"Captain Wu, are you crazy? Do you know what you're doing?! Political Commissar Liu Shu's eyes widened, and he almost burst into flames: "Encircle and annihilate the Japanese army in front of you?" How sure are you of encirclement? Now it is the Japanese who are sweeping our base areas, and we are on the defensive, the disadvantaged side! With such a major change in action, why don't you discuss it with me? Does the Guanmenshan detachment of the Xu Brigade still rely on the leadership of the party, and has my detachment's political commissar really become a redundant ornament? ! ”

Looking at Liu Shu, who was heartbroken and emotionally attacked, Wu Zijian was speechless for a while, and then comforted him: "Political commissar, the military situation is urgent, I only cared about arranging for the transfer of troops for a while, and I didn't have time to talk to you——"

"Let me ask you, how many troops can you dare to organize an encirclement and annihilation operation? Do you know the situation of the Japanese troops on the other side? What are your chances of encircling them? Liu Shu eagerly interrupted the other party's words and continued to ask questions.

Wu Zijian first subconsciously glanced at his watch, and then pointed to the shrinking defense line of the Japanese army at the far end, and patiently explained to Liu Shu that this Japanese army was only about two or three hundred people left in terms of size, with heavy machine guns but no artillery (author's note: In fact, the two squadrons of the Takagi Infantry Brigade were still equipped with several mortars, but they ran out of shells when they stormed the defense line of Xiping Village in the afternoon); At present, the Eighth Route Army, together with the reinforcements of the Central Army, has three companies that have been put into attack, and one company will be transferred from Hekou Village to complete the encirclement with four companies; When the general offensive was launched, Qi Biao's three battalions and eight companies on the east side of the river bank were also thrown into it - five infantry companies and more than 600 people, and there was still a good chance of victory in encircling and annihilating the enemy in front of them.

While listening to this, Liu Shu began to shake his head frequently, and when Wu Zijian finished speaking, he immediately retorted: "Old Wu, the art of war is surrounded by ten rules, but according to your calculations, the ratio of our strength to the Japanese army is three to one at best, and it may even be only two to one!" In such a situation, you dare to organize a so-called encirclement and annihilation war?! ”

The commander of the Eighth Route Army smiled embarrassedly - Liu Shu was an old Red Army who fought in the Long March, and his combat experience should not be underestimated, and he actually pointed out the flaws in the battle in front of him at the first time! In fact, Wu Zijian himself was not very sure of the so-called "encirclement and annihilation" that was improvised on the spot, and the number of troops really did not have the absolute conditions for encirclement and annihilation, and the final result depended to a considerable extent on the courageous fighting spirit of the troops participating in the battle to crush the Japanese army.

What's more, an important premise must be maintained, that is, Wang Shuanglong and Xia Lianshan's troops must entangle the main force of the Japanese army on the front line of Lihuapu, so that they cannot return to the battlefield of Xiping Village.

However, as the so-called arrow is ready to be sent and has to be fired, the Japanese army has been successfully attached to it from three sides, and the opponent has no movement to abandon the village at all; Reinforcements from Hekou Village could arrive within an hour if they went well. Wu Zijian has always been known for his ruthlessness in fighting with his troops, and those who can be annihilated will never be expelled, and those who can be confronted will never retreat. Now, with the opposition of the commissar alone, it is simply impossible to change his set plans.

"Political commissar, you don't want Xiping Village to fall into the hands of the Japanese like this, do you?" The commander of the Eighth Route Army began to grasp the weakness of his old partner: "We retreat to the east bank of the Qinglong River, and we can hold half a village at most, which is not a big thing after all - if the Japanese army resolutely does not withdraw its troops, will we have to eat in the same village with the Japanese army from now on?" So how do our 'Field Mobilization Committees' still work? Is Xiping Village the base of the Eighth Route Army or the base of the Japanese? On the side of the couch, how can you allow others to sleep soundly? ”

The political commissar of the detachment was really confused, looked at the detachment commander with his eyes, and opened his mouth several times but did not find the right words to respond. It wasn't until the latter was about to slip away again that Liu Shu grabbed one of Wu Zijian's arms and shouted incoherently: "Of course I don't want to eat in the same village with the Japanese army, the Japanese army ...... This is our base in the first place...... The question is, how sure are you that you can wipe them all out? ”

Wu Zijian didn't slip away, so he had to continue to say patiently: "My big political commissar, how can you be so sure of fighting a war? If you are sure of winning every battle, do you still need to fight this battle? I only want to emphasize one thing to you, as long as Dalong and Lianshan entangle the main force of the Japanese army in Ewhapo, I will bring out five companies of men and horses, even if they still can't be completely annihilated, at least they will have to inflict heavy losses on the Japanese army in front of them! ”

Speaking of the last sentence, Wu Zijian reached out and broke off Liu Shu's hand that was holding his arm, threw the political commissar of the detachment who wanted to stop talking, and turned back as he walked away and said: "This is not the place for you to stay, hurry back to the other side of the river, I will transfer Qi Biao's 8th Company at the beginning of the general attack in a while, and the defense on the other side of the river will depend on you, the big political commissar, to personally sit in charge!" ”

Twenty miles away from Xiping Village, Lihuapu is also engaged in a hand-to-hand battle that is almost street fighting at this moment.

Under the severe supervision of the Japanese wing commander Shigehei Saijo, a whole squadron of Japanese soldiers finally attacked from the side of the village. The Eighth Route Army, which exchanged fire with it, did not withdraw in one fell swoop, but retreated and resisted step by step. Rihwapo, who had just been bombarded by heavy artillery fire, had not yet recovered from the smoke of gunpowder when it was shrouded in a close-range fighting formation.

Saijo Osa, who had remained outside the village to command the overall situation, climbed into the bed of a truck that drove up a high slope, and looked down condescendingly at the village battlefield in front of him, and with the help of the light of several flares, he could already determine that the Eighth Route Army was fighting and retreating towards the south of the village.

"Baga!" The Japanese wing commander gritted his teeth and muttered - the retreat of the people of China was as orderly as just now, and it could be seen that they were by no means unable to resist the offensive of the imperial army and retreated, it was completely a kind of active evacuation, and even had some of a sense of calmness.

We can't let these damn Chinese troops lead the way to the south anymore! Shigehei Saijo called the squadron leader of the infantry squadron who stayed with him, and ordered him to leave one squad and lead the other two squadrons to get on the truck immediately, and at the same time tow two 92 infantry guns, and rush south:

"Remember, your first task is to intersperse first, ignore the possible attack of the Chinese army along the way, run at least five kilometers south to stop, and then the infantry turn around and form a skirmish line to search and advance, and give a head-on blow to the Chinese army fleeing south!"

Witnessing the squadron leader who received the order to rush to organize the soldiers to get on the car, Saijo Osa specially instructed the captain of the Takagi Brigade Artillery Squad who was going to go with the car, and asked his two 92 rifles to deal with it carefully - behind the retreating Shina Army was the pursuit of the Imperial Army, and if you need to open fire, you must not accidentally hit your own troops.

The truck convoy that carried out the interspersed mission chose to dispatch from the west side outside the village of Ewhapo and drove all the way south, using walkie-talkies to keep in touch with the headquarters of the Saijo wing commander at all times along the way. This time, Saijo Shigehei made up his mind to use this trick to chase after the front and block the cunning Eighth Route Army in the east bank of the lower reaches of the Qinglong River.

Now he already knew that the brigade commander, Major General, had specially sent the main force of an infantry brigade of the Otsuka Wing from Wencheng to Xiping Village to support; This is equivalent to eliminating his worries: no matter how stubborn the remnants of the enemy in Xiping Village are, they will definitely not be able to withstand the attack of a total of five infantry squadrons, and it should only be a matter of time before they fully occupy Xiping Village.

Watching the roar of the truck team disappear from front of him, Saijo Shigehei silently calculated the time, even if the Eighth Route Army in Ewhapo Village immediately withdrew and continued to flee south, his own mobile troops would completely overtake them within thirty minutes, and then they would turn around and sweep northward, forming a north-south flank with the pursuing troops on his side.

The corners of the Japanese Wing Commander's mouth showed a cruel smile: Run, damn the Eighth Route Army, your end is not far away!

Wang Shuanglong, commander of the first battalion of the Xu Brigade Detachment, who was stationed in Lihuapu Village and resisted steadily, of course could not be aware of the new encirclement tactics that the Japanese army on the opposite side was brewing. But he knew very well that now the first battalion and the cavalry company were dragging the Japanese step by step to the defense area of the 12th Brigade of the Jin Army. Out of this Lihuapu, about 20 miles to the south, is the forward position of the 570th Regiment of the 12th Brigade of the Independent Brigade - Xia Lianshan's intelligence shows that on a small hill outside a village called Zhaojia Village on the west bank of the Qinglong River, an observation post of the regiment was set up. Just now, the cavalry company has sent two signal soldiers to the Jin army observation post in Zhaojia Village to report the enemy situation, under normal circumstances, the 570th Regiment and even the entire 12th Brigade should have been informed of the battle that took place at the foot of Guanmen Mountain and the lower reaches of the Qinglong River.

"Dalong, withdraw, let's resist for a while along the way, it is estimated that the 12th Brigade of the Independent Brigade will have enough time to prepare for battle."

The commander of the cavalry company, who had retreated to the edge of the village of Ewhapo, said to the commander of the first battalion eagerly. Prior to this, the cavalry company had ambushed to the east of the Lihuapu River Bay of the Qinglong River, and fired at the Japanese positions in front of Lihuapu across the river bay, but the 38-style cavalry rifle (that is, the pony gun as the Eighth Route Army was called) had a limited range and was difficult to pose a threat to the Japanese troops at a distance. In view of the gentle terrain and lack of concealment in this area, Xia Lianshan never dared to mobilize cavalry to attack the flank of the Japanese position. Eventually, they had to retreat back along the river bend to the village of Ewhapo.

"Lianshan, how many troops do you estimate the 12th Brigade can send to participate in the battle?" Wang Shuanglong, the commander of the first battalion, asked with some anxiety.

In the eyes of Xia Lianshan, a native of Shanxi, the Jin army (including the 12th Brigade of the Independent Army, which has the notoriety of the fleeing army) still has a very high anti-fighting spirit, and he prefers to believe that the soldiers of the Third Jin Dynasty can perform well at home: "I can't say for sure, but the Japanese bayonets have been pushed under the nose of the 12th Brigade of the Du, and they will rise up to attack!" ”

Although Wang Shuanglong is a soldier from other provinces, he also expects the Jin army behind him to come forward and fight against the invaders with himself.

"Okay, you can go, take the entire cavalry company away, and go to the front of the defense area of the 12th Brigade to meet the friendly troops, and I will lead the first battalion to withdraw from Lihuapu and turn to you later-I hope you can cover up from behind with the reinforcements of the friendly army, and then we will work together to annihilate the little devils who have chased us for half the night in Hexi!"

The cavalry company commander, who was inspired, was greatly boosted and immediately ordered the cavalry company to mount his horse and set off, galloping towards Zhaojia Village in the lower reaches of the Qinglong River.