At this moment, two sharp whistles suddenly rang out in the air, one after the other, and in the valley, where there were almost no gunshots, this whistle was so harsh that the people who were fighting and fleeing looked up at the sky.

They immediately saw two signal flares in red and green, exploding in the clear sky higher than the mountain beam, and before the enemy and us in the valley could come to their senses, an earth-shattering cry sounded on one of the mountain beams, and hundreds of soldiers jumped up from the mountain beam and swooped down like a tide!

The Jin army and the Japanese cavalry were almost simultaneously stunned by this sudden ambush, and for a time they did not know whether they were friends or foes, and many of the hostile sides even suspended their fighting, looking up at the crowd of people who swept down from the mountain beams, their bayonets and broadswords shining in the morning sun.

Those were the three companies of the 2nd Battalion of the Eighth Route Army.

Xiao Junping was the first to recognize the military uniform of the ambush soldiers: it was the national army! National Army! He was originally desperate, he almost couldn't believe his eyes for a moment, and the blood in his whole body suddenly surged to the top of his head, and he brandished his saber and shouted:

"Reinforcements are coming, brothers kill!"

The Jin army, which was inspired, broke out, and instantly burst out with extraordinary courage and strength, and rushed towards the Japanese cavalry one after another.

Several Japanese cavalry warrant officers leaned towards Iwata in some panic and shouted: Shaozuo, there is an ambush in the Chinese army!

Iwata reined in the reins of his horse, squinted his eyes and scanned the ambush soldiers who were all over the mountains and approaching, and his expression became hideous: Bastard! How could so many soldiers come out!

A warrant officer shouted: "Shaozuo, we are alone in the depths, we can't fight!" ”

Iwata glanced at the smoky car, and next to the car, the gang of guys who were vigorously violating the female soldiers of the Shina Army had to let go of the struggling and kicking women and run to their horses. Iwata was a little unwilling, but reason still prevailed: "Withdraw!" Remove! ”

The warrant officers immediately shouted in all directions: "Withdraw!" Iwata Shaoza ordered, withdraw! ”

The Japanese cavalry reined one after another and retreated in the direction they came, but some of them were entangled by the Jin soldiers who counterattacked, and the three companies of the second battalion of the Eighth Route Army, under the leadership of Feng Changzhi, Wu Zijian, and Li Tianlin, had already been killed.

A bloody battle between China and Japan in a cavalry duel began.

……

The cavalry sent back by Kosuke Otsuka to give the order did not see the Iwata squadron at the west gate of Toyoden again: they had already chased the Jin army into the mountain road ten minutes earlier. The cavalryman had no choice but to return and report to the wing commander.

Kosuke Otsuka was a little angry, and he also regretted that he had just let Iwata and his subordinates provoke Toyoden Castle in order to motivate the officers and soldiers, and now, this group of ronins on horseback was overinspired and went out on their own. The devil knows what stragglers they are chasing. Forget it, there was no need for cavalry to attack the city, and this guy Iwata was tired of chasing, so he would naturally come back.

He looked at the pocket watch in the gold case again, and it was a quarter of an hour before 10 o'clock.

……

At this moment, in Fengdian County, in the front yard of Xia Baihe's house in the 391st Regiment Headquarters, a large Eight Immortals table that was originally against the wall was moved to the center of the room, and the regiment commander Qin Zhongxiao was lying on the Eight Immortals Table looking at a map of the county town spread out, and several staff officers were surrounded around him.

It has been confirmed that the Japanese troops who arrived one after another last night to camp and bury pots and cook this morning are the same Japanese army Otsuka Wing that has been stationed in Junling Castle since the end of last year.

From the moment this information was confirmed, Qin Zhongxiao's mood became heavy. For the homework of the Japanese army in Junling, his spy company has been doing a lot of work, and the intelligence shows that it should be a whole infantry wing, and the wing commander is Kosuke Otsuka; It belongs to the Hagiwara Brigade of the Sena Division.

Last night, Qin Zhongxiao specially sent Zhao Mutou and several other spy companies to quietly open the east gate and sneak out, climb to the mountain beam on the east side, and reconnoiter the scale of the Japanese army's camp.

Almost at the same time, Xia Lianshan, the deputy company commander of the Eighth Route Army, who happened to encounter this Japanese army outside the city, was also looking out from the mountain beam of Xishan. Based on the number of lights and tents, both Xia Lianshan and Zhao Mutou estimated that there were about 3,000 Japanese soldiers under the mountain.

Both of their estimates were accurate.

Kosuke Otsuka was ordered to attack Toyoden this time, and led two infantry brigades of his own wing, in addition, the regimental headquarters of the Sena Division also strengthened him with a field artillery brigade, a cavalry squadron, and an engineer squadron. His deputy wing commander led an infantry brigade to stay behind to guard the monarch's tomb.

It can be thought that the main force of the Otsuka Wing has been driven up this time, and there are artillery, cavalry and other special combat teams - Qin Zhongxiao couldn't help but grit his teeth.

"Report!" Zhao Mutou, the commander of the spy company, took two subordinates and ran into the hall of Xia Baihe's house in a hurry, and he ran straight to Qin Zhongxiao: "Tuanza, the Japanese infantry has finished breakfast and began to set up a formation outside the north city wall. ”

Qin Zhongxiao threw the pencil in his hand at the map and sighed: "Damn, from Xinkou to Niangziguan, and then to Taiyuan, the Japanese have a lot of artillery, so they know how to bombard!" ”

Zhao Mutou paused, looked at Qin Zhongxiao's face and said, "The brothers guarding the northern city are a little afraid of war, saying that the Japanese cannonballs fly up, and the head of the city will collapse, not to mention the heads. ”

Qin Zhongxiao's eyes couldn't help but widen, and he slapped the table and scolded: "Fart!" Company Commander Zhao, your spy company, immediately draw one out and go to the north city wall to supervise the battle, without my order, those who dare to take a step back will be killed! ”

Zhao Mutou hurriedly stood up and shouted yes, and then turned to a subordinate next to him and said: You notify the third platoon commander to execute! The man immediately ran out.

Qin Zhongxiao adjusted his mood and asked a staff officer next to him: "Is there any new movement on the side of the 12th Independent Brigade?" The staff officer shook his head.

Zhao Mutou interjected: "Tuanzuo, I was about to report to you, I just heard the rumors below, the 570th regiment has transferred the main force to the south gate, and there are hundreds of people left on the west city wall, but the little devil has not moved to the south gate at all!" Tuanzuo, head Tian, this bastard doesn't want to run to Wencheng, right? Let's not be sold by Jin Jun's grandsons! ”

Qin Zhongxiao couldn't help frowning, he and his spy company commander looked at each other for a moment, then turned to another staff officer and said: Take the 570 regiment headquarters for me!

Tian Mingda, the commander of the 570th Regiment, felt a burst of heartbeat, early in the morning, the cavalry of the devil shot the Xicheng city wall, making him think that the Japanese army was going to attack the city; And a company that he released before dawn did not receive the communication troops sent by the 12th Brigade Headquarters outside the south gate, and the team with cars and radio stations went the wrong way, and just now it appeared outside the west gate of Fengdian, and was attacked and broken up by the Japanese rangers on the spot. One of Tian Mingda's battalion commanders witnessed and told him about this scene on the western city wall.

Tian Mingda's eyes darkened: Commander Qin of the 391st Regiment claimed that the main force of the Japanese army was at the north gate, but it was said that there were thousands of Japanese troops under the city last night, and if they took out some of them to attack the west gate or even the south gate, their retreat would be cut off! If I knew this, it was better to slip away from the south gate last night while it was dark!

He no longer cared about the whereabouts of the brigade headquarters signal corps and radio station, and immediately ordered the main battalion at the south gate to prepare to leave the city.

At this moment, Qin Zhongxiao's call came.

Tian Mingda had already thought of a perfunctory rhetoric for the Central Army:

"Commander Qin, brother is not trying to retreat, but the south gate is the fortress leading to the brigade headquarters of the 12th Brigade of Wencheng, I must use heavy troops to ensure the safety of the south gate, and just now my brother also sent a company to pick up the radio sent by the brigade headquarters! Our 12th Brigade attaches great importance to the defense of Fengdian, and Brigade Commander Zheng Yuan personally called last night to inquire that if the battle situation is unfavorable, the brigade headquarters may send troops to help at any time. I also hope that the head of the Qin regiment will unite sincerely and defend the north gate of the city! ”

……

Tian Mingda's generous statement made Qin Zhongxiao feel a little relieved. He is a professional soldier, and he obviously does not have a deep understanding of the tricks of deceit in the officialdom. Leaving the phone of the 570th regiment, he ordered Zhao Mutou to personally lead people to Beicheng to supervise the battle, and he began to study the second-line defense.

Qin Zhongxiao's real headache was the wild artillery placed by the Japanese under his city!

From Xinkou to Taiyuan, the colonel of the Central Army experienced the strength of the Japanese artillery, not counting the flying planes and running tanks, but only the field artillery, mountain artillery, mortars, including grenadiers on the ground, all of which made the Chinese army suffer. He himself is a hot-blooded soldier, and he has also witnessed the desperate struggle of his brothers from the Central Army to the Jinsui Army, the Sichuan Army, and the Northwest Army, but the flesh and blood of people are too vulnerable in the face of fierce artillery fire.

If the northern city were to be destroyed by artillery fire, he would have to consider placing a second line of defense under the city in case the Japanese infantry broke through later. Now, one of his battalions is at the head of Beicheng City, the other battalion is at the head of Dongcheng City, and the third battalion and the special service company are the reserves left in their hands, should they be used to arm the second line of defense now, or will they wait?

But the sudden bombardment of field artillery shells put an end to Qin Zhongxiao's hesitation, and the Japanese opened fire!