Back at the temporary camp, Guo Bingxun looked at Yang Zhen and smiled bitterly: "Commander, are you too impulsive?" The situation in Xiajiang has deteriorated to the extreme, and it is difficult to effectively reverse it, at least in the short term. You promised the commander-in-chief three to five months to reverse the anti-Japanese resistance in Xiajiang as a whole, can you do it? ”

Regarding Guo Bingxun's somewhat complaining tone, Yang Zhen also shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I'm a little impulsive." But in any case, given the commander-in-chief's insistence on not withdrawing the remaining troops in the Xiajiang area, we must at least make him feel that the situation has not completely collapsed, and that there is still hope for recovery. The commander-in-chief is the anti-Japanese banner of the Jidong region, and he cannot fall. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen sighed and said, "Since learning the true situation of the Seventh Army, the commander-in-chief has suddenly aged a lot. If I don't believe in the commander-in-chief's defection to the enemy, no one will. But I'm afraid he won't be able to take the blow. After all, the anti-Japanese situation in Xiajiang was supported by the commander-in-chief. ”

"It has only been half a year since the Western Expedition, but the anti-Japanese situation in Xiajiang has collapsed to such an extent. Of the three main armies, the main force of the Fourth Army, except for a small number of scattered troops, has been completely wiped out. Most of the Fifth Army was killed, a few defected, and the remnants of the troops retreated into the Soviet Union, which means that the Fifth Army has disintegrated. ”

"Now the only remaining formed Seventh Army has suffered huge losses, and it has been pushed to a desperate situation. Even if it can hold on, there is not much combat power left. The situation in Xiajiang has come to the present, and the blow to the commander-in-chief can be imagined. My promise was just to get him back on his feet. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's thoughts, Guo Bingxun shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I said regiment leader, are you a little too worried?" The commander-in-chief has been on the battlefield for a long time, and has fought guerrilla warfare in Beiman for so many years, and it can even be said that there have been several ups and downs, and these blows should still be able to withstand them. ”

"Don't underestimate the resilience of the commander-in-chief. Can you hold out for so many years under such difficult conditions, and develop a guerrilla force of dozens of people to nearly 10,000 people in three main armies, and where is the commander-in-chief such a vulnerable person? Should its resilience be far above ours? ”

With a sigh, Guo Bingxun looked at Yang Zhen and shook his head and said, "However, regiment commander, I advise you not to worry about the commander-in-chief, let's think about what we should do next." You made a promise in front of the whole army, and it will be fulfilled in the end. You, the leader, shouldn't be dishonest with the troops, right? ”

Regarding Guo Bingxun's worries, Yang Zhen waved his hand and said: "Since I have made a promise, I am bound to implement it." Although the situation in Xiajiang has almost reached the point of being out of control, it cannot be said that there is no hope of recovery. ”

Yang Zhen opened the map and said: "Lao Guo, you are the chief of staff, you said that since we went south and fought this battle in the north of Dunhua, you said that if you are the commander of the Japanese army, what will you think of our next move?" ”

In response to Yang Zhen's rhetorical question, Guo Bingxun did not answer, but smiled slightly: "Regiment leader, haven't you already deliberately let out the wind through the mouths of those puppet Manchu prisoners?" The key question now is not what the commander of the devil thinks, but what we do. ”

Yang Zhen nodded and said, "Yes, I did release false news from the mouth of the puppet Manchu army, telling them that we are going south to join the first army." But if I were the commander of the devils, I'm afraid that as long as I had a head, I wouldn't believe that this news was true. Because no military commander would be so idiotic as to spread his actions in advance. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's words, Guo Bingxun nodded and said, "That's right, if I were Sasaki Zhiyi, I would definitely think that this was a smokescreen." I will increase my forces to the north to prevent us from fleeing north. Maybe the blockade on the eastern front will be strengthened, because we have knocked out a reorganized brigade of devils in this battle, and for us, the gap to break through the blockade line in both southeast and east directions has been opened. But we would never believe what we were saying to the captives that we were going south.

"In their view, the rumors we spread can only be a smokescreen to cover our real actions. Our true intention should be to do the opposite. ”

Speaking of this, Guo Bingxun looked at Yang Zhen and couldn't help but say a little incredulously: "Regiment Commander, don't you mean that you really want to go south to join the First Route Army like you did to those captives?" ”

Regarding Guo Bingxun's incredibleness, Yang Zhen nodded, but did not answer him directly, but said: "Fight out, this is a must." If we don't fight out, we can only be trapped in the deep mountains and old forests, and we will not be able to develop and strengthen our troops. But how to play out, but we have to study it carefully. ”

"After the devils on the southern road started our battle, after only a tentative attack on our blocking troops, they turned around and joined the Japanese puppet army on the western route. With this hand, our plan to rapidly advance westward and defeat the enemy on two routes in succession after defeating the enemy on the southeast road in order to fundamentally reverse the passive situation was completely frustrated. ”

"We started at the mouth of the ditch where we kidnapped, and our combat intentions have been completely exposed. And the escape of the Japanese troops on the southern route has also failed our plan to fight continuously. And judging by the habits of the Japanese army, they will definitely retaliate against us. Especially after finally catching our traces, it is inevitable to increase the siege of our troops. So what to do next, the choice is very crucial. ”

"Long before I went into the fight, I had some forethoughts about the impact of this attack and how the situation would change. First of all, we can't stay here for long, the devils have discovered our traces, and they are bound to mobilize heavy troops to surround us. The Japanese have always reacted very quickly, so we must move by tomorrow morning at the latest. ”

"As for the direction of the shift, I think the devil thinks that we will definitely not go south like the smokescreen we put out. Then we will do the opposite, and we will go south early tomorrow morning. Not only to the south, but also to the south with great fanfare. At the same time as the group tribes in the north of Dunhua were swept away, large-scale sabotage was carried out on the Jingtu Railway. ”

"We have made such a big move in the Dunhua area, and the Japanese puppet army is bound to mobilize troops to encircle and suppress us. We proclaim to be united with the First Army, but in fact we know that this is simply impossible. Even the commander-in-chief did not know the specific location of the 1st Army now, let alone us, who had never been in contact with the 1st Army. From Dunhua to the south, recklessly crisscrossing thousands of miles in the Changbai Mountain, where do we go to find an army? ”

"We know this, but the devil doesn't know. Once we appear in the north of Dunhua, the devils must think that we are going south to join the first army. In order to cut off the passage of our convergence with the 1st Army, the Japanese army was bound to mobilize heavy forces to reconstitute a blockade circle on the route of our army to the south. It is even possible to take encirclement points to send reinforcements, ambush and set up heavy troops in the guerrilla area of the First Army Army, waiting for us to take the bait. In this way, our enemies on the Eastern Front will inevitably be mobilized. As long as they move, our passage to the east will be completely opened. ”

"After concentrating the attention of the Japanese puppet army on the north of Dunhua, we suddenly moved eastward in concealment and entered the Xiajiang area. We can see from the confessions of the Japanese puppet army that in view of the fact that the shape of Xiajiang has gradually become clear, the Japanese puppet army has now gradually begun to withdraw its forces to encircle and suppress Xiajiang. It's a good time for us to enter Xiajiang now. ”

After listening to Yang Zhen's general assumption, Guo Bingxun pondered for a long time before saying: "Regiment commander, your idea is good, false and real, true and false, confusing the Japanese puppet army and opening the way for our army to advance eastward." But after we move eastward into the lower river, how to save the situation is what we should think about the most. ”

"If you want to open up the situation, you have to expand your troops. Otherwise, with the strength we have at hand now, it will be difficult to fundamentally change the shape of the Xiajiang area even if we enter the Xiajiang area smoothly. Moreover, the disparity in strength is too great, and we may even repeat the mistake of the Anti-United Nations. You know, the forces we have on hand now are simply not comparable to those of the Anti-United Nations in its heyday. ”

"But as the army expands, where does the required soldiers and equipment come from? Equipment can be tackled through guò capture, but what should this soldier do? Two of the three route armies of the Anti-Japanese Union were active in the Xiajiang area. In addition to the forced conscription, under the strict monitoring and massacre of the Japanese puppet army, there are not many soldiers to be poached for us. ”

"If we can't recruit soldiers, we can't expand our troops, and it's just empty talk to change the bad situation in the Xiajiang area in a short period of time."

After listening to Guo Bingxun's words, Yang Zhen waved his hand but said with some disapproval: "What I think is the opposite of you." The problem of soldiers can be solved, and the devils in the Xiajiang area have built all kinds of so-called national defense projects, and the huge number of laborers recruited and arrested from the customs area is our best supplementary soldiers. ”

"Compared to the soldiers, I have more headaches than equipment. As the army expands, the number of weapons required is not a small number. Such a large weapons gap cannot be solved by seizures alone. Without equipment, what is the use of expanding our troops to several times, or even dozens of times? We can't let the soldiers fight the Japanese puppet army with their bare fists. ”

Just as Yang Zhen and Guo Bingxun were discussing what to do after advancing eastward, the voice of the commander-in-chief suddenly came from behind the two people who were having a headache about how to expand the troops: "If Commander Yang really has the ability or the means to restore the situation in Xiajiang, no matter how much equipment you need to expand the troops, I can help you solve it." As long as you can lay down a place, I think there's enough equipment stored there to expand your troops into a consolidated army. Moreover, this army is not a military system like the Anti-Japanese Federation, but according to the standards of the regular army in the Guannai. ”

Seeing the commander-in-chief standing behind him, presumably he didn't know how much he had listened to what he had just discussed with Guo Bingxun, Yang Zhen glared at the little tiger who was carrying a horse lantern to illuminate them, and then said: "Commander-in-chief, what I said, I can't say that it can definitely be realized." But I'll do my best to do it. ”

"Okay, that's what I want from you. However, we have to say in advance that after entering Xiajiang, your troops can only be strengthened, not defeated. I want the unbreakable steel troops you often say, not the sandy ones built on the beach. ”

"There is no joke in the army. Soldiers, especially for a senior commander, you can't just make an oath, but since it has been issued, you must work hard to implement it. Not only to execute, but also to execute well. ”

Speaking of this, the commander-in-chief paused, and said sternly: "Under the current shape, you insist on going out of the river, I think you should have expected the result." You insist on doing something, and you must have some truth in your heart. ”

"Now that the anti-Japanese federation units in the Xiajiang area have lost their combat capability, you can only rely on your own army to fight alone. Moreover, in order to completely destroy the foundation for the survival of the Anti-Japanese Federation, the Japanese puppet army not only carried out brutal killings in the Xiajiang area, but also vigorously implemented the policy of returning to the tun and merging households. Almost all the foundations in the Ha Giang area have been destroyed. You're almost all going to start over. If you go to the Xiajiang area, you will face an extremely cruel situation. ”

"If you want to return to the Xiajiang area, you must have thought through these difficulties. In view of the shape of the lower river, I will not put shackles on you. Whatever you think, try to let it go, and focus on reopening the anti-Japanese situation in the Xiajiang area. ”

"I have only one request, no matter what you do, you must gain a foothold in the Xiajiang area. Not only must we stand on our feet, but we must also develop and strengthen the troops. As the words fell, the commander-in-chief stared into Yang Zhen's eyes, trying to find the answer he wanted from Yang Zhen's blazing eyes.

Regarding the commander-in-chief's gaze and expectations, Yang Zhen was silent for a short time, then raised his head to meet the commander-in-chief's eyes and said, "Please rest assured, the commander-in-chief, I will resolutely live up to your expectations and will definitely restore the situation in Xiajiang." ”

After getting the promise he wanted, the commander-in-chief breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Okay, I now announce the official establishment of the Jidong Military Region of the Second Route Army in the name of the Jidong Provincial Party Committee and the Party Committee of the Second Route Army. You will serve as deputy commander-in-chief of the Second Route Army and commander of the Jidong Military Region, and Guo Bingxun will be the chief of staff of the Second Route Army and the Jidong Military Region. Yanping served as deputy political commissar, and Guangyu served as deputy commander of the Jidong Military Region. Use your troops as the backbone and reorganize the Second Route Army. As for this commissar, I will give you a concurrent position. ”

"In the future, all the establishment and deployment of the troops will be arranged by you with full authority. As for the Second Army and the Fifth Division that are active in this area, I will go and say that I will strive to be incorporated into your troops. When I have the opportunity in the future, I will explain it to the commander-in-chief of the First Army. ”

After that, the commander-in-chief raised his head and looked at the starry sky in the clear night sky of the North Manshan Mountains, and was silent for a long time before he sighed softly and said, "If we can live until the day we meet again." ”

Although the commander-in-chief's sigh was very slight, Yang Zhen and everyone present could hear the deep worry contained in this sigh. Yang Zhen knew that this was the commander-in-chief's concern for the commander-in-chief of the First Route Army, who had lost almost all of his strategies and was operating alone in the South Manchurian region after the Second and Third Route Armies were defeated and retreated westward.

After being silent for a long time, the commander-in-chief turned his head and looked at Yang Zhen again: "I know that you are not an official fan, otherwise you would not have rejected my idea of reforming the Fourth Army on the basis of your troops." But the reason why you are given such a high position now is because of the change in the environment, so that you can better command all aspects of operations in the future. ”

"As for the overall planning of the troops, as well as the relationship between all aspects, don't worry, I will concurrently serve you as this political commissar, and no one dares to disagree. As for this commander-in-chief, he was appointed by the party, and I personally cannot change it. Once the connection with the central government is opened, I will build yì You will be in charge of the military in the Xiajiang area. ”

Speaking of this, the commander-in-chief almost used all his strength and said to Yang Zhen: "Don't look at the embers of the Second Route Army's losses now, but I believe that in the mountains and forests of Xiajiang, there will be small units of the Second Route Army that are still holding on." I have now given you all the family resources of the Second Route Army, you must take them well, don't let me down, don't let the people of Xiajiang down. ”

Looking at the commander-in-chief who had almost exhausted all his strength after saying this, Yang Zhen, Li Yanping, and Guo Bingxun glanced at each other, and replied firmly: "Please rest assured, since we are back, the Xiajiang area will never be peaceful for the Japanese puppet army." ”

Yang Zhen said this, knowing that he had already taken over his appointment as the commander-in-chief, as if the strength of his whole body had been drained, and after breathing a sigh of relief slightly, he closed his eyes and stopped talking.