Chapter 235: The crisis is imminent

The west of Lin'an County.

The tricycle driver pedaled hard, and the cigarette boy pushed the cart hard behind the car, pulling Takagi Hiroshi to avoid the broad street avenue and run fast through the quiet and deserted side streets and narrow alleys. After a while, the tricycle turned into the Beitou Street entrance on the north side of the west gate of the city.

"Haven't you rested yet?" The coachman greeted the middle-aged watchman with a wooden stick in his hand.

The watchman ignored and did not answer, and looked back and forth and left and right alertly. Bang-bang-bang-knocked twice on the hollow wooden bong, and shouted: "The weather is dry, be careful of the candle flame!" ”

As soon as the voice of the watchman at the north entrance of Nanbei Street fell, the sound of hollow wooden bangs and the shouts of the watchman also sounded at the entrance of Nantou Street. Bang-bang-"Look at the doors and windows to prevent theft!" ”

Takagi Hirochi, who was sitting on the tricycle, couldn't help but admire himself secretly, and sighed and said to himself:

"What a Francis, for my safety, he is so well guarded. How could the Japanese army be undefeated in the face of such a nation and people? ”

The tricycle stopped in front of the stove shop, and Hirochi Takagi got off. The boy selling cigarettes walked to the door and knocked on it. Tuk, tuk, tuk, two fast and one slow. The doors open.

"Brother, be vigilant and be vigilant. Takagi-kun, come in with me. ”

Hirochi Takagi followed the boy selling cigarettes into the dimly lit stove shop.

Stove shop backyard row house most westinghouse.

Franciscan insisted that all combat troops be dispatched immediately, rushed to the predetermined location to set up a concealed ambush, and waited for the order to act. Meng Dakui proposed to postpone the dispatch of troops, or dispatch several small troops, and at the same time check the enemy's situation and act on camera. The two expressed their own opinions, disagreed with each other, and neither could convince anyone, and the atmosphere was a little dull and anxious.

"Sixth uncle, the guest has arrived." The boy selling cigarettes said outside the house.

"Da Kui, you go to the back room and wait for me for a while, don't make a sound." Francis whispered.

Meng Dakui took the horsewhip and got up and strode into the inner room suite.

Francis walked quickly to the door and opened the door, and Takagi Hirochi stepped into the room.

"Takagi-kun, I've found you. The situation is urgent, and I have to do this. Sit down and say. ”

"Don't sit down. The military situation is urgent, and there is little gossip. Ji Renjun, in the evening, Captain Zhongchuan convened a military meeting of all the officers above the rank of junior in Lin'an County and Lin'an Town for several hours, and I don't know the specific details at all. I judge that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow there will be a large-scale military operation, and it is estimated that artillery, cavalry, and armored units will also be dispatched. However, I don't know the time of dispatch, the number of troops to be dispatched, the route of the march, the place of attack, the intention and purpose of the operation, and I think it should be Shuihe Village, where the Eighth Route Army is stationed in the west of the city. Ji Renjun, without further ado, there is no time to delay, you have to find a way to deal with it immediately. It is strange why such a large operation did not mobilize the Imperial Allied Army, which had already expanded its troops and weapons and equipment, to participate? Captain Nakagawa may go to Baoding tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I don't know what he is going to do, he only said that he will come back in a few days. Why leave when there is a military operation? There is only one reason that can be explained, that is, this military operation should start before he leaves Lin'an County, and it will not be too long, as long as one day, as short as half a day, it should be a tentative military operation. Tomorrow morning, the county middle school will hold a meeting on friendship and goodwill between Japan and China and a meeting on the exchange of Japanese Chinese, and it is obvious that this is to cover up military operations. The last thing is that the Japanese army is now desperately short of food, and even the officers and men in charge of a small squad in charge of guarding the headquarters cannot eat enough, so it is conceivable that the food shortage of other units is known. Qing'er's so-called work in the headquarters is some dispensable and inconsequential things specially arranged by Captain Nakagawa, and I suspect that sooner or later he will have evil intentions. However, please rest assured that Ji Renjun and Uncle Fang will take special care of Qing'er, keep an eye on Captain Zhongchuan at all times, and protect Qing'er's reputation and safety. That's all I have to say, you can analyze and study it and take action. ”

Takagi Hongzhi said all the current situation in one breath, which surprised Fang Jiren and Meng Dakui, who was hiding in the back room, and felt that the situation was serious and the military situation was critical.

"Takagi-kun, you've made it so clear, what else am I analyzing and studying? There's no time left. I immediately mobilized my troops and prepared to meet the enemy. Thank you, Takagi-kun. ”

"No thanks, yes." Takagi Hirochi raised his wrist and glanced at his watch and said, "Ji Renjun, I'll go back immediately, too long will attract the attention and suspicion of the Rite High Division of the Headquarters." Ouch, I almost forgot. Ji Renjun, it is too dangerous for us to meet like this, it is too much time and delay, you have to come up with a way to contact each other and a safe place where we can meet at any time in case of emergency. ”

"Yes, that's what I think too, it's necessary. I'll tell you the contact information and meeting place in a day or two, it's absolutely safe. Takagi-kun, be careful, you go quickly. ”

Francis and Takagi Hirochi cherished each other and shook hands and said goodbye.

"Deputy Commander Meng, please come out. Tell me what else you have in mind? ”

"Commander Wang, I heard it all and heard it clearly." Meng Dakui walked out of the back room and said.

"Sit down. Now that you've heard and heard clearly, tell me what you think. ”

"Commander Wang, who is this? How did he know so much? It's all military. How could he even know about the old man and Miss Qing'er? I heard the two of you call each other, this person must be Japanese, right? ”

"Yes. He is my Japanese buddy, an undercover insider, a member of the Japanese Communist Party, who has been coming to North China with the invading Japanese army for three years. Now he is Eiichi Nakagawa's retinue adjutant. You should keep this matter strictly confidential, and you are absolutely not allowed to say a word to others. ”

"Yes, I know. Commander Wang, although the situation he said is very important, do we need to understand it more deeply? ”

"Re-understand, sure? Is there still that time? According to what Takagi-kun said, it is likely that the Japanese army will leave the city early tomorrow morning and go straight to Shuihe Village. ”

"Huh? This? Is this possible? So what should we do? Time is too tight. ”

"What do you still ask? You have to do what I just told you about what I have just done. ”

"Yes. Obey orders and carry out resolutely! ”

"Deputy Commander Meng, Da Kui, without further ado, you take this combat map and immediately rush back to Linhe Township to mobilize troops, you must rush to the ambush site before dawn and disguise and lurk. I'll lead another company out of the city to help in the battle. ”

"Huh? A company? Commander Wang, in addition to the seventy or eighty people in the six detachments that were sent out to secretly lurk before, our large army is now in a few villages near Linhe Township, how can you still have a company of troops? ”

"That's what you don't have to ask so much. Hurry down the tunnel and go out of the city. ”

Fang Jiren and Meng Dakui got up and walked into the back room, raised their legs and stepped onto the earthen kang under the south window, and the two moved the reclining cabinet more than one meter long against the west wall.

Fang Jiren lifted the mattress and cotton mattress, opened the cover of the tunnel entrance and urged:

"Da Kui, let's go! Be careful on the road! ”

"Yes. I'm leaving, Commander Wang, and I'll see you outside the city tomorrow morning. Meng Dakui bent down and walked into the tunnel with quick movements.

Francis returned to the outhouse, sat at the square table, and wrote a letter. A moment later, two letters were written. Fang Jiren folded the two letters into two small pieces of paper and called softly, "Someone." ”

The door of the house was pushed open, and three young and sturdy young men walked in, walked up to Fang Jiren, stood upright and whispered in unison: "Young master, please command." ”

Fang Jiren stood up and handed a letter to the first young man: "You immediately go to the martial arts hall and hand over this letter to the third master." Fang Jiren handed another letter to the second young man: "You go down to the city with me, and then ride to the Chengdong Railway Station to the back door of Fang Lusheng's house, and hand over the letter to him." Finally, Francis said to the third young man: "After we are gone, you cover up the entrance to the tunnel." As soon as it dawns tomorrow, a few more nails will be arranged to closely monitor the movements of the Japanese troops, and a few more Japanese troops will be sent out in disguise and concealment to follow the Japanese troops who are leaving the city, and send information at any time to the nearest land temple in the southwest of the county, where someone will answer. Are the tasks clear? ”

The three of them replied in a low voice, "It's all clear." ”

"Okay, let's do it now."

Meng Dakui returned to the coal factory outside the city through the west city wall through the tunnel of the stove shop in the city, and quietly left the back door of the coal factory on war horses with the six guards waiting there, and galloped west along the northernmost avenue in the Guanxiang area in the west of the city.

The west of the county seat of Lin'an County, western Hebei region. Shuihe Village, Hebei Border Region. The Eighth Route Army supplemented the regimental headquarters in the courtyard. Yu Genshan walked around the yard, anxiously waiting.

Han Dagang, the deputy head of the regiment, strode in, and Yu Genshan immediately greeted him.

"Deputy Head Han, how is the situation?" Yu Genshan asked anxiously and in a whisper.

"Commander, it's midnight, why haven't you rested yet?" Han Dagang asked.

"What are you resting for? Didn't you come back and I could sleep? Let's talk about the situation. ”

"Yes." Han Dagang whispered in Genshan's ear and gave a detailed report on the specific situation of the troop mobilization and military deployment. Yu Genshan nodded as he listened, agreeing and approving.

Han Da had just finished his report, and Wu Wu, the elder of the supplementary regiment supply class, hurriedly walked into the courtyard, walked in front of Yu Genshan and Han Dagang, stood up and saluted, and asked:

"Regiment commander, is there any action in the army at night? Do you want to prepare some dry food? ”

"Huh? How do you know that the troops are operating at night? Yu Genshan asked vigilantly.

"Regiment commander, I saw that there were troops moving in the village, so I came here to ask for instructions, do you want to prepare dry food for the troops immediately? How much to prepare? Lao Wu said responsibly.

"Lao Wu, the troops have operations at night, which is an ordinary night exercise, and they all come back before dawn, so there is no need to prepare dry food. Go back to your dorm and rest. ”

"Oh, it's a night drill, so there's no need for dry food. Regiment Commander, Deputy Regiment Commander Han, I'll go back and rest. Old Wu Lizheng saluted and turned to leave the regiment headquarters.

"Huh? Why did Lao Wu come to the regiment headquarters at this time? It's weird, it's a little weird. ”

"Commander, you're muttering. Lao Wu is very suspicious, and I have sent someone to secretly monitor him for a while, but I have not found evidence yet. Regiment commander, don't tell Staff Officer Wu about the deployment, plan, and combat plan of military operations in the future, he is Lao Wu's cousin, and he will strictly guard against leaking secrets. It is also necessary to tell the political commissar and chief of staff to know. ”

"Okay, that's the right thing to do. Deputy Regiment Commander Han, do you think the news of the unit's actions tonight will leak out? ”

"Probably not. Regiment Commander, I have long ordered the guard company to seal Shuihe Village tightly, and strictly ordered that no one should leave the village. ”

"Done right. Da Gang, let me ask you, do you say that in our supplementary regiment and in Shuihe Village, are there any eyes, nails and hidden stakes that Fang Jiren quietly and secretly sent in? ”

"Regiment Leader, with my understanding of Fang Jiren, there will definitely be supplementary regiments and Shuihe Village, and it will definitely not be one person, there should be several people. If it was the eye, the nail and the stake sent by Francis, it would be difficult for us to find out who it was. There's no need to find out. I think Ma Fucai, the commander of the sixth company of the second battalion, is one of them. ”

"Well, you have a point, then we won't look it up."

In the regimental headquarters house, there was a person standing in the dark shadow by the door of the outhouse, eavesdropping on the conversation of Yu Genshan and Han Dagang in the courtyard with his ears pricked up. At the same time, in the regimental headquarters, there was also a person standing by the door of the inner room, staring at the eavesdropper's every move with wide eyes.

Syllable! A crisp gunshot rang out in the northeast of Shuihe Village, breaking the silence of the night. Yu Genshan and Han Dagang were suddenly shocked and taken aback. Both of them knew in their hearts that something was wrong, something was wrong......