Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 192 The Extortion Has Come to Me
After Chen Chengxing led his troops to retreat along the mountain road to Jinghezhuang, he met Li Yunlong and others at the temporary command post.

"Old Chen, how is it?" Li Yunlong asked immediately when he saw Chen Chengxing coming in.

Half of the New 1st Regiment followed Chen Chengxing.

"Don't worry, there are no casualties. The Japanese have retreated under the cover of aircraft, and Zhang Dabiao has brought your men back to the team." Chen Chengxing said after sitting down.

Li Yunlong breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that there were no casualties.

"Old Chen, now that the Japanese have withdrawn, the war is over. How do you think we should divide the supplies?" Li Yunlong asked immediately.

After dawn, the soldiers discovered what the Japanese had done to the carriage. After repairing the carriage, they loaded the supplies back onto it and rushed to Jinghe Village.

In this battle, more than 5 horse-drawn carriages of supplies and cannons were seized, as well as a large number of guns and ammunition.

Li Yunlong was drooling as he looked at the seized supplies. Wasn't it just for these things that he brought the team here?

"What do you think?" Chen Chengxing asked.

When Li Yunlong heard Chen Chengxing's question, he scratched his head, not knowing how to answer.

He wanted to eat more, but the New Second Regiment was the one that contributed the most and had the largest number of troops, so he had no excuse.

After thinking for a long time, Li Yunlong looked at Kong Jie and Zhang Yong and said, "In this battle, the New 1st and New 3nd Regiments contributed the most. I think each of our regiments will take 1/3, and your two regiments will share /. It happens that your two regiments combined will have about the same strength as the New nd Regiment."

"You are so good, Li Yunlong, how dare you say that!" Kong Jie glared at Li Yunlong angrily.

"It is true that the manpower and firearms of our two regiments are not as good as those of the New Second Regiment, but how can your New First Regiment have the nerve to be compared with the New Second Regiment?!" Kong Jie said unconvinced.

Just considering the mortars and shells produced by the New Second Regiment, it is not too much for Chen Chengxing to take 1/3, but it is unreasonable for you, Li Yunlong, to take 1/3!
"Kong Erlangzi, why don't you know what's good for you?" Li Yunlong kept blinking at Kong Jie.

Li Yunlong’s idea was simple. He wanted to send the 316th Regiment away first, and then divide the spoils among his old comrades.

If the independent regiment agrees to this distribution method, the 316th Regiment cannot say anything. After all, whether it is equipment, manpower, or combat effectiveness, the 316th Regiment ranks last.

Chen Chengxing also understood Li Yunlong's idea, but he couldn't do it. After all, the 316th Regiment was a friendly force, and he couldn't go too far.

"How about this, we seized 5 artillery pieces this time. The New Second Regiment will take 2, and each of your regiments will take 1. The rest of the guns and ammunition will be divided equally among the four. Is that okay?" Chen Chengxing suggested.

This is equivalent to Chen Chengxing taking out a small portion of his own share to provide subsidies.

Li Yunlong and the others each thought about it and finally nodded.

Li Yunlong neither gained nor lost money with this distribution method, as both the Independent Regiment and the 316th Regiment received more.

"Since you, Old Chen, take such good care of our friendly forces, I have to show my appreciation. I want the Type 41 mountain cannon, and let the 94th Regiment take one of the Type 316 mountain cannons with better performance." Li Yunlong said with a turn of his eyes.

Kong Jie didn't know why Li Yunlong said that, but he knew what kind of person Li Yunlong was, so he immediately followed up and said, "Then I want a Type 41 mountain gun, too."

"Thank you both." Zhang Yong bowed.

The Type 94 mountain gun can be regarded as the best mountain gun on the Chinese battlefield. It is the lightest and most suitable mountain gun for the Eighth Route Army. It can be pulled around by a draft horse.

Although its range is shorter than that of the Swedish Bofors, French Schneider and American M1, it can still reach 8300 meters.

This range is sufficient, after all, mountain artillery mainly fights within 6 kilometers.

Moreover, the Type 94 mountain gun's gun mount is an open-leg type, with a firing angle of 20 degrees to the left and right, which is much stronger than the - degree firing angles of other mountain guns.

There is no need to frequently adjust the gun mount when changing shooting targets, which greatly helps with reaction speed.

"Well, you are all friendly forces. You have come from far away to help our 386th Brigade fight. We cannot but express our gratitude." Li Yunlong looked sincere at this time.

He would never say yes, because the Type 41 mountain gun has the most shells.

For the New 1st Regiment, there is not much difference between the functions of the Type 41 mountain gun and the Type 94 mountain gun. It is also impossible for them to engage in artillery battles from a long distance. They are more likely to attack artillery towers or strongholds at close range. At this time, artillery shells are the key.

Chen Chengxing, who was standing by, had already understood Li Yunlong's thoughts through the documents handed over by Luo Ping, but he didn't say much.

Although the Type 94 mountain gun had fewer shells, the New Second Regiment had also seized Type 94 mountain guns and shells at Yanwei Cliff before, and the combined amount was enough for the New Second Regiment to use.

Moreover, the shells of the Type 75 mountain gun are the same as those of the Japanese mm field gun. If there is a chance to seize a field gun in the future, the ammunition of both sides can be used interchangeably.

The shells of the Type 41 mountain cannon are packaged ammunition and are useless except for this type of cannon. However, maybe we can find the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army to exchange what we have in the future. After all, the Shanxi-made mountain cannon is modeled after the Type 41 mountain cannon.

Everyone happily distributed the equipment, and then distributed the captured food.

"Captain Chen, Captain Li, Captain Kong, see you later!" Zhang Yong saluted.

The 316th Regiment did not contribute much this time, with only about 200 casualties, but it obtained a mountain cannon and enough equipment to form half a battalion, so it can be said that it returned with a full load.

"Take care!" Chen Chengxing and others responded.

After watching the 316th Regiment leave, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie followed Chen Chengxing into the command room.

"Old Chen, you are really generous. Just opening your mouth throws out hundreds of guns." Li Yunlong sat down, picked up the bowl and started drinking.

It would be great if this gun was given to Li Yunlong, after all it is equipment for a company.

As soon as Li Yunlong stuck out his butt, Chen Chengxing knew what he was going to do.

"I'll give you and Lao Kong five Type 5 rifles each later." Chen Chengxing said casually.

The new Second Regiment is not short of guns now, especially Type 99 rifles.

However, Chen Chengxing only gave them guns, but did not mention any bullets. Now the New Second Regiment did not have enough bullets.

Chen Chengxing has already allocated all the money in the arsenal to intermediate-power bullets, and ordinary riflemen have returned to using reloaded ammunition.

"I knew you were a good guy, Old Chen!" Kong Jie couldn't stop smiling when he heard that there were 5 Type rifles.

At noon, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie treated Chen Chengxing to another round of drinks, and then they returned home with a full load.

After seeing off Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, Chen Chengxing returned to the regiment headquarters and asked, "Lao Luo, have the guerrillas and the county brigade been arranged?"

"Everything has been arranged. The rifles and light machine guns seized from Yanwei Cliff and Laoye Ridge have been distributed. Some bullets and grenades have also been distributed to ensure that no one returns empty-handed." Luo Ping said.

"That's good." Chen Chengxing nodded.

No matter whether the county militia participated in the war or how much they contributed, they came from far away and we must not let them make a wasted trip.

"By the way, the brigade commander just sent a telegram asking about the battle situation. I have already explained the situation to the brigade commander." Luo Ping suddenly said.

"Just send it out." Chen Chengxing knew that this was Luo Ping's responsibility, so he naturally didn't say anything. He decided to wait for the brigade commander to call.

Before Chen Chengxing could finish his words, a combat staff officer walked in.

"Commander, Commissar, Brigade Commander, telegram!"

Chen Chengxing took it and looked at it, thinking what else could it be but congratulations.

"The brigade commander is really asking for too much. He just opened his mouth and asked for four mountain cannons!" Chen Chengxing was speechless.

After taking a look at the telegram, Luo Ping felt a little annoyed. This was the equipment of an artillery company. Including the Guo Party, there was not even one artillery company in so many divisions.

"Call the brigade commander back and tell him that in the Laoyeling battle, the New Second Regiment was allocated two cannons. Then say that the New Second Regiment is now so poor that they have to pay for their pants, and that they used up all their shells in one round of artillery battle, and request support." Chen Chengxing said.

As mentioned before, the New Second Regiment fought the battle on its own and did not need to hand in the supplies, so the spoils of war at Yanwei Cliff belonged to the New Second Regiment.

"This"

"Just send it out like this!" Chen Chengxing affirmed.

"Yes!"

"Old Chen, it would have to be you. You really dare to talk to the brigade commander." Luo Ping gave him a thumbs up.

He had heard that Li Yunlong, the biggest troublemaker in the 129th Division, was speechless when faced with the brigade commander's congratulations.

"Then even he, the brigade commander, can't let our New Second Regiment suffer any loss." Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

In this battle, most of the New 2nd Regiment’s stockpile of artillery shells were used up, and they were short of explosives.

Chen Chengxing had already inquired with Kong Jie and Li Yunlong. The production of explosives at the headquarters arsenal is now going smoothly. Every day, a horse team transports fertilizer powder from southern Hebei into the Taihang Mountains, and then transports it to the Yixiantian Arsenal. The Japanese did not notice it at all.

The 386th Brigade is close to the water and has a lot of explosives. The brigade commander only needs to collect some from each regiment, which will be enough for the new second regiment. At the brigade headquarters, looking at the telegram sent by the new second regiment, Chen Can handed it to the brigade commander and said with a smile: "Chen Chengxing is really not at a disadvantage at all."

"He suffered a loss? Humph, he is more cunning than a monkey when he gets involved." Chen Lu said unhappily as he looked at the telegram.

This has happened so many times. It is the most difficult to take something from Chen Chengxing.

"Call Chen Chengxing back. Two guns is enough, and we'll exchange explosives for one pound each. The horses should go back the same way they came." Chen Lu thought for a while and said. It would be difficult to get the two cannons at Yanwei Cliff from Chen Chengxing unless he went to Dayun Mountain himself.

"That's good. The New Second Regiment is alone behind enemy lines, and their production of explosives is much more troublesome than that of the headquarters." Chen Can nodded.

Because Hebei is a plain, the Japanese devils spread the most fertilizer powder here. The guerrillas could buy enough fertilizer powder in any village, and the local people were eager for the Eighth Route Army to buy it.

What Chen Lu and his friends didn’t know was that with the profits from the winery and cigarette factory in hand, Chen Chengxing had already opened up a trade line.

Many landlords and traitors in the Dayun Mountain area would take the initiative to buy fertilizer powder, ostensibly for farming, but in fact they were all sold to the New Second Regiment.

As long as there is money to be made, these people don't care what the Eighth Route Army does with the Feitian Powder.

When the guerrillas of the New Second Regiment were trading, they would use a notebook to record every person who came to sell Feitian Powder. If these guys were good people and simply wanted to make some money, then it would be fine.

If there are die-hard traitors who are rich but unkind, the guerrillas will report them to the regiment headquarters and write them down in a white book. Sooner or later, they will be made to pay back the money they put in with interest.

After receiving the telegram, Chen Chengxing didn't expect the brigade commander to be so generous.

"Staff Officer Zhang, go notify the mountain artillery company to deliver the two Type 41 mountain cannons and the shells to the brigade headquarters. The 13th Company will be responsible for escorting them." Chen Chengxing instructed.

"Type 41 mountain cannon?" Luo Ping looked at Chen Chengxing in surprise. Is it appropriate to swap the cannon so blatantly?

"The brigade commander mentioned two mountain guns, but he didn't say which ones. Besides, the brigade commander might be able to get shells for the Type 2 mountain gun from the Second War Zone, which is more suitable than the Type ."

Luo Ping didn't say anything, but just gave a thumbs up. When it comes to this kind of twisted logic, you, Chen Chengxing, are the one who has more ideas.

A few days later, when the brigade commander saw the mountain cannon sent by Chen Chengxing, he was a little surprised.

"The mountain artillery we asked for from the New 1st Regiment and the Independent Regiment was also Type 41, and the one sent by the New 2nd Regiment was also Type 41. Could it be that only Type 41 mountain artillery was captured this time? Didn't they say that the 3rd Mixed Brigade had an independent mountain artillery battalion?"

"Maybe the Japanese were watching closely and we weren't able to snatch it away," Chen Can guessed.

The 386th Brigade and the 316th Regiment could not contact each other directly, so they did not know what the 316th Regiment had been allocated. Of course, the mountain artillery of the 316th Regiment was not retained and was taken away by the commander of the st Temporary Division in a blink of an eye.

"Type 41 is Type 41. My artillery battalion is now officially set up! Hahahaha." Brigade Chen laughed as he touched the two cannons.

No matter whether it is Type 41 or Type 94, he likes any cannon.

On the other side, Li Chishui followed a guard to the brigade logistics department.

Looking at the bundles of explosives on the ground, Li Chishui immediately said, "Hurry up, don't bother the comrades in the brigade, we can move it ourselves."

"Wait, the brigade commander said one pound for one pound. I haven't seen your artillery yet." The head of the logistics department said hurriedly.

"How could I lie to you? Two mountain cannons, each weighing 2 kilograms, 540 boxes of shells, each box containing 32 shells and weighing 4 kilograms, 35 boxes of propellant cartridges, each box containing 16 cartridges and weighing 8 kilograms, a total of 30 kilograms, you can count it yourself." Li Chishui counted on his fingers.

Li Chishui did not mention that the weight included the weight of the ammunition boxes. At that time, it was said that one catty was exchanged for one catty, but it did not say that it had to be artillery and shells.

In the battle of Laoyeling, in addition to the huge consumption of mortar shells, a lot of shells were also consumed for mountain artillery and infantry artillery, otherwise Chen Chengxing would not have sent the Type 41 mountain artillery to the brigade headquarters.

The people in the brigade counted with a pen and found that they were correct. "Okay, you guys can load them. These explosive packs are all standard 10 kilograms. Just count them."

In addition to asking for some explosive packs from each regiment, the brigade commander also went to the headquarters arsenal to get some from the rich, totaling more than 3 kilograms.

"Don't worry, I promise not to load more than one." Li Chishui then winked, and the soldiers immediately stepped forward and each carried one, and the rest were directly put into sacks and tied to the horses' backs.

There is strength in numbers, and Company 13 finished the task in just over ten minutes.

"Then we'll leave first." Li Chishui said.

"It's almost noon now, let's have lunch. The kitchen staff is already preparing it."

"No, that's not necessary. The commander is anxious for us to go back. The arsenal is still waiting." Li Chishui waved his hands repeatedly.

"Okay then." Seeing Li Chishui's firm attitude, the logistics staff didn't say much.

When the brigade commander finished his meal and came to the logistics department to meet the soldiers of the New Second Regiment, he found out that they had already left and took away 2680 kilograms of explosives.

"Damn it, what kind of commander you have determines what kind of soldiers you have. Now they're taking advantage of me!" Chen Lie said angrily.

Just those artillery shell boxes, each weighs at least 10 kilograms, which means there are 500 kilograms of extra explosives.

But at this time, all the soldiers of the New Second Regiment had run away. Even if Captain Chen wanted to curse, he couldn't find anyone. Moreover, he couldn't send a telegram for such a small matter, otherwise it would be left on file and seen by others, and he would be laughed at.

"Old Chen, the general has sent a commendation order, and also said that the Second War Zone and Chongqing have also called Yan'an to express their commendation." Luo Ping said with a smile, holding a telegram.

"Commendation? Is that all? This was a brigade-to-brigade battle. A brigade defeated a mixed brigade of the Japanese head-on. The Kuomintang has never had such a record, right?" Chen Chengxing said dissatisfiedly.

Even though it's 386 versus , these are all troops from the th Brigade.

"Can the Guo Party still reward the Eighth Route Army now? Don't even think about it." Luo Ping said.

If it was in the first half of the year, there might be some rewards, but now the military supplies that should be distributed normally are constantly withheld, not to mention rewards.

"I think Old Chang is a little narrow-minded. The stronger the Eighth Route Army is, the better it will be for the current situation," Luo Ping complained.

"In the eyes of the Guo army, the Eighth Route Army can be strong, but it cannot cross a certain line. Once it crosses the line, it may not be the devils that they are afraid of."

Chen Chengxing was sure that Chiang Kai-shek had long planned to deal with the Eighth Route Army immediately after defeating the Japanese. The stronger the Eighth Route Army is now, the more difficult it will be to deal with them in the future.

If it weren't for the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek would never have surrendered even if North China had been thrown to the Japanese.

The dispute over the route is bound to be a life-and-death battle.

"Let's talk about the future later."

"According to reports from various troops, the Japanese have now all withdrawn to the county town and strongholds. What do you think about the guerrillas?" Luo Ping asked.

This large-scale operation exposed many problems.

In other words, the Japanese were divided into two. If they really surrounded the entire 3rd Mixed Brigade, it is hard to say how many casualties there would be.

"Let's train them." Chen Chengxing said.

The Hundred Regiments Campaign will be launched next year, and the guerrillas’ combat effectiveness must be improved.

The years 41 and 42 were the time when the Japanese invaders launched a frenzied sweep. Whether the New Second Regiment could survive depended on the results of the Hundred Regiments Campaign.

After discussing the training content with Luo Ping, Chen Chengxing began to gradually adjust the guerrillas in batches to Dayun Mountain to carry out the military reorganization movement.

Some personnel in the guerrillas were transferred to the county brigade, and many were absorbed into the main battalion. Of course, there were also soldiers from the main battalion who were transferred to the guerrillas to serve as grassroots non-commissioned officers.

In the end, the nine guerrillas were adjusted and reorganized into four battalions.

In this way, although each battalion has not yet reached full strength, it has a size of nearly a thousand people, and the frameworks of all five squadrons have been completed. All that remains is to gradually replenish the troops with infantry squads.

For the following period of time, Chen Chengxing's main work was focused on the military reorganization movement.

It was not until mid-December that Luo Ping came to see Chen Chengxing when he was inspecting the training of the guerrillas.

"Old Chen, I received a telegram from the brigade commander!"

"The brigade commander asked us to be vigilant and ready for battle!"

"What's going on?" Chen Chengxing asked in surprise.

There has been no abnormal behavior from the Japanese in the nearby counties in the past few days, and it is unlikely that a large force will carry out a raid. Why would the brigade commander suddenly send such a telegram?
"The specific situation is unclear, but the forward reconnaissance post reports that the 358th and 321st Regiments of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army to our west are distributing ammunition and preparing three days of dry food. Something might be going to happen!" Luo Ping said seriously.

"Order all units to stop training and return to designated areas immediately. The 1st Battalion and the 321st Battalion will go to Zhongshan together and closely monitor the st Regiment!"

"If they dare to move, we don't need to ask for orders, just kill them! If the 217th Regiment of the Central Army wants to get involved, we will fight them too!"

The 321st Regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the 217th Regiment of the Central Army together have less than 4 people. With the current strength of the st Battalion and the st Squadron, they can be beaten on the head.

Although Chen Chengxing didn't know what had happened, he was aware of Yan Xishan's fickleness and that he had been in contact with the Japanese.

"yes!".
(End of this chapter)