When I returned to the plateau of the stronghold, I looked at the truckloads of supplies and ammunition, and my face turned red with excitement.

"Chief of Staff, hurry up and count all the captured materials and ammunition. Move to a cave. Also, camouflage 12 cars to prevent bombing by devil planes. The division headquarters already has an overstaffed motor transport company, and we will also build one of the Second Brigade of Reading Force. Remember to disperse when you are hidden, and don't let the devils end up in one nest. Gao Yuan said, looking at the brand-new 12 cars.

"Well, brigade commander, commissar, I'll go. Rest early, for we've been fighting for a day and two nights. After the chief of staff finished speaking, he walked towards the cave.

On the evening of the second day, the soldiers who had rested for the day were in good spirits, and the headquarters where the plateau was located once again gathered all the cadres above the battalion level.

"Comrades, we have completed the task in the first stage very well, successfully captured the county town of Yuanping, and captured a large amount of war materials. In addition, it occupied the entire rural area of Yuanping, which laid a very good foundation for us to establish a base area. This is a telegram just sent by the commander, and even the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army has sent a congratulatory telegram, which will be read to you by the political commissar below. After saying that, Gao Yuan was the first to stand up and applaud.

"Comrades, after yesterday's battle, we have successfully completed the tasks assigned to us by the division headquarters. Next, I will first announce to you the congratulatory telegram sent by the division headquarters: "When the political commissar announces the completion, the entire command headquarters will be immediately overwhelmed by fierce applause. Everyone's applause for the mission. Because, this achievement is their own.

"All right, comrades." The brigade commander waved his hand to everyone, and the applause immediately stopped neatly.

"I also want to tell you good news, but this news is not yet certain, the chief of staff of the division told me. But after I say it, I hope you will keep it a secret. Brigade Commander Gao Yuan said mysteriously.

"Brigade commander, what kind of news, it's so mysterious, don't you worry, our mouths are tight?" A regiment commander said with a smile.

"Chief of Staff Li Qing of the division headquarters told me that we may have to establish a military subdivision here in the near future." When Gao Yuan exposed the news, it did not resonate with everyone. Everyone was shocked by the news.

"What are you doing in a daze, you know, this is the headquarters and the division department's affirmation of our achievements." Looking at the stunned cadres, Gao Yuan said speechlessly.

I don't know who was the first to applaud, anyway, with the applause, the entire small conference room was once again overwhelmed by the applause of the comrades.

"Comrades" Gao Yuan waved his hand.

"Comrades, the good news is also known to everyone. Now I will inform you about our combat losses yesterday. Chief of Staff, read it. Gao Yuan pulled the chief of staff next to him.

"After statistics, in addition to the losses of each battalion during the day, in the engineering battle at night, 65 soldiers were killed again, 23 were seriously wounded, and 180 were slightly wounded. After saying that, the whole venue immediately fell into silence.

After all, it was a living comrade-in-arms who left him. Everyone bowed their heads, thinking about their comrades who had lost their lives.

"What's the matter, one by one with their heads down. Also, several of your battalion commanders have all picked up a life from the bloody battle on the Xiangjiang River that year, and I haven't seen any casualties. Lift your head up for me. Looking at the cadres with their heads down, Gao Yuan shouted loudly.

"Brigade commander, don't get angry, the soldiers are also sad." The political commissar next to him immediately comforted.

"Sad, sad that we are comrades who went to be able to come back? If it were me, during this sad time, I would reflect on the process of all the battles yesterday and see if I had any command mistakes that caused unnecessary casualties among the soldiers, which is much better than being sad. The brigade commander immediately retorted.

"Okay, comrades, all raise your heads, and below there is a brigade commander to assign combat missions for everyone in the next stage." The commissar immediately followed up on the words of the brigade commander.

"Comrades, so far, although we have eliminated the Yuanping army and occupied the Yuanping area, it has not become our real base area, so our task in the next stage is to consolidate our occupied areas, turn the common people in the occupied areas into the common people in the base areas, and then slowly encroach on the enemy-occupied areas, implement them village by village, and build Yuanping into the Jindong base area. Do you have faith? The brigade commander asked loudly.

"Yes." Because of the criticism of the brigade commander just now, more than a dozen people shouted in unison at this time.

"Okay, now I order, each battalion, transfer a platoon of troops, and the brigade headquarters guard company to form a brigade headquarters guard battalion. Together with the baggage troops, the reconnaissance company, and the 82-mm mortar company, he will form a unit directly under the brigade headquarters, responsible for defending Yunzhongshan, our base camp. At the same time, the guard battalion is also the only mobile force in our Yuanping, and it can be reinforced, wherever reinforcements are needed, at any time. ”

"Second, the battalions returned to where they were deployed for yesterday's battle. In the future, your development area will be centered on yesterday's battle point and radiate to the surrounding rural areas. We will disperse our troops into companies and factions to various villages, develop our base areas, and form militia teams in each village. At the same time, don't forget to go to the villages and let the people dig tunnels. ”

"I ask you to establish an anti-Ming Cook regime in every village within a month and develop a militia force. At the same time, it is necessary to make up for all the missing personnel in this month's time. It was also required that each battalion send a platoon of trained recruits to our base camp in Yunzhong Mountain at the end of the month. ”

"Just now, the brigade commander has assigned to you the next stage of the combat mission of our Second Brigade of Reading Force, do you have any opinions?" Seeing that everyone did not react, the political commissar hurriedly reminded.

"Nope."

"Okay, since there is none, after the meeting is adjourned, each battalion will leave a platoon of troops, and then go to the logistics office to replenish a base number of ammunition, and you can go. Brigade commander, there is nothing to add. The commissar asked.

"No, remember to hurry up and train the troops, especially the new recruits." The brigade commander added.

"Okay, let's dismiss the meeting, and according to the brigade commander's arrangement, start the action immediately." The political commissar adjourned the meeting.

As a result, after the battalions returned to their own combat areas, they immediately began to vigorously build their base areas. Because of the experience of building the Jindong base area, the soldiers who were assigned to various villages were familiar with the road.

For the village with Han Annihilation, the Second Brigade of Reading Force did not talk nonsense and directly killed Liwei. And distribute the land of Han Jan to the common people. In villages where there is no Han Dynasty, they take the initiative to contact the local landlords, buy most of the land with money, let the people farm, or reduce rent and interest to reduce the burden of the people.

Because of the successive achievements of the Eighth Route Army's reading division, its influence among the common people is still very huge. When the soldiers of the Reading Force Division did one thing that was beneficial to them, it immediately aroused a strong reaction from the common people in the base area. Many villages volunteered to send troops to help train the militia. At the same time, the enthusiasm of the common people to join the army is also very high. After all, in their lifetimes, they had never met such a good unit.

Thus, in less than a month, not only were militia organizations established in each village, and each main battalion completed its own strength, but each battalion sent no less than one platoon of recruits to the brigade headquarters. The momentum of construction in the entire base area is greatly greater than that of the Jindong base area.

"Baga," after receiving the report from Yuanping County, the Taiyuan commander couldn't help but be furious.

Because through the report of the county seat of Yuanping, except for the county seat and a few towns with military strongholds, almost all the rest of the current Yuanping fell into the hands of the Eighth Route Army. More importantly, most of the local people are very yearning for the Eighth Route Army, and in the blink of an eye, Shanxi has a base of the Eighth Route Army in northern Shanxi.

"Order, the Yuanping defenders will stay on standby, and after the headquarters sends favorable troops to help, we will eliminate the Eighth Route Army there in one fell swoop." The commander commanded the scoundrel.

Because he knows that with the loss of Yuanping County, he has not much to say in Taiyuan, and the only thing to do now is to create a good opportunity for his successor as much as possible, and in the future, he will eliminate this reader who ruined his political career in one fell swoop and avenge himself.

However, the Zhangjiazhuang Reading Division, which was diametrically opposed to the command of the Taiyuan Army, was indeed full of excitement.

"Division commander, they are developing well on the plateau of the Second Brigade of Reading Force, according to this situation, give them another month, and they can expand outward." The political commissar looked at the telegram sent by Gao Yuan and said with a smile.

"Political commissar, we can't be in a hurry, we can't eat the big fat man in one go, we have to fight steadily. In particular, Yuan Ping is the foundation of the Second Brigade of Reading Power in the future. As a foundation, of course, the stronger the better. Let's not rush him yet, let him take his time, and build Yuanping into an iron-clad base. Liu Hua said happily.

"Yes, the division commander is right, just like we were in Jindong at the beginning, the foundation is solid, no matter what situation we encounter in the future, we will not panic. I agree with the division commander and don't let them expand outward for the time being. Li Qing, the chief of staff next to him, also interjected.

"Well, Chief of Staff, how is the situation of the Third Brigade led by Wang Nanhu now?" Liu Hua turned to the chief of staff and asked.

"Division commander, the army in Hebei is far more powerful than we thought, our original estimate is still insufficient, and now the situation of the third brigade is very bad." The chief of staff said as he looked at the location of the three brigades on the map.

"Well, I really didn't expect the army to deploy such a powerful force in their base camp, and the mobile surname is so strong, now we have hit a hard nail." Liu Hua also sighed.

(To be continued)