May 19, the twenty-seventh year of the Republic of China.

What happened yesterday did not seem to have any impact on Meng Shaoyuan.

He slept until almost 10 o'clock before getting up.

When I get up, I feel refreshed.

Those subordinates have been waiting outside for a long time.

"Director Meng."

As soon as he saw Meng Shaoyuan finally come out, Gan Ning hurriedly reported: "Since this morning, we have secretly arrested several suspicious people nearby."

"Oh, are you here to assassinate me?" Meng Shaoyuan said nonchalantly.

"Yes, after a surprise interrogation, they admitted their identities. Also, two groups of people who were sent out by us to pretend to be you and act in a high-profile manner were attacked, but fortunately there were no casualties."

Meng Shaoyuan nodded: "Chu Xiuyan."

"Here, young master, please give me your instructions."

"What to eat for lunch?"

Chu Xiuyan was startled: "I asked someone to kill an old hen and stew it early in the morning."

"well."

Meng Shaoyuan looked very satisfied: "The old hen soup is good. Get me some Zhejiang rice wine. Don't leave at noon. Just drink some with me here. By the way, bring Yu Yanchu, Yu Shuhui, and that one

Lai Songsheng and Wu Guozhu were also invited to drink together."

Director Meng has such a big heart. People are assassinating him everywhere, but he still has the heart to drink?

…

A large pot of fragrant chicken soup, coupled with four cold dishes and eight hot dishes, makes this table as rich as possible.

"Chu Xiuyan."

"exist."

"Have you spent a lot of money these days?"

"The young master is scolding me."

"You businessmen from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are still rich. Look, look, are there sea cucumbers in here?"

"Yes, young master, the sea cucumbers obtained from Lushun have been growing for three days and three nights."

Meng Shaoyuan clicked his tongue: "This is chicken soup and sea cucumber. How can a grown man sleep alone at night?"

Several men immediately smiled knowingly.

Yu Yanchu didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

Gan Ning, Xu Zhu, Lai Songsheng, and Wu Guozhu didn't know how to answer. Chu Xiuyan and Yu Shuhui were both Yu Yanchu's juniors, so it wasn't easy to explain.

Meng Shaoyuan, however, was thick-skinned: "What do you mean? It's simple. This old hen soup and sea cucumber are both great tonics. If they are supplemented, they will leak. Otherwise, it will be very bad for a man's health if he just supplements without leaking."

Yu Yanchu thought about it for a long time before he suddenly realized it.

His face turned red, why is Director Meng so nasty?

Meng Shaoyuan laughed "haha" and raised the wine cup: "Come on, come on, you all worked hard yesterday. We successfully solved the major hidden dangers in Ningbo. We should have a glass of celebratory wine!"

Several wine cups were raised, and everyone drank a cup.

Meng Shaoyuan poured it for himself: "Chu Xiuyan, Yu Shuhui, I have to give you a special cup."

"Young Master, we can't afford it."

"If you can afford it, why can't you? People say that I, Meng Shaoyuan, kill a lot of people. There's nothing I can't do that I want to do, but without your help this time, I definitely won't succeed. Come on, let's do it.

"

"Thank you, young master, for the wine."

Meng Shaoyuan toasted Wu Guozhu with the third glass of wine: "District Chief Wu, I have to toast you two glasses alone!"

"Why?" Wu Guozhu was a little curious.

Meng Shaoyuan smiled: "First cup, thank you for your generous action. Without the full cooperation of your tax police team, it would be very difficult to succeed."

Wu Guozhu is also a generous person: "I have to drink this cup. Please!"

"Please!" Meng Shaoyuan then said: "This second cup has some specialties. Ningbo and Shanghai are very close. Although Ningbo has not fallen yet, the Japanese will covet this place sooner or later. I really can't wait until that day.

What should I do if I grow up?”

The atmosphere of the banquet suddenly fell silent.

Yes, in fact, everyone here is fully aware that the Japanese warships will appear in Ningbo sooner or later. It's just a matter of time.

Wu Guozhu did not hesitate at all: "Wu commanded only some tax policemen, and the number was only more than 200. But if the Japanese really dare to land in Ningbo, Wu and his brothers will fight to the death and will never be slaves to the subjugation of the country.

!”

These words speak volumes!

To be honest, Meng Shaoyuan had never heard of such a high-ranking figure as Wu Guozhu, a district chief of the tax police force. His official position was really too small.

Although Meng Shaoyuan didn't know what Wu Guozhu would do in the future, he believed that the man in front of him would be able to do it since he said it:

"So, I still toast you with this glass of wine! Don't forget that you are Chinese!"

After drinking with Wu Guozhu, Meng Shaoyuan filled the bottle again. This time he was paying tribute to his subordinate Lai Songsheng: "Lai Songsheng, I respect you!"

"Don't dare, don't dare." Lai Songsheng was a little flustered.

After all, the one who toasts you is the boss of your immediate boss, and you don’t even think about meeting him in person.

"Lai Songsheng, you have to drink this glass of wine, not because of what happened yesterday. Yesterday, someone else could have done the same for me." Meng Shaoyuan said slowly:

"I respect you because I hope that when the war breaks out in Ningbo, you can stand up and fight on behalf of my Shanghai Special Office and our military command. I also send you these words, don't forget that you are a Chinese!"

Lai Songsheng's courage suddenly increased: "Director Meng, Lai Songsheng is just an insignificant person, but when that day comes, Lai Songsheng knows what he should do and what he should do!"

…

At around 7 a.m. on August 6, 1939, under the cover of three Japanese aircraft, three Japanese gunboats and five motorboats filed in through the Tongwa Gate, sailed into Shipu Port, and made a forced landing.

Seeing that the war was about to break out, the people of Shipu fled towards the west side of the city towards the stove.

But a group of people rushed to the battlefield. They were the Liangzhe Salt Tax Police Force stationed at the Shipu Yuquan Salt Field. More than 200 officers and soldiers, led by the division chief Wu Guozhu, seized Hougang Mountain near the Japanese landing point.

Although Hougang Mountain is not high, the slope is very steep. The foot of the mountain is only two or three meters wide on Bingang Road, which is hidden in Fujian Street and Jicheng area. It is clearly visible when you look down.

At first, the tax police team relied on the favorable terrain to suppress the enemy.

Although the Japanese army continued to organize counterattacks with its superior strength and sophisticated weapons, it was difficult to advance. After the battle lasted for more than an hour, three Japanese planes took off from the Japanese warship outside Tongwa Gate and arrived at Shipu, attacking the tax police positions and

There were repeated bombings in nearby residential areas. Three soldiers were killed on the spot, many soldiers were injured, and more than 50 houses were destroyed.

At this critical moment, Lai Songsheng, who had been promoted to captain of the Ningbo Armed Brigade of the Military Command Shanghai Special Office, led fifty agents to support the front line.

In order to reduce casualties, Wu Guozhu, after discussing with Lai Songsheng, ordered the captains of each unit to direct the soldiers to disperse and hide, and fight independently.

The Japanese army discovered that the gunfire of the tax police force was scattered, and while they were busy hauling away wounded soldiers, they also used motorboats to transport more soldiers on the Japanese ships in an attempt to outflank them.

The soldiers were aware of the Japanese army's conspiracy and closely monitored the Japanese motorboats. Once they discovered that the Japanese motorboats were approaching the shore, they would concentrate their firepower to attack them head-on.

The battle lasted for 12 hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Japanese army never knew the true strength of the tax police force and did not dare to fight. They fled back to the warship when it was dark and retreated through the Tongwa Gate.

This battle killed and wounded nearly a hundred Japanese soldiers, which inspired the confidence and courage of the soldiers and people in eastern Zhejiang to resist Japan.

This is the "Battle of Taierzhuang in Eastern Zhejiang".

This battle delayed the Japanese invasion of Ningbo by nearly a year.

Shanghai fell in 1937.

However, Ningbo, just around the corner, persisted until 1940 before being occupied by the Japanese.

This has to be said to be a miracle.

After Japan's hasty retreat, Wu Guozhu looked at the cheering soldiers with a smile on his lips.

It's a smile of victory, but it's also tinged with sadness.

In his arms, he held Lai Songsheng, who had lost his life forever!

He was shot through the head and died while holding his position.

Lai Songsheng was just a small spy. Even if he was promoted to captain, it was only in formality.

The troops under his command were far less well-equipped and well-paid than the troops directly from Meng Shao's original line.

Most of the more than fifty agents had never fired a gun before going to the battlefield.

But even so, Lai Songsheng still used his life to fulfill the oath he had made to his commander Meng Shaoyuan:

Don’t forget that you are Chinese!

Lai Songsheng was a second lieutenant in the army when he was killed in action.
To be continued...