Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 456 ended right at the beginning?
Inside Yingmou City, Li Xianzhu convened a war meeting, where all the senior generals of the Northern Front Group gathered.

"Chief of Staff Chen and Commander Wang both ordered us to break out immediately, but I did not want to retreat. Instead, I wanted to hold out and wait for reinforcements."

"What are your thoughts?" Li Xianzhu asked.

If you want to break through, there are only two paths.

One option is to head north to Zhoukou Town, and the other is to head south to Wenkou Town.

"Deputy Commander Li, we absolutely cannot hold our ground and wait for reinforcements!" Commander Han Cheng of the 46th Army said decisively.

"Our more than 60,000 troops are gathered in Yingmou City. The density is too high. If the G army fires a single shot, we don't know how many will die. This is extremely disadvantageous to our army."

Li Jun, the commander of the 73rd Army, nodded in agreement: "I agree with Commander Han's statement."

“But I think breaking through is probably more likely to end badly,” Li Xianzhu sighed.

"How about we send a force to attack Zhoukou or Wenkou first, while the rest of the troops wait for reinforcements from the south in Yingmu?"

Before anyone could say anything more, Wang Youlin, a senior staff officer at the forward command post, reminded them:
"Deputy Commander Li, it's not up to us to decide whether to break out or hold our ground now; orders from higher command have already been issued."

"If we refuse to comply, we will gain nothing if we win, and no one can bear the responsibility if we fail."

Upon hearing that there had been no merit or demerit, the other officers also began to demand an immediate breakout.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Li Xianzhu couldn't say anything more and could only nod: "Alright, let's break through then!"

In fact, he hadn't made up his mind whether to hold his ground or break out.

"Now that we've decided to break out, should we go north or south? And when should we break out? Let's discuss it together."

“Going north or south is fine, but I think it needs to be done immediately,” Li Jun suggested.

His 73rd Army was ready to go.

"I disagree!" Han Cheng immediately interrupted.
"Our 46th Army is still scattered in strongholds outside Yingmu City. It will be difficult to regroup in a short time. The earliest we can do so is after dawn tomorrow."

"Moreover, I suggested breaking out to the south, which would make it easier for me to gather the troops. If we break out to the north, the 46th Army will have to wait another day to complete its assembly."

Previously, the 46th Army had been stationed in Pingyang. When it was attacked in Wenkou Town, it immediately abandoned the 19th Division and quickly retreated north.

However, not all of the main force of the 46th Army withdrew into Yingmu; many troops remained in the Pingyang-Yingmu line to block the enemy.

Upon hearing Han Cheng's words, Li Xianzhu fell into deep thought.

He was already at a disadvantage compared to the G army's forces; if he were to split into two groups, it would be tantamount to suicide.

"In that case, let's break out to the south tomorrow morning. What do you all think?" Li Xianzhu asked.

Upon hearing Li Xianzhu's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Han Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

At six o'clock the next morning, the morning mist was thick, which was the perfect opportunity to break through.

After Han Cheng and Li Xianzhu walked to the south gate together, Han Cheng suddenly spoke:

"Deputy Commander Li, I have urgent business to attend to in the south of the city and need to see my regimental commander, Zhang."

"Commander Han, I have received the report that all regiments have assembled and there is no need for us to go," Li Xianzhu said.

"No, no, no, I've already ordered him to wait for me there. If he doesn't go, I'm afraid it will delay our retreat," Han Cheng explained.

"Oh dear, any messenger will do, there's no need to go in person."

"No, the messenger can't be found there. I have to go there myself." With that, Han Cheng went back into the city.

Looking at Han Cheng's retreating figure, Li Xianzhu was somewhat puzzled.

"Weren't we supposed to be going to the south of the city? Why are we going into the city again?"

No one could answer Li Xianzhou's questions.

Upon arriving at the assembly point, Li Xianzhu immediately spotted Yang Zan, the chief of staff of the 46th Army.

"Chief of Staff Yang, have all the troops of the 46th Army arrived?" Li Xianzhu asked.

"Reporting to Deputy Commander Li, the 46th Army has been fully assembled!"

"Everyone's here? Where's your Commander Zhang? Is he here too?"

"arrive!"

Hearing Yang Zan's words, Li Xianzhu became even more puzzled.

Everyone Han Cheng was looking for was here, so why was Han Cheng himself nowhere to be found?
Li Xianzhu wanted to order the departure, but a senior army commander was missing, so he couldn't give the order no matter what.

"Someone! Go find Commander Han! Send more men!"

"yes!".
However, no matter how hard Li Xianzhou searched, Han Cheng simply couldn't find him.

Li Xianzhu searched from six o'clock until eight o'clock. Seeing that the morning fog had already dissipated, Li Jun, the commander of the 73rd Army, became anxious.

"Deputy Commander Li, the brothers are getting impatient, why haven't we moved out yet?!"

“Commander Han is missing. I suspect something happened to him,” Li Xianzhu said.

"Oh my great commander, what time is it now! Is Han Cheng's life or death more important than these 60,000 men?!"

Li Xianzhu hesitated for a moment, but finally had no choice but to give the order to break through.

The two were separated for more than ten years, and they did not meet again until 60 years later.

At that time, however, one of them was the deputy commander of the military region, and the other was a student of Gongdelin.

As soon as Li Xianzhu led his troops out of the city, Chen Chengxing received a telegram from the field headquarters.

"Read it quickly, read it quickly!" Chen Chengxing urged Chu Yunfei.

The scene in front has already turned into a complete mess, but he's still sitting on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) watching the show.

Although his mission was to block the Kuomintang army on the southern front, who knew when the Kuomintang army on the southern front would arrive?

"Li Xianzhu's army is currently retreating towards the Wenkou Town area. All columns should immediately launch a full-scale attack to eliminate the fleeing enemy and end the battle before 2 p.m.."

"End?"

"It's over!"

"This is a telegram sent to the entire army, but it doesn't mention the Second General Staff. What about us?" Chen Chengxing asked anxiously.

"Oh, the telegram says we should hold Wenkou Town and provide support."

"Assist? Let us assist?!" Chen Chengxing's blood pressure rose.

Although the commander-in-chief wanted the two generals to rest more after their consecutive battles, Chen Chengxing's team had traveled day and night, not to rest in Wenkou Town.

During the previous attack on Wenkou Town, the main force of the 46th Army had already retreated rapidly.

Moreover, the 19th Division was not completely annihilated; most of them fled, while the Second Division only managed to capture most of the division.

After capturing Wenkou Town, Chen Chengxing originally wanted to send troops to pursue them, but the Field Army Command did not allow it, and the 46th Army eventually withdrew to Yingmu.

Li Xianzhu had a force of over 60,000 men this time, such a huge prize, but when the final assault came, he didn't get a share. Who could accept that?

"Old Chen, the field headquarters has its own considerations. Wenkou Town is strategically located, and whether or not it can hold off the enemy forces on the southern front will have a significant impact on the campaign," Luo Ping advised.

"What impact will it have? The telegram says the battle must end by 2 p.m., and by then, the 74th Division won't be able to get there at all," Chen Chengxing said.

At the previous pace, the vanguard of the 74th Division would certainly have reached Wenkou Town, but they would never dare to attack Wenkou Town, which was being defended by the Second General Headquarters.

"This matter cannot be left like this. Since the Second Regiment, we have never served as an assisting unit!"

"Old Chu, bring me the map," Chen Chengxing ordered.

"Old Chen, don't make a mistake!" Luo Ping said urgently.

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid. The telegram clearly states that we should provide support. Does providing support mean we're not attacking?"

“If a fight really breaks out, we can’t fight with our hands tied, can we?” Chen Chengxing argued.

On the battlefield, the enemy was no match for them, but that doesn't mean the Second Commander was too good at fighting.

Looking at the map, Chen Chengxing estimated Li Xianzhu's speed. "Judging from the speed of the enemy and the various columns of the East China Field Army, the surrounding villages will be the final battleground," Chen Chengxing affirmed.

“Old Luo, I’m leaving Branch 21 to you. You stay here and hold Wenkou Town. I’ll take the other three branches to Cuijiazhuang.”

No matter how fast or how capable the 74th Division was, it was impossible for them to defeat 21 units in a single day.

"The field command's order is for us to block Li Xianzhou's retreat."

"I'm going to block his escape route!" Chen Chengxing said earnestly.

"If we defeat the enemy at Cuijiazhuang, wouldn't that be considered a successful blockade?"

"You mean this counts?"

"How can this not count?"

"Alright, Lao Luo, it's settled then!" Chen Chengxing affirmed. "Lao Chu, you'll stay in Wenkou Town with Lao Luo."

Chen Chengxing chose to play it safe.

Chen Chengxing is going to make a forced march to the battlefield this time, and he will only take three main detachments with him. He will not take the rest of the troops directly under the headquarters.

If the 74th Division really arrives at Wenkou Town, someone will need to coordinate the entire situation.

Xu Wu could do the job, but since he needed to command operations on the front lines, someone else would have to take over the work in the rear.

As for Luo Ping, he would do the job of a political commissar better than anyone else, but in terms of tactical command ability, he is only at the level of a regimental commander.

After making arrangements in Wenkou Town, Chen Chengxing set off immediately.

At Cuijiazhuang, Li Xianzhu's vanguard had already engaged in combat with the East China Field Army's E Column and was attempting to seize flank positions to cover the main force's southward movement.

However, under strong resistance, the enemy forces could not advance an inch.

Left with no other option, Li Xianzhu ordered the follow-up troops to move forward, preparing for a full-scale attack to break through the G army's defenses in one fell swoop.

However, the command of the 46th Army was already in chaos, and the morale of the 73rd Army was also low.

By the time Chen Chengxing arrived at the battlefield from the flank, Li Xianzhu's more than 60,000 men had been surrounded, and the circle was getting smaller and smaller.

"Damn it, luckily we arrived in time. If we had just waited foolishly in Wenkou Town, we probably wouldn't have gotten a single thing!"

"Comrades! Kill them!" Chen Chengxing shouted.

"kill!".
"The G army has launched a general offensive against us. Brothers, we've reached the final moment."

"Commander Zhang, please, for the sake of the Party and the country, quickly come and help your brother! Help your brother out!"

Inside Li Xianzhu's temporary command post in Cuijiazhuang, he was requesting reinforcements from the 74th Reorganized Division, which was at the forefront of the southern front.

This is the only unit that can save itself.

"Deputy Commander Li, my vanguard is advancing towards Wenkou Town. Please break through towards Wenkou Town!"

"Break through towards Wenkou Town!"

"Hold on until evening! Hold on until evening!" Zhang Zhonglin shouted into the walkie-talkie.

Hearing Zhang Zhonglin's words, Li Xianzhu breathed a sigh of relief.

Before he could reply, a shell landed outside the command post, blowing off the antenna on the spot.

Zhang Zhonglin called out a few more times, but when no one answered, he had no choice but to put down the microphone and earphones.

"Commander, what did Deputy Commander Li say?" Wei Zhenwen asked.

"The call was interrupted; Li Xianzhou's command post must have been shelled," Zhang Zhonglin said.

"What about us?"

"Continue advancing towards Wenkou Town at an accelerated pace!" Zhang Zhonglin ordered.

If Li Xianzhu can hold out until evening, his main force will be able to reach the designated position and complete the encirclement of the G army.

At that time, not only will the siege of Li Xianzhou be lifted, but the main force of the G army will also be annihilated.

“Commander, Li Xianzhu is a hopeless case. His rabble is no match for the G Army.” Wei Zhenwen said.

“Even if he’s useless, he can still hold out for a few hours, right?” Zhang Zhonglin said.

The 73rd Army was, after all, a direct descendant of the Central Army. Although it wasn't equipped with American weapons, it was still fully equipped.

The 46th Division also had a division that was the main force of the Guangxi clique, so its combat effectiveness was still guaranteed.

"That's hard to say," Wei Zhenwen sighed.

If they have the advantage, neither the 73rd Army nor the 46th Army has any problem with combat effectiveness.

But if they are at a disadvantage, no one can guarantee what will happen.

Inside the temporary command post in Cuijiazhuang, Li Xianzhu got up from the ground, cursing and swearing.

"Damn it! When you're down on your luck, even your farts hit your heels!"

"They said they were attacking from both the north and south, with hundreds of thousands of troops surrounding us, but it turns out the entire G army is coming for me?!"

"Isn't this just bullying honest people?!"

They were supposed to be a support unit, but they were relentlessly chased and attacked by the main force of the G army. Where can you even begin to reason with them?

Just as Li Xianzhu was grumbling and cursing, Li Jun, the commander of the 73rd Army, rushed in.

"Deputy Commander Li! The G Army is about to break in!"

"What?! I have fifty or sixty thousand men, and you're telling me it's already over just as the battle started?!"

"Deputy Commander Li, the G Army's offensive is very fierce. As soon as the gunfire starts, the enemy rushes to the front line."

"Most of my soldiers ran away on the spot. I've already executed two regimental commanders, but it's no use at all!"

Hearing the increasingly close sounds of killing, Li Xianzhu completely panicked.

"Go! Go quickly! We need to break through towards Wenkou Town!"

As Li Xianzhu spoke, he took the lead and rushed out.

Forget about commands now, let's save our lives first.

However, just as he said, Li Xianzhu's farts always hit his own heels.

He led a dozen or so high-ranking officers and plunged headfirst into the Second General's arms.

Faced with such a generous gift, Chen Chengxing naturally accepted it with a hearty laugh.

With Li Xianzhu captured, the Guo army completely lost its ability to resist.

A prisoner-capturing competition officially began, with each unit, regiment, battalion, and even individual in the East China Field Army fighting their own battles, all vying to see who could capture the most prisoners.

Upon learning that Li Xianzhu's troops had been defeated almost immediately, Zhang Zhonglin was so angry that he started cursing on the spot.

"Waste! Waste!"

"More than 60,000 people, and it collapsed so quickly!"

"That's 60,000 pigs! Even if the G army arrested them in two days, they wouldn't be able to finish!"

"Commander, Li Xianzhu's troops have been defeated. If our army continues to advance, we may be surrounded by the G army," Wei Zhenwen immediately warned.

In order to rescue Li Xianzhou, the 74th Division went at full speed.

They have now pulled far ahead of the main force, and if the G army turns around, they will have a hard time escaping.

"Pass on my order: halt the advance, rear guard become front guard, and we retreat!" Zhang Zhonglin said through gritted teeth.

He knew very well that the plan for the decisive battle in southern Shandong had completely failed.

Moreover, Li Xianzhu lost more than 400 cannons and more than 2,000 light and heavy machine guns this time, which will definitely boost the firepower of the G army to a new level.

(End of this chapter)