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

In the Nanchang Headquarters' operations hall, on the large sand table in the center, small red and blue flags were densely planted in the triangular area between the Xiangjiang and Xiaoshui rivers.

The principal held a baton in his hand, his gaze fixed on the flags being adjusted by his staff, exuding confidence and charisma.

"Good, very good." He tapped his baton lightly on the sand table. "The Red Army has begun crossing the Xiaoshui River. Once they have completely crossed, order Xue Yue to send troops to occupy Daoxian County and block the Red Army's retreat."

On the sand table, a large number of small red flags, which were originally surrounding Daoxian County in the east of Xiaoshui, are now being moved one by one by the staff officers to the west of Xiaoshui.

To the west of the Xiaoshui River, there is an even thicker blue line – the Xiangjiang River.

The Xiang River flows north, and the Xiao River flows north to Lingling where it joins the Xiang River. The two rivers form a huge triangle on the sand table.

At the base of the triangle lies the Wuling Mountains, heavily guarded by the Guangxi clique.

This was the prison meticulously planned by the Nanchang Military Headquarters.

Xiong Shihui, then chairman of Jiangxi Province, flattered him without batting an eye:

"Principal, the Guangxi clique has already built strong defensive fortifications west of the Xiang River to prevent the Red Army from crossing."

"We will wait until the Red Army has completely crossed the river, and then we will use the mountains and rivers as the boundary to form an unbreakable prison."

"This tactic is quite similar to the one used by Lord Wu'an in the Battle of Changping, which resulted in the annihilation of 400,000 Zhao troops."

The principal laughed heartily and waved his hand, "You flatter me. How could I possibly be compared to the God of Slaughter? It was only through the strong support of all my colleagues and our concerted efforts that I was able to orchestrate this scheme."

"Tell me, how much longer will it take for the Red Army to cross the river? We can't push too hard with Xue Yue's forces, otherwise his troops will appear around Daoxian before the Red Army has even crossed the river, and another fierce battle will be inevitable."

"Our soldiers are brave and skilled in battle, so there is no need to be overly cautious. However, this might just benefit the local warlords like the Guangxi Clique and the Hunan Army."

He Guoguang pondered for a moment: "Judging from the current progress, it will take at least three days."

The principal frowned: "What? Why is it taking so long? Didn't the Air Force say the Red Army built several pontoon bridges on the Xiaoshui River?"

He Guoguang nodded and explained, "The pontoon bridge was indeed built. But what the principal doesn't know is that the Red Army's westward escape this time was practically a house-moving retreat."

"They brought everything they could, from large machinery and equipment, weapons and ammunition, to small items like pots, pans, tables and chairs—they didn't leave anything behind that could be used."

"As a result, their marching speed was extremely slow, which allowed Xue Yue to catch up quickly after starting later."

"Based on the current reports from the Air Force, even though they have realized that our main force is about to catch up, the Red Army has no intention of abandoning these burdens."

The principal's expression relaxed slightly, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "Good, good! You're willing to risk your life for money; you really have some of the spirit I had in my youth."

"Then I'll grant their wish. It's a perfect place, nestled between the Xiao and Xiang rivers, with the Five Ridges Mountains, bordered by the river in front and behind, and mountains on the left and right."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed in the hall for a moment before being interrupted by hurried footsteps.

An adjutant strode in, clutching a telegram in his hand, his expression tense.

He walked up to the principal, bent down slightly, and made as if to whisper something in his ear.

The principal gently pushed him away: "Hey, if you have something to say, say it in front of everyone. We're all family here."

All eyes turned to the adjutant.

A bead of sweat appeared on the adjutant's forehead. He gritted his teeth and said, "Principal, Commander Luo Zhuoying of the Fifth Column sent a telegram saying that the Red Army launched a sudden long-distance raid last night, splitting our retreating army in two."

"The main force of the Red Army on the southern front, Su Yu's troops, launched a rapid attack on our 98th Division on the central front. On the northern front, Xun Huaizhou's troops split into two routes. One route launched a feint attack on Quzhou on our eastern front, while the other route launched a fierce attack on the newly formed 7th Division stationed on the western front."

"As of 8:00 AM this morning, a headcount of losses revealed that the 98th Division of the National Revolutionary Army was completely annihilated, the newly formed 7th Division suffered over 70% losses and was essentially rendered ineffective, and the 67th Division suffered nearly 20% losses."

"Currently, the entire Fifth Column is less than half its peak strength. The Red Army is gathering west of Quzhou, with the intention of attacking the city. Quzhou is in grave danger; please send reinforcements immediately, Principal."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The smiles on the faces of those generals and advisors who were just chatting and laughing and giving advice on national affairs seemed to have been sliced ​​off by an invisible knife.

Originally, they were thinking about how to prevent Su Yu and Xun Huaizhou from joining forces, and then looking for opportunities to defeat them one by one.

Unexpectedly, the situation changed drastically overnight. Not only did they complete their meeting, but they also seemed poised to swallow the Jinqu Basin whole.

The principal stood there, his face as cold as frost.

One moment you're in complete control, the next you're slapped in the face – who understands that feeling?

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the people present, some shocked, some terrified, and some grief-stricken, before bursting into laughter.

He said casually, "Great, great! We've gained a decisive advantage in the west, and then we were immediately dealt a blow in the east. It seems even God doesn't want us to have it too easy."

"But this is also a good thing. Crises will keep us vigilant. A smooth-sailing career is bound to fall into a big pit sooner or later."

He turned around, his gaze landing on Yang Yongtai's face: "Changqing, what are your thoughts on the Red Army's surprise attack?"

Yang Yongtai took half a step forward. "Tactically speaking, it's brilliant. By cutting off the head and tail and attacking the middle, the various armies are unable to support each other."

"If Luo Zhuoying had not acted decisively last night and sent the 11th Division out of the city to provide support, the 67th Division would very likely have been annihilated by the enemy."

"The fact that these two Red Army forces were able to coordinate quickly and effectively without actually joining forces, but only communicating via radio, is enough to show that Su and Xun cooperated very well and their tactical level was exceptionally high."

"Furthermore, the enemy launched a surprise attack precisely when our army was at its weakest point during the retreat, which must have been due to intelligence. We must pay close attention to this."

Upon hearing the word "intelligence," Dai Yunong, whose head was bandaged, instinctively straightened his back.

But he quickly realized that internal counter-espionage was the business of the Chen brothers, Chen Lifu and Chen Guofu, and had little to do with him as the head of the Special Service Department, so he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The principal frowned as well. Intelligence was a major problem. In all the encirclements and suppressions of the Red Army, had it ever been kept secret?

He waved his hand dismissively: "We'll talk about intelligence later. There are always traitors within the Party and the State who will be killed off; it's impossible to completely eliminate this kind of thing. Let's think about how to deal with it."