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

The 98th Division sent out a regiment later, and they were a little luckier.

The reconnaissance troops leading the way were very cautious. Upon hearing gunfire in the distance, they sent someone back to inform others.

If they had simply run back, the Red Army would most likely not have been able to catch up.

But the Nationalist army regimental commander hesitated, fearing that turning back directly would result in reprimand from his superiors.

Therefore, he chose the safest approach—to consult his superiors.

After a few back-and-forth exchanges, the scouts reported that a large force of Red Army soldiers had already closed in.

When he tried to run away, he faced the same predicament as the first wave of reinforcements.

Although the distance was not far, the marching speeds of the two sides were vastly different, making escape impossible.

But he was indeed lucky, because by this time the Red Army had already chased them out of the mountains, and the surrounding area was a mix of plains and hills.

The terrain was complex and there were many roads, so the Nationalist army chose to disperse and flee.

The Red Army couldn't capture them all.

In addition, it was already getting dark at this time.

As is well known, the more a pursuing force chases, the more scattered its formation becomes, putting it in a relatively vulnerable state. Once it is attacked by a large enemy force, it is very likely to suffer heavy losses.

Out of caution, Su Yu ordered his troops to withdraw and return to camp.

The most dangerous areas have been taken control of by our side, and the battle ahead will be one where we can either attack or defend.

Luo Zhuoying was in a bad mood; the loss of Fengling was one thing, but another.

The two waves of reinforcements sent out were also wiped out, with only a small number of remnants escaping back.

The already meager troop strength was immediately compounded.

Luo Zhuoying sadly discovered that three of his four divisions had no reserves.

What should we do if the Red Army attacks? Should we fight separately?

But that wasn't the end of it. That very night, the garrison at the northern mountain pass of Quzhou was ambushed by the Red Army.

Earlier, spies planted in the Soviet area reported that a large number of Red Army soldiers had gathered in the area where Changshan County bordered Kaihua County in the north.

The number of people is so large that, roughly speaking, it is no less than 10,000.

Moreover, according to rumors, the Red Army commander in charge was none other than Xun Huaizhou.

This news directly shattered his psychological defenses.

During the day, he had already contacted all the surrounding troops, and the fastest reinforcements would take three days to arrive.

He would have to fight against both Su Yu and Xun Huaizhou simultaneously, and his forces would be outnumbered. He would have to hold out for at least three days.

He wasn't confident about any one of these three negative factors, let alone all three combined.

Luo Zhuoying just wanted to say: Even if it were the brilliant strategist Bai Chongxi, he would be completely stumped by this kind of thing. As for me? I definitely couldn't do it.

At this moment, Luo Zhuoying's only thought was that since he couldn't win, he had no choice but to run away.

Now I can still lead the troops away. No matter how many troops I can withdraw, at least my safety as the commander is guaranteed.

If he waits another two days, he'll have no choice but to learn how to use makeup to escape from Sun Yuanliang.

But as a professional soldier, a seasoned official, and a core member of the Civil Engineering Department, he would never do something like retreating without authorization.

If the situation is unfavorable, the worst thing one can do is to die for one's country; at least one can preserve one's reputation before and after death.

But if you can live, no one wants to die.

In such a critical situation, he immediately thought of his good friend and boss, Chen Cheng!

With a flourish of his brush, a sincere telegram was completed in a short time.

Next, he could only hope that Chen Cixiu could help him persuade the principal.

Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to fight to the death.

While waiting, he didn't do nothing.

He issued orders to several division commanders to assemble and await further instructions.

It wasn't said whether the next step would be to fight or retreat.

But everyone understood the situation, so the 3-strong Nationalist army immediately sprang into action.

Troops at various fortresses, blockade lines, and outer strongholds began to rapidly retreat inward.

The importance of the Jinqu Basin is self-evident. Now the main force of the Northern Route Army is divided into two groups, one in Jiangxi and the other in southern Zhejiang.

The most important link between the two sides was the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway. Once the Jinqu Basin was completely occupied by the Red Army, the entire strategy of the National Army would become extremely passive.

Even if the principal couldn't make up his mind, he would hesitate for a while if you brought Zhou Zeyuan here.

But this time the principal was quite decisive.

Because he also possesses an excellent quality: he is more receptive to advice in times of adversity.

At a critical moment, Yang Yongtai gave him a piece of advice: if no adjustments are made and the fight continues, the current situation will be difficult to change.

Within a day at most, Luo Zhuoying's troops will be divided and surrounded. Even if they attempt to break out, they will lose at least half of their forces.

It would be better to concentrate our forces, hold key strongholds to the death, and then plan a counterattack.

At this time, the main force of the Central Red Army had arrived in Daoxian County. In the principal's view, they were like turtles in a jar, ready to be captured at any time.

We just need to drive them to Guangxi, fight them to the death with the Guangxi clique, and then let the Central Army come out and reap the rewards, eliminating two major threats in one fell swoop.

At that time, the overall situation in the country will be settled!

As for the eastern front, Su Xun's army has lost its leader and is nothing more than a band of bandits.

That very night, the principal issued an order: Luo Zhuoying's troops were to concentrate in Quzhou City and hold out for reinforcements, while other counties such as Jiangshan, Changshan, and Guangfeng were to be abandoned.

The plan was certainly well-conceived, but both Su Yu's and Xun Huaizhou's troops were blocked by the Nationalist army's defenses and were still some distance from the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway.

The Nationalist army could calmly deploy troops and concentrate its forces.

Once the entire army of 30,000 is concentrated in Quzhou City, it will be a tough nut to crack.

but……

At a critical moment, this intelligence was leaked.

This time, the problem isn't with the principal, but with Luo Zhuoying.

He ordered the troops to assemble in advance and prepare for retreat. Of course, when the principal issued the order later, he heard that he had already completed the preparations in advance, which was quite commendable.

But because this was prepared in advance, the intelligence was leaked ahead of time.

One of the staff officers in the 98th Division was a Communist Party member who had infiltrated the Party. This person not only went undercover but also engaged in infiltration, recruiting several Party members within the 98th Division headquarters.

During the period when the unit was stationed in Jiangshan County, the underground party committee of Jiangshan made contact with them.

This was truly a case of heaven and earth striking each other.

Their subsequent antics were even more Indian than those of Indians themselves.

At that time, the 98th Division of the National Revolutionary Army was engaged in continuous combat and suffered huge losses. The superiors had solved many problems in replenishing soldiers and officers, but the shortage of logistics and transportation personnel was enormous.

This comrade of our party was known in the Kuomintang army as a greedy and lustful man, so it was only natural that he married the village beauty of Gaoling Village.

Then, quite naturally, the children of all the relatives of the Gao family were brought into the ranks to receive government stipends.

Don't underestimate these seemingly insignificant logistical support positions; once they are woven into a network, no move of the 98th Division can escape their notice.

Moreover, with a large group of people, they can cover for each other and pass on intelligence, making things incredibly easy and efficient.

The 98th Division was practically riddled with holes.

Their sudden gathering in the middle of the night naturally did not escape their watchful eyes.

The underground party organization used a radio that had been captured from the Nationalist army to send out this intelligence.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Zhou Hunyuan. Without his generous donation in Longyou, the local underground party organization would not have been able to afford such a scarce item as a radio.