Very soon, Zhang Xiangchun, who had "swept away" the headquarters of Tada Hayao and set up ambush mines inside, immediately led his assault team back along the original route. When he returned to Zhang Lieyang's side, Zhang Xiangchun smiled and reported: "Report to Young Master, our 27 men have completed the mission successfully!" As he spoke, he handed over Tada Hayao's head and command knife to Zhang Lieyang. Zhang Lieyang looked at them and patted Zhang Xiangchun on the shoulder, saying: "Well done! The timing is just right!" Then Zhang Lieyang immediately ordered his men: "Set up ambush mines, snipers cover, everyone take turns retreating!"

  Zhang Lieyang returned to his post and handed the head of Taida Kawanosuke to Vice-Commander Li Mutian, saying: "You take this and hand it over!"

  "Master, what is this thing?" asked General Liu Fengming in confusion.

  "Tan Dai's head!" Zhang Lieyang said calmly.

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, Li Muzhen flattered and said: "Master is truly formidable! Taking the head of a general as if picking an item from one's pocket!"

  "Alright! Alright, quickly brief me on the current situation!" Zhang Lieyang said impatiently.

  "Reporting to the commander, the 187th Regiment has an advantage in terms of weaponry, so personnel losses are not severe. Other troops are still on defense and have not yet engaged with the enemy."

  "Alright! Order each unit to pay attention to the Japanese army's movements and don't be careless!" Zhang Lieyang said as he walked towards the back.

  Watching Zhang Lieyang leave, Liu Fengming immediately reported Zhang Lieyang's military achievements to the 29th Army. After receiving the battle report, the whole country was shocked!

  The commander of the 29th Army, Song Zheyuan, personally called Zhang Liyuan and said: "Xianzhong! This time you fought well and didn't lose face for us Chinese soldiers, but you also need to be careful about the revenge from those little Japanese!"

  "Got it! General, do you have any other orders?" Zhang Lieyang said seriously.

  "It's none of your business, you just command your troops to fight well!" Song Zheyuan hung up the phone. As soon as the phone was hung up, Chief of Staff Liu Fengming rushed in with a telegram and said: "Commander, an urgent telegram from the Chairman!"

  "Zhang Lieyang smiled as he took the telegram from Liu Fengming's hand and read it: "Zhang Lieyang, I hear that you led your troops to resist the Japanese pirates and beheaded their captives! I specially reward you for this achievement! Your newly formed 13th Division will be expanded into the New 13th Army of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, and you are appointed as Major General and Commander-in-Chief. You are awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with one medal. All officers in your unit will be promoted one rank, and soldiers will receive separate rewards! I hope you continue to carry forward the spirit of our Huangpu Military Academy! Resist the Japanese pirates, defend China! Chiang Kai-shek!"

  After reading the telegram, Zhang Lieyang smiled and said to Liu Fengming: "Congratulations, you are now the Chief of Staff! Then Zhang Lieyang asked: "When will the troops assigned to us arrive?"

  "Headquarters hasn't given orders yet! I guess it's coming soon!" Liu Fengming said, looking at the briefing in his hand.

  Just as Zhang Lieyang and others were rejoicing, Emperor Hirohito of Japan heard that Tadashi Okamura had been killed and beheaded by the Chinese, and angrily said: "Immediately issue an order to let Kiyoshi Shimizu go as the commander of the North China Garrison, and have him resolutely and thoroughly annihilate this Chinese army!"

  The Japanese military headquarters in Tokyo immediately ordered Kiyoshi Shimizu to be the commander of the North China Garrison. Upon receiving the order, Lieutenant General Kiyoshi Shimizu took off from mainland Japan on July 12th and arrived at Tianjin Airport. As soon as he got off the plane, Kiyoshi Shimizu unfolded his plan to invade China.

  On July 14, Chief of Staff Liu Fengming walked into Zhang Lieyang's office with intelligence and said: "Commander, the Japanese Emperor has ordered Xiangyue Qingji to be the commander of the North China Garrison! He took office two days ago on July 12, 1937!" Upon hearing the report from the chief of staff, Zhang Lieyang immediately jumped up from his chair and said: "Order immediately, the garrison troops in Wanping County and Changxindian must evacuate all civilians at all costs before dawn on the 16th! If the civilians refuse to leave, they will be forcibly taken away!"

  "Yes!" The chief of staff went to pass on the order without saying another word!

  Chiang Kai-shek promoted Zhang Lieyang to army commander and concurrently upgraded the 29th Army to a group army, appointing Song Zheyuan as its commander. In this way, Zhang Lieyang took over the defense of Wanping County and Changxindian with an incomplete personnel.

  On the evening of July 15, the Japanese army assembled by Shōzō Kajima gathered in Beiping and Tianjin. To ensure the success of the invasion, the troops assembled by Shōzō Kajima included: The original North China Garrison Army's Kobayashi Seizō Infantry Brigade; The 11th Independent Brigade of the Kwantung Army, also known as the Suzuki Shigenori Mixed Brigade, which entered Beiping from the north through Gubeikou; The Chahar Expeditionary Force Independent Mixed First Brigade, led by Tōjō Hideki, also advanced towards Beiping and occupied Shahetown; The 20th Division of the Japanese garrison in Korea, led by Division Commander Kawabata Bunzaburō, entered Shanhai Pass and invaded areas south of Beiping; The 5th Division, led by Itagaki Seishirō, arrived from Japan via sea route to support the navy's landing at Tanggu; The 2nd Flying Group, led by Andō Saburō, with 120 Japanese aircraft arriving in Tianjin. Additionally, Shōzō Kajima also mobilized approximately 17,000 troops from the Rehe puppet security forces, over 20,000 from the Mengjiang United Autonomous Government's self-defense army, about 12,000 from the Manchukuo-Mengjiang Joint Military Commission, and around 7,000 from the Mongolian Military Government's joint force.

  At 3:00 pm on July 16, the Japanese army began to shell Changxin Village and Wanping Town with 82mm large-caliber mortars!

  Just as the Japanese army was bombarding, Zhang Lieyang also secretly adjusted the artillery deployment! After the Japanese army's bombardment ended, Zhang Lieyang smiled and ordered the artillery brigade commander Wen Xiangdong: "Aim at the Japanese artillery position, 12 rounds of rapid fire!"

  Upon hearing the order, Wen Xiangdong hastily reported the coordinates he had previously measured to the gunner. After a while, a shocking and earth-shaking cannon sound erupted, and Zhang Lieyang, standing in a high position, looked down at the entire battlefield through his high-powered binoculars. After a while, Zhang Lieyang smiled as he took over the walkie-talkie beside him and said: "Wen Xiangdong, immediately order your artillery to shift 40 degrees to the right, target the enemy tank with cannon fire in a covering attack!"

  Then I saw tanks in the distance being blown up one by one under the cover of artillery fire!

  It was July 28th, and Zhang Lieyang came to the commanding heights that overlooked the entire battlefield as usual. He gazed at everything around him with a high-powered telescope. At this moment, the chief of staff reported to Zhang Lieyang through the walkie-talkie: "Commander, the Japanese army is attacking Nanyuan, and Deputy Commander Tong Linke and the commander of the 132nd Division, Zhao Dengyu, are leading the 29th Army in a desperate defense of Nanyuan. Deputy Commander Tong was shot in the leg by machine guns, but he refused to retreat despite his injuries and continued to lead his troops in battle. He fought bravely from dawn till noon, but suffered another severe head wound and eventually died heroically due to excessive blood loss; Commander Zhao Dengyu of the 132nd Division was killed in a Japanese air raid!

  Upon hearing the information from the walkie-talkie, Zhang Lieyang was stunned because in his history textbook, he was China's first high-ranking general to die for the country when the war broke out! After regaining his composure, Zhang Lieyang just wanted to give orders when he heard the confidential staff officer report: "Commander, the Group Army Headquarters requires us to withdraw from all fronts!" Upon hearing the confidential staff officer's words, Zhang Lieyang took a deep breath and asked: "Withdraw to where?"

  "Deploy the Zhengzhou First Line of Defense thoroughly!" The chief of staff replied seriously.