The commander of the first battalion, Zhang Fangzheng, sat next to Staff Officer Fang, staring at Lan Qianzhong on the other side of the table quietly. There were two oil lamps on the table, one in front of the regiment commander Duan Renyi, and the other under Lan Qianzhong's nose. Lan was discussing his brilliant suggestion, and the flickering lights reflected his flat face brightly.

In Zhang Fangzheng's opinion, Lan Qianzhong's suggestion was undoubtedly uneasy and kind, this ruffian who was said to be a soldier with a lot of actual combat experience, kept saying that he wanted to fight well, but in fact, he didn't think about how to fight it well. The forward position was a mess, and Lan was loyal and reasonable, and he thought that the staff officer had made a mistake and was about to fight, and he couldn't forget to stretch out his hand at the end, and wanted to dig up the troops of him and Battalion Commander Hou, which was really unacceptable. Why did he and Battalion Commander Hou each offer a company to this ruffian? Slander people can't be so false. Besides, as long as he and Battalion Commander Hou sacrifice these two companies, these two companies will definitely not come back, and Lan Duzhong will inevitably beat them up.

When he was engaged in the self-defense group, Lan Duzhong was not so bad,—— at least he didn't see it so bad. The first time I met Lan Duzhong was at the house of the widow Zhao Lian Chang on Erdao Street. Company Commander Zhao said that Lan Qianzhong is the company commander of the national army and an anti-Japanese hero, and he still respected him for a while, and he also wanted to cultivate Lan Qianzhong to the death squad as a deputy captain. Unexpectedly, Lan was loyal and ambitious, probably because he thought the deputy captain was too small, so he pulled up the anti-Japanese self-defense regiment. Pulling up the team, Lan Duzhong and him were still safe, drinking at the Tianlong Tavern for the second time, and giving him a six-wheeled pistol. came and did not be rude, and half a month later, he also sent three shots of Hanyang to Lan Duzhong. It was precisely because of this good relationship that it was possible for them to cooperate and work together to carry out the incident of the armed expulsion of the artillery battalion garrison.

Sooner or later, events will happen. Battalion Commander Lu was too a bastard, his military discipline was corrupt, he didn't talk about nuisances, and he looked down on his anti-Japanese death squad, and once dared to order his death squad to move artillery shells. Therefore, when he decided to do it, he was very calm, on the surface it was to give Widow Zhao face, but in fact he was giving himself face. He had already made up his mind, killed the artillery battalion, pulled the team up the mountain, and fought both the Japanese and the encircled and suppressed national army, and by the way, he would kill the rich and help the poor. He had been thinking about it for a long time when he joined the self-defense regiment to fight, and he thought that as long as Lan Duzhong's self-defense regiment followed and something happened, he would have to follow him up the mountain.

However, after eating the artillery battalion, before he could bring out the plan of killing the rich and helping the poor, Lan Duzhong released the battalion commander Lu first. Then, he dragged him and Camp Commander Hou to Duan Renyi's house. was scolded by Duan Renyi, and he clearly had the notoriety of "rebellion", but he didn't give up, and insisted on releasing the wounded soldiers of the artillery battalion. At that time, he should actually see that this Lan Duzhong was not simple, his mind was very clear-headed, and his ambitions were great. Lan Duzhong's reluctance to go up the mountain was not because he didn't have the guts, but because he wanted to achieve positive results in the ranks of the national army. At that time, he deduced that there was not much hope for a peaceful resolution of the incident, and in the end, Lan Duzhong had to obediently follow him.

Unexpectedly, Duan Renyi, the magistrate of Maitreya Buddha County, actually said that Han Peige, the commander-in-chief of the 23rd Route Army, resolved the conflict peacefully. He and his death squad became a national army because of the fight against the national army, which made him both shocked and frightened.

The fear is well-founded, and if it is formed into a national army, it will have to fight, and if it fights, it will kill people. If Han Peige, the commander-in-chief of the 23rd Route Army, wanted to eliminate them, it would be easy for him to fight a few battles, and he could make them all martyred or not. After figuring out this, he and Battalion Commander Hou sold Lan Duanzhong without fighting, and complained to the staff officer and adjutant of the 23rd Route Army sent by the headquarters of the 23rd Route Army, saying that Lan Duanzhong was responsible for participating in the incident, and it was Lan Duanzhong and his self-defense group who coerced them to do it. This made Staff Officer Fang and Adjutant Huang very angry, and Staff Officer Fang said in front of them: Lan Qianzhong has been the commander of the national army, and it is really a bastard to take the lead in doing this!

Telling right and wrong like this, in conscience, I am a little sorry for my friend. But when it was reorganized, Lan Duzhong was definitely not his friend with Camp Commander Hou. Lan Duzhong clearly wanted to control the entire New Third Regiment. As soon as the military uniform of the 23rd Route Army was worn, he looked like a dog, and let his brother Zhang Jinkui be the deputy of the regiment, and he also broke the armor distribution system and plundered all the young and strong men to the second battalion. Lan Qianzhong didn't expect that the regiment commander and deputy were all pretenses, and the real ones were the staff officers and adjutants of the people's side.

Staff officers and adjutant Huang decisively supported them, allowing them to take advantage of the reorganization, and pulling them to Ma'anshan to block and arm, and allowing them to take advantage of them.

Lan Qianzhong still wanted to get the bargain back tonight, but in his opinion, it was in vain. There is a name for it in Lan Qianzhong's suggestions, and there is also a name for it in the deployment of the Fang staff officers. But Fang Staff has the right, and the famous hall can be realized, but Lan Duzhong has no power, and the famous hall can't be realized. Of course, if Lan Duzhong's fame is realized, he still has one thing: lift his legs and leave, and take a group of brothers to pull the pole. He was never going to die here anyway. It's best if he can't fight, and when he fights, as soon as the team collapses, his chance comes.

This means that he told Battalion Commander Hou, and Battalion Commander Hou agreed very much, and said that as long as he pulled up the pole, he would be allowed to sit on the top spot.

The idea of pulling the pole has never been broken, and I wanted to do a guy when I was training in Baiji, but the guys from the 377th Division garrison were too strict and had no chance. Half a month ago, when I called for reinforcements, I wanted to take the brothers to slip away, and I looked at it all the way, and there were many "friendly" troops, and I didn't dare to act rashly. This time it was different, this time their new third regiment fought independently, and they won easily, or they won with the strength of the second battalion, and they had nothing to say, they were defeated, and the devil had passed Ma'anshan, and he could justifiably raise the guerrilla banner and do his own thing. Therefore, it is not a good thing to fight and defeat, and it is not compensated.

Lan Duzhong was talking about how to win, saying that as long as he was given two more companies and a few light and heavy machine guns, he would definitely be able to block a brigade of the Japanese puppet army for three days.

Duan Renyi was very encouraged, and went straight to Lan Qianzhong to thank him, and even said "please", as if this battle was fought for him, the nominal head of the regiment.

He thought both of them were ridiculous.

In the end, Staff Officer Fang spoke. Staff Officer Fang was not optimistic, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he gave Lan Qianzhong a dismissal, and taught Lan Qianzhong a clear and unmistakable lesson:

"Battalion Commander Lan, just at the way you are in the forward position, don't say that you can block a brigade of the Japanese puppet army for three days, I'm afraid that you can't stop a regiment!"

Lan Qianzhong smiled:

"That's why my brother wants to give two more companies in the group!"

The corners of Staff Officer Fang's mouth twitched:

"Send you two more companies to die?! You have not a question of reinforcements, but of solid organization! As long as it is well organized and equipped with proper firepower, it will be able to hold it! In case of tightness and too many casualties, the regimental headquarters can also send the three battalion reserves in time! ”

Lan Qianzhong immediately blackened his face:

"To put it this way, the laid-off son is not responsible for the collapse of the front line!"

Staff Officer Fang stood up suddenly, slapped the table and shouted:

"Lost the laid-off, you come to see you!"

Adjutant Huang also spit out smoke and said to Lan Duzhong in a gloomy manner:

"Battalion Commander Lan, in the Tang Army, do you often talk like that? Haven't you heard of a military order? ”

Lan was not angry, his face turned red, and he held back for a long time before he said:

"That'...... At least I'll have to get some more machine guns! Still...... There were also artillery reinforcements. ”

Staff Officer Fang snorted:

"You took an artillery battalion of the 23rd Route Army, and now you think of artillery fire reinforcements! Not to mention that there is no artillery now, but if there is, will people reinforce us?! ”

This is not meaningful, the "we" that Staff Officer Fang said does not refer to Lan Duzhong's second battalion, but to the entire new third regiment. Zhang Fangzheng spoke for Lan Qianzhong because of sympathy:

"Staff Officer Fang, ...... The Past Is Strange...... Blame the brothers for being too mixed, but ...... But now that our brothers are all members of the 23rd Route Army, I hope that the staff officer can be accommodating with Shangfeng to protect ...... Artillery reinforcements are guaranteed. ”

Staff Officer Fang sighed:

"Do you still need to say this? At the operational meeting of the military headquarters, I mentioned it with Commander Duan, no! All artillery units have to participate in the Battle of Hexi, and we can only rely on ourselves! ”

Lan asked worriedly:

"How many enemies are we going to fight?"

Counselor Fang said:

"I don't know, I only know that the enemies who have gathered in Hedong and identified are the Yamamoto Brigade, the Jingkou Huang Brigade, and the two integrated divisions of Yang Huabo of the puppet Peace Founding Army. In order to ensure that the above-mentioned enemy forces would not be allowed to infiltrate the Hexi battle area, Commander-in-Chief Han had ordered our 377th Division and scattered troops in Hedong to deploy defenses along the line of the Xima River. If the 377th Division's defensive line is stable, we will not be in great danger here; On the contrary, if the defense line of the 377th Division is broken, how many Japanese puppet troops cross the Xima River, we will have to block how many Japanese puppet troops, so it is not clear. ”

Lan Qianzhong stubbornly asked:

"The question is, is the 377th Division's defensive line reliable? How many Japanese puppet troops might break through the 377th Division's defensive line? Is it necessary for our battalion to be deployed in Xiagangzi Village! If the Japanese puppet army, which broke through the defense line of the 377th Division, did not cross the river from the front, then wouldn't it be more advantageous for the whole regiment to hold the mountain pass on the front line on the mountainside? ”

Staff Officer Fang waved his hand and said categorically:

"Regardless of whether the Japanese puppet army crosses the river from the front, the forward position of Xiagangzi Village cannot be abandoned! Hold here, you can not only control the river surface and river beach from a high position, but also get stuck in the road into the mountain! ”

Head Duan Renyi also said:

"Yes, the terrain is good!"

"Yes...... But ......"

Lan Qianzhong still wanted to argue, but Duan Renyi, the head of the regiment, stood up and clenched his fists again:

"Battalion Commander Lan, you just listen to Staff Officer Fang! Fang has more things to do than you and me, you can't be wrong! ”

Lan was silent and smoked a cigarette.

At this moment, Miss Bai Jiefen, the newspaper operator, entered the house with a report and sent the telegram from the headquarters of the 23rd Route Army that she had just received. The telegram said that the Battle of Hexi had begun 10 hours earlier, that fierce fighting was taking place in Fangcun, the first line of Liuji, and the Hucheng area in the suburbs of the provincial capital, and that the 377th Division in Hedong had also engaged in an exchange of fire with the Japanese puppet army that was trying to cross the river and enter the battle area. The General Headquarters ordered the New Third Regiment to make final preparations, and once the 377th Division's defensive line broke through, it would stop the enemy at the foot of Ma'anshan at all costs. The order was very severe, and it was stated that if there was a mistake, it should be done by military law.

Regiment Commander Duan Renyi read the telegram and asked everyone to listen to the staff officer again. After speaking, he asked Staff Officer Fang to speak, but Staff Officer Fang didn't say anything, waved his hand, and announced the adjournment of the meeting.

When the brothers parted, he saw Staff Officer Fang walking up to Lan Qianzhong's side and holding Lan Qianzhong's hand.

Staff Officer Fang said to Lan Qianzhong:

"Brother Duzhong, you have fought many battles in the Tang Army, and I heard that the battles were not bad, this time, you have to fight well! If you don't fight well, you and I will have to carry our heads to see Commander-in-Chief Han! ”

Lan Qianzhong nodded with a sad face.

Zhang Fangzheng couldn't help but be a little moved, and seemed to understand what the war was all about. As long as they fight, their goals are the same, their fate is the same, and he can't expect everyone else to die after a vicious battle. The thing is very simple, Lan Duzhong's second battalion is finished, his first battalion and the third battalion of Commander Hou will all go up, and the front line of Xiagangzi Village will be lost, and the Shanggangzi where they are located will become the front line.

He sincerely hoped that Lan Quanzhong could fight well, and even more hoped that the 377th Division in Hedong could fight well,—— he was really confused, how could he think of making a move on the 377th Division's artillery battalion three months ago! How nice it would be to keep them to fight the Japanese!