Director Zhang was on standby, and hurriedly came up and said to Han Xing, "What instructions does Commander Han have?" ”

Han Xing said to Zhang Zuogan: "Tell the tank battalion to accept it when it sees good, and sound the gong to collect the troops." ”

Zhang Zuogan shouted: "Yes!" "Quickly execute the order and go.

After a while, the tank battalion swimming forward stopped the attack, lined up in its original formation, retreated, and retreated back to our position.

The battle finally came to dusk, and both the Japanese and Chinese troops were tired and needed to rest. There were black clouds of rising artillery fire floating in the sky, and even they were tired and very lazy.

The sun, which had been lingering in the sky all day, was also exhausted at this time, and had lost the enthusiasm and momentum of the day. I saw a stream of colorful clouds, floating in a red sky, flocks of sparrows, ending the day's life, lightly skimming the sky, one after another. The wind blows slowly, and it makes you feel a burst of coolness.

The sunset in the sky spreads out in the sky one by one, painting a beautiful picture of nature and decorating the earth beautifully.

The sun had already set in the west, but the afterglow of the setting sun was still there, illuminating the clouds in the west red. The clouds are bright, but not dazzling. The day was too tense, Han Xing stared at the clouds, and saw the red light dissipate from his eyes little by little, which made him feel a little melancholy in his heart, and caused a lot of pity, half of this pity was given to the setting sun, and the remaining half was reserved for myself.

A short period of flawed thinking can be regarded as a kind of rest!

When I came back to my senses, I found that a few thin clouds above the sky just now had been blown away by the wind. Night is about to fall, and there is only a little light left in the sky, and the blue sky just now has turned gray-blue.

On the position, the evening cooking soldiers had already begun to bury the pot to make food, and wisps of cooking smoke rose into the sky, gradually merging with the smoke that had not dispersed the artillery fire.

Some of the lightly wounded were redressing their wounds, while the seriously wounded were resting quietly on the ground, and perhaps after a while, they would be carried down and taken to the rear hospital. Not far away, the remains of rows of warriors lay down, one by one as if asleep, quietly looking up at the sky.

The living, and those who have lost their lives, are already familiar with living in one space, because there are so many dead that if you were sad, your eyes would have been blinded by crying. The living warriors can only choose silence and continue the last wish of sacrificing their comrades.

On the defensive line of the central front, Mo Shujie, commander of the 84th Army, ordered that the front-line troops must hold on for 3 days. During these 3 days, you must hold your position to the death, even if you fight to the death. Those who retreat without permission will be shot on the spot!

In this way, the 84th Army fought a bloody battle with the Japanese army for 3 days, and both armies suffered heavy casualties.

After the 84th Army's position was broken through, Mo Shujie ordered the 173rd Division to cover the retreat of the 84th Army. Zhong Yi is characterized by being brave and good at fighting, and loves soldiers like a son. Although this person is a soldier, he was born in Guangxi Normal School, and he is polite and polite, like a scholar, but he is not afraid of death when he fights, which is very good.

As for loving soldiers, Zhong Yi gets along very well with his subordinate officers and soldiers, and even sits and chats with the grooms and men, learning from them the experience of raising horses and cooking, without any shelf.

On May 8, the 173rd Division fought fiercely with a large Japanese army in Zaoyang. The 173rd Division fought extremely hard in the defensive battle, and in order to boost morale, Division Commander Zhong Yi rushed to the front-line trenches many times. During this period, he was in danger many times, but Commander Zhong Yi did not waver at all.

In fact, the Gui Army is like this, in the Gui Army, if an officer is afraid of death, he is absolutely not qualified to be an officer. At this time, the 173rd Division of the Gui Army actually had more than 1,000 people left.

If it were not for the rescue of the Southern Expeditionary Army, the 173rd Division would have been wiped out long ago.

Today is already May 9, and after Huang Qixiang of the 11th Group Army learned the news that the main force had successfully broken through, he ordered the 173rd Division behind his palace to break through immediately.

Zhong Yi took Huang Qixiang's order to break through and found Han Xing.

Han Xing looked at Commander Huang's telegram, and had already thought that he had to break through tonight, and he said to Zhong Yi: "General Zhong, where do you want to retreat?" ”

Zhong Yi said: "30 kilometers behind Suiyang store is Zaoyang, I don't think Zaoyang can go." Even if you arrive in Zaoyang, you may also be surrounded by the Japanese army again. With the strength of our 173rd Division, if it is surrounded again, it will be difficult to stand out again. I'd like to hear your opinion? ”

Retreat is a must retreat, but where to retreat, Han Xing can't make up his mind in his heart. But there is one point, Zhong Yi and Han Xing are incomparable, Han Xing is a person who has come over, and fully understands the development of the battlefield situation in the future and the current situation of the enemy and us.

Han Xing said to Zhong Yi: "Don't say that Zaoyang can't go, even Xinye behind Zaoyang, we can't go either." The Japanese cavalry had occupied Xinye on the 8th, that is, yesterday, and completed the encirclement of our Zaoyang line. ”

Zhong Yi frowned and thought about it for a while and said, "But our 173rd Division, after all, if we want to join up with the main force of our army, we still have to break out of the enemy's encirclement." ”

Han Xing said: "Now you don't have to worry about the main force of the 84th Army, they have broken out of the encirclement of the Japanese army. Now what we have to think about is to take the 173rd Division out of the encirclement of the Japanese army. ”

Zhong Yi asked: "How can we bring the 173rd Division out of the encirclement of the Japanese army?" ”

Han Xing said: "If you want to say that Suiyangdian is no longer the front line, but the 39th Division is stopped here." Most of the enemy's main forces have reached the west of Zaoyang, that is, west of Zaoyang and east of Xinye, and they are looking for our main force for a decisive battle. I mean, isn't the enemy going west, we might as well just drill to the east, to the rear of the enemy. ”

Zhong Yi thought about it for a while and said: "In this way, you take the 173rd Regiment of the 517th Division to break through to the rear of the enemy, and I take the division headquarters and the 518th Regiment and the 519th Regiment to the north, that is, the main force assembly place of the army to break through." ”

Han Xing persuaded him: "There is a saying that the most dangerous place is also the safest place, and now our 173rd Division has been surrounded by Japanese regiments, and it is not safe anywhere." In my opinion, it is better to concentrate all our forces and break through to the east of the Japanese army. ”

But Zhong Yi's opinion had been decided, and he said to Han Xing: "Our 173rd Division has been decided in this way, and I have no right to interfere with your Southern Expeditionary Army, so please make your own decisions." ”

Up to now, Han Xing has no choice, he wanted to rewrite history with the strength of the Southern Expeditionary Army, but history is history after all, and it is difficult to rewrite it.

Zhong Yi held Han Xing's hand tightly, which could be regarded as a final farewell, he said: "As a soldier, you should be proud of the horse leather shroud, there are so many soldiers who died on the battlefield, and it is not uncommon for me to die again."

I am grateful to the Southern Expeditionary Army, in today's most difficult time for us, it was you who supported us strongly, defeated the enemy's air force, inflicted heavy damage on the enemy's artillery, and destroyed the enemy's tank units. If we survive, I would like to invite you to sit down together and talk about our daily lives. ”

Han Xing glanced at Zhong Yi deeply, shook his hand and said, "General Zhong, it is really a blessing for me to be able to see General Zhong's heroic battle today. People, sooner or later, there will be that day, what is important, is to live a meaningful life, if you can leave a name in history and be admired by future generations, it is a very brilliant life! General Zhong, I am honored to be with you, I am honored! ”

The two of them reluctantly waved goodbye until they were far away, and waved to each other, looking at each other again, and it was difficult to give up the deep friendship of this day!

In the vast night, Zhong Yi and the distant curtain and the dark world gradually merged together.

Zhong Yi gave the officers and soldiers of the 173rd Division a full meal, and then divided the troops into two routes, one route was behind the palace of the 517th Regiment, which had the strongest combat effectiveness, and followed Han Xing to break through. He took the division headquarters and the 518th Regiment and the 519th Regiment to the west, and then to the north, to break through the enemy's encirclement.

Han Xing immediately met Ling Yunshang, the commander of the 517th Regiment. Ling Yunshang is also a celebrity, born in Guiping, Guangxi Province in 1908, graduated from the second phase of the first branch of the Central Military Academy (Nanning Branch) (compare with the fifth phase of the Whampoa Military Academy), and later rose to the deputy commander of the Seventh Army of the National Revolutionary Army.

Under the reflection of the bonfire, Han Xing saw that Ling Yun was not tall and had a mediocre appearance, but the two eyebrows were very distinctive, that is, triangular eyebrows. This triangular eyebrow also shows that he is a soldier who has to deal with the army all his life, and even his eyebrows are like weapons, with edges and corners.

Ling Yunshang gave a military salute to Han Xing and said, "Report to Commander Han, Master Zhong has explained everything to me." Everything is under the command of Commander Han. ”

Han Xing returned a military salute, smiled at him and said, "How can it, you are from the 173rd Division, I can't command you." I can only discuss things with you. ”

Ling Yunshang smiled and said, "Commander Han, don't be modest, I'll listen to your command." I have seen the strength of your Southern Expeditionary Army. Following a commander like you as a soldier, I feel at ease. ”

Han Xing had no choice but to say, "Okay then, you can join our military meeting!" ”

Han Xing immediately convened an impromptu military meeting, which was attended by the top commanders of various units. Han Xing first introduced Ling Yunshang to everyone, and everyone applauded to express a warm welcome.

Han Xing said straight to the point: "Okay, now the meeting is open." The situation is very grim, and the enemy's hundreds of thousands of horses have been divided into three routes on the first line of Miyang, Tanghe, and Zaoyang on the northern front, the Changshoudian and Xinye lines on the southern line, and the Suiyangdian and Xiangyang lines on the central line, forming a large encirclement and tightly encircling our 173rd Division and the Southern Expeditionary Army.

This is similar to the situation of the Suizao Campaign, but the encirclement of the Suizao Battle was not formed in the end, and there was still a big opening. And the encirclement of this campaign was formed, encircling our two armies, and it turned out that they were also trying to encircle the main forces of the fifth theater of operations, and it seems that their hopes were disappointed. ”

Liu Zhiyuan interjected: "There is nothing strange about this, we are fighting behind the old enemy." ”