The Anti-Japanese War Begins with the Northeast Army

Jiang Cheng stared at his almost pious expression, but did not rush to speak.

He was waiting for Lu Yongxiang's conversion.

"Commander Jiang, if you can help us repel the enemy, in the future Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas... I am willing to obey the jurisdiction of Marshal Zhang!"

Finally, he patted his chest and stood up straight in front of Jiang Cheng, ignoring the surprised subordinates behind him, and continued, "Besides that, I will go back and talk to He Fenglin right away--"

"As long as the Marshal is willing to help us repel the enemy, I will obey you from now on!"

Jiang Cheng looked back at the middle-aged man, and finally smiled a few times with his eyebrows lowered: "I can't promise anything about this matter...but I will convey your intentions to the young marshal, Commander Lu."

After getting his promise, Lu Yongxiang looked very happy. After saying goodbye, he quickly trotted out of the command post.

Jiang Cheng shook his head and smiled awkwardly, thinking: They say our Fengtian Army is a bunch of green forest bandits with no moral principles. These southern barbarians... they don't have any proper beliefs either, they just defect without any hesitation!
But Lu's promise is, to a large extent, what the coach also wants.

If Shanghai, known as the International Concession, can be won, it is only a matter of time before the old fox can strive for the lofty chair in the capital.

At this time, the armored forces led by Feng Yong had also retreated: the Zhi army completely withdrew from Shanghai... Both sides' troops needed to rest and replenish.

The war unexpectedly turned calm after such a fierce battle; but the confrontation between the two sides continued, and small-scale conflicts occurred from time to time.

That night Jiang Cheng took a car back to the Peace Hotel, washed off the dirt and blood on the battlefield, changed into clean clothes and went to meet Zhang Hanqing.

Unexpectedly, even Zhao Xishun was not there. Upon asking Jiang Dengxuan who stayed behind, he found out that he had not returned for the past two days and seemed to have gone out to have fun with Boss Huang.

A spark suddenly burst in his eyes, and Jiang Cheng took a deep breath to suppress his anger.

Damn it, Lu Yongxiang was really right. He is such a hopeless case!

"I see. Where is Ting Shu? He has been..."

Before he could finish his words, the door across from him was opened. The tired-looking fleet commander stared at him, "You've worked so hard, Commander Jiang. What are you doing here so late at night?"

After settling the fleet in the Zhoushan Islands, Zhang Tingshu still went ashore - the rigorous training that lasted for a year and a half had almost drained all his energy.

"I came to discuss this with Han Qing... He and Lu couldn't hold on any longer and planned to surrender to the Marshal."

Following him into the room, Jiang Cheng spoke briefly and concisely, but Zhang Tingshu had no intention of listening to these things at all. He said with disgust, "Hehe, the brothers including Feng Yongchao Liu are fighting hard on the front line. Come and take a look at Han Qing. Does he look like he is fighting a war?"

"After I got ashore, I would meet with reporters and pick up girls - or follow a few gangsters around to have fun, and even talk about socializing with the upper class."

"He has no social skills at all. There are just a few foreign observers, and I am the one who has to deal with them all!"

It seems that Lu Yongxiang is not the only one who is dissatisfied with this young man.

Glancing at Han Ming behind him, Jiang Cheng said calmly, "I understand. But now is not the time to make a fuss... You, the commander-in-chief of the navy, are on the shore. What do you think of the direct attack fleet?"

"Besides, he's making a fuss, but you and I can't make a fuss - the war in Jiangsu and Zhejiang comes first."

Zhang Tingshu curled his lips: "It really is you... I am too lazy to even talk to him now." "But I have watched with a cold eye these past two days. I am afraid that Wu Peifu, who went south, would not dare to come to Shanghai rashly-"

"Besides, the Northern Expedition Army has also arrived at the Jiangsu and Zhejiang battlefields. I think Qi Xieyuan's defeat at your hands will definitely affect Wu Peifu's judgment."

Jiang Cheng nodded: "The Lu-He coalition forces plus the Northern Expedition Army may not have more people than the Zhi army, but if they really fight, they can really fight evenly."

"Mr. Wu will definitely consider whether we should join the battle - in this round, the participation of the armored forces will directly affect the outcome of the war."

Zhang Tingshu showed a few sly smirks and patted Jiang Cheng on the shoulder: "Yes! Since we are so important, important enough to dominate, then..."

"We will be able to gain a firm foothold in Shanghai, negotiate with multiple parties, and choose the best conditions."

Jiang Cheng looked back at him with a smart smile on his face and gave him the same sly smile: "Even you have learned it."

Zhang Tingshu punched him in the chest in return, smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "It's a pity that our young commander is not up to the task."

Jiang Cheng shook his head: "It's not that he doesn't strive for success, it's just that we came to Shanghai to do our job——"

"Don't rush to refute me. Think about it. If the public opinion behind us is not in our favor, and the fleet is so large, with tanks, artillery and other heavy equipment, how will the foreign forces in Shanghai view it?"

"There are also many reports in the newspapers, and his remarks are all directed towards the Zhi army... Even if we take a step back, we really can't beat Wu Xiucai in this battle. This group of British, French and American people will also try their best to make him unstable in the south."

Zhang Tingshu didn't buy it and curled his lips and said, "Tsk, you are the only one who speaks for him."

"Come on, brother, I'm so sleepy that I can't even open my eyes. If you have anything to say, let's talk about it tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, we found that the Japanese fleet was acting suspiciously near Zhoushan."

"I think these guys want to take advantage of the military action in Shanghai to come to Hangzhou Bay and rob people."

Jiang Cheng was not surprised by this. When they had previously mobilized troops in Mongolia, the Kwantung Army of Korea across the country was also trying to cross Ji'an and head towards Jilin.

"The fleet fired two empty shots and was scared away—"

Zhang Tingshu stretched himself and walked towards the bed. "Oh, by the way, Han Qing should be at the Paramount, dancing with Boss Huang and the others... After the show, it must be early morning at the latest."

Jiang Cheng curled his lips, but shook his head and went back to his room to rest.

Early in the morning, news came from the outskirts of Shanghai that Qi Xieyuan's troops had retreated about dozens of miles and almost all returned to the Anhui line.

This is not a good thing, because a quick retreat is often accompanied by a strong attack. In particular, the news of continuous fighting in Shandong further confirmed that the Zhi army was determined to take Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

On the same day, Jiang Cheng reported the news to the Marshal in Fengtian; and the response from the other side... really confirmed Jiang Cheng's guess about the old fox:

The Marshal did not want Jiang Cheng to help Lu and He defeat the Zhi army. Instead, he planned to leave the Anhui clique, whose living space was getting smaller and smaller, with the last "three acres of land" in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas.

Only in this way can Old Duan not revive, and the Zhi army will be consumed on the battlefields of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Once the war breaks out, the Fengtian Army's chances of winning against them will greatly increase! (End of this chapter)