Chapter 110: The Great Matter Is Settled!

Ordinary Japanese soldiers slept fully clothed once they reached the battlefield, their rifles never leaving their hands so they could respond to any danger that might arise.

Yet this time, every soldier of the Japanese Ninth Division had actually stripped off his clothes to sleep. The sentries were also extremely lax: the visible guards were barely alert, and there were no concealed sentries at all.

It was simply too strange.

Yoshika Ryosuke had certainly guessed that there was a strong possibility the Dingyuan defenders would launch a night raid. Yet instead of issuing any warnings, he had allowed the entire unit to sleep peacefully and get a good rest. This clearly showed how confident he was that his troops could react swiftly and wipe out every enemy who dared attack them by surprise.

In truth, the Japanese reaction had indeed been extremely fast. The vanguard of the Thirty-Sixth Regiment, which had rushed to reinforce the area, quickly moved around behind the Broadsword Unit. Had Chen Qingzhi not used his new tactics to catch the Japanese off guard and then withdrawn swiftly, escaping from the Ninth Division’s encampment would have been nothing more than a pipe dream.

However, through this night raid, although Chen Qingzhi had failed to determine the Ninth Division’s true combat strength, he had more or less figured out the division commander, Yoshika Ryosuke.

He was an extraordinarily arrogant man.

For any commander, there was nothing more dangerous than allowing the enemy to see through his character. Once that happened, the enemy could very well devise a plan tailored to his personality, causing him to fall into a trap without even realizing it.

Conversely, if one managed to understand the enemy’s character, it meant that one’s chances of victory would be greatly increased.

For Chen Qingzhi, the greatest gain from this night raid on the Ninth Division was not the number of Japanese soldiers he had killed, but the fact that he had seen through Yoshika Ryosuke’s personality.

Yoshika Ryosuke was supremely confident in himself, and extremely proud of his own plans as well. A man like that was stubborn to the point of obsession. Once he made up his mind about something, it would be very difficult to change it.

Chen Qingzhi could exploit precisely this weakness in his character and deliberately dig a pit for Yoshika Ryosuke to fall into.

Thus, when Su Zuxin asked Chen Qingzhi what results he had achieved, Chen Qingzhi replied that Yoshika Ryosuke was excessively arrogant. And when Su Zuxin asked how great their chances of victory were, Chen Qingzhi answered, “At least seventy percent.”

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Su Zuxin slapped his palm and burst into laughter.

“In that case, victory is assured!”

After saying this, the two exchanged a glance and broke into hearty laughter.

Then they simply went off to rest on their own.

Wang Yachuan and the others were left completely baffled. The two men seemed to be speaking in riddles, and Wang Yachuan could not understand a word of what they were saying. All he could do was exchange bewildered looks with the people around him.

…

Dingyuan lay between Luqiao and Chihe. Although its geographical position was somewhat inferior to that of Linhuaiguan and Chihe, it connected southward through Chuxian County directly to Nanjing and could project its influence across Anhui and Zhejiang. To the north, it reached the Huai River and the strategic city of Xuzhou, while also linking up with the Bengbu area.

Moreover, with the Jinpu Railway running nearby, it could be said to be a vital transportation hub.

Once Dingyuan fell, the Japanese army could use it as a springboard to control Anhui and Zhejiang, or even advance northward toward Xuzhou and extend its influence into the Central Plains.

Its importance was particularly pronounced during the Battle of Xuzhou.

According to the strategic vision of Li Zongren, commander-in-chief of the Third War Zone, the strategic significance of Dingyuan in the Battle of Xuzhou lay in having the troops hold the city and thwart the Japanese attempt to advance northward through Dingyuan and Bengbu toward Xuzhou.

At the same time, by holding Dingyuan and blocking the Japanese forces advancing northward from the south, they could provide support for the troops to the north as they engaged the Japanese in a decisive battle.

Under such circumstances, Dingyuan’s importance became even more apparent.

Although Dingyuan occupied a strategically vital position, it was not, geographically speaking, an easy place to defend. Open plains stretched out in every direction, making it easy for the defending troops to be exposed to enemy artillery and aircraft.

Of course, given Dingyuan’s geography, the Xuzhou Theater General Headquarters did not actually demand that its defenders hold the city to the death. Dingyuan’s significance in the Battle of Xuzhou was simply to hold out for a period of time and give the friendly forces to the north enough time to prepare. That was all.

This naturally eased the burden on the defenders considerably.

The One Hundred Thirty-Fifth Division of the Thirty-First Army and an independent mixed brigade had stationed their troops in Dingyuan County. They had already constructed solid defensive positions and were simply waiting for the Ninth Division to attack.

Not long after Chen Qingzhi led his troops in the night raid on the Japanese Ninth Division’s encampment, the sky began to brighten.

The soldiers of the Japanese Ninth Division immediately sprang into action. Under the command of their officers, they began moving toward the defenders’ positions.

After the various assault units had eaten breakfast and replenished their strength, they stood ready for battle, awaiting the order to attack.

The Thirty-Fifth and Thirty-Sixth Regiments were especially eager. When Chen Qingzhi had previously led his troops in an attack, these two regiments had been ordered to intercept him, yet they had failed to stop him. Both regimental commanders were furious.

Although the division commander had not held them accountable, for officers of the Great Empire of Japan, it was an intolerable humiliation.

The Thirty-Fifth Regiment had lost nearly an entire battalion, while the Thirty-Sixth had also lost more than a company of soldiers.

Jixia Cilang and Fuji’i Suekichi were both brimming with pent-up fury, waiting only for division commander Yoshika Ryosuke to issue the order.

The Japanese advance toward the defensive positions was soon discovered by the scouts deployed by the defenders. Chen Qingzhi had only just fallen asleep when he was roused. Upon hearing that the Japanese were attacking, the last remnants of drowsiness vanished at once. He splashed cold water over his face, and his mind immediately cleared considerably.

After hurriedly washing and dressing, Chen Qingzhi went straight to the independent brigade’s operations command center. Su Zuxin was already there, issuing a series of battle orders.

Judging from how busy he was, and from the weariness visible on his face, he had probably not slept all night.

Chen Qingzhi stepped forward and said, “Commander Su, why didn’t you get some rest?”

Hearing his voice, Su Zuxin turned toward him. When he saw Chen Qingzhi, he nodded in greeting before replying, “With a powerful enemy at our gates, how could I possibly sleep? If I fail to formulate the plan properly and the Japanese discover a weakness, leading to Dingyuan’s fall, I will become a sinner condemned by history for all eternity!”

“That isn’t right, Commander Su. With a powerful enemy at our gates, you should be well rested instead. Once the fighting grows more intense, you may not even have time to sleep,” Chen Qingzhi said with a smile. “Brother Su, don’t let yourself collapse before the battle is even over.”

Su Zuxin smiled and waved his hand, refusing to continue the subject. Instead, he said, “The Japanese are attacking. Why don’t we go observe them? Let’s see what the Ninth Division is really made of.”

“Very well.”

Chen Qingzhi naturally nodded in agreement.

Although he had observed the Ninth Division during the raid the previous night, it had been dark, and his observations had inevitably been incomplete. More importantly, Chen Qingzhi could see that Su Zuxin was probably feeling uncertain and somewhat nervous.

The Japanese Ninth Division had arrived with overwhelming force. At the slightest misstep, Dingyuan could be in danger of falling.

The fall of Dingyuan itself would not be the end of the world. But if his negligence caused a fatal error in the Battle of Xuzhou and led to the collapse of the entire situation, then Su Zuxin truly would become a sinner condemned by history for all eternity.

Chen Qingzhi could understand Su Zuxin’s thoughts.