this battle, Yoshio Shinozuka, that old devil, will definitely see us as a thorn in his side.
At full strength, we only have six capable infantry regiments. This force is more than enough for defense, but far from enough to shake the Japanese foundation in all of Shanxi.”
His finger then drew a larger circle on the map, encompassing several important county towns.
“Therefore, we must continue to recruit! Issue an order immediately, in the name of the great victory at Xinxian, to recruit five new regiments! Weapons and equipment will not be a problem. I will take care of it.”
These words were filled with undeniable dominance and precise foresight into the future war situation.
“Five regiments?” A flicker of surprise crossed Pi Ruoyu’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding. He nodded and then asked the most critical question: “Then how many troops do you plan to send to Hubei?”
Su Yaoyang pondered for a moment, as if rapidly calculating in his mind.
“Too few won’t work; we’ll be looked down upon, it won’t serve the purpose of building our reputation, and it will be an insult to the title ‘Iron Army against Japan.’ Too many… we don’t have that capability, and our reserves will be depleted.”
He held up three fingers.
“We will send three infantry regiments, plus one artillery regiment. For the air force, let two squadrons from the Pirate Squadron go.
This troop strength is sufficient to handle a medium-sized campaign, and it will be enough to silence the Fifth War Zone and Chongqing.”
Pi Ruoyu quickly calculated this troop deployment in his mind and nodded in agreement. “Yes, your concerns are valid.
This force can both display our might without crippling our defenses in Shanxi. After all, once the Japanese 20th Division arrives, Yoshio Shinozuka will immediately pounce on us, so having too few troops won’t do.”
He pondered for a moment and asked again, “Then… who do you plan to send to lead them?”
As this question was asked, a confident, slightly self-assured smile appeared on Su Yaoyang’s face.
“Of course, it will be me.”
He said without hesitation, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
“For such a major matter as sending troops, if I don’t go personally, not to mention what Director Li and Director Bai might think, people in Chongqing might say I’m being perfunctory.”
“Sigh…”
Pi Ruoyu sighed helplessly. “They say one fears fame like a pig fears growing fat. It seems that fame has both its advantages and disadvantages.”
“Let’s not talk about these things anymore,” Su Yaoyang shook his head, as if to drive away these troublesome matters. “As the troops advance smoothly, our command post must also move forward.
Let’s go… to the front line!”
“Yes!”
…………
This was not a sturdy fortification, but a semi-subterranean command post with half a mountainside leveled by artillery fire.
Tree roots, not yet cleared, were embedded in the damp mud walls, and dirt and sand kept falling down.
The air was filled with a strong, complex odor, a mixture of gunpowder smoke, blood, disinfectant, and despair.
Lieutenant General Yoshikatsu Kuroiwa, commander of the 24th Division, sat staring blankly at a table made from simple ammunition boxes.
His crisp general’s uniform was now covered in mud and wrinkles, his once meticulously combed hair disheveled. A few strands of gray at his temples were matted with cold sweat, clinging to his forehead in a state of disarray.
Before him lay another casualty report.
That thin piece of paper, in his hands at this moment, felt heavier than a thousand pounds. His hands trembled violently and uncontrollably, causing the paper to emit a rustling sound that was sickening to hear.
His eyes were fixed on the numbers on the report, his cloudy pupils bloodshot.
“Impossible… this is absolutely impossible!”
He muttered to himself, his voice dry, as if two pieces of sandpaper were rubbing together.
The battle had only been over for forty-eight hours!
The most elite infantry regiment of the 32nd, with a full strength of 3,800 men, had a report stating “1,627 casualties”!
One regiment was almost wiped out!
The other two regiments, the 22nd and 89th Infantry Regiments, were in slightly better condition, but their combined casualties had already exceeded two thousand!
In just two days! His division had lost nearly a brigade’s worth of troops! And this was under the advantage of strong fortifications and favorable terrain!
What kind of monsters were these “Shanxi Militia” on the other side?! Their seemingly endless artillery fire, their fearless charges, their precise and deadly shots… this was not a local force at all; it was clearly a demonic unit even more terrifying than the Empire’s most elite divisions!
Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu’s heart bled.
A thought, uncontrollable, rose from the depths of his heart… to request reinforcements from Army Commander Yoshio Shinozuka!
However, the moment this thought arose, he fiercely suppressed it himself.
In his mind, Yoshio Shinozuka’s stern and cold face, filled with disappointment and anger, instantly appeared.
He could almost hear the roar from the other end of the phone: “Kuroiwa-kun! Your 24th Division is the elite of the Imperial Japanese Army! Not meant to be slaughtered by a bunch of Chinese bandits! You can’t even deal with a mere local militia, and you still have the audacity to ask me for reinforcements?! You have disgraced the Empire!”
Thinking of this, an endless sense of shame washed over Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu like a tide.
He could not ask for reinforcements.
To ask for reinforcements would be to admit his incompetence and the failure of the 24th Division. This stain would follow him his entire life, making him unable to hold his head up among his colleagues again.
His face, under the dim lantern light, turned from pale to flushed, and large drops of cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
After much thought, he found himself with no way out.
Retreat? No, orders were absolute.
Ask for reinforcements? No, his dignity would be shattered.
The only path left seemed to be one.
He slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes now showing the last trace of reason replaced by the mentality of a mad gambler.
He looked at his pale-faced chief of staff beside him and, in a hoarse voice that was almost a sleep-talk, issued his order:
“Transmit my order…”
“All units… hold the position! Anyone who takes a step back, no matter who, will be shot on the spot!”
“Tell them, reinforcements… reinforcements will arrive soon! For His Majesty the Emperor, for the Great Japanese Empire, perish with honor!”
…………
The yellow loess highlands of Shanxi were stained a dusty black by the smoke of war.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, the earthy scent of the soil, and a thick, unshakeable smell of blood.
The dense sound of gunfire, like popping beans, knitted together, tearing through the tranquility of this ancient land.
“Dada-da—Dada-da-da—!”
The dull and rhythmic roar echoed across the entire battlefield, the unique roar of the M1919A4 heavy machine gun.
Machine gunner “Old Cao” had his muscular torso bare, sweat mixing with gunpowder on his bronze skin, carving out streaks like ravines.
He knelt in front of a makeshift sandbag emplacement at the front line, his hands firmly pressing the butterfly trigger of the machine gun. Hot brass shell casings poured out of the right side of the gun like a waterfall, piling up on the ground into a glittering mountain.
He wasn’t firing blindly, but alternating precise short bursts and long bursts.
The muzzle’s flames licked at the Japanese positions more than a hundred meters away. Each string of whistling .30-06 rifle bullets was like the scythe of death, precisely harvesting lives.
A Japanese soldier who had just poked his head out to throw a grenade had his head instantly hit by a bullet. Red and white brain matter mixed with the shattered helmet, exploding like a brilliant and deadly blood flower.
Elsewhere, a Japanese Type 11 light machine gun, hastily set up, had barely roared twice before Old Cao’s precise long burst sent sparks flying, and the gunner and assistant gunner collapsed without a groan.
“Baka! Suppress that heavy machine gun! Quickly! Fire support!”
A Japanese sergeant major shouted loudly, his voice sharp and weak amidst the great noise of guns and cannons.
He was one of the countless soldiers strictly ordered by Division Commander Kuroiwa Yoshikatsu to hold the line, but at this moment, facing this almost indestructible point of firepower, he felt only despair.
The firepower of this “Shanxi Militia” was fiercer than any main force of the Nationalist army they had ever encountered.
And about a kilometer behind, in a high-ground command post, Su Yaoyang, who had just rushed to the front lines from the Xintai County command, was calmly observing the entire battle with a pair of 10×50 Zeiss military binoculars.
“Commander!”
Pi Ruoyu, standing beside him, pointed to the operational map spread out before them and said, “Li Gaoyuan’s First Regiment has torn open a gap from the left flank. The air force and artillery regiment’s support played a decisive role.
The Japanese 24th Division’s will to resist is strong, but their firepower configuration is completely outmatched by ours. Their artillery positions were just destroyed by our ‘Pirate’ aircraft.”
The “Pirates” mentioned by Pi Ruoyu were the Pirate Brigade led by Cheng Rufeng.
Just half an hour ago, six F4U Corsair aircraft, painted with skull and crossbones insignia, had turned the Japanese artillery positions into a sea of fire with their rockets and 500-pound bombs. This kind of overwhelming attack was unimaginable to any army of this era.
Su Yaoyang lowered his binoculars, his face expressionless.
“Order Li Gaoyuan not to linger in battle, but to penetrate through the gap, targeting the Japanese command post. Also, connect with the field hospital and ask Song Mei how things are going.”
“Yes!” The signalman immediately began operating the radio.
At the same time, five kilometers away from the battlefield, in a field hospital converted from a courtyard, another scene of hell unfolded.
Wounded soldiers were continuously carried down from the front lines. The air was filled with the smell of blood, disinfectant, and the groans of the injured.
Song Mei, once the innkeeper, now displayed another side of her as the director of the field hospital. She wore a white coat, but it was already splattered with blood.
Her beautiful hair was neatly pinned up at the back of her head, revealing a smooth forehead. Her eyes were focused and sharp, lacking the usual fiery frankness, replaced by a reassuring composure.
“Forceps!” she calmly ordered, her voice not loud but clear enough for the nurse beside her to hear. Her fingers were steady and dexterous as she extracted a deformed piece of shrapnel from a soldier’s mangled thigh and tossed it into a nearby metal tray with a crisp clink.
“Clean the wound and prepare for suturing!” she commanded, then turned to the next operating table.
Looking at the contorted young faces due to severe pain, her heart felt as if it were being pricked by needles, but she knew she could not stop.
The more wounded she saved, the less pressure her husband, Su Yaoyang, would face on the front lines.
In the command post, a soft footstep approached, and a cup of steaming water was handed to Song Mei.
It was Xiao Lu, still wearing a blood-splattered nurse’s uniform, her face etched with worry.
“Sister Mei, have some water to moisten your throat,” her voice was soft, carrying the gentleness unique to a young girl.
Song Mei turned to look at her, then took the cup, feeling the warmth in her palm. A trace of her annoyance subsided, and she nodded, draining the warm water in one gulp.
Seeing Song Mei finish the water, Xiao Lu said, “Sister Mei, you’ve been doing surgery for seven or eight consecutive hours. You can’t continue like this. You need to rest immediately, otherwise, your body won’t be able to take it.”
“No, there are still many wounded waiting for me to save them,” Song Mei retorted instinctively.
“The wounded can never be all saved,” a rare stubbornness appeared in Xiao Lu’s voice. “But if you collapse, many more wounded will lose the chance to be treated.”
“You…” Song Mei looked at her own sister, who was becoming more and more like a young married woman, with some surprise and said with emotion, “Xiao Lu… you’ve grown up.”
Xiao Lu didn’t speak, lowering her head with a shy smile.
Just then, a commotion suddenly arose at the doorway, followed by hurried footsteps and an urgent voice.
“Dean Song… another batch of wounded has been sent down from the front line. Doctor Ma said their injuries are very serious and require surgery.”
Hearing this, Xiao Lu’s face changed slightly, and sure enough, Song Mei said sternly, “Prepare for surgery immediately!”
