Chapter 55 Seeking Assistance

"Hahaha, Commander Wang is as sharp and perceptive as ever. Our Zheng Clique is indeed facing unprecedented difficulties this time; otherwise, I would not have come to Pingling to trouble Commander Wang. I only hope that, considering our many years of acquaintance, Commander Wang can help arrange a meeting for me with the Commander-in-Chief, and request some assistance for our Zheng Clique." Zheng Zeliang slightly softened his posture, carrying a strong undertone of plea.

Wang He curled the corners of his lips, calculating inwardly: "This fellow is a true old fox. He still thought I was unaware of their Zheng Clique's plight. Hmph, even a dead duck still has a stiff beak and puts up a brave front. Since that's the case, I might as well play along."

"What are you saying, Zeliang? As the current Commander-in-Chief of the National Salvation Central Army, I naturally must proceed from the perspective of the nation's overall situation. Since the Zheng Clique's forces have encountered some trouble, we naturally must extend a helping hand. As it happens, the Commander-in-Chief has an hour of free time tomorrow morning after his meeting concludes. I can arrange a meeting between you and the Commander-in-Chief."

Zheng Zeliang hurriedly stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Commander Wang. I, Zheng Zeliang, express my utmost gratitude here. If our Zheng Clique manages to extricate itself from this predicament, I will surely offer a generous token of appreciation. I ask only for Commander Wang's unsparing assistance."

Wang He laughed heartily. "Easily done, easily done."

Before long, the night passed, and early the next morning, Zheng Zeliang arrived at the reception hall of the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion to wait.

Once the Commander-in-Chief's meeting concluded, he received Zheng Zeliang in the reception hall.

"Zeliang, I've heard that recent days have not been peaceful in Bozhou. What kind of difficulties have arisen?" asked Commander-in-Chief Sun Huairen, his tone exceptionally calm.

Just as Zheng Zeliang was about to reply, Zhai Jin, the Secretary-General of the Secretariat outside the door, walked in.

"Ah, Zhengfang, is there something you wish to report? Zeliang is no outsider; you may speak freely," Sun Huairen said, a look of profound exhaustion in his eyes.

Zhai Jin, styled Zhengfang, nodded in acknowledgment. "Commander-in-Chief, I sincerely apologize for interrupting your meeting with Commander Zheng. It's just that our Secretariat has just received a telegram from the Embassy of the State of Aus. Ambassador Zahels wishes to request a meeting with you to discuss the upcoming consultations ten days from now with the envoys of the State of Bai, the State of Yesa, and others."

Sun Huairen frowned and let out a cold snort. "This Zahels has truly discarded all pretense of shame. Although our national strength cannot compare to these invading nations, if they expect us to submit without a fight, they will still have to break their eggs against our stones to find out."

Zhai Jin asked, "Then, Commander-in-Chief, how should we handle the matter of this meeting with Ambassador Zahels?"

Sun Huairen took a sip of tea. "Let us do this: have Shaokun go in my place. An hour from now, I must go with Zhengshan, Huaimin, and the others to Qing'an to meet the delegation from the State of Lu. In dealing with the enemy this time, we must seek the assistance of the State of Lu."

"Commander-in-Chief, I must also remind you that tomorrow is the scheduled time to discuss the detailed strategy for the Tongzhou Campaign. Minister Chen's side hopes that you will still be able to attend in person," Zhai Jin continued reporting.

Sun Huairen nodded. "Very well. Tell Chushen that I will definitely be at the Ministry of Military Affairs tomorrow."

Zhai Jin nodded and turned to leave, but Sun Huairen spoke once more. "Oh, and Zhengfang, make arrangements at noon to host Zeliang for a simple meal at the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion cafeteria. After all, Zeliang has traveled a long way, which has not been easy. Furthermore, the Zheng Clique forces under his leadership have consistently remained on the front lines of combat, suffering untold hardships. In addition, go immediately and summon Kezhi here; I need to be briefed on any new developments at the State of Lu's embassy so that our upcoming talks proceed smoothly."

Meanwhile, Zheng Zeliang felt a tangle of turbulent emotions in his heart. He knew that Sun Huairen, as the national leader, was naturally burdened with a myriad of responsibilities, but he truly had not expected Sun Huairen to be this busy. For a moment, Zheng Zeliang felt his resolve falter, and he became reluctant to state the true purpose of his visit.

Having settled all matters properly, Sun Huairen finally turned his gaze back to Zheng Zeliang. "Zeliang, I truly apologize. I simply have too many things on my plate. What was that you were saying about the situation in Bozhou?"

Zheng Zeliang pursed his lips, momentarily at a loss for where to begin. "Commander-in-Chief, the front lines at Bozhou City are indeed perilous, but our Zheng Clique forces can still hold their ground for a short time. Zeliang originally came to seek assistance from the National Salvation Army, but given that you, Commander-in-Chief, are weighed down by a thousand duties, so many major affairs are far more pressing than my minor matters."

Sun Huairen nodded. "Zeliang, a tight situation on the front lines is a matter of paramount importance. When you come seeking aid, it naturally means you have reached the point of absolute desperation. Let us do this: the personnel of the Central Army are also stretched extremely thin, so the exact number of troops to be aided and which units to assign will be entrusted to the Ministry of Military Affairs—specifically, the newly established Headquarters of the National Salvation Central Army. Shortly, Zhengfang will accompany you to the Ministry of Military Affairs to transmit an order, and after that, Chushen will coordinate the subsequent matters with you."

Hearing these words, Zheng Zeliang felt a complex mixture of emotions. He understood that while the Commander-in-Chief could issue a command with a casual remark, getting anything actually accomplished at the lower levels would prove exceptionally difficult.

"Zeliang, do you have any other requests?" Sun Huairen stood up, as he needed to prepare for his upcoming meeting. As the leader of a nation, maintaining proper decorum was indispensable.

Zheng Zeliang had originally intended to seek some support in terms of munitions and weaponry, but from everything he had just heard, he knew he could not bring himself to make such a request, as he did not wish to add to Commander-in-Chief Sun Huairen's burdens.

Ultimately, Zheng Zeliang shook his head.

"Zeliang, whether it is Bozhou or Huangzhou, the fighting is terribly fierce. The enemy is launching fierce assaults on both places, and you must maintain solid defenses. Should you encounter any difficulties, call me at the very first instance. As the leader of this nation, it is naturally my duty to help you. Do you understand?"

Zheng Zeliang nodded, engraving Sun Huairen's injunctions deeply in his heart.

"Very well, Zeliang. I must go and prepare for the upcoming meeting. Remember to have a meal at the cafeteria before you head back; there is no need to rush off just yet."

With those words, Sun Huairen departed from the reception hall.

Watching Sun Huairen's retreating figure, Zheng Zeliang wore a deeply complex expression on his face. At this juncture, the Zheng Clique had already fallen into a dire predicament. While receiving some assistance was certainly better than nothing, this level of aid fundamentally could not resolve their core problems.

After leaving the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, Zheng Zeliang wasted no time and followed Secretary-General Zhai Jin directly to the Ministry of Military Affairs. Next, Zheng Zeliang still had to confer with Minister of Military Affairs Chen Chushen regarding the details of the reinforcement.

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Military Affairs, Zheng Zeliang discovered that the department was already in a state of chaotic frenzy. Because the National Army and the Allied Salvation Army were jointly preparing to establish the National Salvation Central Army, the Ministry of Military Affairs had to arrange personnel, staffing, and various other administrative matters down to the last detail. With manpower already scarce, everyone was running around in perpetual motion.

"Minister Chen, this is Commander Zheng Zeliang of the Zheng Clique. By order of the Commander-in-Chief, he requests that the Ministry of Military Affairs arrange appropriate troops to reinforce the Zheng Clique forces stationed along the Bozhou front, based on the current deployment of our Central Army."

The moment he laid eyes on Chen Chushen, Zhai Jin relayed Sun Huairen's instructions. Zhai Jin then hurried back to the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, where a mountain of affairs still required the attention of the Secretary-General.

"Commander Zheng, since this is the order of the Commander-in-Chief, I must naturally comply. However, as Commander Zheng can surely see for yourself, Pingling City at present is as chaotic as a boiling cauldron."

"Because the Allied forces of the five nations have launched an invasion against our country, the front lines in every direction are facing tense battles. As the nation's Ministry of Military Affairs, we must coordinate forces from all quarters; even the Central Army is stretched to its absolute limits."

Right off the bat, Chen Chushen began venting his grievances. Yet, there was one thing he said that was entirely true: due to the fierce battles raging on the front lines, the Ministry of Military Affairs had been running at a dizzying pace lately.

Hearing Chen Chushen's words, Zheng Zeliang felt an involuntary cold smile form in his heart. The Central Army is stretched thin? Most of the main forces of the Allied armies are being resisted by my Zheng Clique alone—it is utterly laughable.

However, Zheng Zeliang did not retort immediately. He had come here seeking aid, and this was not the proper occasion to fall out openly with the Ministry of Military Affairs.

"Well then, Commander Zheng, how many troops do you wish to request for reinforcement? Speak your mind freely," Chen Chushen asked after finishing his complaints, raising his head to look at Zheng Zeliang.

Without hesitation, Zheng Zeliang replied, "Minister Chen, our Zheng Clique is currently deployed along the Huangzhou and Bozhou lines—especially Bozhou, where we face several enemy brigades and bear immense pressure. Therefore, we were hoping to see if the Central Army could support us with a force of two army corps."

Upon hearing Zheng Zeliang's words, Chen Chushen's expression shifted slightly. He smiled and said, "Commander Zheng's request is certainly reasonable, but wartime demands remain extremely tight across all fronts. Two army corps amount to over forty thousand men, which I fear is somewhat excessive. How about this: I will dispatch the elite Third Army Corps, originally under the command of National Army Commander Wei Ju, to reinforce Bozhou City. How does that sound to you?"

Initially, when Zheng Zeliang heard Chen Chushen's words, his heart tightened. If they were unwilling to support even this modest troop strength, then his Zheng Clique would suffer catastrophic losses this time. But upon hearing that the reinforcements would actually be the elite Third Army Corps of the Central Army, Zheng Zeliang naturally knew this unit well.

The history of the Third Army Corps was laden with illustrious military exploits; it enjoyed a formidable reputation within both the National Army and the nation's armed forces as a whole. With such a corps participating in the battle, the unfavorable situation in Bozhou could be completely reversed.

"Acceptable."

Without the slightest hesitation, Zheng Zeliang agreed immediately. To have secured this level of assistance upon coming to Pingling City was already an excellent outcome.

When he had first set out for Pingling City in search of aid, Zheng Zeliang had already prepared himself for the worst—that he might return completely empty-handed. But now, having secured military reinforcements, and an elite Central Army corps at that, he was already thoroughly satisfied with the outcome.

Upon receiving Zheng Zeliang's confirmation, Chen Chushen directly wrote out an authorization slip and instructed Zheng Zeliang to return to Luzhou City immediately, assuring him that the Third Army Corps would set out directly for Bozhou City without delay.