Volume 1: First Battle Chapter 22: The Twentieth Brigade

  Is this really the consequence of me changing history? Maybe I was trying to make history develop in a good direction, but it ended up developing in an even worse direction...

  What I said was of course false, in fact when I was on duty last night, I didn't see anyone. I just remembered that the person sent by Ruan Xianwu to contact the Japanese was a chief of staff surnamed Zhang. But this remark sounded different in Zhang Zizhong's ears, he obviously knew that there was indeed a chief of staff surnamed Zhang under Ruan Xianwu, so he naturally believed my words without any doubt.

  Although this is a false statement, the fact is true, so I am not afraid of Zhang Zizhong's investigation, and I even hope that Zhang Zizhong will investigate.

  "General!" Looking at Zhang Zizhong pacing back and forth anxiously in the command center, I suggested: "I think this matter should be treated with caution. If only one person, Director Zhang, is collaborating with the enemy, there would be no need for him to return from the Japanese defense zone again, so..."

  "Vice Officer Li!" Before I could finish speaking, Zhang Zizhong had already called out towards the door.

  "Here!" A young officer wearing a pair of golden-rimmed glasses soon appeared in my line of sight.

  "Immediately call Wang, the regimental commander of the 39th Brigade!" Zhang Zizhong ordered: "Be careful not to alarm anyone else!"

  "Yes!" Deputy Li bowed and turned around to leave.

  Li Deputy Officer had just left, Zhang Zizhong was pacing back and forth anxiously in front of the desk, from time to time still searching for something on the map on the table. It was clear that the increasingly worsening situation had already disrupted this famous general's formation.

  "Your Honor! Wang is here!"

  A few minutes later, Deputy Li brought in a dark-faced officer and before he could salute, Zhang Zizhong hastily asked: "Have there been any special incidents with the 39th Brigade over the past few days?"

  Wang Yingchang looked at me standing beside him with a glance, seemingly having some reservations. So I understood that this Wang Yingchang was probably Zhang Zizhong's trusted aide planted in the 39th Division...

  "There's nothing special!" Wang Yingchang replied boldly under Zhang Zizhong's hint: "It was just the day before yesterday that the brigade gathered us for a meeting..."

  "What did you say?"

  "The meaning of 'traveling' is... not wanting to stay in Beiping and die." Wang Yingchang replied: "So 'traveling' wanted to take the troops out of Beiping, but later gave up this idea under our opposition!"

  "Good you, Ruan Xuanwu!" Zhang Zizhong slammed his fist heavily on the table, causing the teacups to rattle loudly.

  After a pause, Zhang Zizhong asked again: "Why didn't you report?"

  "The Master has been negotiating with the Japanese for several days, I couldn't find an opportunity..."

  It is now clear that Ruan Xianwu first wanted to disobey orders and escape from Beiping, but after being collectively opposed by his subordinates and unable to stay, he had no choice but to surrender to the Japanese army in order to survive.

  As for evidence... at this extraordinary time, especially at the critical juncture of the two armies facing each other, we certainly will not have the time to collect evidence. At this moment, the most commonly used and also the most practical method is to first control the suspicious characters and then interrogate them, and if necessary, even use torture, just like the KMT's Military-Uniformed Special Agent Division deals with the Communist Party.

  At this time, Zhang Zizhong calmed down instead. He quietly convened a meeting of the high-level commanders of the 39th Division, and Ruan Xuanwu and others thought it was to discuss how to resolve the dispute with the Japanese army, so they didn't have any suspicions... Who knew that as soon as they arrived at the conference room and hadn't even sat down yet, they were controlled by armed guards.

  The rest of the matter was easily solved. As the saying goes, a secret known to three people is no longer a secret. The chief of staff of the 39th Brigade also participated in Ruan Xuanwu's conspiracy, so it was not difficult to interrogate them separately and get some results.

  In fact, after knowing that Zhang Zizhong had controlled Ruan Xuanwu and his party, I was not worried about him being unable to interrogate them. The reason is simple: why would these people want to betray and surrender to the Japanese? It's because they are greedy for life and afraid of death; otherwise, who would be willing to do such a shameful thing that would stink for ten thousand years?! This kind of person is undoubtedly the easiest to interrogate, no need for intimidation or temptation, just need a gun pointed at their head... even if they have physical problems, they will confess!

  My only concern is: will Ruan Xuanwu's betrayal plan be implemented? Although I know that this thing happened in history, but I don't know the exact time it happened. What if they haven't planned to betray yet... then won't I become a false accuser? As a small soldier, I falsely accuse a brigade commander, this crime is not small!

  Then I regretted not listening to Zhang Zizhong's advice to take the money and leave. Haven't these things happened in history before? By changing history, it may not necessarily be a good thing, who knows, I might even lose my life!

  Fortunately, none of the things I worried about happened. After about twenty minutes or so, Zhang Zizhong walked in with his head hung low and dejected. He didn't say a word, but simply took off his hat and threw it on the table before sitting down in a chair listlessly.

  Now that I see this, I know things are indeed as I thought. No! It should be said that according to the development of history, Zhang Zizhong is resentful! Ruan Xianwu has worked with him for many years, and now in this difficult situation, not only can't he die together with him, but instead secretly plans to surrender to the Japanese...

  "The intelligence you provided is correct!" After a long time, Zhang Zizhong finally sighed and said: "The 39th Brigade did indeed plot to mutiny, but fortunately... this matter was limited to the 39th Brigade Command! Fortunately, it was discovered in time, otherwise the 39th Brigade would have gone down an irreversible path!"

  I don't know what to say, after all I'm just a small soldier, it seems that I'm not quite suitable for contacting these high-level secrets.

  "These things..." Zhang Zizhong lit a cigarette and said after taking a deep drag: "These things can only be known by you yourself, understand?"

  "I understand!" I nodded in response. The reason for not revealing it was simple: if the news of the squad leader's attempted betrayal were to get out, who knows what kind of bad influence it would have on the troops.

  "Hmm!" Zhang Zizhong nodded at me: "You've done a great job! If we're lucky enough to get out of Beiping alive, I'll definitely recommend you for recognition and reward from the top!"

  "Sir! Then we..." I asked hesitantly: "Do we still have to leave the unit?"

  "It's no use!" Zhang Zizhong shook his head: "The little devils will make their move tonight!"

  "What? Tonight?! I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. If I had discovered it any later or delayed for just a few more hours, it would have been too late..."

  "Hmm!" Zhang Zizhong somewhat irritably undid the buttons on his uniform: "Tonight at midnight, the Japanese army will come to surround the barracks and prepare to disarm us in collaboration with Ruan Xuanwu's gang!"

  I actually knew this a long time ago, but I still cooperated and pretended to be shocked, and comforted Zhang Zizhong by saying: "Master, calm down, this matter can't be blamed entirely on Ruan Zongjing, they just thought that our army would definitely lose this battle, and staying in Beiping would only lead to death, so under desperation, they chose to surrender to the Japanese..."

  "Hum!" Zhang Zizhong slammed his fist on the table and said: "Even if this is true, it cannot be an excuse for surrendering to the Japanese. The National Army left behind in Beiping has tens of thousands of people, are their lives not lives? Don't they know that staying in Beiping is a dead end? Moreover, as a brigade commander, he wants to lead his troops to surrender to the Japanese and use the entire brigade of over 6,000 people to give the enemy a great gift in exchange for personal glory and wealth... Is this something that can be tolerated?"

  Looking at Zhang Zizhong's gritted teeth, I knew that Ruan Xianwu and his men were done for. Even if Zhang Zizhong couldn't escape from Beiping, he wouldn't let them off.

  "Sir!" After some thought, I suggested: "I think... we already know the little devils are about to make their move, why not break out of here early?"

  "I was thinking that too!" Zhang Zizhong shook his head and sighed, "But what we can think of, the little devils won't be unaware of either! In three days' time, it's enough for them to surround Beiping like a watertight seal. Wanting to break through... how easy is that?"

  Upon hearing this, I was also in a difficult situation. To speak of Zhang Zizhong's history, he was able to escape the city with the help of American missionaries after his troops were disarmed. At that time, he was alone and it would have been much easier for him to escape, but now... he had the 39th Brigade and the Military Training Regiment dragging behind him, and Zhang Zizhong was not a person who would abandon his troops and run away by himself. It was absolutely impossible for such a large force to slip away under the noses of the Japanese army!

  In that case, I changed the course of history so that the 39th Brigade was not captured by the Japanese army. Who knows, it might have even cost them their lives and implicated Zhang Zizhong as well, leaving no way for him to escape!

  Is this really the consequence of me changing history? Maybe I was trying to make history develop in a good direction, but it ended up developing in an even worse direction...

  No, I absolutely cannot let all this happen, otherwise I'm afraid I'll also become a sinner for eternity!

  Thinking of this, I plucked up the courage and stood up straight to ask Zhang Zizhong: "Sir, may I take a look at the Japanese army's deployment?"

  Originally, according to common sense, my small rank was not qualified to discuss military affairs with Zhang Zizhong, but now Zhang Zizhong had no other choice, so he nodded with a "dead horse as a living doctor" attitude and pointed to the map of Beiping, saying: "The Japanese army's deployment is actually very simple. In front of us is the 20th Division of the Japanese Army, four infantry regiments are located in the east, south, west, and north of Beiping, with a total strength of over 20,000 people!"

  "What's with the 20th Division of the Japanese Army?" Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but change color.

  The Japanese army's division I've heard of, it is one of the seventeen most elite standing divisions of the Japanese army. I knew about it because a few years later this division would be deployed to the Pacific battlefield to fight against the Allied forces. Under the fierce attack of the Allied forces, more than 25,000 soldiers in this division were left with only 785 emaciated skeletons who couldn't even hold their guns and surrendered. From this, we can also see how fiercely this army fought, and now we are facing such a tiger-wolf division...