AWB Chapter 298 The Dilemma of the Fengtian Marshal's Mansion
Chapter 298 The Dilemma of the Fengtian Marshal's Mansion
The frontline command post of Chen Jiajun's army in Jinzhou.
The telegraph machine next to the sand table kept ticking away, and more than a dozen staff officers were busily drawing up the latest enemy and friendly situation map.
On the huge military map on the wall, two glaring red arrows are slowly advancing from the east bank of the Liao River, pointing directly at the Northeast Army's Jinzhou defense line.
"Ding! Tactical radar map updated. Enemy armored advance force has crossed Raoyang River."
"Ding! The 'Haidongqing' aircraft group of the First Flight Squadron of the Chen Family Army Air Force has crossed Shanhaiguan Pass. The transfer coordinates are normal. It is expected to arrive at the front line in 2.5 hours."
Chen Zijun tugged at the top button around his neck, staring at the two red arrows on the map, his eyes as deep as an icy pool.
"Young Marshal, there's some activity at the Marshal's Mansion in Fengtian."
Shen Li, holding a newly translated coded telegram, strode over with an undisguised sneer on his face.
"After Zhang Xiaoliuzi surrendered Nanjing, he hadn't even settled in when he sent three urgent telegrams to Chang Guangtou, requesting that the Central Army immediately march north to unite and fight against Japan together."
"Just now, a reply arrived from Nanjing."
"Zhang Xiaoliuzi complained in the telegram that he was poor, saying that he only had a little over 100,000 mobile troops left, and the Liaohe River defense line was about to be breached by the Japanese."
Chen Zijun turned around, picked up the enamel mug on the table, took a sip of hot water, and sneered:
"What can Chang Guangtou say? He'll just issue a commendation order, give Zhang Xiaoliu a prestigious but empty title, and send a bunch of empty promises that are too good to be true."
"As for a single soldier, a single bullet, they won't give us even a hair."
Shen Li was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"Young Marshal, you're practically a mind reader for Baldy Chang!"
"Jinling's reply was exactly the same as yours, saying that 'a serious protest has been lodged with the League of Nations,' and that Zhang Jialiang should 'hold firm and wait for reinforcements, and refrain from being hasty and impatient,' and not escalate the conflict so as not to affect the overall diplomatic situation."
"That old bastard, he talks a lot about national righteousness, but all he does is scheme for his own personal gain."
Chen Zijun curled his lip in disdain and casually placed the enamel mug on the edge of the sand tray:
"Chang Guangtou himself is still arguing with Li Zongren in the south, Wang Jijian on the ground, and Yan Baichuan in the north. He can't even sit still in Nanjing. How can he possibly manage the mess in the Northeast?"
"Zhang Xiaoliu thought he could play the political game between us and Japan by finding a nominal lord. He's stupid to the core."
"He simply doesn't understand that in Nanjing's eyes, the Northeast Army is nothing more than a piece of fat meat used to fill the gaps between the Japanese devils' teeth and wear down the Kwantung Army."
Meanwhile, at the Marshal's Mansion in Fengtian.
The spacious study was now enveloped in a thick, pungent cloud of cigarette smoke.
Zhang Jialiang, dressed in a crisp woolen military uniform, was a far cry from his usual dashing self. With bloodshot eyes, he paced back and forth in the room like a madman.
On the ground, there were more than a dozen cigarette butts and several broken delicate teacups.
"Damn it! Hold your ground and wait for reinforcements? Adopt a wait-and-see approach?"
Zhang Jialiang abruptly stopped, slammed the telegram bearing the seal of the Nanjing government onto the ground, veins bulging on his forehead, and cursed loudly.
"The Japanese are going to devour the land of more than a dozen counties under my control! People are dying every day on the Liaohe River defense line!"
"He's always out in Nanjing, bald, drinking tea and watching plays, telling me to 'be patient and forbearing'? Why doesn't he come and be patient for me instead!"
Inside the study, several Fengtian generals and their staff looked at each other, none daring to provoke the young marshal at this moment.
"General, Jinling is clearly playing us for fools."
Chief of Staff Yang sighed, bent down to pick up the telegram from the ground, his tone filled with sorrow.
"Two Class A divisions, a total of 60,000 main force Kwantung Army soldiers, along with heavy armored vehicles imported from Europe, have already crossed the Liao River."
"Our brigades in western Liaoning were simply no match for the Japanese heavy artillery and armored onslaught."
"If Nanjing doesn't send reinforcements, our Northeast Army alone will have to rely on the Japanese to completely destroy the Liao River defense line in less than three days!"
"General, shall we retreat?"
A major general wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and made the suggestion with trepidation.
"As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn. Even if we lose the area outside the Great Wall, we can still retreat back inside and preserve our strength!"
"Withdraw? You fucking joking!"
Zhang Jialiang suddenly turned around, pointed at the brigade commander's nose, and cursed loudly, his spittle almost spraying onto the man's face.
"You think the area inside the Great Wall is our territory? Once we're inside, the first thing Chang Bei will do is reorganize and wipe out our Northeast Army. Then nobody will even want you as a platoon leader!"
"Besides, look who's blocking Jinzhou's rear!"
"That bastard Chen Zijun has a motorized infantry division and an armored division, more than 30,000 men, and they're holding Jinzhou City at bay!"
"If I dared to give the order to retreat, Chen's tanks would crush our very backbone!"
"Chen Zijun issued a clear telegram beforehand, warning that anyone who acts like a coward at this time will be easily defeated by his armored vehicles and heavy artillery, who doesn't recognize whether they are Fengtian soldiers or central government soldiers!"
The study fell into a deathly silence.
All the generals turned deathly pale.
They suddenly realized that their Northeast Army, once hailed as the strongest in China, had fallen into such an embarrassing and desperate situation.
They faced a frontal assault by the 60,000-strong Kwantung Army of Japan, and were also under the ruthless supervision of the Chen family army's iron-willed might.
We can't win;
I dare not run.
"General, this won't work, that won't work, we can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?"
The brigade commander, a major general, plopped down on the sofa, muttering to himself with a look of despair in his eyes.
Zhang Jialiang closed his eyes in pain, leaned back in his chair, and seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
He could never match his father's political maneuvering skills in his entire life, and he did his best to achieve a balance of power among the various factions.
But he never expected that in the face of absolute strength and cold steel, his little bit of cleverness was as fragile as paper, easily punctured.
"General... actually, we have another way."
Chief of Staff Yang pondered for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and speaking in a low voice.
Zhang Jialiang suddenly opened his eyes and stared intently at him:
"At this point, what other options are there? Tell me quickly!"
Chief of Staff Yang sighed, his gaze complex as he looked at the red secure telephone on the table.
"Go and beg Chen Zijun."
"What?!"
Zhang Jialiang's expression changed instantly, and he stood up abruptly.
"You want me to beg Chen Zijun? That greenhorn who started out in Jiangnan?"
"I just issued a nationwide telegram a few days ago announcing the surrender of Nanjing, without even going to their Jinzhou defense line. They practically have 'disagreement' written all over their faces!"
"You want me to swallow my pride and beg him now? Where would I put my face?!"