Chapter 68: The Battle for the Capital Begins, Su Changqing's First Target: The Sixth Division

December 3, 1937.

Delayed by two days from the original schedule, the Japanese Central China Area Army and the Shanghai Expeditionary Army closed in.

The 9th Division: Commander Yoshizumi Yoshifusa.
The 13th Division: Commander Dechuan Libing.
The 16th Division: Commander Nakajima Kesago.
The 10th Brigade: Commander Amaya Shijiro.
The 10th Army, the 6th Division: Commander Tani Hisao.
The 18th Division: Commander Ushijima Mao.
The 114th Division: Commander Suematsu Matsuji.
The 9th Brigade: Commander Kunisaki Noboru.

Other units, such as the Independent Field Heavy Artillery 15th Regiment, equipped with heavy howitzers and cannons, were responsible for long-range fire support and breakthrough operations.

Under the command of the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Army Commander-in-Chief Matsui Iwane and the Japanese Imperial Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, these forces launched an offensive against the Great Xia Nation.

Meanwhile, the master of micro-management and various senior officials of the Nationalist Party had already boarded a special plane, leaving the national capital and heading towards the secondary capital city of Shancheng.

As the commander-in-chief of the Defense of the National Capital, General Tang also delivered his final pre-battle mobilization speech.

Following General Tang's passionate and stirring speech and mobilization, various units rapidly deployed their defenses to meet the fierce onslaught of the more than 200,000 fierce and wolf-like Japanese troops.

"Brothers, let us of the Eighth Route Army close the doors and speak from the bottom of our hearts."

"I will not repeat the nonsense and empty words that General Tang spoke."

"Today, we stand here, on the defensive lines of the Great Xia national capital."

"We have already embraced the resolve to die. To die fighting a bloody battle for the country is a fitting end."

"To die with glory, to die with honor."

"This battle is destined to be tragic, and many of us will die."

"Yet we must fight. If even we soldiers shrink back and dare not match ourselves against the Japanese devils, could it be that we leave the hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens in the capital to face the enemy's butcher knives?"

"We, the soldiers of Great Xia, are not weaklings!"

"We are not cowards!"

"Today, I make it clear here: until the blocking mission is completed, even if I, Su Changqing, must die, I will firmly nail myself to this defensive position."

"Even in death, I will tear a massive chunk of flesh from the bodies of these arrogant Japanese devils."

"Comrades!"

"Fight to the death!" Su Changqing raised his right hand high and shouted loudly.

"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!!"

The sound, rolling like thunder, echoed over the national capital. The soldiers' gazes were firm, and their expressions were resolute.

Death!
They did not fear it!
They only hoped that in the battles to come, they would fiercely trample and crush those Eastern Ocean devils who sought to slaughter the people of Great Xia.

On the other side:
The German-equipped 36th, 87th, and 88th Divisions, along with units transferred from other regions—a total of 13 divisions, the Training Corps (numbering over 12,000 men), military police units, the Jiangning Fortress garrison, as well as the Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangxi armies that had retreated from the Shanghai battlefield—were all hastily constructing defensive fortifications in their respective assigned positions.

The great battle was on the verge of breaking out!

"General Tani Hisao, ahead lies the Funiu Mountain, Jiangjuntai, and Liushui River areas."

"According to intelligence from our scouts, the troops stationed here appear to be a unit of the Nationalist Party's 18th Group Army."

"It seems they are called the Eighth Route Army, and their predecessor was formed from the Red Army of Zhina."

A Japanese staff officer said, looking toward the 6th Division Commander, Tani Hisao.

The Eighth Route Army?
Its predecessor was the Zhina Red Army?

For a fleeting moment, Tani Hisao felt a sense of utter boredom.

"The equipment of the Zhina Red Army is extremely poor. It is said they only use Hanyang rifles, and even more of them carry spears and broadswords."

"Two years ago, this army was chased across more than 20,000 li by the Nationalist Party's army."

"Had the Imperial Army not posed a threat to the Zhina nation, this Zhina army would have been wiped out long ago."

Tani Hisao spurred his horse forward, his words brimming with extreme disdain for the Eighth Route Army.

"General Tani Hisao, this Zhina unit perhaps should not be underestimated. Its commander is a renowned general from the fourth phase of Whampoa."

"His tactical standard is exceptionally high, and he is said to be extremely famous throughout the Great Xia national capital."

"Not long ago in the Baizhang Pass area and the Shanghai battlefield, it was this exact man who severely battered our 5th Mixed Brigade head-on."

Having listened to the staff officer's introduction, Tani Hisao still wore a look of utter contempt.

"It is merely the internal strife of Zhina pigs; what combat capability could the Zhina people possibly possess?"

"How could they ever be compared to the Imperial Army of Great Great Japan?"

"Pass down the order: immediately launch an attack against the Zhina pigs' Eighth Route Army."

"Take Jiangjuntai and break into the Zhina national capital."

"Youshi!"

Just as Tani Hisao attempted to launch an offensive against the forces under Su Changqing's command, Su Changqing frowned, staring intently at the map of the areas surrounding the capital captured from the enemy.

According to Su Changqing's deployment, the Special 1st Corps had established defensive positions in the Funiu Mountain, Jiangjuntai, and Liushui River regions.

These three positions formed a Chinese character "pin" (品) formation, acting like a giant nail firmly driving into the defensive line.

If every army participating in the defense of the capital possessed the elite caliber of the Eighth Route Army, Su Changqing would not only have the confidence to hold the position, but could even fight the Japanese elite divisions to a standstill and severely batter them.

However!
At present, the only Xia military units capable of putting up a fight were the German-equipped 36th, 87th, and 88th Divisions, all of which had suffered varying degrees of losses on the Shanghai battlefield.

Only the 87th Division, which Su Changqing had previously controlled, was in a slightly better condition.

Aside from these German-equipped divisions, the only force capable of achieving a one-to-one casualty exchange with the Japanese was arguably the Training Corps.

As for all the other units, their weapons and equipment were backward, their logistical supplies failed to reach them, and their morale was depressed to the extreme.

Under such circumstances, holding the national capital was fraught with immense difficulties.

Moreover, the commander defending the capital was none other than General Tang.

Fortunately, Su Changqing's opinions regarding the targeted defensive layout had been adopted by the higher-ups.

Therefore, the current defense system was built precisely according to Su Changqing's vision.

"The Japanese 6th Division is commonly known as the Beast Division. It is an elite unit of the Eastern Ocean devils."

"They are also the first Japanese unit to break into the defensive positions near the capital."

"We shall set a trap in the Funiu Mountain, Jiangjuntai, and Liushui River areas."

"Lure a detachment of the 6th Division into this trap."

"Then, concentrate our forces to launch a fierce assault on this unit."

"Annihilate this enemy force to the greatest extent possible, and deliver a crushing blow to the Japanese 6th Division at one stroke."

Su Changqing's appetite was enormous. The Japanese held a dismissive view of the Eighth Route Army.

By further exploiting the enemy's arrogance, conceit, and rash advance, he would step by step lure them into the encirclement and devour a brigade of the 6th Division.

His goal was to strike first to gain the psychological upper hand and boost troop morale.

Based on intelligence obtained from Zheng Yaoxian, Su Changqing had analyzed the personality traits of the various commanders within the Japanese 6th Division.

Ultimately, he locked his target onto Sakai Tokutaro, commander of the 11th Brigade of the Japanese 6th Division.

Previously, Wei Heshan and his men had launched a surprise raid and killed Fujiwara Koizumi, who was serving and gaining military credentials within the 11th Brigade.

Fujiwara Koizumi hailed from the Fujiwara family and was a Japanese aristocratic young master.

Because of this incident, Sakai Tokutaro had already been severely reprimanded by the higher-ups in the Japanese military.

If Fujiwara Koizumi's death was tied to the Eighth Route Army, coupled with the system's enhancement, Sakai Tokutaro would most likely step one foot into the grave meticulously designed for him by Su Changqing.