Chapter 14 (Part 1)

  This was Ji Hongchang's second entry into Gansu. When Liu Yufen first arrived in Lanzhou, he was surrounded by the four towns of Longnan and Longdong, and Lanzhou was in a precarious situation. All departments packed their bags and prepared to escape. Ji Hongchang, who was far away in Inner Mongolia's Hetao region, led a brigade of the 19th Division of the Iron Army, marched thousands of miles, defeated the rebel army, thoroughly pacified the towns of Longdong and Longnan, and then went to study at the North China Military University. The flames of war rose again in Gansu, and Ji Hongchang took over as commander of the 11th Division.

  The Eleventh Division suffered repeated defeats in Hezhou, and morale was low. Ji Hongchang used his methods to train the Eleventh Division and understand Ma Zhongying's combat characteristics.

  In the autumn of 1928, Ma Zhongying and Ma Tingrang united in Ganzhou, with a force of 800,000 men, and laid siege to Hezhou for the third time.

  There is news that Feng Yuxiang's general Ji Hongchang led the 11th Division and came from Dingxi again. The 11th Division had fought against Ma Zhongying and was defeated, everyone looked down on the 11th Division, if you change to Ji Hongchang as the division commander, you will become Zhao Zilong! Even if you change to Feng Yuxiang, it won't work! Commander Ga hummed his nose and didn't care. They soon tasted Ji Hongchang's ferocity.

  Ji Hongchang did not enter Hezhou City, Ji Hongchang led a division of troops from the north to Lianhua Fort, dividing his forces into two routes, one going up Xiejiapo and the other going up Kangjiawan. Old General Ma Haixuan said to Sunzi Ma Zhongying: "Old Feng's steel is all on this knife of Ji Hongchang, if you can bring down Ji Hongchang, your child will grow up." Ma Haixuan said: "Let the child go, old man I'll take care of the stall for you."

  The general ordered the northern source, and set up the command post in Sanjiaobao. Ji Hongchang's troops defended their positions, with soldiers standing upright and unyielding to the fierce attacks of the cavalrymen. Ji Hongchang grasped the general's combat characteristics, attacking with a single charge, retreating with scattered fleeing, without strong organization. Ji Hongchang deliberately set up a firepower blockade network, like a firewall, making it difficult for the cavalrymen from Hezhou to break through. The 80,000-strong army was like a fierce horse stuck in its throat, refusing to retreat, bleeding non-stop, and fighting more fiercely. The cavalrymen had to capture every village, some positions were occupied by the cavalrymen, while some positions were firmly controlled by Ji Hongchang, and Ji Hongchang's main force fought all the way to Sanjiaobao.

  The old soldiers on the mound rushed down and were repelled by Ji Hongchang's artillery.

  Ji Hongchang was very particular about fighting. He abandoned the redundant positions and guarded the key parts, and the commander was tightly locked by the pincer tactics.

  "Lock it up and lock it up, let's twist it into an iron ball and roll it down the slope."

  General Ka's troops were in a heap of five or six hundred men, transforming into black tigers rushing down. Two Black Tiger squads were launched consecutively.

  Underneath the triangular fort were rows and rows of Nationalist soldiers, their officers and men had drawn their swords, waiting for the signal to attack.

  Ji Hongchang did not use his big knife team, he ordered the artillery to open fire. The division's direct-affiliated artillery battalion fired fiercely, and the large and small steel cannons and howitzers blasted the triangular fortifications together, killing more than a thousand cavalrymen in the cannon fire. After the cannon fire, the National Army's big knife team suddenly rushed up to the triangular fort. The wounded cavalrymen killed themselves with their knives, and the surrounded cavalrymen jumped into the deep well.

  The commander, Ga, drew his sword and charged forward, surrounded by the guards. "What kind of commander leads the charge? What will happen to the command center?" "Leave the command center empty, just plant a flagpole and it's a command center. Follow me, the guard squad won't protect me anymore. Let's go, for the good name of our squad!" Commander Ga swung his sword and rode out on his big gray horse, followed by a group of young men. The Half Slope had already been occupied by the National Army, when suddenly a group of "Black Tiger" bandits emerged from the village at the top of the cliff. By the big gray horse, the National Army soldiers knew who had arrived.

  "Black Tiger Star, Black Tiger Star has come out!"

  A wave of flames shot out, knocking down a large group of cavalrymen. The big gray horse leapt forward, tearing through the flames. Colonel Galanov sheathed his sword and grasped a pike, which let out a loud whoosh as he charged forward on horseback, striking down a soldier in the Nationalist Army ranks. The iron-clad guards followed close behind, firing accurately and unrelentingly. The Nationalist soldiers crouched behind their fortifications, tumbling into the bloody trenches one after another. Ji Hongchang's web of fire grew denser, but Colonel Galanov and his guard continued to circle around the halfway point. "If I had ten machine guns, I'd rip apart Ji Hongchang's pants."

  The commander's anger was burning, and he didn't care about the cold guns and bullets. "Damn you, Ji Hongchang! Come out, I've seen you! You're holding a telescope, pretending to be all-seeing, but the distant mountains are becoming near mountains. Who are you looking at? Are you looking at your grandfather?" Just as he was cursing in his heart, a general wearing a black cloak emerged from the Nationalist Army's position.

  "Ji Hongchang Ji Hongchang."

  Everyone saw Ji Hongchang. It was this man, like a knife, who pierced the intersection and locked up the "Black Tiger Absorbing Feng Army" of 80,000 people on the North Bank. The cavalrymen from Hezhou even forgot to shoot, stretching their necks to look at Ji Hongchang.

  Ji Hongchang was also a black-faced big man, wearing a black cloak that fluttered in the wind. "Damn it, Ji Hongchang, you're putting our military flag on your body!" A burst of gunfire rang out, but Ji Hongchang didn't move at all, completely ignoring the cold guns and bullets, looking very arrogant, not even holding a gun or a knife, just wearing white gloves, raising his hand in mid-air. The National Army behind him was like a pack of wolves unleashed, howling and charging forward. The commander's hand also rose, with a dense group of soldiers and generals behind him, the two sides clashing together like twisting hemp rope, getting tighter and tighter.

  Intersection of strings: Northwestern dialect, key part.

  The cavalryman rushed to Xining to seek help, and the Ninghai military officer was crowded on the large drill ground, looking out at Hezhou. The sound of cannons came from Hezhou, and Ma Buqing and Ma Bufang couldn't sit still either, asking the garrison commander for battle. Ma Bufang said: "If this battle is won, Old Feng will have no face to stay in the northwest, Ji Hongchang is Old Feng's trump card!" The garrison commander looked at his son without a word, and his son said: "The Hezhou campaign was all about Ma Zhongying showing off, he's almost becoming the king of the northwest." Ma Qi said: "You want to be a hero, okay? Dad asks you one question, who do you think is the hero in the struggle between Chu and Han?" "Of course it's Liu Bang!" "Nonsense! The one who destroyed Qin was Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, he's the real hero. You're still too young, kiddo. Grandpa tells you to read more history books, you haven't gotten into them yet." Ma Bufang's neck wasn't thick anymore, and his face wasn't red anymore. The garrison commander said: "Calm down, it's okay, kiddo, remember that since ancient times, heroes have fought for the world, while petty people sit on the throne. Nephew Zhongying indeed has Xiang Yu's bravery. If he really defeats the National Army, next step would be to attack us." The garrison commander asked his son: "Do you want to be a hero or a petty person?" His son was embarrassed and smiled as he went out.

  The garrison commander ordered: Gather the troops and set off for Hezhou. The army marched towards Gansu, stopping thirty miles away from Hezhou. Ma Qi then told his son, "Wawa, we're going to fight with Ma Zhongying together with Old Feng." His son was at a loss, and Ma Qi said, "Old Feng has many soldiers, Ji Hongchang is leading the vanguard, and Liu Zhaoshi and Liu Yufen are in the rear. Old Feng himself hasn't arrived in Gansu yet, but when he does, it'll be terrible!" Ma Bufang asked, "Why must Ma Zhongying die fighting against Ji Hongchang?" Ma Qi burst out laughing, "He wants to learn from our ancestors, defeat Ji Hongchang and then surrender to Feng Yuxiang. He's too naive, we'll join Old Feng first and beat him together." The two sons suddenly understood, and Ma Qi said, "Now that you understand, it's up to you from now on, I won't lead the army anymore."

  Ning Haijun appeared on the north bank, and Gao's troops were shocked, thinking that reinforcements had arrived. Commander Gao ordered the guards to launch a full-scale attack, defeating Ji Hongchang. Ji Hongchang also discovered the army appearing on the north bank, and he thought it was Liu Yufen's reinforcement troops. Ji Hongchang was determined to annihilate Ma Zhongying, so he issued an attack order to each brigade. At this time, the front-line position called to inform him that the approaching army was Ning Haijun's. The chief of staff panicked. The situation at the time was like the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon and Wellington fought to exhaustion, and whoever's reinforcements arrived first would win. In the distance, war dust rose high, and Napoleon believed it was his own reinforcement troops, so he sent the Imperial Guard into battle. However, what came was not Grouchy but Blücher's German army.

  In the autumn of 1928, at Sanjiaobao in Hezhou, facing the sudden appearance of the Ninghai Army, Ji Hongchang was not flustered and resolutely issued an attack order. The chief of staff said: "What if the Ninghai Army fights us?" "Ma Qi won't do this, Ma Bufang and Ma Buqing won't turn against Ma Zhongying, Ma Zhongying is a madman." "If they really join forces to fight us, it will be miserable."

  "Feng Commander-in-Chief was waiting for their move, they all rebelled, Feng Commander-in-Chief will uproot them."

  Frontline report: Ma Zhongying's troops were discovered at Sanli Pu. On the Triangle Fort frontline, the Hui cavalrymen were overjoyed and shouted loudly as they charged down. Ji Hongchang said: "Order each brigade to launch a full-scale attack on Triangle Fort." The chief of staff hesitated, "What about Ma Zhongying?" "Ignore him, focus on defeating Ma Chongren."

  Ji Hongchang's troops concentrated their firepower and launched a fierce attack on the triangular fort. Many cavalrymen were hit by artillery fire, and their horses were also killed in the bombardment. The houses in the triangular fort were all destroyed, and the cavalrymen crawled out of the rubble to continue firing calmly. However, they could not withstand the tide-like onslaught of the National Army, which stormed into the triangular fort. The cavalrymen drew their swords, and the National Army ceased fire, removing their big knives from their backs and surrounding the command center of the triangular fort.

  The gunfire stopped, and only the sound of clashing steel knives remained. Ji Hongchang finally deployed his Dadao team at this critical moment. Each member of the Dadao team was equipped with a short gun and a ghost-headed knife, wearing white headscarves, red shirts, and black pants, looking like a group of classical warriors, charging forward valiantly. The Hezhou cavalry had met their match. Large numbers of cavalrymen fell into the bloody puddles, and the command center was gradually exposed. The "Black Tiger Absorbing Feng's Army" flag still stood upright in the courtyard, and the guards fought to the death. The courtyard wall collapsed with a loud crash, and General Ji inserted the military flag into the saddle of his gray horse, gave it a whip, and the horse jumped into the ditch.

  The commander led the guards up to the top of the platform. It was a desperate place, with steep slopes on one side and precipices on three sides. The National Army's red-bladed big knife teams, like wolves and tigers, were withdrawn to the foot of the slope. The guns started firing again.

  Ji Hongchang was looking through the telescope. Ji Shilong's whole body, he saw something familiar on the young officer's face, which was full of vigor and melancholy. Ji Shilong thought to himself: How did I end up in this person? The young officer's face indeed had a spark that belonged to him. The National Army sniper shot at the young man with his 38 rifle, but all the bullets missed. The battalion commander slapped the sniper, grabbed the rifle and fired three shots, all of which missed again. Ji Shilong asked what was going on. The sniper said: His eyes are like an eagle's, no one dares to look him straight in the eye. The battalion commander said: We can't hit him head-on, we have to attack from the side to ensure his death. Ji Shilong grabbed the rifle, and he and the young man locked gazes, both feeling dizzy. The young man reached out to touch his temple, and Ji Shilong did the same. The rifle fell to the ground, and the subordinates thought their leader had switched guns. Ji Shilong jumped out of the trench, stood on the earth platform, wearing a black cloak, looking majestic. On the hilltop, a big grey horse was also walking back and forth elegantly. The young man pulled out his pistol and fired three shots at Ji Shilong, but they fell short. From the trajectory of the bullets, it could be seen that death was too heavy. The riders brought the young man a horse rifle, and he used it to fire at the sun on the hilltop. The bullet exploded in the sunlight. The young man said to his rider: "This man is a bloodthirsty fellow, we can't kill him head-on." The riders wanted to attack Ji Shilong from the side, but the young man wouldn't let them. He said: "That's not what we do, let others do it." The young man said: "He's like me, no one can hurt us head-on."

  In 1933, after the failure of the Chaha'er campaign, Ji Hongchang escaped to Tianjin's French concession for refuge. Under close surveillance by secret agents, General Ji was not intimidated and instead became more active, contacting old friends from the Northwestern Army and various social circles, organizing the "Chinese People's Anti-Fascist Alliance". The anti-Japanese hero had become a social activist.

  The Nanjing government once again issued an arrest warrant for Ji Hongchang and secretly ordered the Military Bureau to assassinate him by any means necessary. The assassination task was assigned to Chen Gongsheng, head of the Military Bureau's Beiping station, which led to the sensational "Guomin Restaurant Incident".

  General Ji lived in Tianjin's French concession at the Guomin Restaurant, where secret agents had clearly identified him as the man wearing a white jacket sitting by the radiator. After confirming his identity, the agents sent out a signal and a group of gunmen rushed to the door, firing several handguns simultaneously. However, they killed the wrong person.

  General Ji had temporarily gone to the restroom, narrowly avoiding death. The assassination attempt failed, and the perpetrators were released through the back door by the concession authorities, while General Ji was arrested and handed over to the Nationalist Party. Chiang Kai-shek secretly ordered that Ji Hongchang be executed on the spot in Tianjin.

  However, Yu Xizhong, chairman of the Hebei provincial government, could not bear to kill an anti-Japanese hero and telegraphed Chiang: "I am not convenient to execute, can he be sent elsewhere for execution?"

  The heavy responsibility of executing anti-Japanese heroes fell on He Yingqin, the chairman of the Beiping Military Affairs Committee.

  General He had just joined forces with the Japanese army to annihilate Feng Yuxiang and Ji Hongchang's Anti-Japanese Allied Army. Another great achievement of General He was that after the 29th Army, led by Song Zheyuan and Tong Linge, defeated the Japanese in the Great Wall War, he signed the "He-Mei Agreement" with Japan, putting North China directly within the range of the Japanese army's attack. It was a perfect match for He Yingqin to deal with Ji Hongchang. Death is an art. As soon as Ji Hongchang entered the Beiping Military Conference, the duty colonel handed him a telegram that read "Execute immediately". Ji Hongchang was nonchalant, "Hurry up and take it back! Am I a three-year-old child? Are you trying to intimidate me?"

  As he walked to the execution ground, General Ji pointed with his finger as if it were a pen and used the earth as paper to write a poem:

  I regret not dying in battle against the Japanese, leaving me to live in shame today.

  The country is broken but still I am proud, why should I cherish this head of mine?

  At the time of execution, Ji Hongchang wanted to sit on a chair and die. "I died for resisting the Japanese, I died with honor and integrity, I cannot kneel nor fall to the ground." The executioner quietly walked behind him, he suddenly turned his head, "This won't do! I died for resisting the Japanese, I cannot be shot in the back."

  The executioner trembled, death first struck down the executioner, "Then what should you do?" Ji Hongchang said sternly: "You shoot me in front of my eyes, I want to see with my own eyes how you kill me!"

  The executioner faced General Ji Hongchang's round and bright eyes, unable to shoot. It was too difficult for the peanut-sized bullet head to complete a real death. The execution officer called to ask He Yingqin for instructions, and General He, as an elder of Huangpu, broke through the mystery with one word: "Long-range shooting, why use a handgun?" The new gunner shot from hundreds of meters away with a rifle, and the gunners indeed escaped General Ji's gaze, the bullet whizzing past his brow. That was a real death.

  After the gunshot, there was a long silence. North China was quiet, Tianjin was quiet. The Reuters news agency in Beiping sent out a faint message: "General Ji Hongchang died with a calm attitude when he was unjustly killed."

  On a quiet evening, He Yingqin took a car to Tanggu to meet the Japanese, Matsuoka Yosuke. When the host and guest shook hands, Matsuoka Yosuke was quite surprised: The hands of this North China military and political leader were so soft and gentle, could such soft and gentle hands kill people? Matsuoka Yosuke asked: "Ji Hongchang is brave and good at fighting, how did General He kill this tiger general?" He Yingqin said: "The Northwestern Army are all rough men, the ancient Chinese have a saying called 'using gentleness to overcome stiffness'." Matsuoka Yosuke touched He Yingqin's pale hand and said: "Oh, using gentleness to overcome stiffness. I remembered an ancient Chinese famous quote: A three-foot sword in one's waist can cut down all the elegant ghosts." In September 1945, at Qijiang, Hunan, the chief representative of the Chinese army who presided over the Japanese surrender ceremony was also General He. The Japanese military officers who signed the instrument of surrender were not convinced, China had so many excellent soldiers, why send a eunuch-like general to sign? General He said: "Before the July 7th Incident, I met with your country's Matsuoka Yosuke in Tanggu, his impression of me was the same as yours. There is an ancient Chinese saying that goes 'this time and that time'." The Japanese representative said: "I'm sorry, I didn't see you on the battlefield, but I heard that you killed many Chinese soldiers, such as Ji Hongchang." He Yingqin was not pleased, "A defeated general has no right to speak of bravery, pay attention to your identity." The Japanese stood at attention. He Yingqin let out a breath and said: "Ji Hongchang is a traitor to the country, his crime cannot be forgiven. Chinese people regard him as a hero; you Japanese also regard him as a hero, he is your enemy, I killed your enemy and you blame me instead, what kind of logic is this?"

  Death is unreasonable.

  In the autumn of 1928, in Hezhou Beiyuan, Ma Zhongying and Ji Hongchang both felt a sense of death. Ji Hongchang said: "In ancient times, when two armies faced each other, the generals would first look at each other with their eyes to see if they were dead or alive."

  Ji Hongchang and Ma Zhongying did not engage in hand-to-hand combat, but their eyes met through the telescope, and suddenly a fierce blood light burst out, and the entire hilltop turned red... The brave warriors' blood flowed freely, and the heads and limbs torn apart by the soldiers' blades seemed like fruits of the earth.

  Only five bodyguards were left beside General Ka. Ji Hongchang ordered the Big Knife Squad to charge up and capture Ma Zhongying alive. The Big Knife Squad climbed up the steep slope, one by one, and more and more of them came up. A Hezhou cavalryman with a wounded leg rolled on the ground, struggling to roll down the cliff, everyone seemed to have found an opening, one after another, all five bodyguards jumped down.

  The general lifted his leg and kicked down two national army soldiers who were pouncing on him, while walking towards the cliff and shouting: "You guys watch out for Lian Qing, this is Hei Hu Xing escaping, not jumping off the cliff to kill himself." The general took a leap of faith, and just like a sparrow turning its body, he disappeared.

  He's dead! He's dead! The National Revolutionary Army was a vast and dense crowd climbing to the top of the cliff, looking down, with corpses piled up below. Haha, Commander Ma Zhongying has fallen to his death! Ji Hongchang witnessed Ma Zhongying jumping off the cliff to commit suicide. General Ji was frozen in the telescope for a long time before uttering a sentence: "What a brave and fierce warrior, what a pity!" Li Canmou said: "He's only seventeen years old, and they call him Commander Ma." Ji Hongchang was shocked, "A seventeen-year-old kid dares to fight against Feng Yuxiang, this kid is something else." Li Canmou said: "Didn't our commander also defy General Feng when he was a soldier?" Back then, Feng Yuxiang stationed his troops in Henan and promoted Christianity within the army. During a drill, a young soldier stepped out of line and questioned Feng Yuxiang, "Christianity is a foreign religion, I'm Chinese and I don't believe in foreign religions." This startled everyone. Feng Yuxiang not only didn't scold him but praised the young man for his bravery and audacity to defy him. That young soldier was Ji Hongchang, who from then on became known as "Ji the Brave" throughout the army. He was nineteen years old at the time. "I was nineteen when I defied General Feng, this kid is seventeen and can rally a hundred men with one call, fighting against ten thousand."

  Ji Hongchang sighed, "This kid has a fate with me." Li Canmou said: "The commander's words are not auspicious, Ma Zhongying is dead, what fate do you have with him?" "Born to be a hero, died as a ghostly warrior, even if the person I admire is dead, he is still a fierce ghost."

  The news of Ma Zhongying's death in battle reached the Ninghai Army, and Ma Qi, Ma Lin, and Ma Bufang let out a sigh of relief. Everyone had a lot to say, but their mouths were dry and tasteless, and they were extremely disappointed. The guard standing at the gate said indifferently: "General Ma is dead." Ma Bufang said: "Say that again?" The guard said: "Ma Zhongying is dead." "Ma Zhongying was a bandit, all rebels are bandits, we are government soldiers, how can we call a bandit commander?" The guard stood at attention and repeatedly said yes.

  The various armies pursued the remnants of the defeated commander. The large banner reading "Black Tiger Absorbs Feng's Army" was carried on horseback, and the big grey horse galloped like a mad wind, running from one valley to another. The horse was searching for its master. The horse crossed the Dashar River, crossed the Tao River, and fled towards the Tibetan area of Lintan County. Unable to take the city of Hezhou, they entered the Tibetan area, and the commander's soul escaped into the Tibetan area. Wherever the grey horse ran, the defeated cavalrymen followed closely behind.

  The Northwest War situation was turned around by Ji Hongchang, the 11th Division transformed from weak to strong, becoming a powerful force, taking the initiative to attack and annihilate the remaining enemy. The Hezhou area was pacified. Liu Yufen personally came to Hezhou to commend Ji Hongchang and report the victory to Feng Yuxiang.

  Ji Hongchang didn't believe that Ma Zhongying was dead. Liu Yufen said, "Everyone saw him jump off the cliff with their own eyes, you saw it too." Ji Hongchang said, "His horse is still here, carrying the military flag and running around everywhere, something bad might happen again." Liu Yufen said, "Even if Ma Zhongying was alive, he would be a wild horse now." Ji Hongchang said, "Ma Zhongying used to stay in Qilian Mountain when he was young, there is a Divine Horse Valley there, the horses understand human nature, if the owner really died, the horse will stomp its hooves and cry out loudly."

  Ji Hongchang's words left a group of rough soldiers staring in amazement. Liu Yufen said, "Younger brother, it turns out you're a meticulous person! Ma Zhongying, that black tiger star, is unlucky to have met you, the tiger-slaying hero. He wanted to defeat Feng Yuxiang, defeat me, and defeat Zhao Xiping, but he missed Ji Hongchang. Any military leader knows that any oversight can be fatal. From now on, all military affairs in the northwest will be handled by you, younger brother. I'll vouch for you - do whatever you want!"

  Ji Hongchang was to lead the 11th Division into the Tibetan region, and Liu Yufen ordered all local officials in southern Gansu to obey Ji's commands.

  Ji Hongchang led his troops to Gannan in a mighty manner. Those staff members then said to Liu Yufen, "Isn't the power given to Ji Hongchang too great?" Liu Yufen said, "Ma Zhongying is a scourge who can rally hundreds with one call; among our Northwestern Army, who else can rival Ma Zhongying except for Ji Hongchang?"

  "Ji Hongchang was always arrogant and looked down on others, but after pacifying the Northwest, he became even more insufferable."

  "You young people haven't seen the time when we annihilated the White Wolf, back then our Northwestern Army was still a mixed brigade of the Northern Warlords government. Two hundred thousand Northern Warlord troops surrounded and annihilated the White Wolf, suffering defeat after defeat, even our Commander-in-Chief Feng was defeated several times, feeling frustrated in his heart."

  Just then, a new batch of recruits was enlisted in Henan, among whom was Ji Hongchang. He was big and strong, so he was made the squad leader. This guy rushed to the front line without knowing the depth, leading over ten people, bare-chested and wielding a large knife, charging forward, cutting down several of White Wolf's most powerful generals with one breath. In that battle, White Wolf was thoroughly defeated, Ji Hongchang won the title of "Bravest of the Three Armies", and Commander Feng promoted him from squad leader to regiment commander. White Wolf was just a Hui Muslim from Henan, who fled from Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to Shaanxi and was blocked by Ji Hongchang, resulting in the annihilation of his entire army." The young staff officers no longer dared to speak out.

  Bailang: also known as Bai Lang, a leader of peasant uprisings in the early years of the Republic of China, swept through Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu.

  The big grey horse carried the military flag and ran through every village and stronghold in Hezhou, those scattered cavalrymen were stirred up again, the big grey horse took the lead, passing through Tudimen Pass into the Tibetan area. This was the inevitable route after the failure of the Hui people's uprising in Hezhou, if they advanced, they would occupy Hezhou City, if they failed, they would enter the Tibetan area, entering the vast mountains and grasslands to gather strength and recover their energy, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

  More than 20,000 people gathered in the Grand Canyon, everyone quietly waiting. Everyone thought that the commander had hidden here early, and everyone stared at the dense forest and river, no one looked towards the Tudomen Pass. The military flag had been taken down from the big gray horse's body and inserted on the hillside. The big gray horse was exhausted, standing still on the grass for a long time, starting to eat grass, after eating its fill, it ran lightly. Everyone thought that the big gray horse went to the river to drink water, no one noticed.

  At dawn the next day, the sound of horseshoes echoed on the main road from Tudunmen. General Gao sat upright on his horse, full of energy. The sentry on the mountain top was the first to spot General Gao. Everyone woke up with a start and cheered. General Gao galloped up the slope like a whirlwind, reined in his grey horse, beaming with excitement, waving at everyone. The army set off, advancing along the valley towards Zhuoni County like a flood.

  Zhuoni County is the territory of Yang Ji Qing Tusi, and Yang Tusi received news from Lanzhou Liu Yufen that Ma Zhongying's remnants had fled into the Tibetan region. The Yang Tusi ordered the Tibetan soldiers to prepare for battle.

  There were several hundred Tibetan soldiers on the mountain, armed with spears and guns. The Tibetans' marksmanship was accurate, and they hit several of the cavalrymen in a row. The general ordered his men to retreat, but he himself rode forward alone. A Tibetan soldier fired a shot that hit a rock face, causing a massive boulder to fall. The general's horse began to gallop lightly, and the Tibetans' spears clattered loudly as they fired, but none of them hit their mark. The sound of the bullets whizzing through the air was crisp and clear, striking rocks and trees with a dull thud. The gray horse ran all the way up to the Tibetan soldiers, let out a long neigh, raised its front hooves in the air, and shook its mane. The general on its back seemed to be flying down from the sky like an eagle, causing the Tibetans to shout and flee in terror.

  The riders rushed to Zhuoni, and Yang Tusi observed with binoculars from his castle. A large team of riders ran out from the depths of the valley all the way to the foot of the city wall. One young rider led a horse out, making Yang Tusi's eyes widen. The Tibetan soldiers next to Yang Tusi fired their guns, but the young general below did not move, asking if Yang Tusi saw clearly. The Tibetan soldiers said: "We shot him with 100 guns and didn't kill him." Yang Tusi didn't believe that the Tibetan soldiers could hit the enemy in the dark night just by listening to the sound. The Tibetan soldiers started firing again, but after the gunfire, the young man and his big gray horse were still on the grassland at the foot of the city wall.

  Yang Tusi said: "I thought he was his substitute, but he really didn't die."

  Something astonishing happened. Yang Tusi didn't ride a horse, but walked out of the castle on foot, without bringing any soldiers or guards, holding two 79-style rifles and firing while walking. Every time he fired a shot, someone in the army fell off their horse. The army didn't move, and the horses that lost their riders ran away, galloping wildly, chasing after the fleeing souls. Only the people in the front row opened fire, and those who opened fire were killed immediately after the gunshot. They died cleanly and neatly, stirring the heart. Someone always replaced the dead. Yang Tusi's shooting posture was too beautiful. He had this skill: holding one rifle with one hand, resting the gunstock on his leg, clamping the gun barrel between his arm and body, freeing up a hand to pull the bolt, ejecting the shell, loading another bullet, and moving quickly to fire again. Ten riders fell to the west. After firing all the bullets in his rifles, Yang Tusi withdrew his guns and drew his waist knife, taking big strides forward. Two riders rushed towards him and were knocked down by his knife, splashing blood everywhere, also staining Yang Tusi's face red. When he killed the third rider, his knife blade was bent, heated by the hot blood. The bent knife stabbed into the third rider's body like a white fish entering the ocean, and the surging waves surprised Yang Tusi. This exquisite Tibetan knife had killed countless fierce beasts and beheaded hundreds of people with ease - what kind of flesh and blood was this? Was it the legendary Guardian Diamond Warrior or the magic of King Gesar? Yang Tusi shouted loudly: "Are you King Gesar? I want to fight a great battle with King Gesar for 300 rounds!"

  Gesar King: Hero of Tibetan Mythological Epic

  The general heard clearly that there would be a big battle in 300 rounds, the general stood up on his horseback, his eyes shining brightly, and asked everyone with a sideways glance, "What is Yang Tusi shouting?"

  "It's time for a showdown, just like in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, we'll have a fierce battle that lasts 300 rounds."

  "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah...!" General Gesar looked up at the sky and let out a long, loud whinny like a fine horse, repeatedly exclaiming: "Good, good, good! Yang Jiqing, you're a real man, Grandpa respects you, you really are my grandpa!" General Gesar jumped down from his horse's back with a thud. His mind was full of stories about the Three Kingdoms, Outlaws of the Marsh, and other legendary tales. He had never heard of King Gesar before, so he felt very excited and fresh. Afraid to miss this great opportunity, he almost tumbled over in his haste to rush forward.

  "I am the Wang you mentioned, I am the Wang you mentioned."

  Two people clashed together with a loud crash, sparks flying everywhere, the result of clashing blades. The blades bit into each other, quickly becoming saw-toothed and old. The two people were boiling with rage, so they threw aside their old blades, stretched out their fists, and began pounding away like drumming on cowhide drums, punching and kicking. The two people soon became like leopards and wolves, emitting fierce growls from their throats, "Hng! Hng! Hng!" The sound was long and drawn-out, echoing all the way to the bottom of the earth. Their feet stomped out cracks in the ground, causing everyone to retreat backward, retreating up the mountain slope, searching for a place with large rocks, stretching their necks to look down at the scene below. The entire crowd was silent as can be, only the sound of eyes blinking and the flash of light shooting out like lightning.

  "Hey, Ma Chao!"

  "Hey, Gesar!"

  Rip! Rip! The clothes tore into shreds and fell to the ground, soon revealing a fine physique, and the boots were also kicked off.

  "White Wolf!"

  Both sides of the formation shouted like thunder, as if whoever shouted "White Wolf" first would be the master. A hero has nine lives like a cat. Who can believe in the death of a hero? Someone shouted: "Our White Wolf! Our White Wolf!"

  "Our White Wolf! Our White Wolf!"

  The shouting from both sides merged together, even more terrifying than thunder. The place was a mountainous region, with the sky low and curved, and as it curved, it burst into a loud rumble, rolling down large hailstones, which the locals called "cold pellets". The cold pellets exploded on the ground like bombs, creating hole after hole, densely packed, even splitting open rocks. The two warriors were almost knocked unconscious, with swollen bumps on their heads, red and inflamed, and their bodies covered in bruises. The two warriors stopped fighting, you hit me once, I hit you once, and then Old Heaven intervened, making it pointless to continue fighting.

  Many people were injured.

  Yang Tusi later died a heroic death. The Red Army's Long March passed through the Ando Tibetan region, and Yang Tusi provided tens of thousands of kilograms of grain to support the Red Army in its time of great difficulty. Since leaving the vast lands of Jiangnan, this starving army ate their fill for the first time, and with renewed energy defeated the Gansu warlord Lu Daichang, then devoured an entire division led by Hu Zongnan without stopping to rest, and entered northern Shaanxi with ease.

  Chiang Kai-shek bore a deep grudge against Yang Tusi and secretly ordered Lu Da-chang to think of every possible way to get rid of him.

  At that time, the Korean army led by Han Jinluo had poor military discipline. The officers and soldiers rushed into Yangtze River's territory, set fire to this large temple, and various rare Buddhist scriptures stored since the Ming Dynasty were reduced to ashes. The commander was furious and demanded that Han execute battlefield discipline. Han shouted: "Who dares to move my soldiers? Burning a few houses didn't hurt anyone."

  "If you don't do it, I'll do it."

  The general grasped the flag bearer of the Korean commander from horseback, pulled out a Hezhou short sword, and with one spin at his neck, his head was severed and thrown to the ground.

  "Cutting off your commander is the same as cutting off your head, considering you are a leader of one regiment, I will spare you this once. If there is another violation of military discipline, don't make me dirty my hands again or tarnish our weapons, just use your belt to strangle yourself."

  Han's brigade commander only dared to roll his eyes, but didn't dare speak. The cavalrymen from Xining all listened to Han's orders. As soon as the general left, everyone started shouting: "We haven't even taken Hezhou City, and now we're fleeing to Tibet to become monks and saints? We've really become saints! Damn it, originally we were hoping to make a fortune!" Everyone shouted like this, making Han's brigade commander anxious, so he asked everyone, "Do you want to get rich?"

  "Almost driven mad by thinking."

  Everyone pats their chest, with a heart that wants to make a fortune inside.

  "Travel far, listen to you, you say how to do it and we'll do it."

  Han Luozhi pointed east with his whip and said, "From ancient times to the present, I'd rather move an inch eastward than take a step westward. Today, I'll lead everyone to a good place."