Chapter 23: It Has to Be Kuroshima-kun!

During the Central Plains War, Yan Lao Xi was defeated by the bald leader and forced into retirement. He entrusted the task of guarding his home base to Xu Yongchang. Xu Yongchang lived up to the expectations, refusing to be recruited by the bald leader and successfully preserving Yan Lao Xi’s assets in the Shanxi region.

However, in truth, the person Yan Lao Xi favored most was none other than Yang Aiyuan. The reason was simple: he was sufficiently loyal. Seeing Yang Aiyuan remain as respectful as ever, completely unaffected by the recent turmoil, Yan Lao Xi nodded in great satisfaction. But as he felt the waves of pain in his face, the anger in his heart reignited. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "Xingru! Order the 61st and 83rd Armies to return at once! I want to personally wipe out Liu Jianguo and his New First Division! I want to grind Liu Jianguo into dust!"

Yang Aiyuan: "???"

Regarding Yan Lao Xi’s demands, Yang Aiyuan had always nodded and executed them without a word. But this request was something he truly could not do. Setting aside the fact that the 61st and 83rd Armies had already crossed the river to the southern bank, recalling them would cost a fortune in manpower, materials, and funds. Furthermore, the mere act of attacking the New First Division would provoke public outrage. Because of recent events, everyone now knew that Yan Lao Xi was a petty villain who played both sides.

And what about Liu Jianguo? He was a great hero who had single-handedly defended the Shanxi region with a single division, and he was an outsider to boot. Compared to Yan Lao Xi, the local warlord, they were like heaven and earth. Moreover, one must not forget that the majority of the soldiers and officers in the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were locals from Shanxi. Unlike Yan Lao Xi, most of them had no desire to abandon their homeland. If Yang Aiyuan actually followed Yan Lao Xi’s order, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army would likely fracture from within before a single shot was fired. In that scenario, the ones who would be happiest would be the Japanese devils, and Yan Lao Xi would certainly be branded with an infamy that would last for generations. Presumably, the reputations of men like Yang Aiyuan would fare no better.

However, Yang Aiyuan knew Yan Lao Xi’s temperament well; a direct remonstrance would never work. He had to be indirect. *Got it!* Yang Aiyuan nodded firmly, then feigned a moment of hesitation before continuing.

"Commander, the 61st and 83rd Armies have just arrived at the southern bank of the Yellow River and disbanded. To reassemble them would take at least four or five days. By the time they crossed the river back, the Japanese would likely have already attacked. Wouldn't our previous efforts be in vain? Perhaps we should find a quicker way?"

Yan Lao Xi had been in a fit of rage when he spoke those reckless words. Having controlled Shanxi for many years, how could he not understand the logic? With Yang Aiyuan providing a suitable excuse, he stepped down from his high horse. Seeing that Yan Lao Xi’s intelligence had regained the high ground, Yang Aiyuan whispered two things. "Commander, doesn't Liu Jianguo care about his reputation? Why don't we do this, and then that..."

Taking a deep breath and calming down, a glint of cruelty flashed in Yan Lao Xi’s eyes. "Xingru, we shall proceed according to your plan. I will hold another press conference! This time, I will make sure that bastard pays!"

...

Yan Lao Xi was having a hard time, and Terauchi Juichi, far away in Taiyuan, was no different.

"Baka! What did you say? Say it again!"

"Reporting to the Commander!"

"According to the latest message from the Kuroshima Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Brigade, the entire Sakata Regiment, including Colonel Sakata Nobutetsu, totaling 4,900 brave warriors, has been completely wiped out!"

"Baka!!!" Terauchi Juichi swept everything off his desk onto the floor. Staring at the Japanese signalman before him, he cursed wildly. "Is that fool Sakata Nobutetsu a pig? No! Even a pig isn't as stupid as him! That was an entire reinforced infantry regiment of the Imperial Army, not four thousand pigs! Even if they were four thousand pigs, they couldn't have been annihilated by the Chinese in an hour! Useless, utterly useless!!!"

After venting his fury, Terauchi Juichi finally calmed down a little. As the Commander of the Japanese North China Area Army, he was not without capability. "There is an old saying in the Great Xia: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' Tell those idiots in the Special Higher Police in Taiyuan that if they provide me with intelligence as useless as the previous report within two hours, they need not waste the Empire's food anymore! They can all go commit seppuku to apologize!"

"Hai!" The signalman bowed and turned to leave.

Once composed, Terauchi Juichi took out a set of exquisite tea sets looted from Yan Lao Xi’s home and began to drink tea. With 100,000 troops under his command, he could afford to lose a mere Sakata Regiment. However, he had developed an interest in the New First Division. Because of Doihara Kenji, the Japanese army’s intelligence regarding the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army was exhaustive. But they had no information at all on the New First Division, which had only recently appeared. Being able to annihilate the formidable Sakata Regiment was certainly worthy of Terauchi Juichi’s attention.

"Who exactly is this Liu Jianguo? How strange that our intelligence files contain absolutely nothing about him."

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. *Thump, thump, thump!*

"Come in!"

A signalman pushed the door open, bowed, and immediately reported: "Reporting to the Commander! Colonel Kuroshima discovered a large number of precious brass shell casings left at the scene. It is estimated there are at least over a hundred thousand! Colonel Kuroshima suspects the enemy ran out of ammunition and dared not face the cavalry regiment, thus they retreated in haste! Therefore, the Colonel made a swift decision: after leaving a small detachment to clear the battlefield, he has immediately led the rest of the Imperial warriors in pursuit!"

Large amounts of brass casings? Those were metal resources that could be used as currency! The fact that the enemy hadn't even recovered the precious brass casings showed they were indeed in a panic. And to the south of Cangyun Ridge lay a vast, flat plain with barely a hill in sight. If the Kuroshima Cavalry Regiment chased them down, it would absolutely be a one-sided slaughter!

Terauchi Juichi froze for a moment, then nodded excitedly, shouting with fervor, "Yoshi! Truly a worthy successor of the Kuroshima family; his battlefield intuition is sharp indeed! Perhaps we shall receive news of a great victory soon! Kuroshima-kun is the man for the job!"

...

"Regiment Commander!" Zhang Dabiao scratched the back of his head. "The remaining half of the shell casings are made of high-quality brass; if we recast them, they could be used as copper coins! Although our New First Regiment isn't short on ammunition, isn't it a waste to just leave them for the little Japanese devils?"