Chapter 51: Saving You Is Kindness, Not Saving You Is Only Right!

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“Baichuan, of course I want to help resolve the crisis, but the reality leaves me powerless,” Feng Xiang’s words were filled with helplessness, as if he, too, wished he could help, yet the current situation simply did not allow it.

He had truly committed his elite forces to the battle with the Shuifang army; the city was on the brink of falling, and to pull out an entire division to save his brother-in-arms would mean sacrificing their own interests—something difficult, if not impossible, to do.

He continued, “To put it bluntly, your two security divisions are already trapped like beasts in a cage—they could be devoured by the Chengyun Army at any moment. It’s only a matter of time. Better to consider them expendable and protect the main force. I suggest you immediately mobilize troops from other regions to Wangkou and safeguard this ‘veteran general’—that is the priority.”

“Given the current defensive strength at Wangkou, I can’t guarantee its absolute safety, but relying on its favorable terrain and the support of the people, holding off Chengyun’s army for a month or so should be more than feasible. By then, after we take Shuifang, we can regroup our forces and, not only defend Wangkou, but perhaps even help you retake the defensive line at Changcheng.”

Hearing Feng Xiang talk so glibly, San Laodeng was seething with anger.

But, needing a favor, he forced himself to suppress his fury and, despite his dissatisfaction, asked, “So you’re saying you intend to stand by and do nothing?”

San Laodeng knew Feng Xiang’s intentions well; they wanted to wait until his forces and the Chengyun Army had worn each other down to the brink of collapse.

Then they would intervene, swooping in to defeat Chengyun’s forces and seize the German equipment of the Seventh Reinforced Division, all while righteously claiming the vast stockpiles at Wangkou.

Their calculations crackled like abacus beads, echoing far beyond the walls of the city.

In truth, the best course of action was to let Chengyun’s forces continue advancing until they threatened the fundamental interests of all three factions.

But that would mean sacrificing the military supplies at Wangkou, including the equipment for seven infantry divisions still awaiting delivery.

San Laodeng was deeply reluctant to accept such a massive loss.

“Baichuan, what kind of attitude is that?” Feng Xiang responded, obviously displeased. “If I save you, that’s a favor; if I don’t, it’s only right!”

“How does that make me heartless? Am I supposed to trade my men’s lives for your personal feelings? Do I owe you anything?”

Feng Xiang and San Laodeng seemed on the verge of a quarrel, when Li Zong, standing nearby, hurriedly stepped in to ease the tension.

“Come on, now! The three of us are in the same boat—we shouldn’t let this cause discord!”

“Since we can’t agree, let’s do this: I still have enough men to spare—I can mobilize three divisions, sending them by rail as reinforcements!”

“As for the offensive at the front, let’s carry on as planned: attack where we must, besiege when necessary, and fight decisive battles when the time comes. Would you agree?”

Reinforcements by rail?

From Xuzhou to Wangkou, it would take at least a week!

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Leaving aside whether Li Zong’s troops could even arrive on time.

Even if they somehow made it, by then Wangkou might already have fallen to Jiang Bai!

“Damn it! If none of you will lend a hand, I’ll go myself!”

Amidst the tense situation at the front, San Laodeng’s decision was swift and resolute. Unable to set aside personal feelings, he urgently mobilized two newly formed infantry divisions, dispatching them along the Tonggu Railway from Taiyuan to Wangkou at the fastest possible pace to reinforce the city’s defenses.

At the same time, San Laodeng ordered the Wangkou garrison to organize a seven-thousand-strong relief force within three days to rescue the besieged 23rd and 24th Security Divisions from the Chengyun Army.

Though he knew that, with their limited strength, facing the well-drilled and fully prepared Seventh Reinforced Division was almost hopeless.

To preserve their forces as much as possible, he sent a coded telegram instructing the relief troops to withdraw immediately if they encountered the Seventh Reinforced Division’s overwhelming firepower, to avoid pointless sacrifice.

At Wangkou, disputes broke out among the defenders over who would join the relief force—some even came to blows.

Meanwhile, in the old county yamen at Wangkou, the general headquarters of the Seventh Reinforced Division presented a starkly different scene.

The solid structure of the former county government made for an ideal command center, where General Jiang Bai and his staff analyzed the situation and devised their tactics.

Perhaps it was thanks to the physical enhancements granted by the system, but even after an entire day of intense command, Jiang Bai remained full of energy.

Suddenly, a scout rushed in to report to Jiang Bai:

“General, the forward reconnaissance team reports that a large number of infantry are leaving Wangkou’s west gate, heading toward Xiaoliang Mountain.”

“Clearly, they intend to use the cover of night to secretly rescue the remnants of the 23rd and 24th Security Divisions.”

Upon hearing the report, Chief of Staff Wang Xiao exclaimed excitedly, “General, just as you predicted, San Laodeng has taken the bait!”

“No matter the size of their relief force, we must eliminate them all!”

“If we succeed, the defenders at Wangkou will suffer a devastating blow!”

Jiang Bai nodded in agreement and immediately issued his orders:

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“Order the reconnaissance battalion to continue tracking the relief force, and instruct the 67th Infantry Brigade to immediately form up for attack and encircle and destroy the enemy!”

The 67th Infantry Brigade had originally been formed from surrendered bandits. Their training period had been brief and their German equipment incomplete, so they were largely outfitted with Chengyun Army weapons.

For this reason, Jiang Bai had not previously assigned them direct combat duties.

Now, faced with an enemy relief force fleeing from Wangkou, this was the perfect opportunity to test the results of their training.

To ensure nothing went wrong, Jiang Bai also assigned Li Jian’s 63rd Infantry Brigade as a rapid reaction force.

If the enemy showed unexpected resistance, Li Jian would quickly lead his unit to reinforce the battlefield.

With the orders given, the two infantry brigades, still lacking rest, swiftly advanced toward their objectives under cover of night.

Although the distance between Wangkou and Xiaoliang Mountain was only sixty li, for well-trained troops a forced march of four or five hours would suffice to cover it.

Wangkou, positioned between these two points as a strategic stronghold, had been regarded as a relatively safe rear area—so the 23rd and 24th Security Divisions had not deployed substantial defensive forces here.

This oversight offered Li Yunlong’s Independent Regiment a golden opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Wangkou and thereby influence the entire course of the conflict.

The night was as dark as ink. The 2nd Mixed Brigade quietly arrived at the foot of Wangjia Mountain, the silence broken only by the occasional call of a night bird.

Wang Chengfei stood at the head of the column. In the night, Wangjia Mountain loomed steeper and more mysterious, his brow furrowed as if weighing the risks of pressing forward.

“Brigadier, we’ve reached Wangjia Mountain. Once we cross, we’ll be at Xiaoliang Mountain,” a staff officer whispered, his voice tinged with nervousness and anticipation.

Wang Chengfei was silent for a moment, then turned to gaze at the faint outline of the mountains against the night sky, a sense of unease rising involuntarily within him.

“I think we should take a detour. This route just doesn’t feel safe to me.” His voice was low, carrying an indefinable anxiety.

“But, sir, this is the fastest way to Xiaoliang Mountain. If we detour, we’ll have to go around the entire mountain, and by then daylight will be upon us,” the staff officer replied anxiously, for they all knew how much every minute counted.

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