Chapter 37: Changing Clothes
“Support… what do you want me to use to provide support?” Xiao Shanling glared at him irritably.
“But are we just going to watch like this?” the adjutant said worriedly: “The Cadre Training Corps was already severely depleted, and now they are fighting a bloody battle with the Japanese at St. Paul’s Church to protect a group of women and children.
The Japanese are even using heavy artillery. Without support, they won’t last long!”
At this time, Xiao Shanling and the adjutant did not know that the previous round of shelling was actually from their own side.
This was not surprising, as artillery was precious for any country, especially for the Republic of China, which even had to import 70mm shells.
The current Republic of China arsenals（ such as Hanyang, Jinling, and Taiyuan Arsenal） could only produce some light artillery, such as 82mm mortars and 75mm mountain guns（ copying Krupp）.
Even so, the output was extremely low, and artillery with a caliber over 100mm could not be produced at all.
Units such as German-equipped divisions（ like the 87th and 88th Divisions） had only 4-8 mountain guns per division.
Even the most elite German-equipped divisions were like this, let alone ordinary troops.
So when they heard the rumbling cannon fire from the direction of the church, their first reaction was that the Japanese army was gathering heavy artillery to attack the church.
Xiao Shanling was silent for a moment before irritably saying: “I’m just the deputy commander of the military police, not the capital garrison commander. They don’t report to me. What can I do?”
“Woo… boom…”
As soon as he finished speaking, a shell suddenly exploded next to the headquarters. The huge explosion shattered the windows’ glass all over the floor.
“Sir… the Japanese artillery has reached us. We should take cover first.” The adjutant pulled Xiao Shanling to leave the office, but he refused.
“I’m not leaving. I want to stay here.”
“Sir…”
The adjutant panicked and was about to persuade him when Fang Chao, the deputy director of the police department in a black police uniform, hurriedly ran in and handed him a telegram. “Sir… Commander Tang has ordered all garrison troops to immediately withdraw from Nanjing city, evacuate to the north bank via various wharves. Hu Zongnan will lead the 17th Army Group to cover us from the opposite shore.”
“Ridiculous!” Seeing this telegram, Xiao Shanling showed no sign of joy and instead angrily slammed it on the table.
“Issuing and revoking orders at whim and commanding chaotically. How does Tang Mengxiao（ Tang Shengzhi） serve as this commander?
A few days ago he was shouting about sharing the fate of Nanjing with the city, blocking civilians and retreating troops firmly at the wharves. Now that he doesn’t want to defend, he decides on a whim to retreat. Doesn’t he know this is sending the civilians and the troops under the Japanese guns and bombs?”
Seeing Xiao Shanling’s angry gaze, Fang Chao advised: “Sir… military orders are like mountains. Since Commander Tang has issued the order, we can only obey.”
“Sigh… what kind of bullshit order is this.” Although Xiao Shanling sighed to the sky, he could only obey.
He walked to the wall, grabbed his hat and put it on his head. “Let’s go… we’ll go to the riverside and take a look.”
After speaking, he strode toward the door, but when he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped, saying to the adjutant: “I remember that Luo Yousheng（ commander of Military Police 2nd Regiment） just reported that he had gathered nearly two battalions of military police and was preparing to move toward Xiaguan.
Notify Luo Yousheng immediately and have him send these two battalions to urgently support St. Paul’s Church, to be commanded by the officers there. That counts as me doing my part. As for the results, that’s not for us to decide.”
The adjutant was immediately startled: “Sir… this is the last mobile force in your hands. Are you really going to use it up like this?”
“Enough… no need to say more. It’s settled.” Xiao Shanling waved his hand: “It’s all China’s national defense force. As long as it’s used for the righteous cause of resisting foreign aggression, what do I have to begrudge?”
After speaking, Xiao Shanling strode out of the office.
Half an hour after Xiao Shanling headed to the Xiaguan wharf, a dusty army in khaki uniforms appeared near St. Paul’s Church and was immediately stopped by the soldiers on alert duty.
“What… you mean you are military police from the Military Police Headquarters, ordered by Deputy Commander Xiao Shanling to come reinforce us?”
Su Yaoyang looked at the man standing before him, who although exhausted still had a sharp look in his eyes, and a big question mark arose in his heart.
The man snapped a salute and said loudly: “Yes, Deputy Regiment Commander Huang Guantao of the Military Police Cadre Training 2nd Regiment has come to reinforce under the orders of Deputy Military Police Commander Xiao Shanling and will obey the commander’s orders.”
Su Yaoyang touched his forehead. He wasn’t feverish. How could he encounter such good fortune?
Perhaps Su Yaoyang’s puzzled gaze was too obvious, so Huang Guantao immediately explained: “Commander Xiao just received orders to go to the Xiaguan wharf to stop the large troops from withdrawing. He also heard that your unit was risking danger here to block the Japanese while covering the evacuation of civilians and students, so he was particularly impressed and ordered our unit to come support.”
“Xiao Shanling…”
Su Yaoyang frowned and thought for a while, when suddenly an image flashed in his mind.
Could this be the deputy military police commander Xiao Shanling who heroically resisted the Japanese invaders during the Nanjing Defense Battle, was ordered to Xiaguan to stop the retreat, and finally, seeing that the troops at Xiaguan had no hope of survival and the Japanese opposite were constantly attacking, already wounded in multiple places, knowing he could not escape, raised his pistol in fury and committed suicide to avoid capture and humiliation by the Japanese?
Hearing that this unit was sent by Xiao Shanling to support him, Su Yaoyang felt both moved and ashamed.
He hesitated for a moment before saying: “Deputy Regiment Commander Huang, where is Commander Xiao now?”
“Commander Xiao should have already arrived at the Xiaguan wharf to direct the evacuation of civilians and troops.”
Su Yaoyang glanced again at the more than 700 military police standing neatly behind Huang Guantao, and his heart grew particularly fervent.
Just moments ago he had been worrying about the motley crew composing his unit, but now this group of strictly trained, disciplined military police had arrived. Wasn’t this exactly what he needed?
“Deputy Regiment Commander Huang, you first lead the troops into the church to eat and rest. In two hours, I’ll assign you your mission.”
“Yes!”
“Xu Dapeng, go tell Xiao Lu to arrange for Yumo and these people and that group of female students to immediately distribute food to Deputy Regiment Commander Huang and the others, then change the troops’ uniforms.”
“Wait… change uniforms?” Huang Guantao looked at himself and the military police behind him, completely baffled.
His unit was equipped with some of the best gear in the National Army sequence. Why change uniforms?
“Got it!”
Xu Dapeng ignored the still confused Huang Guantao and led them away.
