But after the Japanese occupied Shanghai, they had lost two aircraft carriers in succession. This made them cautious, and they didn't attack immediately. Instead, it gave Chongqing more time to prepare and drew the Japanese into the quagmire of war near Taihu Lake, slowing their advance many times over.
So by the time Wang Yue and Yu Manli reached Jinling, the Japanese had only just reached the city's outer defenses.
Even without naval support, the Japanese had tanks and aircraft redeployed from elsewhere. Their advance was much slower, but Chongqing's forces still couldn't hold them back.
Fortunately, the soldiers fought desperately to defend Nanjing. By the time the Japanese advanced from Shanghai to the outskirts of Jinling, they had already suffered more than 300,000 casualties.
Of course, the defenders had suffered even more, losing a full 500,000 men. But that casualty ratio only strengthened the Chinese soldiers' resolve to defend their homeland.
During the battle of Shanghai, the defenders had been battered by a relentless rain of aerial bombs, leaving them in a wretched state and making it seem impossible to withstand the assault.
But Nanjing was different. It had air cover, and the Chinese troops realized that although Japan's weapons were more advanced, the enemy could still be beaten.
Wang Yue had brought Yu Manli to Nanjing at this time because he wanted her to see the brutality of war and hoped to change her outlook.
Wang Yue thought the reason he still hadn't won Yu Manli's complete affection was that she had been abused since childhood and couldn't bring herself to trust him wholeheartedly.
He planned to broaden Yu Manli's horizons, help her forget petty romance, and raise her perspective to the level of national hatred and family vengeance. He figured that after they fought side by side