Hebian Zhengzo's complexion turned from green to gray, then from gray to white, but soon returned to the same color as before.
Kawabe Shozo turned to face Nishio Shouzou and bowed deeply, and then said sincerely: "Your Excellency, General, I still think that the battle of Erniuniangpo is just an accident, and a single defeat is not enough to explain the problem. Moreover, for
The raids in the Damei Mountain area have already begun, and stopping at this time will only embolden the opponent's arrogance."
Nishio Juzo asked with a gloomy expression: "Kawabe-san, do you really think this is just an accident?"
"Hai!" Hebian Zhengsan said after a pause, "Your Excellency, the general, you have learned clearly that an accidental defeat is not enough to explain..."
However, before Hebian Zhengsan could finish his words, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded behind him. When he looked back, he saw a communications staff officer walking in hastily.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff!" the communications staff officer nodded towards Masaichi by the river and reported, "I just received an urgent call from the Osaka Division. The Osaka Division's forward, the Eighth Infantry Regiment, was attacked near Qiaotou Town, fifty miles away from Pucheng.
During the night attack, within half an hour, the 1st Infantry Battalion of the 8th Infantry Regiment was completely wiped out."
"Nani?" Hebian Zhengzo's face turned pale again.
At this moment, Kawabe Shozo's mood was extremely gloomy. He had just told Nishio Juzo that the defeat at Erguniangpo was just an accident and was not enough to explain anything. But as soon as he finished speaking, the Osaka Division reported that the infantry
The First Battalion of the Eighth Regiment was completely wiped out by the Dameishan Independent Regiment.
This is simply unpleasant to talk about?
This is simply because God won’t let him live!
Sure enough, Nishio Shouzou sighed and said: "Hebiansan, the 8th Infantry Regiment defeated the Dameishan Independent Regiment by defeating an infantry brigade again, and it took less than half an hour. You still think that Erguniangpo's
The failure was just an accident? Do you still think that the sweep plan should continue to be implemented? "
Hebian Zhengzo was speechless. He wanted to say that the raiding plan must be implemented, but would it be effective?
Judging from Nishio Hiszo's appearance, it was obvious that he had decided to compromise with reality and the base camp. At this time, it was useless for him to say that it was useless to break the sky, so he might as well just shut up to avoid embarrassing himself.
However, things soon took another turn. The communications staff officer just paused and said, "Your Excellency, General, the commander of the Miyake Division has some very regrettable news to tell you. Your son, Shigeichi..."
Nishio Juzo's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he couldn't help but asked anxiously: "What's wrong with Juichi?"
Next to him, Shozo Kawabe, Jun Nakamura, and the staff in the war room also immediately pricked up their ears.
The communications staff officer sighed and continued: "My condolences, General. Your son, Shigeichi, also died for the empire during the night attack early this morning." After a pause, the communications staff officer immediately continued, "But the commander of the Miyake Division said,
My son is facing the crushing of the Chinese army. He is a real samurai and a real soldier!"
However, Nishio Juzo didn't listen to the next few words at all. The only thing that echoed repeatedly in Nishio Juzo's mind was that his son Juichi died for the empire in the night attack early this morning. Juichi actually died.
Oh, he's actually dead! The most promising and promising son of the Nishio family, Shigeichi, the son he valued most, is dead!
Almost in an instant, Nishio Shouzo's back stooped, his eyebrows drooped, and his skin suddenly became saggy. His whole person seemed to have aged ten years suddenly, and his previous high-spiritedness had become sluggish. Kawabe Shozo, Nakamura Shunkazu
The staff members looked at this scene dumbfounded and couldn't believe their eyes.
They had no idea that General Nishio, who had always been serious in speech and always gave people the impression of a rigid traditional soldier, would actually have such an almost weak side?
Under the gaze of everyone, Nishio Hisao mechanically turned around, mechanically stepped, and mechanically walked back to the office, and then gently closed the door of the office, and then there was no sound inside. Nakamura Jun and the staff of the staff department
They looked at each other, not knowing what to do next.
Only Zhengzo by the river seemed to see a glimmer of hope again.
Without any hesitation, Kawabe Shozo immediately entered Nishio Juzo's office.
When Shozo Kawabe opened the door and walked into Nishio Hisao's office, he was surprised to find that Nishio Siuzou was sitting cross-legged on the tatami, and there was a photo frame on the square table in front of him. On the photo frame was a man in military uniform.
A young officer with great vigour, who else could it be but Nishio Juichi, the only son of Nishio Juzo?
Hisao Nishio may be a rigid soldier, but he is still essentially a human being and a father.
As long as he is a father, there is no one who does not love his children. Facing Nishio Juichi's photo frame, Nishio Hisao burst into tears. Nishio Hisao suddenly felt regretful. Maybe he should not have sent Juichi to the frontline troops? However, even if Nishio Juichi is now
Even if he regrets his actions, it is impossible to exchange for the life of his son, Nishio Juichi.
After regret, what follows is hatred, overwhelming hatred!
Nishio Shouzou suddenly raised his head, his usually smiling face looked particularly eerie and terrifying at the moment. He said to Kawabe Shozo almost word for word: "Kawabe-san, I know what you want to say to me. I
I also know very well what you want to do, so just go ahead and do it. I will tell them over at the base camp that I only have one request."
"Hai!" Hebian Zhengsan nodded and said, "Please give me your instructions, General."
Nishio Shouzo said in a ferocious voice: "We must win, we must level Damei Mountain!"
"Hai!" Hebian Zhengsan paused again, then slowly raised his head and said in a ferocious voice, "General, don't worry, on the day the Damei Mountain District is wiped out, every one in the Damei Mountain District from Xu Rui on down will be killed.
No mercy! I will use the blood of hundreds of thousands of Chinese people in the Damei Mountain area to pay homage to the heroic spirit of Master Chongyi!"
Nishio Juzo nodded silently.
(Dividing line)
Damei Mountain, at the foot of Qingniu Ridge.
Wang Husheng, with a bamboo hat on his head and a hoe in his hand, looked like an old farmer.
After Wang Husheng's death, thousands of civilians were divided into hundreds of groups. Each group had a dozen or dozens of people, each responsible for a section of the ridge. They first cut down the trees and bushes on the ridge, and cleared a road with a width of more than ten meters.
channel, and then remove the vegetation on the channel to expose the surface. This is a standard fire road.
As long as there are no strong winds, a fire escape of this width is enough to block wildfires.
If there is a windy day, it will be useless even if you build a 100-meter-wide fire escape.
Wang Husheng said to Xu Rui: "Old Xu, time is still tight. We have only repaired less than 5,000 miles so far. However, the slopes to the west of the main peak of Qingniuling have basically been repaired. If we have two more days, at least we can still do it.
We will build another five thousand miles and complete all the slopes east of Qingniu Ridge. Then we won’t be afraid of little devils setting fire to it."
"It's enough to repair the west side." Xu Rui nodded and said, "It's useless to repair too much."
Wang Husheng said: "What do you mean, it's enough to cultivate like this?"
"Okay." Xu Rui nodded and said, "What you have to do now is to organize a group of civilians to quietly go back with the militiamen in Shan County to improve the tunnel network in Shan County. The main force of the Kumamoto Division is currently gathered here.
There must be troops garrisoned at the foot of Qingniuling and in Shanxian County behind, but it is impossible for the Japs to garrison in the vast countryside."
Wang Husheng was surprised when he heard this and said: "Why, the Japanese have already reached Qingniuling, and they still want to build tunnels in Shanxian County?"
"Of course we have to repair it!" Xu Rui chuckled and added, "Repairing the tunnel will not only prevent the Japanese from attacking, but also prevent the Japanese from escaping! Hehe, when the Kumamoto Division is at the end of its rope and wants to retreat, the Japanese will discover that,
They have been trapped in endless tunnel battles and cannot move forward at all!"
"That's okay." Wang Husheng said, "I'll go organize the people when I get back."
After finishing speaking, Wang Husheng sighed again and said with some pain: "Old Xu, we are bleeding heavily this time."
This time the Dameishan Military Division is really bleeding a lot. For this counter-mopping up, they recruited 200,000 civilians and worked hard for nearly half a month. These civilians did not work for free. They had to pay for one day of recruiting them.
Wang Husheng's standard for a day's wages is half a dime per person per day, which for 200,000 people is 10,000 yuan a day!
Within half a month, 150,000 yuan had been spent on the account.
Xu Rui said: "Old Wang, don't worry about the money. If you win the counter-mopping up, you will get everything back."
Wang Husheng added: "Speaking of this anti-sweep operation, Lao Xu, tell me the truth, how confident are you?"
Just as Xu Rui was about to answer, he saw Xiao Taohong running over and reported: "Uncle, there is an urgent call from Nanjing!"
While talking, Xiao Taohong had already arrived in front of Xu Rui, and handed another telegram to Xu Rui. Xu Rui reached out and took it, only glanced at it, and his expression immediately changed.
Wang Husheng asked: "Old Xu, whose telegram is it?"
"It belongs to Shun Nakamura." Xu Rui said in a deep voice, "He reported bad news. The Seventh Battalion annihilated a brigade of the Osaka Regiment in Qiaotou Town early this morning. The deputy captain of this brigade was called Nishio Juichi.
He is the only son of Nishio Hisao, the commander of the Central China Condemnation Army, so we are in trouble!"
"Trouble?" Wang Husheng asked in confusion, "What trouble can this cause? This is a good thing."
"Shun Nakamura said in the telegram that the death of Nishio Juichi was a great blow to Nishio Juzo. Nishio had already retreated, but after hearing the news, he immediately changed his mind and asked Kawa to
Bian Zhengsan will wipe out our Dameishan Military Division at all costs, so I am worried that Hebian Zhengsan may jump over the wall in a hurry."
"A dog jumps over the wall in a hurry?" Wang Husheng asked puzzledly, "What does this mean?"
Xu Rui said: "The so-called desperate situation means that when Pucheng could not be attacked for a long time, we ordered the Osaka Division and the 8th Tank Regiment to directly cross Pucheng, risking our logistical supplies being cut off, and attack Meixian! If the river
Bian Zhengsan is really anxious to jump over the wall, but we must guard against it. Meixian's defense is too empty."