Chapter 1037
Huaihai! Huaihai!
January 5, 1949, 7:30 PM.
Chenguanzhuang is the headquarters of the Transportation Police Force.
Zheng Yingqi ran into the headquarters, panting heavily. Xu Baichuan saw that he was covered in snow and wind, so he handed him a cup of warm water.
Zheng Yingqi drank it all in one gulp, exhaled a puff of white air, and then said, "Thank you, Commander—this sip of warm water is priceless!"
Xu Baichuan asked curiously, "Why are you in such a panic?"
Zheng Yingqi said with a strange expression, "It was almost so embarrassing—when we were letting the enemy down on the front lines..."
The term "relaxing water" is a slang term used only by the traffic police.
Since being trapped in Chenguanzhuang, countless soldiers from various units have deserted, averaging several thousand per day.
Both the 2nd and 13th Army Corps were plagued by desertion.
But it's no wonder the soldiers didn't fight—they fled from Xuzhou in a panic, carrying far too little supplies, and ended up trapped in a desperate situation instead of making their way out.
And the heavens were very "kind" to them. After the three army groups were trapped, they encountered rare heavy snow and severe cold. Even after Sun Paopao's army group was wiped out, the heavens did not withdraw their divine power.
However, the two corps were trapped in a mere 50 square kilometers, and relying solely on windfalls was simply not enough to sustain them.
Throughout history, few armies have been able to defeat the formidable enemy of hunger, let alone the besieged Nationalist army.
The rampant desertion is understandable.
Countless soldiers deserted from various units, but the Transportation Police Force, which was nominally a second-line armed force, had very few desertion cases. Therefore, the higher-ups ordered the police force to patrol the positions and do their best to prevent the trapped 200,000 troops from collapsing.
The traffic police headquarters are lenient in their approach, never resorting to violence during patrols. Over time, this has come to be known as "letting the water flow" in their patrols...
During the "water release" period, Zheng Yingqi discovered that a veteran of the People's Liberation Army carrying two baskets of buns had mistakenly entered the Nationalist army's position and was surrounded by a company of Nationalist soldiers.
He originally wanted to go and save people, but the old soldier was really "fierce". First, he used steamed buns to lure the starving Nationalist soldiers to rush over. When the Nationalist soldiers swarmed over to grab the steamed buns, the old soldier took out a grenade - either come with him to eat steamed buns or eat the grenade together!
The Nationalist company commander had initially wanted to be tough, but his men all defected, leaving him with no choice but to accept his fate and surrender with his entire company of dozens of men.
The matter should have ended there; Zheng Yingqi could have simply stayed hidden and escorted him. But he had to cause trouble!
Because of his keen sense of smell, he could smell that the old soldier was picking out steaming hot meat buns.
"I'm starving, I'm really starving!" Zheng Yingqi emphasized before adding:
"So I crept over, secretly grabbed a few meat buns, and planned to run away. But that old comrade really had sharp eyes; he spotted me, the bald crane among the chickens, in an instant. If I hadn't run fast, that old comrade probably would have captured me, the fake officer—if I had been captured, my division commander would have laughed himself to death!!"
Zheng Yingqi seemed to be thinking of his "regimental commander's" hearty laughter, and couldn't help but chuckle, his smile full of warmth.
Xu Baichuan and Zheng Yingqi had spent quite some time together, and during their casual conversations, Xu had heard a lot about the great achievements of that former regimental commander, now division commander Li. Seeing the look on Zheng Yingqi's face after he sighed "his division commander," Xu Baichuan became even more curious about this comrade. He thought to himself that after this battle, he would definitely have to meet this eccentric division commander that Lao Zhao and Zheng Yingqi had mentioned.
At that moment, a faint voice rang out: "So, what you're carrying in your arms is a meat bun?!"
"Lieutenant Zhao/Old Zhao!"
Zheng Yingqi and Xu Baichuan spoke at the same time—the one who spoke was Zhao Gang, the former political commissar and now nominally the deputy commander in the garrison.
Xu Baichuan then realized what was happening and turned his shining eyes to Zheng Yingqi's chest. Sure enough, the boy's stomach was swollen, and it looked like there were at least three or four meat buns inside.
His mouth watered uncontrollably, and his already gleaming eyes shone with an even stronger green light.
Trapped in Chenguanzhuang, they were still receiving airdrops, so in theory, the high-ranking officers wouldn't go hungry. However, Xu Baichuan insisted on eating with the soldiers like Zhao Gang, so the daily rations were dumped into the communal pot by the logistics department. The reason why the garrison troops didn't have a large number of deserters like the friendly forces was that they could still see shredded meat in their daily meals.
Ultimately, it was originally a garrison army of the Loyal Salvation Army. No matter how much its military discipline aligned with that of the People's Liberation Army, it was still not the People's Liberation Army!
"Hehe, Lieutenant Zhao has the sharpest eyes—" Zheng Yingqi chuckled and pulled out four meat buns from his pocket, still steaming hot.
咕咚
Xu Baichuan couldn't help but swallow hard. He reached out and took one, then put it to his mouth. But just as he was about to bite down, he gritted his teeth and put the meat bun back into Zheng Yingqi's hand. Perhaps because he felt too sorry for it, he even turned his head away when he handed it back to Zheng Yingqi.
"Give it to the logistics department, and put it in the communal meals tomorrow!"
Xu Baichuan said this through gritted teeth.
Zhao Gang gave Xu Baichuan an approving look, then turned his gaze to Zheng Yingqi, who shrugged: "I knew it would turn out like this..."
Without a second thought, he placed the meat buns on the table.
It's just a few meat buns. Back in the day on the grasslands, I wouldn't hesitate to eat a steaming hot bun.
Even during the infamous Hell Week, Old A's twisted methods couldn't make me compromise;
During the special training I was leading...
Zheng Yingqi quickly completed his mental preparation...
Zhao Gang wrapped up the meat buns, called the guard to take them to the logistics department, and then turned to Xu Baichuan and said:
"The enemy is about to collapse!"
Xu Baichuan immediately asked solemnly, "How do you know?"
Zhao Gang said with a smile:
“When I went to the headquarters of the 2nd Army Corps before, the people there were cutting down trees. I asked why and learned that it was Commander Qiu who ordered the trees to be cut down. The reason was that Commander Qiu believed that wood in the mouth was a trap, which is why they were surrounded.”
Commander Qiu was a famous and fierce general during the War of Resistance against Japan. Such a person does not believe in fate, much less in superstition!
But now, he has actually said such things and even had the "wood in his mouth" cut off, clearly indicating that he has completely lost hope.
At this moment, Zheng Yingqi couldn't help but laugh out loud. Facing the gaze Zhao Gang cast his way, he quickly explained:
"Without the wood, all that's left in the mouth is a person!"
Is there only a person left inside?
Zhao Gang and Xu Baichuan burst out laughing again. Yes, without the wood radical, all that's left in the mouth is the character for "person"—which is exactly the character for "prisoner."
The prisoner's prison!
After laughing, Xu Baichuan regained his composure and asked, "Then send the telegram? Is the time ripe?"
Zhao Gang nodded slowly, his expression solemn, and said:
"Send the message! The time is ripe! It's time for... the final assault!"
……
In fact, as our army's siege of Chenguanzhuang continued, we had long been prepared for a general offensive at any time. We had been holding back for a while, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
However, it is very difficult to judge this perfect timing.
It's too early; if our army launches an encirclement and annihilation campaign, the losses will inevitably be even greater.
It was too late. The enemy became increasingly frenzied, and the losses might be smaller—but ultimately it was Chinese fighting Chinese, and the enemy's madness meant that more of our compatriots would die in battle.
Therefore, the perfect timing is when the enemy is on the verge of collapse.
Upon receiving the mysterious telegram, our command immediately analyzed its contents. Combined with information gathered from reconnaissance over the past few days, our generals unanimously concluded that:
Now is the perfect time!
Then let's launch a full-scale attack tomorrow!
Just before Mi Gu gave the order, Comrade Li quietly approached him.
"Comrade Mi Gu, there is something I need to discuss with you."
"Is it important?"
"Very important—this is the result of years of work by our comrades on the covert front!" Comrade Li involuntarily lowered his voice:
"The traffic police force can revolt at any time—but after communicating with my superiors, we prefer another approach:"
After being surrounded, the unit surrendered, citing heavy losses.
Mi Gu's eyes narrowed slightly; the hidden meaning in Comrade Li's words was far too mysterious.
Comrade Li added: "Of course, if this armed uprising can end the battle more quickly and reduce our army's losses on a large scale, the uprising is also possible. The final choice is in your hands. It's just that for some reasons that cannot be said, we hope that the forward command will consider the second option as much as possible."
Mi Gu didn't answer, but stared at the map, deep in thought. After a long while, he said, "Follow the previous plan, cut off Li and Qiu's forces, then attack the weaker forces first and then the stronger ones—while cutting off Li and Qiu's forces, our army will also surround the garrison troops stationed near Zhao Village (a fictional place name). As for when they will surrender, that's up to you, but they must surrender before our army launches a decisive attack on Qiu's forces!"
what do you think? "
Comrade Li said gratefully, "Absolutely! Comrade Mi Gu, thank you very much for your cooperation on this matter—however, we may exaggerate the performance of this unit to some extent after the war, and we hope that Comrade Mi Gu can cooperate at that time."
"Don't worry, I know what to do!" Mi Gu nodded and said solemnly.
"Also, please convey my gratitude to the comrades on the hidden front, especially for what happened at Menglianggu."
Mi Gu was unsure who Comrade Li was protecting under this cover, but his intuition told him that this hidden comrade was closely related to the detailed intelligence about the annihilation of the 74th Division at Menglianggu. If it weren't for the detailed intelligence about the 74th Division before the battle, who would believe that a division, after its supposed complete annihilation, would still have thousands of elite troops hidden in the mountain valley?
After finishing her conversation with Comrade Li, Mi Gu stared at the map alone, but a name flashed through her mind.
This person's name has connections with the New Fourth Army and is closely linked to the Transportation Police Army, whose predecessor was the Loyal Salvation Army. If this was to cover up for this person, then Comrade Li's various arrangements would be very reasonable.
Is he really our comrade?
Mi Gu couldn't help but gasp, then smiled wryly. What was impossible about that?
Many of our comrades who dedicated themselves to the revolution held high positions and came from wealthy families in their early years, wielding power and wealth that others envied!
But for their ideals, they resolutely chose to join our army and the revolution!
With such beautiful jades before us, even if it really is him, what's so hard to understand?
……
A telegram was placed on the desk of the Traffic Police Headquarters.
Xu Baichuan was not as dissatisfied as Zhao Gang had expected; his expression was rather inscrutable, as if he were both amused and unwilling.
After thinking for a moment, he reassured Xu Baichuan, "Comrade Xu Baichuan, I know you don't understand—we can clearly inflict heavy damage on the enemy with our uprising!"
But this is an order from above, and I expect you to carry it out no matter how much you don't understand it!
In Zhao Gang's view, even if Xu Baichuan got angry at this point, he could accept it.
After all, Xu Baichuan had already sided with our side, and the entire garrison was filled with our comrades—giving us the confidence and ability to change the course of the battle at a critical moment.
However, the higher-ups ordered the garrison not to revolt, and the matter was to end with them being surrounded and forced to surrender. For Xu Baichuan, this was clearly the difference between a general who revolted and one who surrendered.
According to the established propaganda, he was clearly a general who surrendered.
Uprisings, defections before or during battles, are usually preceded by prior contact.
Surrender is a result of exhausting combat strength and being unable to fight any longer; surrender is forced by the war situation.
Surrender, having no other options, and being forced to lay down arms—a typical example of defeat and submission!
Xu Baichuan was clearly one of their own, having already defected, yet he ended up surrendering and being branded as a capitulator—Zhao Gang saw this as normal, and his dissatisfaction and anger were understandable.
He was prepared to do some ideological work with him!
Unexpectedly, after he finished speaking, Xu Baichuan laughed heartily:
"Old Zhao, what do you take me for?"
"Also, I'm not really stupid—do you really think I can't sense some things?"
“He is my brother. I have embarked on this path, and he has probably helped me a lot behind the scenes. As a brother, why would I, Xu Baichuan, care about empty fame at this point?”
"Don't worry! I won't have any baggage!"
In November, as Xu Baichuan was about to leave at the airport, his mind raced, recalling Zhang Anping's "busywork" and "helpful help," and he had already formed a suspicion.
He was 60-70% certain that Zhang Anping was the right person.
But there was always a sense of unease in my heart—what if I had guessed wrong?
But the orders from his superiors now completely dispelled his unease.
Aside from Zhang Anping's safety, he couldn't think of any reason why his superiors would stop the garrison troops under his command from revolting!
Therefore, Xu Baichuan's true thoughts upon receiving this telegram from his superior were:
Anping, oh Anping, Lao Zheng and I are waiting for you to return to the team!
As for personal reputation, he doesn't care at all.
Faced with Xu Baichuan's explanation, Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment, then deliberately feigned confusion and said:
"What did you say? I didn't understand..."
Xu Baichuan burst into laughter, his laughter filled with unrestrained joy.
……
January 6, 1949, 1:16 PM.
After a half-hour artillery barrage, 15 battalions of the East China Field Army, plus troops from the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, launched a general offensive against the enemy at Chenguanzhuang, who was already trapped.
Under the cover of fierce artillery fire, our army launched a multi-pronged attack, crushing the trapped enemy force in the final assault!
Without a doubt, the 13th Army Corps was the first to be attacked.
After the general offensive officially began at 4 p.m., good news kept coming one after another.
First, the traffic police were surrounded, and then the 42nd Division, which was defeated and whose commander was wounded, surrendered on the battlefield.
Immediately following this, the 170th Division was forced to surrender on the battlefield;
The surrender of these two divisions accelerated the collapse of the 13th Army Corps, followed by the forced surrender of the 3rd Division and the defeat and surrender of the 166th Division.
With the surrender of the 166th Division after its defeat, the entire 13th Army Corps was completely annihilated!
After news of the complete annihilation of the 13th Army Corps spread, Zhao Gang, in a besieged unit, sighed and said:
"In the end, there were too many stubborn enemies. Only two divisions of the 13th Army surrendered on the battlefield. It's a bit of a pity."
Zheng Yingqi, standing to the side, happily took a bite of a steaming hot meat bun, then comforted his political commissar:
"Political Commissar, don't blame yourself! Throughout history, there have been very few people who have been able to turn enemy forces into defections as if they were nothing in the midst of a vast army! Besides, your main target is the Second Army Corps next door!"
"The real show is just beginning!"
……
Master Chu Yunfei.
Division Commander Chu Yunfei peered through his binoculars into the dark distance, his expression grim, and muttered through gritted teeth:
"A corps of over 70,000 men was wiped out in just over 30 hours—even 70,000 pigs couldn't be captured that quickly!"
At 4 p.m. on the 6th, after half an hour of artillery preparation, our army launched a general offensive and began to encircle and annihilate the 13th Army Corps.
At 10 p.m. on the 7th, the entire 13th Army Corps was wiped out.
A military corps with a theoretical authorized strength of 80,000 to 90,000 and an actual strength of at least 70,000, did not even last until the early morning of the 8th.
In Chu Yunfei's view, this was simply unforgivable!
At this moment, the chief of staff said with a worried expression, "Commander, according to the reconnaissance report, the Communist army is adjusting its forces and will likely launch a general offensive against our Second Army Corps tomorrow."
"Furthermore, according to reconnaissance intelligence, we are facing the Second Division of the East China Field Army—"
"The commander of the Second Division is none other than your old rival, Li Yunlong!"
Chu Yunfei was startled: "It's him? Is the intelligence accurate?"
The chief of staff affirmed, "The intelligence is correct! It's information from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, specifically sent to our department to remind them."
Chu Yunfei narrowed his eyes, his gaze involuntarily flickering.
After a long while, he made up his mind and muttered to himself, "Brother Yunlong, it seems you've got to return all the equipment from my battalion to me this time..."
The chief of staff was astonished: "Why does the division commander say such a thing?"
A smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's lips:
"The unit trapped next to us is the Transportation Police Force! You know this unit. After the Communist army launched its general offensive, they surrounded it with a large force. I guess they wanted to leave this unit for last and wipe them out!"
"Unfortunately, the Communist army underestimated this unit! Although it carries the title of a garrison army, the person in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has spared no effort in supporting this unit. To this day, the unit's ace armored force is still hidden. I guess they are preparing for the final breakout, so they deliberately feigned weakness and pretended to be trapped!"
"The Communist army will launch a general offensive tomorrow, and the garrison will definitely take the opportunity to break out! Contact Commander Xu of the garrison for me. Once the Communist army launches its general offensive tomorrow, I want to coordinate with the garrison to wipe out the Communist Second Division that intends to launch a general offensive against our troops!"
Upon hearing this, the chief of staff retorted, "Commander, since the garrison intends to break out, how could they possibly cooperate with us?"
A hint of arrogance flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes:
"Our division is in dire straits, with deserters second only to the garrison troops! The garrison troops on patrol missions must know best what kind of combat strength our division has—since we are going to break out, the garrison troops must choose reliable teammates!"
"Wild beasts disdain to associate with livestock, but they would certainly be happy to walk alongside wild beasts!"
"If we wipe out the Communist Second Division, our troops can break out together with them. How could the garrison not be happy?"
The chief of staff suddenly realized and agreed, "The division commander is right. I'll contact Commander-in-Chief Xu immediately!" (End of Chapter)