I don't know when I have terminated the conversation with Peng Dingjie, and when I came to Yang Zhen's back, it was obvious that Li Yanping, who had listened to the discussion between Yang Zhen and Guo Bingxun on the next battle plan for a while, looked at Yang Zhen with sincere eyes and said: "Captain Yang, I sincerely invite you to join the Anti-Japanese Federation and join the Fourth Army. ”

"I just heard what Peng Dingjie said about your previous experience, and I admire Captain Yang's military ability. And what we lack most now is military command talents, and I hope that Captain Yang can join us and fight devils side by side with us. ”

"If Captain Yang is willing to join the Anti-Japanese Federation, I can recommend it to Commander-in-Chief Zhou, and I can give you an army formation. If Detachment Commander Yang is willing to join our Fourth Army, I, Li Yanping, am willing to give up the position of army commander. ”

Speaking of this, he looked at the few remaining people around him and sighed: "This western expedition failed, and the troops lost embers. Of course, there were traitors in the army, and the reason why the plans of this western expedition were all known to the enemy. However, as a senior commander, especially as a commander of an army, I also have an unshirkable responsibility. If I can still see the commander-in-chief, I will ask myself to organize punishment. ”

"No matter how the organization punishes me, I have no complaints, but what the Fourth Army needs most now is a new leader who can fight and bring them back to life. My military ability is insufficient, and now I am no longer suitable to continue as the commander of the Fourth Army. ”

"Detachment Leader Yang, I have just discussed with Deputy Army Commander Wang, and I hope that you can join our Fourth Army and temporarily replace me as the army commander before getting the approval of the organization. You are a member of the party, you are our comrade, and I hope you will accept a comrade's request. ”

After that, Li Yanping said in a somewhat desolate tone: "It's a good Fourth Army with strong soldiers and horses, but the situation of a month is almost gone, how can I explain to the organization, to the commander-in-chief, and to my brother?" ”

Hearing Li Yanping's words, Yang Zhen didn't know what words to say to comfort. In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with the decision to go west and jump to the outside to strike at the enemy. However, this western expedition almost included the two armies of the elite of the Anti-Japanese Union in the Jidong region, and there was no unified command for such a large operation, and only one person who did not have much military experience was temporarily in charge, which was a mistake in the first place.

Although the Western Expedition concentrated the two armies with the strongest combat effectiveness of the Second Route Army, the total number was not large, less than 700 people. Under the absolute disadvantage of troops, when encountering setbacks, they rashly chose to divide their troops.

Although the hasty division of troops temporarily alleviated the predicament of supply and procurement, it weakened the already weak strength, making the already disparity between the enemy and us even greater. In the case of backward means of communication and even manpower, the troops can only fight on their own and be broken by the enemy.

In addition, in the absence of effective means of communication, it is quite unwise to place the hope of success of the Western Expedition on a friendly army that is already in great difficulty under the heavy encirclement and suppression of the enemy.

Although the first battle of Loushan Town was victorious, a number of supplies and equipment were captured, which alleviated the dilemma caused by the troops marching in the deep mountains and old forests for many days, but also exposed their whereabouts. Coupled with the defection of important leaders, the Western Expedition against the Japanese puppet army was almost impossible to protect.

In Yang Zhen's view, this western expedition was not so much a failure in the hands of the Japanese puppet army, but a failure in a series of mistakes after the start of the anti-union operation. It's just that the gains and losses summarized by these later generations are now impossible to say, at least for now, he can't comment publicly.

Moreover, in Yang Zhen's view, the so-called gains and losses summarized by these later generations with the help of materials and some simple memoirs may not be able to truly express the situation in which they appeared. After all, almost all of the high-ranking generals who participated in commanding this battle died before the war, except for a few mutinies. Those who have not experienced these treacherous circumstances in later generations will not be able to appreciate the hardships of that time. Judgments are not necessarily 100% accurate.

Regarding this Commander Li's invitation, Yang Zhen, who knew that it was not the time to discuss these things, shook his head and said, "Commander Li, I understand your kindness. But now is not the time to discuss the matter. What we should be thinking about now is how to fight the next battle. As for other things, would it be better to wait for the environment to stabilize a little? ”

"Besides, you are also a party member, and you should also know that our affairs must be organized, and we personally have no right to decide."

"Okay, let's discuss this matter after we see Commander Zhou. It is a pity that we have completely lost contact with the central authorities, and if we had had contact with the central authorities, we would not have been so troublesome. ”

Regarding Li Yanping's sigh, Yang Zhen shook his head and did not answer. Instead, the conversation shifted to what the rest of the Fourth Army would do next.

Looking at the few people left around Li Yanping, Yang Zhen said, "Commander Li, what do you want to do next?" Will we retreat to our old base or will we follow us for the time being? I hope you will be able to join us for at least a while until you reach safety. ”

"There are devils all around here now, and with your current situation, it's too dangerous to go it alone. How about leaving when you find your main force? ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's invitation, knowing that it was impossible for him to return to the old base under the invitation of the Japanese puppet army and spies everywhere with just a few people at his moment, Li Yanping hesitated for a moment before nodding and said, "Okay, I'll trouble you for the time being." ”

"Isn't Commander Li's words a little unusual? You and I are both a family, so it's not troublesome to have any trouble. Although this unit is not really under the leadership of the party now, aren't we still party members and the political commissar? We are all family. Besides, those of us who are new to the country, in judging the enemy situation, the terrain, and the climate of Manchuria, we still need the help of comrades like you and Deputy Army Commander Wang, who have really fought head-on with the devils. ”

Hearing Yang Zhen's words of deliberately closing the distance, Li Yanping looked a little lost. After a slight sigh, he stopped talking.

Looking at the military commander who was silent, Yang Zhen shook his head and didn't say anything, and directly and simply said what he thought in his heart. Yang Zhen opened the map and said: "This is Weihe County, according to the confession of the puppet Manchu army prisoners just now, the main force of the puppet Manchu military and police in Weihe County is almost here now." Now there are not many troops in the county, only a dozen puppet Manchurian policemen and a squad of Japanese military police. ”

However, in addition to the original garrison of more than a dozen puppet Manchurian policemen and a small group of military police, two squadrons of the Second Division of the Kwantung Army have recently been opened. There is nothing to fear about the puppet Manchu military police and gendarmes, and now there are some headaches for the Japanese troops in these two squadrons. Going head-to-head with the regular Japanese army, we don't have the strength to do so now. The devil's combat power is still very strong. ”

"Moreover, Weihe County is located on the Binsui Railway, with convenient transportation, which is convenient for the Japanese puppet army to quickly mobilize troops, so we must be required to fight quickly. If the war drags on, we will inevitably face the danger of being attacked on our backs. ”

"Since we are going to take the siege of Wei to save Zhao, we will attract back the Japanese puppet army that is heading towards the junction of Weihe and Ning'an, so as to completely tear his encirclement. Then we might as well copy it again in Weihe County. ”

"You see that this is the county seat of Weihe, and there is a pioneer group in the area of Zhoujiayingzi near the county seat. We bluffed with a small force to attack the Zhou camp and mobilize the main force of the Japanese army in the city. At the same time, most of the troops were ambushed on both sides of the road from Zhoujiayingzi to Weihe County. As long as most of these two Japanese squadrons are eaten, then Weihe County will be easy to fight. ”

After listening to Yang Zhen's plan, Guo Bingxun stared at the map and pondered for a while, then nodded and said, "I think it's okay." Luring the snake out of the hole and taking the devil by surprise in the field is much more advantageous than attacking the county town with relatively complete fortifications when there is still a certain difference in combat effectiveness. As long as we eliminate these two squadrons of devils, our next battle will be much easier. ”

"But Lao Yang, do you see if we sent a force after the ambush was successful to blow him up on the Binsui Railway? At the very least, it can disrupt the devil's plan to transfer troops, delay the speed of the devil's reinforcements, and create a more favorable condition for our next move. ”

"Yes, I think it's okay to let Li Mingrui bring the engineer platoon directly under him to do it. However, since you are going, don't blow up the railroad alone. The devil is fighting the Soviet army on the front line of Zhanggufeng, and it is inevitable to use the railway to transport troops. Didn't those puppet Manchu soldiers also confess just now, and now there are a lot of Japanese military columns on the Binsui Railway? If we want to blow it up, let's set off a bigger firework. ”

"Besides, it is much more difficult to blow up the train along with the tracks than to blow up the railroad alone. As for which train is a passenger train and that one is a military train, I think that as long as we take the county seat of Weihe, the railway station there will give us a satisfactory answer. ”

After saying that, Yang Zhen stood up and ordered the several company commanders who were already surrounding him at this moment: "You go back and order the troops to seize the time to rest and recuperate, and adjust their weapons and ammunition. When it got dark, we set off. Before the early morning of tomorrow, it is necessary to cross the Binsui Railway and the Ant River, and enter the line of Zhoujiayingzi on the outskirts of Weihe County. ”

After listening to Yang Zhen's orders, the platoon commanders of each company quickly returned to their respective units to make arrangements. Watching the people around him disperse, Yang Zhen said to Guo Bingxun beside him: "Old Guo, it is very important for troops to act, fight, and communicate with each other. You can see that the radio squad you trained has already taken shape, and with the radio station we have captured today, in addition to the two high-power radio stations, there are already four relatively light 15-watt military radio stations. ”

"The 100-watt and 50-watt military radios were too bulky for us to use for the time being. The 15-watt one is also a bit bulky, but it's not as good as it could be. I wonder if it would be possible to form a radio detachment for each of the two battalions? In this way, coordination between operations is much more convenient and safer than that of communicators. The other two, in addition to the one left behind by the headquarters, are using one to form a mobile radio detachment. ”

"There are no problems, and they can be dispensed now. These selected radio operators are basically competent. It's just that the password hasn't been written yet. So, I'm going to design the password. Since there is not enough time, let's make it simple. Don't you have two hardcover copies of Dream of Red Mansions that you came back with during the investigation? I'll replace it with it for the time being, and I'll recompile it when I have the conditions. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's idea, Guo Bingxun, who knew the importance of communication and liaison to the troops, nodded without the slightest hesitation. Although he had to sacrifice the little rest time he had to make up the password for use temporarily, for Guo Bingxun, as long as it was beneficial to the troops, this sacrifice was still worth it.

When the night gradually shrouded in the dense forest of Wei'an Mountain, Yang Zhen quietly led his troops out of this dense forest, avoiding all the populated villages, and sneaking towards the target he had chosen.

In addition to the original old troops and the remnants of the newly joined Fourth Army of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, there are also temporary cameo porters and prisoners who are closely guarded. For these captives, Yang Zhen still didn't make up his mind to kill them all. There is no time to absorb into the troops, and it is impossible to let them go, so they can only take it temporarily first, and wait for the county town of Weihe to make plans.

Yang Zhen's march speed was very fast, and the straight-line distance between the first line of Wei'an Mountain and the county seat of Weihe was not too far. When the rooster crow sounded on the front line of Zhoujiayingzi in the early morning, Yang Zhen's department had already crossed the Binsui Railway west of Qingyun and under the guidance of Liu Changsheng, waded across the Ant River from a shoal and arrived at his destination.

The continuous march made the troops look a little tired, but Yang Zhen did not rush to attack, but first took Guo Bingxun to find the best ambush location. After all, the goal of this operation was not to eliminate the Japanese pioneer regiment in Zhoujiayingzi, but the two Japanese squadrons in Weihe County.

To almost everyone's surprise, Yang Zhen chose the expected ambush position in an open terrain and less than seventy meters away from the road. Looking at the terrain selected by Yang Zhen, Guo Bingxun said with a slight frown: "Old Yang, isn't it too dangerous for you to choose the ambush position here." ”

"It's all flat all around here. After the battle of our army was launched, it was very easy to form a hard-to-face situation with the devils that we least wanted to see. Once a large casualty is caused, it will inevitably affect our next operation. Especially since it's so close to the road. Lao Yang, this is not a densely forested Reed Mountain. ”

"Lao Guo, this is the kind of terrain I want. Lao Guo, you see, the surrounding terrain is gentle, but the vegetation is good. Especially on the left, it's all sorghum fields. Although the sorghum is not yet mature, it is enough to provide us with a good place to hide. ”

"Such a large area of sorghum field, not to mention our 1,800 people, even if there are 1,000 people, it is enough to hide well. On the right side of the road is a small river flat, and on the opposite side of the river beach is also a sorghum field. ”

"Lao Guo, you said that once we start, on this uncovered flat land, where will the devils find cover? Obviously, there is a riverbank along the river that can barely be used as shelter is the best place. ”

"The ingenuity of this river flat is that there is a small riverside on the side facing the road, and a flat river on the side facing away from the road. We can set up some machine guns there, and when the devils are driven to the river flats, they can fire from behind to form a two-sided flanking attack. ”

"As for the devils, if they don't retreat but advance, it's even better, aren't there still more than 2,000 Japanese-style grenades we captured in the battle of Wei'an Mountain? If he fights back, we will greet them with grenades, and I don't believe that the devils are all iron. In this unobstructed place, can you still stand up and be beaten under the rain of grenades and the sweep of machine guns? ”

"It's just that the time for this person who set up an ambush on the opposite side to launch an attack must be well controlled, and it can't be early, and the devil has not yet been driven to the river beach to fire first. You can't wait for the devil to regroup and settle down before firing. ”

When Guo Bingxun heard this, he pointed at Yang Zhen and shook his head and smiled: "Old Yang, you." Let me lead the team, you will say it clearly, why bother to beat around the bush? In this way, since you have made up your mind to fight here, then it is still the old rule on the front line of Wei'an Mountain, and I will lead part of my troops to ambush on the other side of the river beach, and you are here. ”

Yang Zhen also smiled: "Then it's decided, after I start here, as long as the devil is pressed into the river beach by firepower, your side will start." ”

After that, Yang Zhen called Liu Changshun beside him and said, "You take two platoons to attack the Japanese pioneer regiment of Zhou's camp in detail." It's not that you have to fight down, it's just that you have to attack in detail. The bigger the momentum on your side, the better, and the more intense the fight, the better. ”

"But I have to remind you that this pioneer regiment is not ordinary peasants, they are veterans who have been discharged from the army, and they also have weapons. Its weapon configuration can even be called elite. You also experienced this when you were in Liudaohezi. You fight or fight, but if you cause me a lot of casualties, I can't spare you. ”