Chapter 90: Analysis of the Secret Valley of Opinion Disputes

Shuihe Village. Inside the regimental headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.

Han Dagang: "Yes." Fang Jiren's seventh uncle is named Fang Zhenhai and graduated from the Baoding Military Academy. He should be thirty-seven or eighteen years old now, he is the commander-in-chief of the Fang Family Guard, people call him the Seventh Master, he leads the troops strictly, and the military discipline is strict, but he loves the soldiers like a son and a relative. Fang Zhenhai once served as the company commander of a reconnaissance company in Feng Yuxiang's National Army, with strong martial arts, wisdom and bravery, and good fighting. In April of the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), defeated by Chiang Kai-shek's army in the Central Plains War, Fang Zhenhai returned to Lin'an County with seventy or eighty people from the reconnaissance company, and took over the management and defense of the coal mines, iron mines, and villages in the area of Hulu Valley in the Hulu Valley that is 123 miles wide from north to south and more than 30 miles long from east to west, as well as a large area of flat cultivated land. The topography of this gourd valley is like a big gourd, the mouth is small, the waist is thin, the belly is big, it is naturally separated into the front valley and the back valley by a mountain beam more than 100 meters high in the middle, there are two mountain passes inside and outside, the terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Hulu Valley is surrounded by cliffs hundreds of meters high that cannot be climbed at all, and there is a plain in the middle, and there is a small river that runs through the Hulu Valley from west to east. After Fang Zhenhai arrived in Hulu Valley, he expanded the armed guards, purchased guns and ammunition everywhere, and built a lot of solid permanent bunkers and hidden bunkers according to the steep mountains and complex terrain of Hulu Valley, and it is a reasonable layout, a combination of light and dark, relying on each other, supporting each other, fortifying at all levels, and having both offense and defense, constituting a complete offensive and defensive system. The headquarters of the Armed Guards was located in Fangjiazhuang in the back valley, and the guards were stationed in eight or nine villages in the front and back valleys. The inside and outside of the Hulu Valley were well guarded and heavily guarded, with open posts and secret posts and mobile posts all over it, and several cavalry patrols patrolled day and night. Hulu Valley is like an independent kingdom, and it is difficult for outsiders to enter. However, I don't know what has changed in the past few years. Regiment commanders and political commissars, I think that we should also establish such a stable and long-term base for the supplementary regiment. ”

Yu Genshan asked suspiciously: "Camp Commander Han, according to what you say, the Fang family has made the gourd valley like an iron wall?" Is it that powerful? You're not exaggerating, are you? ”

"Commander, I'm not exaggerating. Don't say that the gourd valley is inside, it is not an exaggeration to say that the gourd valley is outside the copper wall. The place outside the gourd valley is called three bends, there are more than two miles long, there are three continuous bends of nearly ninety degree angles, narrow and dangerous, the widest place is less than two zhang, the two sides are bare grass and upright rock walls, can not climb, there is nowhere to hide, it is the last line of defense outside the gourd valley. In the three bends that are two miles long, there are six unusually strong and extremely hidden pillboxes, two in each bend, which are about more than three hundred meters apart. There are also carved out of the rock wall more than a foot high, and I don't know how many there are. The bunkers and the bunkers form a network of crossfire from top to bottom, and it is really a one-person gatekeeper. Five or six miles to the east is the 'chicken neck', this is the narrowest place on the road from the mountain pass to the gourd valley, the distance of more than 100 meters, the width of the road is only more than one zhang, and the two sides are also upright rock walls, here is the second line of defense of the gourd valley, how many clear and dark forts there are, how many troops can be deployed, I don't know. Six or seven miles into the mountain pass is the 'Tiger Pass', which is slightly more spacious, but there are many rocks and ravines on both sides of the road, forming a natural barrier that is convenient for concealment and ambush. On the road from the mountain pass to the Hulu Valley for 16 or 7 miles, there are four small villages with only a few families on the side of the road at intervals of several miles, which can also be used to guard the road. 'Tiger Mouth', 'Chicken Neck', and three bends, just like three iron gates and steel gates guarding the gourd valley. In addition, the west of the valley mouth outside the gourd valley, after the valley mouth is not far away, it enters the hinterland of Taihang Mountain, the road is narrow and steep, and it can barely pass a carriage. Seven or eight miles west from the mouth of the valley is a sheep's intestine trail in the steep cliff. On both sides of this section of the road, there are also clear bunkers, and I don't know how many there are. After so many years, I have never heard of any armed team that can break through the 'chicken neck' and enter the gourd valley with three bends. Leader, do you say that Hulu Valley is powerful? ”

Chief of Staff: "Battalion Commander Han, listening to what you said, the defense and combat effectiveness of the Fang Family Guards should not be weak, but how about their actual combat experience?" Pull out the mountains and fight in the plains? It's not okay to sharpen your guns in battle. ”

Han Dagang: "Actual combat experience? In the past, I only heard that Wu Peifu had sent people to talk several times in the past to integrate the Fang Family Guard, but after being refused, he sent troops to encircle and suppress it several times, but he was defeated by the Fang Family Guard. How many times the armed attacks of fierce bandits have also been defeated to the ground. They didn't even hit the 'chicken neck', let alone hit the gourd valley after three bends. Since then, the Fang Family Armed Guards have dominated North China, and no one dares to provoke them. Fighting in the plains, I think their combat effectiveness is not weak either. Therefore, I think it is very possible for Francis to send troops out of the mountains to ambush the devils. ”

Huang Zhongde categorically denied it with an awe-inspiring expression: "I don't think it's possible!" It's simply impossible! When pigs fly! It has been five years since the beginning of the 37th National War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression this year, and I won't talk about the two parties and two armies of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, even the green forest heroes with a sense of justice, and the bandits with a little conscience in the Wuthering Mountains and forests have come out to resist the Japanese, who of us has heard of the Fangjia Guards in Lin'an County who fought against Japan and fought devils? This fully shows that the Fang Jiawei is just a cowardly landlord armed force who is greedy for life and fears death, only cares about their own family and ignores the danger of the country and the danger of the nation. The Fang family is a wealthy family that dominates Lin'an County, a big landlord and a big bourgeoisie, if they don't take refuge in devils and traitors, they can already be regarded as maintaining national integrity and Chinese style. Send troops to fight devils? How is this possible? ”

Han Dagang retorted: "I don't agree with Director Huang's statement, there is no priority in resisting Japan, there is no class in resisting Japan, and there is no distinction between rich and poor. As long as we fight devils, they are our allies. Moreover, I have seen with my own eyes that the Fang Family Guard is definitely a formidable force that cannot be ignored and cannot be underestimated.

Staff Officer Wu: "Regiment Commander, listening to what Battalion Commander Han said, the Fang Jiawei is an independent and powerful armed force, which may be a good thing for us to supplement the regiment in the future, but it may also be a great threat, should we prepare early and be on strict guard?" ”

Huang Zhongde: "It's not that it should, but we must prepare in advance and be vigilant." ”

Political Commissar: "Battalion Commander Han, do you think the Fang Family Guard will pose a threat to the Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army in the future?" Will it even become a side that is hostile to us? ”

Han Dagang: "This? This one? I-I don't think so. Fang Zhenhai has long since broken away from the Kuomintang army, and the current Fang Family Guards are just to guard the family and guard the Hulu Valley, if you don't recruit him, he will definitely not take the initiative to provoke you, a bit of a person who doesn't offend me, I don't offend people. ”

Commissar: "Okay, let's stop here. Battalion Commander Han, it is entirely possible that what you said, it seems that the information sent by Francis is credible. Regiment commander and chief of staff, let's hurry up and study how to prepare. ”

Yu Genshan: "Yes. Chief of Staff, tell me how to deploy your troops. ”

The chief of staff thought for a while and said, "Battalion Commander Han, you have said so much with good evidence, I want to hear how you think we should deploy our troops first?" How to prepare more confidently? ”

Han Dagang pointed to the map on the table and said: "I think so, Staff Officer Wu led the second battalion to the east of Taicang Village to ambush the devils who may come out of Da'an Township and Ping'an Town, and the first battalion is a reserve and is ready to attack and reinforce at any time." I led the reinforced battalion to deploy and guard in the north of Shuihe Village, preparing to block the enemy coming out of the county seat. It is likely that Francis will ambush in a large cornfield on both sides of the road in the middle of Shengyong and Shunhe villages. Regiment commanders, political commissars, and chiefs of staff, do you think it's okay for me to deploy troops like this? ”

"Finished? Camp Commander Han, it's as simple as that? Staff Officer Wu questioned puzzled.

"Ah, it's over, it's as simple as that."

Huang Zhongde squinted his eyes and glanced at Han Dagang sarcastically:

"Shhhh Are you serious? Commander, we're not going to be holding chicken feathers as arrows, are we? What's more, it's not even chicken feathers, it's really a waste of time. ”