Reforging the Sichuan Spirit: Chronicles of the War Against Japan

This is a work of online fiction by the author. It does not correspond to or oppose any historical event, nor does it rewrite history. Readers, please do not assume it refers to you or read this story as an accurate account of history. The author simply wants to make up for the regret of “dying before his great mission was complete, leaving heroes to weep with their robes soaked in tears.” Imagine if, in those days, Liu Xiang had been reborn and resolutely led three million Sichuan soldiers in a solemn oath-taking ceremony in Chengdu, Chongqing, and Jianmen Pass before marching out of Sichuan to resist Japan. Their morale would have blazed like a rainbow piercing the sun, inspiring all who saw it. Throughout the eight years of resistance, Sichuan troops could be found everywhere. In the Battle of Shanghai, they took up positions in Luodian, where soldiers from two divisions shed their blood on the battlefield without hesitation. The people of Zhuang also fought with extraordinary courage, men and women united against the enemy. Within three days, sixty thousand brave fighters threw themselves into the bloody struggle. Beneath the walls of Nanjing, Sichuan troops fought alongside the Nationalist Army's 88th Division around Purple Mountain, Yuhuatai, and Zhonghua Gate. In the defense of Wuhan and the great retreat from Yichang, Sichuan troops bravely took on the task of covering the retreat. From the Yangtze to the Yellow River, from southern China to the north, they fought bloody battles everywhere until victory was won. When news arrived of the Expeditionary Force's great victory at Tonggu, Liu Xiang wanted to return to Sichuan and organize a second expeditionary force, but in the end he never got the chance to go.