The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 173 The Fate of the Orphan Army

Only a few days after Wei Junru took office as the chief commander of the expeditionary force, what he faced was not adaptation to power, but an unavoidable storm of public opinion.

He looked at the folder on his desk, his mind was like a thick fog, unable to see through.

He knew that this was not just an ordinary report, but a sharp contradiction that could tear his entire personality apart.

"Respected General Wei, is this true?"

A cold but powerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

Wei Junru looked up and saw Ross, a war correspondent from White Eagle, standing in front of him, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, his eyes sharp.

Reporter Ross's tone was unhurried, but it carried a sharp, accusatory edge. "Do you understand the specifics? Those are over 7,000 children. Doesn't your conscience pang?"

Wei Junru was silent for a moment, slowly leaned back in her chair, tapping the table with her fingers.

In the room, the ticking sound of the clock's second hand seemed particularly abrupt at this moment.

He knew what he had to say, but any words were like a piece of thin paper, unable to hide the truth and unable to stand up to scrutiny.

"Reporter Ross," he began with difficulty, his voice low and deep, "These children are war orphans. They are homeless, their parents brutally murdered by the Japanese. If we don't take them in, they might not even have a chance to survive, without food or clothing."

"That's the orphanage's responsibility, but your general directly enlisted them," Ross quickly countered, his gaze unwavering. "Nominally, they're logistics soldiers responsible for laundry, cooking, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks, but we all know that if the war gets intense, they might be sent to the front lines."

Wei Junru frowned slightly.

"I have to remind you that this is Qian Country, not the United States of White Eagle. Having experienced war, we don't have luxuries like orphanages." He tried to refute, but the words felt pale and powerless when they came to his lips.

Ross pressed on, gazing into the eyes of the general opposite him, and spoke earnestly:

"General, I heard your army's slogan is 'Every inch of land, every drop of blood,' and your generals have even publicly declared, 'The nation is at a critical juncture, we have no choice but to become soldiers.' General, can you truly guarantee that those children, unable to even lift a gun, won't fall in the next charge?"

The air seemed to be frozen.

Wei Junru's eyes fell on the folder on the desk, which contained detailed records of the military reports and personnel arrangements on the front line currently facing the Japanese across the Nujiang River - including the 7,000 orphan soldiers recruited by the 71st Army.

He slowly closed the folder, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes.

He knew very well that he could not give Ross a satisfactory answer no matter what he did.

"Reporter Ross," he said in a deep voice, a barely perceptible hint of fatigue in his tone. "War isn't a choice; it's a forced response. You may not understand, but our logistics, manpower, and even ammunition are stretched thin. Without these children, many military operations wouldn't be possible."

After years of fighting with the Japanese pirates, the Qian Kingdom has shed too much blood.

Wei Junru himself knew that his subordinates had no choice but to act like this, but it would have been fine if they had just done these things secretly. Now that they were discovered by the White Eagle reporter, who asked him directly about it as the commander-in-chief, he knew that this was going to be a disaster.

Wei Junru took a deep breath, placed his hands on the table, and slowly stood up. He looked at Ross, his eyes no longer filled with defense, but with an inexplicable determination and sadness.

How he wanted to yell at the reporter in front of him:

"I promise you, they will only be doing some logistical work. We will never let them take up arms and go to the battlefield! As long as I am still breathing, I will do my best to protect every one of these orphans!"

However, until Wei Junru sat down dejectedly, he could not lie against his will and give such a guarantee.

It is said that kindness does not lead to good military command. In order to quickly open up the road from Sindhu to Yunnan Province and obtain the precious assistance of the White Eagle, he knew exactly what choices the army and division commanders would make after the battle was launched.

Not to mention the possible problem of bypassing the chain of command.

He was well aware that with the temper of his superiors, if the attack went against him, even if he called off the attack, they would likely call his divisions and regiments to give direct command.

By then, facing the impregnable Songshan Fortress, once the overwhelming attack is launched, not to mention the 7000 orphan soldiers, tens of thousands of soldiers will have to be thrown into this sea of ​​corpses and blood.

Ross looked at the ashamed general in front of him, his tone tinged with anger. He slammed his notebook shut and his voice suddenly rose. "Are you saying that we should tacitly accept that the lives of over 7,000 orphans are destined to become fuel for this war?"

Wei Junru sighed softly, turned and walked to the window, looking at the mountains in the distance.

He stretched out his hand, pointing to the distant hills hidden in the thick fog: "Ross, do you know what that mountain is called? Songshan, that's where we must capture it. The Japanese have built an iron wall there, but if we can't get through this road, the road connecting Qian Country with the outside world will be cut off forever (the Northwest Highway has been basically cut off because the Russians have maintained neutrality towards the Japanese).

"Without supplies and assistance, our soldiers and our land will sooner or later be reduced to ruins."

Ross was stunned, his originally resolute expression wavering for a moment, but soon he looked directly at Wei Junru again: "General, I respect your position, but this does not mean that these actions are right."

He took a deep breath and his tone softened a bit, but still contained a hint of disappointment:

"Then it seems, General, you are already prepared to sacrifice them. To be honest, I regret this; I had expected you to be different."

After saying that, he snapped the cap on the Parker pen and put it into his jacket pocket, then turned around and strode away.

Wei Junru watched Ross's departing back for a long time without saying a word.

The room fell silent again, with only the sound of birdsong from the distant mountains outside the window punctuating the depressing air.

He closed his eyes and sighed, as if the stone in his chest had become heavier.

After a moment, he shouted outside: "Call my adjutant."

The adjutant quickly walked into the command center, his back straight and his steps steady.

When he saw the general, he gave a standard military salute: "My Lord, what are your orders?"

Wei Junru waved her hand, motioning him to sit down, and then said in a deep voice: "Go to Chuncheng in the rear, find the 212th Division's rear guard, contact Zhang Chi, and tell him that I owe him a favor."

The adjutant was stunned for a moment, seemingly not fully understanding the meaning of the order: "General Zhang? He..."

Wei Junru waved her hand to interrupt the adjutant, her tone filled with unquestionable determination: "Isn't his 212th Division designation still in the Ministry of Military Affairs? Isn't the rear guard office still open and aboveboard? How come I can't even contact the friendly forces?"

"Tell him I know he has a lot of property and land north of Pegu. I'd like to ask him to do me a favor and take these 7,000 orphans to Pegu and settle them there."

"If you need money, I can personally contribute. If you need resources, I can allocate some from the expeditionary force in the commander's name. Hasn't he been recruiting immigrants? More of these people will be a good thing for him."

The adjutant's expression grew complicated, and he hesitated. "General, will this lead to criticism from our superiors? After all, these orphans are enlisted soldiers in the 71st Army."

"What's a mere criticism? If he has the ability, can he send me abroad for inspection again?" Wei Junru sneered and looked directly at the adjutant.

"Do you think these orphans can live longer if they stay in the army? The White Eagle reporter asked the right question today. I can't guarantee that they won't go to the battlefield, nor can I guarantee that they won't be used as expendable pawns in some crazy charge. I won't do such a shameless thing as giving birth to children!"

The adjutant lowered his head, pressed his lips into a line, and remained silent.

He saluted and whispered, "I understand. I'll do it right away."

After seeing off the adjutant, Wei Junru sat back in her chair.

Looking at the map spread out on the table, his eyes fell on the mountainous area from Bamao to Longling. The red-marked area was like the throat of a giant beast, blocking the entire land passage.

He stretched out his hand and ran it across the map, as if he could touch the young lives that were about to be buried in the mountains.

He turned his head to look out the window. The sunlight came in through the window lattice, fell on the floor, and filled the room with warmth.

His eyes only reflected the blood and fire that this land was suffering.

He murmured, "These are all good children. They should be herding cattle, farming, or working as apprentices in big cities. In the future, they can marry good wives and have more children. Only then will our nation have hope."

He paused, his voice lowered, as if muttering to himself: "If defeating the devils requires bloodshed and sacrifice, then let us adults do it."