German Red Prince

Seeing the large group of revolutionary soldiers behind them, the servants finally gave up resistance and obediently laid down their guns, hoping that the revolutionaries would spare their lives.

Jiang Yun looked at Zheng Facai on the ground and said, "Old landlord, you're really shrewd! You've been hiding your true intentions so well. But you should know, I'm not some delicate young master; I was born a peasant! Do you think it's possible for an old landlord to have calluses on his hands?"

"It's a good thing he glanced at you twice, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to find you!" Jiang Yun mocked. "Let me tell you! Your good days are over!"

"Without me! Let's see how you manage this bunch of poor bastards who only know how to farm! None of you warlord dogs are good people. Do you really think those poor bastards will follow you after I'm killed? That's ridiculous! You're offending us for a bunch of country bumpkins. I don't believe those poor bastards can ever turn their lives around! If you don't cooperate with us, you're asking for death!" Zheng Facai roared hysterically.

"If you don't stand with us, I don't believe you'll have a way out! You sons of bitches, we don't care if you're a revolutionary army or a revolutionary ball army, you'll only have one way out: death!"

"Our army is the people's army, and the people are our reliance, our country!" Chairman Mao was speaking at a rural cadre training conference at this time. "We will not cooperate with landlords! We will not cooperate with compradors! We will even less cooperate with capitalists who exploit people! No matter how powerful they are now, they are just paper tigers! Only the broad masses of working people are eternal! They are our eternal reliance! We must rely on the broad masses of workers and peasants! The broad masses of the people!"

He waved his hand and said, “I want you to go to the countryside, to the mountains, to the rural areas. Go to the poorest places, to understand their lives! To understand their food, clothing, housing, and transportation! You are the liaison between the Party and the broad masses of people! Only when the people support you and stand with the people will our regime be stable!”

"Do not fear hardship, do not fear enemies! The reactionaries can never extinguish the flames of revolution! What we must do is liberate the millions of people who are being oppressed! Completely break the shackles of the old world and let our descendants live in a brand new China, free from oppression and exploitation!"

"This is my mission, and it is also your mission, comrades. Let us work together to create a brand new society!"

Their sacrifices were heroic, and they dared to change the world.

Zheng Jiawang was so moved that tears streamed down his face as he clapped his hands vigorously. This was the first time in his life he had ever heard anyone speak up for them, these poor, struggling farmers.

For the first time, he realized his own importance and that he was doing a great cause that would benefit countless future generations.

Zheng Jiawang straightened his back. He no longer felt inferior to others. He was also a valuable and important person!

Zheng Facai and a group of thugs were taken to a high platform by the revolutionary army, their hands tied behind their backs, and forced to kneel.

His hair turned white overnight, and he looked decades older. His disheveled hair and shabby clothes made him unrecognizable as the once domineering Master Zheng.

A large group of uninformed elderly farmers gathered below the stage, whispering among themselves as they watched Zheng Facai on stage.

Zheng Laogen was also in the crowd. He was very nervous, constantly swallowing. He was only concerned about whether the land allocation was true.

"Zheng Facai of Zhengjiazhuang! He has always bullied the villagers and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Now he has confessed. If any of you still have grievances, speak up! We, the Communist Party, will stand up for you!" Jiang Yun shouted to the peasants below the stage, raising the revolutionary banner of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. "If you have any grievances, speak them all! Trust the Communist Party, we are the people's army!"

“But without Master Zheng, we have no land to cultivate and no food to eat. I receive wages from Master Zheng, and he even provides me with food,” someone whispered from below the stage. Many others echoed in hushed tones, “Master Zheng gives us land to cultivate, pays us wages, and feeds us. Is that wrong?”

Actually, everyone was still afraid that Zheng Facai would retaliate. He had so many thugs in Zheng Family Village; they were ruthless and cruel. The farmers were still somewhat fearful. Master Zheng was always around, and even if he disappeared, Master Huang or Master Zhang would come. Who knew if they would face retaliation from the new master once this group of so-called revolutionaries left?

"He gave you land to farm, is that doing you a favor?" Jiang Yun asked. "During the famine, did your family have enough to eat? Did the landlord's family have enough to eat? We are all human beings, why should we poor people have to work for the landlords and pay rent? Did this land belong to them by nature?"

"Besides, how much grain can you harvest in a year, and how much of it will have to be handed over to the landlords? Ten years, twenty years, thirty years, do you think the landlords are truly good to you? Think about who caused your current miserable lives! Don't be afraid, the Communist Party will give you guns, you can organize your own guards, and when anyone dares to oppress you, you can fight them to the end!"

After Jiang Yun finished speaking, he loudly announced: "Now, Zheng Facai has been sentenced to death by the revolutionary government! All his henchmen have been arrested! They will also receive their due punishment. Don't be afraid anymore. Don't hide any grievances you have suffered. The Communist Party will stand up for you!"

After he finished speaking, he ordered someone to bring over a brazier. “Gentlemen, these are your land deeds from Zheng Facai’s family. This guy seized all of your land by force and robbery! Now, the Communist Party is redistributing the land! Every household will have its own land!” He threw all the land deeds into the brazier, and everyone watched as they turned to ashes.

The farmers below fell silent, and the meeting place suddenly became completely quiet, but then erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Long live the Communist Party!"

The farmers broke their silence, and Zheng Shanshan walked onto the stage, cursing Zheng Facai, "You bastard, you scoundrel, you beat my father so badly he can't get out of bed, and you still want us to pay rent? Are you trying to force our family to our death?!" She cried and cursed at the same time, venting the grievances she had been holding in for the past few days.

"Zheng Facai, you bastard, you broke my dad's leg!"

"You bastard! You took one of my cows!"

"That damned Zheng Facai! He didn't pay my wages! He made it impossible for me to afford medicine! You'd better give me back my mother's life!"

"You bastard, give me back my Hao'er's life!" A mother held up a blood-stained garment. She had heard that Zheng Facai had been arrested and was going to be criticized and denounced.

I came here with a try-it-out mentality, and I found that the Communist Party really does stand up for ordinary people like us. I could no longer contain my emotions.

"You skinflint Zheng! Back when there was a great famine, you refused to give us a single grain of food. My son Hao'er was starving and couldn't stand it, so he went and pulled up a radish from your house, and you beat him to death! You bastard, you're worse than an animal! Give me back my son Hao'er's life!"

The old mother wept pitifully, winning the sympathy of the farmers below the stage. "Hao'er, you can finally close your eyes in peace! Now the Communist Party has come to our rescue! Let that beast Zheng Facai pay with his life!"

"Bastard! Shoot him! Shoot him!" The peasants below the stage shouted angrily. They had finally awakened and recognized the exploitative and cannibalistic nature of the landlords.

Looking at the excited crowd below, Jiang Yun announced, "Zheng Facai is a man who has committed countless evil deeds! His crimes are unforgivable! He is hereby executed! Immediately!"

"Bravo!" cheered the crowd below the stage.

"Furthermore, I urge all fellow villagers to go to the farmers' association and join if possible! Our Communist Party is distributing land to everyone!"

"Long live the Communist Party! Long live Chairman Mao!" The peasants below were overjoyed and ran towards the farmers' association.

Jiang Yun walked towards Deng Shanshan, who was crying. "Comrade, don't worry, we will send someone to treat your father's injury. Don't cry, don't be afraid, even if the sky falls, we, the Communist Party, will hold it up for you." Jiang Yun patted his chest after saying that.

Zheng Shanshan suddenly threw herself into Jiang Yun's arms and burst into tears, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you all!"

The surrounding soldiers looked at him with knowing expressions and left on their own. They encouraged him with their eyes from behind, making Jiang Yun flustered and his face flushed.

Zheng Laogen sat on the ridge of the field, smoking one cigarette after another. It felt like a dream, until the people from the farmers' association led him here, and he realized it was real.

He had farmed for others his whole life, and finally he had a piece of land of his own. The Communist Party executed Zheng Facai, confiscated his family's property and distributed it to them. Zheng Laogen's family received eight mu of paddy fields and a cow!

Sitting on the ground, Zheng Laogen felt an indescribable sense of peace. Now, if anyone dared to take his land, he would fight them to the death!

The land revolution in Zhengjiazhuang was a great success. Countless children from peasant families were willing to join the army. Parents sent their children to the army so that they could protect their property. The revolutionary enthusiasm of the peasants was at an all-time high.

The land revolution was in full swing in southern Hunan, and a revolutionary wave swept across the entire province. Countless oppressed peasants finally dared to stand up and fight against the landlords and gentry who oppressed them.

The Hunan peasant uprising has begun!

"Chairman, Chairman!" A liaison officer ran into the room excitedly. The revolutionary situation in Hunan was excellent, with countless people joining the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army every day. "Chairman, great news! Chairman Zhu has arrived, and he's brought more than 10,000 people with him!"

"What? Hurry! Hurry! Let's go see him!" Chairman Mao stood up excitedly and strode out of the house.

"General Zhu, you've finally arrived!" Chairman Mao said with a smile as he approached Comrade Zhu De.

"Hahaha, I say, Mao! I've been looking for you for so long! Ever since we parted in Changsha, I've been searching for you for ages! As soon as I heard about this land revolution here, I knew it must be your doing, Mao Zedong!" General Zhu also laughed heartily. "That's why I brought over ten thousand people with me to come find you, afraid you'd run away!"

"Not at all, not at all, how could I dare to hide from General Zhu! Come on, I'll have the cook prepare some dishes to welcome you. The conditions here aren't great, please don't mind!"

"How could I dare to look down on you, Chairman Mao! Besides, isn't the point of revolution to endure hardship?" Zhu De said with a smile as he followed Chairman Mao into the village.

The victorious meeting of Zhu De and Mao Zedong in southern Hunan made the revolutionary forces in Hunan even stronger!

A single spark has ignited a prairie fire!

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Crisis of the Fourth Army

"The First Army was attacked in Wuyang? That means the enemy has deployed defenses on the east side of Nanchang." Cheng Qian looked at the battle map. "Order the Fourth Army to immediately move north. In addition, the Seventh Army will cooperate with the Fourth Army to set off from Qujiang. The two armies will attack Nanchang from both sides!"

"The First Army was ambushed? So many casualties?"

Zhang Fakui stood in the command post, utterly shocked. He had expected Chiang Kai-shek to suffer a minor defeat, a blow to his morale. He never imagined the losses would be so heavy; the First Army had been utterly routed.

"That damned, arrogant bastard! The First Army is the elite of the Northern Expeditionary Army, and he's ruined it like this! Why didn't Commissioner Liao execute him!"

Zhang Fakui slammed his pen on the table in anger. "Pass the word down! The troops must set off immediately! It would be troublesome if the enemy counterattacked!"

Upon receiving the order, the Fourth and Seventh Armies set off immediately without any delay.

"Hangzhou has fallen?" Shangguan Yunxiang glanced at the telegram handed to him by his subordinate. "That Xie Hongxun! Is this how the Commander-in-Chief uses his elite troops?! That madman Xie! He actually led the charge!"

The main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army is in Jiangxi. If they are defeated here, Shangguan Yunxiang can take advantage of the victory to move south. The Northern Expeditionary Army, whose foundation in Jiangxi is not yet stable, will surely be driven back to his hometown in Guangdong.

If he could annihilate the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army in the Battle of Nanchang, the revolutionary army would inevitably suffer a heavy blow, and then he could wipe out the entire revolutionary government in one fell swoop. The worst-case scenario would be that Guangdong negotiates peace with the eight provinces, and the eight provinces recognize his legitimacy.

"The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Divisions will set up defenses and construct fortifications on the front of Nanchang City. The First and Sixth Armies will attack from the east and west. What we need to do is encircle and annihilate the main force of this Northern Expeditionary Army!"

At this moment, Peng Pai was leading Harvey from house to house to borrow cloth. When they returned to the camp, they found everyone packing their things and preparing to set off.

"What's wrong? Why are you setting off so soon?" Peng Pai asked Shev.

"Your First Army was ambushed by the enemy and suffered heavy losses. Your commander has ordered your Seventh and Fourth Armies to proceed to Nanchang immediately, and the Comintern headquarters has also instructed us to assist the Fourth Army in attacking Nanchang." Shevchenko put on his military cap. "Comrades! Hurry up and pack up, we need to set off immediately!"

"The First Army suffered heavy losses?" Peng Pai was somewhat surprised. This was a training corps! Just how strong must the enemy be near Nanchang?

"Reporting to the Commander! The advance troops have reached Fenghuanggou." A soldier delivered a telegram into the front-line command post. "Very good. Li Zongren and his men should be arriving soon. Tell them to prepare for battle at any time!"

"The Southern Army has arrived! Let them see what German-made weapons are like! Order the artillery regiment to fire! Let them see the might of our Fifth Division!"

The loader inserts the shell and awaits orders.

"put!"

The shells were fired with a deafening roar, and the powerful firepower kept Chen Jitang's 11th Division pinned down.

"Where are our cannons?! Bomb them too! Let's see who's afraid of whom!" Chen Jitang ordered.

On the artillery positions of the Northern Expeditionary Army, the coordinates calibrated by the observers were sent up, and then a heavy cannon shot rang out, whistling as it landed on the defensive line of the Eight-Province Allied Army, setting off towering flames. The debris and clods of earth that were kicked up by the explosion fell and splashed all over Zhang Hong. The bomb had just landed less than 30 meters away from him. Fortunately, he had taken cover in the trench in time. The huge explosion made his ears hurt, and the strong shockwave made his stomach churn. He almost vomited.

Only those who have experienced war firsthand know how terrible it is. Corpses and pieces of flesh were scattered everywhere. Zhang Hong flicked aside the arm that had fallen onto his machine gun, which belonged to someone else, and continued to pull the trigger, firing at the advancing Northern Expeditionary Army soldiers.

"Damn it, aren't they afraid of dying?"

Zhang Hong's machine gun had already gone through several boxes of ammunition, but the Northern Expeditionary Army continued to rush towards his position. The bloody stench in the air made him feel nauseous. He had to be constantly on guard against sniper shots and artillery shells flying from who-knows-where. The choking smoke made his dry eyes start to water, but he couldn't let his guard down. War was a matter of life and death, and a moment's carelessness could cost him his life.

"Damn it!" Ye Ting shouted from his position in the trench. They were blocked here and could not advance an inch. Countless brothers had fallen in front of this position.

"Brothers! If we can't take this position, we'll all die here! Charge with me!" He grabbed his submachine gun and leaped out of the trench, running towards the position ahead.

"Come on!"

Hundreds of soldiers followed him as he charged forward, firing their weapons continuously.

Zhang Hong had already fired his machine gun until it was smoking, but he dared not stop. Wave after wave of revolutionary soldiers rushed in front of him, and wave after wave fell down.

"Out of bullets! What are you doing! Load them!" he yelled to the side. But the soldier could no longer answer him; a bullet had pierced his chest, and blood soaked through his clothes.

"boom!"

Another shell landed, and when Zhang Hong looked up again, he found that the machine gun had been destroyed, and the revolutionary army was almost in front of him.

"I'm going to die here this time, but I've already gotten my money's worth!" Zhang Hong pulled two grenades and charged out of the position, running towards the revolutionary army. "I'll fight you to the death!"

But he hadn't taken more than a few steps when he felt a cold sensation in his stomach, and sticky, fresh blood began to flow down. His legs went out of control, unable to support him as he continued running, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Finally, finally it can end." He closed his eyes, finally able to end the battle that had been so utterly tedious for him.

"boom!"

The grenade explosion tore his body to pieces, leaving him with no complete remains.

"Independent Regiment! Charge!" Ye Ting successfully charged to the front line, clearing out the remaining enemy troops. A brutal battle for the position ensued, with various close-quarters combats and grenades resulting in mutual destruction playing out on this small position.

"General, the Southern army has broken through our defenses!" An officer rushed in in a panic.

"It's just the first stage, what's the panic?" Shangguan Yunxiang listened to the booming cannons outside. "That's about enough, our planes should take off."

The first line of defense had just been breached by the 11th Division, but before they could even celebrate, countless bombs began to fall from the sky.

"Lie down!"

Ye Ting shouted, but it was too late. Countless bombs fell, and countless soldiers around him were blown down by shells. Death in the sky was reaping their lives.

After the bombing ended, the 11th Division, which had finally made it to the front, had very few men left, and countless enemies rushed towards them again.

"Draw your swords! Even if we all die, we must hold the line!"

Ye Ting drew his broadsword and cleaved down a soldier from the neighboring provinces who rushed in front of him, and the two sides engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand combat.

A soldier yelled and charged at Zhao Mingfan, but Zhao Mingfan dodged to the side, causing the soldier to miss. He then kicked the soldier to the ground and slashed him with his knife, the splattering blood staining his uniform crimson.

The entire Independent Regiment fought fearlessly, like steel nails driven into the position, battling the surging enemy until the main force finally broke through.

"The Fourth Army has already arrived?" Shangguan Yunxiang asked.

"Yes, General, they're all up here. The Fifth and Seventh Divisions have been decimated! The second line of defense is about to fall too!" The adjutant's voice trembled slightly. This Fourth Army is incredibly formidable!

"Perfect timing! Just the right moment." Shangguan Yunxiang smiled. It's time to close the net. Let's see if you can escape from my trap, no matter how strong you are!

"Commander! Something's wrong! We're being attacked from behind!" A soldier rushed into the command post with a telegram. "The 10th Division is about to collapse! We're surrounded!"

"What!" Zhang Fakui exclaimed in shock. "What did you say?! Which unit did they engage in combat with?"

"I don't know! All I know is that the enemy's firepower is fierce, and they're about to collapse!"

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Fakui felt dizzy; troops had cut off their rear and they were surrounded.

What should we do now? Should we abandon the positions we finally captured and retreat? Even if we retreat, can they break through?

"Never mind!" He clenched his fist. "Transfer the 13th Division! At the same time, notify Chen Mingshu of the 10th Division: hold on! You must hold on! Even if all our men are wiped out, we are not allowed to retreat! Tell the 11th Division and Ye Ting's Independent Regiment to accelerate the attack, regardless of casualties! We must take Nanchang!" At this point, there was no turning back; it was a do-or-die situation! Only a fight to the death!

"Commander! The Fourth Army has been surrounded!" The messenger ran to Li Zongren upon receiving the news.

"what?"

Upon receiving the news, Li Zongren dared not delay. The disastrous defeat of the First Army had already shaken the morale of the Northern Expeditionary Army. If the Fourth Army were to be encircled and annihilated as a whole, it would be a devastating blow to the revolutionary government.

"Quickly! Notify the entire army! Accelerate! Accelerate!"

His mission now is no longer to capture Nanchang, but to save the Fourth Army.