Chapter 34: Shaking Off Pursuers (Part 2)

  This winter rain lasted for three whole days!

  For the past three days, the Battle of Nanjing has been raging on. Due to the bad weather, Japanese planes were unable to take off and bomb normally. The muddy roads also caused great difficulties for the mobility of heavy equipment such as tanks, armored cars, heavy howitzers, and heavy field guns, giving the National Army a precious opportunity to catch their breath.

  However, from a macro perspective, the National Army's decline is irreversible, and the fall of Nanjing is also inevitable. The only suspense now is how long the defenders of Nanjing can hold on. If they can hold out for more than half a month, then it may be possible for the 600,000 to 700,000 refugees trapped in the city to escape!

  …………

  South Bank of Yangtze River, Shanguan Town.

  After three days and nights of long-distance forced march, the Baoshan regiment finally arrived at the Yangtze River before dark on the third day. Although many people fell behind on the way, and many became deserters, the vast majority of the defeated soldiers still persisted. Yue Weihan wanted to tell these defeated soldiers that he was very satisfied with their performance!

  Baoshan troops may still be called defeated troops, but at least they are now a defeated troop that can't be dragged down!

  It won't be long before the Baoshan Troupe transforms from a ragtag team to an elite one, and Yue Weihan has every confidence in this.

  However, Yue Weihan's mood soon became heavy again, because today in history happened to be the day of Nanjing's fall and also the official start of the Nanjing Massacre!

  Today in history, tens of thousands of National Army soldiers who had lost their command surged towards the Xiaoguan Wharf like a tidal wave. Facing the vast river, a small number chose to swim across, but without exception, all froze to death in the river. The remaining overwhelming majority put down their weapons, took off their military uniforms, and turned around to run back into the city, hiding in the so-called "safe zone" for civilian refugees.

  In the end, the so-called "safety zone" did not bring any shelter to these defeated soldiers. The Japanese army still searched them out one by one from the crowd of refugees and took them to the riverbank in batches for collective slaughter. Later, with their eyes red from killing, the Japanese army completely lost control and swung their swords at the tens of thousands of innocent civilians who remained in Nanjing.

  And this... is the Nanjing Massacre! The eternal shame of the Chinese nation!

  Although Yue Weihan had done everything he could, even killing the real culprit of the Nanjing Massacre in orthodox history - Aosaka Hisashi, Yue Weihan was not sure if history would change as a result.

  A sudden burst of chaotic and urgent footsteps came from behind, pulling Yue Weihan's thoughts back to reality.

  Cao Xinglong, Chi Chengfeng and Niu Dageng have arrived together.

  Yue Weihan immediately ordered: "Old Chi, take a few people to Jiangyin County to take a look; Da Long, quickly organize manpower to collect boats and prepare to cross the river; Da Gen, organize troops to enter the town to rest and think of ways to get more ginger and chili peppers, boil more ginger soup and chili pepper soup for the brothers to drink. Everyone must drink before going to sleep, those who disobey will be shot!"

  On a cold winter's day like this, the rain is not to be trifled with. If you don't drink several bowls of ginger soup to warm yourself up before going to bed, you'll probably catch pneumonia. In this era and environment, if you contract pneumonia, it's basically all over for you. Moreover, pneumonia is contagious, and in ancient times, it was a full-blown plague. Yu Weihan cannot help but be on high alert.

  After instructing Cao Xinglong and the other three battalion commanders, Yue Weihan called up the commander of the guard company, Hua Hanlin, to arrange for the old soldiers of the guard company to set up a system of sentries and scouts to be responsible for keeping watch around the town.

  After making all the arrangements, Yue Weihan led his "team" to a large courtyard in the east of the town.

  The large gate of the mansion had been opened early, and a white-bearded gentleman led his family to stand on the steps at the entrance to welcome the distinguished guest. In fact, in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the masses still have a good foundation for the national army, especially when foreign enemies invade and the nation is in crisis, the gentry and common people show unprecedented enthusiasm.

  After settling down at the command center, Yue Weihan hastily ordered Liu Xin to set up a radio station and urgently contact the Nanjing Garrison Command.

  "Headquarters of the Garrison Command: Our department has led our troops to occupy the mountain town of Shan Guan, east of Jiangyin Fortress, just across the river from Jingjiang City. We are organizing boats overnight to prepare for crossing the river. Furthermore, all officers and soldiers of the Baoshan Regiment are eager to fight and vow to fight to the death against the Japanese invaders. We request that Headquarters consider whether to deploy the Baoshan Regiment to the Nanjing front line? Department Head, Yue Weihan, December 13, 1937, night."

  …………

  Nanjing Garrison Command

  Tang Shangjiang was on the phone: "What? The position has been lost? Requesting reinforcements?"

  "Qiu Fengzi, listen up! Old Tang has no reinforcements here, only military orders. I command you to organize the troops to counterattack immediately, at all costs, and retake the position! If the troops are wiped out, you'll fill in for them, if you die, I, Old Tang, will continue to fill in above you! One sentence: we cannot lose this position!"

  "Ding ding ding..." General Tang had just hung up the phone when the phone next to him rang again.

  The staff member answered and then quickly handed the phone back to General Tang, saying: "Commander, it's a call from Commander Gui!"

  "General Gui?" General Tang hastily took over the phone and said loudly, "General Gui, are you also coming to reinforce the army?"

  "What? The troops have suffered too many casualties? Each regiment has lost more than a third of its men, and you want to retreat behind the city walls and engage in street fighting with the enemy? No way, absolutely not. If we abandon the main position on Purple Mountain, those little devils will be able to set up their big guns on the mountain and bombard the Nanjing city walls from above, and then we won't even have a place to hide."

  Just after hanging up General Gui's phone, another staff officer rushed in: "Commander, an urgent telegram from the Baoshan Regiment!"

  "Bao Shan team?" General Tang furrowed his brow and said, "What does the telegram say? What position have they reached?"

  Chief of Staff said: "Baoshan Regiment's telegram says they have already arrived at Shanguantown on the east side of Jiangyin, only a river away from Jingjiang. They are now searching for boats overnight to prepare for crossing the river. Additionally, Commander Yue also said in the telegram that Baoshan Regiment is in high spirits and eager to fight, requesting to be deployed to Nanjing to join the battle."

  "Oh? We've already arrived at Jiangyin?" General Tang nodded slightly and said, "The marching speed is quite fast, in such terrible weather, with a group of defeated soldiers, it's not easy to advance over 200 miles within three days. It seems that Yue Weihan really has some skills. Immediately send a telegram to the Baoshan Regiment, telling them to take over the defense of Jingjiang after crossing the river and replacing the 668th Regiment."

  "Commander, Colonel Yue and the Baoshan Regiment's request for battle..."

  "Not worth considering," Tang Shang said coldly. "The situation in Nanjing is still under control, no need to send another defeated battalion."

  "Yes." The adjutant stood at attention and saluted with a crisp slap, then turned around and left.

  …………

  Shan Guanzhen, temporary command post of Bao Shan Tuan.

  After receiving the headquarters' telegram, Yue Weihan finally let out a long sigh of relief. The sentence "The situation in Nanjing is still under control" made him feel a sense of stability. It seemed that under his desperate efforts, the course of history had deviated to some extent, and at least the date of Nanjing's fall was postponed.

  In fact, the reason why Nanjing has not fallen so far is indeed due to Yue Weihan.

  On the one hand, Yue Weihan's killing of Chōshō Hei, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army that occupied Nanjing, disrupted the deployment of the Japanese army to some extent and slowed down their offensive. On the other hand, due to the stimulation of Yue Weihan and Bao Shan Camp's continuous victories and repeated creation of miracles, the high-ranking generals and grassroots officers and soldiers in the Nanjing Garrison War Zone all showed unprecedented enthusiasm for resistance, and they were determined to engage in a bayonet fight with the little devils!

  Tang Shen-zhi, who had patted his chest in front of Chiang Kai-shek, had already made up his mind to perish together with Nanjing.

  Under this situation, the Japanese army's offensive was severely frustrated, and the date of Nanjing's fall was also greatly delayed.

  …………

  One night without incident, Yue Weihan finally got to sleep soundly and comfortably. Before going to bed, he even took a warm bath. The next morning when he woke up, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. When he looked at the bedside, he found that his dirty and wet cotton military uniform had been washed clean and dried by someone, although it was a bit wrinkled.

  Picked up the military uniform and sniffed it under his nose, and found that there was still a faint scent of faint fragrance.

  Yue Weihan's mouth involuntarily curled up into a sly smile, and it was obvious that this military uniform must have been washed by Liu Xin for him. It's worth noting that in the harsh life of a soldier, having such a beautiful woman to accompany you is also a delightful thing, isn't it?

  However, it's really tiring to have such a delicate beauty with me on the march.

  Chi Cheng-feng has also returned, the county seat of Jiangyin is empty, all the old hundred names have run away clean, and there are no devils stationed in the city. The Jiangyin battery has been bombed, and all the fort cannons on the battery were either dismantled and taken away by the National Army or destroyed by bombing, without leaving a single large cannon or shell.

  Cao Xinglong also gathered a number of boats, mostly fishing boats from nearby fishermen, as well as several merchant ships provided by local gentry. Although the boats were not large, they made up for it in numbers, and each trip could transport at least 500-600 people across the river. With over a thousand people in the Bao Shan Tuan, two trips would be enough to get everyone across, and it was estimated that the whole operation would take no more than two hours.

  As for the devils chasing behind, they were at least a hundred miles away, and it was impossible for them to catch up before nightfall. Yue Weihan still had this confidence, but what the situation was like on the other side of the river in Jingjiang was unknown. Yue Weihan didn't dare to take the risk of leading the main force across the river, so the safest way was to personally lead a special warfare team to cross the river and conduct reconnaissance.