In the late spring of 1944, Hengshan Mountain in Nanyue.
Mid-to-late April is the season when azaleas bloom most enthusiastically. The red, white and purple alpine azaleas bloom all over the mountains and plains, dotting the green mountains and white clouds, soaking in the green pines and green valleys, like an ink painting.
It’s different from the comfort of late spring and early summer.
Although the altitude of Nanyue Hengshan is not high, the mountain is quite large. It is headed by Huiyan Peak in Hengyang and ends with Yuelu Mountain in Tanzhou. It stretches for more than 800 miles and has 72 peaks, big and small. Among the mountains, there is Xiang,
The large rivers such as Tai and Lu make nine twists and turns, making the Hengshan Mountains shrouded in clouds and mist all year round.
In the winter of 1938, after the Battle of Jiangxia, the temporary base camp of the Military Commission moved from the south of Jiangxia to Hengshan. It became one of the most important command centers during the entire Anti-Japanese War in China, accompanying China through seven difficult years.
At noon, a few pedestrians walked on the Xiling Ancient Road in Hengshan Mountain.
There is a person in the middle, about 40 years old, tall, wearing a straight general's uniform, with a calm and calm face; the person on his left is slightly older, wearing an unusual Western-style hunting suit, and has a rather elegant temperament; the person on the right is a young man
, has a thin build and a handsome face. He is also wearing a military uniform, with a golden star on his collar badge.
Regardless of their talent and temperament, the three of them are not ordinary people at first glance, let alone 30 meters behind them, there is a team of guards equipped with the latest M3 submachine guns developed by the United States.
The M3 submachine gun was only put into service in the U.S. Army at the end of 1943. It cannot be equipped except for generals, but this group of guard soldiers is actually equipped with it.
This group of people climbed the mountain from the northern foot of the Xiling Mountain in Hengshan Mountain and climbed up the stairs along the ancient road. The ancient trees on both sides were towering, blocking out the sky and the sun. When they entered, there was no heat, and it was even a bit cold.
Moreover, this group of people were all extremely strong. Even though it was a bluestone road and a ladder carved into the stone wall, they walked as fast as flying. In less than two hours, they reached the foot of Zhubo Peak, one of the seventy-two peaks of Nanyue.
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Thubo Peak is one of the important birthplaces of Nanyue Zen. Among the Zen sects, the Jizong, Caodong, Weiyang, Yunmen, and Fayan sects, one flower and five leaves, all originated from the foot of Thubo Peak in Nanyue.
It is known as the place where Zen Buddhism originated as the "ancestor".
Under the Tobo Peak, there is a quiet thousand-year-old temple called Fuyan Temple. Several monks in robes have been waiting at the gate for a long time. Apparently, they have already received the news that a distinguished person is coming up the mountain.
Seeing that the group was about to arrive at the mountain gate, an old monk at the head walked vigorously down the stone steps, clasped his hands to the person in the middle and said: "Amitabha! Commander Fang, Mayor Zhao, and Chief of Staff Sun are here to thank you for your service. I'm sorry.
Welcome from afar!"
It turned out that the burly middle-aged man in uniform among the three was none other than Lieutenant General Fang Xianjue, commander of the 10th Army stationed in the Hengshan area. The man on the left wearing a Western-style hunting suit was the then HY
Zhao Junmai, the mayor of the city and the commander of Hengyang’s security forces, but the young general on the right is Sun Minyu, the chief of staff of the 10th Army Major General, who was only 32 years old.
Fang Xian absolutely raised his hands and said, "Master Lao Zhiyuan, thank you! But I don't dare to be called a military commander. Now Fang is no longer a military commander, but is going to serve as a counselor at the Mountain City Military and Political Department.
As the saying goes, you should consult and discuss, but you should not discuss it! This position is exactly what I want!"
In his prime, he was resigned from the position of powerful military commander to a casual position. Anyone else might have a gloomy brow, but this lieutenant general, who is only 40 years old, has relaxed brows and even laughed at himself in public, which shows that he has a broad mind.
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Perhaps, only the two people accompanying him knew the unconcealable pain in the lieutenant general's heart.
The pain in his heart may not be that he resigned from the position of powerful military commander, but the grief in his heart that has not yet recovered, making this iron-blooded soldier unable to help but feel the desire to escape.
Taking advantage of this power struggle within the Ninth War Zone to escape from the vortex may not be his original intention, but it is also in line with his true intention.
Because General Xue's command error led to the death of his beloved general on the spot, the unspeakable heartache made it difficult for him to face the man who excluded him again.
However, although the situation of the Great Patriotic War at this time was far from the predicament of initial retreat, the Japanese army, which was retreating steadily on the Pacific battlefield, still did not give up the big fat country of China, and was still trying to conquer China and use China as a rear base.
The decisive battle with the Allied forces led by the United States was still fierce on the battlefield.
Can he, the most important commander of the 10th Army, really ignore the lives and deaths of more than 20,000 brothers and sit idle in a mountain city?
Obviously, based on their understanding of this person, it is absolutely impossible.
He came to Fuyan Temple today to worship Buddha. It seemed that he wanted to pray for all the soldiers of the 10th Army before leaving, and to gain some peace of mind for his unknown future. But in fact, he wanted to ask himself questions in this quiet place.
heart!
The guard team stayed in front of the temple gate. Accompanied by the old monk, the three of them walked around the corridor, passing the Main Hall and the Lecture Hall one by one. Before they reached the abbot's courtyard they were going to, they passed by the Zen room area and heard the sound of a wall.
Someone outside recited loudly: "When you are sad, don't ask about the past affairs. When you go back to the King of Yue Terrace, the bright moon is still shining, where does it fly from?"
The voice is a little old and hoarse, a little sad.
Fang Xianjue’s steps paused slightly!
Obviously, when he chanted this word at this time, it was quite consistent with his current state of mind.
Then the voice came again, and the person was explaining the origin of this poem: "This is a sentimental poem about the death of the Song Dynasty written by Ni Zan at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Someone once said, 'The fall of the country in the past dynasties is insignificant, but the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty
, then the clothes and cultural relics will perish with them.' The Yuan people severely oppressed the Han people for decades, which made the poet write such a low-level work that laments the nostalgia for his country."
"Sir, what are 'clothing cultural relics'?" asked an obviously young and immature voice.
"The so-called cultural relics of clothes and crowns refer to Chinese civilization. At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, the world was in chaos and the Central Plains was in turmoil. The Jin Dynasty moved eastward, which was called the 'clothes and crowns crossing south'. In the two Song Dynasties, the Jin soldiers attacked the Northern Song Dynasty, and later the Mongols destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty.
The humiliation of Jingkang has not yet been over, and the world was destroyed in the battle at Yashan. That's why the great master said that clothes, cultural relics, and cultural relics will also perish, which is especially painful when the country is subjugated.
In the history of China, the separatist regimes in the north attacked the Central Plains dynasty many times, causing frequent turmoil in the Central Plains. The common people had no choice but to move their families southward to escape the war in the Jiangnan area, which was called the "Southern Crossing in Clothes"!
Since the September 18th Incident, the Japanese army has aggressively invaded China. Northeast China, North China, East China, and Central China have fallen one after another. The Chinese people have been forced to flee south and have been displaced. I don’t know how many people have died in foreign lands. The misery is even worse than that of China.
Throughout the dynasties." The old voice said that from this moment on, it was hard to hide its indignation.
"Just last month, in the Central Plains, China's 300,000-strong army was beaten to pieces by more than 100,000 Japanese troops, losing 38 cities in 37 days. Wherever the war spread, there was only killing and looting.
Blood and death can be described as both painful and sad.
What's even more ridiculous is that when the first unit of the 31st Group Army in the First Theater broke out, it was betrayed by the local people. A division-level communications team was surrounded and disarmed by the local people. Even the radio became a trophy of the people, and the number was reported.
At that time, the people actually said that they were the ones who wanted to be beaten.
This kind of thing is probably the first time in history.
It’s a disgrace to the military!”
The young monks inside the wall who were listening to the old man’s explanation were in an uproar!
The few people standing outside the wall had solemn eyes.
On March 17, 1944, one month earlier than before, 150,000 Japanese North China Front troops suddenly crossed the Yellow River and launched an attack on the First Theater Zone. The more than 300,000 troops in the First Theater Zone were caught off guard and were routed thousands of miles away.
, the Japanese army occupied 38 cities including Zhengcheng and Luoyang in 37 miles.
This unprecedented rout caused great shock throughout the country. What the old hoarse voice said was true. However, the defeat in the first theater of war occurred only a week ago, and especially the scandals that occurred in the 31st Group Army were all kept secret.
, only the important generals in the army know these clues, how come they were known to an old man?
Is it true that the old saying goes: "Good things never go out, but bad things spread thousands of miles?"
The old man inside the wall sighed again and continued:
"In the past few days, victims from Yu Province have been fleeing to Hunan Province. They said that after the Japanese conquered Henan Province, they would soon come to attack Hunan Province. If each of our armies was an army stationed in Henan Province, every one of them would
The battlefields are being defeated at such a rate in the Central Plains battlefield. I am afraid that in less than half a year, the whole of China will fall at the hands of the Japanese."
The young general outside the wall had displeasure on his face.
He is a young talent from the Huangpu Clan. He has always regarded military honor as his top priority. When he saw that the Chinese army was being spoken so badly of by this old man who had never met him, his brows suddenly furrowed. The other party, Zhao and others, said: "This old gentleman is in front of me.
It’s quite good, but it’s a bit off-putting at the end. It’s too generalized. Without us soldiers fighting bloody battles on the front lines, how about giving them the opportunity to talk about this behind the scenes?”
Fang Xianjue said nothing and looked at the distant mountains, as if he remembered something because of the old man's words.
Zhao Junmai smiled and said: "Chief of Staff Sun, I don't think it matters, the mouth is for talking. As the saying goes, the pure will self-clean. We know best what we are like on the battlefield.
The battle in the first theater was really outrageous. Facing the fierce Japanese offensive, Jiang and Tang were just like their junior brothers who had never been on the battlefield. Not to mention a decent counterattack, they even had a decent defense.
It's not uncommon. If the 15th Army had not defended Luoyang City for 15 days before the city was broken, then the battle in the first theater would have been without any highlights.
However, this old man's words were still a bit too one-sided based on hearsay, and his understanding of military affairs was quite limited. He said that the Japanese army was about to attack Hunan Province, but I did not agree with it.
Yesterday, Commander Xue talked to me on the phone. He said that there is no problem with the defense of Hunan Province. The Japanese invaders returned in defeat in the three battles in Tanzhou. How can Yong Hengshan still have the courage to come to Hunan Province again? What's more, the battle in Yu Province has not yet begun.
It’s completely over. The Japanese military strength in China is no longer what it used to be. How can they have the ability to fight on both the northern and southern fronts at the same time?”
The young general obviously didn't want to argue with the big brother, so he took the initiative to change the topic and said: "Mayor Zhao, Commander Xue is always full of confidence in his 'Heavenly Furnace Tactic', but you have to know that there is no one tactic.
It's perfect. If you use it too much, the enemy will always find flaws.
In addition, I heard that half a month ago, American expatriates in Tanzhou, Hengyang and other places received notices from the American consulate, telling them to evacuate as soon as possible, saying that the Japanese army suddenly attacked Henan Province in order to open up the Guangdong-Hankou railway transportation line.
Hunan Province is also the most important node on this transportation artery. If the Japanese really have this strategy, Hunan Province is the place they must attack.
A week ago, the American army at Hengyang Airport canceled their vacation. Officers must carry pistols on the streets. As you know, the intelligence of the Americans is always very accurate. In my opinion, what the old man said is by no means groundless. We must not be careless.
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"I still agree with Commander Xue's view. It is impossible for the Japanese to attack Hunan Province in the short term. Last year, the Japanese were retreating steadily on the Pacific battlefield. Last year, they even occupied Guadalcanal, and successively severely damaged the Japanese navy and army. The Japanese
The sun is already declining and they are barely surviving. Even though their warships are still coming and going in a show of force on the Yangtze River, they are just using the guise of increasing their troops to cover up their actual shortage of troops.
Even the surprise attack in Henan Province initiated by the Japanese army this time, I think, was just a desperate effort by the Japanese army before their death. Japan is no longer the Japan it was seven years ago, and the Japanese army is no longer the one that is difficult to defeat.
The army became strong.
And we are no longer an army equipped only with equipment made in Hanyang and wearing straw sandals seven years ago." Zhao Junmai still disagreed.
The Hengyang garrison commander is not just talking nonsense. In the past two years, in order to cooperate with the Pacific battlefield and hope that China will do its best to hold back the elite Japanese army in the Chinese theater, the Americans have used great power to transport troops from Myanmar to China.
In addition to warships and tanks, large iron lumps such as tanks cannot be transported. The latest light artillery, submachine guns, rifles, ammunition, including fighter planes, are almost open to supply.
Taking the 9th Theater as an example, at the end of February, 9 infantry divisions were equipped with 6,000 M3 submachine guns that had just been installed by the US Army.
What is this concept?
Each infantry division has nearly 700 more light firearms with a rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute and an effective range of 200 meters. The M3 submachine gun has a 30-round magazine, which is 10 rounds more than the 20-round magazine of the Czech light machine gun equipped in the army.
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Based on an infantry division, 3 infantry regiments and 27 infantry companies, each front-line infantry company can be equipped with more than 20 submachine guns on average. This also means that an infantry company has 20 additional firepower points in terms of light firepower output at close range.
For the Japanese troops who were also equipped with bolt-action rifles, they were absolutely crushed by light firepower.
In addition to light weapons, the 105mm howitzers that the Americans promised to support a year ago have arrived in Kuncheng, and some have even been shipped to Liuzhou, waiting for the armies to accept them.
In the past, Hanyang was used to build the capital and won three Tanzhou battles. Now the infantry's light and heavy firepower has been greatly strengthened. It is no wonder that the Hengyang garrison commander is full of confidence and firmly believes that Japan will not come to attack Hunan Province. Even if it comes to attack, it is estimated that
He also hit his head badly and was bleeding.
Zhao Junmai, who was full of self-confidence, obviously did not observe Fang Xianjue, who had been silent.
When it comes to combat, both the young general and the garrison commander are obviously far less sophisticated than this veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time.
Looking at the mountains from a distance, recalling the voice and smile of his best friend in his mind, Fang Xianjue heard the different opinions of his subordinates and colleagues, but did not comment.
Naturally, he quite identified with his young chief of staff. This had nothing to do with the relationship. As the commander of the 10th Army, he was well aware of the war going on across the country. The sudden war and defeat in Henan Province were 100% responsible.
It is 80% likely that, as Sun Minyu said, the Japanese army is trying to open up the transportation artery between Guangdong and Han to support the Pacific battlefield. For this strategic purpose, the war will soon reach Hunan Province.
However, this has nothing to do with him anymore. The Ministry of Military and Political Affairs has issued a transfer order, and he, the military commander, has become a counselor of the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs. In a few days, he will return to the mountain city on a special plane, away from the battlefield.
Moreover, even if he gave advice to Commander Xue, how could the headstrong Commander Xue listen to him? I'm afraid, just think of it as what he said to disgust himself before leaving!
That being the case, there's nothing else to say.
"I have listened to so many historical allusions from the old gentleman, and I have to go see him and say hello!" After sighing slightly in his heart, Fang Xianjue took the lead and walked into the wall.
As a group of people entered, the old man and the young monks under the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree turned their heads one after another.
An old man with a clear face wearing a blue robe, holding a book in his hand, stood under the ginkgo tree, with little bits of sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves on his slightly gray hair, full of aura.
"It turned out to be Mr. Tantai!"
"No wonder!"
Sun Minyu and Zhao Junmai looked at each other and couldn't help but say something.
The old man was none other than Tantai Yunshu, who had arrived in Hengyang for more than half a year. With his talents and knowledge, he told the young monks some historical allusions. Isn't that just easy?
As for why he knows so much about the war in Henan Province, his son-in-law, a warrior who is famous throughout the country and the entire army, is not a decoration.
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PS: Damn, the one was blocked again yesterday. I was so drunk that I spent a lot of time revising it to see if it can be released tomorrow.
