Chapter 47: The Annihilation Battle of Huangzhou

Qian Jiushan also laughed and said, “Old Li, don’t keep us in suspense. We need to act quickly now. I don’t think those two would object to your plan. Go ahead and explain the next step.”

Li Jinhan touched his mouth thoughtfully and then continued, “Alright, since all the commanders agree with the plan, I’ll share my ‘invite the enemy into the trap’ strategy.”

“Their main objective in attacking Huangzhou City is to capture it. Therefore, at this moment, their biggest target is us—especially the three of you.”

Li Jinhan looked at Song Pu, Chen Xing, and Qian Jiushan. No matter what, the Mashalian allied forces primarily aim to seize Huangzhou City, and the defending troops are their greatest obstacle.

Suddenly, Song Pu understood. “Old Li, you mean for us to lure the enemy in, drawing them into the encirclement we’ve prepared?”

Li Jinhan nodded without a word, his expression growing serious.

Song Pu, Chen Xing, and Qian Jiushan narrowed their eyes. They all knew such an approach carried great risks. If it failed, their forces could fall into even graver peril.

“Old Li, to be honest, I think this plan is quite risky. But it’s not impossible. One or two of us should act as bait, drawing the enemy into the trap,” Qian Jiushan said after a moment’s thought.

Though Qian Jiushan often spoke casually, as a military commander, he was far from lacking in insight.

Nearby, Song Pu and Chen Xing were silent, both considering the feasibility of the plan.

The simplest fact was that if the plan failed, not only the three of them but the safety of Huangzhou City itself would be in jeopardy.

Because if that happened, the western gate of Huangzhou City would be exposed to the Mashalian allied forces, putting the entire city at risk of being breached. The units acting as bait might face complete annihilation.

“Gentlemen, I’m inclined to agree with Old Li’s plan. And what Old Qian said makes sense. I’ll act as the bait. As the saying goes, ‘Cast your line long to catch big fish.’ Perhaps only if I serve as bait will the Mashalian allied forces fall for it,” Song Pu declared.

Chen Xing frowned slightly, appearing hesitant.

“Ha!” Song Pu slapped the table lightly. “As soldiers, how can we fear death? To die on the battlefield wrapped in our own blood is our highest honor. I’ll take command this time. I’ll lead a division to camp beside the groves on the high ground. Old Qian, you’ll stay to defend Huangzhou City with two divisions. Chen Xing, you command the remaining six divisions to ambush in the groves. Let’s strive to win a decisive annihilation battle. We’ll name this operation the Huangzhou Annihilation Battle.”

“This operation must be kept absolutely secret. Everyone here is a division commander or chief of staff. If any leak occurs, we will immediately call off the operation and all units will fall back to defend Huangzhou City. Moreover, if I discover any traitor leaking information, I will punish them severely, starting with the division commanders.”

Song Pu understood the critical importance of this mission. If the situation repeated what had happened before, the operation would become extremely passive.

Chen Xing and Qian Jiushan nodded in strong agreement.

Soon, the orders were conveyed to all combat units. Since the Fifth and Twenty-Ninth Armies were still on the move, they were directly ordered to move into ambush positions in the groves.

The 117th and 119th Divisions, stationed outside, were to return to defend Huangzhou City under Qian Jiushan’s direct command. Song Pu led the 357th Division to camp outside the city as bait to lure the Mashalian allied forces into the trap.

While Huangzhou’s defenders rapidly repositioned, the Mashalian allied forces’ 18th Brigade, stationed at the former 117th Division position, continuously gathered intelligence. They maintained contact with the incoming Fifth Brigade and closely monitored the movements of the Zheng faction’s forces in Huangzhou City.

Inside the 18th Brigade’s operations room, the atmosphere was tense.

“Brigade Commander, our scouts have spotted enemy forces on a high ground not far from us. It seems they intend to cut off our retreat route,” a staff officer reported. The Zheng faction’s movements were nearly always known to them immediately.

“Moreover, our assault has been highly effective. Their Fifth and Twenty-Ninth Armies have yet to fully return to position. We estimate they still need at least half a day to redeploy.”

After hearing the report, Floko tapped the map on the table, took a long drag from his cigarette, and exhaled thick rings of smoke.

“Serben, I think this is a perfect opportunity. I’ve studied the terrain; the high ground is ideal for our stationing while waiting for Zakhariev’s Fifth Brigade. Then, we can plan together to seize Huangzhou City in one swift move.”

Serben, chief of staff of the 18th Brigade, nodded repeatedly. He had also noticed that high ground, backed by a vast grove with flat flanks allowing easy retreat or advance—a perfect position for a garrison.

“Brigade Commander, I think we should be cautious. Let’s first send scouts to identify which enemy units are there and check for any signs of ambush. Our mission is to capture Huangzhou City; prudence is paramount,” Serben advised, demonstrating his strategic foresight.

Floko nodded in agreement. As Serben said, their objective was Huangzhou City; reckless actions would be unwise.

Yet, time was pressing. Just an hour later, the entire 18th Brigade mobilized, advancing toward the western gate high ground. Mechanized units led the way, infantry followed.

When the Mashalian allied forces moved, Song Pu, commanding the 357th Division, immediately received the news. He ordered his entire division to battle readiness, preparing to confront the approaching enemy.

After over half an hour, the Mashalian allied vanguard reached the high ground and launched a frontal assault against the 357th Division.

The whole high ground soon erupted into fierce fighting. Song Pu led his division, over twenty thousand strong, against the 18th Brigade’s forces.

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