The winter rain continued, and the fighting took a break. An excited-looking staff officer strode into the headquarters of Jiang Defense Group Army, and then ran straight to General Liu Xing's office.
"Report!"
"Come in--"
The staff officer strode to General Liu Xing's desk, stood at attention and saluted.
"Sir Liu, the situation has been verified clearly. Deputy Commander Liu who came back from the siege did not lie. This is the message sent by the Shanghai Station of the Bureau of Statistics and Investigation. Please read it." The staff officer handed a message to General Liu Xing.
Liu Xing hurriedly took the telegram and quickly read through it. A rare smile appeared on his haggard face.
The telegram was sent by the Shanghai Station of the Bureau of Statistics and Investigation. Through their vast intelligence network, it was confirmed that there was indeed a group of National Revolutionary Army troops in Suzhou who took over the headquarters of the 18th Japanese Regiment, killing one lieutenant colonel and five majors.
.
In addition, during the withdrawal of this force to the west, at least one cavalry squadron and a major of the Japanese pursuit force were eliminated. This force has attracted the attention of the dispatched army headquarters, which ordered the frontline troops to pursue, intercept, and eliminate them.
"That's great. The message will be forwarded immediately to the Central Daily News and the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters. I want to thank Deputy Commander Liu and the others!" General Liu Xing's excitement was beyond words.
Although Liu Ming's series of achievements were too ordinary compared to the just-concluded Battle of Songhu, hundreds of thousands of troops were defeated and suffered heavy losses. However, they relied on a weak and lonely brigade to fight for hundreds of miles, and still managed to survive.
Having such a good record makes a huge difference.
In the Battle of Songhu, the National Revolutionary Army lost hundreds of thousands of troops, causing heavy casualties. Then it collapsed and lost the prosperous Jiangnan region to the Japanese.
Faced with the harsh situation of losing consecutive battles on the frontal battlefield, not only were the people panicked and began to flee with their families all day long, but even the troops who withdrew became dejected and had no morale at all.
The Japanese army swept towards the capital Nanjing in a mighty manner, like an avalanche, it was unstoppable. With the dilapidated army with low morale, no one had the confidence to defend Nanjing.
The outcome of the Battle of Songhu has shrouded the land of China in a haze, and the arguments for national subjugation and surrender have become even more noisy.
In such an environment where the situation took a turn for the worse, a lone and weak brigade not only fought alone but refused to surrender when faced with the heavy enemy forces' pursuit and interception, it also caused heavy casualties to the enemy.
Their perseverance, bravery, and fearless spirit of sacrifice in the face of extremely vicious enemies are like the sunshine that pierces the gloom, which is enough to inspire the morale of the military and the people! It inspires the determination of the whole people to resist the war!
The past half month has been filled with news of defeat and occupation. Liu Xing believed that if this news was published in the newspapers, it would surely set off a frenzy and greatly inspire the morale of the military and the people.
"What are you still doing? Go quickly." Seeing that the staff member was still standing there, Liu Xing hurriedly urged.
"Yes!" The voice of the staff officer was also filled with excitement. They had not heard news of victory for a long time, but this victory was enough to make them lose their sense of decadence.
Liu Xing paced excitedly on the spot. Since Liu Ming and the others' achievements were true, he decided to use Liu Ming and the others as propaganda targets and widely publicize their deeds, thereby inspiring the morale of the military and the people.
Now the people are in great need of a victory, and Liu Ming and the others appeared at just the right time, and the honor belongs to them beyond dispute.
"Please come to me, Deputy Commander Liu." Liu Xing ordered the guard standing at the door.
Liu Ming and the others broke through the siege and returned to the area controlled by the National Revolutionary Army. They were originally very nervous. After all, they lost contact with their superiors and then retreated here. If the superiors investigated seriously, they would inevitably be accused of retreating without authorization.
But unexpectedly, they did not receive any criticism. Instead, they entertained them with delicious food and drinks, and the wounded also received good treatment.
Liu Ming asked people around him and found out that it was not just them who had retreated, but hundreds of thousands of troops who had all retreated. He felt relieved after hearing this. The law cannot be blamed.
Because of General Liu Xing's orders, Liu Ming and his group of people who came back from the siege were treated very well. They were all sent to Jiangyin County, where they changed out of their dirty and smelly tattered military uniforms, took hot baths, and changed into clean and tidy clothes.
His new military uniform gave him a completely new look.
Although the fighting on the front line was fierce, Liu Ming and the others who stayed in Jiangyin City did not have any combat missions. They only slept and ate, and they suddenly felt free with nothing to do.
Although there is a war going on near Jiangyin City, there are still many residents stranded in the city. In addition to trusting the defenders, they are reluctant to part with the family property they have purchased.
Although the Japanese planes often hovered over the county town, the anti-aircraft weapons such as anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns in the Jiangyin Fortress were not insignificant. After being shot down a few, they became much more honest and only dared to hang around the outside.
Many restaurants in Jiangyin County were still open, entertaining the soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army who fought bloody battles. Liu Yidao, who had nothing to do, and everyone else got Liu Ming's permission and left the station one after another to go shopping in the city.
They seized a lot of good things on the battlefield, exchanged them for money, and then started eating and drinking. For them, with their heads tied to their waistbands and having seen too much of the cruelty of war, they naturally enjoyed as much as they could.
Enjoy it for a while.
Although Yang Ling and the others did not break out, which made Liu Yidao and others sad for a while, they soon put their sadness behind them. In war, people will die. Anyway, they have seen so many scenes of life and death, but they don't care anymore and are eating nonsense.
Yang Ling and the others, who were believed to be dead in battle, were quickly forgotten in the sea of drinking.
Liu Ming's injury was not healed, and naturally he could not follow Liu Yidao and others around the city. However, Liu Yidao and others would naturally not forget him. Every time they went out, they would bring back good wine and meat, so that he could have fun without leaving home.
Can enjoy.
Liu Ming, who was lying in bed recovering from his injuries, had no idea that a huge opportunity was about to come to him and his brothers.
While Liu Ming and others were eating, drinking, and doing nothing in Jiangyin City, Yang Ling and others who were still in the occupied area did not receive such good treatment.
The patter of winter rain made the ground muddy. The bad weather prevented the Japanese reconnaissance planes from flying into the sky. Yang Ling and the others who were hiding in the village rarely got a chance to breathe.
Yang Ling simply ordered the team to temporarily hide in the village. They had been exhausted from running and fighting all the way, and now the continuous winter rain provided a good cover. The Japanese would not be able to come to the countryside for a while. It happened to be
Take time to rest.
Although Lao Yanqiang suggested that we should break out in the direction of Jiangyin, after all, we would not feel at ease staying in the occupied area.
But Yang Ling had his own considerations. They had been struggling too hard these days, and the Japs' blockade must have been strengthened. They might not be able to successfully break through and go back.
In addition, even if we successfully break through and return to Jiangyin, it will not be of much use. It is not cost-effective to just use a few dozen people and a few artillery shells to solve the problem.
Rather than risking a breakout, it is better to hide and recuperate on the spot. After the rest, you can wait for an opportunity to stab the Japanese, so why not do it.