Chapter Eighteen: Reoccupying Xing'an

  In the pitch-black night, a strange team marched silently, with their spearheads pointing directly at Xing'an. There were no torches, no voices, only the sound of warriors' breathing and the neighing of horses...

  One li ahead of the team was still Liu Hua's proud reconnaissance company, which had been promoted to a reconnaissance battalion. That was the old reconnaissance company of the Red Tenth Regiment, with rich combat experience.

  Liu Xiaogang led dozens of soldiers under his command, constantly changing formations and alternating cover to advance. Soon, the outline of a county city wall appeared vaguely in their line of sight.

  On the city wall, teams of patrolling soldiers walked by from time to time. Every few meters, a torch was erected, illuminating the city wall brightly. This was Xing'an County City. Liu Xiaogang saw that the enemy's defense was so tight and couldn't help but shake his head.

  "A row of long, you continue to investigate the enemy situation, I'll go find the captain to report the situation, be careful not to startle the snake in the grass." Liu Xiaogang reminded.

  "Captain, the reconnaissance platoon has arrived at the foot of Xing'an City. The first squad of the reconnaissance company is hiding under the city wall. The enemy's defense in the county seat is extremely tight, and it seems that a regiment is defending the county seat."

  "Commissar, it seems the enemy was intimidated by our last surprise attack. The defensive troops have increased to a whole regiment. The Xiang Army really looks down on us and has even sent us more weapons, haha..." Regimental Commander laughed as he reported to Acting Commissar Li Qing.

  "Captain, after all the enemy is a whole regiment, we can't take them lightly!" Li Qing, although admiring Liu Hua very much, still cautiously reminded him that the enemy was a whole regiment.

  Liu Hua looked at the serious face of the political commissar and stopped smiling, thinking quietly.

  "Captain, why don't we go around Xing'an County instead?" Li Qing reminded him, looking at the captain's furrowed brow.

  "Go around, why? That's a team's equipment! Don't be stingy, besides, last time we went to Xing'an, we didn't even dig up some floating wealth. You know our troops lack funds, and Xing'an is a rich county that has never been occupied by the Red Army, it must be rich beyond measure."

  Looking at Liu Hua's greedy eyes, Li Qing almost burst out laughing. Is this what the captain of the main team is saying? It's simply...

  "Squad leader, you tell us how to fight! That's an enemy battalion!" Li Qing said, clearing his head.

  "Let's launch a surprise attack. Aren't there many National Army soldiers among our captives and the new recruits who just joined the Red Army? We'll disguise ourselves as a battalion of the Central Army's 112th Regiment, escorting Communist prisoners. You see, we know their password, and they're afraid of us because we're from the Central Army. After entering the city, Chen's Second Battalion will mainly be responsible for arresting the county magistrate, police chief, and others. Many people in his battalion are familiar with Xing'an. The rest of you will surround the enemy army headquarters and troops with me, disarm them as much as possible, and execute those who resist according to battlefield discipline."

  "The surprise attack troops will use the guard company and reconnaissance company, all wearing Central Army uniforms. The captives will be disguised as our wounded soldiers. Execute immediately, and assemble outside the city two miles away half an hour later. Other troops will enter the city immediately after resolving the troops on the city wall. Try not to use guns during the surprise attack."

  Watching several battalion commanders walk away one by one, Liu Hua suddenly called out "Chen Geming, stay behind for a moment."

  Looking at Liu Hua's clear arrangement of tasks in such a short time, Li Qing couldn't help but sigh: "What an invaluable general!"

  "Director Li! Director Li! What's wrong?" Liu Hua patted Li Qing's shoulder to remind him, looking at the dazed director.

  "Hey, it's nothing! Nothing! Captain, what is it?" Li Qing reacted with embarrassment.

  "Commissar, there really is something you need to go take care of!"

  "Squad leader, just say what's on your mind!" Li Qing said seriously to Liu Hua.

  "Commissar, after the second battalion goes to capture the county magistrate and others, I want you to follow the second battalion. After capturing those people, be sure to dig out their ill-gotten gains and make them spit out all the money they've extorted from the local villagers. Leave all the silver and gold behind and hand it over to you for safekeeping. Take a portion of the grain and distribute the rest to the common people. After the war, I will select some soldiers to form a logistics unit, and I want you to act as their proxy first, how about that?"

  "Comrade Captain, can I guarantee the completion of the task?" Li Qing said excitedly. After all, funds are crucial to the Red Army troops. Since the captain has entrusted him with this task, it means that the captain does not regard him as a mere figurehead, but truly believes in him. How could he not be excited?

  Looking at the guards and scouts who had changed their equipment in front of him, Liu Hua loudly commanded:

  "Everyone has it, running and walking."

  "Platoon leader, look! A group of people are running over there!" a small soldier standing on the city wall shouted to the platoon leader who was warming up in the gatehouse.

  "It's freezing cold, can't even sleep, what else? If you fake military news, see how I'll deal with you!" He muttered to himself as he walked away.

  "Platoon leader, look! The ones carrying torches are almost at the city gate." The little soldier pointed hastily as he saw the platoon leader approaching.

  "Loudmouth, I'm not blind, with so many torches, can't I see?" Pai Chang held up the binoculars and took a look. A team of soldiers wearing Central Army uniforms were running towards them in an orderly manner.

  Pai Chang was startled and hastily shouted: "Quickly go out of the city to see what's going on!" While speaking, he ran. He didn't want to provoke the Central Army, after all, the Central Army was Chiang Kai-shek's elite troops, and they couldn't be trifled with.

  Seeing the soldiers of the Central Army stopped, the squad leader hastily went forward and said: "I don't know which officer is wrong, what's the honorable business here?"

  Paichang looked at the team leader and said with a flattering tone.

  "We are from the 112th Regiment of the Central Army, and under the order of our regiment commander, we are escorting some prisoners to be detained in Xing'an County. After the war is over, we will send them back. Our main force has already crossed the river to pursue the Communist army. I hope you can make an exception for us, brother." Liu Hua replied with a smile.

  "Where? Where, it turned out to be the brothers of the 112th regiment! Come on in, come on in!" Looking at the Communist prisoners they were escorting, the squad leader's eyes widened. You know, catching a Communist prisoner now is worth a lot of silver, while he himself could only drool.

  At that moment, he didn't know that Liu Hua's scouting team had quietly surrounded the Hunan army on duty, waiting for their commander to give the order.

  Liu Hua saw that his men were in position, and immediately turned around, pointing the rifle at the stunned company commander. The company commander felt ambushed, just about to shout when a pistol was pressed against his mouth, he could only stare at the regimental commander of the Central Army with terrified eyes, had the Hunan army started fighting the Central Army again? The answer was quickly revealed.

  "We are the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. You have been surrounded. Surrender immediately." Liu Hua shouted loudly.

  "Hurry, put down your weapons," the platoon leader who was being held at gunpoint by Liu Hua urged anxiously, fearing that his own life would be lost due to the Communist officer's displeasure, and hastily ordered his subordinates.

  Liu Hua looked at the queue and saw how well-behaved everyone was, put away his own pistol, and said with a smile.

  "Not bad, is there anyone who wants to make amends and help me finish the task? I'll give each of you 10 big dollars." As soon as the Hunan Army prisoners heard the Red Army officer's words, they immediately showed greedy eyes and agreed.

  Soon, all troops were divided into several prisoners of war, and under their leadership, the troops occupied various key points in the city with ease.

  Lao Sun and others, under the leadership of the captives, quickly surrounded the military camp. Looking at the Xiang Army's military camp, Lao Sun sighed: "The Xiang Army has not been beaten yet, and there is not even a sentry patrolling the camp."

  This is not the Xiang Army being careless, after all, they were in the rear and had city walls and patrol soldiers on the walls. Even if * came to launch a surprise attack, they would have time to prepare. They didn't even arrange for sentries, and after dinner, everyone returned to their camp to rest.

  Such a good opportunity, how can Old Sun and others give up? Immediately assign tasks.

  Soon, the military camp was easily occupied by Lao Sun and others. In many places, the enemy had not even woken up before all their weapons were seized. Faced with the dark muzzles of guns, they could only surrender. However, fierce battles also broke out in some areas. It turned out that many people in Chen Dazhong's battalion of the Sixth Regiment were originally prisoners who had been captured and then escaped. During the surprise attack, they made a loud noise and were discovered by the enemy, leading to a battle that lasted until the First Regiment arrived as reinforcements and eliminated the enemy.

  This battle annihilated an enemy regiment, eliminating over 400 people, capturing more than 800 people, and seizing countless weapons and ammunition. Looking at the piled-up weapons and ammunition, Old Sun Zhao Dahai was unmoved, as they had followed Liu Hua for a long time and seen many battles before. However, the newly appointed battalion commanders were excited, as this was their first victory since the Long March, and the first time they saw so many spoils of war! From then on, they admired Liu Hua even more, eventually becoming his top generals.

  At this time, Liu Hua led the guard company to investigate and rushed to the regiment headquarters under the leadership of the Hunan Army squad leader. At this time, the Hunan Army Regiment Commander Hu Jun was holding a local girl sent by the county magistrate and sleeping soundly, suddenly awakened by a burst of gunfire.

  "Commander, Commander, it's bad! The Central Army has entered the city!" A staff officer rushed into Hu Jun's bedroom in a hurry, even forgetting to knock on the door.

  "What? What are you saying? The Central Army has broken in?" The regimental commander looked at his chief of staff with a puzzled expression.

  "Comrade Commander, something's gone wrong! The Central Army is attacking us. The gunfire just now was from the direction of the military camp. I saw a battalion of Central Army troops rushing towards our headquarters." The staff officer repeated in detail.

  "What? A camp? Quickly let the guard company defend, quickly!" Just as Hu Jun was shouting loudly, a "bang" sound of kicking the door came to his ears.

  "Don't move, surrender your guns and you won't be killed. You are surrounded." Hu Jun raised his head to see the dark muzzles of guns pointed at him, held by soldiers from the Central Army.

  "I don't know which department you belong to. Why are you attacking the Xiang Army?" Hu Jun asked in a low voice, still with a hint of luck.

  "We are the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Surrender your arms and we will spare your lives."

  Hearing this sentence, Hu Jun suddenly fainted.