Chapter 221: The Turning Point (Part 2)

It must be stated that this is a remarkable event in the history of education: the teachers and students of the Saigon Women’s College, who were held captive in Saigon, were, after being rescued by the heroic soldiers of the Black Flag Army, sent to Wuhan, the capital of the Republic of China, due to various “misunderstandings.” Before learning of the defeat of the Anglo-Japanese allied forces, Liu Yu was too busy with countless affairs to deal with such trivial matters. But once he learned that the Anglo-Japanese forces had temporarily retreated, that China and France had reached several friendly treaties, and that the Black Flag Army’s reinforcements in Guangdong had reached thirty regiments, Liu Yu said, “I can now rest easy. The best commander defeats the enemy through logistics. Tell Ye Chenglin to preserve all enemy flags when they surrender!”

In fact, the brief uprisings in Guangdong and Guangxi had already been suppressed. Not only were organized troops sent eastward, but thousands of new recruits were also added. The situation in Wuhan was even better. The capital’s guard brigade, originally meant to serve as a reserve force to ensure the Black Flag Army had sufficient mobility, had grown stronger through battle, achieving victory after victory across the country, and even briefly advancing into Henan. All of this indicated that the Anglo-Japanese allied forces were the last—almost the only—hope of the Qing Empire. Yet Liu Yu saw that the turning point of the war was in his own hands.

As a result, the Saigon Women’s College reopened in Wuhan. These female teachers and students from noble families in the Vietnamese colonies resumed teaching and studying. Unlike before, they now assisted former imperial concubines of even higher status in handling the affairs of the Black Flag Army. In fact, it was difficult to find women in mainland China more qualified for these roles. They had studied English, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese at school, been exposed to advanced Western ideas, yet retained the essence of traditional Eastern women, and were skilled at handling official documents.

Liu Yu gave them special attention in their studies and work. In fact, under the guidance of their female teachers, they also learned how to be good wives. Liu Yu often took time out to provide extra tutoring and practical training for them. Sometimes, the female teachers would even help Liu Yu with tutoring. At the end of last month, Liu Yu organized a heartfelt group activity with the top-performing female students and teachers, all going together to what could be described as “heaven.”

They knew such opportunities were rare, so whenever they passed by Liu Yu’s desk, they would deliberately lift their skirts to reveal their beauty. Some female teachers wore French dresses with snow-white chests, so after handling government affairs, Liu Yu often preferred to accompany his “wives” to teaching activities.

“Victory belongs to us!”
These newly appointed female clerks, still in their probationary period, did not understand the meaning of Liu Yu’s words. They simply used their alluring gazes to tease him and asked, “Sir… when can we go on vacation?”

For these girls who had long lived in Indochina, Wuhan’s winters were extremely cold. But seeing their snow-white chests in the mirrors, they longed even more for a sunny place.

“When summer arrives, I’ll take you to a place to escape the heat…”
Even during wartime, Wuhan was indeed unsuitable as a capital every summer—the scorching city made people sweat profusely. Liu Yu was already considering finding a temporary command post near Wuhan.
Just like in summer or when going to Beidaihe, it would be delightful to see a group of bare-swimming mermaids. Liu Yu wasn’t sure if he would be so lucky this summer.
Finding a conveniently located summer retreat near Wuhan wasn’t easy; it had to be firmly under the control of the Black Flag Army. Moreover, a sizable number of central government agencies would be going there as well, requiring a communication system no less advanced than that in Wuhan—things that seemed impossible to accomplish in a short time.
Liu Yu spent an entire spring busy with various tasks. Although he conducted after-school practice sessions for female students every week, more official duties required his attention.
The battles between the Black Flag Army and the Allied forces of Britain and Japan turned out to be unexpectedly prolonged. The Allied forces had launched eleven attacks in a row, forcing the Black Flag Army to even abandon Dongguan.
But there were only two possible outcomes: a sea of corpses, or victory after such a carnage. The total casualties of the Black Flag Army over these two months were astonishing—nearly four thousand soldiers were killed or wounded and withdrawn from combat, with a small number captured.
If the defending side suffered such heavy losses, imagine the Allied forces of Britain, Japan, and Austria. A Belgian infantry battalion lost one-third of its men in its first engagement.
Yet after witnessing the Japanese army using its overwhelming numerical advantage to attack an independent position of the Black Flag Army, their commander immediately demanded withdrawal from the war.
This was the best opportunity the Japanese had found in two months. They successfully identified a weakness in the Black Flag Army: it was the location of the supply depot for the 1st Regiment of Ye Chenglin’s brigade. According to their information, only one infantry platoon, along with the regiment’s supplies and a few scattered units, were stationed there—totaling no more than two hundred men, of which only one infantry platoon and one engineering platoon were combat-ready.
They successfully cut this village out of the Black Flag Army’s defenses, only to discover it was a nightmare for their own side. The troops defending the village had an additional reinforced company—over four hundred soldiers tightly guarding the village, with the help of a heavy machine gun and a mountain gun.
The 18th Infantry Regiment attacked the village with its entire force, but three days of continuous assaults resulted in heavy casualties among them. This regiment had lost almost an entire infantry battalion in the attack on Dongguan in January. Although it had been replenished, prolonged fighting had left all units with only half their original strength, including many recruits.
As a result, the regiment launched a hasty attack underestimating the Black Flag Army’s strength, suffering increasing casualties. After three days, despite some progress, it had lost nearly seven hundred men.
Given this situation, the Japanese sent the recently arrived Imperial Guard Brigade into battle. Before the charge, the officers of the Imperial Guard Brigade said confidently, “The 18th Regiment is no match for us. Just watch the combat strength of our elite troops…”

The result was a scene of countless casualties among the six infantry battalions of the Imperial Guard Brigade under heavy fire. As the elite troops of the Japanese army, they enjoyed the best reputation but the least actual combat experience. They formed battalion squares strictly according to the drill manuals, making them perfect targets for the Black Flag Army’s firepower. When one battalion was defeated, they mechanically sent another into battle. As a result, in just one day of fighting, the defending force of only 280 soldiers managed to inflict losses of 900 on the enemy. The Imperial Guard Brigade’s losses in one day exceeded those of the 18th Regiment over three days. But when the Black Flag Army successfully broke the siege, they discovered even greater opportunities ahead, which completely dispelled Liu Yu’s thoughts of retreating to avoid the heat.