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

On July 6th, the Central Committee's reply arrived just before I was about to depart.

The approval of the burden reduction plan was better than Zhou Zeyuan had expected.

One-fifth of the propaganda materials were retained, while the rest were sealed and handed over to the local Party organization in western Fujian.

The team has shrunk considerably, and the freed-up porters have been incorporated into various battalions as auxiliary soldiers, given a large sword to practice with first.

Also arriving in Changting at the same time was the Ninth Army Corps, which was responsible for taking over the defense and filling the gap left by the withdrawal of the Western Fujian Independent Division.

If the advance team heading north to resist Japan encountered difficulties in the early stages, they also had the responsibility to send troops to rescue and cover the operation.

Zhou Zeyuan led 3,000 soldiers of the 7th Red Army Division to set off first, and the route had been agreed upon at the meeting yesterday.

The main force marched south along the Tingjiang River Valley, primarily on foot, with boats as a supplementary means of transport.

About 20 kilometers south of Changting County, they abandoned water transport and headed east through Liancheng and Le'an to reach Datian County.

Since Liancheng had been occupied by the 85th Division of the National Revolutionary Army, the main force needed to make a detour to the south, marching along mountain paths and bypassing the county town.

Then head north back to the main road, continue east, and pass through the southern part of Le'an. If the 45th Division of the National Revolutionary Army stationed in Le'an is not well defended in the southern countryside, you can travel unimpeded all the way to Datian County.

At this point, they had passed through the blockade line of the Nationalist Army's Eastern Route Army and entered the Nationalist-controlled area.

The security regiment in Datian County is reportedly only a thousand strong, and its discipline is lax and its training is inadequate, so it should be easy to take it down.

In this way, they can rest here for a day, replenish supplies, and train their troops.

The most crucial point is that once here, Zhou Zeyuan can unleash his full potential and get things done.

Neither Zeng Hongyi nor Le Shaohua raised any explicit objections to the confirmation of the route.

They were a little stunned, but not stupid!

They wouldn't do something as foolish as heading straight for the main road and sending the entire legion into the enemy's line of fire without orders from above.

Later, during a casual chat, Su Yu told him that Political Commissar Le had learned a lot from his mistakes and had made some progress.

However, as soon as the central government issues an order, they immediately revert to their old ways, completely disregarding the current situation and blindly pursuing reckless actions.

The night was as dark as ink, and a fiery dragon meandered along a relatively wide dirt road in the mountains.

This is the fifth night since the start of the expedition. The team has already bypassed Liancheng County and is proceeding by day and night along the edge of enemy-occupied territory, as planned.

Zhou Zeyuan walked in the middle of the group, carrying a heavy bamboo basket on his back, filled with sweet potatoes, which still smelled of fresh soil.

This was given to the group by the villagers when they passed through a mountain village at dusk.

Many of the soldiers in the team were from western Fujian. Some of the elderly women and men held his hands, asking about their sons and daughters, their cloudy eyes full of expectation.

Zhou Zeyuan felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

He left the logistics department a few dollars at market price, but he couldn't leave any promises about the whereabouts of the soldiers.

The Long March had not yet begun, but the increasingly tight front lines in the Soviet areas and the more frequent reports of casualties had already foreshadowed that tragic future.

Nine times out of ten, these elderly people's hopes are going to be dashed. Even their own lives are in danger...

"Wailing cries everywhere..." he murmured to himself, pulling the basket rope up a little.

Ahead, a small, thin figure began to stagger, the baggage on his back almost crushing him. Zhou Zeyuan quickened his pace, and without a word, took the baggage from him.

The young soldier turned around abruptly, the torchlight illuminating a face that was still childish yet full of stubbornness.

He recognized Zhou Zeyuan, and, somewhat flustered and defiant, exclaimed, "Commander! I can carry it!"

"Being able to carry something and being able to carry it well are two different things. Our Red Army is a team that helps each other, not a place for individual heroes to show off. You are still young, your bones haven't hardened yet, and long marches are very tiring. I have extra strength, so I'll help you carry it for a while, and you can carry it later when you've recovered. This is called rationally allocating physical strength, and it's also a tactic."

As Zhou Zeyuan spoke, he naturally slowed his pace. "What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Reporting to the commander, my name is Li Shuisheng, from Songmaoling, Changting!" The young soldier puffed out his chest.

"Who else is in the family?"

Li Shuisheng's eyes dimmed slightly: "My parents are still alive. My eldest brother, second sister, third brother... they all joined the Red Army, and they all passed away last year. If I hadn't been so young, I would have gone with them long ago!"

"Commander, don't underestimate me just because I'm young. I trained in the village militia for over a year, and I'm a crack shot! Next time we fight, I'm going to personally shoot a few of those bastards to avenge my brothers and sisters!"

The flames of hatred burned intensely and purely in those young eyes.

Zhou Zeyuan had seen this situation many times before, but he didn't want his subordinates to be preoccupied with revenge. He patiently persuaded them, "If you want revenge, you have to cherish yourself even more. Carrying such a heavy load will slow you down and make you fall behind."

"If you suddenly encounter the enemy and you're so tired you can barely lift your hand, how will you aim? You might not get revenge and end up getting yourself killed. Is that worth it? Remember, you can only kill more enemies if you stay alive."

"And even if you avenge your own great wrong, you must also avenge your comrades, and remember to repay the kindness shown to you by your fellow villagers. The future is long!"

Li Shuisheng paused for a moment, looked down at his worn-out straw sandals, and remained silent.

After walking for more than a mile, he suddenly looked up and said, "Commander, I've rested enough. Please return my bundle to me."

Zhou Zeyuan smiled, handed the bag back, and patted him on the shoulder: "Good lad. Where's your class monitor? Come here!"

A dark-skinned, wiry veteran ran over in response.

Zhou Zeyuan instructed, "Keep a close eye on them, especially these teenagers. Teach them how to manage their physical strength. They are the seeds of revolution; we can't let them get worn out before they even sprout."

"Yes, sir!" the squad leader replied solemnly.

Zhou Zeyuan picked up the basket of sweet potatoes again, like a drop of water flowing into a river, and continued to move slowly forward in the marching column.

His gaze swept over faces, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

The newly recruited militiamen still had the bewilderment of leaving the land and the nervousness of joining the army for the first time on their faces.

Many of them may lie forever in this or that unfamiliar land after the next battle.

That's why Zhou Zeyuan was almost obsessively determined to remember them, at least their names.

He didn't want his soldiers to die anonymously, so that future generations wouldn't be able to find a name to engrave on a monument or in remembrance.

In an era when human life is as cheap as grass, for rank-and-file soldiers, being "remembered" and "treated as a human being" is a luxury more precious than gold.

Many soldiers' trust and respect for Zhou Zeyuan stemmed from this seemingly ordinary respect.

A scholar will die for one who understands him; this has always been the case.

"Commander." A deep voice interrupted his thoughts.

Reconnaissance Company Commander Chen Sheng returned from the front. "Five miles ahead is Xiaotao Town. The situation is the same as yesterday's reconnaissance. The town is still occupied by the same battalion from the 85th Division. There have been no reinforcements or relocations. It looks like they are resting and replenishing their forces. The sentry posts are not far away either."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Qiming, the regimental commander of the 1st Regiment, chimed in: "Division Commander, isn't it our 1st Regiment's turn to take this piece of meat? I guarantee we'll take it all, pot and all, in half an hour! It'll be a good opportunity for the new recruits to see some blood and get some fresh meat!"

Zhou Zeyuan glanced at him: "Old Zhang, stop thinking about hogging the spoils. We're now the Seventh Division of the Seventh Army Corps, we need to be united and consider the big picture. This piece of meat... I think it's more appropriate to give it to our brother units."

Zhang Qiming looked at his superior with suspicion: "It's still dark, and the sun is already rising in the west? When did you become so united and friendly? This isn't like you."

"Can't figure it out? If you can't figure it out, then think about it slowly. Go tell Liu Feng to keep an eye on our belongings; I'm going to the First Division."

"Alright!" Zhang Qiming was puzzled, but he carried out orders without question. "However, Commander, next time there's a tough nut to crack, you'd better put our regiment first!"

"Nonsense!" Zhou Zeyuan laughed and scolded, "In our division, we only ever launch main attacks, never supporting attacks! Whether you can launch a main attack or not depends on your own ability!"

After saying that, he left his unit and, with his bodyguard Xiao Zhao, headed towards the First Division at the front of the column.

Hu Tiantao, commander of the First Division, was a typical fierce general of the Red Army, with a square face, a wide mouth, and a loud voice. He was quite surprised to hear that Zhou Zeyuan was visiting.

After listening to Zhou Zeyuan's introduction of the enemy situation in Xiaotao Town and his suggestion to "give up the meat," he raised a thick eyebrow: "Commander Zhou, I, Old Hu, would be more than happy to let our First Division concede this piece of fat meat. But to ask us to pick on the weak... that's a bit too much of an underestimation!"

Zhou Zeyuan nodded: "Commander Hu is right, I misunderstood. I'll go ask the Second Division again; they have many new recruits and need real combat experience. Farewell."

Hu Tiantao grabbed him, "Hey! No, no, no! Just kidding, trying to lighten the mood! Why did you take it so seriously? Commander Zhou, I, Old Hu, will remember this favor!"

Zhou Zeyuan waved his hand, "Revolutionary comrades, let's not talk about these things. My name is Zhou Zeyuan, and a name is just for people to call you. Just call me Zeyuan."

"Alright! Comrade Zeyuan! So you came all this way just to deliver this gift?"

"There's one more thing. I'd like to accompany the troops to observe their tactics and style. We'll be fighting side-by-side in the future, so understanding each other will help us coordinate better. Of course, I won't interfere with command; it's purely for learning."

Hu Tiantao waved his hand dismissively: "What's the big deal! Welcome! It's a good opportunity for Comrade Zeyuan to see the might of our First Division!"