noffsinger Chapter 282 Taiwan Trivia (1)
Chapter 282 Taiwan Trivia (1)
Hearing Liao Yaoxiang's words, Zheng and Yang also put away their playful expressions and looked at Du YM seriously. Commander Du felt very uncomfortable being looked at like this by several superiors. He quickly stood up and explained, "Commander Zheng, Chief of Staff Yang, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on the brothers. The mountains in Taiwan are too high and the forests are dense. We sent in more than a dozen search teams, but we didn't see a single Gaoshan person. Instead, we were ambushed so many times by the Japanese and those imperial subjects. They have become almost professional mopping-up teams."
When Yang Hong heard Du YM's complaint, he thought of his own brilliant past and immediately replied angrily, "Commander Du, if you say that, even though I've planted over 10 million square kilometers of flowers and have so much alpine jungle, it's still no match for this tiny mountain range in Taiwan. Back then, when you insisted on everyone evacuating from the uninhabited area of Burma, I'm afraid you had the same idea, right?"
Zheng Dongguo knew the pain in the hearts of Yang Hong, Liao Yaoxiang and other people who came out of the battlefield in Myanmar. Du YM, the person in charge at the time, was indeed too pedantic, causing tens of thousands of elite Chinese soldiers to die innocently in the dense forests of northern Myanmar.
To avoid further embarrassment, Zheng quickly took over the conversation and said to Du seriously, "Commander Du, contacting the various tribes in the mountains is a vital strategy for Taiwan's stability and the best way to wipe out the remnants of the Japanese army and those imperial subjects. This must be carried out without compromise! The backbone of the 3rd Army has emerged from bloody battles in the dense jungle. If they can't even do this, then they don't deserve to remain in the army."
Zheng finished speaking, no longer being polite to his former colleague. He waved his hand, signaling him to immediately make arrangements. After Du left, Zheng sighed, "Du Guangting, you're so bookish. I know you were very dissatisfied with his performance during the first Burmese expedition. But it's over now. We're all eating from the same pot now, so let's not dwell on it."
Liao's anger was clearly not over. He still looked indignant and said, "Tens of thousands of soldiers' lives are at stake. Can you just say they'll go away?"
Yang Hong was also feeling uneasy. He said, "The key is that he didn't learn his lesson at all. In the Soviet Union, he almost harmed the 4th Army again. Not only did he lose a rare opportunity to completely annihilate the German army, but he also caused the 4th Army to suffer huge losses. If Chief of Staff Liu BC hadn't acted on the spot, the consequences would have been disastrous."
Liao also continued, "I don't know what the elders were thinking, sending him to take over as commander of the 3rd Army."
Zheng quickly interrupted, "Alright, alright, stop getting so worked up that you're questioning the judgment of the Flower Planting Clan's leaders. My guess is that the Flower Planting Clan is desperately short of talented generals. Tell me, apart from your generation, how many of them are truly considered pillars of the younger generation? Guangting might not be very aggressive, but he's certainly capable of maintaining the status quo. Just like you, Liao, we can't let you command the 3rd Army forever. Someone has to succeed you before you can make further progress."
Zheng sighed and shook his head, saying, "Alas, our family's foundation is still too weak. Brother Guangting, our family has been very kind to you. We sent you to the 3rd Army Group. Many of the men here are your former subordinates. If you still fail, you really can't blame anyone!"
Ren'ai Village, west of Hualien, is a small village deep in the heart of Taiwan's mountains during the Japanese colonial period. It was originally a gathering place for the Amis, one of the highland ethnic groups. In order to wipe out the highland ethnic groups, the Japanese colonists sent a large group of troops to occupy this place and massacred them. Finally, a police station was established here. Over the decades, it gradually formed a market town and became a bridge for the highland ethnic group to connect with the outside world.
That day, a battalion of Chinese troops arrived. The remnants of the Japanese army and the remnants of the imperial family that had been entrenched in the area fled in all directions. Some people of various ethnic groups who had been close to modern society also fled in panic due to rumors spread by the Japanese and the remnants of the imperial family. Facing the deserted Japanese town, the commander, Colonel Li, looked helpless.
The battalion commander led a thorough search of the small town. The enemy had clearly learned of the situation long ago and had evacuated completely, leaving behind nothing of use. Seeing that night was approaching, Colonel Li, without hesitation, occupied the old police station as his headquarters. Meanwhile, the companies and platoons dispersed, and except for the security personnel, they prepared to rest for the night before continuing their advance deeper into the mountains the next day.
In a valley not far from the market town, the former chief of staff of the Japanese Governor-General, Colonel Okamura Shiobu, was in a cave listening to the report of a spy.
"Sir, the enemy that has arrived is the advance battalion of the 537th Regiment of the Chinese Army. They don't have much heavy firepower, numbering only about 800 men, and are isolated deep in our territory. We have gathered over 3000 troops nearby, and we can easily surround and destroy them in one fell swoop."
Gangcun waved his hand, signaling the spy to stop talking. He turned to an old man beside him and asked, "Lord Gushan, how are the contacts with the various tribes going?"
Gushan Xiteng, whose Chinese name was Lin Bojian, was one of the four great families that immigrated to Taiwan from Fujian. After the Qing Dynasty ceded Taiwan, the Lin family was a major force in resisting the Japanese occupation. However, decades later, the Lin Bojian branch of the Lin family, which had once fought against the Japanese occupation, became the most imperialized of the clans, with many of their descendants actively enlisting in the Japanese army and fighting across the country. Gushan is their Japanese surname. During the Battle of Guadalcanal, a Gushan clan member even became a lieutenant colonel and commanded the remaining Japanese troops in a suicidal assault against the 1st Army's 112th Division. After his defeat, he even committed seppuku in loyalty to the Japanese emperor!
Lieutenant Colonel Gushan was none other than the eldest son of Gushan Nishito. Upon learning that the Chinese army had invaded Taiwan Island, Gushan Nishito immediately gathered his clansmen to form a self-defense force. He joined forces with Okamura Shiobu of the Japanese Governor-General's Office and other descendants of the remaining loyal Japanese kings, using the high mountain terrain to attempt to resist the Chinese army.
Gushan said to Gangcun, "I've met with a few of the tribe leaders, but they still don't trust the Imperial Army. According to them, as long as the Chinese army doesn't occupy their territory, they don't want to get involved in our war."
"That won't do! Without the participation of these mountain people, we won't be able to resist the Chinese army for long relying on our own strength. Besides, our people are not suitable for long-term survival in these high mountains. Only by gaining the support of the mountain people and entering their territory can we better survive and fight against the Chinese!"
"Colonel Gangcun, you should know that the mountain people are very reluctant to accept bribes. If we hadn't signed an agreement with them back then, granting them limited autonomy in the mountainous region, their struggle would probably still be going on."