When Jiang Kai heard the Grand Marshal declare that Generals from other regions would be drafted into his Combat Zone, he was furious. They were trying to reach their hands directly into his territory to seize command.
“That is unnecessary! During this battle, many of my Brigadier Generals have earned significant merit. They are the ones who deserve to be promoted!” Jiang Kai stated firmly.
“Mmh. Submit the list of proposed promotions, and we will consider them,” the Grand Marshal replied noncommittally.
“We have enough capable officers here; we do not need to trouble the Generals from other regions,” Jiang Kai pressed. “Furthermore, I intend to promote several field-grade officers—men of common birth—to the rank of Brigadier General. I expect you to approve these commissions!”
“Absolutely not. That is out of the question. We cannot set that precedent; the other Generals will vehemently oppose it!” the Grand Marshal rejected the proposal instantly.
“Why not?! Do you honestly expect those pampered, aristocratic brats to lead our soldiers into battle? Do you realize the frontline troops are on the verge of mutiny?! If you insist on doing this, Grand Marshal, you will regret it!” Jiang Kai shouted, losing his temper.
“Do not tell me the other Combat Zones don’t have this problem. They don’t have this problem because their troops haven’t seen combat yet! Once they hit the front lines, let’s see if those ‘noble’ Generals can actually command them!
The moment these soldiers experience the slaughter of the battlefield, they change. They become fearless. If our aristocratic Generals try to punish them, the soldiers will shoot them without hesitation! Because out here, the men who survive don’t survive because of a General’s brilliant command—they survive by sheer luck!
Conversely, the vast majority of our dead soldiers died specifically because the frontline Generals have absolutely no idea how to fight! Tell me, if you were a soldier, would you follow a General like that into the fire? Would you obey his orders? Grand Marshal, this concerns the very survival of the Empire! You must consider this!” Jiang Kai pleaded passionately.
“And do you realize,” the Grand Marshal countered, his voice chillingly calm, “that if I open that promotion channel for commoners, we will have no army left to fight the war at all? Do you think the aristocratic Generals will ever lead their troops to the front lines again if we strip away their exclusive rights to command?”
Jiang Kai heard this and closed his eyes in agony.
“I know you are anxious,” the Grand Marshal continued, “but this matter cannot be rushed. Furthermore, I will be inserting several Brigadier Generals into your command. You will assign them commands. I am ordering you to deploy them to the front.”
“But they will cause us to lose our defensive lines, step by step!” Jiang Kai argued desperately.
“Losing a defensive line is acceptable. Losing the country is the true danger. Deploy them!” the Grand Marshal ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“No!” Jiang Kai refused instantly, without a second thought.
“Then you will step down as Zone Commander immediately!” the Grand Marshal snapped.
“You—I—!” Jiang Kai was practically choking on his rage.
“Old Jiang, listen to me. Put them on the front lines,” the Grand Marshal said, softening his tone slightly.
“Commander, doing this will incite a full-scale mutiny among the soldiers! Right now, many of our Generals don’t even dare to sleep near their own troops for fear of being shot in the back by their own men!” Jiang Kai was on the verge of tears. If they went through with this, his army would be completely destroyed from within.
He had originally planned to promote a batch of highly capable Colonels to the rank of Brigadier General to serve as Division Commanders, but the Grand Marshal was categorically denying it.
“Then let them be shot in the back. You must order those Generals to stay with their troops at the front!” the Grand Marshal stated coldly.
“Grand Marshal…?” Hearing this, Jiang Kai finally caught the underlying meaning in the older man’s words.
“Since there is resistance to change, we must let that resistance… disappear. Only then can we properly solve the problem,” the Grand Marshal said cryptically.
“Sigh… but… what about our soldiers?” Jiang Kai asked, his heart aching for the men who would die in the process.
“There must always be sacrifices. It is either that, or the subjugation of our nation. Which do you choose?” the Grand Marshal asked.
“…Understood. I agree to accept the outside Generals. However, I will accept no more than half of the vacancies,” Jiang Kai decided after a moment of heavy silence.
“Good. I won’t force you to take half. I will send enough to fill one-third of your vacancies. If they perform poorly in combat, report them to me. I will execute them myself,” the Grand Marshal declared.
“Yes, sir,” Jiang Kai nodded.
“The retreat must be swift. Your forces must reach Dingkang Province before dawn tomorrow. The forces of the Central, Western, and Northwestern Combat Zones have already established the new defensive line there.
Once your troops reach Dingkang, you will immediately begin receiving reinforcements and restructuring. In one month’s time, your forces must be ready to deploy back to the front at a moment’s notice,” the Grand Marshal ordered.
“Grand Marshal, I just received intelligence indicating the Allied forces may attempt to airdrop paratroopers directly into our path of retreat tonight. The Allied air force is currently launching massive sorties to suppress our fighters. I request that you order Air Force Command to vector additional fighter squadrons to our sector immediately!” Jiang Kai reported.
“Is that so? Are you certain?” the Grand Marshal asked sharply.
“Almost entirely certain. From last night through today, our rearguard in Langcheng has not been attacked. Yet, the enemy still has three full corps stationed right outside the city. Coupled with their aggressive attempts to break through our air defense today, it is highly probable the Allied airborne divisions will strike tonight!” Jiang Kai explained.
“Good. Very good. Anticipating the enemy’s movements ahead of time is excellent work. If that is the case, the airdrop won’t be overly massive. I will order Air Force Command to prep two full divisions immediately. We will ambush their transport planes tonight!” the Grand Marshal decided instantly.
“Yes, sir! Thank you, Grand Marshal!” Jiang Kai said, relieved.
“Very well. I have a summit to attend. We will end it here. Keep me updated on any developments,” the Grand Marshal concluded.
“Yes, sir!”
After hanging up, Jiang Kai immediately turned to the staff officer in the front seat. “Get me the map of the Southwest Combat Zone. I also need the maps for Tianxiang and Dingkang Provinces. Now!”
“Yes, sir!” The officer quickly pulled the requested maps from the command vehicle’s cabinet and handed them back.
Meanwhile, Hu Hao and his men were sitting in the shade, enjoying a rare moment of peace. The soldiers were in high spirits; Hu Hao’s prediction had been spot-on. The enemy hadn’t attacked, which meant they actually had a real chance to escape.
“Hao-ge!” Li Jingsong called out with a wide smile, jogging over to where Hu Hao was sitting.
“Did you report it?” Hu Hao asked with a smirk.
“Heh heh. I reported it. Whether the Commander listens or not is up to him,” Li Jingsong laughed, sitting down next to Hu Hao and handing him a cigarette.
“Hao-ge, I heard that once we withdraw, we’re going to the rear to rest and rebuild. With your rank, you’ll probably just get assigned as a Battalion Commander in some random unit. That’s boring. Why don’t you come command my Guard Battalion?” Li Jingsong offered.
“Piss off. I’m not going anywhere near your Guard Battalion. Everyone knows a General’s Guard Battalion is filled entirely with kids from your own family. It’s a private army. You think I’d actually be allowed to lead them into combat? If I did, would you even let me?” Hu Hao shot back with a laugh.
According to Imperial military tradition, a General’s Guard Battalion functioned as their personal retinue. They recruited from their own clans and allied families, forming an ultra-loyal core unit that rarely, if ever, saw front-line combat.
“I would! I swear, I’d trust you completely!” Li Jingsong insisted.
“Save it. I’m not going. I’m perfectly fine being a regular Battalion Commander!” Hu Hao chuckled.
“Alright, I won’t force you. Whatever you want to do,” Li Jingsong smiled. He knew Hu Hao had zero interest in playing military politics.
Hu Hao and the soldiers rested until evening. By 7:00 PM, the rest of the Eastern Spirit Empire’s forces had long since cleared out of the city.
“Hao-ge, it’s almost seven. Should we get ready?” Li Jingsong asked, checking his watch.
“Hold on. If we leave early and something goes wrong, the blame falls entirely on you. The Commander could execute you, and the rest of us officers, for dereliction of duty. Don’t worry, the enemy won’t move that fast. Tell the boys to hurry up and eat dinner!” Hu Hao instructed.
“Got it. I’ll tell logistics to bring the food up!” Li Jingsong nodded and hurried off.
Hu Hao, meanwhile, climbed to the top of a nearby high-rise. Standing at the edge, he looked out toward the Allied positions. He couldn’t see the encampment itself—too many buildings were in the way—but he wasn’t looking for the camp. He was watching the roads leading toward the city, looking for headlights. If he saw headlights, the Allied ground forces were moving.
“Dammit… that’s a massive enemy air fleet!” Hu Hao had only been watching for a few minutes when the deafening roar of hundreds of aircraft engines filled the sky. Looking east of Langcheng, he saw the blinking navigation lights of hundreds of planes—fighters and bombers—swarming the horizon.
“Quick! Call the Division Commander! Tell him to contact Zone Command immediately! The enemy air force has mobilized—massive numbers of fighters and bombers! Tell them to prepare for the drop!” Hu Hao shouted to Huan Xingtao, who was standing nearby.
Hu Hao had specifically ordered Li Jingsong to procure several satellite phones and distribute them among the officers so they could coordinate the retreat effectively.
“Right! Got it!” Huan Xingtao quickly dialed Li Jingsong.
Once the warning was passed on, Hu Hao led his men in a frantic sprint down the stairs.
“Notify the brothers! Let’s go! Fire the flares!” Hu Hao roared as soon as his boots hit the ground.
He knew that if the enemy bombers were airborne, their ground forces would be moving soon as well. They had to leave now, before the Allied armor began its pursuit.
“Go! Brothers, everyone move! FAST!” Hu Hao shouted.
Fwump! Fwump! Signal flares shot into the night sky across the defensive line.
Seeing the flares, the soldiers immediately abandoned their positions and sprinted toward the rear, where their scavenged civilian vehicles were hidden.
To the east and west, similar flares lit up the sky as the 28th Army forces received Hu Hao’s signal and began their own withdrawal. The veterans ran like their lives depended on it.
Reaching the hidden vehicles, they piled in and started the engines. Following Hu Hao’s previous instructions, they kept their headlights off, relying only on the faint moonlight to navigate the ruined streets as they began their desperate escape.