Chapter 70

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Since capturing Huizhou, the First Army's mighty fame has spread throughout the Dongjiang Region.

Inside Huizhou City on the sixteenth, the Eastern Expedition soldiers' memorial service was held as scheduled. The Principal first mourned the hundreds of fallen soldiers with deep sorrow, then commended and praised those who had achieved merit in the Battle of Huizhou.

Chen Minren, the first to scale the wall, earned the merit of being first to scale the wall—a military achievement of great strategic value in ancient times, and still highly commendable today.

And Chen Mingren, followed closely by Lv Muzhi who scaled the wall second to provide cover, were also arranged by the Principal and Liu Zhi to stand out behind Chen Mingren.

The Principal ordered all soldiers of the entire army to raise their guns in salute to Chen Mingren and Lv Muzhi.

As for promotion in rank, a note would first be entered in the Merit Register, and specific advancement would come after the Eastern Expedition ended.

After all, Huizhou City was just an opening victory on the Eastern Expedition road; there were still more rebel commanders and cities to pacify behind it.

The Eastern Expedition continued. Once this most solid defensive fortress in the Dongjiang Region, Huizhou, fell, the other cities under rebel control would be even less of a problem.

On the vast land of Guangdong Province in October, the First Army swept through like an autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves. From Huizhou, they divided into three routes and swept across the Dongjiang Region.

After ten days of sweeping victories, Haifeng, Lufeng, Zijin, Laolong, and other places were all occupied by the Eastern Expedition Army.

He Yingqin's First Division advanced to the Hebapo Region to rest and reorganize temporarily, awaiting the next wave of offensive.

In Hebapo Town, Liu Zhi's regiment was reorganizing. These past days, as Special Service Company Commander, Lv Muzhi was naturally inseparable from Liu Zhi, and the two discussed the recent situation.

"Muzi, I think in less than a week, our First Division can continue eastward and seize the Chaoshan Region," Liu Zhi said with a relaxed expression, clearly very optimistic about the future situation.

"The enemies in the Chaoshan Region are obviously not worth worrying about. What we should worry about is the West Side. That is Lin Hu's old troops, who once inflicted heavy casualties on our st Teaching Regiment in the Cotton Lake Battle."

"West Side? Since we divided into three routes from Huizhou, the western route is handled by the Third Division. Lin Hu is naturally the Third Division's opponent. Why should we worry?" Liu Zhi asked.

Lv Muzhi pointed to the map on the wall of the Regiment Headquarters and said, "Regiment Commander, please look. The Third Division is in trouble!"

Liu Zhi crossed his arms over his chest and walked to the map. "How so?"

Lv Muzhi found a stack of intelligence scattered on the desk, picked up a pencil, and said while drawing on the map, "According to the consolidated intelligence: Anliu County, Meilin, Qinkou, Tanghu, Longcun, and other places in the West Side all have rebel activity."

Liu Zhi looked through the intelligence Lv Muzhi had found. These intelligence reports were provided by nearby Peasant Associations, collected and compiled by Worker and Peasant Party members within the troops, and would not easily be wrong.

"Regiment Commander, please look. Anliu, Meilin, Qinkou, Tanghu, Longcun—from northeast to southwest they can form a line. There are over ten thousand enemy troops on this line. To the west of this line is exactly the Third Division stationed in Huiyang under Tan Shuqing. The enemy troops have formed a long snake array, waiting for the Third Division to walk into it!"

Liu Zhi nodded. "Indeed. If the Third Division is tough enough to cut off the rebels along this line at the waist, the enemy will naturally collapse; if not tough enough..."

"Then what?" Lv Muzhi continued to guide him.

Liu Zhi analyzed: "Then the rebels' formation would indeed be like the Changshan Snake. If the Third Division strikes its head, the tail arrives; if it strikes its tail, the head arrives; if it strikes its middle, both head and tail arrive. The Third Division will fall into a dilemma."

"Exactly! The Third Division has come from afar and is a weary army. But having swept all the way, they may very well become arrogant and rash. The enemy has already laid a heavenly net and earthly trap, preparing to ambush us like waiting for a rabbit by a tree stump."

"So you're saying the Third Division at Huiyang might really encounter setbacks."

"Not just setbacks. If our First Division does not intervene, the Third Division might be tightly entangled by this 'Changshan Snake';

The best plan is for our First Division to temporarily give up advancing east to seize Chaoshan, and instead choose to advance east-west together with the Third Division, disintegrating this Changshan Snake of the rebels."

"A giant python coiling around... You make a lot of sense. I will immediately suggest to Commander He and discuss countermeasures."

Just as He Yingqin and Liu Zhi finished discussing and were about to contact the Third Division to pincer the rebels together, the Third Division had already engaged the enemy forces in front of them.

He Yingqin now did not know how to decide. If the Third Division defeated the rebels' 'Changshan Snake' formation, wouldn't it be meddlesome for him to go there himself?

But if the Third Division were annihilated, then his First Division's left wing would be completely exposed, and in the end he would be the one to suffer.

Lv Muzhi was anxious on his side. The Third Division had three regiments at Huiyang: the Seventh Regiment, the Eighth Regiment, and a Supplementary Regiment. After days of fighting, they numbered fewer than four thousand, with thin forces.

And on this Changshan Snake the rebels had formed, there were fully over ten thousand men. They would surely inflict heavy casualties on the Third Division.

Lv Muzhi knew that the Principal would go to supervise the battle and be driven by the rebels to nearly shoot himself in the head, fortunately Chen Geng carried the Principal away on his back.

And Jiang Xiangyun also served in the Seventh Regiment of the Third Division as Party Representative. Facing the enemy encirclement, who knew what impact the butterfly effect would have on him?

Thinking of this, Lv Muzhi gathered troops on one side and personally went to the Division Headquarters to find Liu Zhi.

"Reporting to Regiment Commander, the Special Service Company has finished gathering. Please give instructions!"

Liu Zhi was dumbfounded. When did I tell you to gather?

Lv Muzhi deliberately asked, "I thought the commanders had already decided to adopt an east-west pincer tactic with the Third Division and rush to aid Huiyang?"

"Not yet. You go out first. I am discussing with Commander He." Liu Zhi sent Lv Muzhi away from the Division Headquarters.

But He Yingqin suddenly called out to Lv Muzhi: "Since the Special Service Company has finished gathering, take the Special Service Company as the vanguard to reconnoiter the Huiyang area and respond flexibly!

Also, Regiment Commander Liu, you go back and gather your troops, advance twenty kilometers to the front west, and await my orders at any time. Once the Third Division stationed at Huiyang is in trouble, be ready to attack at any time!"

Lv Muzhi's somewhat rash move had the First Division's troops move out early, perhaps saving many lives in the Third Division.

In the Huiyang area, the situation was indeed as Lv Muzhi and Liu Zhi had discussed—the battle situation took a sudden turn for the worse.

The Third Division's Eighth Regiment advanced to Tanghu and fought fiercely with the rebels. Not only did they fail to break through the rebels' defensive line, they were also discovered by the rebels to have thin forces and suffered a crazy counterattack.

The rebels' Changshan Snake transformed into a giant python. Over ten thousand men surrounded the Third Division.

The Principal received a telegram that the Third Division's combat was ineffective and went directly to Huiyang to supervise the battle, hoping to encourage the officers and soldiers to block the rebels' counterattack.

Probably since the Battle of Huizhou, the Principal had been going too smoothly all the way. Now it was time to be at a disadvantage again.

The rebels at Longcun directly broke through the Third Division's defensive line. Hundreds of enemy troops outflanked to the rear and reached the Principal's command headquarters.

At this time, the Principal had only a few dozen men around him, with Chen Geng responsible for guard duty.

"Principal! Not good, we're surrounded!" Chen Geng panted heavily as he ran in from outside the tent.

"Sur... surrounded? Impossible!" The Principal ran out of the tent in a panic, only to see at least a battalion of rebels all around, the nearest less than a few dozen meters away!

Chen Geng and the soldiers raised their guns and fired, blocking the enemy's attack.

The Principal now truly had a mind to die. He drew the pistol at his waist: "No, I cannot be a prisoner!"

Saying this, he racked the slide and was about to raise the gun to shoot himself.

Chen Geng lunged forward, seizing the pistol: "Principal! What are you doing? With me, Chen Geng, here, I'll definitely get you out alive!"

Everyone, break out toward the West Side!"

Rat-tat-tat~ rat-tat~

Gunfire suddenly erupted from the West Side; the night was too dark to make out what was happening.

Suddenly more than a hundred soldiers drilled out of the darkness, startling Chen Geng into hastily raising his pistol to shoot.

"Damn it! It's me! Lv Muzhi, Company Commander of the Special Service Company, First Regiment, First Division!" Lv Muzhi shouted, nearly getting shot by Chen Geng, and while speaking he waved the Red Scarf he had taken from around his neck.

"Muzi! It's Muzi who's come, Principal!" Chen Geng said, turning back.

Lv Muzhi came forward, on one hand organizing his subordinates Guan Linzhen and Du Yuming to divide troops to block the enemy, and on the other hand having Zhang Fei hold the gap that had just been broken through.

"Muzi? The First Division... has the First Division come?" the Principal said, still shaken.

"The First Regiment is already on the way, Principal! Let's temporarily avoid their sharp edge!" Lv Muzhi said.

Unexpectedly the Principal was too nervous, and for a while couldn't move at all: "My legs won't obey me..."

"I'll carry you!" Chen Geng directly put the Principal on his back, "Muzi, hurry and open the way ahead!"

"Good! Du Yuming, Guan Linzhen, cover our withdrawal; Zhang Fei and I will open the way ahead!" Lv Muzhi split his Special Service Company into two parts for use; he himself held a Bolt-action Pistol, and with Zhang Fei opened the way ahead.

Fortunately the sky was too dark; as everyone fought while retreating, the Rebel Commander couldn't catch up.

Chen Geng had been hit in the instep by a bullet in the Battle of Huizhou not long ago and had not fully recovered; now, carrying the Principal for one hour, the bullet hole on his instep had already begun to seep fresh blood.

Lv Muzhi sighed: "Chen Geng, let me take over; don't let your foot leave an old injury!"

"Good! I'll go open the way ahead, you take over carrying!" After Chen Geng and Lv Muzhi exchanged roles, he drew the Bolt-action Rifle from his waist and went to open the way at the head of the column.