Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 116 Deceiving the Heavens and Advancing into Northwest Shanxi
"Order all guerrilla units to pursue the retreating Japanese troops in small groups and wear down their forces little by little."

"The special operations brigade used rifles and grenade launchers to attack Japanese officers."

"The artillery battalion broke up into smaller units and used the range of the artillery to attack the Japanese supply train."

"The rest of the troops, carrying the wounded, dispersed and retreated westward, crossing the Tongpu Railway and transferring to the mountainous areas of northwestern Shanxi."

"At the same time, a telegram was sent to the Second and Third Battalions, instructing them to break up into smaller units and retreat to Wuzhai, Ningwu, and Ping'an counties after receiving the order."

After careful consideration, Chen Ming issued the order.

He did not intend to continue large-scale operations, but he could send small units to harass and attack the Japanese.

Nighttime guerrilla warfare with small groups was one of the Independent Detachment's specialties.

It can achieve significant results with minimal casualties.

At the same time, using these troops can also give the Japanese a false impression.

The Eighth Route Army continued to pursue them without making any moves, in order to lure the Japanese troops from other directions toward the retreating Japanese forces.

Chen Ming took the opportunity to disperse the main force into smaller groups, and under the cover of night, they moved out and broke out of the encirclement.

After this battle, it is believed that the Japanese will only dare to use battalion-level or larger forces to sweep through the Fourth Military Sub-district, in order to prevent the Independent Detachment from seizing the opportunity to annihilate them.

This creates large gaps, allowing troops to disperse into smaller units and infiltrate through them.

They appeared unnoticed in the Shanxi-Northwest region, where the Japanese forces were weak.

After we have digested the results of this counter-offensive and the troops have rested and reorganized, we will look for another opportunity to fight the Japanese.

There were reasons why Chen Ming did not move south to the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region to join forces with the 129th Division.

The Independent Detachment crippled the Japanese 237th Regiment, and the Japanese will surely retaliate fiercely, gathering more troops to sweep through the Fourth Military Sub-district where the Independent Detachment is located.

Based on the deployment of Japanese troops during the sweep, Chen Ming believes that the troops mobilized by the Japanese army were very likely from the troops that were sweeping the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region.

If they retreated south, they would likely encounter Japanese troops advancing north, which could result in heavy casualties.

Even without encountering the Japanese troops advancing north, the Independent Detachment successfully entered the area where the 129th Division was located.

Given the Japanese army's hatred for the Independent Detachment, they would mobilize Japanese troops from other directions to launch a frenzied sweep.

Not only will it not alleviate the pressure on the division headquarters, but it will also cause greater casualties and make the situation even more difficult.

But advancing into northwestern Shanxi was a different story.

Currently, the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi Province is mostly located in southern, southeastern, and eastern Shanxi.

These were also the areas that the Japanese army focused its mopping-up operations on.

The Jin-Northwest region is sparsely populated and has few Japanese troops. Once the Independent Detachment arrives, it will have a lot of room to maneuver and pose a great threat to the Japanese forces in the Jin-Northwest region.

Chen Ming intended to use this to force the Japanese army to divert some of its troops to defend northwestern Shanxi, thereby relieving pressure on the base areas in southern, southeastern, and eastern Shanxi.

It would be even better if we could lure the Japanese sweeping forces to northwestern Shanxi.

Taking advantage of the geographical location in northwestern Shanxi, Chen Ming was able to easily lead the Japanese troops in circles, attack their supply lines, and thwart their mopping-up operations.

After Chen Ming issued the order, the troops began to move.
Small detachments were dispatched to engage the retreating Japanese 237th Regiment in sniping and artillery fire.

Taking advantage of the night, they inflicted heavy casualties on the retreating Japanese soldiers.

The pursuit continued until dawn before the small guerrilla unit, following Chen Ming's orders, concealed its movements and withdrew from the battlefield.

According to post-war statistics, this pursuit battle resulted in the deaths of over 230 Japanese soldiers and the wounding of over 400.

After dawn.

Following Chen Ming's orders, the troops began to conceal their whereabouts and evade Japanese reconnaissance planes, while also taking the time to rest and recover their strength.

After such a long period of intense combat, the soldiers' physical strength was nearing its limit, so they took advantage of the daytime cover to recover their strength and spirit.

Inside the temporary command post, Chen Ming was still looking at the map and monitoring the situation of the various units.

The troops around Chen Ming are currently quite close to the areas where the Japanese army is focusing its attacks, and the Japanese army could appear at any time.

Chen Ming could only persevere and plan the next transfer route for the troops.

"Now I finally understand why commanding operations is such an exhausting task," Chen Ming exclaimed sincerely.

Chen Ming had heard before that commanding operations was extremely tiring, but now he truly understood just how tiring it was.

To direct the operation, Chen Ming hadn't slept for two days.

There was no other way; faced with an absolute disadvantage in troop strength and the ever-present threat of Japanese troops, Chen Ming had to constantly adjust his strategy based on the battlefield situation.

One wrong decision could lead to the sacrifice of countless soldiers.

Therefore, Chen Ming dared not make a mistake, nor could he afford to make one, and he had to keep his mental and physical abilities running at high speed at all times.

At this moment, Wang Dabiao walked in carrying food. Seeing Chen Ming still standing in front of the map staring at it, he said:
"Team leader, it's time to eat."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming did not turn his head: "Let's leave it for now."

After putting down the food, Da Biao approached Chen Ming and saw Chen Ming's very obvious dark circles, bloodshot eyes, and swollen eyelids.

His face was pale and bloodless, clearly indicating extreme fatigue.

Seeing Chen Ming like this, Da Biao's eyes immediately reddened, and he couldn't help but shed tears.

"Team leader, take a rest. You haven't slept for two days and two nights. I'm afraid your body can't take it."

Da Biao's voice trembled slightly, his words filled with concern for Chen Ming.

"It's alright, I can still manage. You can go out now," Chen Ming said, waving his hand.

"Team Leader"

"Let's go out," Chen Ming insisted.

"Yes"

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Chen Ming, Da Biao turned around and ran out, found Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze, and explained the situation.

"I'll go and try to persuade the branch captain," Zhang Zhengze sighed.

He knew that Chen Ming was working very hard, as the lives of the soldiers and civilians in the military district were on his shoulders, and the pressure was enormous.

But Da Biao said that Chen Ming hadn't slept for two days and two nights. That won't do.

If you overwork yourself, what will happen to the soldiers and civilians in the military sub-district?
Even if you're under a lot of pressure, you have to make the most of your time to rest, even if it's just for an hour or two!
(PS: Chen Ming and Zhang Zhengze did not stay together the whole time; the political commissar also took on the task of coordinating the relocation of the local residents.)
Therefore, Zhang Zhengze immediately went to the temporary command post to try to persuade Chen Ming.

When they entered the command post, the food that Da Biao had put down was already cold, and Chen Ming hadn't eaten it yet.

"Comrade Chen Ming." Upon entering, Zhang Zheng greeted him formally.

Chen Ming was taken aback, turned to look at Zhang Zhengze, and asked, "Old Zhang, what brings you here?"

"Hmph, if I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that you, the commander-in-chief, didn't take care of your health. You didn't sleep for two days and two nights. Do you think you're Sun Wukong?"

"If you ruin your health, what will happen to the soldiers and civilians in the military district?"

"Without you as commander, who will coordinate the troop transfer? Who will cover the evacuation of civilians?"

Zhang Zhengze started talking non-stop as soon as he opened his mouth, giving Chen Ming no chance to retort.

"Old Zhang, the troops haven't broken out of the Japanese encirclement yet, I have no choice," Chen Ming said helplessly. He knew that both Wang Dabiao and Zhang Zhengze cared about him.

"No way? Does that mean the troops can't function without you, Commander Chen, for even a few hours?"

"Without you, Commander Chen, for even a few hours, will the troops be scattered by the Japanese devils?"

Zhang Zheng immediately countered with a question.

"That's not what I meant," Chen Ming said helplessly.

"Comrade Chen Ming, you must trust your comrades, trust the commanders and soldiers below, and trust the reconnaissance soldiers."

"You have to trust their abilities. They are excellent and capable, and they can get their team leader some rest time."

Zhang Zhengze changed his tone and began to persuade.

He wanted to tell Chen Ming that the soldiers and commanders were very capable and able to deal with emergencies, and that Chen Ming didn't necessarily have to keep racking his brains and risking his life.

With the capabilities of the soldiers and commanders, they can buy time for Chen Ming, the commander, to rest.

"Of course I believe in my comrades; they are all very outstanding," Chen Ming said.

"Since you trust them, why don't you rest and recuperate before leading them to fight the Japanese again?"

"Old Chen, I remember we agreed that I would take care of the living arrangements, and you would take care of the military matters, right?"

Zhang Zheng asked in return.

Chen Ming nodded.

“In that case, shouldn’t I also be in charge of the commander’s rest? Then I will now exercise my authority and order you, Comrade Chen Ming, to go and rest immediately,” Zhang Zhengze said solemnly.

"Old Zhang"

"Don't call me Old Zhang. I'm giving you orders as the political commissar. Execute them," Zhang Zhengze said seriously.

Seeing the political commissar's insistent face, Chen Ming sighed helplessly and gave in.

"Then I'll sleep for two hours. If anything unexpected happens during that time, be sure to wake me up," Chen Ming said.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely wake you up if anything happens," Zhang Zhengze assured him.

"Mm." Chen Ming nodded.

Da Biao quickly set up a simple bed, and to make Chen Ming more comfortable, he laid a quilt underneath.

"Da Biao, remember to wake me up in two hours," Chen Ming said to Da Biao.

"Don't worry, Commander," Da Biao assured him, patting his chest.

"Ah."

Chen Ming went to the table, ate the food that had gone cold, and then went to sleep.

"I'll heat it up." Da Biao jogged over, intending to heat it up so Chen Ming could have something warm to eat.

"No need to trouble the cooks, it doesn't matter what we eat." Chen Ming waved his hand and started eating.

After eating, Chen Ming went to sleep on the bed that Da Biao had prepared. As soon as he relaxed, he fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed.

Seeing that Chen Ming was already asleep, Da Biao gave the political commissar a thumbs up and whispered:

"It's still the political commissar who has the best ideas. Chief of Staff Wang and Battalion Commander He both tried to persuade the detachment commander, but they were both scolded and kicked out."

"Okay, you stay here and keep watch. Don't let anyone disturb the squad leader's rest," Zhang Zhengze said softly.

"Yes. But do we really need to wake up the squad leader in two hours?" Da Biao asked again.

"Let him sleep a little longer. He's too tired. Don't wake him unless there's an emergency. I'll take responsibility if anything happens," Zhang Zhengze said.

"clear."

Chen Ming slept very well, from morning until night.

Chen Ming only slowly woke up when he realized his body was swaying.

As soon as Chen Ming opened his eyes, he realized something was wrong. This was not where he slept. He was being carried away on a stretcher by two soldiers.

Judging from the sky, it was already dark, and the troops must be moving.

Chen Ming had just woken up and was a little dazed. He asked the two soldiers carrying him to stop and put him down.

After Chen Ming woke up, Da Biao, who had been following Chen Ming, immediately ran up to him.

"Team leader, you're awake."

"How long have I been asleep? What time is it now? Where is the unit located?" Chen Ming asked three questions in quick succession in order to get the situation straight out of him.

"Report, you slept for thirteen hours. It's already nine o'clock at night. The troops are moving towards their destination and have now reached Zhujiazhuang," Da Biao replied.

"Thirteen hours? Damn it, Wang Dabiao, why didn't you wake me up?" Chen Ming cursed as he realized he had slept for so long.

"Brigade Commander, the Political Commissar told me not to wake you, saying to let you sleep a little longer. If you want to punish someone, punish me instead."

Da Biao spoke up, but his face didn't show any frustration at the prospect of being punished.

As long as it's for Chen Ming's health, Wang Dabiao is willing to accept any punishment, beatings, or scoldings.

"Alright, I'll deal with you later. Has the unit encountered any emergencies?" Chen Ming asked the question that concerned him the most.

Wang Dabiao shook his head: "No, the Japanese planes will fly over during the day, but the soldiers are well hidden and have not been discovered."

"According to the report from the scouts, the main force of the Japanese army went in the direction where we attacked the 237th Regiment before, and they did not find any trace of us."

Chen Ming nodded, then asked, "What about the other units?"

"Commander, have you forgotten? You said that in order to maintain secrecy, after Battalion Commander Kong and Battalion Commander Li received the telegram, they should keep their radios silent to prevent the Japanese reconnaissance vehicles from detecting them. Now they can't receive any messages from other units."

Hearing Da Biao's answer, Chen Ming remembered.

During the Japanese army's large-scale mopping-up operation, they deployed reconnaissance vehicles to detect the location of radio stations within the Eighth Route Army.

In order to maintain the concealment of the troops' transfer, Chen Ming ordered the Second and Third Battalions to keep their radios silent after receiving the telegram.

"Okay, give me the map," Chen Ming said to Da Biao.

"Yes."

Wang Dabiao immediately retrieved the battle map from the brigade headquarters officer and covered it with a canvas to prevent the light from shining out when Chen Ming was looking at the map, thus revealing the team's whereabouts.

For the sake of secrecy, the troops not only shut down their radios, but also prohibited the use of any light.

The troops could only move forward in the dark, relying on the moonlight and the guidance of the soldiers leading the way.

After opening the map, Chen Ming began to check the location of the troops.

Using the map, Chen Ming learned the current location of the troops, which was ten kilometers away from the Tongpu Railway.

At the same time, based on the map, Chen Ming deduced the approximate locations of the other two brigades.

Having figured out his location, Chen Ming felt more confident and continued to organize the troop's transfer.

He planned to cross the Tongpu Railway overnight and enter the Ningwu area.

(End of this chapter)