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

Chapter 171 Chen Ming: Congratulations on your fortune!

At midnight, the north wind was howling.

It's mid-February now, and the temperature outside the Great Wall at night is frighteningly cold.

The cold wind lashed at the soldiers' faces like knives, turning them bright red.

"Damn it, this place is no place for a human to stay," Ding Wei said, tightening his cotton coat.

The climate inside and outside the Great Wall is like heaven and earth.

No wonder our ancestors built the Great Wall north of Datong; this is the wisdom of our ancestors.

Fortunately, during this operation outside the Great Wall, there was intelligence from the scouts, and Chen Ming was able to send a batch of cotton-padded clothes up from the rear.

Otherwise, let alone fighting, a large number of soldiers would freeze to death first.

However, the low temperature wasn't all bad. Inside the garrison of the 10th Pseudo-Mongolian Cavalry Division, the Pseudo-Mongolian cavalrymen all huddled inside to ward off the cold.

They probably never imagined that there would be such a resilient force, capable of preparing to launch a surprise attack on them in temperatures below minus twenty degrees Celsius and with strong winds.

In this cold weather, you have to cover your mouth with your hand when you pee, otherwise it will get hard in no time.

"Quickly, the first company goes to the back of the left slope and sets up the blocking position. The second company goes to the right and blocks the road together with the first company."

"The three companies are deployed separately, setting up interception positions on both flanks. We cannot allow any of the puppet Mongol cavalry to ride away our horses."

The battalion commander of the First Independent Battalion began operational deployment.

In this operation, their battalion was responsible for intercepting and blocking the fleeing Mongol cavalry who had been ambushed, leaving their horses behind.

Meanwhile, the Second Battalion, in coordination with the cavalry detachment, attacked the encampment of the puppet Mongolian cavalry.

After all, it was a fortified outpost, and it was unrealistic to attack it with the light weapons of the cavalry detachment.

In order to improve mobility, the cavalry detachment abandoned heavy firepower and was equipped with only light machine guns, grenade launchers, and six mortars as supporting firepower.

Compared to the firepower of the reinforced main force battalion of the independent detachment, it was like heaven and earth.

In order to minimize casualties and make it easier to penetrate the territory of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division, the main attack was led by the well-equipped soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the Independent 1st Brigade.

For this crucial battle, the number of heavy machine guns in the Second Battalion was increased from six to eight, and two more Type 92 infantry guns were transferred from the artillery battalion by Ding Wei.

This configuration was comparable to the number of heavy machine guns in the most elite training regiment of the National Revolutionary Army.

Meanwhile, the 129th Division system at the same time had about 40 regiments, but only a little over 100 guns in total, averaging less than three per regiment.

This is why the brigade commander reacted so strongly when Chen Ming handed over more than a hundred machine guns.

There was no way around it; the Eighth Route Army was simply too poor. Who wouldn't be envious of all that equipment?

Two o'clock in the morning.

The cavalry detachment, with over a thousand soldiers, plus two battalions of soldiers from the Independent First Battalion, has completed its full deployment.

The time to attack has come!
"Pass on my order! Attack!"

Inside the command post, Xu Desheng and Ding Wei jointly issued orders.

Although Xu Desheng was already the commander of the cavalry detachment, he couldn't put on airs in front of the three reinforced main force battalion commanders.

If it weren't for some reason causing insufficient manpower, these three reinforced main force brigades could have been formed into three detachments.

I was lucky enough to catch two reinforced main battalions encircling and annihilating the Japanese 110th Regiment and capture the Japanese regimental flag.

Otherwise, Xu Desheng's cavalry battalion would not have become a cavalry detachment.

In terms of military achievements and seniority, he was not qualified to put on airs in front of Kong Jie, He Jianxin, and Ding Wei.

Of course, they are all comrades who can entrust their backs to each other, and they don't bother to put on airs.

After the order was given, the Second Battalion, which was in charge of the main attack, began to move.

"Quickly, quietly. Do not fire without my order. Get close and catch these puppet troops off guard."

"After the battle is over, we'll have roasted sheep's head for breakfast tomorrow morning," the second battalion commander promised, patting his chest.

Upon hearing the words of the Second Battalion Commander, the soldiers of the Second Battalion swallowed hard, their faces filled with excitement.

They eat the puppet army's food, wear the puppet army's clothes, and fight the puppet army when they have nothing to do.

Fighting these low-combat-capability puppet troops is practically like sending warmth and meat to their Independent First Battalion!

For the past two weeks, their First Independent Battalion has been able to eat meat every two days, making other brother units fighting within the Great Wall extremely envious.

Like Li Yunlong, Ding Wei also had his own little schemes. Every time he handed over captured supplies, he would keep a portion for himself to reward the soldiers of his own brigade.

Chen Ming was fully aware of this, but he simply didn't say it aloud.

As long as it's not about corruption or violating principles, Chen Ming tacitly approves leaving something for the soldiers as a reward.

After all, fighting deep outside the Great Wall is a harsh and freezing affair, so it's normal for the soldiers to eat something good to keep warm.

Otherwise, with the map in Chen Ming's mind, how could he not know how his troops fought each battle and how much supplies they captured?

Appropriate rewards can motivate soldiers to fight, which is a good thing.

Inspired by the roasted mutton, the soldiers of the Second Battalion were as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

He had only one thought in his mind: kill the 10th Division of the puppet Mongolian cavalry and seize their roasted mutton—no, capture it.

The cold wind howled, and the power supply at the puppet Mongolian cavalry division's base was insufficient to cover a wide area.

Meanwhile, the soldiers guarding the outer perimeter were unwilling to stand guard in the cold wind because it was too cold.

They were merely puppet Mongol cavalry, and even then, the combat effectiveness and discipline were so poor that they were reduced to a garrison unit.

It's unrealistic to expect them to strictly adhere to the manuals like the Japanese soldiers.

Seeing that the soldiers had made it close to the camp of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division without being discovered, the second battalion commander became bolder.

"Quickly, set up the explosive charges. This time we can get everything done and save some shells," the second battalion commander whispered.

If you're able to infiltrate to the point where you can directly plant explosive charges to blow up enemy fortifications, then what need is there for artillery?
Just blow it up with the explosive charge; save the shells for hitting more elite enemies.

After all, the artillery shells borrowed from the artillery battalion were limited, and now they were being wasted on the puppet Mongol cavalry.

Under the orders of the second battalion commander, the explosive charges were quickly deployed.

The Mongol cavalrymen in the camp were still fast asleep, completely unaware that their deaths were imminent.

"Ready, ignite!"

Due to time constraints, there was no time to deploy electrically controlled explosive charges, so a traditional detonator was used for detonation.

At this moment, a puppet Mongol cavalryman who had gone out to use the restroom walked to the corner of the wall in a daze and caught a glimpse of a burning fuse not far away.

"what?"

He rubbed his eyes groggily, the light from the burning fuse particularly noticeable in the darkness.

After seeing it clearly, the water column beneath him stopped abruptly!

"My God!"

He turned to run, but it was too late.

"boom!"

Several huge explosions rang out, and the fireballs from the explosions engulfed him.

He was blown to pieces before he could even feel the pain; it was countless times worse than being torn apart by five horses.

Some pieces of meat even landed directly in the ranks of the soldiers of the Second Battalion, more than 100 meters away.

There was also a section of charred tissue about the size of a thumb; it's unclear whether it was a finger or some other unusual part of the body.

"Comrades, charge!"

After blasting open the outer fortifications of the puppet Mongol cavalry, the second battalion commander fired three shots and shouted loudly.

"Da da di—da da di—du ——————!"

The bugler puffed out his cheeks and blew the charge with all his might!
The soldiers of the Second Battalion rushed towards the camp of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division in an orderly and swift manner, while some soldiers cleared out the poorly guarded sentries on the perimeter.

The charging soldiers rushed through the breach created by the blast, and the soldiers behind them set up machine gun positions.

At this moment, the puppet Mongol cavalry stationed in the area were also awakened by the loud explosion.

"Where are you firing the cannons?" The commander of the puppet Mongol cavalry division was also awakened. He pushed away the beautiful woman he was holding and began to put on his clothes.

"Commander, the Eighth Route Army! The Eighth Route Army is attacking!"

"The Eighth Route Army has already stormed into our camp. Run! It'll be too late if we don't run now."

The commander of a puppet Mongol cavalry regiment, whose clothes were not even properly put on, burst through the door and shouted anxiously.

"What did you say? The Eighth Route Army has attacked and even invaded our camp? How many Eighth Route Army soldiers are there?" the commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division asked in fear.

"I don't know. There are Eighth Route Army soldiers everywhere. Judging from the firepower, there are at least several thousand Eighth Route Army soldiers. They are definitely the main force of the Eighth Route Army."

"Run! It'll be too late if we don't run now!" the commander of the pseudo-Mongol cavalry regiment said anxiously.

"Yes, yes, run quickly!" The commander of the pseudo-Mongolian cavalry division didn't even bother to put on his clothes and immediately prepared to escape with his confidants.

"Master, take me with you! Don't abandon me!" The beautiful woman on the bed, disregarding her exposed white skin, grabbed the trouser leg of the commander of the pseudo-Mongol cavalry division and pleaded.

"Go to hell! I'm about to be killed by the Eighth Route Army, I don't have time to take you with me."

The commander of the pseudo-Mongolian cavalry division kicked the beautiful woman in the face, showing no mercy whatsoever.

After breaking free of control, he immediately left the room with his confidant.

"Master, master, please don't abandon me!" the beautiful woman cried out.

She couldn't understand why her teacher, who had called her "sweetheart" last night, was now so cold-blooded and heartless, turning his back on her after the fact.

Her wailing was destined to fail to change the mind of the commander of the pseudo-Mongolian cavalry division, who was determined to escape.

With the situation so dire, if they didn't run, they'd be killed by the Eighth Route Army. They didn't have time to worry about a woman.

Once he escapes and gathers his old followers, he can have as many women as he wants.

Inside the camp.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion charged left and right, and no enemy could stop their advance.

Ding Wei and Xu Desheng had been preparing for this surprise attack for almost half a month, aiming for a fatal blow and giving the enemy no chance to breathe.

The puppet Mongol cavalry division was caught off guard, and many soldiers fled without even having time to mount their horses.

Some of the puppet Mongolian cavalry who not only refused to surrender but also dared to launch a counterattack against the soldiers of the Second Battalion were sent to hell by several bursts of gunfire and more than a dozen grenades.

Meanwhile, the commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division, under the protection of his trusted guard platoon, slipped out of the camp through a hidden escape route.

The entire garrison of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division was like a group of small fish that had gathered together, but were startled by the big fish, the Second Battalion, and scattered and fled.

Outside, however, they were met with a tight net set up by cavalry detachments and a battalion of soldiers.

It was still a deadly net, catching all fish, big and small. Gunshots and cannon fire echoed through the darkness of the grassland.

The soldiers of the puppet Mongol cavalry division in the camp were already weak in combat. When they found that there were enemies everywhere and they could not escape no matter how they ran, their fighting spirit immediately dropped to zero.

Large numbers of people began to surrender.

Those cavalrymen who managed to escape were hunted down by cavalry detachments roaming the perimeter.

This was the best opportunity to train the troops, so Xu Desheng immediately ordered some veterans to lead the new recruits to chase after the fleeing Mongol cavalry and let the new recruits see blood.

In any case, there are elite veterans of the cavalry detachment and Ding Wei's battalion on the outer perimeter. Even if some of the pseudo-Mongol cavalry escape the pursuit, they will be blocked in front of the last line of defense.

The new recruits of the cavalry detachment, under the guidance of the veterans, did not falter in combat, hacking away at the backs of the fleeing puppet Mongolian cavalry.

The fleeing Mongol cavalry dared not fight back; they only thought about running faster than their comrades.

If they run faster, they won't be the ones getting stabbed.

However, how could Mongolian horses possibly be as fast as the Japanese horses used by the cavalry?

In the end, all the pseudo-Mongol cavalrymen who had been caught by the cavalry detachment fell on their escape route.

The new recruits of the cavalry detachment, having been baptized in blood during the war, shed their naivety and forged an iron will and resilience.

The battle continued until dawn, and then it was almost over.

The commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division also failed to escape. Relying on his superb horsemanship and familiarity with the terrain, he initially led his guard platoon to evade several rounds of pursuit.

In the end, however, he ran headfirst into a trap set up by the soldiers of the First Battalion.

The heavy machine gun fired a short burst, and in less than two minutes, most of the people around him were dead.

The commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division was lucky enough to escape the heavy machine gun fire and fled back into the encirclement.

They were eventually caught up by veteran cavalrymen who were roaming around the area, and a scene unfolded where "the one wearing the hat is the commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division!" and "the one wearing the fur coat is the commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division!"

When he was captured by the cavalry detachment soldiers, this once glorious commander of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division had become a plucked, drenched chicken.

All the items that symbolized his status were discarded, and he was shivering from the cold in his thin clothes.

In this battle, with the cooperation of the cavalry detachment and Ding Wei's two main battalions, the puppet Mongolian 10th Cavalry Division was completely annihilated.

Ding Wei and Xu Desheng also stepped into the camp of the puppet Mongolian cavalry division, their faces full of happy smiles.

"Let's report on the results," Ding Wei said.

"Report: In this battle, a total of 416 enemy soldiers were killed and 670 were captured. Our army suffered 46 casualties and 102 wounded."

"This operation seized 920 horses, 12 cars, and a large number of cattle, sheep, mules, and other livestock."

"In terms of food, we seized enough reserves to last the entire population for three months of winter."

"We've struck it rich this time!"

The staff officer who gave the report said happily.

The seized supplies were very plentiful.

Because the 10th Cavalry Division of the puppet Mongolian regime had just received a replenishment of supplies, many of which were seized before they were even opened.

Although it was only a cavalry division of a little over a thousand men, the amount of winter supplies they had was considerable, especially in the cold outside the Great Wall.

Compared to the Eighth Route Army, the capture of this batch of supplies was a huge windfall!

"Haha, good! I, Old Ding, have struck it rich this time! Tell the soldiers to take them all away. Once we're in a safe place, we'll have mutton to eat!" Ding Wei waved his hand and gave the order.

Xu Desheng's attention was not on the supplies, but entirely on the horses that had been captured.

More than nine hundred horses could directly expand his cavalry detachment into a cavalry battalion.

The promise he made to Chen Ming, guaranteeing the expansion of a cavalry battalion, is not far off.

If we fight a few more small battles and capture a batch of horses, the strength of the cavalry detachment can be doubled!
Xu Desheng looked at the tied-up horses and liked them more and more.

These are all fine horses, military horses with a long history, known for their excellent performance on the battlefield and their stable temperament, not easily startled.

A horse that could become a military horse was a treasure in those days, especially since more than nine hundred were captured at once, in addition to those captured previously.

Xu Desheng suddenly gained more than a thousand treasures.

If he weren't now the commander of a cavalry detachment, he would have liked to live in the stables and stay with these treasures forever.

The results of the battle were reported to the command post in Ping'an County via telegram.

Chen Ming looked at the telegram. Although he knew about the annihilation of the 10th Puppet Mongolian Cavalry Division immediately afterward, the smile on his face never stopped.

"Take a look, everyone. Ding Wei and Xu Desheng have made another fortune." Chen Ming happily handed the telegram to the others in the command post.

After everyone passed it around and saw it, they all smiled happily.

Such a large amount of supplies and horses is a considerable fortune even for an independent detachment today.

Unlike infantry, cavalrymen receive 3 to 5 times more supplies.

The supplies for a puppet Mongolian cavalry division for several months are enough for an independent detachment and the Fourth Military Sub-district to use for a period of time.

In particular, there is a good amount of meat in it, which is an advantage of the grasslands.

"Indeed, Comrades Xu Desheng and Ding Wei seized the opportunity and annihilated a cavalry division of the puppet Mongolian regime outside the Great Wall, capturing so many supplies. They deserve high praise," Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze said.

"I told you that letting Ding Wei and Xu Desheng out would give me surprises from time to time, and I was absolutely right."

“If things continue like this, we might actually be able to build up a cavalry battalion,” Chen Ming said.

"Send a telegram to Ding Wei and Xu Desheng, praising them for their initiative, keen seizing of opportunities, annihilating a large number of enemies, and capturing a large amount of supplies."

Chen Ming gave the order.

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and continued, "Finally, tell Ding Wei and Xu Desheng that I congratulate them on making a fortune. Keep some of the captured supplies for the troops, and bring the rest back to me."

Chen Ming said with a smile.

Previously, it was always the brigade commander who congratulated them on getting rich; this time, it was finally his turn to congratulate the officers below him on getting rich.

How can I put it? This feels amazing!
The rest of the people in the command post, including the cadres who had followed Chen Ming the earliest, all laughed.

"Wishing you prosperity" is indeed a tradition of their 129th Division. Not only does the brigade commander say "Wishing you prosperity," but now even Chen Ming has started saying it.

Wang Dafei, in particular, recalled the scene when Chen Ming was congratulated by the brigade commander on his fortune back when they were still in the district squad.

His smile deepened; he could even imagine Ding Wei and Xu Desheng's reactions upon receiving the telegram.

Ding Wei and Xu Desheng's place.

A telegram arrived from the base area.

"Report, telegram from headquarters," the communications soldier said as he entered headquarters.

"read."

"Yes."

The communications soldier began reading the telegram; there wasn't much to say at the beginning.

The telegrams were all routine praise and commendation, and Xu Desheng and Ding Wei listened with smiles on their faces.

The commendation from the leader after making a contribution sounded so pleasing.

However, the communications soldier then began to read:
Commander Chen Ming said: "Ding Wei, Xu Desheng, I congratulate you on your fortune!"

Upon hearing the words "Wishing you prosperity," Ding Wei's expression froze as he recalled some unpleasant memories from the past.

Ding Wei wasn't exactly a model citizen either. Li Yunlong often had side jobs, and when the brigade commander discovered this, he said, "Congratulations on your fortune!"

Ding Wei was the same, although he didn't hide everything like Li Yunlong, who acted like a nouveau riche.

Every time he finished his side business, he would send some to the brigade commander to shut him up.

However, sometimes when the brigade commander was short of supplies, Ding Wei would call to congratulate him on his fortune, just after he had finished his side job.

So, just like Li Yunlong, Ding Wei gets goosebumps whenever he hears "Wishing you prosperity."

"What's wrong, Lao Ding? Isn't it good that the squad leader congratulates us on making a fortune?" Xu Desheng asked, looking puzzled.

After the messenger said "Wishing you prosperity," he noticed that Ding Wei's behavior was off, and he thought there was something he didn't know.

"You'll understand once you keep listening," Ding Wei said without explaining further, simply telling Xu Desheng to continue listening.

"What's wrong with this? Isn't it just a normal commendation telegram?" Xu Desheng said, scratching his head, puzzled.

However, what the messenger read next directly resolved Xu Desheng's doubts.

"Ah this?"

Xu Desheng and Ding Wei exchanged a glance, as if to say, "You knew all along, didn't you?"

Ding Wei also looked like a dejected slacker who had lost all his dreams, muttering to himself, "Just as I thought, this is what inheritance is all about!"

"I was so stupid, really. I only knew that being transferred from the 386th Brigade to the Fourth Military Sub-district would free me from this 'Wishing you prosperity' curse, but what happened..."

"I should have known that for the soldiers trained by the brigade commander, 'Wishing you prosperity' is a damn tradition."

"What should we do, Lao Ding?" Xu Desheng asked Ding Wei.

"What else can we do? Leave behind a month's worth of supplies, and ship the rest back," Ding Wei said, shrugging.

"You don't know our leader, his eyes are like those of a thousand miles. Last time I got my hands on three infantry guns, and I plan to keep them for a while."

"Guess what?"

"What's wrong?" Xu Desheng asked.

"Our leader found out right away. He came to my Independent First Battalion and even asked me if the three infantry guns in the warehouse were from the wild?" Ding Wei smiled helplessly.

"Hahaha, a wild infantry gun?" Xu Desheng laughed upon hearing Ding Wei's humorous description.

"And then what? Were the infantry guns taken away?" Xu Desheng continued to ask.

"No, the leader just gave me a warning, and the infantry gun was left in the brigade."

"That's why I say our leader's eyes are like those of a thousand miles; he knows everything that happens here, how much stuff we've seized," Ding Wei said.

"Hahaha." Xu Desheng laughed, with a hint of schadenfreude.

Chen Ming's telegram mainly mentioned the captured supplies, but made no mention of horses or weapons.

So the impact on the cavalry detachment was not significant, which made him somewhat gloating.

Ding Wei had no choice but to follow Chen Ming's instructions and begin transporting the supplies back, leaving only a month's worth of supplies for the troops outside the Great Wall.

He also knew the current situation in the base area, where difficulties were everywhere, and that these supplies would be of great use.

"Damn natural disasters, they really don't want us ordinary people to live," Ding Wei lamented.

P.S.: I only have 6,000 words left today. I'll finish it around midnight if I have the chance.

(End of this chapter)