“Quick, Lao Wang, organize the soldiers to quickly send these spoils back to our base. Also, Lao Liu has organized quite a few villagers to drive ox carts and donkey carts to help us transport things. They should be near Suzhou now. Get in touch with them quickly!”
“Of course, we can’t let the villagers work for us for nothing. Give each of them 10 jin of flour. These tasks are left to you, Lao Wang. I trust you with the logistics and transportation!”
Xiao Yun patted Political Commissar Wang Yan’s shoulder, bringing him back to his senses.
“Right, right, we have to get these treasures back to the base, lest something unforeseen happens!”
Wang Yan knew the Japanese would never let the 399th Brigade occupy Suzhou City for long. When they had a moment, they would definitely try to take it back.
Therefore, these spoils obtained from the attack on Suzhou had to be quickly transported back to the base. The mountainous region was the Bǎn Lù Army’s territory!
Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Zhang Da Miao, the three hopeless fellows, wiped their mouths with their sleeves, their mouths almost watering.
Knowing the value of these spoils, they immediately arranged for the soldiers to help Political Commissar Wang Yan with the transportation.
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The 399th Brigade was celebrating the New Year with joy, diligently transporting the spoils. Meanwhile, in Taiyuan, at the Japanese First Army headquarters...
After receiving the farewell telegram from Nakamura Ichiro’s 222nd Regiment, Shinozuka Yoshio was so furious he slammed his fist on the table, smashing several of his favorite porcelain pieces in the process.
The Japanese communication soldier stood at attention, his head nearly buried in his chest in fear.
Shinozuka Yoshio, who always prided himself on being a scholar-warrior, had become so volatile. It was clear that the 399th Brigade had dealt a severe blow to the Japanese this time.
There was no need to send reinforcements to Suzhou City anymore. Most of the First Army’s troops were now concentrated in the Jinan region.
The troops sent to reinforce Suzhou City were all drawn from the garrisons of other cities.
This had left other cities with depleted forces, weakening their defenses.
If they were to encounter a large-scale attack by the Zhōnghuá army at this time, they might find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. For now, they could only swallow their pride.
When the Jinan campaign was won and their forces were more abundant, they would settle the score with the 399th Brigade!
Shinozuka Yoshio made up his mind and immediately gave his order.
“Order the troops dispatched from Xinxian, Datong, Xinzhou, and Lǘliang to reinforce Suzhou to return to their posts. Cancel the reinforcement plan!”
“Hai yi!”
The Japanese communication soldier was relieved, like he had been pardoned, his back nearly bending at 180 degrees.
Not long after the communication soldier left, the phone in Shinozuka Yoshio’s office rang.
“Hello, this is Shinozuka Yoshio, hai yi! Hai yi! After the Jinan campaign is over, I will definitely dispatch troops to encircle and wipe out the 399th Brigade!”
After hanging up the phone, Shinozuka Yoshio’s already grim face turned an alarming shade of blue.
The call had been from the North China Expeditionary Force headquarters. Clearly, they had learned about the liberation of Suzhou by the 399th Brigade and were furious, specially calling to reprimand Shinozuka Yoshio.
Since their invasion of China, they had been on the offensive, conquering cities and territories, with reports of victory coming in every day.
Yet, the First Army had lost a city in Shanxi Province to the Zhōnghuá army, and not just any small county. This was a humiliation not just for the First Army, but for the entire North China Expeditionary Force in front of the Imperial General Headquarters.
The most direct pressure, undoubtedly, fell on Shinozuka Yoshio, the commander of the First Army. General Dota Jyun, commander of the North China Expeditionary Force, had personally called to reprimand him.
He ordered the First Army to immediately eliminate the 399th Brigade after the Jinan campaign ended.
.................................
“Good, this battle is uplifting! Xiao Yun is truly a tiger general!”
At the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, the Deputy Commander, who had been restless and worried about the situation in the Suzhou campaign, received reports from various Eighth Route Army units confirming that the Japanese reinforcements had retreated.
He knew that this must mean that Xiao Yun’s 399th Brigade had already conquered Suzhou City, otherwise the Japanese would not have so easily abandoned the reinforcements.
He placed the teacup in his hand on the table, stood up excitedly, and exclaimed loudly. This battle had created a precedent in the Anti-Japanese War for recovering lost territory. Even if it was only temporary, its strategic and symbolic importance was immense!
It meant that, in the face of the Japanese onslaught, the Zhōnghuá army was not only capable of retreating step by step, but also capable of launching counteroffensives on local battlefields.
This would undoubtedly have a visible boost to the morale of the Anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians!
Beyond these implications, capturing Suzhou City would also bring many benefits to the 399th Brigade and the Bǎn Lù Army.
Suzhou City, a key town in Northwest Shanxi, had a large supply of goods, including machine tools.
This was like coal to a dying fire for the Bǎn Lù Army, which lacked industrial capacity!
If it weren’t for the fact that the 399th Brigade was probably very busy transporting their spoils, the Deputy Commander would have sent a telegram or called Xiao Yun personally to inquire about the details.