Chapter 31: Promoted to Major General? Order the 358th Regiment to Yangquan

Before Chu Yunfei had much time for confusion, he had just returned to regimental headquarters to prepare for a tactical briefing when he heard from a sentry that General Liu Fei wished to see him.

Chu Yunfei immediately stepped out of the meeting room to greet Liu Fei, who was already waiting at the entrance. Liu’s gaze was filled with admiration. Beside him, Yang Congyun held a brand-new, yellow-green major general’s uniform. Chu Yunfei recognized it instantly; it was the color of a Central Army uniform.

"Sir Liu, what is this?"

"Colonel Chu, the Chairman has commended you for your meritorious service in the defense of Ruyue Pass and has promoted you to the rank of major general. This is your uniform."

Chu Yunfei took it with both hands, subconsciously rubbing the fabric. It felt quite good; at the very least, the material was solid. He caught a fleeting look of astonishment in Liu Fei’s eyes when he accepted it.

Maintaining a serious expression, Chu Yunfei shook his head and declined: "The victory at Ruyue Pass was the result of the arduous and valiant struggle of all the officers and men under my command. I, as an individual, should not accept such a distinction. Mr. Yang, please take this clothing back."

Liu Fei looked at Chu Yunfei in silence, and Chu Yunfei returned the gaze with equal silence. A few minutes later, General Liu spoke again: "Colonel Chu, have you thought this through?"

"This victory belongs to all the officers and men, not to me alone. They are the architects of the victory at Ruyue Pass; they are the heroes. I, Chu Yunfei, should not receive such an honor."

Liu Fei did not press the matter further. He nodded, turned, and left. Behind him, a group of officers gathered around, calling out to their regimental commander.

"Commander... why?" They were all deeply puzzled as to why he would reject a promotion that was already in his hands.

Nonsense. That scoundrel Chiang Kai-shek was handing him the rank of a Central Army major general. Even if they truly admired him and intended to promote him, where would he get troops to lead right now? In reality, Chu Yunfei and the capable Qian Zhaoyou were cut from the same cloth. He had no desire to go sit on a cold bench at the Operations Department, even if it meant a smooth path to future promotion.

Fang Ligong adjusted his glasses, and at a signal from Chu Yunfei, he spoke up: "Everyone, take your seats. We are continuing the meeting!"

"Yes!"

Fang Ligong stood before them, using his tactical baton to gesture toward the operational map hanging on the wall.

"Currently, the Japanese invaders have launched attacks on Daixian, Guoxian, and Yuanping. Our main force, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army's Sixth Group Army, is primarily responsible for the defense of the left flank, specifically the Yangfangkou line. The Japanese intent is clear: they seek to continue south and occupy the city of Taiyuan."

Fang Ligong paused, sweeping his gaze across the room. The various battalion and company commanders immediately began to clamor.

"We must fight those Japanese devils to the bitter end!" Bian Fucheng slammed the table, shouting angrily, "Those damned devils. Commander, if there are no orders, we should proactively request to fight and kill these bastards as soon as possible!"

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, signaling him not to get too worked up. He then turned to look at Qian Bojun. "Qian Bojun, what are your thoughts?"

Qian Bojun did not hesitate. "Commander, I believe Captain Bian is right. As for whether or not we should proactively request battle, that is for you to decide."

Chu Yunfei took a deep breath, nodded, and turned his gaze to Second Battalion Commander Wu Ziqiang. "And you, Battalion Commander Wu?"

"Commander, I advocate for requesting to fight. These Japanese devils are being far too arrogant; they actually think they can occupy our Taiyuan!"

"Third Battalion Commander?"

Luo Weiguo, stout and broad-shouldered, nodded earnestly. "Commander, I also agree with requesting to fight. The situation is critical; we cannot keep waiting for orders!"

"Battalion Commander Zhuo?"

Zhuo Tianyu was brief and to the point. With his medals pinned to his chest, he frowned and said, "Let's fight!"

"Liang Guoping, it is your turn to speak."

Liang Guoping did not hesitate, analyzing the situation clearly: "I believe that while the Fourteenth Group Army is currently stationed at the Xinkou line and is safe for now, the entire province of Shanxi is not just vulnerable from the north. With the continuous defeats along the Tientsin-Pukou and Peiping-Hankou railways, the Japanese are very likely to push west from the Niangziguan line, attack the pass, occupy Yangquan, and invade Shanxi along the Zhengtai Railway. If that happens, the Second War Zone will inevitably be forced into a two-front war, and at that point... the situation may not be optimistic."

"Guoping is right. We cannot be careless about the defenses at the Niangziguan line." Chu Yunfei paused before continuing, "During the previous battle at Ruyue Pass, although our forces had the advantage of terrain, our own casualties were still quite heavy. I believe this has a direct correlation with the Japanese mastery of the skies."

"However, whether it is a lack of heavy weapons or anti-tank weaponry, these are not problems we can solve in the short term." Chu Yunfei’s tone was calm as he stated the bloody facts. "Everyone here knows that mountainous terrain limits the transport and use of heavy equipment. Our mountain guns are copies of Japanese models and use mule-and-horse transport, which they can do as well, but fighting in the mountains can effectively limit their tanks and armored vehicles."

"I intend to petition General Yan to allow us to coordinate with the Sixth Group Army."

Upon hearing this, Qian Bojun voiced his concerns: "But Commander, while there are indeed many advantages to constructing a defensive line in the mountains, our supply consumption will increase exponentially..."

Wu Ziqiang was also deeply worried: "In the Ruyue Pass battle, our ammunition consumption was immense, and so far, we have not received any resupply. The amount of ammunition captured does not equal what we lost. If we keep fighting like this, won't we exhaust all our resources?"

"Indeed, Commander... the supply of ammunition and rations will directly affect morale."

Chu Yunfei nodded. "You are all correct. As for where the Second War Zone Command will send us to fight, that is not something we can control."

"Brother Ligong!"

Fang Ligong adjusted his glasses and stood beside Chu Yunfei, bowing slightly. "Commander."

"Immediately draft a telegram to General Yan. Inform him that our 358th Regiment has learned of the Japanese invaders' rampant advance along the Datong-Puzhou Railway, and we petition to be sent to the front lines to fight the Japanese to the death and restore the glory of the Shanxi Army!"

"Yes!"

Chu Yunfei’s gaze swept over the crowd once more. This time, his eyes were sharp and filled with a murderous aura. "Everyone, in the battle of Ruyue Pass, our 358th Regiment made a name for itself. We forced the Japanese Suzuki Brigade to remain in the Datong area to regroup, and we demonstrated the true spirit of our Shanxi-Suiyuan Army. With a great battle imminent, you must all work together and overcome these difficult times!"

The men rose quickly, standing straight, and shouted in unison: "Yes!"

...

Taiyuan. Second War Zone Command Headquarters.

Liu Tao personally delivered the 358th Regiment's telegram to General Yan, who had just finished his operational meeting. "General Yan, a telegram from the 358th Regiment."

General Yan took the telegram, read it carefully, and placed it back on the desk. Fang Ligong’s draft had been slightly polished; beyond the request to fight, it had also subtly reminded General Yan to pay close attention to the Niangziguan line.

This happened to coincide with thoughts from Yan'an. Upon learning that the Niangziguan line was thinly defended, Yan'an had also sent a telegram reminding General Yan that the line required reinforcements.

General Yan was no fool, but he truly had no troops to spare. Previously, there were a large number of Central Army troops resisting along the Tientsin-Pukou line, but now, the forces he could mobilize were far too few compared to the combat effectiveness of the Japanese.

Huang Shaohong had been appointed under duress as the commander-in-chief of the Niangziguan line, with plans to depart the following day for Jingxing to oversee the defenses.

"Since the 358th Regiment has requested to fight, send a telegram back to Chu Yunfei: proceed to the Yangquan line."

"Yes!"

"Staff Officer Li."

"Present!"

"Prepare ammunition and ration supplies. Ensure the 358th Regiment is fully provisioned!"