xymnovel Chapter 179 Li Jianghe's Choice—Saving People While Losing Land, Both People and Land Can Be Pr
Chapter 179 Li Jianghe's Choice—Saving People While Losing Land, Both People and Land Can Be Pr
His tone was gentle, like a teacher explaining a text to a student, with a hint of earnest instruction and a touch of gentle persuasion, presenting Li Jianghe with the difficult choice.
Li Jianghe stood intently in front of the map, his gaze fixed on the red and blue markings around Xuzhou, his mind racing.
The principal's words first stated the strategic importance of Xuzhou and that it could not be lost, and then he asked him in a seemingly gentle manner whether to fight or retreat. His meaning was clear: he was inclined to defend Xuzhou to the death and wait for a turning point.
As for Commander Li, he most likely intends to decisively abandon Xuzhou, preserve his manpower, and leave enough resources for subsequent deep operations.
After the Battle of Taierzhuang, all the troops in the Fifth War Zone suffered heavy losses and were severely weakened. Only the Third Column of the Fifth War Zone, after being replenished, not only did its strength not decrease but increased, becoming the only elite force.
If we were to defend Xuzhou to the death, the Third Column would inevitably be the core fighting force and would be pushed to the front line. That's why I specifically called him here to ask for his opinion.
Having figured all this out, Li Jianghe had made up his mind.
He took a deep breath, about to answer, when Commander He stepped forward again, smiling as he interjected, his tone clearly guiding:
"Jiang He, when we first met you, the Chairman and I could tell at a glance that you were a resolute, brave, and daring soldier, the kind of person the Chairman admired most."
These words were almost a blatant declaration that if Li Jianghe chose to abandon the city and flee, it would be a cowardly act.
Seeing this almost blatant pressure, Commander Li was naturally displeased. He lightly tapped his fingertips on the edge of the table and smiled gently at Li Jianghe:
"Jiang He, you don't need to feel any pressure. Just say what you think. The principal is broad-minded and can tolerate any different opinions."
The principal's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he said with a forced, insincere smile:
"Yes, just say it."
Li Jianghe felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that he, a mere column commander, had been drawn into a power struggle between the central government and the Guangxi clique.
Finally, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and pointed to the battle map, saying:
"In my humble opinion, Xuzhou cannot be defended; we must retreat."
As he finished speaking, the principal still had a smile on his lips, but the temperature in his eyes suddenly turned cold, and the fingertips on his cane slowly tightened.
Commander He glanced at the principal's expression, his friendly smile fading slightly, and said:
"Why did Captain Li Zong say that?"
Just moments ago, they were addressing each other warmly as "Jianghe," but now they've switched to unfamiliar titles.
Li Jianghe naturally noticed the change in their emotions, but once the words were spoken, there was no reason for him to back down.
"The Japanese pincer movement has already taken shape, and our Fifth War Zone has almost exhausted its elite forces after the Battle of Taierzhuang. Although the main force of our Third Column is still there, it is ultimately unable to spare any attention. In addition, the troops have been fighting continuously and the officers and soldiers are already exhausted, making it difficult to protect the entire Fifth War Zone's defense line. If we forcibly divide our forces to defend, I'm afraid we will be defeated one by one by the Japanese army."
His words were clear and logical, and in fact, he was telling the two men that the Third Column was not incapable of fighting, but if they insisted on holding onto the isolated city, they would ultimately perish here along with the rest of the army.
Commander He suddenly put his hands behind his back, his words carrying a hidden dagger:
"Captain Li Zong, you're not trying to conserve your strength, are you?"
Before Li Jianghe could even open his mouth to argue, Commander Li had already looked up at him, his voice carrying a hint of coldness:
"Jingzhi, what are you saying? If Li Jianghe was only focused on preserving his strength, how did he manage to win the Battle of Taierzhuang?"
The principal then raised his hand and waved, smiling as he tried to smooth things over:
"Hehehe, let's not argue. Captain Li, so you mean to abandon Xuzhou and let the Japanese occupy the Jinpu Railway? Isn't that too high a price to pay?"
Li Jianghe knew that with Commander Li backing him up, he might as well speak his mind completely.
He stood ramrod straight, and spoke with firm conviction:
"Chairman, in my humble opinion, if we save our people but lose our territory, we can save both; if we save our territory but lose our people, we can lose both. After the Japanese invaders take Xuzhou, they will inevitably march eastward, and their target will most likely be Wuhan. The best strategy is to preserve the manpower of the Fifth War Zone, organize a deep defense in the Wuhan area, and wear down the Japanese army."
Upon hearing these sixteen words, the group was taken aback and couldn't help but murmur them to themselves.
"Preserve people, lose land... both people and land can be preserved... well said." The principal frowned slightly, repeating these two sentences over and over. These sixteen short characters encapsulated the core of the military strategy for a protracted war.
"If you lose the land but the people, you lose both. That's well said," Commander Li chimed in, his tone full of admiration.
Finally, the principal repeated the sentence twice, sighed softly, and looked at Commander Li, saying:
"Very well, whether to defend or abandon Xuzhou is up to you, Fifth War Zone. I will not overstep my authority to give orders."
By saying this, he was essentially saving face for himself.
At this moment, even the principal had to admit that everything Li Jianghe said made sense.
While weakening the Guangxi Army was his personal ambition, the most pressing matter was ultimately the overall situation. Moreover, the current situation clearly indicated that the Japanese would inevitably attack Wuhan next, which was the most crucial factor affecting the entire situation.
These veterans from the Fifth War Zone who fought bloody battles against the Japanese army are priceless treasures. They cannot be treated as disposables and left to rot in the encirclement of Xuzhou.
Otherwise, if Wuhan falls, where else can he retreat to?
As he came out of the command post, Commander Li quickly took a few steps and called out to Li Jianghe.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked exhausted from days of fighting. He raised his hand to press his throbbing temples and said earnestly to Li Jianghe:
"Jiang He, you did a great job today. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Fifth War Zone, thank you."
"You flatter me, Commander. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and will do my utmost to repay you!" Li Jianghe immediately stood at attention and solemnly declared his loyalty. He knew in his heart that he needed Commander Li as his protector until the day he could become a powerful figure himself.
Commander Li stepped forward, patted his shoulder heavily, and said earnestly:
"Jiang He, you are a pillar of the nation. In these perilous times, we need young heroes like you to turn the tide. Live well, and I, Li Zongren, will not let you down, nor will the Guangxi Army!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you for your guidance, Commander!" Li Jianghe stood with his feet together, gave a standard military salute, and answered in a firm voice.
After spending the night in Xuzhou, Li Jianghe, along with his entourage, returned by car to the Third Column Command Headquarters in Zaozhuang at noon the next day.
On the train, Li Jianghe pondered many things.
His current merit points are enough to support a fully mechanized force of around 40,000 men.
However, with the arrival of the rainy season, such good marching conditions would no longer be possible in subsequent battles against the Japanese invaders.
It's not impossible to fight the Japanese army that's attacking from both the north and south, but the risks are extremely high.
Moreover, according to the information he received from Commander Li, the Japanese army had deployed more troops on the north and south flanks than in history.
This included elite troops of the Kwantung Army, as well as multiple forces drawn from the mainland, and even the Imperial Guard Division.
The total military strength has exceeded 300,000.
He wasn't confident about sending Li Jianghe's 40,000 men, along with the remaining remnants of the Fifth War Zone, to fight head-on against the more than 300,000 elite Japanese troops.
Moreover, seemingly specifically to counter Li Jianghe's tank units, the number of anti-tank guns equipped by these Japanese units has increased compared to before.
He received orders from Commander Li to allow his troops to rest and recuperate, as they would soon retreat westward with the main force.