Chapter 87

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

At the Niuhang Train Station Position, Lv Muzhi and Liu Zhi were surprised to discover that friendly forces inside Nanchang City across the river were beginning to evacuate continuously via the floating bridge.

Troops withdrawing from Nanchang City, Hu Zongnan's remnants came to assemble at Niuhang Station, while most retreated to Shengmi Street in the rear.

Liu Zhi was stunned: "This! This floating bridge really was built for them to escape!"

"Commander Liu, this is truly bad. Once Nanchang City falls, our flank will be exposed. I fear the enemy will set up cannons on the opposite bank to attack the Niuhang Train Station Position, and combined with Xie Hongxun's division facing us head-on, Niuhang Train Station will likely be hard to defend."

Lv Muzhi had just finished speaking when Hu Gongnan arrived at Niuhang Station with his own remnants.

"What's going on with your First Division? What is Wang Bolin up to?" Liu Zhi asked.

Hu Gongnan replied: "My First Division has suffered heavy losses. Division Commander Wang Bolin has already left the city and retreated to the rear to consolidate forces and command."

"Consolidate forces? Then why didn't they notify our Second Division?" Lv Muzhi questioned. "Hmph, could it be that Division Commander Wang Bolin's old illness has flared up again, just like last time at Danshui City, abandoning his troops to leave first?"

Hu Gongnan tilted his head, embarrassed: "Anyway, my Second Regiment is now right here at Niuhang Station, so they can hardly be called deserters. As for Division Commander Wang Bolin's specific whereabouts, I know nothing at all."

A messenger from the Nineteenth Division of the Sixth Army ran to Niuhang Station: "Report to Division Commander Liu, Sixth Army Commander Cheng Qian orders me to tell you: Wang Bolin has packed up and left. My Sixth Army will never be cannon fodder. I advise you to take your troops and withdraw to Shengmi Street, and wait for the Principal to reorganize the offensive!"

"Your First Division withdrew, and now the Nineteenth Division is withdrawing too, leaving Nanchang City an empty city, and I'm the last to know. What battle is there left to fight!" Liu Zhi glared at Hu Gongnan, speaking angrily.

"Division Commander Liu, that's not right. There are still.... in this city."

"Division Commander, there are still defenders on the walls of Nanchang City. The First Division's troops have not completely withdrawn!" Lv Muzhi held up his binoculars, looking toward Nanchang City across the river.

Hu Gongnan explained: "Regiment Commander Xue Yue is unwilling to leave with the Third Regiment still inside Nanchang City. The First Division has not completely retreated."

"What? Nanchang City is a lone city, Xue Yue's Third Regiment is a lone force. How can a few thousand people hold that city?" Liu Zhi was very surprised.

"Not a lone force. My Second Division has three combat regiments and one supplementary regiment. Now Hu Gongnan has joined with his remnants to reinforce Niuhang Station. I am willing to lead my regiment into Nanchang City to support!" Lv Muzhi volunteered to Liu Zhi.

Hearing Lv Muzhi volunteer to lead troops into Nanchang City, now a dangerous place, Liu Zhi felt both moved and hesitant.

"Muzi, have you thought it through? Nanchang City is now a lone city, surrounded by enemies on all sides. Xue Yue's three regiments are already a lone force. If the enemy cuts the floating bridge, your trip will be more dangerous than safe!"

Lv Muzhi's expression was firm: "Commander Liu, precisely because it is a lone city in danger, we cannot let Regiment Commander Xue support it alone. If Nanchang falls, the flank of Niuhang Station will be completely exposed, and we will find it hard to hold here either."

"Moreover, since the Eastern Expedition, our First Army has always been the most honorable unit. Now we have achieved nothing, but Wang Bolin has thrown away all our face! My supplementary regiment is willing to enter the city and fight side by side with Regiment Commander Xue, swearing to defend Nanchang City to the death!"

Liu Zhi was also deeply moved. The First Army was the Principal's face. Wang Bolin ran first. If Nanchang City and Niuhang Station were both lost, the Principal would have no place to put his face at all!

Seeing Lv Muzhi's resolve was firm, Liu Zhi patted his shoulder heavily, moved: "Good! Worthy of being the pillar of my Second Division!"

"Just go. Here at Niuhang Station, I will do my best to provide you with artillery support. If it cannot be done... you must find a way to break out, and I will personally come to meet you!"

Lv Muzhi said no more, saluted Liu Zhi, turned, and went to assemble his supplementary regiment.

When Lv Muzhi led the supplementary regiment to the floating bridge by the Gan River, the scene before them was hair-raising.

Cheng Qian's Nineteenth Division troops were hurriedly retreating across two floating bridges to the west bank. The bridge surfaces were packed with soldiers, and order was somewhat chaotic. Lv Muzhi's supplementary regiment had to cross the river against the flow of people—nearly impossible.

"Move aside! Move aside! We need to cross the river to reinforce Nanchang City!" Soldiers of the supplementary regiment shouted loudly at the bridgehead, but most of the retreating Nineteenth Division soldiers turned a deaf ear.

The Nineteenth Division's division commander was standing right at the bridgehead at this moment. Seeing Lv Muzhi and the others going in to support while he himself had to execute the retreat order, he felt somewhat embarrassed. So he ordered his troops to cross the river in single file on the bridge.

Lv Muzhi saw this and stepped forward to ask: "Commander, why not cross the river with us, defend Nanchang City together, and wait for reinforcements to arrive?"

The Nineteenth Division's division commander shook his head: "I am executing Army Commander Cheng Qian's retreat order. Whatever the commander tells me to do, I do. But you dare to cross the river to defend the city—that makes you a true man. I will do my best to maintain order and let you cross the river as quickly as possible."

Although the Nineteenth Division's division commander gave his guarantee, time waited for no one. Every moment of delay made Nanchang City more dangerous.

"Guan Linzhen!" Lv Muzhi shouted.

"Here!" Second Battalion Commander Guan Linzhen, nicknamed Iron Fist Guan, stepped forward in response.

Guan Linzhen was burly, tall and big, with a tough manner.

"You lead your battalion to open the way in front! No matter what, smash open a passage for me and ensure the whole regiment crosses the river quickly! In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures may be used!" Lv Muzhi ordered.

"Understood!" Guan Linzhen's eyes flashed with a fierce look. He turned and waved, shouting: "Second Battalion, follow me and charge! Anyone blocking the way, get pushed aside by me!"

"Yes!"

Guan Linzhen took the lead, charging through the bridge like a wild ox.

He had men shoulder their way through and use rifle butts to block, forcibly separating the crowd. Even a few Nineteenth Division soldiers who stood in the middle of the road and refused to move were directly squeezed off the floating bridge, falling into the cold waters of the Gan River, drawing exclamations and curses.

Guan Linzhen acted as if he heard nothing, only roaring continuously: "Hurry! Hurry! Make way for the following troops!"

Seeing this, the Nineteenth Division's division commander had no reaction. He had no reason to block Lv Muzhi's subordinates from going to fight.

Under the Second Battalion's forced opening of the way, a vanguard force managed to step onto the floating bridge with difficulty and speed, charging against the flow of people toward Nanchang City on the east bank.

On Nanchang City's wall, Xue Yue, who had been anxiously observing the enemy outside the city and movements on the river, suddenly saw troops heading toward Nanchang City against the flow of people.

"It's the Second Division's troops! They're coming!" An officer beside Xue Yue exclaimed in surprise.

A soldier led Guan Linzhen, who had just charged across the floating bridge first and was panting, up to the city tower.

Guan Linzhen had no time to steady his breathing before saluting Xue Yue and reporting loudly: "Regiment Commander Xue! My supplementary regiment comes under Regiment Commander Lv Muzhi's orders to reinforce you! My regiment will guard Nanchang City with your regiment, advancing and retreating together, living and dying together!"

Xue Yue felt a mix of emotions. All his comrades from his own division had run away, while Lv Muzhi of the Second Division was willing to come support him.

After crossing the river, Lv Muzhi ordered Song Xilian's Third Battalion to guard the floating bridge, while he led people into Nanchang City to find Xue Yue.

Upon reaching Jinxian Gate in the south, he saw the First Division Headquarters' direct artillery men using horses to pull their cannons, preparing to withdraw from the city.

"No one is allowed to leave. Du Yuming, drive them all back!"

Du Yuming, hearing Lv Muzhi's words, drove the First Division artillerymen who had not yet managed to withdraw back into Nanchang City.

Liu Zhi stood on the opposite bank, holding up his binoculars. Seeing the supplementary regiment had just completely crossed the floating bridge to the east, while Wang Bolin and the friendly forces were all retreating, he sighed: "Do not say all my colleagues cross west, alone I lead the tiger troops east on expedition! Chen Jicheng!"

"Here!"

"You take the Fourth Regiment across the river too, guard the floating bridge. At the critical moment, you must definitely bring Muzi and the supplementary regiment back!"

"Yes!"

But Chen Jicheng's Fourth Regiment had just boarded the floating bridge when the sound of incoming shells whistled overhead.

Boom! Boom boom!!

Shells exploded on the Jiangmian, the bombing target precisely the floating bridge on the river!

Deng Ruzuo Division's artillery at Zhangshu on the South Side was already in position, bombarding the bridge to cut off the connection between the two banks.

Chen Jicheng could not force a crossing of the river, and could only retreat to Liu Zhi's side, "We can't get across, Commissioner Liu, for now we can only hold our ground and wait for the Principal's orders!"