Volume 1: Red Star Shining Over China Chapter 52: Sweeping Across Southeastern Guizhou (5)

  Different from ordinary people's thoughts. Wang Fugui, who once yearned to be a soldier, is eager for war. Think about it, without war, where would there be so many division commanders and brigade commanders? Didn't Chairman Wang also rise from being a salt carrier? If not for the chaos of the early Republic of China, could he have become the king of Guizhou? The old saying goes well: "The times create heroes." Now is the best time to produce heroes! If the timing is right, and you encounter Red Bandits, take them down. Who knows, maybe you'll even capture a Red Bandit army commander or division commander. In that case, wouldn't Chairman Wang have to let you manage Shibing County for him? If things go well, it's even possible to control all of southeastern Guizhou! At that time, it won't just be about abducting ordinary Miao women, Han women, and Yao women. You'll directly go to Nanjing to abduct foreign women!

  Think of the Guizhou troops who fled from Jianhe and Shibi yesterday. Wang Fugui thought they were a bunch of fools, born to be cannon fodder. A group of Red Bandits could scare them like that. What a waste of Chairman Wang's bullets and rations! If he were a regimental commander or division commander himself, he would definitely beat the Red Bandits until they wet their pants. Why bother running?!

  The more excited Wang Fugui became, the more he led his troops to an ambush at a mountain pass, waiting for the Red Bandits to take the bait.

  It's really what you think it is. Wang Fugui's team had just hidden well, when they saw 12 soldiers walking along the highway, wearing gray military uniforms with a red dot on their hats. This must be the legendary Red Bandits. They look pretty ordinary though. Why did those regular Guizhou troops run away so fast? Idiots! Look at me! "The opportunity to get rich has arrived. In a moment, these 12 Red Bandits will pass by here. We'll rush down and capture them, then exchange them for tobacco."

  As they watched, the Red Bandit was about to arrive. Wang Fugui raised his pistol and fired two shots into the air. "Brothers!" he shouted loudly. "Catch the Red Bandit!" A group of people rushed down from the hillside.

  Wang Fugui thought he could. He shouted loudly, and the Red Bandits should have been scared away long ago. They chased after them, several people pinned one down, tied him up, and it would be a great success. But things didn't go as Wang Fugui had imagined.

  Hearing the shouts and gunfire, those 12 red bandits not only didn't run away but quickly lay down and raised their guns to shoot at the militia team rushing down the mountain. What's most hateful is that the two rifles of the red bandits can fire continuously, with a dozen bullets coming out in one go. In an instant, more than 20 of Wang Fugui's militiamen were killed. The militiamen didn't dare to charge forward again and turned around to run back.

  Wang Fugui took a look. The team ran away like this, didn't they become the defeated Guizhou army of yesterday? This can't be done. I don't believe 60 people can't beat 12 people. He raised his handgun and fired two more shots, killing the two guys who were leading the escape. Then he shouted: "No running allowed! Whoever runs will be shot dead! Everyone get down and fire at the Red Bandits!"

  The devils didn't dare to run away anymore. They crawled on the ground and fired randomly at the opposite side. The red bandits' machine guns also stopped firing. They only used rifles and exchanged fire with the devils. However, those guns were accurate, and two or three shots could take a life.

  King Fugui looked at the fewer and fewer living people around him. He began to be afraid in his heart. Mother, after a while, is it my turn to get shot? Let others do whatever team leader or brigade leader. Shu Bing, Qian Dongnan, let others take care of Chairman Wang instead. I just need to take care of this small place called Double Well. Run! If you're late... Don't mention grabbing foreign beauties, don't mention grabbing Miao girls, Han girls, Yao girls... You might even lose your own wife to someone else. Thinking of this, King Fugui suddenly jumped up from the ground and ran while shouting: "Brothers, run quickly! Running fast means life, running slow means death! Run!"

  Ran a few steps and felt something was wrong. Why didn't I hear the brothers respond? Turned my head to look around, where are the living people? Raised my head again, oh my god! When did the highway mountain pass have red bandits standing on both sides? Where can I run to?

  "Die and go to hell!" This thought suddenly came up. Wang Fugui's pistol was aimed at the red bandit. Before he could fire a second shot, several bullets simultaneously hit his body. The evil-looking militia district chief fell straight down to the ground.

  It's no wonder that Wang Fugui's militia team had poor combat effectiveness. The key is that he encountered the wrong opponent. He was up against the reconnaissance squad of the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Division of the Red Army. Let alone his 60-man militia team, even a platoon or company from the Central Army wouldn't stand a chance. Since its establishment, the Red Army has never been afraid of anyone.

  Wang Fugui and Hong Yituan's vanguard regiment, the Qu. In the battle history of the Red First Regiment, not a single word was recorded about this regiment. However, the local Miao people have been passing down the story of how the Red Army got rid of the scourge of Wang for them.

  December 18. The First, Third, Fifth and Ninth Armies of the Red Army marched into Zhongshan and Huangping areas via Jianhe and Taipan. The Central Revolutionary Military Commission adjusted its deployment. The First and Third Armies rushed to attack Huangping City, with the Military Commission column following; the Fifth Army captured Shibing City, and the Ninth Army captured Zhenyuan.

  At this time, Xue Yue, the commander of the pursuit army in Hunan Province, had just received a telegram from the chairman to advance into Guizhou. He was thinking about how to do so when he met with some guests from his hometown. His father had named him Xue Yue after Yue Fei, but later changed it to Xue Yue. During Chen Jiongming's rebellion, Xue Yue served as a regiment commander in the National Revolutionary Army and once protected Soong Ching-ling from danger. He later became a division commander and followed Zhang Fakui in opposing Chiang Kai-shek. After being recommended by Chen Cheng, he joined Chiang's camp. From the Fifth Encirclement Campaign to the Long March, Xue Yue led the Central Army in hot pursuit, chasing the Red Army all the way from Jiangxi to the Hunan-Guizhou border. In history, Xue Yue became famous for his resistance against Japan and was considered second to none in the Nationalist army ranks.

  The situation is now very clear. The main force of the Red Army has turned to Guizhou, while Wang Jialie's main force is in Tongren area at the junction of Xiangxi. Relying solely on the southern bank of Wujiang River and the eastern part of Guiyang, the Qian army cannot stop the Red Army's attack. As for our own pursuit and suppression troops, He Jian has suffered a great loss. Now, he is even more reluctant to send troops, citing the severe bandit situation in Xiangxi as an excuse. Bai Chongxi doesn't know what to do and has retreated to the north of Guangxi. Chen Jitang also does not move. In the end, our pursuit and suppression troops only have 1 million central troops. This is also good, so that in the future, the Guangdong army and Hunan army will not affect our actions to seize power in Guizhou.

  It's better to let the troops stationed at a higher place and see further. The order clearly stated that they should go straight to Guiyang. As for the Red Army, let Wang Jialie and the Sichuan army, which is about to move, deal with them. It's best if they all die, so as not to affect the plan of unifying the political and military orders under the leadership of the Chairman.

  Calculate the route, calculate the time. If we set out tomorrow, by the time we arrive at Shibing and Huangping, the Red Bandits should have already crossed the Wujiang River. With our own army of 100,000, we can take a shortcut along the southern bank of the Wujiang River to Guiyang. Once we occupy Guiyang, we can force Wang Jialie to surrender. Then, we can calmly arrange the mop-up operation against the bandits. Anyway, the Red Bandits are now at a dead end and have nowhere to go, not even to heaven. It's best if the Red Bandits run ahead and we follow behind, letting them clear the way for us. If they go to Sichuan, we'll follow and occupy Sichuan. If they go to Yunnan, we'll follow and occupy Yunnan. If we can also take Guangxi, Guangdong, Qinghai, Ningxia, Gansu, and Xinjiang, what a great achievement that would be!

  At this thought, Xue Yue couldn't help but feel elated. He loudly commanded: "Pass down my orders! Immediately convene a combat meeting and notify all regimental commanders to attend!"

  Huangping is a historic and cultural city in southeastern Guizhou. The mountains are majestic and the water is beautiful. The forest is deep and the valley is secluded. The old state ancient city in the west of the county seat was the capital of the "Qi" and "Lan" states during the Spring and Autumn period. In the Miao language, the old state means imperial city. Anti-Golden hero Shi Kefa studied in Huangping when he was young. The mother of the great writer Guo Moruo was born here. According to historical records, there were 29 jinshi and 251 juren produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties, making it a place known for its literary elegance.

  Huangping is a transportation hub and strategic location. By land, it connects to Guiyang in the west and Zunyi in the north. By water, it can directly reach Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. During the Anti-Japanese War period, General Chen Nade's Flying Tigers took off from Huangping Old State Airport to intercept Japanese warplanes.

  Historically, during the Red Army's Long March. On December 26th, which was also Mao Zedong's 41st birthday. In Huangping, a fierce battle broke out between the Red Army and the Fourth Regiment of Du Zhuohua's Second Division of the Guizhou Army. The Red Army suffered several casualties, while over 200 defenders from the Guizhou Army were killed or wounded. Later, the enemy discovered they were surrounded and retreated towards the direction of Chongqing.

  Due to Liu Yimin's arrival, the enemy's pursuit troops retreated, and the defending troops defended. This allowed the Red Army's main force to have no worries about its rear, and it could boldly sweep across southeastern Guizhou. Meanwhile, the Second Division of Wang Jialie's direct lineage, which was the main force of the Wang family, was still on its way back from Tongren in the west. As a result, the Battle of Huangping, which took place 7 days earlier than in history, was not as intense as it originally was.

  December 19th, early morning. The main forces of the Red First Army and the Red Third Army arrived at Huangping East's Huangpiao. Then, they divided into four routes to attack Huangping. The Red Third Army captured the mountain slope three kilometers east of the county town. The Fifteenth Regiment and Cadre Regiment of the Red First Army took the eastern gate of the city directly along the Xiang-Qi highway. The Second Regiment bypassed Zhoujia Mountain, Lijiayuan, Gaobangtian, and attacked the rear street of the county town. The First Regiment bypassed the mountain slope and occupied the mountain heads in Maoli Garden and Banhe areas southeast of Huangping.

  A thick fog enveloped Huangping in the early morning. People's shadows could not be seen 10 meters away. Under the cover of the dense fog, the Red Army troops quickly advanced towards their predetermined target.

  The garrison of Huangping was the 7th and 8th regiments of the 4th Division of Guizhou Army led by Zhou Fangren, who retreated from Liping and Jianhe to enter the city of Huangping. They received a stern order from Wang Jialie: Hold Huangping at all costs. If Huangping is lost, military law will be applied.

  No way. Zhou Fangren had to set up a defense with a hard scalp. Originally, he only had two regiments in his division, and the troops were already insufficient. In addition, more than 700 people from the Red First Regiment were captured at Wuerhe Five-li Bridge, making the troops even thinner. Under the circumstances, Zhou Fangren ordered the remnants of the Seventh Regiment to defend Jianshan Slope and the Eighth Regiment to defend Huangping City. Fortunately, Huangping had not been breached in several hundred years, so Zhou Fangren held a glimmer of hope that the Red Army would also retreat in defeat.

  When the Red Fifth Regiment climbed up to the top of the mountain, the soldiers of the Seventh Regiment were still eating breakfast in the trenches. A sharp-eyed soldier suddenly discovered that there seemed to be a shadowy figure in the morning fog. Upon closer inspection, oh my god! It turned out that the bandits had climbed up. This guy threw down his bowl and shouted "The bandits are coming!" before turning around to grab his gun.

  Sometimes, smart people die faster. He didn't shout or touch the gun, but as soon as he did, the deadly bullets came. Within 10 meters, even a rookie can hit it, let alone the elite soldiers of the Red Fifth Regiment?

  The warriors of the Red Fifth Regiment rushed into the trenches. Those who surrendered were caught, those who tried to resist were killed, and those who turned around and ran away with a bit of cleverness would have bullets chasing them from behind. The remnants of the Guizhou Army's Seventh Regiment were cleaned up thoroughly. In history, the Red Third Regiment had attacked Jiāng Shān Pō for a day and sacrificed several soldiers to take the position. It fell into the hands of the Red Army so easily.

  Occupied Jian Shan Slope. The Red Third Army Corps immediately occupied the long slope and frame beam slope east of Jian Shan Slope, thoroughly controlling the high ground on the southeast side of Huangping. Then divided into two routes, advancing towards the county town, coordinating with the First Army Corps to besiege the county town.

  Gunfire was heard from the direction of Jian Shan Slope. Zhou Fangren immediately ordered the 8th Regiment to enter the position and pulled out a battalion as a reserve team, ready to reinforce Jian Shan Slope at any time. Of course, it was also prepared as an escort for his own escape.

  However, the gunfire from the direction of Sharp Mountain Slope soon stopped. Zhou Fangren was secretly delighted in his heart. It must be that a small detachment of Red Bandits had been repelled. To know, the highest point of Sharp Mountain Slope is 1102 meters above sea level. Not to mention fighting, even climbing would take some time. But thinking about the Seventh Regiment's retreat from Liping, he felt a bit uneasy. He prepared to wait for a while longer. If the Seventh Regiment really held onto Sharp Mountain Slope, he would defend Huangping; if Sharp Mountain Slope fell, he would prepare to flee. To know, without Sharp Mountain Slope as a shield, Huangping was impossible to defend. Just as Zhou Fangren was weighing his options, the Chief of Staff reported that the phone at Sharp Mountain Slope couldn't get through. Zhou Fangren thought to himself, "It's over. The Seventh Regiment is really capable. They only fired a few shots and then ran away." Zhou Fangren hastily ordered the Chief of Staff to go to the front line to direct the battle, while he himself took off his military uniform, changed into a soldier's uniform, and directly led the reserve team to run towards the west gate, preparing to flee by force.

  One army corps had already moved into position. The howitzers began to shell the enemy garrison troops. The 15th Division and the Instructional Corps quickly captured the Dongmen Gate's Yuhuang Pavilion under the cover of artillery fire, and then advanced into the city. The Red Second Division, which had circled around, organized soldiers to climb over the tens of meters high city wall and entered the county town's back streets, forming a pincer attack with the 15th Division and the Instructional Corps.

  When the mortar shells landed on the city wall, the officers and soldiers of the 8th Regiment knew that the main force of the Red Army had arrived. Now they didn't even know how to die. Then someone said that they saw the brigade commander leading a regiment out of the west gate. Who else would be willing to resist? Withdraw! Run away! Now it's time to compete with the Red Army in endurance. So, the troops withdrew from their positions. At first, whole companies and regiments ran while still maintaining formation. Soon, amidst the gunfire of the 2nd Division, the 15th Division, and the Instructional Regiment, the troops scattered like sheep. They swarmed towards the west gate like a hive.

  The Red First Division occupies the mountain tops of Mao Liu Garden and Banhe. Except for leaving some troops to defend, the main force has already moved to the west gate of Huangping. Preparing to coordinate with other troops to surround the county town. The Guizhou army came out of the west gate and collided head-on with the Red First Division. What's good to say? Machine guns, rifles, submachine guns, and hand grenades all went up. See who has a harder fist.

  What Commander-in-Chief Li Juquan of the First Division did not expect was that the fist of the Guizhou Army was not a matter of being hard or not, but it was too brittle. With just a slight touch, the bones would break. Poorly, Zhou Fangren's 8th Regiment ran from Jianhe to Huangping, and still could not escape the palm of the Red First Division.

  Hurriedly sweeping the battlefield, handing over prisoners and captured guns to the Second Division. The Red First Division didn't even enter Huangping City, directly rushing towards the old city of Jiuzhou.

  The Central Red Army and the Central Column have entered Huangping.

  The joy of victory is written on everyone's face. To know, apart from the victories won by the 18th Red Regiment and the 34th Division at Gulingtou, Xiaoshui, and Xikou, this is the greatest victory achieved by the main force of the Central Red Army since the Long March. The long-distance raid annihilated an enemy division and occupied Huangping, a place with developed commerce and convenient transportation. It was truly a very beautiful battle. Not to mention ordinary Red Army soldiers, even in Bo Gu's view, the decision to transfer troops through the pass was correct. Old Mao was indeed one move ahead of the chess game. After the central leaders entered the county town of Huangping, they immediately ordered the 5th and 9th Army Corps to contact them and ask about the progress of the situation. When they learned that the 5th Army Corps had occupied Shibing and the 9th Army Corps had occupied Zhenyuan County, and neither had encountered any significant resistance, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission immediately ordered the 5th and 9th Army Corps to advance towards the banks of the Wujiang River.

  Because of Huangping's commercial prosperity, the Red Army's logistics department made large purchases of urgently needed materials in Huangping. It is said that they bought up all the cloth in the shops in Huangping, leaving the owners with nothing. Yesterday afternoon, he felt something was wrong. The Guizhou army poured into Huangping from the Xiangjiang direction. Then, under the leadership of the self-defense team leader, teams of soldiers carrying the county magistrate's notice began to arrest people everywhere, saying they needed to repair fortifications to prevent the "red bandits" from Jiangxi from attacking the city. What nonsense! It's clear that the Red Army is not "red bandits". I think even the worst "red bandits" are better than these Guizhou soldiers. Look at what happened next: the second son of the Huang family next door didn't want to go repair fortifications, so he argued with the soldiers a few times and was beaten until he spat blood. In the end, they had to give 30 silver dollars and two taels of opium to the soldiers before it was over.

  It seems that a war is really going to break out. Should we lock the door, put away the fabric, and take our wives and children on a boat downstream to hide? I discussed it with my wife, and she agreed. The two of us got up early in the morning to clean up. Who knew that just as we finished cleaning, the Guizhou army began to flee, and the Red Army entered the city. We couldn't escape. Hurriedly hiding inside the house, praying to Yu Huang Da Di, Xitian Fo Zu, Wang Mu Niang Niang, and Guanyin Bodhisattva for protection. The Red Army came knocking on the door. Open it? After all, rumors say that the Red Army kills people without blinking; don't open it, and we'll provoke the Red Army. Will they directly break in and rob us of our belongings and kill us? Thinking about it, either way is death. Let's just open the door. It turned out to be a good decision. Many years later, Li Chengren had already become an old man with white hair. Whenever he saw someone, he loved to talk about his experience that day: "You don't know, but the Red Army was really a righteous army! They spoke kindly and did business fairly. That day was actually the best business day since I opened my fabric store. All of our inventory was sold out, and they paid so much money. The Red Army leader even held my hand and said thank you, praising me as a patriotic businessman!"

  Unlike the prosperity of Huangping City, after the Red Fifth Army Corps occupied Shizhen County, the Red Army soldiers were generally disappointed. This Shizhen County is simply not like a county town. The houses are all thatched with grass and are dilapidated. It's extremely poor. In the words of a cadre of the Fifth Army Corps who wrote in his memoirs after the founding of the country: "This is the poorest county town I have ever seen."

  After receiving the telegram from the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the Fifth Army Corps quickly turned towards the Wujiang River and headed for the big Wujiang.

  Everyone, I was still confused when the starting point notified VIPs. So I didn't rush to tell book friends a word. Very sorry!

  Sincerely hope that everyone will continue to support me, care about me and help me. I will pay attention to your opinions and suggestions. If you have votes in hand, please throw them at the head of Xishan people. I'll catch them all. Thank you! Thank you! (If you want to know what happens next...)