Cai Jiheng finally received a message from Fujino Uchigoro, and he wanted to talk to Cai Jiheng again.

In the air raid that took place a few days earlier, the detention center where prisoners of war were temporarily held was also fired, and several guards were killed, but the two prisoners were not injured.

When Cai Jiheng arrived at the detention center, he saw several workers repairing the roof damaged by machine-gun bullets. Fujino Uchigoro and Noshio Nakashin were already standing in the courtyard waiting for Cai Jiheng, and the two bowed deeply to him very politely.

This is the first time Cai Jiheng has seen Yoshio Cisten, a thin young man in his early 20s, and even a little childish on his face. Cai Jiheng knew that he was a reconnaissance plane pilot who was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery near Changsha and captured. Yoshio Nakashin was not an officer, and his military rank was only that of a second-class flying officer[1]

Traditionally, he was not allowed to be treated as an officer in a prisoner of war camp, but this was a temporary confinement, so he didn't care about that, so he enjoyed the same living treatment as Fujino Uchigoro.

Cai Jiheng stretched out his hand and shook hands with Yoshio Tsarchim: "Do you speak English?" ”

Fujino Uchigoro replied in English for him: "He doesn't know English, I'll translate for him." ”

Yoshio Nakashin grunted some Japanese.

Fujinouchi Goro translated: "He said that you once bought him a change of clothes, and Yoshio Naksin would like to express his sincere gratitude for your generosity!" At the same time, he declared that he was not an officer, but your country actually gave him the living treatment of an officer, and Yoshio Natsumida also expressed his great gratitude. ”

Cai Jiheng said: "Needless to say, we are all peers, and it is natural to take care of each other." Fujino, I was so happy that I frightened you during the air raid the other day, but fortunately you weren't injured. ”

Fujino Uchigoro bowed again and said, "I'm really sorry that my colleagues have caused casualties and losses to your airport, and I apologize to you for their negligence!" ”

Cai Jiheng said with a smile: "You Japanese are really strange, such a polite and polite people, once they start a war, they become fierce and barbaric, killing people without blinking, it is incredible." ”

Fujinouchi Goro said with a wry smile: "My instructor at the aviation school is called Nobuo Tanaka, he is also a polite gentleman, once, I made a mistake when I was doing the flying subject, just got off the plane, the instructor Tanaka came over and bowed respectfully to me and said, you have worked hard." I also bowed in return and said, "The instructor has worked hard and caused you trouble." Then Instructor Tanaka suddenly changed his face and threw a punch that knocked out two of my front teeth. He roared and shouted, bastard, why don't you fly according to the rules? Crocodile, that's what we Japanese, I think, I've answered your question. ”

"Fujino, on the day of the air raid, I shot down a Type 96 bomber, its plane number is 0854, do you know this pilot?"

Fujino Uchigoro immediately froze: "Ninety-six style? 0854......" He suddenly burst into tears, and Tsukio Nakin helped him sit down in fear.

Cai Jiheng patiently waited for him to cry enough before asking, "Do you know him?" ”

Fujino Uchigoro said sadly: "He is a good friend of mine, his name is Heijio Mishima, the pilot of the 45th Bomber Group. We are still fellow villagers. ”

Cai Jiheng comforted: "Fujino, this is a war, we are all helpless, besides, your friend is not at a loss, he blew up our airport to the bottom and destroyed seven or eight planes, we are just leveling." ”

Wiping away his tears, Fujino Uchigoro asked, "Didn't he skydive?" ”

Cai Jiheng replied coldly: "I'm sorry, I didn't give him a chance, I aimed at the cockpit and fired, you know the power of the point 50 machine gun, he was hit by at least dozens of bullets, and he was almost broken into pieces." ”

"Crocodile, I can see that you are a fierce killer. But...... I don't hate you, you're right, it's war, and none of us can do anything about it. Fujino Goro gradually regained his composure.

Cai Jiheng asked tentatively: "Fujino, you called me, is there something wrong?" ”

Fujino Uchigoro and Yoshio Naksin glanced at each other, and Yoshio Nakyoshi nodded slightly.

Fujinouchi Goro said: "Crocodile, the two of us have already discussed, we don't trust anyone, only you, the question is, if we are willing to cooperate, whether the crocodile has the right to agree to our request." ”

Cai Jiheng replied quietly: "You have to put forward the conditions before I can answer." ”

"Crocodile, you know, in the current situation, we can't go back to Japan, and even if we go back to Japan, it won't be welcome, in our country, it is an extremely shameful thing for soldiers to be captured, and public opinion will kill us."

"I know that, you go on!"

"The circumstances of our capture are not known in Japan, the military only knows that the plane we are flying was shot down, and under normal circumstances, people like us will be put on the missing list, and our families will also enjoy the same treatment as the families of the fallen soldiers, and no one can discriminate against the families unless there is evidence that we were captured."

"Fujino, I know that too. However, I'm a little curious and want to ask, what caused you to change your mind? Of course, if you don't want to answer, even if I don't ask. ”

"Crocodile, I have been thinking about your last conversation for a long time, and I have also talked to Yoshio Nakatoma, and we think you are right, there are indeed some dangerous elements in the Japanese military department, they themselves are very bloodthirsty and belligerent, so we also ask all Japanese to be as belligerent as them. But there are many people who don't think so, and are not born to fight, but to enjoy happiness. War is ugly after all, and the reasons for those people, no matter what banner they are waging, cannot be established. Therefore, we don't want to fight anymore, and the reason why we are willing to cooperate with you is not because we don't love our country, but because we want the war to end sooner, so that many people can die less. ”

"Good! I understand. Now what I want to hear is your terms of cooperation. ”

Fujino Uchigoro hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind: "Okay, then I'll say." First, we absolutely must not write down our capture in the Chinese Air Force's battle diary and say that we died after being shot down. Second, we should have complete freedom during the cooperation period and no longer treat us as prisoners of war. Third, this matter cannot be made public until we die. ”

Cai Jiheng asked: "Just these three conditions?" Anything else? ”

"No more!"

Cai Jiheng said simply: "Fujino, you know my military rank, and I don't have the authority to reply to your request, but I will reply to you within ten minutes." I guess that shouldn't be a problem. Wait! He walked out of the room quickly.

Eight minutes later, Cai Jiheng walked into the room, and he solemnly saluted the two of them and said, "Do you know General Chennault?" ”

Fujinouchi Goro nodded: "I've heard that he is a big chief." ”

Cai Jiheng announced: "Now I have to convey General Chennault's promise. First, I promise to order Captain Cai Jiheng, pilot of the Sino-US Air Force Mixed Regiment, to cancel the record of shooting down the Japanese Naval Air Force pilot Fujinouchigoro's plane in his combat diary on May 26, 1944, and in the diary of the Sino-US Air Force Mixed Regiment on May 26, 1944. At the same time, the Chinese antiaircraft artillery unit in Changsha canceled the record in the diary of the Chinese antiaircraft artillery unit on 24 May about the shooting down of the reconnaissance plane of the Japanese Army Air Force pilot Nobu Yoshio, and promised to delete all written records of the two men being captured. Second, I pledge that during the cooperation period, Goro Fujino and Yoshio Nakanoshi will have absolute freedom of movement and enjoy the same salary package as our staff, and no one will be discriminated against. Thirdly, I promise that this matter will not be declassified for 40 years. ”

The two Japanese stood up and shook hands with Cai Jiheng, and Fujino Uchigoro said, "Crocodile, we believe in you, and we believe in General Chennault, because you are all gentlemen." ”

Cai Jiheng said: "Two, now we are brothers, take care!" I'll probably be back in a few days, and we'll see each other again if I don't die. ”

When they broke up, both Japanese were in tears, and they once again bowed deeply to Cai Jiheng.

Cai Jiheng joked: "Alas, why do you Japanese love to cry so much? ”

Man Tang and others escaped from the warning area of the prisoner of war camp, and did not dare to stay all the way, until they fled to the edge of the Yellow River near Gaomiao. During the rest by the river, everyone discussed the next step, and this discussion did not matter, and the room knew that everyone had their own ideas.

Zhang Baowang said that his home is in Yuanqu County, Shanxi, not far from here, and he has been away from home for several years, and he does not know anything about the situation at home, so he must go home to see, and as for whether he will return to the army in the future, he himself cannot say well, so he can only take one step at a time to see what happens.

Li Changshun and Sun Xincang are also going home, and they both say that they don't want to fight anymore.

Li Changshun said: "I won't fight this battle, I'm so annoying, I've been fighting with the devil for seven years, and so many people have died, why didn't I beat the devil away?" Instead, I went to the prisoner of war camp by myself, and this time I won't do anything, whoever likes to fight devils will go, and I'll go home and farm and go to the assembly, right? ”

Sun Xincang's speech is even more unreliable, he thinks that he should not have been a soldier in the first place, he has a good life hunting at home, and the Japanese have never entered Chaihegou in Bears Ears Mountain, and he has never provoked him, why does he want to fight with the Japanese? If you want to talk about the enemy, it's not a devil, it's the company commander who arrested him as a strong man by the national army, the most important thing about the dog's day, if you see him again in the future, you have to bombard him with a musket.

Mantang and Tiezhu didn't plan to return to the team, and the two of them had almost forgotten the number of their troops. Man Tang scratched his scalp and thought about it for a long time, but he didn't remember: "Huh? Damn, what's that team? ”

Tie Zhu was holding his shoes and knocking the sand out, and said casually: "Who knows, what do I remember it for?" ”

The hall beat his head to himself: "Alas, this memory, I have helped others do several battles, and I don't know who they are, day damn it, what kind of brain is this?" ”

Tie Zhu said: "I can't remember anything, just remember that there is a Chief Cai, this surname is easy to remember, and the dish of the steamed buns." ”

"Chief Ke Cai...... It's not our company, it's not our regiment's, he seems to be older than the commander of our regiment...... I don't know if Chief Cai ran out, but don't be like the two of us, let the devil take a gun against the gun to repair the turret. The room was full of speculation.

Tie Zhu didn't like to listen to it: "Chief Cai repairs the turret? No way? People don't have this life, if they really let the devil catch them, they will eat and drink well. Besides, the devils don't want to catch Chief Cai, people have the ability, a gun in the hands of Chief Cai can play with flowers, and no number of devils can get close. ”

Man Tang agreed: "That is, Chief Cai is not an ordinary person, our brother gave him an errand and was hit!" ”

Tie Zhu reminded: "Brother, don't think about it, let's go home, our father, our sister, I don't know where we went." ”

"I can't go home, I can't go back? , just do it, day mother, we won't fight this battle, go home and honor your father and mother, and live a good life. Mantang made up his mind.

The result of the discussion was that none of the five people wanted to return to the team, they all wanted to go home and live, and everyone decided to break up here.

Zhang Baowang punched Mantang in the chest: "Brother, I'm going to the northeast, and our brothers will break up." Full cousins, if it weren't for you, the brothers wouldn't have been able to escape, and they would all have died in the prisoner of war camp. I Zhang Baowang owes you a favor, you remember, if I Zhang Baowang doesn't die in the future, I will repay you sooner or later! ”

Mantang was also moved: "Brother Baowang, when you say this, you will see the outside, they are all brothers in life and death, and the days to come will be long, when I settle down at home, I will take the iron pillar to Yuanqu to find you." ”

Sun Xincang said: "Brother Man, Brother Tiezhu, in the future, I will have time to go to Chai Hegou in Luoning Bear's Ear Mountain to find me, and I will hunt hares for you to eat." ”

Li Changshun cried: "Full hall, iron pillar...... Good brother, I really can't bear to part with my brothers, we have left the address, if you catch up with something that you can't get through in the future, ask someone to bring me a letter, and I will rush ......over as soon as possible."

When Zhang Baowang was leaving, he instructed: "Mantang, you must be careful on the road, don't take the main road, there is a devil patrol on the main road." ”

Zhang Baowang, Sun Xincang, and Li Changshun disappeared into the night one by one.

Man Tang and Tiezhu did not dare to be careless along the way, they went out day and night, walked the path, and when they were hungry, they would dig up anything that could be eaten in the fields of the peasants on the side of the road, and sometimes they would go to beg for food when they met the village, and they would be so hungry and full for five or six days, and they were getting closer and closer to their hometown.

Man Tang was surprised to find that the densely populated Central Plains region in the past has completely changed, in the past, this area was full of villages, on the country road a few miles will come across a village, between the villages of the traffic, chickens and dogs smell each other, everywhere is full of people, it seems that there is no quiet place. But after this battle between Henan and China, everything changed, and often no people could be seen even after walking twenty or thirty miles. The land is barren, the paddy fields have dried up, most of the villages are in ruins, and the fields are full of new graves, and it is always as silent as death, day and night......

An ominous premonition rose in Mantang's heart, so many villages have been destroyed, will Gangzi Village ......

Tie Zhu comforted the full hall: "Brother, our village must be fine, the little devil is ruthless, but the villagers in our village didn't provoke them, we don't invite disasters or cause trouble, he devils can't dig our ancestral grave for no reason, right?" Besides, didn't the villagers still work for the devils? The devil has to give some face. ”

I don't like to hear these full halls when I mention them: "Pillar, shut up you shit!" I'll beat you up when I mention this later! Which pot is not opened, which pot do you mention? At the beginning, I was blindfolded, had hysteria, and helped the devil carry food, which is fucking awkward when I think about it. ”

The scene in front of me is becoming more and more familiar, the Luohe River, the Tugang by the river, the Fan Village, Yaling, and Xiping in the west of Gangzi Village are vividly in my mind...... Mantang's heart was beating suddenly, and his legs were a little weak, he stopped at the intersection north of Gangzi Village, sat on the side of the road and refused to move forward.

Tie Zhu asked strangely, "Brother, what's wrong with you?" ”

Mantang took a breath: "It's okay, brother, take a breath......" At this time, Mantang suddenly felt an unprecedented fear, the fear of an unknowable fate.

This was once the place where the whole house led the villagers to rob Tang Enbo, and he looked around with a strange mood, recalling the scene at that time. Why was it so bold then? The people are holding real guys in their hands, if they really put a few on the fire, it would be strange that the old and young masters in the village don't pee their pants.

A spark of speculation suddenly flashed in Mantang's mind...... At that time, the old and young masters in the village were not afraid of heaven and earth, and they dared to rob the national army with a broken axe in their hands, and they really robbed it. But the question is, the same army, why don't the old and young masters in the village dare to rob the Japanese? I'm afraid I didn't even dare to think about it, why is this? Because we can't afford to provoke the devil, if you don't provoke him, he will still come to the door to kill people and set fires, so you can only find a team that can afford to play tricks, anyway, I know that most of the Chinese soldiers dare not shoot the people.

It's wrong to think about it like this, why are the old and young masters of Gangzi Village so fucked up? Eat persimmons and pick soft pinching, bully when you see cowardice, and hide far away when you see horizontal, this thing is not authentic.

When I think of these past events, Man Tang is always a little embarrassed.

Man Tang and the Iron Pillar slowly walked into the village, and they found that the village had completely changed, most of the houses had been burned to the point of black ruins, and the whole village was as silent as death. The old locust tree with lush foliage at the gate of the courtyard of Mantang's house had actually died, and a crow monster screamed and fluttered its wings and flew away......

The whole hall trembled, and he threw himself in front of the courtyard door in despair, knocking lightly on the courtyard door.

There was no movement in the courtyard, and the hall knocked twice harder.

It was still a dead silence.

Tears flowed down all of a sudden, something must have happened at home, he raised his foot and kicked the courtyard gate fiercely, the thin courtyard gate collapsed, and the brothers rushed into the courtyard......

The white-haired lady sat quietly on the wooden bench in front of the door, staring at them blankly and expressionlessly.

The full hall and the iron pillar are stunned there, is this a mother? How did it get like this?

Mantang seemed to suddenly understand something, his tears rolled down, and he shouted heartbreakingly and pounced: "Mother, I'm Mantang, you don't know your son......"

The eyes of the full hall lady looked directly at him, and her lips moved: "Who are you?" I...... I don't know you ......"

Mantang and Tiezhu hugged their mothers and cried loudly.

Tie Zhu cried and shouted: "Mother, I am a pillar, I am back with my brother, you old man is talking, ......"

The full hall touched Tiezhu's face and whispered, "Whose child is this?" Still crying when you're so old? Child, don't cry, don't cry......"

Man Tang crashed into the house and came out again, he looked around and cried out in despair: "Mother, what's the matter? Where's my father? Where's my sister Cuihua? Mother, you should say something. ”

Full of blood and blood, he almost lost his mind, and he used his head fiercely, "Bang!" Bang" hit the windowsill, and a wisp of blood ran down his forehead.

At this time, Chen Shaolin and Steward Huang rushed in. Chen Shaolin hugged Mantang: "Brother Mantang, don't worry, don't worry, listen to me tell you slowly, slowly!" ”

The hall and the iron pillars fell silent.

Man Tang wiped his tears with his sleeve and asked, "Shaolin, where is my father?" What about my sister? My mother...... What's going on? ”

Chen Shaolin's lips moved, and he wanted to speak.

The whole house yelled: "You say......"

Chen Shaolin suddenly couldn't cry: "Brother Man, how can you let me speak?" Our Village ...... Our village has suffered a great disaster, and many villagers are gone, your father, your sister...... It's gone, it's too miserable! He kept pounding his head with his fist.

Steward Huang persuaded with tears in his eyes: "Young Dongjia, you first calm down, speak slowly, speak slowly...... Sooner or later, they'll know ......"

Man Tang stood up with a pale face: "It was the devil who did it, didn't he?" Shaolin, you say, you give me a detailed explanation, hurry up! ”

Chen Shaolin stomped his feet suddenly: "I said, I said, Mantang, if you are a gentleman, you will hold ...... for me."

Cai Jigang rushed from Xi'an to the logistics base of the First War Zone in Lushi County, western Henan. On behalf of the Central Military Commission, he gave guidance and supervision to the campaign operations of the theater commander's headquarters and subordinate divisions.

At this time, the war clouds in western Henan were dense and heavy troops were gathered. Hu Zong's five whole armies in the south left Tongguan from Shaanxi, deployed troops in western Henan, and set up a decisive battle with the Japanese army. In particular, Hu Zongnan's ace First Army carried out a counterattack at Lingbao, and the Japanese 110th Division, which was advancing in a hurry, suffered a heavy blow head-on, not only stopped the attack, but also retreated 20 kilometers from the queen. As a result, the Chinese and Japanese armies formed a confrontation on the front line of Lingbao, Lushi, Xiping, Neixiang, and Nanyang, during which neither side made any major moves, but only dug trenches and held on, and occasionally there were some sporadic positional battles.

At the same time, the national ** temporarily moved the capital of Henan Province to Neixiang County in southwest Henan, so this area immediately became lively. In addition to a large number of soldiers stationed in the county towns of Neixiang, there are also civil servants from the provinces and counties in the occupied areas, as well as a large number of refugees fleeing the war.

Cai Jigang walked into the headquarters and met Staff Officer Zhang in the telecommunications room. Staff Officer Zhang stood up and saluted: "Chief Cai, you have just come at the right time, we have just received a telegram from Chairman Jiang from the Military Commission, and Chief Chen has already read it and instructed to transfer it to Supervisor Cai for reading." ”

Cai Jigang carefully looked at Chiang Kai-shek's telegram: "Order the 68th Army and the 55th Army to garrison Lushan with one part and use the main force as a maneuver to prepare to attack the enemy attacking from the south; Chen Daqing's 19th Army moved into the area of Fangcheng northeast of Nanyang; Ordered the 59th Army to choose favorable terrain to build strongholds near the inner countryside west of Nanyang......"

When Cai Jigang came to the map, it seemed that Chairman Chiang's worries were well-founded, because the plain between Nanyang and Xiangfan was almost impossible to defend, and it was a strategic passage for the rapid assault of the Japanese mechanized troops.

Chiang Kai-shek, as well as those high-ranking staff members in the General Headquarters, all understood that this plain was like a boxer's soft belly, and once it was hit hard, the game might end early. The question is, even if we hold the South Henan Plain, will the crisis be resolved? This is not the only way for the Japanese army to move south, the key is whether the Japanese 12th Army has a plan to go south. In addition, the Japanese base camp had another trump card, that is, the Japanese 11th Army stationed in the Wuhan area, which was also a formidable heavy army group, fully capable of launching new campaigns south of the Yangtze River.

Our battle plan cannot be formulated according to our subjective wishes, still less can we have a headache or a pain in the foot, and the best battle plan should be based on the worst assumptions. The commanders of the Supreme Command must have an overall grasp of the entire Chinese battlefield, and how to mobilize the forces of various major theaters to cooperate with each other in fighting is the crux of the problem. This should be a big concept at the strategic level, and the combat area spans several major theaters in the north and south, and the total number of troops invested is nearly one million, and the attention of the Supreme Command should definitely not be limited to the Central Plains.

Standing next to Cai Jigang were several operational staff officers of the headquarters, all of whom quietly watched Cai Jigang use the scale to carry out the work on the map, waiting for him to express his opinions. Who knew that Cai Jigang was silent, threw the scale on the table, and turned to leave.

A lieutenant colonel finally couldn't help it: "Sir......"

Cai Jigang stopped: "What's the matter?" ”

"I'm sorry sir, we all want to hear your predictions for the future battle, please advise!"

Cai Jigang asked, "What are you most concerned about?" ”

The lieutenant colonel pointed to the plain between Nanyang and Xiangfan on the map and said, "What I'm worried about is, what kind of situation will happen once this place is lost?" ”

Cai Jigang replied: "The situation will be very bad, the Fifth War Zone will face great pressure, and it is possible that the old estuary will be lost if it is not good, but this is not the most terrible." The Japanese army has now opened up the Pinghan line, only half of the plan has been completed, the next step is to continue to open the Guangdong-Han line, the Japanese army in central China will definitely launch a major campaign in Hubei and Hunan areas, the key point is Changsha, if Changsha is lost, the Japanese army's attack will definitely turn to Hengyang, if Hengyang is lost, the next attack point of the Japanese army must be Guilin, Liuzhou, ......"

The lieutenant colonel stared at the map: "What does the commander mean that the Japanese army has a strategic intention to make a detour through Guizhou to attack Chongqing?" ”

Cai Jigang said: "It should be such an attack line, and the purpose of the Japanese army's campaign is to open up the railway communication line from the Pinghan line to the Yuehan line; The second is aimed at destroying our air bases in the southwest. After achieving these two objectives, if the forces allow and the Japanese can maintain the offensive momentum, there is no doubt that they will definitely attack Chongqing. ”

Cai Jigang found the location of Liuzhou on the map, drew a circle with a red pencil and said: "If Liuzhou is lost, Nanning will not be protected." At that time, our army was still facing a major threat, that is, the 21st Division of the Japanese Southern Army stationed in Vietnam, they would definitely make some moves and would attack from Vietnam to Suilu, Guangxi. In this way, the mainland communication line from the northeast of our country to Hanoi, Vietnam, will be fully opened. Where can our army retreat then? had no choice but to retreat into Guizhou. The main force of the Japanese army will continue the offensive along the Guizhou-Guizhou Highway and the Guizhou-Guizhou Railway...... If you think about it, if this point is lost again, then we don't have to fight. ”

Cai Jigang drew a circle again, and then threw the pencil on the table.

The operational staff officers all stretched out their heads, and they saw that the circle drawn in red pencil was Dushan Mountain in Guizhou.

The colonel was shocked and asked, "Sir, what do you mean ......?"

Cai Jigang slammed his fist on the table: "I saw that at that time, all Chinese soldiers should have committed suicide and martyrdom, what face do we have to live?" ”

The operational staff officers looked at each other, and could not help but look grim and silent.

Cai Jigang threw the telegram forwarded by the Military Commission on the table, and shook his head helplessly: "A good general uses soldiers, if a good general treats the disease, the disease will change and the medicine will also change, and those who do not seek the world are not enough to seek a time, and those who do not plan the overall situation are not enough to seek a domain [2]

。 To put it mildly, according to this telegram order, the deployment of troops can only seek a temporary gain, and no matter what, it will not be able to catch up with the development of the war situation. ”

"Sir, according to this judgment, the direction of the old estuary should be worry-free for the time being."

Cai Jigang nodded: "So to speak, but sooner or later a big battle will break out in the direction of Laohekou, because Laohekou Airport is also the henchman of the Japanese army's base camp, and recently the Sino-US joint air force has used this as a forward base to continuously attack the water and land communication lines in North China and Central China, posing a serious threat to the Japanese army." The base camp of the Japanese army will definitely do everything possible to take Laohekou, and the strategic focus of this operation is to control the fortress of the Henan-Shaanxi Highway - Xixiakou and block the troops of the Eighth Theater from advancing to the hinterland of Nanyang. If you don't believe it, just look at it, the area around the mouth of the West Gorge will be a main battlefield in the future. ”

The other young major hesitated for a moment, then raised his head firmly: "Sir, with all due respect, what you said is just some assumptions, and only the worst results, but I think that we will hold back the enemy's attack at a certain defensive point, and the enemy's attempt to attack Chongqing cannot be successful." ”

Cai Jigang stared into his eyes: "Major, tell me your reasons." ”

"Judging from the overall strategic pattern of the world, Japan's national strength is weakening day by day, and strategically they have become the last of their strength, and victory on the local battlefield cannot change the fate of their overall decline. The situation is such that it is difficult for us as a defensive side, but even more difficult for our enemy as an offensive side. As long as we hold on, the enemy will surely fall. ”

Cai Jigang's eyebrows raised: "Major, what's your name?" ”

The major touched his heels and replied with his chest straight: "Report to the chief, I am Ji Zhenhua, the operational staff officer of the First Theater Command!" ”

Cai Jigang nodded approvingly: "Well said!" We are difficult, and the enemy is even more difficult. It's like two fighters in the boxing ring, whoever lasts until the last moment is the winner. As far as the present war is concerned, victory requires conditions, first of all, to formulate a correct strategic policy and a realistic campaign plan, and then to unite as one, to use the lives of the soldiers and soldiers to defeat the enemy, relying on the courage and wisdom of the soldiers! ”

"Yes! Ji Zhenhua remembered the teachings of the chief! ”

"Another point is that the formulation of the campaign plan must focus on the worst-case scenario, just like my judgment on the development of the battle situation just now. I would say that I very much hope that my judgment was wrong. ”

Cai Jigang glanced at the map again after speaking, and then left without looking back.

The lieutenant colonel looked at Cai Jigang's back and muttered, "Everyone, can you see what is in this chief's eyes?" ”

The officers all shook their heads.

"I could tell that there was a ...... in his eyes," the lieutenant colonel said. Deep sorrow. ”

It should be said that Cai Jigang's prediction of the battle situation was extremely forward-looking, and the development of the battle situation after the fact confirmed his judgment. In China's military circles in the 40s of the 20 th century, there were too few military generals like Cai Jigang who had a Western military education background and at the same time had a grand strategic vision.

Cai Jigang's old alumnus of the Virginia Military Academy, Sun Liren, was lucky, although he did not have an intertwined military faction background, but he was very lucky, because he sat in the position of regiment commander before the war, and had a stage for the activities of the military commander, so that his military talents could be given full play, and finally became a famous general by virtue of his military exploits.

However, he still responded to that sentence: success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He. Sun Liren, who worships the second-class army general and commander-in-chief of the army, was unlucky in the end on the background of his stay in the US military academy, which is a later story.

In this way, Major General Cai Jigang just has an empty ambition to serve the country, and there is nowhere to show it, and his luck is not the worst.

At this time, Chen Cheng, the commander of the First Theater of Operations, had not yet realized that the just-concluded Battle of Henan-China was just the beginning of a series of battles that followed, and he couldn't think so far, he only wanted to do his part well. At present, the focus of the deployment of troops in the First Theater is first of all to ensure the safety of Xi'an and defend against the Japanese 110th Division that is attempting to attack Xi'an, and second, to hold the southern Henan Plain and prevent the Japanese mechanized troops from moving south.

At present, Chen Cheng has a very considerable number of troops in his hands, with a total of 17 corps, three artillery regiments and three engineer regiments belonging to the six group armies, as well as a 14 regiment of the military police responsible for the task of public security in the townships and counties of the provisional provincial capital. At this time, the troop allocation of the first theater was abundant, reaching the first among all theaters in the country in the later stage of the Anti-Japanese War.

In order to secure Xi'an and consolidate southern Shaanxi, Chen Cheng adjusted the defensive posture of the First War Zone, and used the heavy army group to take Funiu Mountain as the base and hold the key points of Tongguan, Zhuyang Pass, Xixiakou, and Jingzi Pass at the junction of the Henan-Shaanxi border to control the Henan-Shaanxi Highway. He deployed the main force in the mountains with the highway as the axis and radiated in depth, and deployed the artillery units on the line of Nanyang and Zhenping to hold the southern Henan Plain, preparing to deal with the Japanese tank clusters and prevent their mechanized troops from moving south......

During this period, Cai Jigang has always scrupulously adhered to his duties, supervising the implementation of orders by various units on behalf of the Central Military Commission. During this period, Cai Jigang studied the campaign plan every day and paid close attention to the movements of the Japanese army. Cai Jigang judged that the crisis has not been resolved, and a new offensive must be brewing in the base camp of the Japanese army, where will the flashpoint of the next big war be? At present, the Nationalist army in southwestern Henan and southern Shaanxi is heavily concentrated, and it is unlikely that the battle will take place in the area under the jurisdiction of the First Theater. Cai Jigang's vision crossed the Yellow River and landed on Wuhan, an important city guarding the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. According to intelligence, there are some disturbing signals from this area.

On 25 May, General Shunroku Hatata, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Dispatch Forces in China, and Lieutenant General Takuma Yamashita, commander of the 5th Air Force, flew to Wuhan with a large number of staff officers and advanced their combat command posts to Hankow. Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the Japanese 11th Army, had already gathered the main forces along the Yangtze River, and the 47th Division, which was originally part of the Japanese Home Army, and more than 100,000 newly recruited supplementary soldiers also arrived in Wuhan to supplement and strengthen the combat strength of the 11th Army. What is even more concerning is that the latest Type 4 fighter squadron 22, which served as an air defense mission in Tokyo, was also recently transferred to Wuhan airport. This shows that the 11th Army, the main force of the Japanese army in the south, is going to make a big move, is the Japanese army preparing to attack Changsha for the fourth time?

Prior to this, several predecessors of the commander of the 11th Army, Isamu Yokoyama, had commanded the 11th Army to fight the Battle of Changsha three times with Xue Yue's Ninth Theater, and all three times ended in the defeat of the Japanese 11th Army. If the Fourth Battle of Changsha breaks out, will the Chinese army still be able to hold Changsha?

After careful analysis, Cai Jigang came to the conclusion that fierce battles were about to break out in the jurisdiction of Xue Yue's Ninth War Zone. At present, Cai Jigang has nothing to do in the first war zone, so it is better to apply to the Military Commission and transfer himself to the ninth war zone, where the war may break out.

Cai Jigang took out a pen and paper and prepared to write a detailed report to the Military Commission.

Tong Mantang sat in front of the graves of his father and sister, and he had been sitting here for more than ten hours without eating or drinking.

The graves of my father and sister are in the south of Gangzi Village, under the cliffs of an undulating terrain, where more than a dozen ancestors of the Tong family are buried, and the ancestral graves of the Tong family are buried.

The sky was getting dark, and the cemetery was quiet, and under the cliff were clusters of wild climbing plants, climbing the vertical surface of the cliff, and the dense branches and leaves rustled in the evening breeze. As far as the eye can see, it is full of greenery and lushness.

Tiezhu came quietly, and he had the courage to whisper and begged, "Brother, go home and eat." ”

The house was silent, he didn't want to go anywhere, he just wanted to sit here, which was closest to his father and sister.

Tie Zhu continued to beg: "Brother, Brother Shaolin sent us something to eat, our mother has eaten and slept." Brother, you eat first, and I'll accompany you after eating......"

Man Tang stood up suddenly, kicked the iron pillar on his heels, and only said, "Get out!" With that, he sat back down.

Tie Zhu reluctantly walked not far away, and also sat down to watch the actions of the full house.

Mantang's mind was blank, he only felt that his chest was pressed by something heavy, and he could barely breathe, he had never felt this way when he was so big.

My mother is crazy, my father and sister are dead, this family is really over! Mantang genuinely felt hopeless, he needed to figure something out, otherwise why would he still live in this world? He wanted to find a plausible reason for his future life.

Mantang is a rough man with little education, and he rarely uses his brains, and he belongs to the kind of rural youth who is chaotic and unopened. Such people have a certain concept of right and wrong and ethics, but they lack the concept of state and nation. He only knew that he was born in China and was a Chinese. As for what the state is, he does not know and is not interested in knowing, because the state has nothing to do with him, and he has never felt the existence of the state. He only knows that after a natural disaster, when he and his family were so hungry that their eyes turned green, the state did not seem to care, and some people continued to come to distribute food and donations in the name of the state. Mantang always thinks that since the state doesn't care about his life or death, why should he care about the country's life or death?

The house couldn't understand why the Japanese came to China and why the country was at war with the Japanese. If you want to fight, why do you always involve yourself and your family? He had never been in contact with the Japanese before, and he didn't know whether the Japanese were good or bad, but he felt that they were quite authentic, so he rushed to take out military rations to help the people, which was better than ourselves. But the question is, why are the Japanese dog-faced, and they can turn it over? Before they could finish eating the food they gave, their faces changed, and they killed so many people in Gangzi Village alone. My mother was scared crazy, my father and sister died so miserably, why is this? I can't figure it out after turning it over and over again. He only knows that he has changed, and he will never go back to the past, from the moment he stepped into Gangzi Village, his heart was filled with hatred, if he wants to continue to live, then from now on, the reason for his life is to kill the Japanese devil and avenge his father and sister!

Mantang remembered the words of the owner Chen Jiaxing: "** is not good, it is also our Chinese's own **, we are just wronged and difficult, we can't turn our elbows outward, help the devil beat the Chinese, I'm sorry for the ancestors!" ”

Whenever I think of this sentence, the full hall regrets that I can't be killed, he is sorry for Master Chen, and he has no face to see his father and mother, let alone the ancestors of the Tong family. How many years later, when the descendants of the Tong family open the genealogy of the Tong family, they will point to the name of the full house and say that this ancestor was a traitor and lost face to our old Tong family......

There is a wooden sign standing in front of Dad's grave, on which is the words "Tong Chunfu's Tomb" written by Chen Shaolin, behind the new pile of graves, there are clusters of wild sour jujube thorns, the small leaves are a little emerald green, sprinkled in the wilderness, the branches of the bushes tremble slightly in the night wind, and the pale moonlight is sprinkled from behind, outlining the outline of two graves, one large and one small. Chen Shaolin said that now that the war is in chaos, and even the stonemasons can't be invited, so they have to use a wooden sign first, and then change a stone tablet for their father when they have the conditions in the future. Mantang gently stroked the wooden sign in front of his father's grave, and couldn't help but feel sad. He whimpered and whispered something, then turned into a bitter cry, louder and louder, until he began to cry. His cry was particularly terrifying, and could be heard far and wide in the thick of the night......

From ancient times to the present, China's rural society is not maintained by the power of grassroots political power, in the era of feudal imperial power, China's most basic ** management agency is the county**, and the ** management agency below the county has long been in a blank state. As for the traditional social control systems of different dynasties, such as the township system, the armor protection system, and the township restraint system, they are only an extension of the county-level political power, and do not have the legal power of administrative management. Thus, for more than 2,000 years, China's rural society has been maintained not by the rule of law, but by moral and patriarchal forces, the combination of which has produced conventional values, of which the gentry are the supervisors and enforcers. Under normal circumstances, the formation of the values of an illiterate peasant depends on the indoctrination of the older generation by word of mouth, and on the other hand, by the explanation and guidance of the local squires with high moral integrity, so that the rural youths who have not received basic education can understand that hard work, respect for the old and love for the young are the foundation of human beings, and that killing people to resist their lives and repaying debts are the principles of life formed over thousands of years, and they are unbreakable truths. Deception, stealing and ** will be condemned, despised and punished by the surrounding public opinion. Therefore, in the long process of the development of China's feudal society, the gentry class played a vital role in the maintenance of China's rural society.

The squire class comes from several aspects, one is from educated, highly respected and quite landed scholars; the second is the clan leader from the patriarchal clan that is united by blood and geography; The third is a retired official who has returned to his hometown.

Mr. Chen Jiaxing from Gangzi Village should belong to the first category.

In the process of growing up in Mantang, in his chaotic spiritual world, his father Tong Chunfu's words and deeds, and the personality strength of the squire Chen Jiaxing all had a significant impact on him. The long-standing traditional Chinese culture is not complicated, it just tells the people living in this land how to behave in the world, how to judge right and wrong, likes and dislikes.

After weeping, Mantang's thoughts gradually became clearer, and his soul seemed to have completed a kind of transformation. He clearly realized that his future life would no longer be made at sunrise and rest at sunset, and he would no longer be a hot kang for his wife and children...... He may not be clear about the concept of the state and the nation, but he fully knows that a real and responsible man must be able to protect his relatives and defend his homeland.

From today onwards, he will fight for the lost home and the dead relatives.

Mantang stood up and shouted, "Pillar! ”

"Brother, I'm here." Tiezhu replied not far away.

"Go back and pack your things, entrust your mother to Shaolin, let's go!"

Tie Zhu cautiously asked, "Brother, where are we going?" ”

The hall said loudly: "Find a team and kill the devil for revenge!" ”

"Brother, I don't know if our team is still there, where can we find it?"

Mantang thought for a while: "When Chief Cai left, he said that the people who broke out of the siege all went to Lushi County in western Henan, and our team was waiting there...... Damn, where is Lushi County? No matter what, ask while walking, you can always find it, let's follow Chief Cai. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu just finished the interview in Neixiang County. The temporary province is in a mess, the officials are in a state of panic, they don't have the heart to work, and they don't have the heart to be interviewed, maybe one day it will become a fallen area, and the officials of the province are ready to retreat at any time.

Zhao Xiangzhu comforted them, there were hundreds of thousands of national troops gathered in this area, and it was impossible for the Japanese to occupy Neixiang County, they did not have this strength. But the administrative officials did not believe it at all, because the facts had made them deeply distrustful of their army.

In fact, Zhao Xiangzhu herself was also very upset, and the failure of the Battle of Yuzhong also cast a shadow on her heart. It is understandable to say that we suffered a lot of losses in the early days of the war, but the situation is much better now than it was in 1937. In 1944, with the assistance of the Lend-Lease Act, the Chinese army's weapons and equipment were greatly improved compared with the early stage of the war, and the formation of the US 14th Air Force and the Sino-US Joint Air Force enabled the Chinese army to grasp part or even most of the air supremacy for the first time, and the combat radius of the Chinese and American air forces had reached the northeast and the Japanese mainland...... Under such circumstances, the hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops stationed in the Central Plains were still on the verge of collapse, and everyone from the highest commander to the ordinary soldiers completely lost the will to fight, which can simply be called a "great collapse", which is really too humiliating.

Zhao Xiangzhu couldn't figure it out, why did we always lose the battle?

Before the transfer order of the Military Commission came down, Cai Jigang had to wait at the headquarters of the commander of the First War Zone. The battle line here has basically stabilized, and it seems that the Japanese army is unable to launch an attack on Xi'an in a short period of time, so Cai Jigang has nothing to do here, so he transferred some of the latest intelligence materials from the intelligence department and carefully studied them in his room.

Cai Jigang was flipping through the information, and suddenly, a piece of information caught his attention: in February this year, Hideki Tojo proposed a unified military order and government order, forcing Marshal Sugiyama to resign from the post of chief of staff, and asked the head of the military command department, Nagano to cultivate himself[3]

The marshal gave the post to the Minister of the Navy, Shigetaro Shimada. The emperor approved Hideki Tojo's request, and Nagano was forced to resign from his post and become the emperor's top naval adviser. Hideki Tojo thus assumed the positions of Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Munitions, Minister of War, and Chief of Staff.

Cai Jigang muttered to himself: "The marshal has finally stepped down, but the Japanese Navy has no chance to regroup, and this is the fate of the Japanese Navy......"

"Jigang, who are you talking about?" Zhao Xiangzhu floated in like a gust of wind.

Cai Jigang closed the folder: "Oh, I'm talking about Japan's military command chief Nagano Shushen, who recently resigned. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu hurriedly looked for clothes in the closet, and asked casually: "I've heard of this person, what does his resignation mean?" ”

Cai Jigang smiled: "You don't understand, don't ask." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu closed the cabinet door with a "bang", turned around and sat on the sofa opposite Cai Jigang: "I don't understand, can't you tell me about it?" Don't forget, your wife is a military journalist, and I'm interested in everything related to the military. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu is telling the truth, she is a very dedicated reporter, since she took up the post of military reporter, she has been learning all kinds of military knowledge, she does not want to be a layman reporter who eats mixed food.

Cai Jigang knows his wife's temper, as long as she asks, if she can't satisfy her, Zhao Xiangzhu will be endlessly entangled, this is the eldest lady's temper she has cultivated since she was a child, and everything she wants, she must get.

Cai Jigang shook his head helplessly: "I really can't help you, okay, let me tell you, why do I pay attention to this admiral." Nagano Shusei was the chief of the military command department and the supreme commander of the Japanese Navy, this man was a staunch general of the main war faction, and he wrote to the emperor together with the then prime minister Hideki Tojo and chief of staff Sugiyama Moto, and did not hesitate to fight against the United States. It can be said that he was the main mastermind who provoked the Pacific War. ”

"Jigang, you're not following this person because you're interested in his resume, right?"

Cai Jigang continued: "Yes, I mentioned his resume just to show that this man was a perfect Meiji Navy soldier who admired the traditional naval battles of cannon ships, so when he became the supreme commander of the Japanese Navy, then the tragic fate of the Showa Navy was sealed. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu asked suspiciously: "The perfect Meiji Navy soldier?" Are you saying that he was an outdated naval officer who was still stuck in the Meiji era? ”

"That's what I mean, that's what I mean, his combat thinking is still stuck in the glory created by the Japanese Navy in the Meiji period. This man did not understand modern warfare, which was the luck of the Allies, so when he became the commander of the Japanese Navy, the tragic fate of the Japanese Empire and the Japanese Navy was sealed. ”

Why? Please be specific. ”

Cai Jigang said eloquently: "In the Meiji era, the Japanese Navy fought two beautiful battles, destroying our Beiyang Fleet and Russia's Pacific Fleet, and since then they have carried the burden of 'Japanese naval invincibility'. A careful analysis will make it clear that there are two characteristics of naval warfare in the Meiji era, first of all, the duel of artillery and giant ships, and the three-dimensional naval battle theory with the participation of aircraft and submarines has not yet been formed; Secondly, naval warfare was mainly carried out in the waters of the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, which were short-term replenishment. Like the current model of the Pacific naval battle, it has long been beyond the imagination of Nagano Xiu. The Japanese army's long supply lines had already cost the Japanese Empire, stretching from the Japanese mainland through Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia to Indonesia or Papua New Guinea, and such a long route provided a feast for American submarines, and so far, the total tonnage of Japanese merchant ships sunk by American submarines has approached 5 million tons. This is Nagano Shusei's 'contribution' to the Japanese Navy, although he is now out of power, but the fate of the Japanese Navy is doomed, and he is powerless. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu said with a smile: "Let me add that there is another important feature of wars in the Meiji era, that is, limited wars. The wars between Japan, a small country, and the Great Qing Kingdom, a large resource country, and the Russian Empire, were all ended by diplomatic means by signing a final peace treaty in favor of Japan after winning decisive victories in local battles. The laws of this kind of war are completely different from the current general war, and there have been major errors in the judgment of the Japanese decision-making level. ”

Cai Jigang agreed: "Nagano Shusei and others were all naval generals from the Meiji era, and their biggest mistake was to think that the United States would be like Russia back then, if it lost a local naval battle, it would sign an armistice peace treaty with Japan, but the United States was not the Russia of that year, and Japan did not have the strength to fight a general war." So, when the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, there was no suspense in this war. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu said worriedly: "Jigang, but now...... It seems that there is no hope of victory on the battlefield in China, what is wrong with our army? ”

Cai Jigang was silent for a moment and said: "There are too many reasons, where can I explain it clearly for a while?" Ostensibly, it is because our army is poorly equipped and poorly trained, and our military commanders are poorly educated and do not understand modern warfare...... Of course, these are all reasons for losing the war, but these do not seem to be the main problems, there are far-reaching historical and cultural reasons that need to be sorted out slowly. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu pondered: "I'm afraid this has to be sorted out from the concept of a modern state, I have thought about this problem for a long time, but I lack first-hand information, and I also lack communication with the people, frankly, I don't know the people at the bottom of China." ”

Cai Jigang looked at his wife in surprise: "Oh my God, my wife is really extraordinary, and she has grasped the essence of things at once." To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about this question for a long time, Xiangzhu, you should know Seishiro Itagaki [4]

This person. ”

"Of course I know that at the beginning of the war, he was the commander of the 5th Division of the Japanese Army, and later served as the Minister of War and the Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese Dispatch Army, and now this guy seems to be the commander of the Korean Army."

Cai Jigang nodded and said: "There is a saying in the Japanese military circles that 'Ishihara Wan'er's wisdom, Itagaki Seishiro's courage', not to mention this person's military talent, it is said that he has studied Sinology since he was four years old, and he and Kenji Dohihara and Ryosuke Isoya are known as the three 'China experts' in the Japanese Army." To be sure, this man is definitely our rival, because he knows Chinese society better than we do. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu sighed in surprise: "That's really terrible......"

Itagaki Seishiro argues that China is not yet a modern state, and that it has simply added the name of the state to a region with autonomous tribes. From the psychological point of view of the Chinese people, it is their ideal to live and work in peace and contentment, and as for politics and the military, they are nothing more than a profession of the ruling class. Politically and militarily, the only thing that is politically and militarily connected with the population is the collection of taxes and the maintenance of law and order. As a result, the Chinese people's sense of national consciousness is very weak. This person is very powerful here, and he knows the Chinese people better than many of our military and political officials. Now I can tell you the result of my thinking, the fundamental reason why we lost the war was that we did not properly resolve the relationship between the state and the people. ”

"Makes sense, please keep talking." Zhao Xiangzhu urged.

Since ancient times, the patriotic education received by the Chinese people is nothing more than the four words "loyal to the monarch and serving the country", which sounds like no problem, but careful analysis is not right, this is just a one-sided demand, the people bear the obligation of loyalty to the monarch and pay taxes, while the monarch and the country never think much about their own obligations, the problem is here. Who is the country really about? The emperor told the people: "'Under the whole world, it is not the king's land. The meaning is clear, the state belongs to the emperor. Since it is the emperor's, then the next question arises, if the country is invaded and there is a war, it should have nothing to do with the people, because the people are not the owners of the country, why should they shed blood and sacrifice? In this way, it becomes clear that many of the problems that puzzle us are probably the main reason for our defeat. Cai Jigang said his conclusion.

"But...... Now China is no longer the era of imperial power, and our national government system is also established according to the framework of a modern state, why is the state and the people still unable to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations to each other? ”

Cai Jigang gently asked, "Then please tell me, for the people, is there any difference between 1944 and 1844?" They also have to pay taxes to the state, and it doesn't matter whether they are handed over to the emperor or to the people. The fact is that the State, as always, refuses to assume any responsibility or obligation to the people, who are still obliged only to suffer. The Central Plains is in drought, the red land is thousands of miles, the people are displaced, and hunger is everywhere, what have the people done? Only one order was issued: This year's military ration levy in Henan Province cannot be reduced or reduced. Look at it, China's national conditions are like this, how can you get the people to support the war? This is the tragedy of our country. ”

Both men were silent.

"Report!" Someone shouted outside the door.

Cai Jigang opened the door and saw a young lieutenant colonel standing outside the door.

The lieutenant colonel saluted and said: "Report to Chief Cai, I am Jin Yiquan, the adjutant of Commander Li Zhengxian of the 16th Army, Commander Li is going to inspect the forward position in the afternoon, he wants to ask Officer Cai, would you like to go to the forward command post together?" ”

Cai Jigang said with a smile: "Since it was Li Jun's invitation, how dare Cai disobey?" You go first, I'll go to the headquarters of the 16th Army right away. ”

After Adjutant Jin left, Cai Jigang turned around and asked Zhao Xiangzhu: "Have you interviewed Commander Li Zhengxian of the 16th Army?" ”

"No, there are dozens of general-level officers here, how can I know them all?"

Cai Jigang put on a military hat: "I want to go to the front line with Commander Li, if you are interested, go with me, and I happen to get to know Li Zhengxian." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu is a workaholic, and of course she refuses to give up the opportunity to interview front-line officers: "Okay, the forward position is very attractive to me, of course I will go." ”

Cai Jigang and Li Zhengxian stood in the forward command post of the 109th Division, intently observing the depth of the Japanese position with binoculars. There is an open area of about 300 meters between the two armies here, and the positions on the side of the national army are chaotic, full of barbed wire, deer barricades and wide anti-tank trenches, the concealment department and the breast wall of the trench are fixed with thick logs, the criss-crossing communication trenches extend in all directions, the fire points of light and heavy machine guns are concealed and tricky, and great attention is paid to the play of crossfire and side-fire firepower. In the end, the 16th Army is a descendant force, a well-known Central Army, and its defensive positions are quite professionally constructed.

Cai Jigang and Li Zhengxian are very familiar with each other, the two are about the same age, they talk to each other more casually, and they joke when they meet. The year before last, Cai Jigang went to the Eighth War Zone with the commander of the Military Command Department to inspect it, when Li Zhengxian had just been promoted from the position of commander of the First Division to the deputy commander of the First Army, and Cai Jigang lived in the First Army Headquarters for a month as a supervisor of the Military Commission, and the two knew each other like this. Li Zhengxian was called Jianbai, Cai Jigang called him "Brother Jianbai", and he called Cai Jigang "Brother Yunhe".

In 1939, he became the brigade commander of the First Brigade of the First Division of the First Army, and the official worship of the army was a major general.

Li Zheng put down the binoculars first, and asked Cai Jigang with some pride: "Brother Yunhe, you are a student of a famous school, give us advice, our position setting is okay, right?" ”

Cai Jigang continued to observe, and said lightly: "Well, it's okay, as far as positional warfare is concerned, it is much higher than the level of a major war." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu heard the irony and couldn't help laughing.

"What are these words? What about scolding us? Li Zhengxian glared at Cai Jigang dissatisfied.

"I mean, with our army's current operational thinking, equipment level, and tactical level, it can only be like this, and if I am asked to take command, I am afraid that it will be the same. Our operational thinking and tactical level are still stuck in a major war, and this is no longer the case in the European theater. ”

Li Zhengxian sneered: "Ho, in the end, it is a top student in Virginia, opening and closing your mouth is a European battlefield, we are confused by these Huangpu-born buns, can you talk about it specifically?" ”

Cai Jigang ignored his ridicule: "Brother Jianbai, let me ask a question, which of your defense lines is stronger than the Maginot Line?" ”

"Of course it's the Maginot Line, how many years have people built it? How much reinforced concrete was used? I'm not that rich. ”

"Yes, after so many years of repairing and spending so much money, what is the result? They bypassed without firing a shot. Dude, the mode of battle has long changed now, your fortifications are strong, but people may not come to fight. Modern warfare is characterized by wide frontal, high mobility, and great depth. Assault is a rapid assault in great depth, and defense is a defense in great depth. At the Battle of Kursk last August, the Soviet army did just that, with both armies attacking and defending at the same time. Therefore, in modern warfare, offense and defense are no longer two opposing concepts, but a concept of unity of opposites. Cai Jigang said as he switched to the artillery team mirror to continue to observe the enemy's depth.

Li Zhengxian raised his hands beggingly: "Okay, okay, don't say it, it's okay for me to admit defeat?" When it comes to military theory, the ten Li Zhengxian are not Cai Jigang's opponents. The problem now is that this is a Chinese battlefield, we can only fight on our own terms, and it takes money to implement high-mobility operations, who doesn't know that tank clusters are a good thing, but do we have them? China is a poor country, and our opponents are not rich, they are all poor, so the warring sides can only use the mode of operation of a major war, my Grand Governor! ”

Cai Jigang adjusted the artillery mirror and replied: "Brother Jianbai, you are purely raising the bar, I mean tactical thinking, in some cases, the improvement of intelligence can make up for the lack of equipment......"

Suddenly, there was a burst of light machine-gun fire from the enemy positions, and the people in the command post immediately became nervous. Adjutant Shen Guangya hurriedly shook the phone to ask the forward observation post, and then he hung up the phone and reported: "According to the report of the Huangpo Village position observation post, gunfire came from the Japanese stronghold on the eastern slope, as if someone had crossed the battle line and ran towards our position. ”

Li Zhengxian didn't care about bickering anymore and raised his binoculars.

Cai Jigang's artillery team saw two civilians, one tall and one short, trying to cross the open area in front of the two armies, when the machine guns on the Japanese positions behind them rang out from time to time, and the bullets splashed smoke from time to time in front of and behind them. Cai Jigang was very puzzled in his heart, these two guys are really stunned, this open land is more than 300 meters, they are so blatant in broad daylight, crossing the battle line without scruples, and eating leopard gall?

Shen Guangya also held a telescope to observe, and he said to Cai Jigang: "Sir, these two people are unusual, they are doing 'zigzag' movements, and they are very good at using the terrain, I don't think they are ordinary people, they seem to be soldiers with battlefield experience." ”

Cai Jigang took a closer look and felt strange, these two people did seem to be trained, they always jumped out of a dozen steps, and then plunged into the crater before the Japanese machine gunners had time to form a reticle...... Cai Jigang concluded that these two must be veterans with battlefield experience.

Li Zhengxian also saw some doorways, and he shouted loudly: "Pass my orders!" Front-line machine gun fire, suppress the opponent's fire, and cover these two people coming! ”

Li Zhengxian's order was transmitted by telephone, and there was a loud burst of gunfire on the forward position, and seven or eight light and heavy machine guns opened fire at the same time, suppressing the Japanese firepower at once. I saw the two civilians jump up from the crater, run quickly across the open field, roll on the spot, and jump into the trenches of the national army......

Everyone in the command post breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Zheng threw away the binoculars and ordered: "Bring those two people to the command post, I want to question." ”

After a while, the two guys, one tall and one short, were brought into the command post by several soldiers. The two men didn't seem to understand the rules, patting the dirt on their bodies nonchalantly while looking around in a daze.

Shen Guangya suddenly shouted to Cai Jigang: "Sir, what a coincidence, it's an old acquaintance!" ”

Cai Jigang smiled as soon as he fixed his eyes, isn't this a full hall and an iron pillar?

Man Tang and Tie Zhu were also overjoyed when they saw Cai Jigang and Shen Guangya, they had come to join Chief Cai after they had traveled so far. Man Tang was excitedly about to rush over and shake hands with Chief Cai, when he suddenly remembered the rules of the army, and hurriedly drank the iron pillar: "Pillar, salute Chief Cai and Adjutant Shen!" ”

The two of them straightened up and saluted Cai Jigang and Shen Guangya.

Li Zhengxian asked Cai Jigang with a smile: "Brother Yunhe, do you know these two guys?" ”

"Not to mention, this is the brother who broke through with me." Cai Jigang excitedly punched Mantang and Tie Zhu's chest.

Zhao Xiangzhu asked curiously, "How did you pass through the enemy's position?" It's too dangerous. ”

Mantang replied: "There are devils everywhere, I can't find any other way, I heard a fellow who is beating grass said, running through this open space is the territory of our national army, I originally wanted to wait until dark to come again, but I ran into the devil's patrol, we ran away, the devil's legs were short and couldn't catch up, so I shot in the back, and then our machine gun rang out, I knew that this was covering me, now I don't need to hide, I and the iron pillar rushed over a few steps." ”

Li Zhengxian praised: "The tactical moves are still quite authentic, they are all veterans, right?" ”

Cai Jigang said with a smile: "I'm afraid I'm not a veteran, I enlisted in the temporary 15th Army when I was guarding Xuchang, but after a few battles, I have combat experience." ”

Li Zheng looked at Mantang first: "Brother Yunhe, these two soldiers will stay in the 109th Division, we are the Central Army, not stronger than those miscellaneous armies?" ”

"Sir, I'm not here to work, my brothers and I are here to defect to Chief Cai." Mantang flatly refused.

Li Zhengxian was about to get angry and curse, but Cai Jigang immediately said: "Brother Jianbai, I'll talk about this matter later, I'll talk to the brothers first." ”

After dinner, Cai Jigang instructed Adjutant Shen to call the full cousins.

Zhao Xiangzhu asked, "Jigang, can I listen to your conversation?" ”

"Of course, didn't we talk about the relationship between the state and the people in the afternoon? We're not done yet, but it just so happens that these two soldiers are natives of central Henan, so you can ask them what they think about the war. Cai Jigang said.

As he spoke, the hall and the iron pillar arrived. When the brothers saw Cai Jigang and Zhao Xiangzhu, they were still very restrained, and they all sat down in a proper manner, waiting for the chief to ask.

Shen Guangya was afraid that they wouldn't be able to speak, which would embarrass Zhao Xiangzhu, so he hurriedly introduced: "Mantang, this is Chief Cai's wife, you should say hello to Mrs. ”

Mantang and Tiezhu have never heard of the title of "madam", what do they say "madam"? Isn't Chief Cai's woman just a "person in the house", why is she so tongue-twisting?

Tie Zhu didn't dare to say anything, and the whole hall shouted stubbornly: "Husband...... Hello ma'am! ”

Zhao Xiangzhu walked over with a smile and wanted to shake hands with them, but the brothers were so frightened that they hurriedly put their hands behind their backs, which made Zhao Xiangzhu a little embarrassed.

Cai Jigang smiled: "Xiangzhu, don't be embarrassed for them, they are not used to shaking hands with women." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu muttered self-deprecatingly: "You mean, I scared them?" Okay, okay, I won't speak, you talk! ”

Cai Jigang carefully inquired about the situation after his own evacuation at the official crossing on the southern slope of the mountain.

Neither Mantang nor Iron Pillar had the ability to narrate clearly and completely, and they recounted the final battle and capture in incoherent and incoherent ways.

Cai Jigang's expression was gloomy after hearing this, and he was silent for a long time.

Zhao Xiangzhu couldn't help but ask a question: "Mantang, when you were captured in the end, there were only five people left in this blocking force, is that so?" ”

"Yes, even counting the two of us, there are five living people left, and the other brothers are dead!" Mantang said.

Tie Zhu added: "The company commander was shot in the head, and he died without saying a word, and I turned the company commander over to look at it, obediently, the back of the head was gone......"

Adjutant Shen was dissatisfied: "Speak civilly, say that you are dead or sacrificed, just don't swear." ”

Man Tang and Tie Zhu looked at Adjutant Shen in horror, they didn't think they had just said dirty words.

Zhao Xiangzhu continued to ask questions while taking notes: "Mantang, you just said that the Japanese soldier named Keiichi Yamada is from Osaka, right?" ”

"I can't remember clearly, it was the pillar who said it, he has a better memory than me, the pillar, you remember correctly, right?" Mantang patted Tie Zhu's head and asked.

Tiezhu said with certainty: "That's right, I remember, it's called 'Big Board', this is easy to remember, a big board, Yamada said, his former troops were all from Osaka." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu stopped his pen, turned his head and asked Cai Jigang: "Jigang, as far as I know, the Japanese army recruits troops according to regions, so which division is the unit formed in the Osaka area?" ”

Cai Jigang thought for a while: "It's the 4th Division, this division was formed before the Russo-Japanese War, and it is one of the earliest standing divisions of the Japanese army. If I'm not mistaken, this division has been transferred to the Southern Army two years ago, and now it seems to be stationed in the Philippines. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu said to himself suspiciously: "This person named Keiichi Yamada is very interesting, in my opinion, Japanese soldiers have been brainwashed, and there are very few such war-weary and kind-hearted people." ”

Cai Jigang nodded and said, "Well, it's relatively rare, which may be related to regional culture." Osaka is the city with the strongest commercial atmosphere in Japan, and most of the soldiers of the 4th Division are small traders, and the common characteristics of small traders all over the world are that they are kind and wealthy, calculating, good at judging the situation, trusting only their own judgments, and not easily instigated by others. Therefore, the 4th Division was called the 'treacherous merchant division' due to its poor performance since the Russo-Japanese War. ”

"I really didn't expect that there were such good people in the Japanese army, I wouldn't have believed it at all." Zhao Xiangzhu said.

The two of them were discussing, and they saw Mantang and Tiezhu kneeling in front of Cai Jigang at the same time as if they had agreed.

Cai Jigang was shocked: "Full hall, iron pillar, you ...... What's going on? ”

The house muttered, "Sir, my brothers are sorry for you, we ...... While...... Ever been a traitor! ”

Cai Jigang shouted: "Say it louder, what's going on?" ”

Zhao Xiangzhu comforted gently on the side: "Full hall, iron pillar, don't worry, speak slowly, no matter how big it is, just say it." ”

The house cried, crying while recounting how he became a traitor......

The two brothers discussed on the way, if they could see Chief Cai, they would tell the story of anything. Tie Zhu is a heartless boy, and he lacks the ability to think, he is used to listening to his brother in everything, as long as his brother speaks, let him pick up the iron pillar of the Yellow River embankment.

And Mantang is not as brainless as Tiezhu, he is awkward whenever he thinks of his gathering of people to rob, especially after the Japanese army ransacked Gangzi Village and his own family was destroyed, Mantang became more and more afraid to think about it. His logic is very simple, the Japanese devil is the enemy who killed his father and sister, and instead of taking revenge, he robbed the team of fighting devils; That's not all, in order to get some food, I rushed to help the devil transport food. At that time, the hall was full of chaos, and there was no clear understanding of his own behavior. Ever since he saw the interpreter Gao Sheng in the prisoner of war camp, Man Tang really understood that this was a traitor, and all acts of sincerely acting for devils and oppressing their own compatriots were traitors. Although Mantang has no culture, he has a strong sense of self-esteem since he was a child, he is a person who wants face, once he understands his behavior, Mantang's heart is in torment day and night.

Mantang's logic is right, but the chronological order of the development of things is wrong, it should be that he robbed the national army first, helped the devil to transport food, and then his father and sister were killed, and at this time, the Japanese devil became the enemy who killed his father and sister.

Cai Jigang patiently listened to Mantang's narration, and his anger finally erupted: "Damn, I've heard about Tang Enbo's robbery, and now I've finally figured it out, it turned out that you two boys did it, what a fucking bastard, Mantang, I really want to kill you!" ”

Man Tang hung his head and whispered: "Sir, my brothers discussed it on the road, and when I saw the chief, I told the truth, and after saying that, the chief wanted to kill me and kill my brother, and I was killed, and my brother was killed." ”

Cai Jigang snorted and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back: "Hmph! I think you two should be shot if you two eat anything inside and out! ”

"Sir, if you want to shoot the two of us, it's better to send us to fight and kill the devils, isn't our team short of manpower now?" Tie Zhu said stunned.

Cai Jigang looked at these two simple-minded soldiers and couldn't cry or laugh, he didn't want to say anything about the country and the nation, and these two guys probably couldn't understand it. However, since they took the initiative to return to the team, it means that they still know right and wrong, at least they didn't go to be puppet soldiers.

"Jigang, do you want them to rest first, and then talk about it tomorrow?" The smart Zhao Xiangzhu hurriedly came out of the round.

Cai Jigang pushed open the window and looked out the window without saying a word.

Zhao Xiangzhu glanced at Man Tang and motioned for them to retreat, Man Tang and Tie Zhu were like prisoners who had received an amnesty order, and they hurriedly withdrew from the room.

Zhao Xiangzhu put on a dress for Cai Jigang, and said in a discussion tone: "In fact, the country is really a broad concept, its connotation includes territory, ethnicity, social system, cultural traditions and living habits, these are very complex, these two soldiers do not have the concept of the country is understandable, their thinking is very intuitive, when they are hungry, someone gives food, they will naturally be grateful." ”

Cai Jigang sighed: "Okamura Ningji is a very powerful person, he knows very well the truth of paying equal attention to military means and political means, in this comparison, our command has lost a step in the intellectual game." Okamura Ninji used food to help the victims of the enemy country, this seemingly good move, but in fact there was a hidden killing intention, this is a complete strategic plan, the loss of a little food, is equivalent to an increase of 100,000 troops. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu opened the notebook and said, "Well, you summarized very accurately, can I use your summary in the article?" ”

"Absolutely not, the reason you know, another purpose of the Japanese army through the grain relief incident is to incite the dissatisfaction of the press and public opinion circles in the rear and make the image of the national government worse, which is also part of their plan." Cai Jigang reminded very soberly.

Zhao Xiangzhu obediently closed the notebook: "Okay, for the sake of the country's image, I, a reporter, have to shut up." Jigang, tomorrow I will take the plane back to Chongqing by the Commander's Department, and our editor-in-chief wants to send me to interview General Chennault. Are you coming with me? You don't have anything to do here anyway. ”

Cai Jigang gently hugged his wife: "I'm so sorry! I'm afraid I can't go with you, I'm waiting for the order of the Military Commission, the war in the south is tight, and I may have to be transferred to the southern front. ”

Zhao Xiangzhu put her face on her husband's chest and sighed softly: "Alas, I really can't bear to part with you, our time together is too short......"

"No way, Xiangzhu, this is war, who made your husband a soldier?"

"I know, I understand, your wife is just complaining, I have been guarding the empty house for so many years for the war, and I have made such a great sacrifice, am I not allowed to complain? Jigang, you estimate, the next ...... Where will you be sent? ”

Cai Jigang became serious: "It must be the ninth war zone, I will reveal a little military secret, a big war is about to break out in Changsha and Hengyang." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu was shocked: "The battle between Henan and China has just ended, and Changsha is going to fight again?" ”

Cai Jigang was silent.

"That'...... How do you arrange the full hall and the iron pillars? ”

Cai Jigang thought for a while: "Rong Youluo's 190th Division is receiving recruits in the southern suburbs of Hengyang and organizing training, Rong Youluo and I are old friends, let Mantang and Tiezhu go to the 190th Division, I will arrange this matter." ”

Zhao Xiangzhu hugged her husband tightly: "Jigang, promise me, come back well, I want a complete you, don't break a little skin." ”

Cai Jigang smiled and kissed his wife: "I promise you, even though I know it's nonsense......"

"No, as long as you promise, it's true, God will bless us!"

Cai Jigang called Rong Youluo from the 190th Division of the Ninth War Zone in the telecommunications room.

"Hey, Master Rong? Hello! I'm Cai Jigang. ”

An exclamation on the other side of the phone: "Ahhh It's Brother Yunhe, I haven't seen you for a few years, and Your Excellency has been mixed up with the Chongqing Military Commission, which is impressive! ”

"What happened to the Military Commission? Not an idle guy yet? How can you compare to your teacher Rong, the first phase of Huangpu, the chairman of the committee, a serious descendant, unlike me, who was born incorrectly, drank a little foreign ink, and became an outlier in the army, and now he is simply not allowed to lead the troops, ashamed! Cai Jigang complained.

Rong has a slight mouthful of Cantonese Mandarin: "Look at what you say, what kind of descendant am I?" finally became a division commander, or a post-transfer division, and some soldiers were poached. There's no way, they're the main teachers, and I'm rich, so I can only be a supporting role. ”

"Master Rong, you are recruiting troops now, I recommend two veterans to you, both have combat experience, participated in the Battle of Yuzhong, and have just escaped from the Japanese prisoner of war camp, and have suffered a lot, so you are eager to fight, how about it, do you want it?"

Rong You was slightly overjoyed: "If you want it, of course you want it!" What I'm lacking is veterans, and when I come, I will be a squad leader and bring me new soldiers. Brother Yunhe, you are really a charcoal in the snow, thank you! ”

"Okay, I'll arrange for the communication company's car to be delivered to you right away. Brother, I may also go to the Ninth War Zone to supervise the battle in the next step, and we will meet then. Cai Jigang put down the phone.

[1]

According to the convention, the pilots of the armies of all countries in the world are officers, but during World War II, not all the pilots of the army and navy were officers, and most of them were military officers (non-commissioned officers) or soldiers. Flying non-commissioned officers and soldiers have ranks, such as: 1st Flying Soldier, 1st Flying Cao, 2nd Flying Cao, 3rd Flying Cao, Fei Cao Chief, etc.

[2]

In the late Qing Dynasty, Chen Chenran's "Wai Yan" Volume 2 "Proposal for Moving the Capital and Building a Domain" means that we must have a long-term vision when looking at problems, and if we cannot consider long-term interests, we must not be able to make short-term plans; We must also look at problems comprehensively, and if we can't think about problems from the overall situation, then we will not achieve anything in the local aspect.

[3]

Nagano Shusei (1880.6.15~1947.1.5): Japanese Navy Marshal, a major figure in the Japanese Navy's fleet, and a major supporter of the war against the United States. In the history of the Japanese Navy, he was the only person who successively served as the "Three Commanders of the Navy" (that is, the Minister of the Navy, the Commander of the Combined Fleet, and the Chief of the Military Command Department), and was included in the list of the first batch of 28 Class A war criminals after the war, and on January 5, 1947, Nagano Osamu died of pneumonia in the Sugamo Detention Center, escaping the final trial of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

[4]

Seishiro Itagaki (1885.1.21~1948.12.23): An important general of the Showa era of Japan, one of the Class A war criminals of World War II. He is a graduate of the 16th class of the Army Non-commissioned Officer School and the 28th class of the Japanese Army University. In March 1937, he served as the commander of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army; In June 1938, he was appointed Minister of War of Japan; In September 1939, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese Dispatch Army; In July 1941, he was promoted to general and served as commander of the Korean Army. He was sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East on 23 December 1948.