Southern guerrilla warfare: I led the Red Seventh Army Corps to amassed a million troops.

The secret agreement reached between Chen Jitang and the Red Army included more than just the passage.

There is also a very important piece of intelligence support!

Of course, it wasn't about providing the Red Army with any intelligence, but rather about deceiving the battalion commander with intelligence.

The main force of the Central Column needed to break through four lines of defense to escape the encirclement.

When the Red Army broke through the first blockade line in Xinfeng, the Guangdong Army withdrew as agreed and falsely reported the battle situation, reporting to the Nanchang Headquarters that "the Red Army suffered heavy casualties and fled southwest after fierce resistance."

At this time, the Central Army was still clearing up the remnants of the Soviet area in the rear of southern Jiangxi and could not verify the battle situation in northern Guangdong in real time. The battalion commander completely believed Chen Jitang's battle report and was unaware that the two sides had privately given way to each other.

But by the end of October and the beginning of November, the Central Army gradually came to its senses.

The Red Army continued its march through the mountainous areas of Lechang and Renhua in northern Guangdong, leaving a large number of Red Army personnel and supplies stranded in Guangdong for an extended period.

Xue Yue's Central Army quickly pursued them to the Guangdong-Jiangxi border, sending telegrams to question the Guangdong Army: Why was the interception so weak and the defense line so easily lost?

Chen Jitang could only delay by exaggerating casualties and falsifying battle damage records, and could only cover things up vaguely. At this point, it was only a matter of time before he was exposed.

Soon, Xue Yue led the main force of the Central Army into northern Guangdong to inspect the Guangdong Army's defensive positions. He found that the trenches were intact and there were no signs of large-scale battles. He immediately saw through Chen Jitang's act of deliberately letting the enemy win.

This has really stirred up a hornet's nest!

Given the previous battlefield where the newly formed 10th Army was completely annihilated, while the Guangdong Army miraculously withdrew, the battalion commander knew perfectly well that he had been tricked by Chen Jitang.

And they even tricked me twice!

In the Nanchang Headquarters' operations hall, a huge military topographical map of Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Hunan hangs on the wall, and the desk is piled high with newly delivered, urgent on-site reconnaissance reports, Guangdong army battle reports, and air force aerial photographs.

A dozen generals and senior staff officers stood in the hall, their backs ramrod straight, but not one of them dared to make a sound.

Only one voice echoed in the hall.

The bald, middle-aged man stood in front of the map, hands on his hips, spitting everywhere.

He's been cursing for almost ten minutes now.

He cursed Chen Jitang's ancestors for eighteen generations, and even the discipline of the Guangdong Army.

From the annihilation of the newly formed 10th Army, the criticism continued to the point that the defense line in northern Guangdong was practically non-existent.

He criticized everything from the progress of the Central Army's pursuit forces to the sluggishness of the Nanchang Headquarters' intelligence system.

He paused occasionally, and everyone thought he had finally vented, but after catching his breath, he started cursing a second time.

No one in the hall dared to speak. Several staff officers stared down at the tips of their boots, while an adjutant frantically jotted something down in his notebook in a corner, but his pen trembled incessantly.

The generals near the door stood ramrod straight, their eyes fixed straight ahead, as if they would be spared as long as they didn't meet his gaze.

Finally, the voice lowered, the bald man raised his hand to rub his temples, stood there for a moment, and then turned around.

Although the anger on his face had not completely subsided, it had been much less intense than before.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Zhutong took half a step forward. "Principal, please calm down. Chen Jitang is a wolf in sheep's clothing; we should have been on guard long ago. Now, he's just finally showing his true colors. Once we've completely wiped out the Red Army, we'll deal with him when we have more time."

He spoke with certainty, as if dealing with Chen Jitang was just a matter of course.

He Guoguang, who had remained silent until now, shook his head. "Commander Gu, I'm afraid we can't rush this matter."

The bald man looked at He Guoguang without saying anything, but gestured for him to continue.

He Guoguang walked to the map and pointed to northern Guangdong: "The Guangdong army has more than 100,000 troops. Although they are not considered elite, they are able to hold their ground by relying on the complex terrain of Lingnan. They cannot be eliminated in a short period of time."

"The Fujian-Zhejiang Red Army now has a conservative estimate of tens of thousands of troops, and they are well-trained and well-supplied. Su Yu, Xun Huaizhou, and others are all brave and capable generals who have repeatedly thwarted the Central Army's advances and suppressions."

"Now that these two sides are geographically connected and exchange goods with each other, if we push too hard and allow these two forces to merge, the threat they pose will be immeasurable."

He gestured westward in a half-hearted manner: "Add to that the scattered Red Army forces in various places, and the 8 troops of the Central Red Army. If Chen Jitang were to steel himself and simply ally with the Red Army, then we would be facing an enemy force of over 30."

"Besides, the Guangxi clique was watching us closely, and Li and Bai were waiting for an opportunity."

"Long Yun of the Yunnan Army and Liu Xiang of the Sichuan Army are both opportunists. If we make one wrong move, all our years of effort in suppressing them may be in vain."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Everyone present understood the weight of those words.

Although the Central Army is strong, even a tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves!

They don't want another war in the Central Plains!

Who knows, luck might be on their side again!

The hall was quiet for a moment.

The bald man stood in front of the map, his gaze fixed on the area in southern Jiangxi, and remained there for a long time.

His breathing had calmed down, and the anger on his face was gradually suppressed.

Everyone held their breath.

Finally, he slowly straightened up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "The most important task at present is to annihilate the Red Army. Warlords are nothing but a minor problem; the Red Army is the real threat."

Seeing that the principal had regained his composure, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Yongtai stepped forward from the side and bowed slightly: "The principal's words are spot on. Warlords may seem powerful, but in reality they are a disorganized mess."

"The Guangdong Army, Guangxi Army, Yunnan Army, and Sichuan Army distrusted and suspected each other, and were internally in disarray, with numerous factions and difficulty in concentrating their forces. When faced with the superior power and righteous cause of the central government, they naturally possessed the tendency to compromise."

Seeing the principal nod slightly, Yang Yongtai continued, "The best way to deal with them is to slowly boil them like frogs in warm water. Gradually take back their power and weaken their influence, so that they lose their ability to resist without even realizing it."

"Haste makes waste. Let's put Chen Jitang's matter on our list for now, and settle things with him slowly after we've dealt with the main force of the Red Army."

"Changqing hit the nail on the head!" The bald man pondered for a moment and then gave the order:

"First, appoint He Jian as the commander-in-chief of the pursuit and suppression army, leading the Hunan Army and other troops entering Hunan, responsible for pursuing the main force of the Red Army that is fleeing westward. Xue Yue will lead his troops to continue the pursuit, and must annihilate the main force of the Red Army east of the Xiang River."

"Second, the Fourth and Fifth Route Armies will be deployed along the Hunan-Guangdong border to block the Red Army's southward escape route. We also need to put pressure on the Guangxi clique so that they can't stand idly by."

"Third, I ordered the air force to strengthen reconnaissance, especially aerial reconnaissance in the direction of southern Hunan and northern Guangdong. I need to keep track of the movements of the main force of the Red Army at all times."

After saying these three points, he turned to Gu Zhutong: "Mo San, your task will change next. The remaining enemy forces in the Ruijin direction are no longer a concern. You need to focus your main efforts on dealing with the two armies led by Su Yu and Xun Huaizhou."

Gu Zhutong stood at attention and replied, "Yes."

The bald man's gaze fell on the map: "We must take advantage of their individual struggles and their lack of alliance to annihilate them one by one. Su Yu has recently occupied southern Fujian, and his power is growing daily. Xun Huaizhou is like a tiger in the mountains; he cannot be left unpunished. If these two were to join forces, it would be like adding wings to a tiger."