The highway from Dihua via Lanzhou to Xi'an is collectively called the Northwest Highway.
Before the coastal areas were completely lost and the Burma Highway was not built, the Northwest Highway and the railway line passing through Vietnam's Haiphong were the only ways to connect China with the outside world. The National Government purchased machinery and equipment from the West, and the Soviet government provided aid to the people.
The government's military supplies must enter China through these two channels.
However, because the Northwest Highway passes through a large area of uninhabited land, it is very dangerous.
In particular, there are countless horse bandits operating on both sides of the highway. These horse bandits are civilians during the day and bandits at night. Most of them are Han and Hui herdsmen who cannot survive nearby. This makes the northwest highway even more dangerous.
If there are convoys escorted by the army, the rest of the small caravans will most likely be robbed by horse bandits.
The military supplies aided by the Soviet government to the Nationalist government were escorted by the army. Even if Qingma and Ningma had their own ideas, they would not dare to do anything about it. After all, the national crisis was imminent. If they dared to send troops to pretend to be horse bandits to rob the Nationalist Army's military supplies at this time,
, will definitely arouse Chiang Kai-shek's wrath.
However, private companies and chambers of commerce do not receive this treatment for their supplies.
However, as long as the convoys of these companies and chambers of commerce use the slogan of collecting anti-war supplies, Qingma and Ningma will not dare to be too presumptuous. At most, they will find ways to collect a few cents. As for the horse bandits along the way, due to the large number of people in these convoys,
Moreover, they were protected by armed forces, so they basically did not dare to touch them. Therefore, the Eighth Route Army Office in Dihua wanted to use the name of Xinchang Company to transport the six trucks of weapons and ammunition aided by the Soviet Communist Party back to Yan'an.
As soon as Yu Shichang returned to the garrison, he ordered the guard platoon to assemble urgently.
This guard platoon is used to protect the office. It has a small number of people, but the equipment is good. Most of the members are remnants of the Western Route Army, and their military quality is very good.
After a while, more than 40 veterans from the guard platoon had assembled.
Yu Shichang said a few words briefly and then led the guard platoon to the station.
After receiving the supplies at the station, more than 40 veterans boarded seven trucks of Xinchang Company. Six of them were loaded with military supplies, and the other one was specially used to seat people, otherwise a platoon of soldiers could not fit in it.
Then we met up with vehicles from other companies or chambers of commerce and embarked on the long journey home together.
Four days later, the convoy entered Zhangye.
…
Zhangye Mansion, Headquarters of Three Hundred Brigades.
Chen Zhaoyin hurriedly walked into Han Qigong's office.
This Chen Zhaoyin is no ordinary person. He is not only Han Qigong's confidant, but also the patriarch of the Zhangye Chen family. Speaking of the Zhangye Chen family, it really has a long history. It is said that he is a descendant of the famous Western Han Dynasty general Chen Tang, which makes people excited.
The sentence "Anyone who openly offends our strong men will be punished no matter how far away" was left by Chen Tang.
Han Qigong imposed excessive taxes on the local area and was harsh on his subordinates, but he was still able to remain as stable as Mount Tai in Zhangye and not fall down. This was mainly because of the support of the Chen family and other large families! This was another strange phenomenon in the Republic of China. During the Republic of China, local clans
The power is beyond your imagination. Because of this, the National Government's power can only reach the county level.
After the founding of New China, local clan power was shattered through large-scale land transformation.
Back to business, Chen Zhaoyin asked as soon as he entered the door: "Mr. Yu, I heard that you are going to send troops to rob the Eighth Route Army supplies?"
Han Qigong made a sound, looked up and saw Chen Zhaoyin, and smiled and said: "Ah Yin is back, has your eye disease been cured?"
Chen Zhaoyin had an eye disease, so he went to Xi'an for medical treatment a while ago. However, he heard on the way that Han Qigong was going to send troops to rob the Eighth Route Army's supplies, so he hurried back.
Chen Zhaoyin said: "Let's not talk about the eye disease for now. Mr. Yu, have you sent any troops?"
Han Qigong was made a little uncomfortable by Chen Zhaoyin's eager and tough attitude. Although Chen Zhaoyin was the patriarch of the Zhangye Chen family, Han Qigong usually treated him with great respect, but his staff were still staff, so talking to him like this was a bit excessive.
, then said in a calm tone: "So what if I send troops, so what if I don't send troops?"
"If we don't send troops, it won't matter." Chen Zhaoyin paused and said in a deep voice, "If we send troops, it will be a big trouble."
"How big is the trouble?" Han Qigong asked, "How big is it?"
Chen Zhaoyin said seriously: "Trouble bigger than the sky!"
"Trouble bigger than the sky?" Han Qigong said, "I don't believe it."
Chen Zhaoyin stamped his feet and said, "Mr. Yu, haven't you ever thought about why Ma Bufang didn't just grab six carts of military supplies and such a big piece of fat, but insisted on revealing this news to you?
Mr. Yu, are you sending troops to rob him? When did Ma Bufang become so kind?"
Han Qigong immediately paused in his heart.
Yes, when did Ma Bufang become so kind?
I remember that the Eighth Route Army also shipped a batch of supplies to Yan'an last year. After Han Qigong got the news, he had already made preparations to send troops to rob him. However, before this batch of supplies entered Zhangye Ye, he asked that little brat Ma Jiyuan to do it in the Death Canyon outside Yumen Pass.
They robbed it and reportedly annihilated a cavalry battalion of the Eighth Route Army.
Why didn't Ma Bufang let Ma Jiyuan snatch it this time?
Could it be that there is really something wrong here? Han Qigong began to beat his head.
At that moment, Han Qigong asked in a low voice: "Ah Yin, is there really a problem here?"
"Of course there is a problem, and it's a big problem!" Chen Zhaoyin stamped his feet again and said, "Mr. Yu, have you ever heard of Xu Rui and his wolf fangs?"
"Xu Rui, Langya? Of course I have heard of it." Han Qigong said, "He is a hero of the Anti-Japanese War. He is a great fighter."
Chen Zhaoyin said: "This Xu Rui has already brought his Langya Brigade to Yan'an, which is very close to our Hexi Province. Ma Bufang was worried that if he robbed this batch of supplies, the Eighth Route Army would settle the old and new accounts with him, so he
By reluctantly pushing such a piece of fat to you, Mr. Yu, Ma Bufang is trying to bring trouble to you, Mr. Yu."
When Chen Zhaoyin spoke to this extent, Han Qigong finally came to his senses.
At that moment, Han Qigong said in panic: "But, I have asked Zhaoxiang to go to the high platform to set up an ambush."
"What? A high platform?!" When Chen Zhaoyin heard this, his eyes suddenly darkened and he almost fainted on the spot.
Chen Zhaoyin yelled in his heart, Han Qigong, you are a slut, can you be any better? Even if you really want to rob supplies, you should let Ma Zhaoxiang go outside Yumen Pass, or simply wait until the Eighth Route Army supplies pass Zhangye.
In this way, after the Dongchuang Incident occurs, you can still shift the responsibility to others and muddy the waters. It would be better for you to directly send troops under your own control to rob it. Is this because you are afraid that the Eighth Route Army will not know that it was you, Han Qigong, who did it or something?
However, even if I scolded him in my heart, as a staff member, I should still try my best to assist Dong Weng.
At that moment, Chen Zhaoyin asked: "Mr. Yu, quickly send someone to stop Ma Zhaoxiang!"
"Okay, okay, I'll send someone right now!" Han Qigong nodded repeatedly and called a guard in from outside the door. Then he asked him to take his own handwritten order and ride a fast horse to Gaotai County to stop Ma Zhaoxiang.
…
However, it's too late.
Almost at the same time, the independent cavalry battalion led by Ma Zhaoxiang surrounded the Xinchang Company's convoy in a Populus euphratica forest in Baijiodagou. Of course, Ma Zhaoxiang and his cavalry did not wear the uniforms of the National Army, but changed into
All kinds of rags and rags dressed up as thieves.
"Barking, I opened this road and planted this tree. If you want to pass by from now on, leave money to buy the road!" Ma Zhaoxiang covered his face with a scarf, blocked his horse in the middle of the road, and shouted to the sky, "Those who know the truth, put it down."
Keep the goods and get out of here!"
Yu Shichang got down from the passenger seat of a truck and stepped forward to answer: "I am the deputy manager of Xinchang Company. I was ordered by my employer to transport a batch of materials back to Xi'an..."
Ma Zhaoxiang interrupted impatiently: "I'm in charge of your Xinchang Company and Jiuchang Company. Leave the supplies and everyone, get out! I'll only give you ten seconds. If you don't get out within ten seconds, don't blame me."
Ruthless."
Yu Shichang said: "Our Xinchang Company is transporting anti-war supplies, how dare you touch it?"
"Hey, hey, anti-war materials? What a big deal!" Ma Zhaoxiang sneered twice, then he took out his pistol, pointed it at Yu Shichang's chest and shot him.
Yu Shichang was caught off guard and was shot and fell to the ground.
"I don't care whether you resist or not, I will kill them all!" Ma Zhaoxiang shouted sternly, "Don't let any of them go!"
The officers and soldiers of the Independent Cavalry Battalion immediately rushed towards them, waving their sabers and howling. Because the distance was too close, the Eighth Route Army soldiers escorting the car only fired one shot, and the bandit soldiers of the Ma Jiajun had already rushed in front of them. The Ma Jiajun was notoriously fierce.
Even the Japanese were no match for them in close combat. Although these forty-odd Eighth Route Army soldiers were all veteran Red Army soldiers, they still couldn't defeat the Ma's Army bandits in close combat. Within a moment, all the forty-odd veterans fell into a pool of blood.
middle.
Not only the fleet of Xinchang Company, but also the fleets of other companies and chambers of commerce also suffered.
Ma Zhaoxiang rode over Yu Shichang's body and came to a truck.
The two bandit soldiers who were quick to see the opportunity quickly jumped on the truck and opened the canvas covering the compartment, revealing a mountain of long wooden crates inside. One of the bandit soldiers even pulled out his bayonet and pried it open in a few clicks.
He took a mouthful of the box, and after opening it, there were yellow rifle bullets inside. Ma Zhaoxiang's eyes immediately lit up.
It seems right, these are the military supplies of the Eighth Route Army.
It's good now, Han Qigong is in big trouble this time!
Just as I was thinking about it, the sound of rapid horse hooves suddenly came from behind me.
When he looked back, he saw an orderly beside Han Qigong galloping towards him on a fast horse. A sneer immediately appeared on Ma Zhaoxiang's lips. It was too late to stop him at this time! Not only the supplies of the Eighth Route Army were robbed, but also
Even the members of the Eighth Route Army had been killed, and now the hatred between the two families was growing.
At that moment, Ma Zhaoxiang rode up and said loudly: "The host sent you to ask for information? Please tell the host that we have finished the work, the supplies have been obtained, and the eight escorts have been killed by us. No information will be leaked!"
After saying that, he turned to the cavalry behind him and shouted, "Dig a big hole and bury everyone!"
The correspondent who came to deliver the order was stunned. The work was already done?
