Chapter Forty-Four: Strong Combination

  "Commander Zhao of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army has sent someone to request an audience with General Ma!" Zhao Xiao Feng said, holding up a letter to Ma Zhan Shan's guard.

  "Northeast Anti-Japanese Army?" The guard was startled, but he immediately took the note from Zhao Xiaofeng's hand and ran in quickly.

  "Report!" Ma Zhan-shan's deputy officer Tang Feng-jia immediately came forward with the letter.

  "Come in!" Ma Zhan Shan was startled by him. He had just received the news that Japan would greatly increase its troops in Northeast China, and he was anxious in his heart.

  "General Ma! Someone has come to see you on behalf of Commander Zhao of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army!" Tang Fengjia immediately said, holding up the letter.

  "What? The Northeast Anti-Japanese Army?" Ma Zhan-shan immediately stepped forward two steps, took the letter and scanned it, pondering to himself: "Aren't they active in Fengtian? Why have they come to Heilongjiang now? Could it be that Fengtian...?" In fact, he had already learned about the heroic deeds of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army from intelligence reports, as well as the mysterious legend of Zhao Xiao-feng. So, he immediately ordered his deputy: "Let's go! We'll go see them!"

  Zhao Xiaofeng wore ordinary civilian clothes, but inside he was wearing a spacesuit. In fact, he was also afraid of the blade's edge being invisible.

  The stone at the door looked around and bumped into him, saying: "He's here!"

  Zhao Xiaofeng immediately turned his head to look, and saw that Ma Zhanshan was about 40 years old, but his face was full of cleverness and skill, with a thick and dense black mustache.

  Ma Zhan Shan also quickly sized up the newcomer: This was a young man of about twenty years old, strong and powerful, with an extraordinary air about him. Behind him followed two subordinates, one tall and majestic, the other small and lean.

  "What's your surname, brother?" Ma Zhanshan couldn't help but feel suspicious upon seeing these three people. How come all of them look like bandits?

  "Haha!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately laughed and said: "General Ma! This isn't a place for conversation, can we talk inside?"

  "Please!......" Ma Zhan Shan immediately made a gesture.

  "General Ma! I've long admired you. I am Zhao Xiaofeng!" Only then did Zhao Xiaofeng speak, upon entering General Ma's study.

  "Ah!" Ma Zhan Shan never dreamed that the young man in front of him, who was only in his twenties, would be the famous commander-in-chief of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army and the newly appointed Major General of the National Government!

  Seeing Ma Zhan Shan's surprised look, Zhao Xiao Feng immediately introduced: "This tall one is Shi Li, the regimental commander of my anti-Japanese army, and this lean one is Cao Shang Fei, the deputy regimental commander of my army!"

  "Ah! Oh!" Ma Zhan Shan finally came to his senses, but his heart was filled with doubts, cautiously looking at the three of them, secretly thinking: "What are they doing here? Why did only three people come?"

  Zhao Xiaofeng knew what doubts were in Ma Zhanshan's mind and immediately told him the current situation of Fengtian.

  "What?" Ma Zhan Shan exclaimed: "You're going to hand over Fengtian City to **?"

  Zhao Xiaofeng smiled and said: "That's right! Otherwise, how could I have arrived in Heilongjiang to fight side by side with General Ma?"

  "This! Isn't that inappropriate?" Ma Zhan Shan said: "I heard the Nanjing government has promoted you to general, how can you hand over Fengtian City to **?"

  "Nanjing government? Ha!" Zhao Xiaofeng sneered, "What have they sacrificed for our Northeastern resistance war? One soldier? One bullet? One piece of silver or one grain of rice? Ha!"

  "This!……" Ma Zhan Shan took a deep breath, actually he had said these words many times in his mind, but never dared to speak out loud in public. Now hearing Zhao Xiao Feng's words, he couldn't help but secretly exclaim: "Refreshing!" To change the subject, Ma Zhan Shan immediately asked: "I don't know why Commander Zhao has come this time?"

  "The Japanese will surely attack Heilongjiang in November this year. I have come to discuss countermeasures with General Ma!" Zhao Xiaofeng said.

  "What?" Ma Zhan Shan was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself: "How did you know the Japanese would attack Heilongjiang in November?" But he didn't say it out loud.

  Zhao Xiaofeng guessed his doubts and immediately explained: "We have reliable intelligence from various intelligence agencies, recently the Japanese have recruited 150,000 troops from the Korean battlefield and domestically to our Northeastern battlefield, and they have already divided into three routes. One route continues to besiege Shenyang City; one route starts attacking Liaoning and Jilin provinces, and another route of 50,000 troops will attack Heilongjiang in a very short time!"

  "What?" Ma Zhan Shan was shocked, he didn't know any of this intelligence. But he immediately reacted and asked: "How many troops did Commander Zhao bring with him?"

  "One thousand two hundred elite soldiers!" Zhao Xiaofeng said confidently.

  "Twelve thousand? We have a few thousand men, the entire Heilongjiang is just thirty or forty thousand, while the enemy has fifty thousand? This...?" Ma Zhan Shan remained silent for half a moment.

  "These twelve hundred men I'm not ready to use lightly for now!" Zhao Xiao Feng said: "Can't let the Japanese know in advance that my troops have arrived at Jiang Bridge!"

  "Understood! Understood!" Ma Zhan Shan replied absent-mindedly, but suddenly his heart lit up: "Having something is better than having nothing! Besides, the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army has already developed throughout the entire Northeast region. They won't just sit back and watch their commander get into danger, will they? And besides, our own weapons are outdated, tattered, and backward. I heard that the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army has taken control of the arsenal in Fengtian - what a great thing!"

  "Commander Zhao, how will you support our resistance war in Heilongjiang?" Ma Zanshan asked straightforwardly.

  "Most of my troops will be ambushing in the three-room line!" Zhao Xiao Feng had not finished speaking, when Ma Zhan Shan exclaimed: "The unidentified army near the three-room house is Commander Zhao's troops?"

  "Yes!" Zhao Xiao Feng was also startled and immediately nodded.

  "Bad! Deputy officer!" Ma Zanshan immediately shouted: "Hurry up and call back Salipu's cavalry, say it's our own army!"

  "Yes!" Tang Fengjia immediately went out the door and left.

  "What?" Zhao Xiaofeng asked in puzzlement.

  "Haha! …" Ma Zhan Shan laughed and said: "Almost flooded the Dragon King Temple! Family members don't recognize their own family members! I received intelligence that a secret unit has entered our three-room neighborhood and is hiding in the mountains. I'm afraid it's a Japanese ambush, and I've already ordered the cavalry to surround and annihilate them!"

  "Hah!" Zhao Xiao Feng forced a smile, he had thought his troops were well hidden, but didn't realize they almost blew their cover! In fact, this just goes to show Ma Zhan Shan's vigilance.

  "Alright!" Ma Zhan Shan nodded and said: "Since Commander Zhao already has a plan, then let's talk about your ideas!"

  "I've prepared three battalions of troops to ambush in three locations, and I've ordered each division to send their elite forces to Heilongjiang to assist in the battle. But for now, I don't want to reveal my identity yet, I want to give the Japanese a surprise!" Zhao Xiao Feng said with a smile.

  "This is easy!" Ma Zhan Shan hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "How about serving as a combat advisor under me first?"

  "Good!" Zhao Xiaofeng nodded and said.

  When Ma Zanshan heard Zhao Xiaofeng's words, a stone in his heart finally fell to the ground! He knew that this Zhao Xiaofeng was now the commander of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army, and even if he followed the Nationalist Party's military rank, he was also a lieutenant general and division commander. Ma Zanshan was only a lieutenant general and brigade commander, so he had to be inferior to him by one grade. When he learned that Zhao Xiaofeng did not show any dissatisfaction, Ma Zanshan immediately smiled and said: "Commander Zhao! I am older than you by several years. If the Commander is not disgusted, let's become sworn brothers!"

  "Brother!" Zhao Xiaofeng was stunned and thought to himself: "Why are they so eager to become sworn brothers at this time?"

  Seeing Zhao Xiaofeng's surprised look, Ma Zhanshan immediately laughed and said: "Commander Zhao is young and promising, I, Ma Zhanshan, am indeed a bit out of reach! Haha!"

  Actually, Ma Zhan Shan was originally from a greenwood background, so he didn't bother with trivial matters.

  "Haha!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately laughed and said: "Big brother, don't say that! I'm still young and there are many things I need to learn from big brother, hoping big brother can give me more guidance in the future!"

  "Where! Where!" Ma Zhan Shan humbly dragged a few words and immediately asked: "Brother, if the Japanese attack Heilongjiang, how should we fight this battle?"

  "Let's go! Big brother, let's go to the front line and take a look first!" Zhao Xiao Feng smiled but didn't respond.

  "Good! But...!" Ma Zhan Shan hesitated for a moment, he wanted to know if this Zhao Xiao Feng was really as formidable as the legend had it, so he asked: "Where will the enemy attack from? Where is considered the front line?"

  "Jiangqiao!" Zhao Xiaofeng said firmly.

  "Jiangqiao!" Ma Zhanshan immediately burst out laughing, "Great minds think alike!"

  Jiang Bridge, built in 1920, is a large iron bridge on the Nenjiang River in the northeast of Taile County, Heilongjiang Province. It is an important transportation route to Longjiang, so it is a place where enemies and we must contend.

  At that time, this area was called "Haragth" in Mongolian, meaning "black cliff". Therefore, when the bridge was first built, it was called "Haragth Bridge". In 1926, the Tongliao to Ang'angxi Railway opened and Jiangqiao Station was set up here, hence the name Jiangqiao.

  Zhao Xiaofeng stood at the highest point of the river bridge and looked down, committing all the surrounding terrain to memory.

  Ma Zhan Shan said: "The climate and terrain on the north bank of the river are very favorable for our defending troops."

  "Hmm!" Zhao Xiao Feng nodded and said: "Except for the railway line in front, it's all marshland. Because of the warm weather this year, the river has not frozen yet, and the mud on the riverbank is very deep; On the right flank, there are water bubbles and marshes, infantry and cavalry can't get out once they fall in, they can only wait to be shot, the possibility of the enemy attacking from the right flank is small, this is the natural barrier of the north bank position; On the left flank, not far from the riverbank, there are several highlands that can be used for combat. I think, apart from a frontal attack, the enemy is most likely to attack the highlands on the left flank!"

  "Good! Good!" Ma Zhan Shan and his chief of staff Xie Ke, deputy officer Tang Feng Jia applauded together: "Commander Zhao indeed has the talent of a great general!"

  Xie Ke also praised: "General Ma and Commander Zhao's ideas coincided, it was really the will of heaven! It seems that the Japanese want to conquer Heilongjiang, that is not possible!"

  Zhao Xiaofeng smiled slightly, looked for a while longer, and finally let out a loud breath, muttering: "Alright! The Japanese army will never take Heilongjiang!"

  Zhao Xiaofeng knew that in order for the Heilongjiang Provincial Army to defend its provincial capital, it had to hold onto Jiangqiao. Jiangqiao would be the focal point of contention between the two armies, so he already had a plan in mind.

  This ordinary railway bridge over the Nen River became famous in later historical accounts due to its special location.