Chapter 41: Plum Blossoms Welcome the Red Army in the Twelfth Lunar Month (3000)

  According to the intelligence from Lanyi Society, the more than 1,000 people left behind by Gao Quanquan seemed to pose no threat to this army of 3,000. With a preconceived notion gone, he began to discuss with Li Tuanzhang beside him, enthusiastically and freely, about the combat effectiveness of the Red Army, using foul language, amidst laughter and scolding, boosting the morale of the entire army. The horse-drawn carriages rattled and the cannons roared, under the escort of many infantrymen, confidently rushing towards Ningxian County.

  Along the way, scouts were set up everywhere to report on the situation of the Nationalist Party troops through hidden field telephones. Even conversations between Qi Shengwei and Li Tuanzhang were reported back to Gao Quan through binoculars. This pre-war intelligence work had reached such a level that even Gao Quan was secretly worried if this was not the original form of information asymmetry, like what the US military would have in the 21st century.

  The profound asymmetry of war is not only reflected in the grasp of aircraft, terrain and intelligence; it is more about soldiers tightly grasping their steel guns, with a face full of resentment, looking at the Nationalist soldiers marching on the road as if they were sworn enemies, that kind of morale like a rainbow!

  A morning march left the Nationalist soldiers, who had been living a comfortable retirement in Xi'an for a long time, feeling extremely miserable; some of the old-timers even looked at their company commanders with expectant faces, intentionally slowing down their pace, or pretending to be so exhausted that they couldn't go on, leaning on their guns and squatting on the ground, panting heavily.

  The two team leaders, who were in an exceptionally good mood, naturally took great care of their subordinates and decided to cook lunch on the spot before continuing on their journey. The confidence that overflowed from their faces undoubtedly came from the support of those heavy artillery! The busy logistics soldiers put down their steel guns and prepared to dig pots and make rice along the highway, or held machetes ready to gather firewood on both sides of the road.

  Actually, this kind of thing wasn't supposed to be their job in the first place. If it weren't for the so-called New Life Movement launched by the newly arrived Provincial Chairman Shao Lizi, they would have already been conscripting husbands from villages around Xi'an! Moreover, during their previous appearance, didn't the villages along the way prepare food and wait for the arrival of the army? However, thinking about those people in blue uniforms with Sun Yat-sen suits and the emblem of the Nationalist Party on their chests, their arrogant attitude, and the words "considering the people's livelihood" and "the military must not interfere with local production", it makes my heart seethe with hatred!

  But this almost scared Gao Quan to death! The enemy had only entered the ambush circle for a little over three minutes, and if they were allowed to bury their pots and cook their meals, then those soldiers who had been hiding for a long time, with frozen hands and feet, would all be exposed!: "Damn it!" Gao Quan fiercely punched his fist on the hard frozen soil, shattering ice fragments, and leaving a faint white mark, which made everyone around him stunned.: "Fight!"

  Suddenly, a fierce attack, intense gunfire, and a series of explosions sent the Nationalist soldiers who had let their guard down and were preparing to rest tumbling! Many Nationalist soldiers who had not yet recovered from the sudden attack were then mowed down by a hail of machine gun fire. Then countless dark shadows emerged from less than 50 meters away from the highway! The glinting bayonets seemed even colder in the winter wind.

  A surging tide of people flooded the highway, with flashing bayonets, stabbing to death many who were unable to react in time. The two groups of people, clad in dark brown and gray military uniforms, clashed together on a battlefield that was like a meat grinder. The dull sound of bayonets piercing flesh, the clanging of bayonets colliding, the muffled thud of rifle butts striking bodies, and the constant rolling of severed heads onto the ground, accompanied by splatters of blood staining large swaths of soil red. On this battlefield filled with wails and screams, people were killing each other everywhere.

  Qi Shengwei's pessimistic discovery that his team was no longer in control! Except for the more than 100 guards left by his side, there were no remaining troops! Faced with the retreating troops, Qi Shengwei, who was filled with blood and enthusiasm, ignored Li Tuanzhang's sly appearance beside him and led the troops to charge forward!

  Shi Shenjie, who was the first to rush onto the highway, finally got his hands on a machine gun after killing seven or eight Nationalist soldiers with his red-tasseled spear! However, this thing seemed to disobey him, no matter how hard he pulled the trigger, it just wouldn't fire! This made him frantic, and he fiercely threw the machine gun onto the highway littered with corpses, picked up a large knife, and charged into the most densely packed area of the enemy on the battlefield filled with shouts and slogans.

  As Gao Daquan led the rear team of over a thousand men to join, the battle that was already in a state of extreme anxiety suddenly presented a one-sided situation. Neither high officials nor thick rewards could stop the collapse of the troops, nor could they stop the deep-seated fear from the soldiers' hearts, because they did not want to become the legendary cannibal Gao Daquan's meal on the plate. They did not want to face those armies covered in blood, like devils emerging from hell! If they were not devils, how could they smile and put their intestines back into their bellies after being stabbed with bayonets? If they were not devils, how could they hug hand grenades and charge into the enemy's machine gun positions, laughing together with their comrades until the end?

  Less than half an hour into the battle, the army of over 3,000 men was completely routed. The endless stream of fleeing soldiers ran wildly along the road, with abandoned guns and ammunition littering both sides of the road. Even the proud artillery regiment had abandoned their heavy cannons and were riding donkeys in a frantic bid to escape towards Xi'an City. The notion of defeat spread rapidly through the troops, with no one having the confidence to continue resisting, but it was mainly the officers who fled first that led to the complete collapse of the army.

  "Superiors do not resist! Why should we sacrifice ourselves for them?" With this conviction, everyone burst out with an unprecedented desire to escape, and even left the so-called "iron-clad" Red Army far behind in a short period of time! The commander-in-chief, Qi Shengwei, who was over thirty years old, fled towards Xi'an along the small path with the support of less than twenty guards. As veteran soldiers, they naturally knew how to survive on the battlefield, and their commander had feelings for them and was willing to help them take responsibility. So they escaped like inseparable brothers in the desolate mountains!

  "Charge! Charge!" The Red Army soldiers, who refused to give up, held their bayonets and pursued the fleeing enemy along the highway. The slogan "Surrender and we will not kill you" was shouted loudly, shaking the sky and earth! Many exhausted enemies threw down their weapons, knelt by the roadside, and lost all interest in what would happen to them at the hands of the "Communist bandits". They just sat down, numb and expressionless, with a hint of obedience and despair on their faces. Some defeated soldiers even kowtowed to every Red Army soldier who passed by, as if they were pounding garlic!

  Incidentally, Chen Deputy Commander led the reserve team of over 500 people to clean up the battlefield, receive the wounded and captives. Gao Quan took his guard company of over a hundred men, like a gust of wind, to pursue the enemy. Chen Deputy Commander shook his head, "Still has the temperament of a child, even if he is outstanding in strategy, he still needs to be tempered! Being impulsive and not calm is often not a good thing for military personnel, especially for a high-level commander!"

  But at this moment, Captain Li is in a very unfavorable situation! The vehicles loaded with military pay that were originally carried on his side have all been abandoned on the battlefield, which makes him heartbroken. He had just inadvertently touched the gold in the pocket of his military uniform, and the gentle movement seemed to be noticed by the guard captain. Usually, Captain Li was strict with his guards, and he would often use a military baton to punish them if he didn't like something. However, at this moment, looking at the blue-gray rifles in their hands and the cold smiles on their faces, a chill ran down his spine, and a sense of crisis emerged from the bottom of his heart!

  After a burst of gunfire, the land of Guanzhong had another corpse riddled with bullet holes. As they watched their team leader die in agony, the crowd felt no fear in their hearts. After a wave of excitement passed through their minds, the crowd pulled out the pouches hidden with gold, picked up their guns, and became bandits, living a life of eating meat and drinking wine from large bowls. The ideal "carefree" life had begun! They never wanted to work for the Nationalist Party troops they hated again! Why bother bowing down for five pecks of rice in this life?

  More than 30,000 troops were annihilated in one day! And also lost an artillery battalion! Yang Hucheng's heart was not only physically painful but also heartbroken!

  After driving away the Northeast Army and Central Army who came to harass with machine guns, Gaoduan returned to Ningxian County with 12 mountain cannons and many prisoners! Everyone's face was completely without fatigue after the big battle, and the joyful crowd couldn't help but touch their shoulders and hold their submachine guns in their arms, although these equipment were only for them to carry on their backs and would soon be handed over.

  However, compared to the joy of others, Deputy Commander Chen was secretly shocked by the casualties in this battle. More than 200 people were killed and more than 400 injured! If we exclude the new recruits' casualties, this battle has wiped out a quarter of the Red Army's fighting backbone!: "It seems that the combat effectiveness of the Northwest Army is not to be underestimated, although they have been enjoying good treatment in Xi'an for many years. Fortunately, the enemy did not open fire during this raid, or else the casualties would have increased even more!" He was secretly terrified in his heart!

  Songhua River

  Northeast

  The Japanese territorial waters unidentified submarine incident Chinese fleet cruising around the Diaoyu Islands Flying Leopard equipped with C-801A (C802) cruise Japan's fleet kept a safe distance away...

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