Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

In May, He Ping'an, carrying the newly issued orders, went to the Zhisi (a military command). At a time when all things were reviving and full of life, the Zhisi was filled with hurried activity, a tense atmosphere permeated with oppression!

Several bigwigs were frowning at the map. He Ping'an had good eyesight and noticed the place marked most in red on the map—Tieyuan.

The fifth campaign was similar to the previous ones, though a bit more urgent and farther away. He Ping'an didn't foolishly offer any advice that led to his death. A campaign involving hundreds of thousands of troops was not something a small fry could comment on.

"Report, I have some ideas about the Tieyuan blocking battle!" He Ping'an saluted, pointed to Tieyuan, which was circled in red on the map, and got straight to the point.

"Van Fleet's 3rd Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, and other units, totaling nearly 5 men, relied on mechanized forces for a rapid march, their target being Cheorwon. They were attempting to strangle our army..."

My army is currently engaged in battles southward and is unlikely to turn back anytime soon. Tieyuan is now like an open chest. Defense is certainly necessary, but I prefer an offensive!

"Attack...?" He Ping'an's words attracted the attention of several big shots.

"Yes, it's all about attacking..." He Ping'an walked a few steps to the map and drew a line from north to south with his finger.

"Tieyuan... 63rd Army... US Army... our Volunteer Army! This situation is so similar to the Battle of Changsha during the War of Resistance against Japan."

"You mean... the Heavenly Furnace Strategy?"

"Well... to be precise, it was a tactical deception based on the Furnace Strategy... Everyone has habitual thinking. MacArthur's Inchon Landing was modeled after the Normandy landings of the US military in World War II."

If we adopt the same tactics used by the Tiger Cubs in Changsha, the US military will definitely think of the Furnace Strategy. Of course, military tactics are ever-changing, just as water has no fixed shape…”

He Ping'an abruptly changed the subject, emphasizing the Lianchuan Pass on the map several times. "If one or two armies of my main force heading south could quickly return, we might actually be able to stage a 'Heavenly Furnace' attack!"

"Good idea..."

"Having some courage just means not understanding the actual situation..."

Several bigwigs gave their assessments, and the last one, who knew He Ping'an best, relaxed his furrowed brows and chuckled jokingly: "You're being looked down upon, and you're still hiding it! Hurry up and say it..."

"yes!"

"In reality, the weaponry and equipment of our Chinese People's Volunteer Army were simply incomparable to those of the US-led Western coalition. But all strength is relative..."

Compared to the US forces at Cheorwon, we could easily wage an artillery battle with overwhelming superiority! As for the artillery, we can simply have each artillery unit detach from the main force and march independently!

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army was indeed poor, but to say that the various combat units lacked mules, trucks, and jeeps would be nonsense. Without the burden of a large force, the artillery units could have quickly moved north using mules and trucks.

He Ping'an's plan was to assemble all the army's mortars of various calibers, Type 92 infantry guns, and other easily movable light artillery to launch a night attack on the US forces in Tieyuan, primarily using artillery...

He Ping'an was still confident that Zhi Si would approve his battle plan... Although his plan sounded troublesome, it was actually not complicated and would not even interfere with Zhi Si's original plan.

Even if it's a desperate measure, the big shots will give it a try!

These were all generals commanding large armies, and they understood He Ping'an's intentions in just a few words. Those who had just said He Ping'an was unaware of the situation were now rapidly calculating:

"The entire army has about 7000 light artillery pieces, including mortars and Type 92 infantry guns. Even if half of them returned, that would still be 3500. Each one is equipped with 100 shells... that's 350,000 shells! Seven shells per Japanese soldier, wow!"

The remaining bigwigs looked at each other and laughed more relaxed than ever before. With more than 30 shells fired simultaneously, and the 63rd Army was ordered to launch a surprise attack, Tieyuan was safe.

They could even turn defense into offense, replicate the Furnace tactics, and completely annihilate the American troops attacking Tieyuan! As for artillery shells, Tieyuan, a large warehouse of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, was the place where they had no shortage of supplies.

He Ping'an left Zhisi with a light laugh... It wasn't a wasted trip after all; he saved one life at a time!

At the temporary command post, He Ping'an issued the latest order from the Volunteer Army Headquarters... The Special Forces Brigade must ascertain the coordinates of all US positions in Tieyuan before each artillery group returns, in order to facilitate night artillery raids.

Given the mortar's range, which was within the US military's warning zone, the special operations team also had the responsibility of being the vanguard, breaking through the US military's perimeter and opening a safe passage for the artillery advance!

The company commanders and squad leaders below readily agreed, without a single complaint or grumbling... These were all subjects of training for the special forces brigade, and could be considered a test!

For five days and five nights, the 63rd Army used its lives to hold off 50,000 American troops at Lianchuan Pass and Zhongzishan. On the fifth night, the assembled artillery advanced towards the various American positions according to pre-arranged groups. In front of the artillery groups were the various squads under the command of the special forces brigade.

Working in groups of three, each group cleared the already marked sentry posts and sentries. They would occasionally meander through an open area, casually planting small flags to warn the artillery. That was an American minefield…

Training began at 8 PM, and they arrived at the outer perimeter of the US position at midnight. By the time all artillery was in position, it was already 2 AM. At 3 AM, a blinding red signal flare was fired precisely on time over the Lianchuan Pass and Zhongzi Mountain…

"Boom... Boom... Boom..."

The entire American positions at Lianchuan Pass and Zhongzishan were bombarded by mortar shells of various calibers, turning the area as bright as day. The American artillery positions, in particular, were ablaze with exploding ammunition, creating a spectacular display like fireworks. Amidst the earth-shaking tremors, the bugle call to charge sounded…

The 187th and 189th Divisions of the 63rd Army, responsible for defending Lianchuan Pass and Zhongzishan, launched surprise attacks on the American troops in front of their positions under the cover of artillery fire.

From the start of the artillery bombardment to the surprise attack by two divisions, only ten minutes elapsed. Before the surviving American troops could even react to the 35 shells, soldiers from two divisions had already stormed their positions.

"Boom..."

Mortars were ineffective against the tanks, and Shermans and Pershings roared as they fled south. The surviving American infantrymen in their bunkers, faced with the overwhelming shouts of battle, obediently raised their hands!

The two divisions pursued and fought their way back to their positions at dawn! There was nothing the US Air Force could do until the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the northern aircraft arrived!

The Battle of Tieyuan, thanks to the addition of He Ping'an, a Siberian butterfly, yielded results far exceeding expectations... Over 10,000 prisoners were captured, and the rest were annihilated!

Van Fleet was somewhat lucky, and also benefited from the US military's policy of being the first to flee when trouble struck. The old man wasn't captured. However, he was still entitled to a military court-martial! Truman himself had given the order!

The General Staff... In order to reward meritorious service, He Ping'an was ranked first, and the 23-year-old hero became famous in one battle!