Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 495 What about you? Execute on the spot?
On the western front, Wu Shaozhou was restless inside the 96th Army headquarters.

As a general with a very distinctive military style, even Lü Bu had to admit defeat in front of Wu Shaozhou.

Wu Shaozhou served under Feng Huanzhang, Han Xiangfang, Chang Ruiyuan, and Wang Zhaoming, before switching back to Chang Ruiyuan after the war.

As a well-known opportunist, Wu Shaozhou had long ago made contact with the G army and discussed the uprising.

However, he hadn't assessed the situation clearly before and didn't dare to place a bet easily.

As the reserve forces originally intended for the western front were transferred to the eastern front, even the 211th Brigade, which was originally the rearguard of the 96th Army and responsible for protecting the airport, was withdrawn to the commercial district.

His 96th Army's position was completely isolated and exposed to the G Army. The immense military pressure put Wu Shaozhou under tremendous stress.

However, at first, he was still hesitant to defect and planned to hold on for a while.

After all, it is rumored that reinforcements have already set off. If he had just defected and the reinforcements appeared below Quancheng, everything would have been over.

He knew Chang Ruiyuan's temperament all too well. Surrendering to the Japanese and becoming a traitor was one thing, but surrendering to the Communist Party would be an unforgivable crime.

To help Wu Shaozhou make up his mind, the Nth Column of the East China Field Army did not hesitate at all and launched an attack on the 84th Reorganized Division of the 96th Army. In just half an hour, they wiped out one of Wu Shaozhou's battalions.

Wu Shaozhou couldn't hold back any longer. If he dragged it out any longer and his troops were defeated, could he still be considered to have staged an uprising?
At worst, it's considered surrendering voluntarily!
"Deputy Officer Zhang."

"To!"

"Contact Song Siling immediately and explain my determination."

"I will lead the 96th Army's directly subordinate units and the reorganized 84th Division to announce an uprising."

"Commander."

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, let's get started!" Wu Shaozhou waved his hand. "Don't I know you? Go and make the contact!"

"Just drive my car and go straight to the G army's position."

Wu Shaozhou had known all along that his adjutant was a member of the underground Communist Party, and he kept him around for this very moment.

Of course, Wu Shaozhou had other ways to contact people, but those were too slow, and if the G army launched a general offensive, he would be in trouble.

"yes!".
An hour later, Wu Shaozhou led 20,000 men in an uprising and then withdrew from the battlefield, handing over the airfield and surrounding positions directly to the Nth Column.

"Siling! Wu Shaozhou has rebelled!" A combat staff officer scrambled into Siling's headquarters.

"What did you say?!" Wang Yaowen stood up abruptly.

The other officers beside him also instantly became terrified.

Wu Shaozhou's rebellion is a far more serious matter than the loss of Maolin Mountain on the eastern front.

This not only means that Jinan has lost its air supply line, but also that a huge gap has appeared in the originally tight defense line.

After realizing what was happening, Wang Yaowen hurriedly said, "Quickly! Order the 57th Brigade, 213th Brigade, 4th Security Brigade, and 8th Security Brigade to immediately withdraw to the city!"

At this point, even a slow retreat could lead to the G army flanking and encircling the enemy.

"Chief of Staff, readjust the deployment, comprehensively shrink the position, concentrate the forces, focus on the inner city, and defend the city walls."

"Using Qianfoshan, Balishan, Qilu University, the commercial district, and the outer city as strongholds, we will defend with small units, delay the time, and wait for reinforcements."

"yes!".
After carefully studying the battle situation again, Wang Yaowen raised his head: "Chief of Staff."

"Siring".

"Wu Shaozhou has defected to the enemy. The situation in Quancheng is hopeless. I am going to the front line at Kaiyuan Temple. From now on, you will be in overall command of the battle."

Luo Xingli immediately understood what was going on: he was to hold his ground and wait for reinforcements, while he himself wanted to escape.

However, Luo Xingli nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Si Ling."

“Originally I intended to live and die with the Quancheng position, but now I am not prepared to die for my country. I am prepared to be captured.”

"I would appreciate it if Siling could take care of my family's living conditions when she arrives in the rear."

"Don't worry." Wang Yaowen nodded.

"Immediately burn all the unimportant documents, then take the important documents and move the Siling Department to the Post and Telecommunications Building."

"The original plan to focus on defending the commercial port area can no longer be implemented, so let's switch to defending Jinan instead."

"yes!".
After making the arrangements, Wang Yaowen had several high-ranking government officials summoned, and then, with a small bag of gold and a few guards, quietly left the Siling Department.

Wang Yaowen and his group first quietly arrived at the headquarters of the 213th Brigade in Balishan.

After giving the two regimental commanders at the front the order to hold their positions, the group changed into civilian clothes and prepared to quietly break out to the south.

However, after trying several different routes, they found that they were all blocked by the G army.

After searching all night without finding any openings, Wang Yaowen could only return to the city in a sorry state.

When Luo Xingli saw Wang Yaowen return, he didn't say anything, but simply returned the command to him.

"Siring, the Chairman is calling."

"What are you saying?" Wang Yaowen sat down and took a few sips of tea.

"The Chairman ordered us to retreat to the old city and defend Jinan to the death, just like we did in defending Siping."

"The garrison was directly assigned to key points in the city; the garrison was strictly ordered to hold out until the last bullet was fired; able-bodied men were forcibly conscripted to replenish the casualties."

"Another measure is to set up clear markers at the boundary of the G-position to facilitate intensive bombing by the air force."

"The Chairman also said that he had ordered Du Guangting to go north to provide support as soon as possible, and that as long as Jinan can hold on, there will be a way out."

"Support? Hold the line? Heh." Wang Yaowen had already mentally crossed out the idea of ​​reinforcements.

Wang Yaowen's judgment was also correct. At this moment, Du Guangting was frantically ordering all the corps to quickly assemble and set off.

According to the original plan, Du Guangting intended to lead his troops north to relieve the siege five days after the start of the Quancheng Campaign, when the G Army's strong attack on Quancheng failed and suffered heavy casualties.

Moreover, his plan was to feint to the east while attacking in the west, claiming to march north along the Jinpu Railway, but in reality, he would march northwest from Weishan Lake, with Qiu Feng's Second Army Corps as the vanguard, to break through the G Army's defenses.

However, Du Guangting did not expect that the situation in Jinan would change so quickly.

Therefore, when Chang Ruiyuan urgently ordered reinforcements to go north, Du Guangting began to gather troops and ordered Qiu Feng to lead the Second Army Corps north from Guide, while Huang Huanran and Li Bingwen went north from Pengcheng.

However, even after the entire outer defense line of Quancheng was lost, only Qiu Feng's troops were ready; Huang Huanran and Li Bingwen's troops had not yet assembled.

After Wang Yaowen understood everything, he was left speechless with bitterness.

However, Chang Ruiyuan had strictly forbidden him from breaking through the encirclement, so he could only prepare to hold out to the death.

"Gentlemen, the commercial district has been lost, and the outposts on the outskirts of Quancheng have been basically cleared by the G army."

"However, the G army has been launching a fierce attack for days, and they must be exhausted by now."

"I estimate that the G army will need at least three days to rest before launching a strong attack on Quancheng. All units should take this opportunity to strengthen their fortifications."

"The command has ordered reinforcements to march urgently to provide support. As long as we hold firm, there is a way." After promising everyone a glimpse of hope, Wang Yaowen finally stopped.

"chief of staff."

"Siring".

"Now that the G army has completely surrounded Quancheng, the outer city is bound to be in danger of collapse. Therefore, I have decided to divide the command into two."

"I will lead a portion of my staff to the underground command post at Beijige on the northeast bank of Daming Lake. You will lead the rest of the staff to continue commanding from where you are."

"Rest assured, Sir, I will hold out until the very end." Luo Xingli nodded.

The Beijige (North Pole Pavilion) was located in the inner city, which was intended to allow the inner city command post to continue directing operations after the outer city fell.

After explaining things to Luo Xingli, Wang Yaowen then summoned Liu Bin.

After the seven companies of the 74th Division suffered setbacks in their eastern offensive and withdrew to Quancheng, they were placed by Wang Yaowen in the post and telecommunications building where the Second Pacification Zone's Siling Department was located.

Wang Yaowen took out the Zhongzheng Sword that Chang Ruiyuan had given him from his bag and then presented it to Liu Bin.

"This short sword was given to me by the Chairman himself when I was awarded a medal for my meritorious service in the War of Resistance against Japan."

"This sword records the glorious achievements of my 74th Division in the War of Resistance against Japan, and also records the hard work I put into the 74th Division."

"Among the troops guarding Quancheng, only your 172nd Regiment is my old subordinate. Now I'm giving it to you."

"I hope you will not tarnish the lofty honor of the 74th Division, and I hope you can become a role model for the 100,000 soldiers guarding Jinan."

"I will keep an eye on the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag on the Post and Telecommunications Building at all times."

Looking at the short sword in Wang Yaowen's hand, Liu Bin understood perfectly what it meant.

After receiving the sword with both hands, Liu Bin drew it and pierced his finger.

"Siling, I, Liu Bin, have poured all my passion into this post and telecommunications building!"

"Commander Liu, you did a great job." Wang Yaowen patted Liu Bin on the shoulder.

"The post and telecommunications building and the surrounding fortifications are all made of reinforced concrete. The headquarters also has a large amount of food, canned goods and ammunition stored there. Coupled with the 172nd Regiment's spirit of fighting to the death, we will definitely not lose the position!"

"I will immediately report your loyalty and courage to the Chairman and recommend you for the rank of Major General and Brigade Commander!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Siling!"
After presenting Liu Binzhong with his sword, Wang Yaowen also gave Luo Xingli a gift when they parted ways.

"Brother Xingli, we've been brothers for a long time, and it's hard to say whether we'll ever meet again. I'm giving you this pistol in the hope that you can hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Luo Xingli was very familiar with this pistol; it was a symbol of Wang Yaowen's military achievements and glory. He even remembered the inscription on the silver grip of the pistol.

Luo Xingli accepted the gift with both hands: "I will accept this generous gift. I am grateful for Wang Siling's great trust. For the interests of the Party and the country, I am willing to give my life."

Wang Yaowen patted Luo Xingli on the shoulder without saying anything more.

Wang Yaowen then secretly led his men to the underground command post at Beijige.

Looking at the dimly lit semi-basement, Wang Yaowen said with a self-deprecating laugh, "A lieutenant general, a sergeant, doesn't even have a place for a command post."

Just then, Zhang Songde, the director of the Quancheng Police Station, walked to the door: "Report!"

"Come in." Wang Yaowen leaned back in his chair.

"Wang Siling, the situation is tense right now, but there are still more than two hundred G Party members being held in prison. What should we do?"

Wang Yaowen casually took the document, which contained a stack of names.

After flipping through a few pages, Wang Yaowen asked, "Director Zhang, what are your thoughts?"

"Either move them or shoot them all."

"Hmph, if you could have gotten away now, you probably wouldn't be here, would you?"

"I, Siling, am utterly loyal to the Party and the country."

"Heh. I don't doubt your loyalty to the Party and the country, but answer me, loyalty or life, which do you want?"

Zhang Songde was completely bewildered by Wang Yaowen's words: "Si Ling, I don't understand what you mean."

Wang Yaowen sighed helplessly, "Sigh, even I don't understand it myself."

"Loyalty and life are not inherently contradictory, but without life, what loyalty is there to speak of?"

"What value does loyalty have without life?"

Wang Yaowen was in a state of inner conflict. After glancing at the list, he habitually wrote down his instructions in a large stroke of his pen.

Zhang Songde took the document and saw the phrase "execute on the spot." He seemed to understand what Wang Yaowen meant.

"Silin, I understand. The G Party wants loyalty, right? Then we'll take their lives!"

"Let's see if they choose loyalty or their lives!"

However, Zhang Songde's words made Wang Yaowen even more conflicted.

Before Zhang Songde had even stepped out the door, Wang Yaowen called him back: "Come back!"

"The document!" Wang Yaowen reached out and took back the document with the previous approval.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Yaowen crossed out the four characters "execute on the spot" and wrote a few other characters next to them.

Zhang Songde took the document and was stunned when he saw it.

Execution on the spot has been changed to immediate release.

Zhang Songde quickly turned around and asked, "Si Ling, is this correct?"

"Do you know what's right and what's wrong? Just do it!"

Zhang Songde was so scolded that he dared not speak, but nodded and immediately prepared to carry out the order.

After Zhang Songde left, Wang Yaowen thought for a moment and then called the military law department and the military prison.

"I am Wang Yaowen. Release all prisoners immediately."

“Those G soldiers who were imprisoned were given five gold yuan each for their officers and three gold yuan each for their ordinary soldiers.”

"Send them all out of the city, along with the G Party members in the North City Prison. Do not harm a single one of them."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Yaowen stared at himself in the mirror for a long time without moving.

"What about you?"

"Rectify the law on the spot."

(End of this chapter)