LRAB Chapter 15: Let Meng Xiao copy some homework
Chapter 15: Let Meng Xiao copy some homework
Upon seeing this, Chen Cheng, a trusted confidant of the principal and a key figure in the "Civil Engineering Department," immediately understood the principal's intentions.
He hurriedly replied, "Brother Jingzhi, you are mistaken! Although Jiansheng is known as the Little Zhuge Liang, compared with the Principal, he is like a tender seedling compared to a towering giant, or the light of a firefly compared to the brightness of the sun and moon. The Principal's military expertise stands at the pinnacle, and no one can stand shoulder to shoulder with him!"
Jiansheng is far inferior. During the Central Plains War, the principal personally commanded the effort to easily defeat the combined forces of the Guangxi clique and Jiansheng in less than a month, even with the addition of Yan Laoxi and Feng...
"Ci Xiu (Chen Cheng's courtesy name), that's enough!"
Why bring up those old, trivial matters?
Now that "a formidable enemy is at hand and the nation is in peril," any words that could undermine unity must not be uttered again, or else... Hmph! Although the principal was reprimanding him sternly, he couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes!
"Alright, there's no need to discuss this anymore. Meng Xiao (Tang Sheng's courtesy name) is a top student of Mr. Songpo (Cai E's courtesy name). As the commander of the Nanjing Garrison, although most of the elite troops from the Battle of Shanghai have gone to the Huaihai region to replenish and reorganize, the entire Nanjing is still dominated by the elite Central Army Training Corps under Gui Yongqing, and two Yunnan Army armies under Meng Xiao's direct command, totaling more than 40,000 men. In addition, there is the heavy force of the 103rd Division of the Guizhou Army that just arrived in Nanjing from Guizhou, as well as the 66th and 83rd Armies of the Guangdong Army, bringing the total strength to 150,000."
Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "When a general is in the field, there are some orders from the ruler that he may not obey." So, pass the intelligence to Meng Xiao and give him the authority to command. I believe that good news will come soon!
"Hmm! Send Meng Xiao the entire battle plan from the last victory at Quan Gongting, and let him copy it... no, let him learn from it! That's settled!" The principal made the decision without waiting for anyone else to speak.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Baili, the "senior advisor" sitting at the last seat with a sickly face, stood up with great difficulty and said, "Chairman, this is inappropriate!"
Although Meng Xiao was known as a top student of Mr. Songpo, he was actually "ambitious but incompetent" and lacked practical experience. When Mr. Songpo defended the country against Yuan Shikai, he relied on the overwhelming force and the morale of the army. Although Meng Xiao had the name, he did not grasp the essence.
While Nanjing's defenses appear formidable, the Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Central armies each operate as separate systems, resulting in a complex command structure. Meng Xiaojiu, based in Yunnan, may not be fully aware of the temperament of the Central Army's core forces, and forcing him to coordinate and command them could potentially create obstacles.
While the tactics of the Battle of Quan Gongting were ingenious, they were the product of specific terrain and enemy situation. The situation facing Nanjing today is completely different from that of Quan Gongting. The enemy's troop deployment and weaponry are not comparable to those of the past. Blindly copying them is tantamount to marking the boat to find the sword.
Furthermore, although Meng Xiao is passionate, he is also stubborn and self-willed!
He previously displayed his tendency to act arbitrarily when dealing with local forces in western Yunnan. If such a heavy responsibility is entrusted to him without capable assistance, the consequences could be disastrous should the battle falter even slightly! Chairman, this matter concerns the safety of Nanjing; please reconsider your decision!
Upon hearing this, the principal, who had already stood up, frowned and said, "How can you use 'ambitious but incompetent, stubborn and self-willed' to describe a distinguished old general like Mr. Fang Zhen (Jiang Baili)?"
As for the person to assist him, I think General You Qing (Luo Zhuoying) is sufficient as the deputy commander-in-chief! Sir, you are not feeling well, so you should go back and rest early!
Just as Jiang Baili was about to say something more, his friend, Premier Wang Qingwei, quickly pulled him down to sit, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more!
Seeing this, Jiang Baili could only sigh helplessly!
Nanjing and Zijinshan Garrison Command.
Upon receiving the telegram, Commander-in-Chief Tang Shengzhi could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter! He grabbed the yellowed battle plan, his fingers swiftly tracing the paper, a confident smile curving his lips. "The Battle of Quan Gongting was fought so brilliantly, yet the Japanese army still hasn't learned their lesson and is repeating the same old tricks?"
Now I, Old Tang, will definitely teach them a lesson in what it means to "remain unrepentant despite repeated admonitions"!
"Pass on my order: immediately summon Deputy Commander-in-Chief Luo and Chief of Staff Liu to the operations room for a meeting in half an hour!"
Luo Zhuoying and Liu Xing, upon arriving at the operations room, also looked excited after reading the telegram!
While waiting for the two, Tang Shengzhi had already considered the entire battle plan. Seeing that the two were seated, he impatiently turned to the battle sand table, picked up the command stick and pointed it in the direction of "Nanfushan Pond" and said: "Staff Officer Zhao, record the order!"
I order! Hmm! That A: Wu Zhizhong's 103rd Division of the Guizhou Army shall immediately proceed to Nanfushantang to set up defensive positions. After the arrival of the Japanese Marine Corps Shigetō Detachment, engage the Japanese for half an hour, then feign defeat and retreat 25 li to Guli Town to lure the enemy deeper!
That B: Our Yunnan Army dispatched the 182nd Division under An Enfu and the 184th Division under Zhang Chong. After the Japanese Yoshino Detachment clashed with the Guizhou Army's 103rd Division, we immediately formed a reverse V-shape to attack the Japanese from both sides.
That C: Order Gui Yongqing's unit of the Central Army Training Corps to maneuver and infiltrate behind the Japanese Yoshino Detachment to cut off its retreat!
That Ding:......................Yes, order the 66th and 83rd Armies of the Guangdong Army to garrison Zijin Mountain and Yuhuatai respectively, guarding the gateway to Nanjing! They shall not retreat without orders until the last man is killed, vowing to live and die with Nanjing!
Um, um, what was that again?
Staff Officer Zhao quickly whispered a reminder, "Commander-in-Chief, E, the next one is F!"
"Ah, right! E: Order the remnants of the Central Army that withdrew from the Shanghai-Nanjing battlefield, the 51st Division of the 74th Army under Wang Yaowu, the 83rd Army under Deng Longguang, and the 72nd Army under Sun Yuanliang to be the general reserve force!"
Already: Hmm... I order all units above to fight to the bitter end. Anyone who disobeys will be subject to military law!
Upon hearing this, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Luo Zhuoying and Chief of Staff Liu Xing exchanged glances. After a long pause, Luo Zhuoying finally said, "Commander-in-Chief, I think this is inappropriate!"
Just as Tang Shengzhi was eagerly anticipating flattery, he suddenly heard something inappropriate, and his expression immediately turned sour as he asked, "What is wrong with what 'Deputy' Commander Luo thinks is inappropriate?" He even emphasized the word "Deputy"!
Luo Zhuoying could certainly hear the commander-in-chief's displeasure, but his military nature and sense of responsibility still made him bite the bullet and say, "Commander-in-chief, this is definitely not acceptable. First of all, the main force of the 103rd Division of the Guizhou Army is known as the 'two-gun soldiers'—one hand holds a rifle, the other a pipe, and they all smoke opium. Their combat effectiveness is extremely low!"
If we let them play the role of luring the enemy into a feigned defeat, they will probably immediately turn the feigned defeat into a real defeat. If they retreat 25 miles, these heavy smokers will probably lose half their lives by the time they get there. How can they possibly put up a fight on the spot?
Secondly, although the two Yunnan Army units were your direct subordinates, you knew better than anyone that their firepower was simply insufficient to defeat the Yoshino Detachment when attacked from both sides!
They had no heavy artillery, and even heavy machine guns were scarce!
Although Gui Yongqing's Third Central Army Training Corps successfully maneuvered and penetrated the enemy lines, it failed to gain a decisive advantage on the front, left, and right flanks. Cutting off their retreat became a pointless tactic, a complete waste of its strongest fighting force!
Moreover, although the 51st Division of the 74th Army under Wang Yaowu, the 83rd Army under Deng Longguang, and the 72nd Army under Sun Yuanliang of the Central Army suffered heavy losses, their combat effectiveness was definitely much stronger than that of the Yunnan Army and the Guizhou Army. Letting them serve as the general reserve is even more...