Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 545 The Autumn Wind Sweeps the Fallen Leaves

On the west bank of the Wei River, Chen Chengxing and others observed the river conditions.

"Commander, according to our reconnaissance, there is only this one railway bridge across the Wei River, and no boats have been found."

"If the 212th and 221st Regiments want to cross the border illegally, they will probably have to wade through the water."

"Let's wade through the water then," Chen Chengxing said.

That's the situation right now; there's no better way than wading through water.

Fortunately, the weather is no longer cold, so the soldiers can go into the river naked. They are all grown men, so there's nothing to be ashamed of.

"The 21st and 22nd artillery regiments and the artillery howitzer regiment of the 21st and 22nd artillery regiments should be in place in advance."

"The 212th and 221st Regiments will cross the river first. After they have outflanked the enemy and surrounded the enemy's Provisional 5th Brigade on the other side of the river, the 211th Regiment will launch a strong attack."

Although the opposing brigade only numbered around four thousand, Chen Chengxing did not want to scatter and flee them.

Sometimes, letting the enemy escape is a greater waste of time than holding out.

As night fell, the infiltration officially began as the artillerymen quietly moved into their positions.

However, the smuggling operation did not go smoothly, and the sounds of hundreds of people wading through the water were particularly clear in the darkness.

The vanguard of the 212th Regiment had just waded into the middle of the river when they were spotted by the Kuomintang troops on the opposite bank.

"The G army is in the river! Fire! Fire now!"

Company Commander Guo shouted "Fire!" as he grabbed the phone: "Regimental Commander! Regimental Commander! A large number of G troops are landing on my side!"

"Asking for support! Requesting support!"

"Yes! Yes! A lot! Tens of thousands! And heavy artillery! I can't hold them off!"

On the opposite bank of the river, Zheng Hua, the commander of the 22nd Detachment, saw that Guo Jun had already spotted the troops crossing the river, so he decided to stop sneaking around.

"Since smuggling won't work, let's launch a full-scale attack!"

"Pass on my order: artillery regiment, provide fire support and completely destroy the enemy positions!"

"yes!".
"Boom!" "Boom!"
Company Commander Guo had just hung up the phone and hadn't even caught his breath when he suddenly heard the sound of artillery fire.

Moreover, the artillery barrage began with a saturation attack.

Company Commander Guo's expression immediately changed drastically.

He was just trying to get reinforcements to arrive faster; he didn't actually believe there was artillery.

"withstand!"

"Brothers! Hold on!"

Company Commander Guo huddled in the trench, trying to keep his body as low as possible.

At that moment, he wished there was a crack in the ground he could crawl into.

Five minutes later, the shelling on the north bank ceased.

It's not that the artillery can't fire anymore, but the infantry has already started landing, and firing artillery now would cause friendly fire.

"Comrades! Kill them!"

After landing, the soldiers rushed towards the Guo army with their bare bottoms, not even bothering to put on clothes.

In less than ten minutes, all the surviving KMT soldiers on the position were taken prisoner.

The regimental commander of the 221st Regiment shouted, "First Battalion, leave one platoon to guard the prisoners, the rest of you, immediately outflank the enemy!"

They don't have time to waste here with these prisoners.

On the other side, the 212th Regiment also carried out a forced crossing and landed on the south bank of the Wei River.

The two regiments immediately charged toward the enemy's 5th Provisional Brigade's position.

Seeing the two signal flares rising from the opposite bank of the river, Xu Wu knew that the 212th and 221st Regiments had arrived.

After putting down his binoculars, Xu Wu ordered, "Pass on my order: the howitzer regiment shall open fire, and the 211th Regiment shall launch an attack on the bridgehead positions on the opposite bank of the river."

Faced with a frontal assault by three regiments and a pincer attack from the rear, the ragtag 5th Provisional Brigade was simply unable to withstand the onslaught.

In just half an hour, the vanguard of the 211th Regiment crossed the Weihe River Bridge and stormed into the position of the 6th Regiment of the Provisional 5th Brigade.

In Chang'an, when cannon fire was heard along the Wei River, Yang Delu immediately issued orders.

"Chief of Staff, order the non-combat personnel and directly subordinate supply units of the army to withdraw to the Fengzhen area first. All combat units should be fully equipped and ready to move out."

"Yes!"

"Lord Siren, should we contact the 22nd Division?"

The 22nd Division had previously been dispatched to Sanqiao Town to prevent the G Army from breaking through the Weihe Railway Bridge and advancing directly to Chang'an.

Yang Delu thought about it for a long time and finally decided that it was best not to say anything for now.

"Chief of staff, Chang'an cannot be left undefended. After we withdraw, we will send a telegram to the 22nd Division, instructing them to retreat to Chang'an and cooperate with the Security Self-Defense Corps in holding the city."

"I believe that Commander Hu will definitely not sit idly by and watch Chang'an be occupied by the G army."

"Yes! I'll go prepare it right away."

"Damn Yang Delu! He ran away without telling us!"

By the time Xu Zhijian, commander of the 22nd Division, learned that Yang Delu had fled, the vanguard of the Second General Headquarters had already engaged in firefights with the outer positions of the 22nd Division.

"Commander! Yang Delu has run away on his own. We absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!"

“That’s for sure,” Xu Zhi said decisively. “Tell the brothers not to get entangled with the G army. We’re retreating immediately!”

"Commander, which way should we go?"

"Go through Fengzhen and Echeng, then return to Chencang via Meixian." Xu Zhijian drew a line on the map.

This route is their only way back to Chencang.

If they don't go west, their only option is to go south into the Qinling Mountains.

At the order, the 22nd Division immediately followed the 17th Army in retreating westward.

As for the order to return to Chang'an and hold the line, anyone who goes is a fool.

By the time the 223rd Regiment of the Second General Vanguard arrived at Sanqiao Town, the 22nd Division had already vanished without a trace.

However, the 223rd Regiment did encounter a train here.

Upon learning that they were going to Chang'an to fight the Guo army, the train driver immediately volunteered.

"Quick! Get in the car! I'll take you there!"

The Guo army in Chang'an are all bastards; he had long been hoping the Guo army would attack.

Seeing the train driver's enthusiasm, the 223rd Regiment didn't waste any words and immediately boarded the train.

With a few 'whoosh' sounds, the train immediately sped off towards Chang'an at top speed.

The entire locomotive crew on the train was full of energy, shoveling coal into the boiler one shovelful at a time.

The coal filling speed is much faster than before.

When the 223rd Regiment charged from the train station toward the north gate of Chang'an, the soldiers of the Kuomintang Self-Defense Security Corps on the city wall practically bulged their eyes out.

They never expected that the G army would suddenly appear at the gates of Chang'an.

Chu Yongqiang, the commander of the Self-Defense Security Corps in Chang'an City, paced around the Siling Department, cursing incessantly.

"You beasts! You're all beasts!"

Chu Yongqiang was not surprised by the retreat of the 17th Army and the 22nd Division, but couldn't you have said one more word or sent one more telegram?

Now that the G army is upon us, the security brigade has no way to escape even if they wanted to.

"Brother, we need to make a decision quickly! The vanguard of the G army is already preparing to attack the city!"

"Quickly! Send someone to contact the G Army immediately and tell them that our army is preparing for an uprising!" Chu Yongqiang did not hesitate at all.

"Furthermore, order all brothers to assemble at the west gate immediately; we will relinquish the city's defenses!"

They haven't even clashed with the G army yet. If they decisively admit defeat, they'll at most lose half the battle.

"I'm going right now!"

After receiving the telegram from the 223rd Regiment, Chen Chengxing glanced at it and handed it to Luo Ping. "Old Luo, it's yours now. I'll leave the headquarters' directly subordinate units to you."

"I led the main force to continue westward in pursuit of the fleeing enemy. This may be the only enemy force we can capture."

“Okay.” Luo Ping reached out and took the telegram.

Although the direct engineers and logistics of this headquarters were not as combat-effective as the field troops of the four detachments, they were still enough to make the Guo Army security regiment flee in terror.

Furthermore, with the 223rd Regiment still in place, if the Nationalist army dared to cause any trouble, they could be easily suppressed.

On the other side, after Yang Delu led the 17th Army to meet up with the supply troops in Fengzhen, they did not hesitate for a minute and immediately began to retreat westward.

Soon, the reconnaissance troops sent out by Sun Xun discovered the 17th Army, which was in a hurry to retreat westward, and the 22nd Division, which was following behind.

"Captain, the enemy has appeared and is now heading towards Goose City along the highway."

"The KMT army will inevitably pass through Laozhen by road. The 231st Regiment has already set up a defensive line in Laozhen. With the cooperation of the artillery regiment, they will have no problem stopping the KMT army."

Looking at the map, Sun Xun said, "I'm not worried about whether we can stop the 17th Army, but I'm worried that they will flee south after being blocked."

"Didn't the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 233rd Regiment already set up positions at Ziwukou? The Kuomintang army shouldn't be able to break through their defenses in a short time, right?"

Unlike the Chief of Staff's optimism, Sun Xun clearly thought things through more deeply.

"The Guo army retreated so decisively this time that I fear they will be blocked and immediately choose to disperse and break through to the south."

There aren't many places in the Qinling Mountains suitable for large-scale troop marches, but if the Guo army is scattered, there's no need to insist on passing through those passes.

However, since Guo Jun hasn't arrived yet, Sun Xun can't predict their next move.

At this moment, Sun Xun's only hope was that Guo Jun wouldn't be so incompetent.

When fleeing in disarray, never scatter like ducks being herded.

Two hours later, Yang Delu finally led the 17th Army to the Laozhen area, albeit slowly.

As soon as the two sides exchanged fire, Yang Delu realized that things were in grave danger.

He could tell from the sound of gunfire alone that this was an elite force.

"How could the elite troops of the G Army be here? Didn't they cross the Wei River from Xianyang?!"

"Officer, I'm afraid the G Army anticipated our plans long ago!" Yu Zhiwei's face was also very grim.

If the G Army has appeared in Lao Town, then it's even more likely that Goose City will be affected.

In other words, the 17th Army's westward retreat route was basically blocked at this point.

To continue westward, they would have to break through the G army's defenses. If they dared to try any flanking maneuvers, they would inevitably be cut into pieces by the G army.

Yang Delu immediately said, "We can't fight the G army here."

“The main force of the G army is still following behind. If we get bogged down, we may be surrounded.”

"Pass on my order: the rear guard will become the front guard, and we will retreat south."

"Go through the Meridian Pass?" Yu Zhiwei asked.

"We'll skip the Ziwu Pass and go through Taiping Mountain instead."

“Taiping Mountain? Commander, given our current situation, I'm afraid we can't get through Taiping Mountain. We simply can't cross it with all this baggage.”

Although there are small paths on Taiping Mountain that lead into Guanzhong, they are just small paths, and even a single person could easily lose their life walking on them.

The artillery and supplies that the 17th Army is carrying now probably won't even need to go to dangerous sections of the road; the initial mountain crossing alone will exhaust the artillery and supply troops.

"We'll keep throwing things away as we go, and by the time we get to Caotang Temple, we should have enough."

Yang Delu knew, of course, that given the current situation of the 17th Army, taking the Ziwu Pass was the only option.

But he just didn't want to choose this meridian point.

The G army has already appeared in Laozhen; who knows if they will appear in Ziwukou as well?

If you change your mind when you reach the Meridian Crossing, it will be too late.

Hearing that they were going to lose their supplies, Yu Zhiwei felt a pang of heartache, as it wasn't easy for the 17th Army to acquire such equipment.

However, given the circumstances, and for the sake of his own life, Yu Zhiwei had no choice but to pass down the order to immediately abandon the field guns and then advance rapidly.

If the G army doesn't catch up during the retreat, then gradually discard the heavy machine guns, mortars, and all unnecessary ammunition.

The 22nd Division followed behind the 17th Army, and felt heartbroken seeing the luggage that had been abandoned along the roadside.

These were all looted within Chang'an City.

When the 17th Army left Chang'an, its baggage was more than its troops.

As the items thrown away by the 17th Army became increasingly valuable, the soldiers of the 22nd Division could no longer resist and began to collect the valuables along the way.

Along the way, the 17th Army fled and threw things away as they went; the 22nd Division provided cover and picked up trash along the way.

Sun Xun, who was following behind Guo Jun, saw that Guo Jun's route was becoming more and more remote and immediately realized that they did not intend to take the Ziwu Pass.

Add to that the heavy weapons they abandoned along the way, and Sun Xun was well aware of their intentions.

After unfolding the map, Sun Xun pointed forward along Guo Jun's route.

"Caotang Temple!"

“The Guo army plans to escape into the mountains from here!” Sun Xun confirmed.

Looking at the map, the chief of staff said seriously, "Caotang Temple? The vanguard of the Guo army is probably not far away."

"Immediately send an order to the 233rd Regiment, instructing the 1st Battalion to proceed to Caotang Temple at top speed!"

"The 231st Regiment should speed up and detour from Huangbaiyu to support Caotang Temple."

"In addition, send another telegram to the headquarters, explaining the enemy's movements and requesting immediate reinforcements."

Once the enemy is held at Caotang Temple, the main force can form an encirclement around it and then wipe out the enemy's 17th Army in one fell swoop.

Upon receiving Sun Xun's telegram, the remaining troops of the Second General Headquarters immediately accelerated their pace.

They were not far from the battlefield; a forced march would take them at most two hours to reach it.

Upon receiving the telegram, the 1st Battalion of the 233rd Regiment marched 10 kilometers in an hour and seized the advantageous terrain of Caotang Temple before the advance troops of the 17th Army arrived.

When Yang Delu learned that the G Army had also appeared at Caotang Temple, he was completely stunned.

He had already thrown away most of the looted items, except for his wife and children in the jeep. How come he still hadn't escaped the G army?
None of the officers in the 17th Army could answer this question, since most of them also had their families with them.

"Chief of staff, order the 48th Division to advance immediately. Once we break through the G Army's blockade, we will be safe."

The 17th Army had no way back; it faced either breaking through the blockade or being completely annihilated.

"Yes! I'll go to the front lines to keep an eye on things too." Yu Zhiwei hurriedly left the military headquarters.

After Yu Zhiwei left, Yang Delu didn't rest and immediately began preparations.

Two hours later, lacking heavy weapons and unable to break through the blockade, Yu Zhiwei had no choice but to run back to the military headquarters.

He had already received word that the G army's outer encirclement had closed in.

However, when he returned to the military headquarters, the scene before him stunned him.

The military headquarters was in complete disarray, but there wasn't a single person in sight.

After wandering around the area, Yu Zhiwei learned that the officers in the military headquarters had already fled in different directions.

"Holy shit!" Yu Zhiwei was speechless.

Isn't he Yang Delu's confidant? What's he doing?

With the encirclement complete, all departments of the Second General Headquarters launched a general offensive simultaneously.

Without the command of the 17th Army and the 22nd Division, they were utterly powerless to resist the Second General Headquarters' attack.

In just a few hours, nearly 20,000 Guo troops trapped at Caotang Temple were wiped out, and more than 15,000 of them were captured.

With the annihilation of the 17th Army, there were no more organized Guo Army units in the Guanzhong region.

The counties along both banks of the Wei River were swept away like fallen leaves by the autumn wind as various units of the First Field Army moved south.

However, with the fall of Guanzhong, Noji became somewhat anxious.

(End of this chapter)