Taking advantage of Japan's initiative to request an armistice, the sound of air defense sirens did not sound in Nanjing for two consecutive days, which was also an important reason why Chiang Kai-shek chose to return to the Nationalist Government from the air raid shelter in Fuguishan for meetings and offices

Chiang Kai-shek walked out of Wang Jingwei's office, and Yang Jie, who was already waiting in the corridor, stepped forward quickly, kept up with Chiang Kai-shek's pace, and said anxiously:

Once our side accepts the mediation of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries, our entire armament, mobilization, and organization will not be able to keep up with Japan, and we will be beaten everywhere if we are backward

Turning his head to see that it was Yang Jie, Chiang Kai-shek frowned slightly, he forcibly held back the anger in his heart, and said kindly as he walked:

"Brother Geng Guangdi doesn't need to worry, no matter how arrogant Japan is, it can't resist the joint pressure of Britain, France, the United States and other countries; In addition, Japan is an island country, and it is more dependent on the resources of Europe and the United States than we are. The United States imports a large amount of scrap steel and oil into Japan every year, and controls the lifeline of Japan's economy, and Japan will never dare to make fun of the great powers again and again, because that is likely to lead to comprehensive sanctions against Europe and the United States, and most of the interests of Europe and the United States are concentrated in Songhu, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, and they will not sit idly by."

Chiang Kai-shek's words were reasonable, and his posture was also very low, but who knew that Yang Jie was still frowning. In Yang Jie's view, North China and Songhu have already started fighting, and Japan has already mobilized for war, and a steady stream of troops is heading towards China

Yang Jie's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Japan is a dog that can't be fed, and they won't be satisfied with the meat of their mouths." Although the interests of Europe and the United States and other countries are in Songhu and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other countries, if Japan promises not to infringe on the interests of the great powers after occupying Shanghai, Britain, France, the United States, and other countries will surely waver."

"Alright...... Geng Guang, I am clear about your opinion, and I will summon someone to discuss it in detail when I go back. ”

Chiang Kai-shek was displeased, but he really couldn't do anything about the stubborn Yang Jie, and he thought that he had to rely on Yang Jie's military talent, Chiang Kai-shek said in a heartfelt manner: "The national government is financially difficult, and if it does not seek assistance from Britain, France, the United States and other countries, it will be difficult to continue." Geng Guang, you don't know that salt and rice are expensive......"

"It's-"

Yang Jie also wanted to persuade, but Chiang Kai-shek pulled down his face, turned his head sideways and glanced at Yang Jie coldly: "Brother Geng Guang, since the Xi'an Incident, we have not been able to communicate well with the Soviet government. I would like to send you as the head of the inspection mission to visit the Soviet Union and actively seek military assistance from the Soviet Union to our country.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the door of Chiang Kai-shek's office. Yang Jie was about to say no, but someone grabbed the corner of his clothes, and when he looked back, Lin Wei, who came behind him at some point, was glaring at him, signaling that he couldn't be entangled any longer.

Yang Jie snorted heavily: "Okay"

Seeing that Yang Jie had responded to a new errand, Chiang Kai-shek also let out a long breath, Yang Jie, as his trusted military staff, has always been with him recently, which gave Chiang Kai-shek an opinion, let him go abroad to investigate just to calm his head, don't be pampered and arrogant.

Qian Dajun, who came out of the next room, was overjoyed when he saw Yang Jie receiving a cold reception. Qian Dajun has always been jealous and hateful of Yang Jie being reused by Chiang Kai-shek, and now he is extremely happy to see Yang Jie being sent to the Soviet Union.

Seeing Yang Jie's lonely figure disappear at the elevator entrance, Qian Dajun took out a telegram from his briefcase and handed it to Chiang Kai-shek: "Chairman of the Committee, I have just received a good report from General Wenbai in Shanghai, the new second division has attacked one after another in the past two days, and the 87th and 88th divisions have also progressed smoothly, and our army has smoothly advanced the battle line to the periphery of Huishan Wharf. ”

"Oh?"

Chiang Kai-shek's brows stretched slightly, after all, he had high hopes for several German armor divisions under his command that were expanded from the Imperial Forest Army, and they had a very bad fight some time ago, and even Chiang Kai-shek, who was sitting in Nanjing, was extremely anxious.

After reading the telegram, Chiang Kai-shek showed a faint smile, pointed to the war report and said to the people who gathered around: "Yes, Sun Yuanliang and Wang Jingjiu's performance has improved greatly...... With Wu Ming, Sun, Wang and other fierce generals in Songhu, are we still afraid that we will not be able to defeat the Japanese army? What if there is a temporary truce? ”

Everyone followed Chiang Kai-shek's words and praised the chairman for his discernment, which made Chiang Kai-shek feel very comfortable.

The group walked into Chiang Kai-shek's office, Chiang Kai-shek returned to his chair and sat down, and Qian Dajun continued to report: "Commission, the telegram said that the new Second Division suffered heavy losses when attacking the Japanese Marine Corps Headquarters Building and the Gongda Yarn Mill, and lost 7788 weapons and equipment. ”

"Now that our army has occupied a favorable position in the Songhu battlefield, the 87th and 88th Divisions have completed their rest, and the Japanese marines entrenched in the concession area are only left with only a few strongholds at the Huijiang Wharf and the surrounding areas, and an armistice is imminent, so why not withdraw and replace the new 2nd Division, on the one hand, give them time to rest and recuperate, and on the other hand, they can also temper the ability of the 87th and 88th Divisions to attack fortified positions."

Chiang Kai-shek glanced at Qian Dajun and wondered what the purpose of this suggestion was?

Lin Wei stepped forward and said to Chiang Kai-shek: "Commission, what Brother Mu Yin said is debatable, after all, the advantage of our army on the Songhu battlefield is not obvious. The 87th and 88th Divisions suffered heavy casualties some time ago, and they were all replenished with new recruits, and their combat effectiveness could not be compared with that before the war. In addition, the situation on the battlefield of the left flank in Songhu is confusing, and if there is any recurrence, it is better to transfer new reinforcements from the Second Division in time. ”

He Yingqin waved his hand and smiled: "Brother Weiwen is alarmist...... Sun and Wang are my outstanding generals in Huangpu, and they are also authentic moral mechanics and well-equipped. It was inevitable that he would panic when he first entered the battle formation in the previous period, and this was not conducive to attacking the fortification. You see that now they will conquer and win the battle, and they will know that the Tao has been tempered. In addition, Britain, France, the United States, and other countries have intervened in mediation, and we can also take the opportunity to make partial adjustments, if we transfer the new second division back to the north shore of Hangzhou Bay to garrison, after all, the front line of national defense fortifications cannot be without the support of a strong army. ”

Chiang Kai-shek frowned slightly, the reason why Wu Ming, who was fighting in Shanghai, did not bring Chiang Ching-kuo with him was precisely because the situation was unclear at the beginning, and he was afraid that Chiang Ching-kuo would be in danger. Now that Sino-Japanese peace talks are imminent, the withdrawal of the new Second Division is just the right time to ⊥ Chiang Ching-kuo's return to the team, increase Chiang Ching-kuo's qualifications, and pave the way for future promotion and appointment.

On the other hand, let the 87th and 88th Divisions and other units of the Central Army increase their combat exploits and slightly remove the edge of Wu Ming's new Second Division, so that Wu Ming, who has become a bird out of the forest, can be preserved, and the development of the new Second Division will also be restricted.

Weighing the pros and cons, Chiang Kai-shek finally made up his mind:

"What Wei Wen said is very true, and Jing Zhi and Mu Yin are not unreasonable...... Now that the mediation of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries has been completed, Songhu will certainly be calm for a while, and on the other hand, our side is in a good situation, so we can seize the time to rest and recuperate. Transfer Wu Ming's new second division back to the right flank of Songhu, first, to get close to the front line and rush to help at any time, and second, to let the new second division rest and recuperate, so as to comfort the hard work of the soldiers."

"The commission is thoughtful, it's that I've thought too much," Lin Wei bowed and happily admitted his mistake.

Chiang Kai-shek nodded happily, looking at Lin Wei with a little more appreciation.

Speaking of which, Yang Jie's talent is far above Lin Wei, Qian Dajun and others, but in military affairs, it is difficult for Yang Jie to change his mind once he believes in the truth, which makes Chiang Kai-shek anxious and annoyed.

Lin Wei was meticulous and meticulous, cautious in words and deeds, always put Chiang Kai-shek's views first, and never openly opposed Chiang Kai-shek, which was very popular with Chiang Kai-shek and was cited as a confidant.

In the evening of the same day, the Military Committee issued an order to readjust the new 2nd Division to Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army, and at the same time issued a commendation order, and all the officers and men of the New 2nd Division received bonuses of various sizes, ranging from 5,000 yuan for Wu Ming to 10 yuan for ordinary soldiers.

In the afternoon of the next day, the special fund of 150,000 yuan was transferred to the account of the new Second Division, and the officers and men were very happy when they received the money.

Wu Ming converted his prize money into Dayang and transferred it to a special account, and the money on it will be used as the start-up fund for the newly established New Second Division Disabled Veterans Foundation.

Long Shaogang, Zhang Dongning, Dai Ziran and other military officers also donated a lot, and the account of the Disabled Veterans Foundation suddenly had 20,000 oceans, which made the person in charge, Zhang Dongning, feel a lot more relieved.

Under the mediation of the ambassadors of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries, Wang Jingwei and Japanese representative Shigeru Kawa had a fierce confrontation in Nanjing over the current situation in Shanghai and between China and Japan.

During the negotiations, the military operations of both sides did not completely stop.

The Japanese army continued to consolidate its existing land positions, and sent small units to test and harass the Shishilin, Luodian, Baoshan County, and Wusong areas. The 87th and 88th Divisions adopted the offensive strategy of the new 2nd Division, and with the cooperation of the 36th Division, after two days and one night of strong attack, they finally recaptured the Huishan Wharf in one fell swoop before the peace talks were reached, and completely eliminated the stubborn Japanese enemy in the concession.

During the offensive of the 87th and 88th Divisions, Wu Ming sent a team of 50 military advisers to the two divisions to guide them in mastering the use of bazookas and unconscionable guns. Through this exchange, the new 2nd Division found a lot of good things, and the artillery regiment added 12 75-mm field guns, 4 RR-mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as 12 0-mm mortars and more than 20 heavy machine guns.

After fulfilling his duties, Wu Ming handed over military affairs to Deputy Division Commander Long Shaogang and Chief of Staff Zhang Dongning, and began to visit celebrities in Shanghai.

Under the leadership of Du Yuesheng, Wu Ming visited the heads of big film companies such as Good Star Film Company, Lianhua Film Company, and Tianyi Film Company, and introduced to them the current bad situation in Shanghai.

People from several major film companies admired Wu Ming, and at the same time were very worried about the situation in Shanghai. Other companies pinned their hopes on the success of the peace talks between China and Japan, but they still agreed with Wu Ming to send people to Quzhou to inspect first.

Subsequently, Wu Ming found the residence of Hu Die and Pan Yousheng, and welcomed them to Quzhou to start a new business together.

Relying on the prestige won by the New Second Division on the Songhu battlefield, nearly 5,000 young intellectuals stranded in the concession area were inspired by Wu Ming's enthusiasm and with the efforts of the New Second Division's institutions and intelligence departments in Shanghai, they successively moved to western Zhejiang by waterway in an orderly manner.

For a time, the military stations built by the New Second Division along the waterway were overcrowded, and Wu Ming instructed Li Kun, who was in charge of liaison in the center, to lead the Maoliangwu militia to protect and respond along the way.

Accompanied by Wan Molin, Wu Ming visited the national capitalists and business owners in Shanghai and mobilized them to relocate their factories to western Zhejiang, but because most people still had a wait-and-see attitude towards the Sino-Japanese war, the effect was not obvious.

Wu Ming knew that these people would not die if they did not reach the Yellow River, so he did not demand it, but just told them that Zhejiang and Western China would always welcome the entry of Shanghai's industrial and commercial circles.

In just half a month, after Hu Die and Pan Yousheng arrived at Mao Liangwu, a large number of singers and well-known actors such as Zhou Xuan and Bai Hong also set off for western Zhejiang.

Before leaving Shanghai, Wu Ming went to Jiading County, met with Chen Cheng, commander of the 15th Group Army, and discussed with Luo Zhuoying and other generals of the 18th Army, and discussed many tactics to deal with the Japanese attack, such as digging more anti-tank trenches, anti-artillery holes and bunkers, only stationing small units on the front line and other Japanese ground troops to attack before entering the support from the communication trenches, using night cover to counterattack, and so on, with special emphasis on deploying minefields at the front of the position.

At this time, most of the new Second Division had been smoothly withdrawn to the line from Jiaxing to Zhapu, and the two field hospitals were also withdrawn to Pinghu and Wangdian Town respectively, and four small medical stations were set up in Jiading, Dachang, Zhenru, and Xidu around Shanghai to accommodate the wounded soldiers on the battlefield, and the seriously injured were sent to the field hospitals in Pinghu and Wangdian for surgery, and the rest were directly sent to Quzhou, Changshan, and Maoliangwu hospitals in western Zhejiang for treatment after simple treatment.

Wu Ming returned to the headquarters of the new Second Division in Pinghu, and as soon as he breathed a sigh of relief, the situation in Shanghai changed abruptly.

With the arrival of Japanese reinforcements on the Songhu battlefield, the Japanese immediately tore up the armistice agreement, and with the support of the large-caliber naval guns of battleships and heavy cruisers, the Japanese 3rd and 11th Divisions, as well as the 9th, 13th, 16th, and 101st Divisions, plus the puppet troops transferred from the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Region, totaled more than 200,000 people, more than 400 guns, more than 300 tanks, and more than 300 aircraft, and launched an all-out attack on the Chinese army's defense line.

In just two days, the Japanese army consolidated the landing ground established from Zhanghuabang and Shishilin to Chuanshakou, and divided its troops to attack and advance to Baoshan City, Yuepu Town, Xinzhen, and Luodian Town, which were recovered by the Chinese army through counterattacks in late August, in an attempt to quickly attack the above-mentioned points and expand the occupied territory from the riverside area to the interior.

When the news came, the central officials in Nanjing were full of remorse, but they could no longer recover, so they could only rise up to resist the war.