Chapter 1019
A Scheme of Divide and Conquer
When the Sui Army made the decision to withdraw westward, the generals of the Central Army gathered together—just like their previous secret meetings, except that there was one more person.
The Suiyuan Army lost a commander of the 104th Army, while the Central Army gained a boss in the intelligence system...
The generals of the Central Army were not surprised by Zhang Anping's appearance.
Logically speaking, such private meetings between generals should be kept away from spies—even if their current private meeting is for the greater good of the Central Army, they still need to be wary of spies.
But now, they have no reservations about Zhang Anping's appearance.
First, because of Zhang Anping's image as a loyal subject of the party and the country—no one doubts this, especially since Zhang Anping has always been willing to lead the secret service to cover the rear, proving true friendship in times of adversity!
Second, it wasn't because Zhang Anping was in charge of the intelligence forces, but because of his keen strategic vision!
When all the intelligence pointed to the "March to June" claim, Zhang Anping astutely believed that it was very likely a strategic deception.
When the Battle of Zhangjiakou broke out, everyone thought it was to support the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield, but only Zhang Anping predicted:
This could be a sign that Higashino is entering the Central Plains!
During the Battle of Miyun, everyone panicked, believing that the Northeast Field Army had entered the pass. However, only Zhang Anping believed that the main force of the Northeast Field Army could not have entered the pass and that the 35th Army should not have been urgently recalled to defend the area.
As it turns out, all his judgments were correct!
Previously, some people mocked Zhang Anping, saying that he was just a dog spy and didn't know anything about fighting, but now they have long since rejected this prejudice and had previously discussed the case of Zhang Anping's command during the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Perhaps because they had set aside their prejudices, these generals of the Central Army surprisingly came to the same conclusion:
This guy—no, this one—is a military genius whose talents were wasted on being a spy.
Perhaps because of the heavy shadow cast by the People's Liberation Army, none of them dared to use the word "genius".
Because of the previous change in understanding, no one was surprised that Zhang Anping appeared at this secret meeting.
Li and Shi arrived together, and before entering, they nodded to Zhang Anping before sitting down. After sitting down, Commander Li went straight to the topic of the meeting:
"Gentlemen, North China is in imminent danger, and hundreds of thousands of troops are in imminent danger! Although Commander Fu has not yet made a final decision, I think he has realized through today's meeting that retreating south is the only way out."
"Next, how should we cooperate with the Suiyuan Army to jointly build an integrated defense along the Pingjintang River?"
He had barely finished speaking when Commander Shi continued:
"The situation is critical now. We must put aside our prejudices and work together to overcome these difficulties. Do you all understand what I mean?!"
The Central Army generals attending the meeting were taken aback. Did Commander Shi mean that... they could no longer insist on using the Sui Army as cannon fodder?
On second thought, that makes sense. Given the current situation, if we keep clinging to the Suiyuan Army as cannon fodder, then none of us will be able to retreat south!
It's time to compromise.
But the thought that the price of compromise would be that they would have to send troops to confront the People's Liberation Army made them feel uneasy.
Before the arrival of the Northeast Field Army, just one advance corps plus the North China Communist Army had already caused them so much suffering.
The subsequent retreat to the south will involve at least two months of resistance. This battle... won't be easy!
Perhaps because it was Zhang Anping's first time attending the meeting, Commander Li, seeing that no one else was speaking, directly called out Zhang Anping's name:
"Director Zhang, what is your assessment of the current situation?"
All eyes immediately focused on Zhang Anping—they now had complete faith in Zhang Anping's strategic acumen!
Facing these gazes, Zhang Anping slowly rose, but uttered a shocking statement:
"The Sui army is likely to retreat westward."
???
The crowd was initially taken aback, and then, as if a stone had been thrown into still water, they were filled with disbelief.
“Director Zhang, you saw Fu Huabei’s attitude today—his attitude softened. I think he has realized that retreating south is the only way out.”
"Retreating westward is not easy—no, it's extremely difficult! I don't think he'll choose that option!"
This statement was agreed upon by the vast majority of people.
However, whether it was a rebuttal or an agreement, the tone was merely one of discussion, without any confrontation or direct personal attacks.
It was clearly a simple questioning, not a contemptuous rejection of Zhang Anping.
Seemingly influenced by this atmosphere, Zhang Anping stopped hiding his true intentions and revealed his hand directly:
“I have informants within the Suiyuan Army.”
"The attitude of the Sui Army generals has been changing during this period!"
"They initially supported the southward withdrawal, but now they oppose it."
These words left the Central Army generals speechless.
Previously, the generals of the Sui Army had indeed agreed to the retreat to the south, and the reason they agreed was because Zhang Anping had secretly orchestrated it.
They agree on this point!
The change in attitude of the Sui Army generals was because they were determined to use the Sui Army as cannon fodder...
The Central Army occupied Jintang and insisted on fleeing first...
Zhang Anping naturally wouldn't reopen old wounds at this time. He continued, "Fu Huabei never actually considered retreating south. I think the conflicts we've been experiencing recently were fueled by him in the shadows."
"He never considered retreating south from the beginning, and now, it's even less likely that he will!"
"So, I think he's using this as a delaying tactic; he... wants to use us as cannon fodder!"
Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath.
There was an argument before:
If the Suiyuan Army retreats westward and the Central Army retreats southward, who will the People's Liberation Army attack first?
The answer is: The Central Army!
Because the Central Army was retreating south to strengthen the Yangtze River defense line, and this required sea transport, the number that could be transported each day was limited.
The westward retreat, however, was by land and headed towards Suiyuan, allowing the entire army to leave simultaneously.
The most crucial point is that for the People's Liberation Army, even if the Suiyuan Army returned to Suiyuan, they could turn around and fight again. But if the Central Army ran away, then it would be the Yangtze River defense line!
So, if you have to choose between "don't stop the returning troops" and "beat the stray dog," is there even a question of which one to choose?
However, because of Fu Huabei's attitude at today's meeting, they mistakenly believed that Fu Huabei had agreed to withdraw to the south. In return, the Central Army is now willing to compromise and spare manpower to work with the Suiyuan Army to build an integrated defense circle around Pingjintang and fight a blocking attack together.
But Zhang Anping's words made them realize that their judgment was fundamentally wrong!
Fu Huabei not only did not want to retreat south, but was even more determined to retreat west!
They might just turn around and head west.
Doesn't this amount to selling them out?
Li and Shi exchanged glances, both seeing the same message in each other's eyes:
We must be on guard!
Yes, we must be on guard. If the Sui army really escapes, they will have to face hundreds of thousands of "dog-skin hats" alone. Just thinking about that scene makes them feel cold all over.
too scary!
There's absolutely no way out for us!
But Zhang Anping hadn't finished speaking:
"There's another reason—the 35th Army and the 11th Corps!"
"Retreating south is tantamount to abandoning these 80,000-plus people! But neither the 11th Army Corps in Zhangjiakou nor the 35th Army in Xinbao'an are forces that Fu Huabei is unwilling to abandon! But if we retreat west, he can completely take over these two forces!"
Some people previously wondered what if Fu Huabei prioritized the Party and the country?
But after Zhang Anping abandoned the 35th Army and the 11th Corps, no one believed that Fu Huabei would retreat south.
Because of their own soldiers, they wanted to use the Sui Army as cannon fodder. If they were in Fu Huabei's shoes, would they be willing to abandon the 11th Army Corps and the 35th Army?
How can it be!
The Central Army belongs to Nanjing, while the Sui Army belongs to our own. Which is more important? Is there even a question?
"Director Zhang is right!"
"We cannot allow the Sui army to retreat westward!"
"Yes! We absolutely must not let them retreat westward—no matter what it takes!"
The generals of the Central Army immediately expressed their opinions.
What was supposed to be a meeting to discuss how to reach a compromise turned into a discussion on how to prevent the Sui Army from retreating westward, all because of Zhang Anping's words.
If the Sui army had been allowed to withdraw westward, how could they have lingered in North China for so long?
Li and Shi naturally agreed.
How can we stop it?
But at this very moment, Zhang Anping put forward another argument:
“Even if we prevented the Sui army from retreating westward, there is still one possibility we need to consider—what if… the Sui army surrenders?”
One sentence sent chills down everyone's spine.
The Sui army surrendered?
What kind of war can we possibly fight?!
With the Sui Army present, the troop strength is 1:2. If they fight desperately to block the enemy, some people will be able to escape.
可绥军降了，那就不是1：2，而是1：4乃至1：5，到时候跑个毛线。
Is it possible for the Sui army to surrender?
As everyone pondered, they initially thought the possibility of the Sui army surrendering was low, but the thought of the endless expanse of "dog-skin hats" made the possibility soar.
The Sui Army was never of one mind with the Central Army, otherwise it would have retreated south long ago!
Since they are not of one mind, and given the extremely low success rate of integrated defense, the likelihood of the Sui Army surrendering increases dramatically.
It's important to understand that while these Central Army soldiers were willing to compromise, their true intention was to allow the Central Army to escape first as a sign of respect. They couldn't possibly allow a portion of the Sui Army to escape first—this was the fundamental contradiction, and under this contradiction, the Sui Army was doomed either way.
Since death is inevitable anyway, surrendering might be a way out.
This is not the War of Resistance against Japan, nor is it about defending the country by fighting to the death with the enemy, even if it means sacrificing one's last breath!
This is a fight between brothers!
He surrendered, which is shameful, but he is definitely not a sinner!
In this situation, the Sui Army...
The generals of the Central Army looked serious, but there was an undisguised sense of fear in their expressions. What should they do?
Li and Shi also felt that they had to be prepared, even for the worst-case scenario.
After discussion, the group reached the following conclusion:
First, bypass the North China Suppression Headquarters structure and send a telegram directly to Nanjing, reporting the current situation of the North China Suppression Headquarters—that is, directly telling Nanjing that because Fu Huabei did not listen to Zhang Anping's judgment and the advice of the Central Army generals, he missed the opportunity to fight and North China was in imminent danger. He requested that Nanjing directly issue an order for the Central Army to immediately withdraw to the south.
Second, we must advance the integrated defense of Pingjintang. Regardless of whether the Suiyuan Army cooperates or not, the Central Army must take action.
Third, Li and Shi should go to Fu Huabei and explain the situation to him, stating that the Central Army will not retreat westward, but only southward!
Fourth, and most importantly, it is necessary to strip Fu Huabei of some of his power. The Central Army must protect itself—this must be reported to Nanjing.
Fifth, take the initiative to take over key points of Beiping's defenses to prevent the worst-case scenario from occurring.
The fifth point is extremely likely to trigger a conflict between the two armies. The two armies are already at odds, and doing this now has a very high probability of causing a conflict.
However, after careful consideration, everyone believed that this was necessary; otherwise, if the Sui army rebelled, they would be lambs to the slaughter. By taking control of the key points in advance, even if the Sui army wanted to rebel, they would have to consider whether it was even possible.
In short, although it will cause conflict, it must be done for the safety of the Central Army!
Everything, for the Party and the country!
Yes, the one who uttered those six words was none other than Zhang Anping, a loyal subject of the Party and the State.
As the meeting adjourned, Li and Shi brought up their old conversation again:
"Director Zhang, your department bears the heaviest responsibility now. You must find out the situation of the Communist army. We cannot carry out integrated defense with our eyes closed!"
"And we absolutely cannot let our guard down with the Sui Army."
Zhang Anping saluted solemnly:
"Please rest assured, officers, the department will complete the intelligence gathering by dawn tomorrow! No matter the cost!"
……
Zhang Anping really went to work.
At a single command, all the secret agents in North China sprang into action—no one dared to hold back, and no one dared to utter a single word saying that it was not the right time to conduct large-scale operations.
Because Zhang Anping slammed his sidearm onto the table:
This concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of troops in North China! If we cannot verify the intelligence on the Communist army's strength by tomorrow morning, you will die first, and I, Zhang Anping, will follow!
In this situation, who would dare to preserve their strength?
They wished they could empty their entire fortune.
The price, of course, was dire—the intense intelligence gathering exposed a large number of spies.
And being exposed means... being arrested.
However, intelligence reports also came back as a result.
Every piece of intelligence I read sent chills down my spine.
They've arrived! The main force of the Higashino Field Army, wearing dog-skin hats, has really arrived. Not only have they arrived, but they've all concentrated in the Pingjintang area.
So, how many people are there?
The right flank, with an army of nearly 300,000 men, is encircling Beiping from the west, north, and east!
The central route, with an army of over 200,000, is heading towards Langfang, Wuqing, and Tongxian, cutting off the connection between Beijing and Tianjin!
The left flank, in coordination with the central flank, will encircle Tianjin and Tanggu, cutting off their connection... 300,000!
A full 800,000 troops!
In the novel *Water Margin*, Lin Chong is the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards—but he certainly never actually trained an army of 800,000.
However, in the Pingjintang area right now, an army of 800,000 men wearing dog-skin hats is rapidly maneuvering and cutting through, intending to surround the three areas.
This army of 800,000 men were veterans who had fought for two years on the brutal Northeast battlefield. They were a large army equipped with a lot of artillery, well-equipped, and even had tanks!
At four in the morning, after integrating the last piece of intelligence, Zhang Anping's hands were trembling.
It wasn't fear, but excitement...
I can't wait to go back!
Looking at the compiled intelligence, Zheng Yi murmured to himself:
"The North China army is in grave danger this time..."
Zhang Anping did not respond, but his gaze was ambiguous, suggesting a grim outcome.
You probably don't know this, but I erased that last bit of "auspiciousness"!
……
Yes, Zhang Anping personally erased the last trace of the character "吉" (ji, meaning auspicious/lucky)!
Within Beiping (Beijing), military conflict inevitably arose between the Central Army and the Sui Army.
The Central Army wanted to take over key city defense points, such as city gates, airports, and railway hubs, but how could the Sui Army agree to hand over these hubs?
Normally, even if there's a conflict, we'd first go to the higher-ups. No matter how much they try to take sides, there's always a solution.
But what about now?
The Central Army has taken over forcefully!
The Sui army naturally refused to hand over the troops.
Initially, both sides were restrained and did not intend to use guns. At most, they would exchange punches or pull the human wall together. But whether it was an accidental discharge or something else, a shot was fired!
Once the gun is fired, the nature of the situation changes!
You dare to shoot?! Brothers, open fire and kill this bastard!
What?! The enemy has opened fire?! What are you all standing there for?! Bring out the cannons! Boom!
While the People's Liberation Army was eliminating strongholds and cutting off enemy forces on the outskirts of Beiping, the Central Army and the Sui Army inside Beiping were facing each other with swords drawn and even artillery fire roaring...
The key point is that the conflict didn't just occur in one or two places, but in multiple places!
Zhang Anping stayed up all night gathering intelligence, while the generals of the Central Army and the Sui Army also stayed up all night, trying their best to suppress the situation while vying for control of key points.
How can you possibly control key points and suppress the situation at the same time?
As a result, things became increasingly chaotic.
The original plan was to prepare the army to be ready to leave the city at any time to build an integrated defense, but instead, it was a night of rumbling and crackling.
Those troops who didn't participate naturally had no time to rest and immediately picked up their weapons, ready to attack at any moment.
Fortunately, the generals on both sides did not lose their minds completely and did not deploy a larger number of troops, thus keeping the conflict focused on key locations.
The General Headquarters was nearly driven mad, making one phone call after another and issuing one order after another, but they still couldn't quell the chaos.
……
At 4:30 a.m., Zhang Anping appeared at Commander Li's command post.
"Commander Li, this is intelligence from the Communist army!"
Exhausted, Zhang Anping handed the intelligence to Commander Li, who was completely dumbfounded when he saw the numbers of the three armies on the left, center, and right.
An army of 800,000... Are you sure this isn't from Water Margin?
"besides……"
After a brief silence, Zhang Anping revealed a piece of intelligence:
"The Sui Army has confirmed its westward withdrawal, though the exact date is yet to be determined. However, I have an intercepted telegram here."
Zhang Anping handed a telegram to Commander Li. Commander Li, trembling, took the telegram and read it. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him...
This is a telegram sent by the Suiyuan Army to the Suiyuan Garrison, requesting the Suiyuan Garrison to prepare for an eastward advance to provide support.
What else is there to say!
Zhang Anping said with a gloomy expression, "I still need to see Commander Fu. I'll take my leave now."
After Zhang Anping left, Commander Li stared at the telegram in his hand, speechless for a long time.
After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and gave the order:
"The key points of the city's defense must be controlled by the Central Army! Tell all units that we have no other choice!"
Five o'clock in the morning.
Zhang Anping appeared at the General Headquarters and handed over the intelligence he had to Fu Huabei.
Fu Huabei was stunned after reading it.
At this moment, the conflict between the Central Army and the Sui Army is no longer important...
It doesn't matter at all anymore.
An army of 800,000...
eighty……
Ten thousand……
North China is finished!
……
Logically speaking, at this point, building an integrated defense system for the Pingjintang area should be of paramount importance.
But when the number 800,000 was presented, both the Suiyuan Army and the Central Army had only one thought:
Who... can withstand this?!
If we're going to retreat south, we'll have to hold out for two months—okay, let's say a month, no, just twenty days.
Can you hold out for twenty days?
Sui Army: I can't do it!
Central Army: I can't do it!
I really can't do it!
The 100,000-strong advance force of the Northeast Field Army, including the 104th and 16th Armies, held out for less than 40 hours.
Now, without permanent fortifications, even integrated defense positions have to be seized from the hands of the Northeast Field Army and the People's Liberation Army—who has the confidence to do that in twenty days?
The military meeting the following day was originally intended to discuss, based on intelligence, the deployment of troops to construct an integrated defensive position to ensure the southward withdrawal—although this was a pretext.
But when the meeting actually started, nobody brought it up at all.
why?
Because we didn't organize the troops last night, and instead wasted the whole night with conflicts, we're exhausted now. We need at least a day of rest, right?
How much progress can Higashino achieve in a day?
Considering the discord between the Central Army and the Sui Army, who can be sure that the other side won't cause trouble?
So let's stop discussing integrated defense and stop considering whether we should send troops to coordinate. Let's resolve the conflict between the two armies first!
However, the Central Army insisted on taking over the key nodes, while the Sui Army refused to budge. This military conference ended in... complete failure.
Three days!
It lasted for three whole days.
Logically speaking, there shouldn't be such a long argument and standoff. Every second counts right now, and wasting so much time is simply ridiculous!
Nanjing would never allow it!
But the reality is just that absurd, because Nanjing was too busy taking care of its own problems.
why?
Because the law of bad things is in effect again—
Battle reports came from the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield: Huang Er Corps, trapped at Shuangduiji, was rescued at midnight on the 15th...
They were completely annihilated!
You should know that the Second Corps of Huang was positioned as a main force with all American-made weapons!
For the sake of Huang Yi Corps, Huang Er Corps sent thousands of miles to their deaths—and for the sake of Huang Er Corps, Xuzhou Corps, which had originally fled, had to turn back and enter Chenguanzhuang for a "long rest".
As a result, Huang Erbing Corps was gone!
At this time, Nanjing was in such a state of turmoil that it didn't know what to do, which is why it didn't intervene with the North China Suppression Headquarters at the most critical moment, resulting in a serious waste of time.
Fortunately, the Nanjing authorities were "nervous" and eventually came to their senses and began to mediate the dispute.
Because of Nanjing's mediation, the two sides finally reached a compromise.
The Central Army was responsible for external affairs, while the Sui Army was responsible for internal affairs.
In other words, the Central Army guarded the outer perimeter of Beiping, while the Sui Army guarded the interior of Beiping. As for some key points, both sides would defend them together. To put it bluntly, Nanjing at this time was also afraid that the Sui Army would turn against them.
If they turn against us, Nanjing will be incredibly frustrated.
Only after the compromise was reached did both sides consider the coordination issue—and then there was another round of wrangling, and it took another day for the military meeting to reach a conclusion.
But what will the overall situation be like after the results are in?
The answer is:
The Dongye army has completely cut off and is about to be surrounded!
Because of the further delay in troop reorganization, the situation in Pingjintang had become:
Cut off, surrounded...by a heavy encirclement! (End of Chapter)