Chapter 7: The Troops Set Out for Nanjing (Part 2)

  November 1937 Liu Jiangpeng's home in Nanjing

  "I'm telling you, sister, the Japanese are going to attack Nanjing, I heard that all the central government institutions have moved to Wuhan and Chongqing! The situation is chaotic!" said Liu Zhenfeng's mother's sister, Lan Caihong.

  "Sister, does that mean we have to leave Nanjing?" Blue Caixue's sister Blue Caibei said hastily.

  "Yes, alas, my two sons happened to be assigned to the garrison troops at this critical moment." Blue Rainbow said worriedly.

  "Sister, aren't Da Wu and Xiao Wu working at the General Staff Department? How did they end up being assigned to a combat unit?" asked Lan Caidie.

  "I heard that our army suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Shanghai, and many officers were lost. As a result, Da Wu was sent to the 87th Division as Deputy Chief of Staff with the rank of Colonel, while Xiao Wu was sent to the 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division as Chief of Staff with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I'm really worried!" Lan Caihong said anxiously.

  "Hey, big sister, isn't Second Brother-in-law appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters? Let him take care of it! But don't worry, big sister, the troops that Da Wu and Xiao Wu are in are the elite troops of Chairman Chiang's National Revolutionary Army. Working as a clerk in such an elite troop should be safe." Lan Cai Xue comforted her big sister.

  "To be honest, I'm worried too, sister. Do you think Jiang Peng is stupid or not? Anyone with eyes can see that the Chairman has already given up on Nanjing, and most of the generals in the Military Commission are opposed to defending it. And yet this young fool is following Tang Shengzhi around, blindly stirring up trouble, vowing to live and die with Nanjing. Now he's taken on the hot potato of Deputy Commander of the Garrison... if they really do end up sharing life and death with Nanjing, how will my family survive?" Blue Butterfly said, tears streaming down her face.

  "Second sister, don't say that anymore. When you mention it, I think of my family's Kunshan, how bitter his life was!" Lan Cai Xue saw her second sister crying and suddenly thought of her husband who had sacrificed himself on the Songhu battlefield, and she couldn't help but burst into tears as well.

  "I'm telling you, Second Sister, why are you crying? After all, your brother-in-law is still the Deputy Commander of the Garrison. When Nanjing falls, do you think Chiang Kai-shek will really not care about the Commander and Deputy Commander of the garrison? To be honest, my sister is really jealous of you. Look at your two sons, Zhenwei is working in the Nanjing municipal government, this time when the Nanjing administrative organs withdrew, your son must have followed the Nanjing administrative organs to withdraw. Zhenfeng is even more impressive, he became a general at a young age, now that the Japanese are focusing on attacking Nanjing and Shanxi, the Huabei area is actually calm, it can be seen that Zhenfeng is definitely very relaxed now, even if the Japanese army advances south, at least there is room to maneuver, can withdraw to the northwest. My poor two sons, the Central Committee has given a death order, really must defend Nanjing to the death, I'm so worried they will die in battle in Nanjing!" Blue Rainbow cried out with a heart-wrenching tone.

  "Sister, if something were to happen to Da Wu and Xiao Wu, I can let Zhenwei inherit from you." Lan Cai Die saw her older sister so heartbroken, could only comfort her with these words, although this comfort was a bit of a loss.

  "Pfft pfft pfft, nothing will happen to Da Wu and Xiao Wu!" Blue Rainbow shouted with red eyes.

  The three women then started talking about clothes and accessories again...

  November 28, 1937, dawn, Huayuan Kou, Henan

  Liu Zhenfeng looked at the predetermined route of march, deep in thought...

  "Report, Commander, the troops have assembled. Can we set off now?" asked Ji Xingwen, commander of the 109th Division, to Liu Zhenfeng.

  "Depart! Remember, don't fire a shot, sneak into the village quietly, and absolutely do not alarm the civilians. Stop all wireless transmissions, put all communications under control, and make the outside world feel that the 77th Army has suddenly disappeared." Liu Zhenfeng slapped the table and said.

  After arranging some important documents and putting them in a file bag, he looked back at the Yellow River embankment and sighed: "Farewell, Mother River, the 77th Army will go to Nanjing for battle."

  That night, the entire 77th Corps of the First Army Group of the National Revolutionary Army disappeared into the darkness. By dawn, the headquarters of the First Army Group could no longer contact the command of the 77th Corps.

  November 28, 1937 noon Henan Province capital city Kaifeng First Army Headquarters

  "What's going on? Where did the 77th Army go, and how could it suddenly disappear? Even if the 77th Army is a mobile unit, it can't be so derelict in its duty! Liu Zhenfeng, this guy, is so arbitrary, when I find him, I will definitely deal with him according to military law!" Song Zheyuan was anxious and furious after receiving the news that his ace unit, the 77th Army, had suddenly gone missing from his First Army Group. He didn't know how many times he cursed in his heart, although so far, the 77th Army didn't have any defensive tasks, nor were there any gaps in defense. But as the commander-in-chief of the North China Military Region, Song Zheyuan couldn't help but be anxious when his best unit vanished overnight.

  December 3, 1937 Nanjing Zhongshan Wharf

  "Jiang Peng, you must be careful, you are the deputy commander of the Nanjing Garrison, don't rush to the front line to fight with the Japanese army, just stay in the command center and direct. Also, tell the commanders of the 87th and 88th divisions to take care of your two nephews, Da Wu and Xiao Wu, don't let anything happen to them!" Lan Cai Die stood on the Zhongshan Wharf, bidding farewell to Liu Jiang Peng. Today, a group of family members of military and government officials began to evacuate Nanjing ahead of time, heading to Wuhan. Lan Cai Die was seeing off her husband at the wharf, while also reminding her two sons to be careful.

  "Sister, sister, something's wrong! Cloudy is gone, I couldn't find Cloudy, what should we do?" Blue Caixue hastily ran to the front of Blue Caixiang and anxiously said.

  "What's going on? Snow, tell me slowly, what's really going on?" Blue Caixue asked, holding onto Blue Caixue.

  "This girl, she had a fight with me yesterday and ran to her room in a huff, refusing to talk to me. This morning, I went to her room to wake her up for departure, but she wasn't there! I'm so scared! With the war going on everywhere and Japanese soldiers about to reach Nanjing, at this critical moment, she's still playing hide-and-seek! I'm so anxious!" Blue Caixue burst into tears.

  "What to do? Ah, Jiang Peng, you're the deputy commander of Nanjing's garrison, help Xue find Yun'er." Lan Cai Die comforted her sister while looking at her husband: "Jiang Peng, mobilize your guard troops and help find Yun'er."

  "Don't worry, Yun'er is my niece, I'll definitely find a way to locate her. Xue, don't worry, as soon as I have any news about Yun'er, I'll notify you immediately. You all hurry up and board the ship, it's about to set sail!" Liu Jiangpeng also comforted.

  At 10:00, the Jiangnan ferry bound for Wuhan slowly left Nanjing's Zhongshan Wharf, with the three Lao sisters waving goodbye to Liu Jianguo and others on the shore.

  December 5, 1937, in the mountains of northern Anhui, Liu Zhenfeng ate dry rations while saying gloomily: "Damn it, what's going on? The bootlegged map is really killing me. I clearly followed the route on it, how could I have gotten lost?"

  "General, look, the brothers have been walking for several days in a row. Shouldn't we take a rest?" Ji Xingwen walked over, handing me water as he made his request.

  "Alright, let's take a two-hour break on the spot. Anyway, even if we want to move now, it's still impossible to walk. I don't know if the 101st and 102nd brigades have arrived at their designated positions!" Liu Zhenfeng said helplessly.

  "Alright, I'll take a few brothers to search around the nearby area and see if we can find any locals who are familiar with the route. If they lead the way, it might be better," said Ji Xingwen.

  "Alright, it seems like that's the only way. Remember, when asking for help from others, be sincere in your attitude, give them some small tips, and shut their mouths, got it?" Liu Zhenfeng said to Ji Xingwen.

  "Don't worry, Jun Zu, if you're still worried, after the troops have safely passed through, we'll... " Ji Xingwen made a throat-slitting gesture.

  Liu Zhenfeng was shocked. If every soldier thought this way, the National Army would certainly lose the hearts of the people. The 77th Army couldn't do such an ungrateful and disloyal thing.

  "It won't do, no matter what, we can't attack the ordinary people, we still hope to mobilize them to fight against Japan in the future. If those guides really reveal our whereabouts, it doesn't matter, at worst, we'll just march into Nanjing openly!"

  "Alright, I'll obey, I'll arrange it right away!" Ji Xingwen immediately called over the captain of a reconnaissance company and had him bring several men to invite a guide from a nearby mountain village to lead the way.

  After about an hour and a half, the captain of this reconnaissance company brought a forty-year-old fellow countryman to Liu Zhenfeng's face: "Report to the military seat, the guide is here!"

  The fellow countryman looked at me with a quivering face and said, "Boss, boss, don't kill me! I have an 80-year-old mother at home and an 18-year-old daughter. The whole family depends on me for survival. Don't kill me!"

  "Scouting company commander, what's going on? Did you use force?" Liu Zhenfeng saw the flustered look of his fellow countryman and knew without thinking that he definitely didn't want to come. This scouting company commander had been impatient and had forcibly brought him over.

  "General, I begged him for a long time, but he refused to come over. The nearby villagers said that he was the most familiar with the mountain roads in this area and could even take us to the riverbank. I begged him for half a day, but eventually lost patience and directly ordered the soldiers to drag him over. I knew General wanted to lead us out of the mountains and join forces with the 101st and 102nd regiments at Huanghe Town, so I couldn't afford to waste any more time finding someone else. If General wants to shoot me, I'm willing to accept punishment!"

  "Hey, I didn't expect this company commander to be quite talkative, but thinking about it carefully, the situation in Nanjing is getting worse and worse, and we really don't have time to linger in these mountains. However, Liu Zhenfeng said that he must give an account to his fellow countrymen, otherwise, if our army comes to this area again in the future, the common people will see us as ghosts, which would be terrible."

  "What's your name?" Liu Zhenfeng asked the company commander.

  "Reporting for duty, sir! I am Lu Guangyi." The reconnaissance company commander replied loudly.

  "I understand, considering the mistake you made, I demote you half a rank, be a deputy battalion commander for now, but temporarily act as the company commander of your reconnaissance company. After redeeming yourself on the battlefield in the future, you can restore your original position, go!" Liu Zhenfeng said with a wave of his hand.

  "Yes, sir!" Lu Guangyi gave me a military salute and then retreated.

  Liu Zhenfeng smiled and said to the old fellow villager: "Fellow villager, don't be afraid! Our troops are fighting against the devils. Do you understand?"

  "Boss, what are you talking about? I, I don't quite understand!" The old fellow was still very frightened.

  "Damn it, what was I thinking? I'm not Japanese, why did I speak so stiffly? Of course, my fellow countrymen wouldn't understand." Liu Zhenfeng thought gloomily.

  "Oh, uncle, we are the People's Liberation Army... no, I mean, we are the National Revolutionary Army. We were on our way to the front lines to fight against the Japanese devils, but now we're lost in these mountains. I heard that you're familiar with this area, so I hope you can help guide us out." Liu Zhenfeng said sincerely.

  "Fight the devils? Fight the Japanese devils? Oh, I remember now. The other day, some of our young folks who were working in Jiangnan came back with their tails between their legs and told us that the Japanese had invaded, that there was fighting going on in Jiangnan, and that those Japanese soldiers would kill anyone they saw and loot anything they could find - they're really fierce! Are you guys going to fight those Japanese?"

  "Yes, we are going to Jiangnan to fight the devils. The battle is fierce at the front line now, and we need to rush there as soon as possible. I hope Uncle can help us!" Liu Zhenfeng said.

  "Huh? I'm going to work at home, besides the Japanese are fighting in Jiangnan, what does it have to do with us?" This stubborn guy still refused to help.

  "Fellow villager, isn't it true that the Japanese are now fighting in Jiangnan and have nothing to do with us here? But have you ever thought that the Japanese are insatiable, they will eventually come here, don't you want them to bring their 'Three Alls' policy of killing, burning and looting to your village? Fellow villager, we can't let those Eastern devils bully us, please help us out, or I'll kneel down for you!" As he spoke, Liu Zhenfeng really did kneel down in front of him with a thud.

  "Oh no, boss, it can't be! Boss. Alright, I, Old Zhao, will agree to your request, don't worry, boss, I'll definitely take you all to the riverbank." The fellow villager hastily helped Liu Zhenfeng up.

  Seeing his fellow villager agree, Liu Zhenfeng smiled and thanked him. Then, he ordered the whole army to set off immediately.

  Four days later, the 109th Division arrived at Huangjia Town and merged with the 101st and 102nd Divisions that had arrived earlier.

  "Alright, Old Zhang, Old Xu, Old He, Old Wang, and Old Ji. Now Nanjing is surrounded on three sides, even the north side of the Yangtze River is not safe. You can say that Nanjing has become a solitary city. We will advance through the enemy's gap and suddenly appear under the city of Nanjing, killing those little Japanese devils off guard, do you understand?"

  "Alright, General, when are we departing?" Zhang Zizhong, Xu Zhongqiang, He Jiguan and Wang Zhibang asked in unison.

  "Set off immediately, march into Nanjing, remember, when we arrive in Nanjing, we will have a hearty meal of barbarian meat and drink the blood of the Xiongnu while laughing and chatting!" Liu Zhenfeng said with a smile.

  "Yes, General, rest assured. The 101st Division will never forget the motto of our 77th Army: Wherever the sword points, all will be conquered." He Qiying guaranteed to Liu Zhenfeng.

  "General, our 102 Division will sing your military song 'Chinese Military Soul' as we march into Nanjing." Wang Zhibang also said solemnly.

  "Commander, the entire 109th Division will never forget the shame of September 18th and the hatred of Lugou Bridge. We swear to chop down on the devils' heads with our big knives!" Ji Xingwen also made a vow.

  "Alright, let's move!" Liu Zhenfeng excitedly gave the order.

  After another three and a half days of rapid march, they arrived at the foot of Nanjing after evading the Japanese outer troops. At 10:00 on December 13, 1937, the three divisions of the 77th Army arrived near Caichangmen and Shuiximen to hide. Seeing the faint flag on Shuiximen, Chang Zongzhung was shocked and said, "Has Nanjing fallen?"

  "Yes, tens of thousands of defenders have abandoned Nanjing, and the Japanese army has already entered the city." Liu Zhenfeng said with a gloomy face, "Now I order: Zhang Zizhong, you and Ji Xingwen take the 109th Division to immediately go to Xiaguan and Mufushan areas. There are tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians gathered there, I'm worried that the Japanese devils will slaughter them ruthlessly. Remember, at all costs, rescue the soldiers and civilians in those areas."

  "Got it!" Zhang Zizhong and Ji Xingwen replied in unison.

  "Moreover, tens of thousands of elite national army troops may gather in that area. General Zhang, after rescuing them, incorporated as many as possible into the reserve forces under your command. After controlling these scattered soldiers, the 109th Division immediately joined the comprehensive defense!"

  "Yes!"

  After seeing Zhang Zizhong and Ji Xingwen lead the 109th Division to advance towards Xiaguan and Mukou Mountain, Liu Zhenfeng called Wang Zhongbang: "Zhongbang, you immediately lead the 102nd Division to rush into the city. After entering the city, hurry to the safety zone." I said while taking out the Nanjing map and pointing out the location of the safety zone to Wang Zhongbang: "You must ensure the safety of the refugees in the safety zone! Also, here are the armory and logistics warehouse, no matter what method, you must take them over for me."

  "Yes! General, rest assured that the mission will be accomplished!" After Wang Zhibang saluted me with a military salute, he led his troops to attack the weakly defended Shuixi Gate.

  "General He Jianguo, you lead the 1st Brigade of the 101st Division from Caochangmen to enter the city and engage in street fighting, striving to drive out the Japanese army. Xu Zhongqiang follows the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Division into the city from Shuiximen, targeting the Presidential Palace, assisting the 1st Brigade in driving out the Japanese army. The 3rd Brigade and the Military Department Guard Regiment will be led by me to capture the Yuhua Tai position, let's go!"

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