Major General Tian Lu was in awe. Ordered someone to set up wine to entertain Xiao Lang, the wine and food were very simple, the military lunch box contained plums, dried fish, and a pot of sake, it was autumn, and the adjutant placed more than a dozen pots of crab claw chrysanthemum next to it to decorate it, soothing the solemn atmosphere brought by the war.

"Mayor Xiao, I'm slacking, please take a seat." Major General Tian Lu sat on the military horse with a golden sword, his brown riding boots were stained with dust, his pistol binoculars saber or something was taken off, and he was only wearing a white shirt, and the two sat opposite each other like friends.

"General Tian Lu speaks Chinese very well." Xiao Lang praised it, not that he deliberately complimented him, at least for a fifty-year-old army major general, this level was already good.

Tian Lu was very happy: "Where, I once took Chinese at the Army University, and later when I was the captain of the wing, I was stationed in Nara, and I had a great interest in the ancient culture of the Han and Tang dynasties in China. I think Japan has inherited a lot of the essence of Chinese culture, and now China has only the inheritance of Manchurian culture. ”

Xiao Lang said: "This is wrong, Manchuria is also a part of China, cheongsam and horse coat are also one of the Chinese culture, culture is in the heart, not reflected in clothing and architecture...... Speaking of Japan, I applied for Waseda back then, and then Japan forcibly occupied Qingdao, and a classmate said to me, Xiao Lang, our country also has universities, why do you want to study in Japan, so I chose Tsinghua University. ”

Tian Lu said: "Oh, Xiao Lang? But as soon as Houmen entered the deep sea, Xiao Lang was Xiao Lang of passers-by. ”

Xiao Lang said: "This is a poem by the poet Cui Jiao during the Yuan and Yuan periods of the Tang Dynasty, but Xiao Lang is just a pronoun, and there are two versions of the allusion, one is because of the story of the phoenix introduced by Liu Xiang in the Han Dynasty Liu Xiang's "Legend of the Immortals", and there is also a saying that Xiao Lang is Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang, no matter which way it is said, Xiao Lang refers to the man whom the woman loves, not a specific person. ”

With Tian Lu Chaoyi's knowledge, he didn't think that Xiao Lang in the poem was Mayor Xiao in front of him, he was just showing off at the right time, and nodded at this time: "Xiao Sangbo is ancient and modern, my great admiration, Chinese culture is broad and profound, and I am ashamed." ”

Xiao Lang said: "The general is polite, in fact, I am an engineering student, I learned some ancient Chinese in a private school when I was a child, and the professors of the Chinese department in those universities in Nanjing, Beiping are really Bogu Tongjin, but unfortunately they were all forced to the southwest by your army, and they were bombed all day, and they couldn't do anything if they wanted to." ”

Tian Lu said: "Xiao Sang, we don't talk about politics today, we work hard in the wind and snow." ”

Xiao Lang smiled faintly, continued to talk about Fengyue, from the culture to his old line of civil engineering, talking about the construction of Beitai City, in order to cope with the war, many buildings are reinforced with reinforced concrete, the street wall has a preset shooting hole, and even the position of the telephone pole is also very particular, and it is a roadblock to block the tank, Tian Lu suddenly realized: "Mine finally understands, Beitai is difficult to overcome, and Your Excellency has made a great contribution." ”

Xiao Lang said: "It's a shame to say that the budget has been repeatedly increased, and the money I spend in my hands is astronomical, and the happiest are those importers who sell concrete, and half of China's concrete is bought by the Beitai Construction Committee." ”

Tian Lu laughed, and finally turned to the topic: "So, Xiao Sang, you come to negotiate, what are the conditions for surrender?" ”

Xiao Lang said: "I'm not here to negotiate, let alone surrender, I'm here to make a deal with the general." ”

"Oh, tell me about it."

"I ask the general to spare more than 100,000 innocent citizens in Beitai, and not to let the Nanjing tragedy happen again, the real samurai are compassionate, general, please."

Tian Lu picked up a glass of sake, thought about it for a long time and put it down: "Xiao Sang, since it is a transaction, what is the price for you, and what do you use to exchange for the lives of the people." ”

Xiao Lang said: "I gave you the factory in the Eastern Industrial Zone, and the explosives have already been placed, as long as I give an order, it can be turned into ruins, even if you occupy Beitai, you can only get a piece of scorched earth." ”

Tian Lu said: "The price is not enough, I have two conditions. ”

"Please."

"First, return the captured 45th Wing flag, and second, disarm and surrender."

Xiao Lang said: "The first item is impossible to do, there is no wing flag in the trophies of our army, and the second item is absolutely impossible, only soldiers who died in battle, and there are no warriors who surrendered, I think the general is understandable." ”

Tian Lu stood up and paced a few steps, and said, "Okay, I will fulfill you and let you die a decent battle, but I have one more request, please be sure to agree." ”

Xiao Lang was slightly stunned, Tian Lu actually used the word request, which was very strange.

"But it doesn't hurt to talk about it."

"I ask Your Excellency to continue to serve as the mayor of Beitai and be responsible for the reconstruction work, but if Your Excellency does not agree, I cannot guarantee the safety of the citizens."

Xiao Lang said without hesitation: "Okay, I promise you." ”

Tian Lu said: "Then Your Excellency doesn't have to go back, it just so happens that you are here to supervise the evacuation of the citizens." ”

A group of Japanese signal soldiers entered the position of the Nationalist army under a white flag, connected the telephone line, and Major General Tian Lu and Chen Zikun, commander-in-chief of the Chinese army, had a telephone conversation, and the two sides agreed to a truce for one day to allow the citizens in the encirclement to evacuate.

Xiao Lang and Chen Zikun also had a final phone call.

"Commander-in-Chief Chen, I promised Tian Lu to stay and watch the citizens evacuate with my own eyes, so don't worry, you don't have to worry about me."

There was a rustling sound in the microphone, and Chen Zikun knew that Xiao Lang was going to make a sacrifice, and his heart was gloomy, and there was only one word of cherishment.

When the news came out, the citizens who had been tormented by the war hurriedly helped the old and the young to evacuate from the city, but there were also many people who would rather die than evacuate, these ** are the families of officials and soldiers, as well as the rich people with some assets, anyway, there is still an army in the city, and the airport is still under control, they are not worried.

When the citizens evacuated, the Japanese army was on the sidelines to monitor and strictly prevent the Chinese army from being mixed in, and when they saw the young man, they pulled out to check their fingers and shoulders, whether there were any traces left by carrying a gun and shooting, and if they found that they were shot on the spot, fortunately, the refugees had expected that all the women and children who withdrew were old, weak, women and children.

The propaganda team had been disbanded, and Wang Zeru and Hongyu walked through the ranks with their newborn children in their arms, their long messy hair, thin face, round-rimmed glasses and bamboo cloth kaftan proving that he was an intellectual, and the Japanese soldiers didn't even bother to pull him out for examination.

At the top of a building, Tian Lu observed the refugee team with a telescope, he noticed that the refugees' lips were dry, and realized that there might be an extreme shortage of water in the city, and the Chinese army should not be able to hold out for long, and victory was ahead.

The refugees left North Thailand, helping the old and the young to go straight to South Thailand.

The city suddenly became empty, the fighting continued, and without the drag of the people, the national army was more free to regain the freedom road near the river, but on the whole, the city was still encroached upon by the Japanese army step by step, and the control area became smaller and smaller, only the narrow strip from the city hall to the airport.

The last moment is coming, Chen Zikun began to retreat, the first to evacuate are the family members, Lin Wenjing, Yao Yilei's mother and daughter, Jian Bing, Xia Xiaoqing, as well as Chen Qilin, Yan Su, Chen Shou and other wives and children, just enough to plug a DC3 plane.

The runway of the airport was devastated by the Japanese shelling, but fortunately, it was full of craters blown up by small-caliber artillery, and it was ready for use after overnight emergency repairs.

Behind the barricades outside the city hall, Xia Jingqi and several of his backbones were quietly holding a meeting, they were a special task force under the command of the special high division of the military police of the Central China Dispatch Army, and the task was to conquer North Thailand as an internal response, as well as assassinate the head of the Chinese army, but as the battle line narrowed, it became more and more difficult to act without authorization, and they really couldn't find a chance to start, and the brothers were killed by shells, and their strength was greatly damaged, and they couldn't cooperate with the imperial army to fight.

One person suggested: "I heard that the family members of the brains are going to be evacuated, so it is better to sell this information to the Japanese, which is also a credit." ”

Xia Jingqi said: "Reasonable. ”

……

The time of separation came, and the generals covered in gunpowder came to the air-raid shelter to say goodbye to their relatives, and Yan'er looked at her father with blank eyes: "Dad, won't you go with us?" ”

Chen Zikun touched his daughter's head lovingly, there was a serious lack of water in the encirclement, Yan'er hadn't washed her hair for a long time, and she had become a sloppy child.

"Beitai is like a big ship, Dad is the captain, the boat is leaking, of course the captain has to be the last to go, Yan'er said is this the truth?"

Yan'er nodded vigorously.

"Okay, let's go before dawn." Chen Zikun looked at his watch and gave the order.

The pilot from Chongqing was anxious: "Director Chen, if you don't leave, I can't explain to the chairman." ”

Chen Zikun said: "I am a soldier, my battlefield is here, you take the wounded first, I have my own way to evacuate." ”

The pilot had no choice but to comply.

Suddenly, the front called and said that the Japanese army had launched an attack, Chen Zikun's eyes swept over his relatives and said, "I won't send you anymore, be careful all the way." ”

touched Lin Wenjing's stomach again: "Protect our children." ”

Lin Wenjing nodded with tears in her eyes.

The family members took advantage of the darkness before dawn to step on the rubble to the airport, Lin Wenjing walked in the middle with a big belly that was about to give birth, Wang Ma and Xia Xiaoqing hugged her left and right, no one spoke, only hurried footsteps.

Chen Zikun's Douglas DC-3 has been hidden in the semi-underground hangar, although it was bombed, but the plane was unscathed, everyone entered the hangar and began to board the plane, perhaps it was a long distance to move the fetal gas, Lin Wenjing sweated like rain, unable to move, Wang Ma has experience, busy said: "Oh no, I'm going to give birth!" ”

The propeller of the plane has begun to turn, and the family members who have boarded the plane are impatient, Yao Yilei said: "I'll stay, you go first!" ”

Xia Xiaoqing said: "There is still me here, it's not your turn to stay, Yan'er needs someone to take care of you, you go first, let's take the second plane." ”

Yao Yilei bit her lip tightly, she can't be rash at this time, Xia Xiaoqing's ability to deal with emergencies is better than herself, and she stays more effective than herself.

"Be careful." Yao Yilei hugged Xia Xiaoqing vigorously, and touched Lin Wenjing's belly again: "Don't be afraid of pain, just use force." ”

Lin Wenjing was covered with beads of sweat and said weakly: "You guys go quickly~"

Dense gunfire rang out outside the airport, and the Japanese began to attack the airfield, and the pilot eagerly poked his head out of the cockpit: "If you don't leave, it's too late!" ”

Yao Yilei hurriedly boarded the plane and looked at them with tears in her eyes.

The plane got out of the hangar and taxied on the runway, and the Japanese observation post found that the plane was trying to take off, and called for mortars to bombard, one shell after another exploded nearby, and the engine of DC3 roared, and finally rose from the ground and flew west.

Those who stayed in the hangar to deliver the babies were Xia Xiaoqing, Aunt Wang, and Gong Zijun's wife Xia Jingxi, etc., everyone was helping out, and suddenly there was a roar of planes outside.

"Are they back?" Xia Xiaoqing ran out to take a look, a plane coated with red plaster forcibly landed on the runway of Beitai Airport, and there were three more planes hovering in the sky waiting to land.

The Japanese troops on the periphery, who were attacking the airfield, were also a little dazed, and they had not been notified and did not know what plans the air force had for airborne operations.