allonlinenovel Chapter 1136 An Outstanding Leader
Chapter 1136 An Outstanding Leader
outside Hankou city
Upon learning of Zhang Yuanhai's Tiger Regiment's victory in the south, Li Shaoyi's face showed little joy. This victory was, to Li Shaoyi, a matter of course. If they hadn't achieved victory, that would have been a fatal mistake. What had they been doing all this time?
You have better weapons and equipment, longer training time, better food and drink, and you're fighting on your home turf. What reason do you have to lose? Even a draw would be your fault, and a victory would have to be a resounding one.
"Reporting to the commander, Commander Wu has arrived."
Li Shaoyi sat on the carriage with his eyes closed, resting. Wu Zhenlei was already waiting outside the city. They had arrived in Hankou a step ahead of time. Although the Japanese were closing in, there were no signs of battle yet.
"Come on up and let's go together."
Wu Zhenlei never expected that Li Shaoyi would arrive by carriage. Upon hearing Li Shaoyi's words, he didn't hesitate and quickly sat down next to him. They had been trying to find out Li Shaoyi's itinerary along the way, but because the Military Intelligence Bureau was so tight-lipped, they hadn't been able to get any information. Suddenly, Li Shaoyi had already arrived in Hankou and notified their office to go out and greet him.
"Director Li is currently coordinating housing and other matters for various departments, so he didn't come with me today. There are simply too many high-ranking officials coming from the front lines, so according to orders, they all need to be checked upon entering Hankou. You'll be here later..."
Old Wu was also giving Li Shaoyi a heads-up, explaining that the upcoming inspection would be quite thorough. This was an order personally issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs; some of the people returning from various places had been infiltrated by the Japanese, including even some generals. Therefore, our inspection had to be meticulous to prevent spies from slipping in. Hankou was now the wartime secondary capital.
"You don't need to tell me so much. Do you think I don't understand this basic principle? I have enough magnanimity. Although I don't get along with the people at the top, this concerns the mobilization of the entire country. I won't cause them any trouble at this time, as long as they don't cause me any trouble and just check me according to the same standards as everyone else."
Li Shaoyi also knew that some procedures had to be followed. The Japanese had coerced and lured many people on the front lines, and since many of them were not very assertive to begin with, they all joined the Japanese camp after the National Revolutionary Army withdrew.
Some people specifically requested to attend the military conference in Hankou, hoping to gain favor with the Japanese and do something beneficial for them. Therefore, the order issued by the Ministry of Military Affairs was perfectly normal, as it was necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the national government and military. Li Shaoyi naturally wouldn't find fault with this.
"General, you are a magnanimous man to not argue with them about this matter; it's a stroke of good luck for them. However, our position in Hankou might be temporary. I have some friends in the Ministry of Military Affairs who have given me information, and I think their deployment in Hankou might not be able to hold it. Although the main force of the Japanese army hasn't come in this direction yet, their direction of attack is basically determined. They will definitely go up the Yangtze River. Most of our troops here are temporary reinforcements, and the elite troops are not around here. If we have to fight the Japanese, the chances of holding it are slim."
Wu Zhenkui considered the Ministry of Military Affairs' battle plan. A large-scale battle was definitely going to take place in Hankou. According to the operational guidelines, every step we retreated had to inflict heavy casualties on the Japanese. However, he couldn't say this to Li Shaoyi. If they had followed Li Shaoyi's original strategy, they would still be holding out in the Huangpu River area, how could they have retreated to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River?
When interviewed by reporters, Li Shaoyi made it very clear that some people would be held responsible. Everyone could guess who those people were. The battle at Pujiang was clearly not over; if everyone had gritted their teeth, they could have still managed to take down several divisions.
As a result, those guys had lost their will to fight and ordered their men to retreat without authorization, leaving the entire Pujiang War Zone Command an empty shell. They were the last to know that their units had retreated. At that time, Li Shaoyi was like a furious lion.
At this military conference in Hankou, some even suggested that Li Shaoyi should return to the north and not attend the so-called military conference. However, if that were the case, the resistance would likely face even greater problems, and the common people would not be willing to accept it.
Everyone knows how brilliantly the 72nd Army performed on the Pujiang battlefield. With such an army guarding the battlefield for you, you should be able to free up your hands to do many other things. Now, if you don't let Commander Li attend the military conference in Hankou, what's the point of your meeting?
Moreover, after the Japanese occupy Huangpu, they will soon deploy a blockade of the entire Chinese coast. At that time, the channels for purchasing weapons from abroad may be closed. However, the 72nd Army Group has always controlled another transportation line.
Although we don't know where they came from, as long as you have the money, the 72nd Group Army can help you buy cheap weapons.
Based on this alone, they absolutely must allow Commander Li to attend the military conference. Otherwise, why would they sell it to you?
It's unreasonable to only seek out others for tasks that require physical effort, but then neglect them when it comes to discussing matters.
"At this stage, the gap between the two countries makes it impossible for us to end this war in a short period of time. Therefore, we must take advantage of our vast territory to drag the Japanese into this abyss of war. When they realize that they have committed all their forces but have not achieved their strategic goals, it will be time for us to rise up."
Li Shaoyi didn't dampen their spirits on this matter because he knew that after the retreat of the troops from Pujiang, a sense of defeat permeated the entire country. Therefore, at this military conference in Hankou, Li Shaoyi couldn't continue to discourage them; instead, he should focus on boosting morale and inspiring everyone to regain their fighting spirit.
A good leader should be able to bring his men out of dire straits and keep them fighting spirit alive, rather than letting them continue to sink into despair...