Compared with the commander-in-chief who was more worried about the direction of the anti-Japanese formation in the Xiajiang and Dongman regions after the defeat of the Seventh Army, Yang Zhen was more bitter than shocked after seeing these officers and soldiers who broke through and rushed to Ning'an from Fujin and Tongjiang on the Sino-Soviet border.

Looking at these soldiers who were unclothed, more wolf than when the rest of the Third Division of the Fifth Army led by the commander-in-chief withdrew to the secret camp of the old black top son, Yang Zhen shook his head and sighed although his heart was already a little loose.

However, the death of this army commander, and the remnants of the Seventh Army were not more than 100 people, which could almost be said to be a failure, whether it was for the Seventh Army, the Second Route Army, or even the overall situation of the anti-Japanese resistance in the entire East Manchurian region, it could be described as a heavy loss.

But the only benefit seems to be the acting commander of the Seventh Army who has died. At least this time he won't be like the later generations themselves know, except for a few parties involved, even their superiors are confused.

As far as Yang Zhen knew in later generations, this acting army commander neither defected, but he also did not survive, let alone die on the battlefield like most of the other anti-union generals. Instead, he later died at the hands of his own people. He became the second military-level cadre to be wrongfully killed in the history of the Anti-Japanese Federation.

Although the reason for killing him has always been vague, according to the research of those who changed homes and called beasts in later generations, it is probably not unrelated to the continuous internal friction of the Seventh Army since its establishment.

What happened in the middle, because most of the parties have died for various reasons, and most of the survivors are Koreans, most of whom returned to China after the end of the Anti-Japanese War and are in high positions, and the real situation has been unclear. Even the scholars who claim to be the most deeply involved in the confrontation cannot give a real answer for a while.

Although the Seventh Army has now become like this, for the overall situation of resistance against Japan, it is a loss for Yan zhòng. But in any case, for a soldier, it is better to die on the battlefield than to die at the hands of his own people.

How dangerous the loss of most of the main force of the Seventh Army would be to the anti-Japanese situation in the Xiajiang area, Yang Zhen could not estimate for a while. What he knew was that his expected plan to go south to Dunhua first, and after fighting a few battles to mobilize the Japanese puppet army's blockade forces, he would advance eastward to the Xiajiang area, and the plan of not cooperating with the Second Route Army to stay in the Xiajiang area could only be changed as the main force of the Seventh Army was severely damaged. If the eastward advance is carried out according to the original plan, then the situation in Xiajiang can only be supported by itself, and it can only be fought alone.

After sending away the commander-in-chief, who seemed worried because the last remaining main force of the Second Route Army, the Seventh Army, had been heavily damaged, and repeatedly explained that Li Yanping had been well accompanied, Yang Zhen and Guo Bingxun, who stayed in the war room, and Peng Dingjie, who came to report on the preparation of materials before the war, were relatively speechless.

After being silent for a long time, Guo Bingxun looked at Yang Zhen's somewhat depressed feelings, and hesitated slightly: "Regiment commander, what do you think we should do next, or continue to advance eastward to the Xiajiang area after mobilizing the Japanese puppet army according to the original plan?" If we continue to advance eastward, regiment commander, with the loss of the Seventh Army, our army has already lost a qiē support point.

"Without the cooperation of the Anti-Japanese Federation, we are not only unaware of the enemy's situation, but even can only fight alone. In the event of a loss? Commander, please think twice. These more than 1,000 people are our foundation and our last capital. ”

Hearing Guo Bingxun's worries, Yang Zhen stood up and walked to the map, stared at it for a long time, gritted his teeth and said: |Old Guo, my opinion is to act or follow the original plan. After going south first, fighting a few battles in Dunhua and tearing apart the blockade line of the Japanese puppet army, the main force of our army marched eastward and jumped to the east of the Mudanjiang River. ”

"We can't stay in this deep mountain and old forest for a long time, and we still have to jump out after all. The development and expansion of the armed forces is simply impossible here. Even if there are still anti-union troops in the Xiajiang area, judging from the situation of the anti-Japanese alliance, we still have to rely on ourselves and fight independently. ”

"To be honest, Lao Guo, the current shape is not optimistic for us, and it can even be said to be a dilemma. After the Japanese puppet army completed its sweep of Dunhua, sooner or later its eyes would turn to the Ning'an area. Instead of passively waiting for the Japanese puppet army to come to the door, we should take the initiative to jump out and look for fighters. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen slammed his fist on the map on the wall and said: "Seeking a chance of winning in a difficult situation, for us, we can only gamble." Won, the troops grew stronger. If you lose, it's a big deal to have nothing. Compared with our comrades who died in the concentration camp, we lived half a year longer, which is enough. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's somewhat broken answer, Guo Bingxun was silent for a while and said: "I also think that instead of sitting still, it is better to fight." It's just that, without the support of intelligence, our combat will be greatly constrained, like a blind man touching an elephant. Without reliable intelligence support, our rash attack on the Xiajiang area is tantamount to death. Regiment commander, you don't really remember the real reason for the defeat of the Second Route Army's Western Expedition, do you? ”

"I don't remember, but there is no way back for us now. Only by playing out can we develop and strengthen ourselves. If you don't leave, you can only stay in this deep mountain and old forest and wait for death. After the Japanese puppet army completed the clearance of the northern part of Dunhua, it would soon turn its attention to the mountainous areas south of Ning'an. As for intelligence, now I can only rely on your radio station and Li Mingrui. Especially tactical reconnaissance, we can only rely on them. ”

After hesitating for a moment, Yang Zhen finally made up his mind and said: "Lao Guo, from now on, these radio stations of yours will be turned on twenty-four hours a day. Regardless of whether or not the telegrams of the Japanese puppet army can be deciphered, all wireless communications between the Japanese puppet army must be intercepted as much as possible. ”

"In addition, seize the time to communicate with Li Mingrui. Whether they can join Huang Dali or not, they must find out the general enemy situation in the north of Dunhua within three days. Tell them that in two days, the troops will all go south. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen said: "If we want to break the current predicament, we can only jump out of the inner line and fight on the outside line. For us, there is no way back. Success or failure, we can only fight. No matter how sinister the situation is in front of us, we can only move forward without hesitation. A man moves to live, and a tree moves to die. Going out, maybe there's a way out. One word, type. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's idea of being close to a fish dying and the net broken, Guo Bingxun knew that this was not Yang Zhen taking a risk, but that his side had no way out. Surviving in danger is the only option for this force at the moment.

This time, Li Mingrui's call back did not disappoint Yang Zhen and Guo Bingxun. Before Guo Bingxun could send Yang Zhen's order to Li Mingrui, the telegram of his report arrived first.

After reading Li Mingrui's detailed telegram this time, Yang Zhen's grim expression on his face eased a little, and then handed the telegram to Guo Bingxun and said, "Sue the troops, prepare for battle." Tomorrow, except for leaving two platoons to stay behind with Lao Peng, all of them will go south to fight. ”

As the director of the political department who assisted Li Yanping in charge of political work and was in charge of logistics, Peng Dingjie was a little immature in terms of experience, but he had entered the responsibility of a qualified political worker. Except on rare occasions, he never interfered in the work of the military commander.

But after hearing Yang Zhen's plan, Peng Dingjie expressed fierce opposition. In his opinion, if the southward Dunhua operation can still be said to be a helpless move to break the predicament, at this time, the troops jumped to the Xiajiang to fight, and there is not much difference from suicide.

In the westward expedition of the four armies, except for a few people remaining, the whole army was wiped out. Most of the five armies died, a few defected, some lost contact, and the remaining troops could not even maintain the situation. Now the remaining troops of the Seventh Army have suffered heavy losses, and once the troops leave the river, it can be said that they are fighting alone.

Facing tens of thousands of well-equipped and highly mobile Japanese puppet troops in the Xiajiang area with more than 1,000 troops, what does it mean to this army is also very clear to Patten Dingjie, who is not too proficient in military affairs, but has also been polished in the Anti-Japanese Federation for several years.

Neither Yang Zhen nor Guo Bingxun expected that Patten, who had always been moderate and almost never interfered with the actions of the military commander, would oppose the operation so fiercely.

Looking at the unexpected Peng Dingjie on the surface, Yang Zhen smiled helplessly, handed over a glass of water and said, "Old Peng, tell me what you think, calm down." ”

"Commander, you will choose to fight in Dunhua in the south for the first battle, I have no opinion. It is vast and sparsely populated, with high mountains and dense forests, which is very suitable for us to defeat the strong with the weak. But then I had some disagreement with the east. ”

"The Second Route Army in the Xiajiang area suffered heavy losses and was almost incapacitated. As we move eastward, we can say that we have lost a possible support point. Supply and hostility are all strange to us. Instead of taking the risk of attacking the Xiajiang area, it is better to advance north and join up with the Third Route Army. ”

"Although the situation of the Third Route Army is still unclear, the Three Armies have always been the absolute main force in North Manchuria and East Manchuria. Whether it is the number of people, combat effectiveness, or troops, it ranks first among all the armies of the Anti-Japanese Alliance. The combat effectiveness of the Sixth Army is not low. It turned out that the commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army had done quite well for the foundation of the Third Route Army. ”

"We march north to join the Third Route Army, and we can cooperate with each other and support each other. At the very least, you can avoid being left alone. Regiment Commander, Lao Guo, although I am not very good at military affairs, I can also see that at this time, we are advancing eastward, which can be said to be a dead move. It can even be described as nine deaths and a lifetime. ”

After Peng Dingjie went south, he did not go east, but turned to the north, and pondered for a long time, but Yang Zhen shook his head and said: "Old Peng, the idea you proposed to build a northward advance and the Third Route Army relying on each other is a good idea. But it is unlikely to be implemented. ”

"Heading north, let's not talk about the enemy situation along the way, we don't know the exact location of the Third Route Army. If we can't find the Third Route Army, our greatest advantage in advancing north will be meaningless. The Japanese puppet army encircled and suppressed the Xiajiang area on a large scale, could they let go of the Third Route Army active in North Manchuria? In order to break the encirclement and suppression of the Japanese puppet army, the Second Route Army first marched south and then west, who can guarantee that the Third Route Army will not be transferred in the face of the grim enemy situation? ”

"It's true that we've lost all our support points as we move east, but that's where our biggest advantage lies. The Anti-Japanese Union in the Xiajiang area has now been largely defeated, a small part has been transferred, and the remaining troops have become difficult to pose any threat to the enemy. The Japanese puppet army's 38-year sweep of the Xiajiang area can be described as a great victory for them. ”

"Under the circumstance that all units of the Second Route Army have suffered heavy losses and lost their combat effectiveness, and it is already difficult to pose a threat to the Japanese puppet army, the Japanese puppet army will definitely relax its vigilance in the Xiajiang area. With this premise, we will have much less resistance, at least in the early stages of our actions. ”

"Also, the Commander-in-Chief will always be with us. With the commander-in-chief, a living map of the Xiajiang area, our operations will also be much easier. At the very least, finding a place or two in the jungle is not a problem. ”

"There is another point, which is also the most fundamental reason why I insist on going east to Xiajiang. Although the current shape of the East Manchurian region is very severe, the geographical location can be a fatal point for us. It is connected to the Third Route Army in the north and can support the First Route Army in the south, and is the connection point for the activities of all the anti-Japanese alliance departments east of the entire Eastern Eastern Railway. ”

"Losing the Third Route Army of East Manchuria and North Manchuria, the First Route Army of South Manchuria will be completely cut off. The entire anti-Japanese federation departments can only fall into the situation of fighting their own battles. This situation will be a fatal blow to the shape of the enemy, which is already strong and weak. ”

"Lao Peng, our focus cannot be limited to ourselves or one place, we must have an overall view. The Third Route Army is a whole and needs to cooperate with each other. Without Dongman, the already poorly connected Third Route Army will be completely cut off from continuity. So no matter what, we have to go east. ”

"Old Peng, don't worry too much. Although most of the main forces of the Second Route Army failed, I think there should still be scattered troops in the Xiajiang area who are still fighting persistently. In addition, the scattered troops of the Fifth Army led by the commander of the Fifth Army should still be hidden in the Xiajiang area. And didn't the Fifth Division of the Second Army have been active in the Jingpo Lake area of Ning'an? Therefore, we are not alone in our eastward march into the Xiajiang area. ”

"This time, you stayed in the secret camp, first, to disperse and hide all the remaining supplies after we took them away. The location, the specifics can only be in your hands. Be sure to keep it confidential. Also, be ready to take on the wounded. When we go south to fight against the regular Japanese army, there will inevitably be wounded. And we can't carry too many wounded in the east, and all the wounded must be sent back to the old black top to recuperate. ”

"I don't know how long I will have to fight continuously this time to go south and east, so I can't leave too many troops for you to defend. There are only two platoons, leaving you with a machine-gun squad, two machine guns and a mortar. ”

"You must pay attention to your safety and put more guard posts, especially to prevent the enemy from conducting aerial reconnaissance. Once there is an abnormal situation, but it is too insistent, when it is impossible to do anything, in addition to the necessary materials, all the materials that cannot be carried will be blown up and quickly march north to join the Third Route Army. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen walked up to Peng Dingjie and said, "Old Peng, the secret camp will be handed over to you after the main force leaves." After joining up with Li Mingrui, I will transfer Huang Dali's two teams back to cooperate with you. You must be safe. Remember, when things can't be done, don't insist on safety as the first priority. The night is long and there are many wolves, so be careful. ”

Listening to Yang Zhen's words, Peng Dingjie knew that it would be difficult for Yang Zhen to change after he had made up his mind, so he shook his head and did not speak, and did not insist on his opinion. He knew that he was not a military cadre, and his military ability was far inferior to that of Yang and Guo. Therefore, although his heart was full of deep worries about Yang Zhen's next eastward advance, Peng Dingjie did not interfere with Yang Zhen's military determination.

After listening to Yang Zhen's last sentence, Peng Dingjie, who knew that he would be separated for a long time this time, took Yang Zhen's hand and said, "You too." If the shape of the Xiajiang area is irretrievable, you should not hold on. Whether it is going south or north, it is a way to survive. ”