The Japanese little devils will be able to mobilize a force of six divisions to directly attack Fengtian!

The Army Chief of Staff's voice grew even more severe: "We must never sit idly by and watch these two elite divisions be annihilated by the enemy!"

A hint of urgency laced his tone, "If we lose two Class-A combat divisions all at once, it will be a historic disgrace for our army. If this truly happens, neither you nor I will be able to escape the responsibility, and it might force us to end our military careers prematurely."

Faced with this situation, the Minister of the Army's expression turned even graver, and he finally decided: "It seems we must immediately mobilize the 6th Division and the 8th Division to rapidly reinforce the Chengyun battlefield!"

His gaze was resolute, "We also need to prepare more troops to join the battle."

A heavy expression rested on the Minister of the Army's face; he knew it in his heart.

He had promised at the Five-Minister Conference that just five divisions would be enough to easily defeat Jiang Bai's 7th Field Army.

Now, Jiang Bai's defense line remained completely intact, while his own side had suffered heavy losses.

Seeing the war situation daily deteriorating, even committing four more divisions might not necessarily ensure the complete annihilation of the enemy.

This was undoubtedly an immense personal humiliation for the Minister of the Army.

Taking a deep breath, a fierce light flashing in his eyes, he slowly continued: "Aside from the 6th Division and the 8th Division, have the 10th Division and the 11th Division prepare to enter the battle at any moment."

His voice echoed within the enclosed command room, the air seemingly thick with the tense atmosphere of war.

"If the 6th Division and the 8th Division fail to break through the enemy's defense line on the Chengyun battlefield, we may have to commit even more force."

The Army Chief of Staff beside him knitted his brows tightly and retorted with dissatisfaction: "But Minister, this approach is undoubtedly a wasteful attrition!"

His voice carried a trace of urgency, his hands tightly gripping the desktop as if emphasizing the importance of his perspective.

"In my view, we should either not send troops at all, or commit four combat divisions all at once, striving to decide the outcome in a single battle!"

Facing the night scenery outside the window, a bitter smile crossed the Minister of the Army's face.

He turned to face the Chief of Staff, his voice low and powerful: "I would actually prefer to deploy four combat divisions all at once to quickly resolve the issue of Jiang Bai's 7th Field Army."

Pausing for a moment, he continued: "But the civilian cabinet led by Kazutada would certainly not approve."

His gaze swept toward the others in the room, his tone turning somewhat helpless.

"Even the noble councilors would oppose this plan."

Despite facing opposition, once the Minister of the Army submitted his new strategic plan, it was swiftly approved.

Within a day, emergency mobilization was enacted, and the army's 6th and 8th Divisions boarded warships disguised as merchant vessels, setting sail for the theater of war.

Escorted by the 1st Navy Fleet, they headed straight for Xicheng.

Throughout the entire operation, Army Headquarters continuously transmitted urgent telegrams to the 5th and 2nd Divisions, demanding they hold their ground to coordinate with the impending amphibious landing operation.

To stabilize troop morale, the Minister of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff also assured Lieutenant Generals Ando Ze, Nanlou, and Xiaoyuan that once the 6th and 8th Divisions successfully landed, they would immediately march west to rescue them.

However, the experienced Ando Ze was well aware of the Minister of the Army's strategic intentions.

If the 6th and 8th Divisions truly landed at Xicheng, rescuing them would be practically impossible.

In terms of distance, the two locations were separated by nearly a hundred kilometers, with several mountain ranges blocking the path.

The march alone would take more than three days, not to mention engaging Jiang Bai's defensive forces.

Nevertheless, the orders from above had already been issued.

As soldiers of the dynasty, they could only obey commands and execute their duties.

Late on the night of April 25th, more than twenty destroyers of the 1st Navy Fleet, under a tightly guarded defensive configuration, safely escorted the 6th and 8th Divisions to the open waters outside Xicheng.

After a round of artillery testing, the troops successfully landed and rapidly seized the city.

In the fog of war, the combat command post of the 27th Reinforced Division was established on a concealed little hill in the northern part of Xicheng, merely two kilometers from the Lu River.

From this high ground, Lieutenant General Zheng Yaoge could clearly see the river gleaming in the morning light.

Ever since the outbreak of the war, he had been commanding the standoff against the northern Lidi forces from this very spot.

As the conflict dragged on, apart from occasional artillery exchanges, the two sides had mostly engaged in a series of meticulously planned small-scale special operations.

Presently, the water level of the Lu River was steadily rising with fierce currents, its width in certain areas exceeding two hundred meters.

Naturally, this increased the difficulty of the enemy's river-crossing attempts, which repeatedly failed due to the ferocious firepower of the 27th Reinforced Division and the turbulent waters.

As for the bridge connecting the two banks, after prior reconnaissance, it was confirmed to be rigged with explosives, making any attempt to cross via the bridge a dead end.

Under such a strategic layout, the 27th Reinforced Division firmly held a dual advantage in terrain and firepower.

Especially after acquiring massive artillery support, suppressing the enemy artillery had almost become an effortless routine.

The enemy artillerymen initially tried to stand their ground and fight back, but after suffering two consecutive rounds of intensive bombardment, they grew extremely cautious, frantically relocating their positions after every single volley.

However, their withdrawal speed could never outpace the rapid counterattacks of the reinforced division.

Zheng Yaoge had originally thought this battle would be a dull war of attrition until the bell of victory rang.

Unexpectedly, the enemy chose Xicheng as their new landing point.

A staff officer rushed into his command tent, reporting with a panicked expression: "Reporting to the Division Commander, Xicheng has been completely pulverized by the enemy's large-caliber naval guns!"

His voice reverberated inside the tent, every word striking like a heavy hammer upon the hearts of everyone present.

The infantry battalion originally garrisoned there had been forced to abandon their positions after suffering catastrophic losses.

These infantrymen were now assisting local residents in evacuating urgently, while the main force of the enemy had already begun a massive amphibious landing operation amidst the city ruins.

Upon receiving the report, Zheng Yaoge said softly with an imperceptible, cold smile: "Clearly, the enemy is specifically targeting us."

A gloomy shadow crossed his face, as if he were pondering the future course of the war.

The commander of the 6th Mixed Brigade beside him also nodded anxiously, adding: "Currently, the enemy's two Class-A divisions have been trapped by us at Anshan. They chose not to land on the East Peninsula, but instead selected Xicheng, which clearly shows they intend to cooperate with the garrison in Guli to launch a joint offensive against us."

Both of them realized that once the 27th Reinforced Division was defeated, the enemy would be able to mobilize a force of six divisions to directly attack Chengyun!

Such a force, totaling over 110,000 men, constituted an immensely formidable military pressure.

Across the entire Chengyun region, apart from Jiang Bai's 7th Field Army and the elite 1st Division under Wang Lin, virtually no force could contend with this massive army.

The commander of the 6th Mixed Brigade frowned anxiously and asked: "Division Commander Zheng, how should we respond next? If we truly end up caught in a pincer attack by the enemy, we will be in an extremely perilous position."

Zheng Yaoge's expression was resolute, and without a moment's hesitation, he replied: "We will first report the situation to the Army Commander and seek his opinion."

In a relaxed atmosphere, Zheng Yaoge continued with a smile: "The enemy's appetite is truly not small this time!"

His gaze swept across all the officers present, his tone carrying a rare and motivating strength.

"Coupled with our 27th and 28th Reinforced Divisions, plus the two mixed brigades, our total troop strength has already exceeded 110,000 men."

His voice was filled with confidence, "Combined with the 64th and 65th Infantry Brigades garrisoning the Chengyun River, our numbers will surpass 120,000! I refuse to believe that so many brothers cannot block the enemy's advance!"

He immediately issued his command: "All units, swiftly consolidate your forces and begin constructing massive defensive positions centered around the General's Mansion."