Qian Dajun, the director of the attendant's office, held a telegram in his hand and excitedly found the old man who was taking a lunch break.
"Principal, good news, good news!"
The old man who was awakened from his rest stood up and sat upright on the bed, with a tired look on his face: "Mu Yin, what good news makes you so excited?"
"Principal, the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army are fighting in North China. According to reports from various frontline departments, the number of troops participating in the battle on both sides is at least about 300,000. Most of the main force of the Japanese North China Front Army is participating in the war. The Eighth Route Army's base areas in North China are except for the Taihang base area where its headquarters is located.
No one in the remaining base areas was spared, they were all swept away by the Japanese army!" Qian Dajun held a piece of intelligence from an unknown source in his hand and excitedly reported it to the old man.
"Oh, is this information true?" Upon hearing this, the old man suddenly stood up from the bed with his cane in hand.
"It's true, it's absolutely true. The scale of the battle and the number of troops involved will only be more complicated than what the intelligence said!" Qian Dajun was not sure. After all, even front-line intelligence personnel could not report all the troops in various places in such a timely manner.
After summarizing the battle situation, even Qian Dajun himself was skeptical about the authenticity of this intelligence.
"Okay, the government is in the rear and can only sit back and watch the Eighth Route Army gradually grow behind enemy lines, but there is nothing to do. This time, in the name of destroying the united front, it can consume the strength of the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army at the same time. It is really a golden opportunity!
"
Qian Dajun was stunned when he heard this. He agreed with what the old man said before, but he really couldn't figure out the good opportunity he said at the end.
"Mu Yin, from your point of view, in this battle between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army, who will win and who will lose? I understand the principle of fighting between snipe and clam and the fisherman will benefit. Our first theater and Sulu theater still have strength, and Zhongtiao
The troops in the mountain area are elite and can deal with the Japanese army behind enemy lines. Do we have to miss this opportunity? The advantage is mine at this time!" asked the old man.
Qian Dajun was trembling in his heart. This was not what you thought before. He hoped in his heart that the old man would not have any thoughts that he shouldn't have. Everyone in the national army thought that it would be good to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers and tigers.
The National Army troops in the first theater of war appear to be elite troops, but in fact, most of the Central Army troops are deployed to the south of the Yellow River and the troops stationed in the Zhongtiao Mountain area are mostly miscellaneous troops of the National Army.
Since Li Mo'an took office, the military discipline of the National Army troops in the First War Zone has rapidly deteriorated. Due to the barren land and the numerous tax items of the National Army in the Zhongtiao Mountain area, local people have even aroused resentment. This is something that the old man himself was kept in the dark about.
"Principal, the students are incompetent. The battle between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese Army has been short. It is impossible to calculate the odds of victory for both sides. However, the students believe that after this battle, no matter who wins or loses, the strength of both sides will inevitably suffer a great loss. Our army can wait and see how the situation changes.
We should focus on preserving our strength for follow-up!" Qian Dajun strongly advised.
After hearing this, the old man struck the wooden board with his crutch several times, as if to vent his dissatisfaction. After a long time, he sighed: "God has treated me so poorly, and treated the Eighth Route Army so well, but young talents have been treated so poorly."
It can’t be used by me!”
"That's it, that's it!"
Qian Dajun couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw the old man acting like this. In fact, the newly appointed deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, Teng **, had arrived in Luoyang at this moment. The purpose of his visit was very obvious, which was to facilitate "negotiations" with the Chief of Staff of the First War Zone.
.
"However, no matter what the outcome of this war in North China is, it will affect the situation at home and in Southeast Asia. Such merit should be rewarded!" The old man took the credit seriously.
"What do you mean, principal?"
"Send a commendation telegram to the Eighth Route Army, praising its initiative to fight against the Japanese army, and hoping that it will achieve greater results after the Hundred Regiments War!"
"At the same time, we must strictly order all frontline troops not to move out without permission, and not a single ammunition to flow into the hands of the Eighth Route Army!"
"The Eighth Route Army is our most serious problem. The attitude between the Americans and the Eighth Route Army is extremely ambiguous, so we have to guard against it!"
"Yes, students understand!" Qian Dajun nodded quickly.
Qian Dajun understood the old man's idea of sending a commendation telegram to the Eighth Route Army. After leaving, he immediately ordered the attendant's office to send a telegram to the Eighth Route Army headquarters.
At the same time, the Eighth Route Army headquarters has just summarized the current situation via telegram with Chief of Staff Teng who is far away in Luoyang.
"Damn it, it's not too big of a deal to just watch the excitement. He, Jiang, only has this little tolerance for people. With his talent, at best he can be the principal of Whampoa Military Academy!" The boss read the commendation telegram.
After reading the content, he immediately slapped the table hard.
"Boss, we can't be too real from now on. When the Japanese army attacked the National Army in Zhongtiao Mountain and Changzhi area, our Eighth Route Army stopped the enemy's reinforcements at all costs. We didn't replenish ammunition after the war. Even in the
There is not even a single word about our Eighth Route Army in the newspapers in the Kuomintang-controlled areas in the rear. Isn’t this so worthless!” A young officer from the headquarters said dissatisfied.
"Is this your personal idea or the idea of a group of people?" The boss glanced at the young officer in front of him: "You can have ideas, but you have to understand that the reason for doing all this is for Qian Qian who is in the clutches of the Japanese army.
The purpose of the report is to fight for a better future for our Eighth Route Army. We must not imitate Jiang!"
"Yes!" The clerk scratched his head and responded hurriedly.
The conversation was divided into two parts. Inside the headquarters, Zhou Weihan and the deputy chief of staff were studying the battle situation on the front line.
"Chief of Staff, I think we can let Li Yunlong's troops retreat. The heat is about the same. According to what Li Yunlong said in the telegram, if we continue to fight, the Japanese troops of the 16th Division may be intimidated!"
"The Japanese offensive of the Thirty-fifth Division, which was fighting against Wu Qin at the same time, was too fierce. Both the enemy and us suffered heavy casualties, so the Japanese troops of the Sixteenth Division must be eliminated as soon as possible!" Zhou Weihan said in a deep voice.
The situation on the battlefield was beyond Zhou Weihan's expectation. The Japanese army seemed to be desperate for their lives. As the number of casualties increased, they continued to attack the Eighth Route Army's defense line.
Although the casualties of the Third Regiment, the Fifth Regiment, and the 40th Regiment were also high, Zhou Weihan did not dare to order the Wuqin Division to retreat like when he held a combat meeting, for fear that after the Japanese troops of the 35th Division broke through the defense line, they would
Go to join the Japanese army of the 16th Division.
"Then let the troops from the Southwest Shandong Military Division retreat first and lead the Japanese troops into an ambush. We should hurry up sooner rather than later and strive to eliminate the Japanese troops of the 16th Division during the day!" the deputy chief of staff clasped his palms together and spoke firmly.