Near Huanxian on the Longdong Plateau, there are several holes in the front of a small hill in the facing sunrise, several long antennas are erected on the top of the cave, there are a few yellow weeds swaying with the wind under the antenna, there is a flat small courtyard in front, the courtyard is surrounded by various kinds of stones to build a half-person high wall, the inside is cleaned so that there is not even a blade of grass, some sentinels are arranged in front of the door of the cave from far to near, and there are people coming in and out from time to time, this is the headquarters of the Northwest Field Army.

Inside the cave, a gray-haired general took a telegram and asked the staff officers around him: "Is our army active in the Qingyang area?" ”

The staff officers around the general looked at each other, and one of the staff officers replied: "Mr. Peng, the main force of our field army is in the area of Huanxian, and there is no activity of our army in the Qingyang area. ”

Needless to say, the person who questioned was Peng Dehuai, deputy commander-in-chief of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and commander of the Northwest Field Army and member of the political committee.

The general asked again: "This is strange, our news says that a main force of our army in the Qingyang area has been active frequently in recent times, and has eliminated two cavalry regiments of the enemy one after another, and also pinned down the remaining four regiments, what is going on?" ”

A staff officer thought for a while and said: "Boss, this is a good thing, although the enemy's cavalry is said to be small in number, and their equipment and combat effectiveness are not very good, their maneuver is very fast, and it will be a headache if they attack and disturb our rear, maybe this is because the troops sent by the column themselves have not had time to greet the headquarters." ”

The general nodded and thought for a while and said, "Ask who the various columns are sending troops to the Qingyang area, why don't they report to the headquarters, and ask them to call back as soon as they receive the telegram." ”

The leaders of the columns who received the telegram were very strange, there was no activity of our army in the Qingyang area, this is a thing that everyone knows, why did General Peng still ask this, but since he asked, there must be a reason, and immediately ordered the staff officers to ask the brigades below whether there were any combat troops in the Qingyang area.

After a short time, news came from the various columns, and each column said that it had not sent combat troops to operate in the Qingyang area, but there was news from the 3rd Column and the 9th Brigade that their brigade had encountered a small unit of our army near Qingyang, and the number was the 2nd Column.

At the headquarters of the field army, the general, who was holding a bunch of telegrams, said to the chiefs and staff officers: "It's really strange, these three columns say that there is a small unit of the second column operating in the Qingyang area, but the second column says no, you see what is going on." ”

One of the chiefs walked a few steps around the room and said, "Boss, do you think this will work?" Let's ask the second column again, and tell them about the situation reflected by the third column, I don't think they will ambush us because of this matter, this is not a bad thing. ”

At the headquarters of the second column of the Northwest Field Army, a lean and lean general with a big beard took a telegram from the headquarters and said to a chief next to him: "Political commissar, this matter is strange, the three columns said that our column has a small unit operating in the Qingyang area, and we have just asked the brigades and the directly subordinate units of the column, and they all said that they did not send troops, what is going on?" ”

The chief next to him said: "Huzi, otherwise, it is Lao Liu of the Ninth Brigade who said that there is a small unit in our column that is active in the Qingyang area, let's call back to the headquarters and ask Lao Liu of the Ninth Brigade to explain the situation in detail." The bearded commander said, "Well, that's all it takes." ”

At the headquarters of the field army that received the telegram, the veteran general took the telegram and said to the staff officers: "Ask the third column to find out the situation of the Ninth Brigade and report it in detail. ”

A leader next to him said: "Boss, Beard is not such a person, there may be something we don't know here, wait and see, see what the telegram of the Ninth Brigade says." ”

At the headquarters of the Third Column of the Northwest Field Army, the commander of the Third Column who received the telegram said to the personnel of the headquarters: "Let Lao Liu of the Ninth Brigade explain the experience in detail, what is going on, this matter is on a business trip, the Second Column said that there are no troops operating in that area, no one has sent troops, could this force have fallen from the sky?" ”

Brigade Commander Liu of the Ninth Brigade, who received the telegram, scratched his head: "What's going on, it's obviously the second column, how can you say no, you don't want such a good unit?" I didn't even want to rob it, what do you think this means, political commissar? ”

The political commissar next to him said: "Don't worry about it for now, let's report the situation to it, the column and the field division headquarters are still waiting for that." ”

This is how the telegram of the Ninth Brigade was written

Column, Field Army Headquarters: Our unit met a small unit of our army in the Qingyang area a month and a half ago, with about 400 personnel, all equipped with automatic weapons and steel helmets, they introduced themselves as a company-level unit of the fourth brigade of the second column, the whole company is well-trained and well-equipped, with nine platoons, including a heavy machine gun platoon and a mortar platoon, the company commander is called Li Yong, and the instructor is called Wang Chengde, the department once helped us fight a battle, and the combat is very high, so that we can reduce our losses, this is a very good small unit, The conductor was also very good.

Three Vertical and Ninth Brigade Liu

At the headquarters of the Northwest Field Army, the veteran general who received the telegram handed the telegram to a chief beside him: "Look at it, the third column of the people has said their positions and names, and their second column has said no, why don't you say that this Wang Hu Zi himself doesn't know?" ”

The chief next to the old general said while reading the telegram: "Good guy, it's not simple, a company can make nine platoons of more than 400 people, all wearing steel helmets, as well as heavy machine guns and small artillery, when did we have such a bold army, when did this Wang Hu Zi get rich, boss, just send the original text of the telegram of the Ninth Brigade to Hu Zi and them, see what they say." ”

The old general nodded: "That's it, look at what else he has to say, it's really a bear, and if he does a good deed, he has to fight an ambush." ”

At the headquarters of the Second Column of the Northwest Field Army, the bearded general who received the telegram said to the staff officers: "See, Mr. Peng must have scolded me at the headquarters, and the third column of the people has brought up the situation, and we still don't know anything, so let Chen Xing of the Fourth Brigade quickly figure out the situation, if I can't figure it out again, I can't spare him, ask them why the Fourth Brigade sent the combat troops out to carry out activities, why didn't they report." ”

At the headquarters of the Fourth Brigade, the brigade commander Chen Xinghe and the political commissar said: "The commander was angry at me, Lao Liu of the Ninth Brigade said that our brigade has a unit operating in the Qingyang area, how can there be any troops in our brigade in Qingyang, could it be that they were sent out from the regiment below, but why don't you say hello when you send troops to carry out combat missions?" Call and ask if the regiments have sent combat units. ”

At this time, the political commissar said to the brigade commander Chen Xing: "Lao Chen, don't worry, it is impossible for Lao Liu of the Ninth Brigade to talk nonsense, don't call yet, wait a minute, let me think about it, why is this person's name so familiar." ”

The political commissar who patted his head suddenly said: "Lao Chen, I remember, I know this instructor named Wang Chengde, he is an officer of the political department of the Second Regiment, you don't need to ask other regiments, just ask the Second Regiment, maybe this unit is sent by them." ”

At the regimental headquarters of the Second Regiment, Zhao Jin, the regiment commander who received the call, said into the phone: "Brigade commander, our regiment did set up a new spy company a few months ago, the company commander is called Li Yong, and the instructor is called Wang Chengde, but there are only about 20 people, 20 rifles and a shell gun, I haven't told you about such a big thing, they don't match the unit you said, and the newly formed special service company of our regiment has only more than 20 people, and it can't fight such a big battle." ”

The brigade commander Chen Xing on the phone said: "What is not right, it is them, the names of the company commander and the instructor are correct, is there anyone else?" ”

Regiment Commander Zhao Jin said to the phone: "Brigade commander, in just a few months, more than 20 people can become more than 400 people?" It's all automatic weapons, steel helmets, heavy machine guns and small cannons, do you think this is possible? They are not Sun Monkey and will change seventy-two times, and our whole regiment only has four heavy machine guns. ”

Brigade Commander Chen on the phone said: "I sue you Zhao Jin, you don't have to be sloppy with me, I can't be comfortable with you, this matter is a big deal, not only me, but even the column and the field army headquarters know, you kid is famous this time, I will report the situation later." With that, he put the phone away.

Commander Hu Zi and political commissar of the Second Column Headquarters who received the notice said: "It is really our column, and when we report the situation to them, we will say that I did not know in advance and accept the criticism of the leaders of the headquarters." ”