The small steamer sailed downstream along the winding old course of the Yellow River, and poured thousands of miles with the wind and water. Ouyang Jian stood at the bow of the ship, wearing a robe and a top hat, dressed like a businessman. This time, Ouyang Jian went to the 35th Military District of the 2nd War Zone in Wuyuan, and he went secretly in disguise. Since the commander of the 2nd Theater was Yan Xishan, it was obviously not in accordance with the regulations to inspect the 35th Army's defense area without informing Yan Xishan. But Ouyang Jian's purpose in meeting Fu Zuoyi this time was to prevent Yan Xishan from knowing.

At this time, Ouyang Jian stood on the bow of the boat and raised his eyes to look into the distance, on the bank of the Yellow River during the dry period, a large area of shallows was exposed, giving people a feeling of vicissitudes. At that time, he lobbied Fu Zuoyi to run the Hetao area, and he laid it out in advance. When he was in Yan'an, Liu Zhidan introduced the situation in the Hetao area, and said that the Hetao area has changed very much, and it has become a river filled with rice and grain. Especially in the past few years since the outbreak of the war, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region has given strong support to the Hetao area, and Fu Zuoyi has managed it well, and the Hetao area has not only changed greatly, but also has grown to 50,000 troops and horses.

In the past few years, under the deliberate promotion of Ouyang Jian, the 35th Army has always maintained close contact with the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region. Due to the continuous campaigns, the weapons and ammunition supplied by the government to the 35th Army could not meet the needs of the war at all, and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region made up for this piece, so Fu Zuoyi's cooperation with the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Border Region was very close. After the victory of the defensive operation in southern Hunan, the state government began to purchase large-scale standard weapons produced by the Jiangxi Arsenal. Due to the large number of monks and the lack of porridge, the 35th Army, as a miscellaneous unit, has not been included in the national government's redressing plan.

Ouyang Jian provided a large number of guns and ammunition for Fu Zuoyi outside the plan, and so far the 35th Army has been equipped with two-thirds of the standard weapons produced in Jiangxi, and it can be said that the 35th Army is inseparable from the support of the Eighth Route Army. This time, Ouyang Jian went to the 35th Army defense site in Hetao, the core purpose is to continue to strengthen cooperation and create conditions for the 35th Army to join the Eighth Route Army in the future, which is also the unified deployment of the headquarters.

Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that since the Battle of Xinkou, Fu Zuoyi had become increasingly dissatisfied with Yan Xishan's disregard for the overall situation and the consciousness of small farmers. In particular, Yan Xishan went his own way in military command, causing the Jin army to suffer heavy losses and losses. This time, Ouyang Jian secretly visited Fu Zuoyi, which was not only to strengthen close cooperation, but also to fan the flames, and under the current circumstances, the conditions for lobbying Fu Zuoyi were already met.

On the opposite side came a steam barge, a steam barge full of goods, with roaring motors and black smoke billowing past each other, indicating that the Hetao area has formed a water trade and transportation channel in various parts of the west, which also means that the economic development of the Hetao area is becoming more and more prosperous. The small steamer traveled day and night to the Hetao area two days later, and then went directly to the Wuyuan Wharf along the artificially dug irrigation canal. The goods of Wuyuan Wharf are piled up and are very prosperous, and merchants from the south to the north gather.

Ouyang Jian and his entourage boarded the wharf and entered the city, where there were many shops on the street, and all kinds of commodities were dazzling, especially the leather goods business was thriving. From time to time, Mongolian herders can be seen driving Lele carts to trading places laden with sheepskins. At the same time, the Mongolian herdsmen, loaded with various daily necessities, left happily. It is obvious that it has become a bazaar for Mongolian herders, and at the same time, it has also witnessed the gratifying scene of economic development in the western region.

When he came to the military headquarters of the 35th Army, the guard Xiao Wang informed the guards standing guard that the merchants of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Trading Group asked to meet the army commander, General Fu Zuoyi. When the sentry heard that it was a merchant from Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, he did not dare to slack off and immediately reported it, and soon an adjutant came out. The adjutant checked the documents and said politely: "Sir, the commander is in a meeting, please wait in the meeting room." Under the guidance of the adjutant, Ouyang Jian and the guard Xiao Yang entered the meeting room.

Soon, Fu Zuoyi walked in in a military uniform. "Brother Yisheng, don't come unharmed, it's always good." Ouyang Jian clasped his hands into fists and saluted. Fu Zuoyi stared at Ouyang Jian a little confused, and suddenly his eyes widened: "Brother Ouyang, why are you!" Fu Zuoyi turned to the adjutant and said, "You go and tell the chief of staff, I will entertain guests behind closed doors, and all official affairs will be handled by the chief of staff." Fu Zuoyi and Ouyang Jian entered the back residence, and when they entered the study, they shook hands excitedly and said, "Brother Ouyang, you scared me." Without notice in advance, if something goes wrong, how can I explain it! ”

"Brother Yisheng is too worried, I am visiting secretly in disguise, no one knows, you can rest assured!" "Brother Ouyang, your current status and identity are not the same, can you make me not worried?" "I know the Wuyuan area is mixed, but it's not a big deal. As long as you keep a low profile, my safety will be fine! "I understand that no one but me can know that you are here, and I can't make a noise."

"Brother Yisheng, I am a merchant from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Trading Group to discuss arms trade. Recently, a batch of arms has been shipped from Jiangxi, and your share is among them, and I, a merchant, are also justified! "My luck is so good, your party's strong support, I don't know how to say my gratitude, so I have to express my heart on the battlefield of killing the enemy." "Well said, this time the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army specially approved to give you 20 mountain guns, 3,000 shells, 500 mortars, and 10,000 shells."

"It's just timely rain, I can officially form an artillery regiment, this is a dream." "In addition, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army has specially approved to provide your department with 300 rocket launchers of the latest type, including 5,000 rockets. The rocket launcher and rockets have been upgraded to be more armor-piercing and explosive. According to the information we have obtained, an armored brigade of the Japanese army has reached Beiping, and it is estimated that this armored brigade of the Japanese army is very likely to be deployed in Suiyuan. ”

"Brother Ouyang, the bazooka you provided in the past made the Japanese armored combat vehicles fearful. Don't worry, the armored brigades of the Japanese army are not terrible, how many come, how many I destroy? "Brother Yisheng, why did you provide you with a new type of bazooka, it is targeted. According to the information I have, the Japanese armored brigade is equipped with the Japanese army's new main battle tank, that is, the upgraded and improved version of the Type 97 tank. The caliber of the tank's artillery has been changed from 40 mm to 47 mm, the thickness of the front and side steel plates has been significantly strengthened, and the protection capability has also been greatly strengthened. ”

"In the past, the bazooka we produced could no longer destroy the improved version of the Type 97 tank, so the upgrade of the bazooka this time is a new tank against the Japanese army. According to the movement of the Japanese army, the battle of Nakajo Mountain will be launched soon, and the signs are already very obvious. Your territory is suitable for tank troops. In order to cooperate with the Battle of Nakajo Mountain, the Japanese army will definitely make some moves in the northern theater, so you have to be prepared. ”

"Brother Ouyang, if you don't provide this information, we don't know anything. Knowing that you are invincible in a hundred battles, your party's intelligence system is so shocking that the Ministry of Defense should have informed us of this situation. "The Ministry of Defense understands this situation, but as for not telling you, it is worried about shaking your military morale, which is the consistent practice of the Ministry of Defense." "To put it bluntly, we are a ragtag army, what are we in their eyes? Cannon fodder at best! ”

Seeing Fu Zuoyi's righteous indignation, Ouyang Jian comforted: "Brother Yisheng, don't think like this, you must have a concept of the overall situation." Now that there is a loophole, it's not too late to fix it. This batch of modified bazookas has just been produced, and the Ministry of Defense does not know about it. You should know that the Japanese army will soon find out what the Ministry of Defense knows, and it has to be done for reasons of secrecy. As she spoke, Mrs. Fu brought the food and wine to the table.

"Brother Ouyang's sudden visit caught me off guard. Mrs. made a few hometown dishes, and it just so happened that I had a jar of aged Fen wine here, which was not a tribute. Fu Zuoyi took out the Fenjiu and opened the seal, and the house was suddenly full of fragrance. Brother Yisheng, my requirements are not high, and good wine can be done. The two of them pushed their glasses and exchanged a few glasses of wine, and Ouyang Jian said with a smile: "Brother Yisheng, the Hetao area has been built by you well, I just passed by the market, and the business here is very prosperous!" ”

"Brother Ouyang, thanks to your on-demand broadcast back then, we have today's scene. In recent years, the economic development of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningbo has been rapid, and our Hetao area has also been stained. There is nothing else here, its grain and furs are considerable, and they are sold in large quantities to the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo border area. Nowadays, Lanzhou has become an industrial city, and our goods are transported to Lanzhou by water, which brings us huge profits. If it weren't for your planning and layout in advance, how could there be today's scene. ”

Fu Zuoyi's face changed and he continued: "Brother Ouyang, the past is unbearable, and your strategic vision is unmatched. At that time, almost all of your judgments came true, and I advised Chairman Yan to launch a defense in Shanxi in advance, focusing on building defensive positions. However, Chairman Yan did not take my suggestion, and as a result, we were defeated. In the Battle of Xinkou, I suggested that the Eighth Route Army enter Shanxi to participate in the defense, but Chairman Yan did not agree. Brother Ouyang, I'm ashamed! I failed to live up to your expectations! ”

"Brother Yisheng, the past can't be changed, I understand your feelings, after all, you can't control Yan Xishan. Yan Xishan's abacus has always been shrewd, but he can't calculate the major events in the world. Thinking that Shanxi is blessed with unique geographical conditions and dreaming of being the king of Shanxi forever can only be wishful thinking. At present, Yan Xishan still refuses to leave Shanxi, and the reason is here, but Shanxi has become the world of the Japanese! "Last year, I asked Chairman Yan to retreat to the Hetao area for development, but he not only refused but also reprimanded me, saying that I was a blind man."

Seeing that Fu Zuoyi's expression was a little depressed, Ouyang Jian took the opportunity to ask, "Is Yan Xishan's current funding provided by you?" "Yes, the newly formed New Army is the money I provide." Ouyang Jian said: "Brother Yisheng, there is a situation I have to tell you, you have to be mentally prepared?" "What's the situation?" "At the beginning of the year, Yan Xishan's new army suddenly conquered several county towns in the Fenyang area, do you think it is possible?"