The chief of staff of the Japanese North China Front Headquarters walked into the commander's office and reported with a serious face.
"Your Excellency, Commander, I just called and sent a message to Yixian, but there was no response. I am worried that something may have happened in Yixian!"
The commander was not worried at all and answered confidently: "There are more than 3,000 imperial troops and imperial associate troops in Yi County, and they are under our noses. What could happen?"
"If I remember correctly, Mr. Miki issued a military order to the headquarters yesterday morning. If the road is not built before dawn and the Eighth Route Army in the territory is not killed, he will apologize to His Majesty the Emperor."
"Is it because he didn't complete the mission and didn't dare to answer the call from the headquarters?"
The chief of staff nodded and replied: "It's not impossible. I'll contact them later."
Two hours later, the chief of staff came to the commander's office again, his serious face obviously more serious.
"Your Excellency Commander, we have not contacted Yi County yet."
"No matter how brave Lieutenant Colonel Miki is, he would not dare to refuse calls from the headquarters several times in a row, and there is no response from their radio station."
"In order to prevent an accident from happening, I took the initiative without authorization and contacted the counties closest to Yixian County, asking them to immediately send people to Yixian County to find out what happened. I also asked them to use the radio to make continuous calls to see what happened?"
The commander's confidence disappeared, a trace of worry flashed across his face, and then he began to recall all the intelligence and battle reports about Yi County.
The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong.
Hundreds of Eighth Route Army troops have been suppressed for nearly ten days and have not been wiped out. This is extremely abnormal.
Although he had not been to the battlefield in person, the soldier's intuition told him that there must be some ulterior conspiracy.
The original idea was that there were more than 3,000 troops stationed in Yixian County, and Lieutenant Colonel Miki was a battle-hardened veteran. Even if the Eighth Route Army really had any conspiracy, the Yixian garrison could solve it with its own strength.
Now it seems that I not only overestimated the ability of Lieutenant Colonel Miki, but also underestimated the strength of these hundreds of Eighth Route Army troops.
The chief of staff's analysis was very correct. No matter how courageous Lieutenant Colonel Miki was, he would not dare to refuse calls from the headquarters many times or reply to telegrams from the headquarters.
Now the phone is out of service, there is no response to the telegram, and there is no news at all. There is only one possibility: something is wrong in Yixian County.
Of course, this is just the worst-case scenario.
There is another possibility: there is something wrong with the radio station in Yixian County, and the phone lines were cut off by the Eighth Route Army operating there.
But no matter what the possibility is, contacting Yixian is a top priority.
The commander's frown deepened, and he stared at the chief of staff and ordered decisively: "It's too slow to send people to Yixian County. It takes several hours to go back and forth."
"Send a plane directly to Yi County for low-altitude reconnaissance."
"If something goes wrong in Yixian County, the plane will definitely be able to find out."
In Yi County, the fighting is still going on.
Although it was an act, the intensity was no less intense than a real battle.
"Captain, the total number of Japanese and puppet troops inside is less than 400, and most of them are puppet troops. How about I send troops to attack them directly and kill them!" Sun Jiawu, the guard company commander, said with an eager face.
Political commissar Wang Hong also showed an expression of approval: "You also agree to kill them."
"If we continue to fight like this, if a Japanese plane comes over for low-altitude reconnaissance, the news that we have captured Yixian County will definitely be leaked."
This is also Li Hao's biggest concern.
I have made a promise to Chen Fusheng, the Chief of Staff of the Imperial Association Army, and I should fulfill my promise both emotionally and logically, otherwise it will definitely have a bad impact on the reputation of the Eighth Route Army.
Besides, having Chen Fusheng as an insider in the heart of the Japanese will only bring benefits to the garrison, but no harm.
But the political commissar's worries are not unreasonable. As long as the Japanese send planes over for reconnaissance, the garrison will definitely be exposed. There is no doubt about this.
"We must find a way to get the best of both worlds!" Li Hao secretly made up his mind.
After thinking about it for two minutes, he suddenly asked.
"How many little devils are there in the encirclement?"
"No more than a hundred!"
"Then there is a way!" Li Hao shouted with his eyes shining, and then ordered: "Find a way to contact Xiao Yuan inside. The plan has changed. I have something to tell him."
An hour later, the remaining Japanese and puppet troops in Yi County went crazy. Mortars, light and heavy machine guns were all aimed at the encirclement.
Five minutes later, more than a hundred puppet troops rushed out of the courtyard where they were hiding and launched a counterattack against the encirclement that had just been covered by fire.
In less than ten minutes, a breach was made in the encirclement.
All this was seen by Chen Fusheng and the little Japanese chief of staff.
"Taijun, our judgment is correct. In order to prevent aircraft bombing, the Eighth Route Army that attacked us last night withdrew, leaving only a small number of troops here to surround us." Chen Fusheng said with a compliment.
This breakout battle was a temporary decision by Li Hao. Only by driving the Japanese out of Yixian could the planes not see the flames of war.
Chen Fusheng also wants to leave here.
Although I have made an agreement with the Eighth Route Army, it is too unsafe to be surrounded by heavy troops of the Eighth Route Army.
It would be a big loss if he could be killed by accident.
Seeing that the Japanese chief of staff was as relieved as himself, Chen Fusheng continued.
"We can't stay here any longer. If the reinforcements don't arrive in Yixian before dark, the Eighth Route Army will definitely destroy us here tonight."
"Only by breaking out of the encirclement, leaving Yixian County, and hiding in the nearby mountains so that the Eighth Route Army cannot find us, can we all have a way to survive."
"When the reinforcements arrive in Yixian, we will go out and cooperate with the reinforcements to retake Yixian from the Eighth Route Army."
"Yo Xi..." The chief of staff also showed an expression of approval.
No one wants to die, and the Japanese chief of staff is no exception.
Faced with the hope of survival, he had no doubts about Chen Fusheng's words and immediately ordered: "The troops will start breaking out of Yixian now."
In the past four hundred days, under Li Hao's deliberate release of water, the puppet troops rushed out of the county with less than a hundred men, and then marched towards the nearest mountain.
Of course, the role must be played to the fullest.
The guard company chased after them closely, as if they would not give up until they were killed.
Of course, whether it was a breakout battle inside the city or a pursuit battle outside the city, most of the casualties were little Japs.
After the Japanese and puppet troops ran for nearly three hours and rushed into the mountains, there were less than 200 troops left and less than 20 Japs left. Even the Japs chief of staff was injured and was lying on a stretcher and being carried by others during the march.
.
Because the Eighth Route Army was chasing them behind them, even if a plane passed overhead at this time, they did not dare to show their heads.
In the county town, the troops and the people who helped with transportation were cleaning the battlefield, and many people put on Japanese and puppet army uniforms and stood on the city wall.
The huge plaster flag has also been hung on the top of the city, swaying in the wind, looking precarious.
Less than an hour after the breakout ended, all traces of the battle in Yixian County were wiped out by the garrison.
Looking down from the air, today's Yixian County is almost exactly the same as yesterday, except that there are fewer people active in the city.
The soldiers pretending to be Japanese soldiers and the Imperial Army were patrolling and sentrying as usual.
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