Rise From Eight Hundred

May 2, 1938!

Liu Ruming, the former general of the 29th Army, used smoke bombs to deceive the Japanese army into thinking that the Chinese army in the city was going to fight to the death, and was frantically dispatching troops to encircle and annihilate the army. However, the commander of the Xuzhou city defense escaped unexpectedly and led his troops to withdraw from the encirclement of the Japanese army at night.

Xuzhou was occupied by the Japanese army!

Both China and Japan announced the end of the Battle of Xuzhou.

The Japanese side claimed in the newspaper that they had achieved the strategic goal of the early stage of the battle, successfully occupied Xuzhou, a major city in northern Jiangsu, and gained control of two important railway lines.

The Chinese side also claimed in the newspaper that the Battle of Xuzhou was a victory for their side. The Chinese side annihilated nearly 40,000 Japanese invaders in this battle, especially the Battle of Taierzhuang, which caused more than 20,000 Japanese invaders to surrender. Although the regiment flag was not captured, four Japanese infantry regiments were almost completely annihilated, which was a glorious victory in the history of the Patriotic War.

In fact, anyone with a discerning eye can see that both China and Japan are cheering themselves up. They only talk about the glorious side, and the ugly side is not mentioned at all.

The strategic goal of the Japanese side in the early stage of the battle was not only to control the two railway lines. Their biggest goal was to annihilate the 600,000 elite troops of the Chinese side who participated in the battle, and lay a solid foundation for the future attack on central China.

The Japanese side won both the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Nanjing, but also suffered heavy casualties. A large part of the reason was that the nearly one million troops participating in the battle were the most elite soldiers in China.

In this battle, the Japanese side also used all their strength, mobilizing 200,000 elite troops from the two major fronts of North China and Central China, even more than the investment in the Battle of Songhu, in an attempt to annihilate the last elite troops of the Chinese side on this plain.

But obviously, their goal was completely unsuccessful.

In just three days, Shanshan Yuan met with all the division commanders fighting outside and had secret talks with them one by one, including the commanders of the 108th and 109th divisions fighting deep in the mountains of Shanxi Province. It can be seen how fast these division commanders ran.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this battle is the shame of the entire Japanese Army.

Shanshan Yuan has a simple and honest face, and also has a pair of s-shaped eyebrows. He looks a bit silly from the outside. When he was young, he was nicknamed "Fool Yuan" when he was studying in the military academy. Another nickname was called "Bian Suo Fa", which means that it can be pushed open from the inside and outside like a toilet door.

And what about the Chinese side?

From this aspect, the Japanese side failed this time.

It was a courtyard, but the civilians around the courtyard were driven away and all lived in the infantry battalion directly under the headquarters. There was no Chinese within a radius of 700 meters with the courtyard as the center.

"Thank you, Commander, for your kindness. I have not had the opportunity to taste Kyoto's famous tea since I left Kyoto for several years. I really miss it very much." Xiang Yue Qingshi showed surprise on his face.

But this kind of pride, along with Shan Shan Yuan walking down the gangway and slowly walking towards the queue, the face of the room shroud gradually softened, and finally turned into a flower.

The Chinese side lost a large piece of land, but preserved its strength; the Japanese side occupied the land, but was severely cut by the Chinese side, and shed countless blood. It is wishful thinking to want to conquer Central China as soon as possible as before.

Does this mean anything?

When I think of myself not following the order of the room shroud in the battle of Xuzhou a few days ago, and ordering the 14th Division to advance westward to Kaifeng, resulting in a 100-mile defense zone on the battlefield, the room shroud actually pushed the responsibility of letting 500,000 Chinese troops run away to myself, Xiang Yue Qingshi was angry, and more restless.

There is not a single dirty word in the whole text, but anyone who has read the book can see the strong ridicule of the Chinese side for the replacement of the Japanese general!

The replacement of a front commander is certainly not a trivial matter. The Japanese side cannot conceal it even if they want to. There is no need to deliberately publicize it. Chinese spies also spread the news of the replacement of the commander of the Japanese North China Front after the meeting of senior generals of the Japanese North China Front on the evening of the 3rd.

Because a general who is about to lose all his positions has nothing to be proud of. From this moment on, the only people he can command are the few service soldiers assigned to him.

The Army Ministry is a military and political agency responsible for the personnel, organization, equipment, training and other matters of the army, while the "use of troops" related matters such as strategy, tactics and combat orders are controlled by the General Staff Headquarters.

This is almost equivalent to letting a county organization minister go to the town below to serve as a town official, even if the level is deputy county level. Do you think the organization minister feels aggrieved?

In fact, it is also reluctant to say that he won. Yes, this battle killed 40,000 devils, played the prestige of the Chinese army, and preserved enough strength, but northern Jiangsu was lost!

When Huji Shouyi said that he wanted to occupy Shanxi Province first, he raised objections at the military meeting, hoping to pursue and attack the Chinese army along the Pinghan Line, and openly accused Huji Shouyi of constantly taking away the 1st Army's combat sequence in the name of direct administration.

It was finally his turn, which was originally a happy thing, but Xiangyue Qingshi couldn't be happy at all.

The conflict between the two had long been an open secret within the North China Front Army.

The anxious Xiangyue Qingshi couldn't help but regret a little at this time, regretting that he had been fighting with Huji Shouyi since Huji Shouyi took office.

The two compared this, no matter how many bad things Huji Shouyi said about him, he could make this person not feel bad about him, which was also what Xiangyue Qingshi had thought of before coming.

Huji Shouyi personally led nearly ten of his important generals to the airport to greet him.

But now it seems that Xiangyue Qingshi is very smart, at least on the surface he seems to be very submissive, so he can still use it, if he can surprise himself in the next conversation.

This has to start with the structure of the Japanese army.

Otherwise, with his current status and power as the commander of the 1st Army, there is no need for him to act so 'humble' just for a cup of tea.

Obviously, Xiangyue Qingshi, who was supposed to be the first to meet, was placed last because Shanshan Yuan deliberately knocked.

Moreover, the emperor made a promise that as long as Yuan Shanshan performed well as the commander of the front army, his promotion to marshal would be a certainty.

Amidst such uneasiness, Xiangyue Qingshi managed to stay up until seven o'clock in the evening, sat in the car for half an hour, and walked into the heavily guarded residence of Shanshan Yuan in Pingbeicheng on time.

But starting in 1871, due to the rise of the navy, the Ministry of War was split into two departments, the Army Ministry and the Navy Ministry. The Japanese Army and Navy began to separate and engage in construction. Seven years later, the former Army Ministry The General Staff Bureau became independent and changed into the General Staff Headquarters, and the Japanese Army finally realized the separation of military affairs and military orders.

In fact, in the early Japanese military system, the cabinet only had a "Ministry of War" that handled all military affairs. This plagiarism was even more serious, as both "ministry" and "province" were used.

As the Minister of the Army, he didn't need to tell Xiang Yue Qingshi about his black status. He also knew the grudges between the two, and he also knew why Xiang Yue Qingshi, a veteran army lieutenant general, was acting like this.

As a result, even the little scumbags from the two ad hoc divisions, the 108th Division and the 109th Division, were called in to meet and talk, but he, the commander of the first army of the three divisions, was not yet there.

Shan Shanyuan stood with his back to the cypress tree in the small courtyard, which was as thick as two adults' waists, until Xiang Yue Qingshi approached, solemnly stood at attention and raised his hands in a military salute: "Your Excellency, Commander, I have the rank of Xiang Yue Qingshi. "

It was already night at this time, and although the guards were heavily guarded, there was basically no sound. It was almost silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of Xiangyue Qingshi's leather boots on the bluestone floor.

As a key figure in the Japanese Army think tank, Gen Sugami participated in the planning of the July 7th Incident and the subsequent Pacific War. He was also a ruthless man who would be promoted to one of Japan's three marshals in the future. He personally shouted out "Three Marshals" in front of the emperor. He was also the one who launched the slogan "Destroy China".

With the loss of two important railway lines, the Japanese army will be able to transport northern troops to northern Jiangsu unimpeded through the railway lines. Then they will threaten Henan Province, the most important province in the Central Plains, with heavy troops, and then threaten the entire central China.

But so what if you feel aggrieved? Moto Sugamigi was the commander of Japan's North China Front appointed by the emperor. The reason was that the North China Front's performance was poor and if he wanted to advance the war smoothly, he could only be appointed by someone with rich combat experience and superb strategic abilities.

Although Xiangyue Qingshi dares to have a conflict with the indoor shroud, it does not mean that he is a fool. On the contrary, he also has his own wisdom. Crying children have milk. If he makes a fuss, the military department will look at it. In terms of his record, after all, we have to give him some benefits, right?

Facing this new commander who had served as "Lu Xiang", Xiangyue Qingshi, who was only one year younger than him, respectfully lowered his attitude. This was also a disguised way of telling this commander, "I am the indoor shroud." I don’t take him as an onion, but in the face of your prestige and ability, I don’t dare.

The top position in the Army Ministry is called the Minister of War, and in the cabinet, it is referred to as the "Land Prime Minister". It is usually held by an Army general, and Gen Sugami is currently the number one person in Japan's Army Ministry.

Moto Sugami, who took over Japan's North China Front, summoned his generals non-stop. Itagaki Shiro, Doi Madoka, Kawayasu Saburo, Isotani Suke, Nakajima Imaya, etc. all returned from the front line.

Xiangyue Qingshi still has a good eye for this.

During the entire battle, although the Chinese suffered more than 100,000 casualties, they only took one-sixth of the total force participating in the battle, and the main force remained!

On the other hand, the Japanese suffered nearly 40,000 casualties, accounting for even one-fifth of the total troops participating in the war. The Battle of Taierzhuang was the Waterloo of the Japanese North China Front. The two main detachment-level forces were exhausted by the Chinese and were completely wiped out with heavy troops. .

Therefore, if the Japanese Army wants to cause trouble, the Ministry of War and the General Staff Headquarters must work together.

Because, he is the commander of Shinko Japan's North China Front!

Logically speaking, Japan's North China Front belongs to a large military region, and its commander must also be a general, but its level and power are obviously much smaller than those of the Army Ministry. The Army Ministry governs the promotion of all military personnel below the lieutenant general level of the entire Japanese Army. Including division commanders, brigade commanders, and wing commanders, the Army Ministry has the right to nominate and recommend.

Just three days after the division commanders of the Japanese North China Front's lieutenant generals broke their legs, one Japanese lieutenant general was sitting on pins and needles.

In fact, this cannot be blamed on Xiangyue Qingshi. As the commander of the Japanese garrison in North China after the July 7th Incident, he was the most qualified to become the commander of the newly formed North China Front Army during the capture of Pingjin. As a result, the military headquarters did not Damn it, he just sent indoor shrouds to pick peaches. If it were replaced, everyone would have to explode!

"Hi! Your Excellency, Commander!" Xiang Yue Qingshi bowed his head heavily.

No one likes a subordinate who challenges his boss, even if he is very capable, and the same goes for Yuan Shanshan.

But because this kind of veteran has been in the military for a long time, his relationships are intricate. Not to mention that the indoor shroud is helpless, even Shanshan Yuan has a headache.

Gen Sugashiro, who was the Japanese Army Minister at the time, walked out of the cabin and looked at the Japanese North China Front Army generals lined up in a row more than 20 meters away with a somewhat complicated look in his eyes.

"Haha, it's good that Qingshi-kun likes it, but you don't have to be too reserved. You and I are close in age, and now we are colleagues. Moreover, we are not in the headquarters but in a private residence. Why don't we just not claim our official positions?" Shanshan Yuan saw that his beating was effective, and his smile became even stronger.

This is too much bullying for an honest child.

To put it bluntly, one is a training unit, and the other is a unit for using troops. In wartime, the power of the General Staff Headquarters is actually greater than that of the Army Ministry, but the Army Ministry controls the personnel, establishment, funding and mobilization power of the Army, and can also restrict the General Staff Headquarters.

With the temptation of this position, Shanshan Yuan no longer wants to come, so he can only take up the post reluctantly.

"Qingshi-kun, please sit down!" Shanshan Yuan showed satisfaction in his eyes and pointed to the futon next to the tea table.

Indoor Shouyi sat on the transport plane that sent Shanshan Yuan, and left China and flew back to the mainland sadly.

Indoor Shouyi, who was obviously more aggrieved, stared at the front with a stinky face, and didn't even want to look at Shanshan Yuan.

Therefore, he used the tactic of avoiding meeting with Xiang Yue Qing Shi as soon as he took office to hit him. If Xiang Yue Qing Shi still didn't know what was good for him, he couldn't blame him for taking advantage of his new position to transfer him away. His Majesty the Emperor promised to give him full support.

Looking at the Japanese Army Ministry and the General Staff Headquarters, the one who shouted the slogan "All of China can be destroyed in March" must be Shan Shan Yuan.

In the past three or four days, except for him, all the lieutenant generals of the army have met with the commander alone. He, the commander of the First Army who can be regarded as the first lieutenant general in the North China Front Army, was actually the last one. It's not a good sign to think about it.

So, what role does the Japanese Army Minister play?

Xiang Yue Qing Shi was very impatient. As the commander of the First Army of the North China Front Army of Japan, he arrived in Pingbei City two days ago, waiting for the summons of the new commander.

Although Shan Shan Yuan's position was higher than his, he was a general of the army like him in terms of rank. He didn't need to be servile to the man who stole his commander's throne.

The headline of the Chinese Jinling Daily commented: Indoor Shroud, fled with his tail between his legs, and went home to take care of his grandchildren and plant vegetables, which is his best destination.

Since he became the Minister of the Army, the classmates who teased him in his youth, those who are no longer in office, are basically sidelined due to various problems. The grudges from 40 years ago when they were ignorant of the world are still remembered, and they may have written them down in a small notebook. Who of these lieutenant generals dares to let this one remember?

Indeed, including the fierce general Itagaki Shiro, none of the Japanese generals dared to despise their new commander, not only because Shanshan Yuan served as the Minister of the Army and managed their official hats, but also because Shanshan Yuan was a tough guy.

Indoor Shroud left safely, but his era in North China was over.

The so-called "military department" of the Japanese Army during the war actually refers to the two major units of the Army Ministry and the General Staff Headquarters. The word "province" was just copied from the Tang Dynasty in China, that is, the "province" that imitated the three-province and six-department system.

It was not until the afternoon of May 7 that a call came from the headquarters, telling Xiang Yue Qingshi that the commander would meet him at his residence at 8 o'clock in the evening.

The leader can say that, but you really can't do that!

But only those who are familiar with him know that this silly-looking guy has an extremely tough and stubborn personality, and is very vindictive.

At least, the severely damaged Japanese North China Front Army is still waiting for a change of commander!

On May 3, a transport plane, escorted by four fighters, flew from the Goryeo direction to the Pingbeicheng West Suburb Airport.

It also led to the resignation of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese North China Front Army!

Although this is not the first time since the establishment of the Japanese Army that a general-level commander has been replaced because of a battle failure, it is not the first time that it has suffered such heavy losses. The losses in the Battle of Japan and the Bear were much greater than this, but this is definitely the first time that the Japanese Army has been annihilated as a whole!

It can be said that after this battle, neither China nor Japan has taken advantage.

The leader can call you brother, but you must not really treat the leader as your big brother!

Obviously, the then Japanese Army Minister occupied a pivotal position in the Japanese Army.

From then on, the Japanese North China Front Army entered the Shanshanyuan era.

It's not that China has not thought about sending fighter planes to intercept this guy, but unfortunately the distance from Central China to North China is as high as thousands of kilometers, and the Japanese army has strengthened security. Except for a limited number of people who know the specific time when the indoor shroud left, no one else knows. Even if China uses the highest-level secret agents, the most likely thing is that apart from the crash of several fighter planes and the loss of several of the most elite pilots, nothing will be gained.

The reason why such an awesome Shanshanyuan came to Pingbei City is not to support the new commander of the Japanese North China Front Army.

Then he turned around with a smile and raised his hand slightly: "Mr. Qingshi, there is no need to be polite. Please have tea. This is the jade dew I brought from Kyoto. I hope you like it!"

There must be a handover between the previous commander and the new commander. It is unknown how many bad things the indoor shroud said about him behind.

Shanshan Yuan came here to take over the commander of the North China Front Army with a frustrated look, looking at the generals who were about to become his direct subordinates with a complicated expression.

Wolves and hyenas, one is indispensable!

The two sat down cross-legged opposite each other.

"Mr. Qingshi! What do you think of the current situation in North China?" Shanshan Yuan, who was sitting down, waited for Xiangyue Qingshi to take a sip of tea, and then got straight to the point.

. . . . . . . . . . .

PS: There were so many things to do before the New Year, and it didn’t feel much easier than going to work. I only started writing this evening, so it’s a little late, so please forgive me!