Just as the main force of the People's Liberation Army was in full swing and preparing to make the final advance to the Japanese fortress, the Japanese garrison received an urgent telegram from the Central China Dispatch Army at this time.

The telegraph operator did not dare to delay, and immediately sent this telegram signed by Kiyoshi Kazuki to the General Staff.

After reading the telegram, the chief of staff of the Japanese dispatch force in Mongolia immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, and while leading his subordinates to rush to the commander's residence, he urgently convened a meeting of officers above the brigade commander's level.

"Your Excellency Commander, Your Excellency Commander, urgent telegram" At this time, it was just dawn, and although the chief of staff was very anxious, he still knocked on the door of Commander Hachiro Hiratani's house very politely, and his eyebrows showed nervousness.

The door opened, and Hachiro Hiratani, who was wearing a white shirt and military pants, stretched out a big waist and said with a smile: "Ikeda-kun, what is it that makes you so upset in such a big morning?" You Ikeda-kun was a well-known calm person when you were at the Army University, which is not your style! ”

Chief of Staff Ikeda was not relieved by his old classmate's jokes, but the worry in his eyes became even heavier: "Hiratani-kun, this is an urgent telegram from the Central China Dispatch Army, an urgent telegram from Commander Kiyoji Kazuki!" ”

Hearing his old classmate and current chief of staff speak in such a solemn tone, Hiratani Hachiro immediately put away his smile. He took the telegram from Chief of Staff Ikeda and read it carefully.

"Immediately convene an emergency military meeting, immediately!" Hachiro Hiratani yelled just after reading the telegram.

Chief of Staff Ikeda bowed respectfully: "Your Excellency Commander, please change your clothes, I believe that when you arrive at the conference room, all the officers will already be waiting there!" ”

Hiratani Hachiro glanced at his old classmate with appreciation, they were all classmates of the Army University. Although Hachiro Hiratani assumed the position of commander of the dispatch army, Ikeda was only his assistant. But Hiratani Hachiro never underestimated his classmate, but valued him very much.

Just this little thing shows Ikeda's meticulousness, as a chief of staff, he has thought about everything for his superiors.

Hachiro Hiratani immediately entered the house and dressed up, and was immediately surrounded by the staff officers outside and walked towards the combat conference room.

When I arrived at the conference room, all the senior officers of the Mongolian Dispatch Army were already waiting here. Seeing the arrival of the commander, they all stood up and saluted, their waists straight.

"Sit!" Hiratani Hachiro waved his hand majestically, and the officers immediately sat down neatly. If it were a different country, the old fritters in the army would never believe that these high-ranking Japanese officers could behave so disciplined, just like a new recruit.

Hachiro Hiratani waved at Ikeda, signaling that he could start talking.

Ikeda nodded, turned around and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have urgently summoned you because there is a very important military situation. According to the reconnaissance of the Central China Dispatch Army, the People's Liberation Army in Shanxi is carrying out large-scale activities, and it is very likely that it is increasing troops to the grassland! ”

"As you know, after our Imperial Japanese Army came to Mongolia, we have controlled half and seventy of the places here, and almost all the Mongolian nobles have recognized the Great Japanese Empire as their suzerain, and we control the huge force of about 400,000 Mongolian cavalry."

"Recently, we have reached an agreement with the Central China Dispatch Army, and we are ready to send cavalry from the Kayan and Kachin Divisions into North China to fight and assist the Central China Dispatch Army to jointly resist the invasion of the PLA!"

"In this context, if the PLA enters Mongolia on a large scale, its purpose is self-evident, they are here to crush us!"

Ikeda coldly glanced at the officers present and said in a deep voice: "The intelligence of the Central China dispatch army to reconnoiter is very late, and they have discovered that the PLA is already almost a month later when it is carried out on a large scale. In this month, how many things the PLA can do, as long as you don't wake up, you can think of it! ”

"Your Excellency Chief of Staff, do you mean that the PLA has gone deep into the grasslands?" A brigade commander stood up, his expression extremely serious.

"It's a possibility!" Ikeda nodded: "In recent days, the grasslands near Shanxi have cut ties with us. There are our most faithful Kachin tribes, as well as big tribes like the Ba Shi Tubu. In the past, there would never be no news for so long, but now that I think about it, it must be related to the People's Liberation Army's entry into the grassland! ”

"What should I do? I heard that the PLA's firepower and equipment were very powerful, and even the director of the Xiangyue Qing Division was beaten and retreated, and he did not dare to take the initiative to attack in Hebei. We are in the flat steppe, how can we be against them? ”

"I heard from a classmate who sent troops in China that the PLA is good at covering attacks with heavy firepower. The number of their artillery is almost the same as that of the Chinese dispatch army, and our Mongolian dispatch army does not have so many artillery to fight against them! ”

The devil officers in the conference room spoke one after another, and everyone's expressions were solemn. They had more or less heard of the bravery of the PLA, although they were located in the grasslands and had never really fought with the PLA.

However, several provinces in the Central Plains were recaptured by the PLA, and hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops died at the guns of the PLA. They are arrogant, and they dare not be confident that they are stronger than the hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers who died.

"Everyone's worried!" At this moment, Hiratani Hachiro, who had not spoken, stood up suddenly, and a confident smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "The purpose of our Mongolian dispatch army is to control the whole of Mongolia, and then prepare to enter the Soviet Union at any time. ”

"If you have been in the grassland for a long time, you should know how harsh the environment of the grassland is. If it weren't for the fact that we had conquered a large number of tribes here, and had sufficient logistics, our 120,000-strong army would not have survived on the steppe! ”

"Shanxi is more than 1,000 kilometers away from us, and the PLA must have dragged a long supply line all the way here. If you want to defeat the PLA, then first crush their supply lines. As long as the supply is cut off, no matter how strong the combat effectiveness of the PLA is, it will be like a defeated cherry blossom, and it will eventually drift away with the waves. ”

Hachiro Hiraya's eyes flashed with determination: "Our Imperial Japanese Army was able to gain a foothold on the grassland, and that was because of our tenacious spirit and courage. Now that we have taken root here, can we allow the PLA to shake our foundation at will? ”

"Of course it's impossible, so I've decided to take the initiative. Without waiting for the arrival of the PLA, we first detoured to their rear and cut off their supply lines, and then the army attacked and had a decisive battle with the PLA on the grassland! ”

Hiratani Hachiro sneered: "Immediately gather all the departments of the grassland, and let them be on standby to reinforce us at any time." It's okay if the PLA doesn't come, but if they do, they won't be able to get out of the grassland! ”

Hiratani Hachiro's words suddenly raised the spirits of the officers present, and the people present were all senior officers who fought with the same soldiers, so they could naturally clearly understand the weight of Hiratani Hachiro's words.

In the vast grassland, if the supply line is broken, the PLA can only retreat at that time. If they do not retreat, they may face the dilemma of running out of ammunition, food, and fuel.

And in this vast grassland, if you want to get out only on your legs, and still have no food. Then even if the Japanese army does not attack, the PLA will be killed or wounded due to fatigue and hunger.

"First of all, we will send a force to make a detour back to the rear of the PLA, and at the same time, we will also serve the purpose of reconnoitring the movements of the PLA!" Hiratani Hachiro looked at the officers present and asked majestically, "Everyone, who is willing to fight this first decisive battle." ”

"Report to Your Excellency Commander, our cavalry brigade is willing to take over this first battle!" At this moment, a devil major general officer stood up and shouted loudly to Pinggu Hachiro: "Our cavalry brigade has all been replaced with Mongolian horses, and it is also equipped with field artillery, and its mobility and firepower are second to none. It's fitting that this task has been entrusted to us! ”

"General Haramura, it seems that this task can only be handed over to you!" Hiratani Hachiro nodded: "Only a fierce general like you is suitable for such a heavy responsibility!" ”

"Without further ado, you immediately go back and count the troops, and set off immediately with enough equipment. The People's Liberation Army may arrive at any time, and they must be taken by surprise before they arrive! Hachiro Hiratani said in a deep voice.

After calling the Devil Major General of Hara Village to salute solemnly, he turned around and left the conference room.

Hachiro Hiratani and others continued to discuss countermeasures against the PLA, and the meeting lasted a full two hours before it ended.

Near noon, the gate of the Japanese fortress was opened, and tens of thousands of cavalry rushed out of the fortress. They were followed by field guns drawn by horses, galloping towards the steppe in the distance.

"Your Excellency General, where is the PLA? Where are we going to find them? In the midst of the madness, a devil asked Haramura.

Yuan Village smiled faintly: "This is the grassland, more than a thousand kilometers away, how can you reach it in a month." We headed in the direction of Bashitu, just in time to replenish supplies from the Mongol tribes. As soon as the main forces of the PLA are found, immediately bypass them and attack their rear! ”

A large number of cavalry rushed straight forward, and after four hours of wild running, suddenly the forward troops came to a sudden halt.

Hara Village was wondering, only to see more than a dozen horses galloping in front of the team, and the devils on the horses were all full of panic.

"There's an enemy in front of you!" One of the devils yelled before he could get closer.

Haramura's whole body trembled, and without saying anything, he rode his horse and galloped forward.

Soon he was at the front of the troops, looking around. The grassland in front of them was densely packed with people and vehicles, and the dust that rose to the sky covered the sky and rolled towards them.

"It's the main force of the People's Liberation Army, how did they come so fast!" Haramura's mouth opened wide in shock, he thought that the PLA would only travel a few hundred kilometers at most, and it would take at least a week to get here, but he didn't expect to encounter it head-on not long after he ran out of the fortress.

"Turn around immediately and don't get into a head-on confrontation with them!" Haramura hurriedly turned his head and yelled.

But it was too late, and when they discovered the PLA, the PLA also discovered them. Thousands of galloping fast horses rushed out of the ranks of the People's Liberation Army and swept towards the Japanese cavalry brigade!