Rise from eight hundred.

Chapter 1439 Ugly Undercurrent

"We won a complete victory in the Battle of Shipai!"

"The 150,000 soldiers of our Third and Fifth Theaters fought bravely and repelled the enemy!"

"Our navy, army and air force work together to repel the Japanese invaders!"

Along with the press conference for Chinese and foreign journalists held impatiently by the Chinese Ministry of Military and Political Affairs on the evening of the 24th, newspapers in major cities across China publicized the victory of the Shipai Defense Battle on their front pages in the early morning of the 25th.

The person was praised with the most lavish words, which made his reputation reach another peak since the victory of the Battle of Taierzhuang, just as he had expected.

He was naturally in a very good mood. He specially called the Minister of the Military and Political Department to his official residence and decided to award the Blue Sky Medal to the chief officers of the division level and above who participated in the Shipai Defense War.

This is a big deal, even the annihilation of the 106th Division at Wanjialing during the Battle of Central China had never happened before.

"Tang Dao of the Fourth Regiment is only a colonel, but his military exploits..." Minister He's mind flashed with Tang Dao's handsome face. Although he felt that it would spoil the guy's mood a bit, he still raised this question that would upset him.

In terms of military achievements, the Sixing Regiment firmly held the left wing of the Shipai central position with the strength of a single regiment, allowing the 11th Division to deploy all its forces to the front battlefield, which was also the main factor in the victory. Moreover, the enemy that the Sixing Regiment blocked was two detachments plus the main force of a division, which was even more pressure than what the 18th Division had to bear.

More importantly, the Sihang Regiment successfully completed a counterattack and captured the main force of the 39th Division when the main force of the Japanese army began to retreat. It is now implementing the encirclement and annihilation of this Japanese army.

It was rare to counterattack and kill thousands of Japanese soldiers in countless battles. Once successful, it would definitely boost the morale of the army and civilians across the country. At this critical moment, Minister He felt that it was a bit unreasonable not to give the commander Tang a Blue Sky Medal.

"Captain Tang of the Four-Line Regiment is still a little too young. He is very talented, but he is only 25 years old, and he is placed among a group of old men. What do you think those veterans who have fought for the country for more than years will think?

Our ancestors said: A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind! It is a good thing to be famous at a young age, but it may be the biggest obstacle to his future progress. Let him polish his skills in his current position and wait for the right time to let him return to the mountain city to be the military secretary of the minister, or my aide-de-camp. "The man stroked his smooth scalp and answered in a slightly feminine Jiangzhe accent.

The man's eyes were staring out the window. Minister He, who was sitting next to him, could not see the flicker in his eyes, but he sighed slightly in his heart. He knew his boss and opponent too well.

The fact that Tang Dao fought side by side with the 80th Army in the north and cooperated closely with them really touched his bottom line, so he hurriedly transferred the Four-Line Regiment away from the North China battlefield. On the surface, it was because of the request of Commander Li of the Fifth War Zone, but in fact the main reason was related to the 80th Army.

Even when the Four-Line Regiment was marching to the mountain city, he had considered leaving the Four-Line Regiment behind as a garrison outside the mountain city. If it weren't for the fact that the Japanese army's intention to attack Shipai Fortress was obvious, and the two commanders Li and Chen had not sent a telegram requesting to send more elite troops to Shipai to participate in the battle, the Tang Dao and the Four-Line Regiment would probably still be waiting for military orders in the mountain city.

Being so wary of Tang Dao, how could he be willing to award the Blue Sky Medal to Tang Dao at this time?

Of course, the reason why he was so stingy, even not giving out medals, was actually closely related to the fact that the Tang sword itself was too good.

The war entered its fourth year. Tang Dao led the Four-Line Regiment in battles across the country and experienced dozens of battlefields. He already had two Blue Sky Medals and countless Baoding Medals. If he got another one, he would be the first soldier in the entire Chinese military to have such an honor. He had already served as an army colonel for three years. Just picking out any one of his military exploits would be enough to make him a general.

  It would be fine to promote Tang Dao alone, as a major general is not considered an important figure in the entire Chinese military system. But the key point is that the current Four-Line Regiment has long been a special regiment, and its apparent organization is larger than the ordinary two-regiment infantry brigade. Add to that those who are not on the roster and it will be transformed into a brigade. How strong will it be?

A disobedient tiger is leading a group of wolves, and is also making friends with tough guys like the Northeast Army, Northwest Army, Sichuan Army, Yunnan Army, and the 80th Group Army, who have different political views. If anyone were to sit in that position, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to keep the tiger to themselves and cause harm!

  However, if it were peacetime, Minister He would agree with this person's choice without hesitation, but what time is it now? It is the moment of life and death for the entire country and nation. As the top military and political figure in China at this time, he should unite all the forces that can be united to drive away the foreign enemies with a common hatred!

"Well, I also know that Tang Dao and the Four-Line Regiment made great contributions in this battle. If you don't reward them, it will be embarrassing for you as the Minister of Military Affairs.

Tell the Fifth War Zone that the compensation for the officers and soldiers of the Four-Line Regiment who died in this battle can be increased by 20%; the captain officers with military merits can enjoy the salary of an Army major, and the same applies to majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels; in addition, the officers above the rank of major who have military merits in the Four-Line Regiment can return to the mountain city to attend the higher education classes held by the Central Military Academy according to their personal wishes! "The feminine Jiang-Zhejiang accent continued to sound.

"Okay! I will convey your intention to Commander Li." Minister He nodded.

. . . . . . . . .

"Oh! That guy has a good plan! He's going to start the internal disintegration of the Four Banks Group now? I don't think it's as easy as he thought." After receiving the telegram from the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs, Admiral Li smiled faintly and threw the telegram on his desk, his eyes full of disdain.

"Sir, do you mean the higher education class?" An army lieutenant general sitting next to him seemed to be thinking about something.

"The so-called higher education classes are just a way of winning over the hearts of various factions and strengthening their own faction's army under the guise of training middle and senior military officers!" Commander Li said calmly.

"It's not enough to just be loyal to the country and the army. You have to be loyal to him as well. Otherwise, even if you enter this higher education class, you may not be promoted quickly. If Tang Dao is really willing to let his trusted backbone go, believe it or not, several majors and battalion commanders will be parachuted in to grab this position immediately."

"Tang Dao is just younger, not stupid. How could he do such a stupid thing? That..." The Army Lieutenant General's eyes flashed.

"The man who could defeat so many elders and ascend to this position is not an easy person to deal with. He is killing two birds with one stone. Tang Dao is unwilling to send people, which means he just wants to keep his troops to himself and has long had ulterior motives. No special reward would be a punishment for him. If he sends people, it will be exactly what he wants. Sending his own capable men into the Four Lines Regiment, even if he cannot control the Four Lines Regiment, but at least he can grasp the movements of the Four Lines Regiment and know what they are going to do, as well as the unknown secrets of Tang Dao." Admiral Li looked deep.

"After all, the Tang sword is still too young and does not know how to restrain its edge. It has also been too close to the 80th Army in North China, which has eventually brought disaster. Alas! I originally thought that with the elite troops of the Four-Line Regiment, my Fifth War Zone would have an extra helping hand, but now..." The Army Lieutenant General sighed slightly.

As a core figure of the Guangxi clique, he knew how powerful that person was. Even Li and Bai could not defeat him. Being targeted by such a person, even if his Tang sword was powerful, he would probably only be able to waste his whole life at the rank of Army Colonel. He might even be caught by the all-pervasive Military Control Commission one day and thrown into jail.

"Forget it. Since the Four-Line Regiment came from afar to avenge our Fifth War Zone and bring honor to us, I will help them this time." Admiral Li shook his head. "Draft a telegram to the Military and Political Department in the name of the War Zone Staff, saying that there are still more than 6000 Japanese invaders in the Battle of Shipai, and the Four-Line Regiment, as the main force besieging the Japanese invaders, cannot spare any manpower for the time being. When the war slows down, the War Zone Staff will notify them to select outstanding officers to return to Shancheng for training."

"This" the Army Lieutenant General hesitated after a slight pause.

This means that the theater command took a bullet for Tang Dao, especially since the leader of the Guangxi clique that he followed had a grudge against that person. In this case, that person would be even more dissatisfied.

"Hai Shan, just do as I say." Admiral Li had made up his mind. "As the saying goes, if there are too many lice, you won't be afraid of them. He has long disliked me, so why should I be afraid of one more? Besides, he just suddenly fell in love with me that day. How can he assign the 71st Army, 74th Army, and 18th Army to my theater of operations?

Oh, remember to forward the original text of the military and political department's telegram to Tang Dao, and call him again after an hour, and tell him to just focus on destroying these little devils, and that the war zone will coordinate with the military and political department on other matters."

"Yes!" The Army Lieutenant General instantly understood what his boss meant.

Instead of trying to please a boss who will never like you, it is better to grab a younger brother who can fight and kill.

The Four-Line Regiment proved with its strength that the reputation they had earned on the battlefield in North China was absolutely well-deserved, and even better than their reputation.

The Battle of Shipai was mainly fought by the Third War Zone, with the Fifth War Zone only playing a supporting role. Together with the Four-Line Regiment that went directly to the battlefield from the mountain city, it had no more than 4 troops, which was just a supporting role.

The defense lines of two infantry divisions on the periphery were breached by the Japanese army, which made the Fifth War Zone a little embarrassed. It could only pin its hopes on the Four-Line Regiment, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the war zone.

As a result, when the battle report came, even the lieutenant general chief of staff, who had been in the army for 20 years, could not help but gasp.

The Sihang Regiment was a special forces regiment with only 5000 people, but the Japanese army came up with a detachment and half of the 39th Division. The 39th Division was the victim of the Fifth War Zone, and the commander of the 33rd Army Group died under their siege. That was an enemy that five divisions could not stop, so how could the Sihang Regiment escape unscathed from their attack?

What's even more terrible is that the Four-Line Regiment cannot retreat. Once it retreats, the 11th Division in the central position of Shipai will be surrounded by the Japanese army on several sides. Even if it preserves its strength, the loss of Shipai Fortress and the annihilation of the 11th Division will be enough to cost the heads of several chief officers of the Four-Line Regiment.

During those days, the lights in the Fifth War Zone Headquarters were almost never turned off, as they waited for the battle reports from the Fourth Line Regiment. As the Lieutenant General Chief of Staff, he only managed to sleep for two or three hours on a simple camp bed with his clothes on for several days in a row. He was in a state of extreme anxiety most of the time, even though the daily battle reports from the Fourth Line Regiment looked quite encouraging, about repelling the Japanese attacks.

Not only were the Four-Line Regiment elite troops brought to the war zone by the commander using all his connections, but they were also the face of the entire Fifth War Zone.

They needed to redeem themselves with victory after losing the face in last year's Zaoyi Battle.

Unexpectedly, on the 21st, the battle situation suddenly changed. A 7000-man Zhengu Detachment bypassed the defense line and went straight to Sifang Bay, where the headquarters of the Sihang Regiment, which consisted of only one battalion, was located. When the battle report came, not to mention the Lieutenant General Chief of Staff, even the usually stern General Li's face was full of anxiety.

If the theater headquarters was not 400 kilometers away from Shipai, the Lieutenant General Chief of Staff would have reason to believe that his commander-in-chief, who had smoked five or six cigarettes in a row, would be able to send even the theater headquarters' guard division for support.

But the Four-Line Regiment gave everyone a huge surprise. In just one day, they defeated the frantically attacking Jingu Detachment and completed the encirclement.

On the evening of the 22nd, Admiral Li, who usually had a poor appetite, ate two large bowls of rice, which was a rare occurrence. For a man in his fifties who was about to enter old age, that was indeed an excessive amount.

However, this also shows his irrepressible joy.

The surprises were not over yet. After the main force of the Japanese army on the front battlefield began to withdraw on the 24th, the 39th Regiment unexpectedly launched an almost epic move to cut off their retreat. They used an infantry company lurking in the mountains to resolutely block the only mountain pass through which the main remnants of the th Division could retreat.

When the 4th Regiment telegraphed the tactical plan to the theater staff, the Lieutenant General Chief of Staff felt that his hair was about to stand up.

There was fear like a raging storm, joy like a tide, and admiration for the Tang sword's determination and madness.

What is shocking is that a reinforced infantry company with only more than 200 soldiers had to hold off the crazy attack of more than 4000 Japanese troops for 6 hours. This is a decision that no commander could imagine and would not make.

That would be almost like sending more than 200 Chinese soldiers to their deaths. Would anyone be willing to carry out this military order that is like a moth flying into a flame?

The good news is that the 39th Division, a unit that the 5th War Zone hated so much, actually had its day. If they were really trapped in the mountains and it was the 33th War Zone that managed to deal with it, then the morale of the entire troops of the th War Zone, who had been frustrated for more than half a year, would be greatly boosted, especially the rd Army Group whose commander had been killed in battle.

Tang Dao could have avoided such a risk and waited for the Japanese army to withdraw so as to reap the fruits of victory in the Battle of Shipai, but he still did so, just to keep the main force of the 39th Division in the beautiful mountains of China.

"My troops have joined forces with friendly forces from the 18th Army and have successfully encircled the Japanese 231st Infantry Regiment!" When the telegram from the Four-Line Regiment arrived several hours later, the excited Lieutenant General Chief of Staff picked up the telegram and rushed to the headquarters. He even forgot to wipe away the tears that were flashing in the corners of his eyes due to extreme excitement, and was teased by General Li for this.

You say, is it worth it for such an elite infantry regiment to offend the person who protects him in the war zone? It is definitely worth it.

Even when the Lieutenant General Chief of Staff was leaving the headquarters, he was already thinking of suggesting to his superiors to transfer Tang Dao to be the deputy director of the Operations Department of his general staff, of course, on a part-time basis. Since that officer did not want to be promoted, then he would come to the war zone.

The deputy director of the Operations Department of the theater staff has the right to participate in tactical advice for the theater. Although his rank is not high, his actual power is considerable. Even the commanders of various divisions have to greet him with a smile when they meet him.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Haha! That guy has been blatantly on guard against us, and now he's too lazy to even do the superficial work and has resorted to such crude tricks as cutting off the source of the problem." Tang Dao threw the telegram forwarded by the theater command to Ye Chenghuan with a look of contempt on his face.

"Although Commander Li has his own little tricks, our regiment still has to accept this favor." Ye Chenghuan picked up the telegram and read it for a long time, his eyes full of solemnity.

"Thanks to Commander Li, the 231 heads of the 4000st Regiment within the encirclement are almost enough." Tang Dao pointed to the depths of the mountains in front of him, his eyes full of resentment and regret.

"I originally thought that he was a leader of a country and had some tolerance, but now I realize that I overestimated him. I and thousands of my brothers in the Four Lines Group are willing to sacrifice our lives for this country and nation, but he still ignores the overall situation and focuses on factional disputes. How can such a person not fail?"

"Captain, you mean..." Ye Chenghuan's face suddenly changed.

Although Ye Chenghuan, who came from the 80th Army, did not like that man, as a Chinese, the Japanese invaders were currently the biggest enemy. When he heard Tang Dao say that he was defeated, he was naturally shocked.

"We didn't lose to the Japanese devils, but to the Chinese people." Tang Dao looked at his deputy and said meaningfully.

"Brother Ye, I can assure you that as long as we Chinese do not give up on ourselves, we can definitely realize our ideal country. Although it still has many shortcomings and regrets, our sons and grandsons will not have to worry about filling their stomachs in the war every day, and they will not have to worry about what will happen tomorrow. They will be happy."

"Of course I believe it! Isn't that what our generation is fighting for even at the cost of our lives?" Ye Chenghuan put his worries aside and grinned, revealing his white teeth.

"It's just, Captain."

As a comrade who has worked with Tang Dao for nearly three years, he clearly saw the anger and unwillingness in Tang Dao's eyes. He understood the anger, but why was there such unwillingness?

"Commander Li means well, but it has invisibly increased that person's fear of our regiment. Our regiment may have to keep a low profile in the next year or two, and it will be difficult for us to achieve anything big." Tang Dao sighed softly and turned his head to the south.

He originally wanted to participate in the first overseas combat of Chinese soldiers in nearly a hundred years, but now it seems that the possibility is very slim.

He would never allow an elite infantry regiment that was associated with the 80th Army and that his old rival was willing to protect at the risk of offending him to grow stronger again.

His telegram was more of a test of the position of the Four-Line Regiment in the heart of General Li than a test of the Tang Dao.

Officer Li might not have failed to see the other person's intention, but from his perspective, this way of handling the matter was more in his interest.

Up to now, the Four-Line Group is just a small boat in a river with undercurrents. Whether it can successfully reach the other side depends on God's will.

But so what?

Since he has come to this era, he has killed tens of thousands of people, even though they are as brutal as the Japanese invaders! Tang Dao put away the regret and unwillingness in his eyes, and his fighting spirit surged up again.

  If someone makes him unhappy, then he might as well kill some devils to vent his anger!

(End of this chapter)