The joy brought by the Chengdu-Chongqing railway quickly disappeared in the high-level of Sichuan, and was replaced by a kind of anxiety and uneasiness. At the beginning of May, two brutal and fierce battles broke out in the northwest and southwest of Sichuan almost simultaneously - the Battle of Tumen and the Battle of Huili.

After the Red Army in northern Sichuan forcibly crossed the Jialing River, from Chiang Kai-shek to Liu Xiang, including Zhuang Jihua, they did not expect that the Red Army would abandon the Sichuan-Shaanxi base area and move the whole army westward.

The suspicion of judging the direction of the Red Army's attack led to the hesitation of the Sichuan army's movements, and Deng Xihou, who was facing the Red Fourth Front, was even more confused about the direction of the Red Army's breakthrough.

If the Red Army went south, it would attack the Chengdu Plain, enter southern Shaanxi to the north, and Tumen Pass to the west, and the most unlikely of these three directions would be Tumen Pass.

The Tumen Pass is composed of a string of narrow and steep hills, which stretches for more than ten miles. Outside the Tumen is the Sichuan-Tibet Province, the plateau is bitter cold, and the natural environment is harsh; The main position of Tibetan Zhang, the language and customs are different; The most important thing is food, and the Tibetan areas simply cannot provide the food that 100,000 Red Army soldiers need all year round.

Therefore, at the beginning, Deng Xihou did not notice the Tumen Pass, but his chief of staff, who supervised the battle in the Tumen area, insisted that the Tumen Pass be blocked immediately, and Deng Xihou finally followed his advice and cobbled together eight regiments with a total strength of 15,000 men to block the Tumen Pass.

However, the Red Army went west to attack Tumen, so it was destined to be a brutal battle, and the tenacious combat effectiveness of the four front armies was fully demonstrated in this battle. In the battle that lasted for 16 days, they climbed the cliffs, climbed the cliffs, braved the rain of bullets, fought bloody battles, and successively captured Fuquan Mountain, Qianfo Mountain, and Laojun Ridge, and fought a bloody road in the mountains.

When the Fourth Front Army was bloody and dirty, the Red Army that crossed the Jinsha River approached Huili, and after Liu Yuantang was determined to hold Huili, he ordered all the troops along the defense line along the river to retreat, and at the same time asked Liu Yuanzhang, the border commander of Xichang, for help, Liu Yuanzhang, despite Xu Jianshuang's opposition, ordered the Nie Qiuhan regiment from the 16th Dechang Brigade to reinforce Huili.

Nie Qiuhan's march was very fast, and he rushed to the outside of Huili City the next day, but at this moment, there were gunfire all around outside Huili City, and the troops retreating from the riverside ferry were exchanging fire with the pursuing Red Army; Liu Yuantang was worried that Nie Qiuhan would run away because of this, so he personally led two companies to rush out of Huili and take Nie Qiuhan's regiment into the city.

"Hu Huaitang was intercepted by the Red Army." As soon as Liu Yuantang entered the city, Xu Ying came to report.

"It is said that his ancestors are banban," Liu Yuantang scolded: "You can't escape for your life, you can't win another one, come here, pick up with Lao Tzu!" ”

Liu Yuantang said and took off his military uniform, put on his upper body, lifted the ghost head knife, gathered the two companies that had just entered the city and his guards, everyone put on bayonets, rushed out of the city gate, and took Hu Huaitang into the city, this time he ordered the city gate to be blocked as soon as he entered the city gate.

When Li Anding heard this, he was shocked and asked Liu Yuantang to open the door immediately, and he received a report that the detachment outside the city that had returned from the Jinsha River to investigate the hydropower station and the second geological detachment were about to arrive.

"There are bandits outside the city!" Liu Yuantang was furious and shouted at Li Anding: "As soon as they opened the door, they rushed in, you don't understand!" ”

"Lose his mother! Someone lost the chief, and he wanted to cut off my head! Lao Tzu must bring them in! Li An's blushing face did not give in: "I don't want you to send people, the escort team will send troops by itself!" You open the door to Lao Tzu! ”

Liu Yuantang was on fire, picked up the knife and slashed at Li Anding, Xu Ying quickly grabbed his hand: "The brigade is angry!" Calm your anger! ”

Li Anding took a step back and pulled out his pistol, several of his guards raised their submachine guns, Liu Yuantang's subordinates also poured in, the two sides exchanged guns, and the county magistrate hurriedly persuaded each other: "Chief Li, Brigade Commander Liu, there is something to discuss, something to discuss." The catastrophe is coming, the catastrophe is coming, we must be in the same boat, in the same boat! ”

Xu Ying dragged Liu Yuantang aside, turned to Li Anding and said, "Chief Li, we are in the same boat, the gangsters are about to enter the city, and your people in the city are finished, you can't lose a big one because of a small one!" ”

Of course, Li Anding knew that it was dangerous to open the door now, but the problem was that Cao Ruizhi and Chang Longqing were in these two detachments, and if something happened to these two people, Zhuang Jihua would definitely want his head.

"Can't I bring someone to pick it up? Defend the city! Can't you! Li Anding roared.

"Sir, calm down! Do you know where they are now? Is it ten miles or twenty miles? Xu Ying asked: "Do you know how many bandits there are in this distance?" You can't take that risk! ”

As he was talking, fierce gunfire was heard from the west of the city, and a company commander ran to report: "There is a group of soldiers outside the west gate calling the door, and a large number of communist bandits have been found in the direction of the iron factory." ”

Li Anding's heart was sinking, and he felt that he might not be able to save his head. Liu Yuantang didn't reply and scolded loudly: "Mom sells x, don't open the door, shout to them, let them run to Dechang, or run to the Yi area!" ”

Xu Ying saw that Li Anding's face was cloudy, he leaned up and whispered: "Sir, the people outside will definitely not be able to enter, you hurry up and find a way to let them enter the Yi area, your exploration team has a good relationship with the Yi people, and will take them in." ”

Li Anding stamped his feet and took him out of the headquarters, rushed back to the exploration team, and immediately ordered a telegram to all the detachments outside the country not to return to Huili again, and to immediately avoid the Yi area, and the radio station should be turned on 24 hours a day to keep in touch. All the detachments called back to express their acceptance of the order, but except for the two detachments, Cao Ruizhi and Chang Longqing's two detachments, they never called back.

Chen Geng grabbed the kettle, the enemy was defeated too quickly, they continued to forcibly march and pursue, so that he lost a lot of water, and his tattered military uniform was wet with sweat, and he urgently needed to replenish water. At this time, a soldier broke in from outside the door: "Report that we have caught a group of people." ”

Without raising his head, he asked, "Who is it?" What a fuss. ”

"I don't know, the battalion commander asked us to send it."

Chen Geng is a little strange, after being released from prison in Shanghai, he entered the Jiangxi Soviet District, but because he was arrested, he had to be examined by his superiors, but fortunately Zhou E came to protect him, and he became the head of the cadre regiment after the start of the Long March. The history of the cadres and regiments is composed of company and platoon cadres streamlined from various units, and it is the most elite unit of the Red Army, and the battle of Tucheng has begun to show its edge, and this time they rushed to cross the Jinsha River for 160 miles day and night, seized Kyaukpingdu, defeated Liu Yuantang, and captured the county seat of Tong'an, opening the way for the whole army to go north.

"Don't know?" Chen Geng wondered, I don't know who the captured captives are?

"He, they started to fight fiercely, and then they were surrounded by us, but they surrendered on their own initiative, saying what is the southwest... What hair... What team, what is here,.... what station to build. The soldier was young, and he didn't quite know the meaning of the words that were being spoken, so he scratched the back of his head and said with difficulty.

"Oh, I understand," Chen Geng's mind immediately understood what these people were: "Give the people to the guards and tell Liang that they are not allowed to beat and scold, not to hurt, and to be treated preferentially." ”

The soldier turned around to leave, but Chen Geng stopped him with a smile: "Tell your battalion commander to send me half of the captured weapons and equipment." ”

"Yes." The soldier's answer was a little weak, but he wondered in his heart, how did the regiment commander know that we had made a small fortune.

"Why, even the foreign fall of a small army has to be exploited?" Political commissar Song Renqiang couldn't help but quip.

"Small troops?" Chen Geng smiled slyly: "When did Zhuang Wenge treat his people badly, I bet with you, I am afraid that there are several machine guns in this small army." ”

"How many machine guns are there?" Song Renqiang turned his head to look at him in surprise: "Then don't you catch up with a battalion in Liu Yuantang?" ”

"I'm afraid ** is not far from ten," Chen Geng nodded: "My old classmate, I understand, but it's also a little strange, his troops shouldn't be so unbeaten." ”

Song Renqiang didn't understand what he meant, Chen Geng turned around and said, "No, I'll go and see, Old Song, I'll leave it to you here." ”

"Hey..." Before Song Renqiang's words were finished, Chen Geng had already turned around and left the temporary headquarters.

Cao Ruizhi and Chang Longqing sat in a corner, their eyes were a little dull, not far from them were Jian An and Wei Wengang, the escort captains of the two detachments, surrounded by a group of escorts, among whom there were several wounded, and the faces of these team members did not have the timidity and anxiety of ordinary prisoners, but a sense of unconvincing. More of them were prospectors in ordinary clothes, who sat quietly in the straw piles, whispering a few words from time to time.

The door opened, and the Red Army officer who came in with a pair of glasses and a mustache under his chin glanced inside and asked, "Which of you is in charge?" ”

"Me." "Me." Chang Longqing and Cao Ruizhi struggled to get up.

"It's me." Jian An and Wei Wengang had already stood up, and Jian An also turned back to Chang Longqing and Cao Ruizhi and said: "According to the system of the development team, once transferred to wartime, the command will automatically transfer to the captain of the escort team, Professor Chang and Professor Cao, so we are the commander of the detachment." ”

Wei Wengang looked at the Red Army officer: "Who are you?" ”

"Chen Geng."

Jian An and Wei Wengang bowed slightly, they exchanged a look, and then saluted Chen Geng: "Jian An (Wei Wengang), a graduate of the fifth (sixth) phase of Huangpu, salutes the senior!" ”

Chen Geng also replied unequivocally, and then asked happily: "You guys don't embarrass Zhuang Wenge much." ”

"Senior, don't be polite, just say that we shouldn't surrender as prisoners," Wei Wengang really said unequivocally in Wen Gang's mouth: "Our task is to protect the exploration team, not to fight with you." ”

"Well, this is a bit of a look, a bit like a soldier of the Zhuang Cultural Revolution," touched a soft nail, Chen Geng seemed to be a little satisfied, but he continued to joke: "But since my old classmate has equipped you with such a strong weapon, I didn't let you be a prisoner, didn't you live up to his hard work by doing this?" ”

"If you weren't worried about hurting them, senior, we could try," Jian An replied unceremoniously, "I guarantee that you won't be able to capture a single captive, and you will have to pay ten times the price." ”

Chen Gengleng paused, he looked at Jian An and Wei Wengang and the team members around them: "Well, it seems that the Cultural Revolution has trained you well." Didn't he engage in southwest development in Yucheng? How did you get here? ”

Chang Longqing was about to answer, but Cao Ruizhi shouted first: "I protest, you bandits!" Give us back our instruments, and the data. ”

Cao Ruizhi's sudden outburst made Jian An and Wei Wengang stunned, they subconsciously moved a step in front of him, and then looked at Chen Geng very worriedly.

Chang Longqing couldn't help but shout: "And our ore specimens? ”

Chen Geng frowned and asked, "Instruments, data?" Ore specimens? He suddenly understood, turned his head to the guard behind him and said, "Call the commander of the third battalion." ”

The guard said yes and walked out, but Chen Geng shouted: "Tell him to run!" The guard immediately ran away.

(To be continued)