"We're going south, do you really want to go to Nanchang?"

"No, we're going to Jiujiang."

Shao Fei declined Zhu Dingqing's kindness and took the special combat team to Jiujiang to meet Chen Haotian and them.

The 11th Division then withdrew from the lake. In this counterattack, the 11th Division made a lot of gains. 3 enemy armored vehicles, 2 trucks, 68 military horses, 4 Type 92 infantry guns, 4 heavy machine guns, 7 light machine guns, and 207 rifles were captured.

The Japanese follow-up forces soon occupied the mouth of the lake. The Potian detachment received an order to temporarily stop the offensive, repair at Hukou, and replenish strategic materials and soldiers. As for Hatada Shigeichi, he was also commended by the Nanjing side, and entrusted the task of attacking Jiujiang to the Hatada detachment.

The order was sent by the commander of the Central China Dispatch Army, General Shunroku Hata, and Shunroku Hata did so for two purposes:

First, the Botian detachment, which was ordered to serve as the vanguard, repaired, and by the way, first cleared a large number of dark nets, shipwrecks, mines, drifting mines and other obstacles laid by the Chinese army on the Yangtze River, so as to clear the way for the follow-up troops to attack;

Second, it is to avoid going deep into the lone army, so as to gather forces in the area around the mouth of the lake and accumulate strength for the next round of larger-scale attacks.

For a time, there was a brief silence on both sides of the Yangtze River, where artillery fire was in the sky and the sound of killing was everywhere.

Chen Cheng, commander of the Ninth Theater of Operations, and generals at all levels figured out the enemy's situation and analyzed the situation, believing that there were two possibilities for the Japanese army's next military objective.

First, if the Japanese army gathers more than five divisions, it will land near Xingzi with the main force, capture Nanchang and Changsha, or go straight to Yueyang, cut off the Guangdong-Hankou railway, and encircle Wuhan. In order to prevent the Chinese army from attacking its flank, the Japanese army will definitely transfer a part of its troops to land at Gutang and Jiujiang at the same time, so as to contain the Chinese army.

Second, when the Japanese army has only gathered the strength of less than three divisions, it will land at Gutang with the main force, and at the same time land near Jiujiang with a part of its forces, seize Ruichang, and encircle Wuhan. Judging from the current concentration of Japanese forces in the Hukou area, the second action is more likely.

Therefore, Chen Cheng issued orders to Xue Yue and Zhang Fakui respectively: Xue Yue's First Corps was deployed on the west bank of Poyang Lake in case the Japanese army took the first action, made a detour to Nanchang and Changsha, and planned for the Jiujiang operation. Zhang Fakui's 2nd Corps was deployed along the west bank of the lake and the south bank of the Yangtze River from Xingzi and Jiujiang to Wharf Town to deal with the second possible action of the Japanese army.

After receiving the order, Xue Yue and Zhang Fakui each redeployed their troops.

After the loss of Madao, Pengze, and Hukou one after another, the gateway to Jiujiang was opened.

Zhang Fakui's Second Corps, which was deployed in Jiujiang, was suddenly pushed to the cusp.

Jiujiang is an important city in northern Jiangxi, which is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, on the west shore of Poyang Lake, connecting Wuhan on the ground, Anhui on the ground, Lushan Mountain in the south, and the Yangtze River in the north, and its strategic position is extremely important.

In history, Zhuge Liang and Wu in the Three Kingdoms period, Yue Fei in the Song Dynasty against Jin, Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang in the Great War against Poyang Lake, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom War, and the Northern Expedition War all took place here. The war in the history of northern Jiangxi, but in terms of its scale and the cost paid by both sides, it cannot be compared with this defense against foreign enemies.

At the beginning of the war, the decision-makers of both China and Japan set their sights on the city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River with their wise or greedy eyes.

Chiang Kai-shek, the supreme commander of the Chinese army, gave a death order to Zhang Fakui, commander of the Second Corps stationed in Jiujiang: Jiujiang is the gateway to Wuhan, and if Jiujiang is not defended, the Japanese army can take Wuhan in the west and Nanchang and Changsha in the south, forming a situation of encirclement of Wuhan. Jiujiang must be defended to the death, and the Japanese army must not be allowed to fall!

One side must defend to the death, and the other side will win. For a time, Jiujiang became the focus of contention between China and Japan.

Shao Fei led the team back to Jiujiang, but Chen Haotian received Bai Chongxi's order as soon as possible, ordering him to return to the headquarters. The military order was like a mountain, and Chen Haotian had to return to the General Headquarters of the First Theater as his staff officer. Before leaving, Chen Haotian asked Shao Fei to have a meal, as a practice of parting between friends.

"Little Er, prepare six roast chickens!"

In a private room in a hotel, Shao Fei asked for six roast chickens as soon as he sat down.

"You kid is ruthless enough, have you eaten?"

"Grandma, if it weren't for you kid, would I have gone to help the Sichuan army fight? Six members of the Falcon team were injured and are still lying in the hospital. ”

Chen Haotian waved his hand and said with a smile: "When I didn't say it." ”

The meal that Chen Haotian wanted was already on the table, and Shao Fei started eating it unceremoniously.

Chen Haotian didn't move his chopsticks, watched Shao Fei eat vegetables, and asked, "What are your plans in the future?" ”

Shao Fei ate and drank, and said: "What can you plan, after the battle of Wuhan, I will return to Shanxi to be my Tuba Road." ”

"I have never understood, why do you always help the national army fight when you are a dead communist?"

"Times are different, and so are the missions of soldiers. I was a soldier of that era, and the country had long been unified. Our mission is to defend the country, to defend the territory, and these are engraved in our bones, so I am not interested in any political party. ”

Shao Fei said and took a sip of wine, and continued: "Also, I want to witness this history in person. After going through so much, I have found that many things have been downplayed or even forgotten by history. In the battle to defend the mouth of the lake, the national army fought vigorously, but in my time, I think no one would know about it. ”

"Don't say it."

Chen Haotian picked up a glass of wine on the table and drank it all. This kind of thing, Shao Fei once told himself, and it was not a taste in his heart at that time.

Shao Fei can understand Chen Haotian's mood at this time, this time the Hukou defense of the Sichuan army sacrificed more than 5,000 people, but these 5,000 heroic souls were forgotten by history.

After Chen Haotian finished drinking, Shao Fei said: "We are friends now, there is something I have always wanted to say." ”

Chen Haotian put down the wine glass, filled it again, and said, "Say it." ”

Shao Fei said earnestly: "Since they are all devils, don't care too much about the Sichuan Army and the Gui Army." The era of warlords has passed, since the two commanders Li Bai appreciate you so much, why don't you ......"

"No need to persuade me, I understand. Dry! ”

Chen Haotian seemed to be upset and wanted to drink hard. Shao Fei gave up his life to accompany the gentleman, and the two drank to each other.

After three rounds of drinking, Chen Haotian seemed a little drunk and asked, "Can you tell me that Dai Li will really be assassinated in three years?" ”

Shao Fei could see that he was pretending to be hungover and asking questions through alcohol. And this question should have been asked by Lan Ling to ask, after all, Dai Li was her stepfather, and it was Dai Li who picked up Lan Ling from the side of the road. Chen Haotian loves Lan Ling so much, and Dai Li has also become Chen Haotian's benefactor.

"I lied to him."

didn't expect Chen Haotian to do this, Shao Fei could only tell the truth.

Chen Haotian asked again: "What is the ending of Dai Li?" ”

Shao Fei drank all the wine on the table and did not answer. In fact, Shao Fei himself didn't know that Dai Li's death had always been a mystery.

After the two finished their parting meal, Chen Haotian went north to return to the Fifth Theater Headquarters, while Shao Fei took six roast chickens to the hospital to visit the special combat members.

When I came to the Jiujiang Military Hospital, there was a crowd of wounded soldiers everywhere, most of whom came down from the Hukou battlefield. As for the special operators, they were kicked out of the hospital and were sitting on the lawn complaining.

Shao Fei came to the team and asked, "Why are you sitting here?" ”

"I was kicked out by the doctor, and I said that the source was unknown."

"What a shame~"

"Hehe, they say they don't accept local armed people. Boss, when are we going to be armed? ”

I can see that there is no emotion in every word. Shao Fei said: "Didn't you tell them that you were falcons?" ”

The pillar replied, "Yes, they said they hadn't heard of it. ”

Shao Fei smiled helplessly: "I saw that our fame is not big enough. This roast chicken, you can eat it separately. ”

Shao Fei handed over the burn to the pillar and the knife, asked them to distribute it to everyone, and then checked the wounds of the team members.

In the final battle, these team members were all wounded, and the wounds were only treated simply, but now they are all inflamed. Each wound is a stab wound, which was suffered during the battle with the devil, so it needs to be stitched up and given anti-inflammatory injections.

At this time, a colonel officer approached, and he was completely out of curiosity about the group, because the team members had changed back into the clothes of the people.

The colonel was burly, well-dressed, and looked decent on the outside, but he gave the impression that he exuded a cold air all over.

"Who are you?"

Shao Fei stood up, his eyes revealing a hint of anger, and said, "Damn, you're embarrassed to ask." ”

The guard behind the colonel stepped forward and accused: "How did you talk to the chief! ”

"Stand down."

The colonel saw that Shao Fei and the special combat team members behind him were all burly and sharp-eyed, and they were by no means ordinary people, so he politely said, "You can say anything wrong with us, but please don't be hostile." If there is anything you need help with, I will do my best to help. ”

Shao Fei glared at the colonel and said, "It seems that you are not an ordinary person. ”

The knife behind him joked: "Captain, he is the second class." ”

"Captain?" The colonel swept down the others again, numbering exactly 12, and asked, "You can't be falcons, can you?" ”

Shao Fei sneered after hearing this, and said, "It seems that you are really not in the first class." We hit Qianshan from Anqing, from Qianshan to Madang, and from Madang to Hukou, and now we have come to Jiujiang. Six of my team members were wounded, but you kicked us out. Your army is enough. ”

"Is there such a thing?" The colonel's eyes were grim, his expression was serious, and he ordered: "Come on, call the dean to me!" ”

"Yes!"

The guards quickly ran to find the dean.

A man in his fifties, but with half white hair, came to everyone in a white coat and asked, "Staff Officer Chu, is there something wrong?" ”

The colonel's face was expressionless and he asked, "Have you ever heard of falcons?" ”

The dean replied: "I have heard that they are all anti-Japanese heroes and legendary figures. ”

The colonel looked at the wounded team members and said, "But they were injured in the battle with the devils and came to your hospital, but you drove them all out." ”

The dean smiled: "There is such a thing, it is impossible." How could such a powerful character come to our hospital? ”

"They're right in front of you, give them the best ward, with the best medicine."

After speaking, the colonel saluted Shao Fei to show his respect, and then said, "I am in a hurry to leave in advance, so you can stay and recuperate." ”

After that, the colonel turned away without looking back, with a cool expression all the while.

Shao Fei asked the dean, "Who is he?" ”

The dean didn't seem to hear it, and asked excitedly, "Are you really falcons?" There have been many offenses before, forgive me, forgive me. ”

"I ask you who he is?"

The dean replied: "His name is Chu Yunfan, and he is the operational staff officer of the 8th Group Army. You'd better come in with me and arrange a ward for you." ”

"No need. The ward is still reserved for the seriously wounded, and a few injections of anti-inflammatory drugs can be given to the wounded. ”

"Then how can I do it, I can't afford to offend Staff Officer Chu. He is the nephew of Chief Zhang Fakui. ”

"Zhang Fakui."

Shao Fei chattered, and he didn't want to embarrass the dean, so he followed him into the hospital building and asked the wounded to be admitted to the ordinary ward for treatment.

(End of chapter)