After Shen Shaofan said goodbye to Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling, he rushed to Nanjing West Railway Station, the station of the National Youth League, and looked at the civilians fleeing in a panic along the way. Every street in Nanjing was crowded with people, and the Japanese army had already marched to the outskirts of Nanjing, but there were still many people crowding into the city, they seemed to know that there would be a big war here, but they also believed that the Chinese government would protect this historic city, and at this time they felt that the city would be safer, at least there were refugee camps set up by foreigners.

The people walked towards the refugee camp, and a long line slowly extended into the Jinling Girls' Middle School. Shen Shaofan could clearly see a red cross banner hanging high in Chinese at the entrance of Jinling Girls' High School; Japanese; In German it is written, 'Difficult-Min-Camp-'.

Shen Shaofan patted the driver and said, "Go to Jinling Girls' Middle School." ”

The driver nodded, the car turned a corner, and stopped at the door of Jinling Girls' High School, Shen Shaofan jumped out of the jeep wearing a military tweed coat, looked at the crowded door, and tried to find Jin Xiwen.

There was a lot of chaos at the school gate, and many people rushed in to get into the camp as soon as possible, and the whole school was crowded until every classroom and room in the school was full of people, and the refugees still crowded inside. There are several foreigners at the door to maintain order, and they are assigned to different places according to the classification of men and women.

Shen Shaofan came to the door and spoke fluent English to a foreigner: "Hello! I'm looking for a girl. ”

"Girls? There are so many girls here. Who exactly are you looking for? ”

"Her name is Jin Xiwen and she is a teacher here."

"I don't know."

"Then you let me go in and find it."

"No! Military personnel are not allowed to enter the camps. ”

"Help! I'm going to have to find her today. ”

"No! No way! The foreigner pushed him outside. Shen Shaofan had no other way but to look around to find Jin Xiwen.

"Captain Shen!" A word came from behind Shaofan.

Shen Shaofan looked back and saw that it was the principal of Jinling Girls' High School, and hurriedly pulled him aside and said, "Is Wenwen inside?" ”

"In! At! At! I'm going to call her out. ”

"Good! Thank you so much. Shen Shaofan smiled sheepishly.

Shen Shaofan lit a cigarette and frowned, looking at the extremely chaotic street, wondering in his heart: "How did this Tang Shengzhi do it?" There wasn't even a police officer on the road. ”

After a while, Jin Xiwen pushed the crowd all the way and ran out with difficulty, looked at Shaofan with a smile and said, "Why are you here?" ”

Shaofan threw away the cigarette and walked over slowly, "Can you do it here?" ”

"I'm not Miss Jin anymore, what's wrong. I helped out in the camp, and our whole school was in the camp. Jin Xiwen said with a smile.

Shaofan smiled, put his hands lightly on Wenwen's shoulders and said, "The little devil is about to attack the city." In case Nanjing falls, I'll ......"

Before Shaofan finished speaking, Jin Xiwen hurriedly went up with a slender jade hand, covered Shaofan's mouth, and said softly: "You'll be fine." ”

"Wenwen! You have to be careful! Shaofan was not at ease.

Jin Xiwen showed her cute and charming smile again and said, "I'll be fine, I'm here waiting for you to pick me up after the battle." Saying that, his delicate body gently leaned into Shaofan's arms and said, "Shaofan, I miss you so much." I worry about you every day. ”

Shaofan stroked Wenwen's long hair and said, "Me too!" Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm going to pick you up again! ”

At this time, a jeep drove quickly and Sun Zhiyu was sitting on it, Shen Shaofan knew that the army was estimated to have a task, and said softly: "Wenwen, you wait for me." I'll be right back. As he spoke, he ran to the feather and talked to the feather.

Shen Shaofan looked back at Jin Xiwen and slowly walked in front of her and said, "Wenwen, my troops are about to go to the battlefield." I have to go. ”

After a brief encounter, a pair of lovers looked at each other face-to-face in this chaotic city, Shaofan gently kissed Wenwen on the cheek and turned around and walked towards the car.

"Less-fan-!" With tears in her eyes, Jin Xiwen ran towards Shaofan and threw herself into her arms and said, "You must come back alive." ”

"Hmm!" Shaofan smiled slightly: "I'll be fine, I have a lucky charm!" As he spoke, he took out the silver cross necklace from his collar and looked at Wenwen with a smile.

Wenwen also smiled, and she also took out the same cross necklace as Shaofan from her collar and said, "I have it too." ”

Shaofan kissed Jin Xiwen's forehead again, breathed a long sigh of relief, jumped into the car, and said to Wenwen: "I will definitely pick you up." ”

The Youth League Department of the National Youth League in Nanjing West Railway Station. Tang Shengzhi gave them the defensive position of the National Youth League, which turned out to be the northwest of Nanjing, facing the Jiangmen area, and at the same time ordered them to blow up the pontoon bridge on the river behind the river transport school.

Shen Shaofan took off his military coat and said, "Tang Shengzhi gave such an order? Tell us to defend the area around Linjiangmen? ”

"Yes!" Sun Zhiyu said: "The original text of the order is 'The National Youth League is stationed in the area of Linjiangmen on the northwest side of Nanjing City. Blow up the baggage pontoon bridge behind the river transport school. ”

Shen Shaofan sneered: "It seems that there is a reason why the principal wants him to be a bench military official. How can you lead troops to fight without even giving an order? He was also ashamed to defend Nanjing. Shaofan drank a saliva and said, "Northwest side of Nanjing? The west side of Nanjing went big. Hum! Tell us to guard the northwest side of Nanjing? He might as well hand over the entire city of Nanjing to us to defend, this battle is probably better than his. ”

The officers at the regimental headquarters all laughed.

Zhang Wenshan said: "Do you blow up the pontoon bridge first?" ”

"Blow up the ball! He Tang Shengzhi wants to fight against the water, I forgive him, and he doesn't have such ability. When the time comes, he pats his ass and leaves, and we still have to use this pontoon bridge. Shen Shaofan scolded angrily: "Tang Shengzhi, he's really a fucking imbecile." I hope he can live and die for Nanjing. ”

"Then what should we do next?" ”

Shaofan looked at the map and sighed: "This thing is difficult!" If Tang Shengzhi's orders were followed, our forces would not be sufficient to build a strong defensive line on the northwest side of Nanjing. It seems that more people in Nanjing can only defend a gateway to escape. ”

"Escape portal?" Blocking the sky and letting go of the incomprehensible doubts.

Shen Shaofan nodded and said, "Yes!" Escape portal. He looked at the map with a heavy heart, and he vaguely understood in his heart that the battlefield of Nanjing would draw an end to the Battle of Songhu, and the outcome would be an absolute defeat.

Sun Zhiyu watched Shaofan from the sidelines, and began to worry about the city of Nanjing, Linjiangmen became the only way for tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians to escape from hell in the future, but in order to guard this passage, the National Youth League paid a painful price.

On December 8, almost all of China's peripheral positions in Nanjing were lost, and the only way for the Japanese army to retreat from Nanjing was the Yangtze River, which was backed by Nanjing.

Linjiang Gate is a section adjacent to Rujiang Gate, there is a section of about 200 meters long, 20 meters high, 30 meters wide, the city wall is also the only available defense support of the National Youth League in the northwest side of Nanjing, a out of the Linjiang Gate is the river transport school, there is the only pontoon bridge on the Yangtze River in the west of the river transport school, it is divided into two sections, one section from the south bank of the Yangtze River to Jiangxinzhou, and the other section is from Jiangxinzhou to the north bank of the Yangtze River. This pontoon bridge is a military boat bridge erected by the Central Army Engineering Regiment to facilitate the northward withdrawal of the Nanjing administrative organs, and the materials and construction methods used are all American-style methods, which are sturdy and durable, and can quickly allow the passage of heavy troops. Shen Shaofan took the 1st to 3rd battalions of the National Youth League as the core along a section of the fortified city wall of Linjiangmen northwest of Nanjing, and occupied the surrounding streets and buildings for street fighting, with the 4th and 5th battalions as reserves. The teaching column and the preparatory column set up a 'C' ring position on the periphery of the river transport school to protect the river transport school, and the independent column assisted the artillery company and logistics column in retreating towards the north bank of the Yangtze River.

The new command center of the National Youth League of the River Transport School.

Shen Shaofan looked at the order he gave a little funny and said to Sun Zhiyu: "I feel funny about this order." I actually sent my brothers from the National Youth League to these two lines of defense, which I don't know what to say. Once this battle starts, the battle on these two lines of defense must be quite brutal. ”

Sun Zhiyu smiled on the side and said, "What can be done about this?" It's a bit like an idiot to follow an idiot commander, I've fought so many battles and I'm not as unsteady as I am today! ”

Shen Shaofan looked out the window at the pontoon bridge and said: "This boat bridge has helped us a lot, and in five hours, all the baggage of the logistics column and artillery company can be transported across the Jiangbei." If you meet the commander of the bridge company, you really want to invite him to a drink. ”

Sun Zhiyu also leaned over and looked at it and said: "It was the Nanjing City Defense Command that called to ask why our regiment didn't blow up the pontoon bridge, and said that we would collapse without a fight." Tang Shengzhi also kept saying that when you defend Nanjing City, you will be punished. ”

"Humph!" Shen Shaofan lit a cigarette: "Let's wait until we can defend Nanjing City, right?" He, Tang Shengzhi, coexisted and died with Nanjing, and I, Shen Shaofan, dared to pull the National Youth League to fight in Nanjing to the point of a soldier. What's more, I am evacuating non-combatants of the regimental headquarters organs, which has nothing to do with the collapse without a fight, right? ”

Sun Zhiyu said: "They are referring to our artillery battery. ”

"Artillery battery? Tang Shengzhi gave us such a small piece of land and told us to put the artillery company there, and the individual soldiers could still find cover in the houses and streets, but what kind of cover could the artillery find? He's an idiot, I'm not an idiot. Shen Shaofan sat on the chair and picked up a glass of water and said with a smile: "Don't ignore his words." ”

Shen Shaofan did not follow Tang Shengzhi's orders, he kept Zhouqiao, set up a position for the troops to protect Zhouqiao, and ignored every order of Tang Shengzhi. On December 10, the Japanese army began to attack the city of Nanjing, and the battle was quite brutal and fierce at Guanghuamen, while the 88th Division of Yuhuatai and Zhonghuamen stubbornly resisted the Japanese attack, and both sides suffered heavy losses. The First Battle of Yuhuatai even used Chiang Kai-shek's 'Imperial Forest Army', the Chinese military police. The squadron was still quite tenacious on the 12th, although the losses were too heavy, but it also caused the Japanese army to suffer 7,200 casualties, and the Japanese army still did not break through the city of Nanjing.

December 12, 1937 19:00 River Transport School, Youth League Headquarters. Shen Shaofan was holding a telegram in his hand, a little in a trance, he looked at the boat bridge, swaying from side to side under the blowing of the river breeze, and at the same time, he could hear the heavy sound of metal friction, the message was very simple, two words - retreat. The time of history is always such a coincidence, the coincidence makes the world feel amazed, last year's Double Twelve Incident, Shen Shaofan is still vivid, today he once again ushered in the challenge to him, in front of him is a shortcut to Jiangbei, as long as he gives an order, the National Youth League can safely cross the river and retreat north, but he still decided to stay to cover more soldiers and civilians to withdraw from Jiangbei. At 20:00, Tang Shengzhi, the commander of the Nanjing garrison, reneged on his heroic feat and patriotic oath, he left behind a million people and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and retreated north in a special boat, and the news soon spread among the troops, and the army in Nanjing collapsed at once, and all the officers and soldiers managed to flee the city of Nanjing.

The next morning, the Japanese army was surprised to find that the recalcitrant Chinese army had suddenly disappeared from their positions, and then the Japanese army easily entered the city of Nanjing. A large number of refugees flocked to the Rujiang Gate, the scene was chaotic, because Tang Shengzhi did not issue a ban on withdrawing from the city gates, the 36th Division defending the city and the officers and soldiers who went out of the city became a mess, and there were shootouts on both sides, and even tanks were used, after the Rujiang Gate was broken, a large number of refugees poured to the river to try to escape, but all the boats on the river were destroyed, many soldiers and civilians tried to cross the river to escape, the water of the Yangtze River in December was already cold and biting, many soldiers and civilians froze to death on the river nearly two kilometers wide, more soldiers took off their military uniforms and returned to the city and hid in the refugee camp. When the vanguard of the Japanese army arrived at the Rujiang Gate, they found thousands of soldiers and civilians crowded along the river and tried to escape across the river, so the Japanese army opened fire on the fleeing civilians and soldiers, causing a blood-stained tragedy on the Yangtze River.

At this time, it is estimated that the only troops that have not collapsed are Shen Shaofan's National Youth League, because they have never regarded Tang Shengzhi as their commander, but have always looked forward to Shen Shaofan and the regiment headquarters. The Japanese army has not yet hit the defensive position of the National Youth League, and many soldiers and civilians already know that there is still hope of escape at Linjiang Gate.

After listening to the tragedy outside the Rujiang Gate, Shen Shaofan slammed his fist on the table and said, "Tang Shengzhi, this bastard!" ”

At this time, Blocking Tian ran in and said: "It's all chaotic outside, deserters and refugees are mixed together, and the independent column is trying its best to maintain order on the scene, but I think it will soon get out of control." ”

"You can't mess up here, it's the same as Rujiangmen." Shen Shaofan picked up the military uniform in one hand and walked outside, saying as he walked: "Order the guard company to set up a warning card at the T-junction in front of the river transport school, strictly check the refugees, and if you find that a soldier has taken off his uniform and is a deserter, he will be arrested immediately, and the army and the people must be separated." As long as it is found that there are soldiers, regardless of the rank of the unit, they will be on the front line. The refugees had an independent column arranged to cross the river. ”

"Yes!" Song Qing immediately took the guard company to arrange the warning card.

When Shen Shaofan came to the riverside, he saw that the scene was chaotic, and the soldiers and civilians were all rushing to the pontoon bridge, men, women and children were crowded, pushing and pushing on the bridge, and many people were squeezed into the river.