Chapter Eleven Changsha

  After staying in the war zone hospital for about a week, Lin Xiaotang secretly left the hospital. On the one hand, he benefited from his super strong recovery ability, and his recovery speed was twice that of ordinary people; on the other hand, Xiao Shanling, who arranged for him to be hospitalized, unexpectedly had an accident, and he always felt like he was being watched.

  A week ago, Xiao Shanling was knocked unconscious by thunder and sent to a retreating merchant ship, after which he returned to Jiangbei. Initially, public opinion unanimously believed that Xiao Shanling remained calm in the face of danger this time, took charge and led the military and civilians to retreat from Nanjing, sending nearly 100,000 people to Jiangbei in just two days, creating a miracle. Therefore, the National Government will surely heavily reward those with merit.

  But what came was a warrant for his arrest, and the news leaked out quickly. The reason for arresting Xiao Shan's commander was that he disobeyed orders and did not retreat according to the original plan, resulting in chaos during the withdrawal from Nanjing, with countless military and civilian casualties, so he would be handed over to the military court for trial.

  As soon as the news came out, the whole nation was in an uproar. One million soldiers and civilians were enraged, and public opinion across the country was boiling over.

  The Battle of Nanjing, the National Government initially insisted on resisting, and even all the citizens of the city were not evacuated. In the later period, they retreated in a hurry, without making a detailed and meticulous withdrawal plan, let alone the high-ranking officials of various troops abandoning their troops and civilians, rushing to escape to the north of the river, causing the rapid collapse of Nanjing's defense. How can all this be blamed on Commander Xiao Shan? The National Government's move is obviously treating Commander Xiao Shan as a scapegoat for the fall of Nanjing.

  The soldiers and civilians who escaped from Nanjing flocked to Wuhan and Chongqing to petition the government, demanding the release of meritorious officials and holding accountable the military leaders responsible for the fall of Nanjing. For a time, the whole city was in an uproar, and the reputation of the National Government plummeted.

  For such a result, Lin Xiaotang was not surprised at all. His purpose in meeting with Xiao Shanling earlier was also for this reason. However, Xiao Shanling, who had experienced many ups and downs in his official career, had already realized that this situation was unavoidable, so he sought to die in battle at the gate of Yi Jiang, in order to preserve his reputation as a loyal and righteous man. He was rescued by Lei Zhen, but still could not avoid this disaster of being imprisoned.

  However, before being taken to Chongqing, the commander of Xiaoshan had already arranged for Lin Xiaotang's itinerary. His deputy personally sent Lin Xiaotang secretly onto the train heading south to Changsha. Before departure, Lin Xiaotang and Laoquan came to the riverbank, paying their respects from afar to Lei Zhen and Shen Chang who died at Jiangmen. Laoquan was promoted to company commander and had to follow the instruction team to Wuhan for reorganization, after the ceremony, he bid farewell to everyone.

  Looking at the deputy officer's worried and bitter expression, Lin Xiaotang couldn't help but comfort him a few words. At present, this situation is only temporary, the capture of Xiao Shanling is just a game between high-level government officials, after all, many generals participated in the Battle of Nanjing, various forces are intertwined, the government needs someone to bear certain responsibilities to cover up for the high-level.

  But the leader is not a fool, the great achievement of Xiaoshanling is obvious. If he couldn't evacuate these 100,000 people from Nanjing, the pressure on the government would be even greater. With the recent pressure from all walks of society, the final result can only be whitewashed. The government will make a gesture, rewarding those who have merit and punishing those who have faults, so Xiaoshanling will definitely be reused.

  He Chong and Chu Yuyan accompanied Lin Xiaotang, He Chong was going to report to the Changsha Garrison Command, he also made a contribution this time, plus Lin Xiaotang sent him the sword of the Eagle Forest Regiment Commander, He Chong suddenly became a hero strongly promoted by the National Army.

  This made He Chong feel very embarrassed, but Lin Xiaotang explained it clearly. As an ordinary citizen, even if he acknowledged this achievement, he would only receive some reward money and become a cover person for the newspaper. The samurai sword would not be of much value, on the other hand, He Chong could become a model in the military and also inspire the soldiers to make achievements and kill enemies.

  He Chong this time was promoted to lieutenant colonel staff at the Garrison Command, which is a promotion beyond his rank. It's said that the Ninth War Zone will be established with Changsha as its center, and He Chong will likely be further promoted. This sparked Lin Xiaotang's interest in He Chong, and he suspected that He must have a very strong background to get such a lucrative position. With the surname He and being from Xingyi, Guizhou, it couldn't be... Lin Xiaotang couldn't help but smack his lips, if that's true, then this three-rank promotion wouldn't be surprising at all.

  As for Chu Yuyan, she had to go to Changsha to rely on relatives and friends. Unlike the first time they met, after going through this disaster, she seemed to have become much quieter. A head of unremarkable short hair, a plain-colored cotton robe that completely covered up her original charm and radiance, at a glance, she was just a delicate female student.

  He Chong had a good impression of Chu Yuyan and kept talking to her along the way, but Chu Yuyan was always cold and distant, with no idea what she was thinking in her heart.

  He Chong mentioned a military officer named Pei Zhongwei on the road. It is said that he was beaten by Lei Zhen, and then directly driven to Chongqing. Lin Xiaotang asked about He Chong's relationship with him, but He Chong just smiled bitterly. He and Pei Zhongwei used to be in a superior-subordinate relationship, and Pei Zhongwei had helped him a lot when he first entered the army. That was all, but unexpectedly, Pei Zhongwei turned around and abandoned him, escaping alone.

  He Chong's straightforward and clear-cut personality, with a clear distinction between kindness and resentment, was actually very much to Lin Xiaotang's taste, and his good impression of He Chong increased by several points.

  The train did not run fast all the way, and the railway had to respond to the bombing of Japanese planes from time to time, so it stopped and went, until four days later, it arrived in Changsha, the capital of Hunan.

  Even so, the train waited outside the station for nearly three hours before being allowed in.

  After entering the station, people on the train discovered that all the trains that had entered the station before were military trains transporting troops. The platform was packed with soldiers gathering, and the sound of commands echoed back and forth. Everywhere you looked, there were uniforms of various colors. The Central Army stood out among all the troops, with neat and tidy uniforms, wearing shiny black German-style steel helmets, brand new deep yellow uniforms, and leather combat boots on their feet. The worst off were the Sichuan troops, who wore half-old blue uniforms, carried straw hats and big knives on their backs, and most of them wore cloth shoes or grass sandals, with some even barefoot.

  It wasn't until an hour later, after a big commotion, that the passengers on the train were finally allowed to disembark. The Garrison Command had already sent people and cars to wait for He Chong at the platform, which further confirmed Lin Xiaotang's previous speculation about his background - a small colonel's staff officer could actually get the Garrison Command to send people and cars personally, He Chong was indeed not simple.

  Changsha, also known as "Linxing" and " Tanzhou", is located in the southwest of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is a famous ancient city of Chu culture. At present, the Battle of Wuhan is imminent. Once Wuhan falls, Changsha will become the focus and front line of national resistance against Japan. In order to open up the road to the south, the Japanese army must capture the strategic town of Changsha. After the National Government moved its capital to Chongqing, the newly established Ninth War Zone in Changsha will also become the most important barrier for the Kuomintang government.

  Sitting in the car, Lin Xiaotang looked out of the window at the streetscape of Changsha, listening to the driver's introduction. At this time, it was already sunset, and the famous Eight Corners Pavilion, Simenkou, Red Card Building and other prosperous areas of Changsha had just lit up their lights, with crowded streets filled with people coming and going, mixed with the shouts of local vendors and rickshaw drivers, making it very lively.

  He Chong pointed at the roadside and asked the driver what that meant. Counterattack of the Republic of China's special agent 11

  Lin Xiaotang looked over, but it was a slogan painted on the wall. The slogan had obviously been there for some years, and the white paint had faded significantly. On it was written: "Don't scold people with your mouth, and even more don't hit people with your hands!"

  The driver smiled and was about to respond, but Lin Xiaotang beat him to it: "Although people from Changsha live a comfortable life, enjoy drinking tea, eating at restaurants, playing mahjong, etc., they are actually strong-willed, hardworking, and fond of martial arts. They often get into fights after a disagreement, which is why you can see signs like this in the streets and alleys of Changsha, as well as at bus stations." Lin Xiaotang still remembered that the famous Hunan writer Yan Guaiyu had once written: "It's said that if China were to perish, it would only be because all the people from Hunan had died. When asked why, the answer is: 'Because we have many strong and brave men in our three rivers region, who are straightforward, honest, and willing to sacrifice themselves.'" This shows the fierce nature of people from Changsha, and even more so, that of people from Hunan.

  The driver asked strangely: "Have you been to Changsha before?"

  Lin Xiaotang didn't answer, he thought, perhaps it was that ghost attached to the depths of his own soul who had come.

  Lin Xiaotang and He Chong first sent Chu Yuyan to a warehouse called "Dafa" in Sima Li, according to Chu Yuyan, this is her uncle's property, she also often supported him when she was in Nanjing, so after Nanjing fell, she planned to come here to seek refuge.

  Chu Yuyan's relative was a middle-aged man in his forties, surnamed Zhang, who was not tall and had a dark complexion with a large black mole on the bridge of his nose. He was the manager of the Da Fa warehouse and was very enthusiastic when he saw Chu Yuyan, hastily inviting several people inside, but was politely declined by Lin Xiaotang and the others.

  Lin Xiaotang looked at Zhang Zhuanggui and Chu Yuyan in front of her, and a thread of doubt inexplicably arose in her heart. The two people's appearance had no resemblance to each other whatsoever. What was even more surprising to Lin Xiaotang was that Zhang Zhuanggui didn't seem the least bit surprised by Chu Yuyan's sudden arrival. Could it be that Chu Yuyan had informed him beforehand?

  Thinking of this, Lin Xiaotang couldn't help but laugh at his own sensitivity. Ever since that ghost visited him, the change in his personality was really too great. Sometimes, even he himself felt a deep sense of unfamiliarity, just like with Chu Yuyan - they were clearly just passing acquaintances, so why bother taking the trouble?

  After getting on the bus, He Chong still kept looking back. Lin Xiaotang patted his shoulder: "Forget it, don't think nonsense, you're not suitable for her."

  He Chong was somewhat dissatisfied: "How can you be so sure?"

  Lin Xiaotang counted on her fingers: "When Lao Quan recognized her, you were also present. What kind of work does she do? You are very clear about it. Even if you are willing a hundred times, what about your family? Will they allow you to marry such a woman into the house? Besides, this woman has been in that environment for so long. I must declare beforehand that I absolutely don't mean to look down on her. What I mean is that she is also a famous socialite in Nanjing, familiar with many high-ranking officials. Do you think that even if she is willing to devote herself to you and live a simple life, would you dare take her out in public?"

  He Chong fell silent.

  Lin Xiaotang smiled slightly: "However, if you can continue to get promoted and spend some money to support her, that's not bad either!"