Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 555 Surprise! Unexpected! (Bonus Chapter, 10,000 words, please vote)

"Sir, after the defeat at Jincheng, Ma Ziyin has withdrawn to Ningxia, and the Central Army's 91st and 120th Armies are retreating to the Hexi Corridor."

Upon hearing Li Zhongliang's report, Ma Sanyuan rubbed his forehead; he felt a headache coming on.

"Zhongliang, what are your thoughts?"

"Sir, although Ma Zixiang is not dead yet, she is like a grasshopper in autumn, she won't be able to jump around for many more days. Any detachment of the G Army can wipe her out."

"I estimate that, in order to save his life, he will soon fly to Chongqing, or even to Frog Island."

"Now we are the only unit left in the Northwest, and the G Army's next target can only be us."

Ma Sanyuan waved his hand weakly: "I know that. What I'm asking is, what's your solution?"

Upon hearing that there was a solution, Li Zhongliang fell silent.

At this time, Ningxia had only 16,000 men left besides the three armies under Ma Sanyuan's command, totaling 60,000 men.

In the past, with Hu Shoushan and Ma Zixiang keeping them in check, this main force of 70,000 to 80,000 men would have been a force capable of influencing the situation in the Northwest.

However, with the defeat of Hu Shoushan and Ma Zixiang, Ningxia was left to fend for itself.

Li Zhongliang remained silent, and Ma Sanyuan also kept quiet.

Ma Sanyuan knew very well that when faced with life and death, he didn't really have many choices: fight or surrender.

However, Ma Sanyuan knew what he had done in the past, so he had no intention of starting a rebellion.

After a moment of silence, Ma Sanyuan said, "The G army could reach Xingqing at any time. We must abandon unimportant places and focus all our efforts on defending the core strongholds."

"Yes!"

“Those abandoned places, those that can be flooded should be dug into ditches and flooded, and those that cannot be flooded should be burned.”

"The troops resisted step by step while implementing scorched earth tactics until all the troops were wiped out."

“We must also prepare to burn down Xingqing City, and burn down every household in Xingqing.” Ma Sanyuan added, “When setting fire, start with my mansion.”

Upon hearing Ma Sanyuan's words, Ma Pingshan, who was standing nearby, said anxiously, "Dad, we can ignore those Han people and just burn them, but how can we do that to our compatriots?"

"You idiot! You coward!" Ma Sanyuan cursed.

"Whether they are Hui or Han, burn them all! Leave only ashes for the G army!"

Seeing the ruthless Ma Sanyuan, neither Ma Pingshan nor Li Zhongliang dared to say anything more.

At this moment, Ma Sanyuan was thinking about inflicting as many casualties as possible on the G army in order to win Chang Ruiyuan's favor, since he was destined to be living under someone else's roof in the future.

If Chang Ruiyuan is happy, he might be able to get a high position and continue to make money once he gets to Frog Island. After all, Yan Xishan of the Jin-Sui Army could become the Premier of the Executive Yuan.

In order to strengthen the troops as much as possible, Ma Sanyuan added: "Zhongliang, there are still many security teams in various places. You should assign them all to the respective armies."

Li Zhongliang calculated in his mind: "If we include all the security teams and police in various places, we can gather 20,000 to 30,000 people. If they are all under the command of the various armies, it may be a bit bloated."

"Then we'll add another new army," Ma Sanyuan said nonchalantly.

At this point, would Chang Ruiyuan still contact him about this number?
"So, what do you think the new military unit should be called?"

After thinking for a moment, Ma Sanyuan said, "Yue Fei wrote in 'Man Jiang Hong,' 'We'll break through the Helan Mountain pass,' so let's call the newly formed army the Helan Army."

"If we fail to defend Ningxia in the future, the troops can still go to the Helan Mountains to fight guerrilla warfare."

"Yes!"

Li Zhongliang hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sir, what do you think of the troop deployment?"

"You can arrange it as you see fit," Ma Sanyuan waved his hand.

Even with these 70,000 to 80,000 main force troops plus 30,000 security personnel, no matter how they tried to deploy them, they couldn't stop the G army's attack.

Li Zhongliang had no choice but to deploy all his troops on both banks of the Yellow River in a defensive posture.

The first line of defense consisted of the 20th Cavalry Regiment guarding Tongxin, a part of the 81st Army guarding Jingyuan, and the 1st New Cavalry Brigade guarding Jingtai.

The second line of defense consisted of the Helan Army guarding Zhongning and the main force of the 81st Army guarding Yinglicheng.

The third line of defense consisted of the 128th Army guarding Jinji and the 11th Army guarding Lingxian.

While Li Zhongliang was constantly adjusting his plans, Ma Sanyuan, the hands-off manager, was busy packing up valuables and sending them to Hangcheng and Frog Island.

Of course, Ma Sanyuan was not comfortable letting his family members take the most valuable gold and silver treasures with him, so he planned to carry them himself.

Just as Ma Sanyuan was busy looting property and preparing to flee, the First Field Army had already divided its forces and was advancing in three directions: Xining, Hexi, and Xingqing.

The Second Division was responsible for coordinating with the 19th Army Corps to attack Ma Sanyuan's troops in Ningxia.

On September 1st, the commander officially issued the order to advance.

Chen Chengxing immediately summoned the officers of each detachment to assign tasks.

"The attack order has been issued. Tomorrow morning, the 211th Regiment and the General Corps' Engineer Regiment will form an advance team to clear out the remaining bandits, repair roads, and gather food."

"The main force will depart in five days."

"Li Chishui, you will be in charge of the advance team. Don't cause any trouble."

Li Chishui immediately stood at attention and said, "Commander-in-Chief, rest assured, I guarantee that the main force's advance will not be delayed."

Chen Chengxing nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.

“Ningxia is different from Jincheng, with a higher proportion of ethnic minorities, so soldiers must be careful in their words and actions.”

"Also, pork and lard are not allowed to be brought in. When you get back, you can each organize a feast to treat everyone."

"Yes!"

On the 7th, the Second General Headquarters set off from Jincheng in a grand procession, and arrived in the area north of Jingyuan three days later.

After two regiments were dispatched northward through Douchengpu and Quanzhen to clear out the remaining enemy forces, the main force continued its advance towards Zhongning via Dalachi.

The first line of defense built by Ning Majun was torn apart instantly by the Second General, just like a window paper.

Li Zhongliang then realized that his three lines of defense could probably only hold off the G army for three to five days.

What could truly delay the G army was the roads that Ma Sanyuan had never repaired in his pursuit of profit.

However, at this point, Ma Sanyuan and Li Zhongliang have no strategy left to deal with the situation.

They could only watch helplessly as the G army advanced a little further into Xingqing each day.

At this time, Ma Ziyin of the 81st Army, who was stationed in Licheng, had already begun to have his own ideas.

Although he and Ma Sanyuan were cousins, their relationship was not close, and Ma Sanyuan had dealt with him quite a bit before.

Ma Ziyin had clashed with the G Army on several occasions, but during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the two sides maintained a relatively close relationship, which was a major reason for his determination to revolt, since he did not have any deep-seated hatred for the G Army.

“I led troops into battle in my twenties and was promoted to lieutenant general and garrison commander in my thirties. I presided over the military and political affairs of Ningxia three times.”

"Division Commander, Army Commander, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army Group, Deputy Military and Political Commander of the Northwest."

"Let bygones be bygones. It's time to wake up and recognize the bigger picture."

"Liqing, order the 81st Army to give way and avoid conflict with the G Army."

His son, Ma Liqing, immediately nodded: "Yes!"

"Stop the process to allow for further discussions?"

"What a joke." Chen Chengxing tossed the letter onto the table with disdain.

Looking at Ma Ziyin's messenger, Chen Chengxing said, "Go back and tell Ma Siling that we welcome the uprising, but it is absolutely impossible for my troops to stop advancing!"

"He has two more days to consider. If there is still no news of an uprising after my troops arrive in the Licheng area, he shouldn't blame me."

"Captain Chen, pausing the advance will benefit both of us."

"Stop talking." Chen Chengxing waved his hand. "Instead of wasting your time, you should go back and persuade Ma Siling to face reality."

Chu Yunfei walked to the door and said, "Please come in."

Ma Ziyin's messenger had no choice but to leave the Second General and rush back to Licheng.

Two days later, the Second General Headquarters, which had already arrived in the Licheng area, did not delay and decisively shelled the 81st Army's bunkers.

They also occupied several important strongholds around Licheng, so that they could launch an attack on Licheng at any time.

The intense shelling by the Second General Headquarters forced Ma Ziyin and his son Ma Liqing to make their final decision, telegraphing their defection and surrendering Zhongning and Licheng. With the second line of defense breached, Ma Sanyuan once again changed the defensive deployment.

The Helan Army, the 11th Army, the 128th Army, and other units all withdrew to the Lingwu, Jinji, and Wuzhongbao areas.

He was making final preparations.

On the 18th, the Second General entered the Niutou Mountain area of ​​Jinji.

Niutou Mountain, with an altitude of over 1,500 meters, is adjacent to the Yellow River. Although it cannot completely block the Second General's advance, it has a significant impact on the battlefield situation.

However, no one expected that the battle would go so smoothly.

In just two hours, the 21st Detachment captured Niutou Mountain and set its sights on Jinji.

Ma Baolin, commander of the 356th Division of the 128th Army, who was defending Jinji, was extremely anxious.

"Chief of Staff! Chief of Staff! The G Army has reached the outskirts of the city and requests reinforcements! Request reinforcements!"

"Master Ma, you must hold on! I'll send reinforcements immediately!"

Li Zhongliang was a staunch advocate of war. During this period, he led his troops to move between Wuzhongbao, Jinji, and Lingwu, attempting to salvage the precarious situation.

Therefore, upon learning of the loss of Niutou Mountain, Li Zhongliang immediately dispatched all the troops he could mobilize to Jinji.

But all of this was in vain.

The main force of the Ningma 128th Army was no match for the Second General Headquarters' all-out offensive. In just one day, the 128th Army was completely annihilated.

Ma Sanyuan's capital, Xingqing, was completely exposed to the Second Army Corps and the 19th Army Corps.

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Ma Sanyuan led several trucks straight to the airport.

"I've already contacted Chongqing. Let's go there to stay for now."

"Dad, I'm afraid Chang Ruiyuan isn't so easy to talk to," Ma Pingshan said hesitantly. "The G Army contacted us before, if there's an uprising..."

"Foolish!" Ma Sanyuan cursed. "Even if Chang Ruiyuan is difficult to talk to, he won't do anything to us for the sake of popular support. But if we fall into the hands of the G Party, do you think we'll be any better off?"

"Don't forget how we dealt with the G Party back then!"

Ma Pingshan remained silent.

Ma Pingshan knows what he has done, and he is also afraid that the CCP will hold him accountable.

Although *** said in the letter that he would not pursue the matter further, neither Ma Sanyuan nor Ma Pingshan dared to believe it.

Upon arriving at the airport, Ma Sanyuan immediately asked the airport staff to help unload the supplies from the truck.

"Be careful, all of you! If you fall, you'll all be killed!"

Because the people and a large amount of space-consuming supplies had already been sent away, Ma Sanyuan only used three planes this time.

One of the vehicles carries people, and the other two carry goods.

Half an hour later, the plane took off with a roar.

After exchanging glances, the people inside the airport vanished in an instant.

As he watched the ground recede into the distance, Ma Sanyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

The G army couldn't intercept the planes; once they took off, they were safe.

However, unbeknownst to Ma Sanyuan, the plane had already quietly turned a corner.

Two hours later, the three transport planes landed on the ground amidst a jolt.

"Hmm? Why so fast this time?" Ma Sanyuan glanced at his watch with some doubt.

In the past, it would take him three or four hours to fly to Chongqing.

When he got up and stood at the airplane door, he was stunned when he saw the situation outside.

"What the hell?! What have I done here?!"

"Taiyuan. Surprised? Unexpected?"

"Who are you?" Ma Sanyuan asked the burly man pointing a gun at him.

This person got out of the driver's seat.

"Wei Dayong, Captain of the Special Operations Brigade of the Second Independent Detachment."

"Don't worry, I was afraid you'd be lonely, so I brought your family from Qinghai here too."

Even before the troops entered Lanzhou, Chen Chengxing ordered the special forces to split into two, which then penetrated deep into Qinghai and Ningxia respectively.

And they were specifically ordered to find a way to sneak into the airport.

Wei Dayong and his men initially thought the airport was going to be bombed, but after they gained access to the airport through bribery, they received the latest orders.

As early as the end of August, Ma Zixiang had already arrived in Taiyuan with the gold, and now Ma Sanyuan has also arrived in Taiyuan with the gold.

"I"

"Don't move!" Wei Dayong shouted.

"You better not give me the chance to kill you."

Ma Sanyuan stopped his hand, which was about to reach for the gun; he wanted to live one more day.

G Army said they wouldn't pursue the matter further, so they probably won't kill him, right?

As for the prerequisites for the uprising mentioned earlier, Ma Sanyuan has selectively forgotten them.

As for the other passengers on the plane, they kept their heads down and remained silent.

Compared to Ma Sanyuan, they have a higher chance of survival.

After the well-prepared guards pulled Ma Sanyuan and the others off the plane, Wei Dayong jumped off the plane.

"Captain!" Several special forces members from the other two planes also jumped off and ran over.

"We'll hand over the duties to our comrades at the airport, and then we'll go to the arsenal."

There was a large amount of gold and silver jewelry on the plane, which had to be handed over before departure.

Otherwise, if Ma Sanyuan says something wrong, they'll be in deep trouble.

"yes!".
The handover between the two sides was simple, since neither of them had ever left this place.

Upon arriving at the arsenal, Wei Dayong met with the soldiers who had arrived earlier.

As for the remaining team members who are still in Qinghai and Ningxia, they will return to Taiyuan one after another.

As per Chen Chengxing's orders, the special operations brigade will take over the new weapons and begin training.

As for when they will return to the team, they are awaiting further notice, as they are no longer needed for the battle in Ningxia.

With Ma Sanyuan's escape, the senior military officers of Ningma who remained in Xingqing became anxious. After an emergency consultation, they decided to abandon their allegiance to the Communists.

The telegram requesting a ceasefire and awaiting reorganization was immediately issued.

The Field Army Commander welcomed the decision of the Ma Clique to abandon the darkness and join the light, and ordered them to immediately send a representative to Zhongning to negotiate with the commander of the 19th Army Corps.

However, despite the telegram issued by the senior officers of the Ma Clique army, the Ma Clique troops at the front continued to carry out their previous orders and resist step by step.

Chen Chengxing threw the vanguard's report onto the table: "Hmph! They're courting death."

"Old Chu, tell all units that any enemy troops that resist should be completely annihilated until they surrender!"

"Yes!"

The once arrogant and invincible Ma Clique army, when faced with the Second General's artillery fire, was like a stray dog, collapsing in every battle without any chance of fighting back.

Faced with this situation, the three military commanders dared not utter another word of nonsense. If the G army were to invade Xingqing, their uprising would not even be considered a succession.

At the end of September, the advance team of the Second General Corps entered Xingqing.

With this, the Ma Clique army became a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, the First Army Corps also began its advance towards XJ.

(End of this chapter)