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

Chapter 184 I want to make progress so much!

Lan County is the territory of the Fourth Military Sub-district, which separates Li Yunlong's defense zone from Chu Yunfei's 358th Regiment's defense zone.

Ding Wei knew that his old comrade-in-arms Li Yunlong was also a shrewd person, and if he smelled any danger, he would definitely not let the opportunity pass.

However, this time it was their independent detachment that got the news first, so don't blame Ding Wei for eating meat without his old comrades.

Ding Wei's Independent First Battalion was also a large battalion, with more than 800 men in each battalion and very strong firepower, plus two artillery companies and a cavalry battalion.

Let alone taking on Qian Bojun's battalion, even if Chu Yunfei's 358th Regiment were to be mobilized, Ding Wei would dare to challenge them.

The quality of the soldiers and their fighting spirit are top-notch in Ding Wei's troops!

After the order was given, Ding Wei saw that the report on troop mobilization had been submitted to Chen Ming.

The mobilization of more than two thousand troops definitely requires following procedures.

Chen Ming was strict in his military discipline. If any officer dared to mobilize troops at the battalion level or above without authorization in a non-emergency situation, dismissal would be the lightest punishment!

Ding Wei didn't dare to violate the regulations and obediently submitted the report.

Chen Ming was perfectly aware of Ding Wei's thoughts.

He submits the report, and Chen Ming approves it.

"agree."

As a result, Ding Wei's two battalions and two artillery companies were successfully transferred to Lan County to garrison and monitor the situation of Qian Bojun's battalion.

Ding Wei did not act rashly, after all, it had not yet been confirmed that Qian Bojun had defected to the enemy.

Mid April.

After confirming Qian Bojun's surrender, the Japanese sent a unit and a puppet army to Chu Yunfei's defense zone in an attempt to support Qian Bojun's troops.

After learning the news, Chu Yunfei decided to hold off the Japanese and wipe out the puppet troops who were cooperating with him.

After the order was issued, they were unable to contact Qian Bojun's battalion for a long time.

"Reporting to the regimental commander, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th battalions, the artillery battalion, and the regimental directly subordinate units are ready for combat and can be deployed at any time."

"But there's still no news from the First Battalion; we haven't been able to contact them at all."

The staff officer of the 358th Regiment reported to Chu Yunfei.

"What did you say? The battle is about to begin, and we can't even contact our own troops!"

"Go, send someone to make contact immediately."

Chu Yunfei said angrily.

"Yes."

"Commander, I'm afraid something has gone wrong." Sun Ming keenly sensed something amiss with the troops and began to analyze the situation for Chu Yunfei.

Qian Bojun was an officer personally trained by Chu Yunfei, and Chu Yunfei held a biased view of Qian Bojun.

However, Sun Ming was different. As an outsider, he had a clearer perspective and was more perceptive than Chu Yunfei in noticing that something was amiss.

After Sun Ming's analysis, Chu Yunfei re-examined Qian Bojun and discovered so many signs that indicated Qian Bojun was very likely to have defected to the enemy.

"In that case, I'll go to Lijia Town. If Qian Bojun really surrendered to the Japanese and became a traitor, I'll personally kill him to cleanse the house." Chu Yunfei made his decision.

"I don't believe you, Commander. If Qian Bojun really turns against you, it will be too dangerous for you to go to Lijia Town," Sun Ming quickly advised.

"Hmph, Qian Bojun doesn't have the ability to kill me, Chu Yunfei," Chu Yunfei said loudly.

Chu Yunfei truly didn't want to believe that Qian Bojun, his old subordinate who had followed him through countless battles since the Central Plains War, had defected to the enemy and become a traitor.

He wanted to go to Lijia Town in person to see if Qian Bojun had really betrayed the revolution and chosen to become a traitor.

If so, he will personally deal with Qian Bojun, clean house, and settle things once and for all.

So, Chu Yunfei led a squad of guards and rode to Lijia Town.

With the commander of the 358th Regiment personally leading the operation, how could Ding Wei possibly keep such a large-scale operation a secret?
Coupled with the Japanese soldiers' unusual behavior, he concluded that Chu Yunfei's battalion commander and deputy battalion commander had already defected to the enemy.

"Assemble the troops immediately and advance into the defense zone of the 1st Battalion of the 358th Regiment at top speed," Ding Wei immediately issued the order.

"Haha, this batch of equipment will finally belong to the Ding family."

After arriving in Lijia Town, Chu Yunfei immediately went to Qian Bojun's camp.

Qian Bojun indeed betrayed them.

"Commander, I fought alongside you during the Central Plains War in 1920. Even if I didn't make any great contributions, I certainly deserve credit for my hard work."

"After fighting so many wars over the years, I'm still just a battalion commander."

"Do you know what positions my colleagues from the same period hold now? The highest one has become a division commander."

“My battalion has more than 2,000 men. According to the average division of our Jin-Sui Army, there are four or five thousand men. A regiment has more than 1,000 men. I should be a brigade commander at the very least, or a regimental commander at the very least.”

“But look at the treatment our 358th Regiment receives. They’re ignored and unloved. You, the regimental commander, have raised more than 5,000 people and are still a regimental commander.”

"Commander, I really want to advance in my career. I don't want to be a battalion commander anymore."

Qian Bojun laid his cards on the table with Chu Yunfei.

"Qian Bojun, do you want to become a traitor?"

"The Central Army is eliminating dissidents and wants to use the Japanese to wipe out our ragtag troops. This is as obvious as a bald man's head."

"In the Battle of Xinkou, our 358th Regiment suffered more than half casualties, and the Central Committee did not send us a single soldier. The more than 5,000 brothers in the 358th Regiment are all from our own expansion."

“We don’t owe the Shancheng government any favors. A government like that isn’t worth our lives,” Qian Bojun argued.

"People who act as dogs for the Japanese now have their own logic? You two bastards, are you even Chinese?"

Chu Yunfei angrily smashed the cup and questioned Qian Bojun furiously.

"Commander, if that's how you put it, then I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you. Someone, come here!"

When Qian Bojun realized he couldn't reason with Chu Yunfei, he tried to take Chu Yunfei hostage.

But Chu Yunfei was no pushover either, and his status as a regimental commander made the soldiers under him afraid to fire at him.

After all, not all soldiers genuinely wanted to surrender to the Japanese; they were simply coerced and had no choice in the matter.

As a result, the number of people Qian Bojun had prepared was not enough to take down Chu Yunfei and his group of more than ten people.

It also allowed Sun Ming to blast open the backyard wall, giving him a chance to retreat.

"Commander, I've blasted a path; you should retreat first!"

"Withdraw? What a joke! I'm going to personally capture Qian Bojun and kill him! Tell the brothers to hold on a little longer, reinforcements will be here soon," Chu Yunfei said angrily.

The defection of Qian Bojun, his old subordinate who had fought alongside him since the Central Plains War, deeply affected Chu Yunfei. He was furious that his trusted and carefully cultivated subordinate had chosen to betray him.

If Qian Bojun had left the 358th Regiment and joined another unit, such as the Central Army or even the Eighth Route Army, Chu Yunfei wouldn't be so angry.

But Qian Bojun actually chose to surrender to the Japanese and become a traitor, which Chu Yunfei absolutely could not tolerate.

As a qualified soldier, Chu Yunfei hated nothing more than spineless traitors.

"Commander, the brothers can't break through, and the message can't get out. I'm afraid no reinforcements are coming," Sun Ming said.

"Just wait and see, if I say it's there, it's there!" Chu Yunfei said confidently.

Chu Yunfei wasn't a fool; he had the confidence to bring a dozen men to Qian Bojun's camp.

He also received some news about the redeployment of the Eighth Route Army's garrison in Lan County.

Although Ding Wei's troop redeployment was carried out in secret, and the increase in troop strength in Lan County was not outwardly apparent, Chu Yunfei, having fought so many battles over the years, could still discern the difference in morale and fighting spirit between the elite main force and the ordinary troops.

After discovering that the morale of the troops stationed in Lan County had changed, Chu Yunfei had a premonition.

I just didn't want to believe it and wanted to give Qian Bojun a chance.

But the truth is, Qian Bojun did indeed betray them.

"Commander, where are our reinforcements?"

While Sun Ming was wondering, Ding Wei's troops arrived.

Ding Wei led his cavalry battalion straight into the headquarters of Qian Bojun's battalion, while the other troops disarmed the other soldiers of the 358th Regiment's battalion on the outskirts.

Originally, Li Yunlong only disarmed Qian Bojun's battalion headquarters and directly subordinate troops, which amounted to only a few hundred guns.

It wasn't the entire force of the 1st Battalion of the 358th Regiment; otherwise, with so many weapons, Li Yunlong couldn't have only brought one battalion.

Ding Wei had a big appetite and even greater audacity, mobilizing so many troops in an attempt to wipe out Qian Bojun's more than two thousand men.

Upon arrival, the cavalry battalion immediately launched an attack on Qian Bojun's troops while simultaneously issuing a warning.

Qian Bojun's troops were quickly routed and surrendered obediently.

The one that came was Ding Wei's First Independent Battalion, one of the three main forces of the Independent Detachment, a unit that could rout the Japanese.

They couldn't even defeat the Japanese, let alone Ding Wei's troops.

Another reason was that many soldiers did not want to actually follow Qian Bojun and become traitors, bearing the infamy for the rest of their lives and never being able to hold their heads high.

They should seize this opportunity to surrender; they were merely coerced and their crimes do not warrant death.

If they really go down this path to the bitter end, all they'll get in return is delicious bullets and shells.

When Qian Bojun saw the Eighth Route Army arrive, his troops quickly collapsed, and he abandoned them and fled.

Others might save their lives by surrendering, but as the leader, he would definitely not survive even if he surrendered.

Upon seeing the reinforcements arrive, Chu Yunfei spoke:
"I told you, reinforcements would definitely come."

"Your opinion is excellent, Commander."

"What surprised me, however, was that the people who came were not Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment, but rather the Independent Detachment," Chu Yunfei said.

Chu Yunfei knew of Ding Wei, but they hadn't had much contact.

Before Ding Wei was taken away by Chen Ming, Chu Yunfei had dealt with Ding Wei's troops a few times.

By the time Ding Wei arrived at the Independent Detachment, Chen Ming's strategic implementation had already shifted to the Jinbei region.

Chu Yunfei naturally lost the opportunity to deal with Ding Wei.

Upon seeing Ding Wei arrive, Chu Yunfei put his white gloves back on.

"Brother Ding, I've long admired your name. I've failed in managing my subordinates, and you've made me look foolish. Thank you for your help." Chu Yunfei clasped his hands in gratitude.

"It is the duty of our Chinese army to fight against puppet troops and traitors. Commander Chu, you don't need to be so polite. I, Ding Wei, despise traitors the most."

“Qian Bojun led a battalion of soldiers to surrender to the Japanese and become puppet troops. It is only right that I fight them,” Ding Wei said.

Upon hearing Ding Wei's words, Chu Yunfei knew things were going badly.

Ding Wei's words directly labeled all 2000-plus men of the 1st Battalion of the 358th Regiment as puppet troops.

Ding Weilai came to fight not to help Chu Yunfei quell the rebellion, but to fight against the puppet army.

This means that the weapons confiscated by Ding Wei could be defined as having been seized from the puppet army.

"I miscalculated. If I had known it was Ding Wei coming, I would have brought my own troops," Chu Yunfei thought to himself.

Thinking of this, Chu Yunfei felt a pang of bitterness in his heart; it was very likely that he would never be able to get back the equipment of his reinforced battalion.

If Li Yunlong were to come, he could at most take a few hundred guns from them. After all, with the weapons of more than two thousand people, Li Yunlong doesn't have the ability to control them.

But Ding Wei was different. He was a subordinate of Chen Ming, who struck fear into the hearts of the Japanese. He was also brave and skilled in battle and had a great reputation.

In previous battles, he led his troops to capture several Japanese county towns in succession, annihilating a Japanese regiment and a puppet Mongolian cavalry division.

He is a very important person.

However, since the deed is already done, Chu Yunfei has no choice but to wait and see how things go and whether he can get some of the equipment back.

The most important thing now is to deal with that traitor Qian Bojun and get revenge.

"Brother Ding, lend me a horse. I want to chase after that bastard Qian Bojun and kill him with my own hands," Chu Yunfei pleaded.

The betrayal of his old subordinates, the defection of troops and infighting, and the loss of weapons for more than two thousand men—all these events made Chu Yunfei wish he could kill Qian Bojun immediately.

"No problem, do you want me to send someone to chase after them with you?" Ding Wei said with a smile.

With over two thousand guns in hand, and knowing that Chen Ming would be there to protect him, he was overjoyed.

Chu Yunfei didn't say anything, but mounted a fast horse that Ding Wei had someone give up and chased after Qian Bojun.

After Chu Yunfei left, Ding Wei immediately gave the order:
"Hurry up, all units, clean up the battlefield immediately."

"Yes."

Under Ding Wei's orders, the cavalry battalion soldiers immediately cleaned up the headquarters of the 1st Battalion of the 358th Regiment, which had defected to the enemy.

Find the letters and take photos to preserve evidence.

"found it!"

A soldier ran out of Qian Bojun's residence, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"Report! We found a letter of appointment at the residence of the traitor Qian Bojun. It was issued by the puppet government, appointing Qian Bojun as the brigade commander of the puppet army," the soldier reported.

"Okay, immediately take photos of the evidence and preserve the originals. Now, the equipment of these two thousand people is definitely under Ding's control," Ding Wei said happily.

They found crucial evidence, which proved that Qian Bojun and his troops were all puppet troops.

When things calmed down, Li Yunlong was so angry when he heard the news that his thigh was swollen from slapping it.

"Damn it, I knew Ding Wei was up to no good by inviting me to attack the Japanese's medium-sized stronghold and even offering to play a supporting role for me."

"This is the equipment for more than two thousand people. If I get my hands on it, I can raise three more battalions."

Li Yunlong said regretfully.

Before the battle began, Ding Wei sent a message to Li Yunlong, inviting him to attack a medium-sized Japanese stronghold.

The stronghold was handed over to Li Yunlong to fight, while Ding Wei's troops fought against the Japanese reinforcements. Ding Wei also sent an artillery company to support Li Yunlong.

After thinking it over, Li Yunlong thought, "That's great!"

Although Li Yunlong has now raised another battalion, bringing his total strength to seven battalions, the troops are primarily equipped with light weapons and are severely lacking in heavy weapons.

Not all units are as adept at annihilation battles and assault battles as the independent detachment.

Only by completely annihilating the Japanese and capturing their county seat could a large number of heavy weapons be seized.

Li Yunlong's seven battalions only had two infantry guns, not to mention Italian cannons, which were nowhere to be seen yet.

Ding Wei was able to send an artillery company to reinforce him and help him attack the Japanese medium-sized strongholds, which was definitely an advantage for Li Yunlong.

The supplies were all stored in the stronghold, a real goldmine, while the Japanese reinforcements offered little in the way.

P.S.: Another 10,000-word post! Please vote! Another no-go today, so annoying. I'm planning to go fishing tomorrow to try and regain my confidence.
(End of this chapter)