On March 9, the Japanese army launched a general offensive on the outskirts of Tengxian. They bombed indiscriminately with aircraft and artillery, and organized many charges, but they were resisted to the death by the officers and men of the 45th Army and were repulsed one by one.

The 45th Army of the Sichuan Army was already a remnant of the defeated army, and under the very dilapidated equipment, it resisted several rounds of crazy attacks by the Japanese army, and suffered heavy losses of its own. It was only a matter of time before the perimeter line was breached.

After Shao Fei learned that the Japanese army launched a general attack, how could he take it to the health team to recuperate with peace of mind. When Liu Ying's dissuasion failed, he left the health team with an injury.

In the southern district of Tengxian County, Shao Fei gathered the Sixth Company and his own special combat team to go to the headquarters and asked Wang Mingzhang to participate in the battle.

At this time, the headquarters had already become a mess of porridge, and there were constantly lower-level officers reporting the battle situation to Wang Mingzhang, and the transmitter on the side was ringing non-stop.

Shao Fei came to Wang Mingzhang, saluted and said, "Is there anything I can do?" My troops have been assembled. ”

"Why are you here?" Wang Mingzhang was concentrating on the battle map on the table, and was a little surprised when he saw Shao Fei.

Although Shao Fei can participate in the war on his own, he doesn't know the battle situation and doesn't know where to start.

Shao Fei replied: "The Japanese army has started a general attack, do you think I can stay still?"

"You go out first, it's just begun, and the battle is not clear. Forcing you to the front line is also a drop in the bucket and will not work. Good steel should be used on the cutting edge. ”

Wang Mingzhang politely declined Shao Fei, and Shao Fei reluctantly left the headquarters.

Back in his ranks, Shao Fei was a little frustrated and ordered his troops to stand by.

"Either we'll all go as logistics and carry the wounded." Shao Fei smiled bitterly, feeling a little self-defeating.

Liu Ying walked up to Shao Fei and said, "You can't do logistics, because there are no wounded for you to carry."

Shao Fei asked, "Why?" The only four health teams of the Sichuan army are all in Teng County, how can there be no wounded? ”

"No medicine, no medical supplies. To put it mildly, the Sichuan army is a team without logistics. ”

Shao Fei was a little shocked, Liu Ying stayed in the health team for a few days but was very clear, and sighed: "The materials that should be used have long been used up, and there is no department to replenish them at all." As soon as the battle ended, the seriously wounded lay on their positions to fend for themselves, and those who could run back with the lightly wounded ran back by themselves. I don't know if it's now, but that's how it was when I was in Shanxi. ”

Shao Fei couldn't believe it, and it was hard to imagine what they had experienced after leaving Sichuan. Sichuan people are so rich, donate money and materials, where did all those things go, didn't they donate them to their own soldiers? Shao Fei couldn't figure it out and didn't understand.

"It's time for you to change your dressing."

"Isn't it myrrh? What else do you change!? ”

Shao Fei was a little excited, he really couldn't figure it out. They are all people, they are all Chinese, they are all Chinese soldiers, why are they really treated like this in bloody battles, and those soldiers who are well fed are hiding in the rear in order to preserve their strength.

Shao Fei knew the reason, but he just couldn't figure it out.

"Actually, you understand everything, it's just that you don't want to face it. When you calm down, come with me to change the dressing. ”

After Liu Ying finished speaking, she turned around and walked to the side, waiting for Shao Fei to calm down.

At this time, Shao Fei thought of the Dian army. They are independent in the military and government, and even their own currency is printed, which shows that they have completely lost confidence in the central government.

In the evening, Shao Fei went to see Wang Mingzhang. The day's battle was over, and Wang Mingzhang stood alone on the city tower, looking to the north.

Shao Fei came behind Wang Mingzhang and asked in a low voice, "General, are you finally willing to see me?"

Wang Mingzhang still looked north. Because during the day, thousands of Sichuan soldiers lost their lives.

"I just want to talk to someone who isn't the Sichuan Army, don't you want to?"

Wang Mingzhang's tone was calm, and he couldn't hear any sadness.

Shao Fei stepped forward and looked at the north side by side with Wang Mingzhang, and said, "Tell me, what happened to your Sichuan army?" Why is it so mixed, and why can't so many troops even do basic logistical support? Leave them to their own devices. ”

Wang Mingzhang was shocked that Shao Fei would ask some questions, and after thinking for a while, he sighed: "The land of Sichuan and Shu, the land of abundance, how rich it is. However, the strength of the Sichuan army is far inferior to the Gui army and the Dian army, and it is a miscellaneous army and a beggar army in their eyes, which is the sorrow of the Sichuan army. In terms of wealth, how can Yunnan and Guangxi, which are poor and poor, compare with our Sichuan. ”

Shao Fei replied for Wang Mingzhang: "It's a civil war, right?" You have never been truly united. ”

Wang Mingzhang was ashamed to hear Shao Fei's answer. The word "civil war" goes straight to the roots. Decades of warlord scuffles have consumed Sichuan, while Yunnan and Guangxi have only one warlord.

Wang Mingzhang sighed again: "You're right, it's really not unified. Liu Xiang is dead, look at it, Deng Xihou, Yang Sen, Pan Wenhua, Liu Wenhui, and Wang Lingji are going to fight again. Let them fight, I can't see it. ”

Wang Mingzhang seemed to have a premonition that Tengxian County was his final destination, so he said such a thing.

Shao Fei breathed a long sigh of relief, and then asked, "Can you tell me what happened after you left Sichuan?" I wonder why the Sichuan army has not been restocked. ”

Wang Mingzhang recounted that the Sichuan army had two legions out of Sichuan, and Liu Xiang took his descendant 23rd Army to the southern battlefield to participate in the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Nanjing. Deng Xihou took the 22nd Army to the Shanxi battlefield.

The 23rd Army participated in the Battle of Taiyuan, with the 41st Army and the 45th Army, totaling 40,000 people. However, they did not form a complete battle sequence on the battlefield, and all of them were scattered on various fronts.

In the process of retreating, they were abandoned by friendly forces, turned away, no one answered, no one to cover, and suffered heavy damage, even the commander of the group army, Deng Xihou, was almost ambushed and killed.

The 40,000 Sichuan army, which barely fought a decent battle, had already lost half of its troops. The soldiers of the Sichuan army who abandoned their bodies in a foreign land were still wearing the single clothes they wore when they left Sichuan. In the cold winds of the north, they won't feel cold anymore, will they?

In the end, the veteran also transferred Li Jiayu's 47th Army from the 22nd Group Army sequence and sent it to Wei Lihuang's men. In this way, the 22nd Group Army was left with only about 20,000 remnants of defeated generals to defend the current Tengxian County.

Before leaving Sichuan, the veteran had promised Liu Xiang that the troops would not be divided and that equipment supplies would be provided. But in the end, none of them were fulfilled.

Wang Mingzhang and Shao Fei talked a lot about the Sichuan Army, and finally smiled bitterly and said: "The 22nd Group Army was finally divided into the Fifth War Zone, and Li Zongren specially allocated supply ammunition and 500 rifles. This makes people everywhere cold, and we are grateful. ”

"Only five hundred?"

Shao Fei couldn't believe it, and the huge army was grateful for five hundred rifles.

Wang Mingzhang finally turned around, looked tired, and said to Shao Fei: "Five hundred is good." Shao Fei, it's not that I don't want to use you today, the peripheral battlefield is not suitable for you, you can only become cannon fodder. Today, a brigade of the 45th Army has only a few dozen people left after a battle. You are the last trump card and I have to save until the last moment. ”

Shao Fei was silent after hearing this, not knowing what to say. Wang Mingzhang patted Shao Fei and said earnestly: "You are a thoughtful soldier, and you are a little more confused than others. Don't think too much about gains and losses, as long as you have a country in your heart. ”

After speaking, Wang Mingzhang left the city wall, leaving Shao Fei alone. Shao Fei turned around and looked at the battlefield where the smoke of gunpowder dispersed and the flames would rise again tomorrow, and his mood could not be calmed.

(End of chapter)