Chapter 44 Crossing the River at Night

  That day, Yongwa Zi came running with a sad face and said: "Captain, please spare me. I can run two more laps every day, as long as I don't have to read or write, and I'll take care of all the daily chores myself?"

  Yang Xing was shocked and couldn't help but ask in detail, wanting to know that the brave girl was after all a veteran of his own artillery company, which had fought many bloody battles and suffered heavy casualties during the Western Expedition to Tibet.

  Originally, Yongwa Zi was very eager to fight from a young age and couldn't sit still. When he first heard that the whole regiment was launching an illiteracy eradication campaign, he felt a few surprises in his heart and immediately sat down with other soldiers to learn with great difficulty.

  But the pen is too small, compared to that big knife thing, it's completely inconvenient to hold.

  After struggling for several days, I finally mastered the way to hold a pen, but what the teacher taught often couldn't be remembered. In the process of reading books, wrong words were often written, and after half a month, I became the worst student in the whole class.

  On the day when the exam results were announced, Yongwa saw that he had failed and thought about how he used to be the top scorer in various military training exercises. In hand-to-hand combat, he could often take on several people at once, but unexpectedly, he performed so poorly in this learning process. Seeing this, Yongwa was naturally very angry and rushed over to find Yang Xing, demanding that his qualification for study be cancelled.

  Yang Xing immediately called over the company commanders, battalion commanders and main instructors to ask in detail. Without a doubt, each class had such typical examples. They made ruthless remarks that even if they were locked up, they would not be willing to learn to write.

  Zhu Sanmin, the battalion commander of the camp where Yong Wazi was located, saw that Yong Wazi had actually made a scene at the regimental headquarters and his face turned iron-gray: "Yong Wazi, how can you be so heartless? Don't you know that reading and writing are for your own good?"

  Yongwa Zi hunched his back and said: "Camp Commander, I was blinded by the pork fat, I know this is for my own good, but, Brigade Commander, all officers, Yongwa Zi can still fight, but writing... really struggling."

  Zhu Sanmin looked at Yang Xing and said: "Captain, for this kind of person, it's better to lock them up in solitary confinement. Just two days will do the trick."

  He stretched and smiled: "Zhu Ying Chang, if locking up for a day can make Rong Wa willing to write, I think I'm willing, he's also willing. But this is not feasible at all, you know, in our entire team, there are more than 80 people who openly declare that they don't want to read or write."

  Zhu Sanmin cried with a sad face: Captain, what can we do?

  Yang Xing laughed and said: Old Zhu, you should know that there is nothing impossible in this world, only the method is right or wrong. Let's do it this way, organize those who are unwilling to participate in learning, let the best cultural instructor teach them, let them train for half a day and study for half a day, every day in class activities, these people must recite 100 words of text.

  Two months have passed, and now it is January of the 2nd year of the Republic, nearing the Lunar New Year. The sensational effect of the Model Troupe's arrival in northern Sichuan has long since dissipated, and everyone is busy celebrating the holiday.

  On this day, Yang Xing had just discussed the suppression of bandits with several officers from the headquarters when a guard came to report that Yang Daniu had sneaked into the Model Regiment, saying he had important military information to report.

  Yang Xing was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to invite the fourth child in.

  When the model regiment arrived in Shunqing, the entire regiment also underwent reorganization. The original regimental commander Wang Huixu and Cheng Peng were promoted to deputy regimental commanders by Yang Xing, along with the regiment's chief of staff, forming a command structure to lead the model regiment.

  Battalion Commander Zhu Sanmin

  Second Battalion Commander Wang Sima

  The three battalion commanders were He Erchuan

  Four battalion commander Zhang Dajun

  Liu Ergou, the commander of the artillery camp

  Teach Yang Da Niu continuously

  Yang Dainiu was sent to Hua E, and Wang Xianxu and others also knew about it, but they had never figured out Yang Xing's intention. Now that they saw Yang Xing so excited, they felt extremely puzzled.

  The intelligence brought by Si Wawa was very timely. Through two months of open and secret investigations, the situation of Huang Qingyuan's gang of bandits has now been clarified.

  The Huang Qingyuan gang currently has more than 500 bandits, who have been entrenched for a long time in the Liujiayuan Village of Tianchi Township, 50 miles east of Huaying Mountain. Relying on the danger of the roads and its location on the border between Shunqing and Suide Prefectures (now Daxian County), it is difficult for large armies to clear them out, thus controlling the mining trade in an area of nearly 50 miles around.

  Yang Dainiu also drew a simple map of Tianchi Township, with the town facing the scenic Tianchi Lake to the east and surrounded by land on its other three sides. From Huawu to Tianchi Town, there are only two roads that can be taken: one is a small road that passes through Qing Shan Slope and leads directly to Li Jia Wan. This small path is rugged and difficult to traverse, but Si Wawa once disguised himself as a medicinal herb collector and led an reconnaissance team on the road twice, citing the complex and changeable weather in northern Sichuan, where every morning in winter was shrouded in thick fog that only allowed visibility of a few meters. The other is a main road, which requires taking a detour of over ten miles, passing through Ou Zi Dong, Gu Yan Gou, and Qi Li Ping before arriving at Tianchi Town. This road is relatively flat and suitable for setting up artillery positions, especially in Qi Li Ping, where the entire Tianchi Town bandit lair can be monitored.

  Taking the main road has a problem, that is Huang Qingyuan set up checkpoints in Ou Zidong, Guyan Town and Qilipeng, making it difficult to enter.

  Yang Xing furrowed his brow and said: "How are the bandits defending? Is there no way to sneak in ahead of time?"

  Yang Dainiu was taken aback: "During this reconnaissance, we were checked many times on the main road, but on the small roads, the bandits' vigilance was very lax, and we only encountered a single bandit outpost."

  Yang Xing shook his head and said: "The bandits shouldn't be checking for spies, they're collecting protection fees."

  Yang Dainiu was shocked and said, "Yes, every time the bandits inspected us, they asked me to pay them a few dollars. Ah, that's it! The bandits weren't really inspecting us, but just blocking our way to extort money."

  Wang Xiu also smiled and said, "The Yellow Bandits have more than 500 people, while you Huajun militia only have over 50 people. How can the bandits possibly take you seriously? We can take advantage of their arrogance and use the winter dew to catch them off guard."

  Yang Xing thought for a long time and said: "The deputy captain's words are extremely correct, let alone now is the Chinese New Year, how can bandits celebrate the new year?"

  Yang Dainiu immediately replied: "There is a local custom here, which is to pass the seventh but not the eighth. Now that the New Year's Eve is approaching, I have inquired and found out that the bandits will celebrate the Little New Year on the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month."

  Yang Xing's face turned stern and he said, "The bandits have been robbing and plundering, causing countless families to be broken and people to lose their lives. They've made it impossible for many to live in peace. In that case, this year we'll go pay our New Year's respects to the notorious tiger of northern Sichuan."

  They immediately gathered around the map and whispered to each other, then suddenly slammed their fists on the table: "Everyone, since our model regiment has set out to suppress bandits in Shunqing, we absolutely have no reason to disappoint our parents and fellow villagers. We must also break some people's rumors that we have forgotten our roots after arriving in Shunqing, only knowing how to control the army but not truly suppressing bandits."

  Starting from the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, our troops and those in northern Sichuan no longer drill every day as they used to. As the officers say, we soldiers should celebrate the New Year now that it's here; how can we still drill like before?

  Now stationed on the White Tower Mountain, only the newly formed fourth battalion commander Zhang Dajun, the other three infantry battalions and artillery battalions secretly left the White Tower Mountain yesterday, unknown whereabouts.

  Zhang Dajun originally wanted to volunteer, but the team leader was also right. Baita Mountain is the foundation of our model team and needs someone to stay behind. So, he drew a lot and unfortunately got picked, so he had to stay on Baita Mountain.

  Zhang Dajun knew that the model regiment had a major operation in the past two days. The four regiments of the whole division, with more than 1,000 people, were following the commander's orders, taking advantage of the recent heavy rain to disguise themselves and secretly gather at Mount Huaying, preparing to wipe out the old lair of Huang Qingyuan, the evil tiger of northern Sichuan.

  For this campaign, the commander-in-chief attached great importance to it. Since the Chinese officials and bandits are indistinguishable, this operation not only had to be kept secret from the local bandits but also from the vast majority of government officials.

  On the evening of December 26, the Sichuan army arrived secretly at the designated assembly point, Bai Muzi Mountain, about 15 miles away from the rebel stronghold of Liujiayuanzi. The Sichuan army was holding a secret pre-war mobilization meeting.

  Yang Dainiu personally welcomed Yang Xing at a quadrangle courtyard under the Baishan Mountain, which was a typical second-class courtyard of a small landlord in northern Sichuan.

  As they walked, he introduced: Team leader, everyone has arrived, Deputy team leader Wang, Chief of staff Cheng, and the battalion commanders of each battalion have all rushed over.

  Yang Xing nodded and asked: Big cow, how many guides are there? Are they reliable? ?? First release Ai Fa 44

  Yang Xing said with a serious expression: "Captain, these are all personally selected by me. Many of them are from northern Sichuan, disguised as peddlers or medicine collectors, and they have all gone to take a look."

  Yang Xing nodded and came to the conference room, seeing Wang Huixu, Cheng Peng and others were all seated, shook hands one by one, and asked: "Is everything normal when you arrived? We have thousands of people arriving in this poor mountain valley in a few days, and we are still very unfamiliar with the surrounding villagers."

  Wang Xuanxu smiled and said: "Captain, everyone is in disguise, each group has seven or eight people, dressed as different people. I just asked around, nothing unexpected?"

  Wang Si smiled and said: "Captain, Huang Qingyuan is very arrogant, within 10 li of Liu's family, there are his men patrolling, but they only collect money and don't ask about the government army at all."

  Zhu Sanmin took over the topic and said: Captain, on this road, our regiment was extorted 120 taels of silver. The brothers are very indignant. Someone scolded, "This bandit is too cruel!"

  Yang Xing nodded and looked at Yang Da Niu. He pulled open the curtains on the wall, and Yang Xing was shocked to see that it was a map of the Liu family's neighborhood.

  Yang Xing smiled and pointed to the map: "Big cow, you guys confirm this map again. Cheng Shouzhang, you and the staff officers work out a battle plan for this time. I'll go down with Wang Deputy Regiment Commander to take a look at our new brothers."

  Just as they reached the gate, they ran into a man in his 50s. The old man looked at Yang Xing with trembling hands and said: "Commander, these bandits are outrageous, there are 500 of them, a full 500 people, so many, can you eliminate them?"

  Yang Xing laughed and said: Old man, I don't know what will happen, but all I know is that the outcome of things depends on human effort. We have done everything we should prepare for, now let's just wait for the result of tomorrow's war.

  Yang Da Niu took over the topic and said: Old man, don't worry. Our captain, you can't look at his young age, but he is a famous general of the Sichuan army. Last year, Wang Da's 100 or so bandits were swept away by him without anyone escaping. This year, the Tibetan barbarians had over 8,000 strong men and horses, but they were also defeated by our captain, so you can rest assured.

  This small landlord, wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket, was quite indignant and said: "Team leader, I've also made sacrifices. Last year, one of Huang Qingyuan's nephews actually ruined my family's young daughter-in-law, causing our family to be ridiculed and unable to hold our heads up. Only if you eliminate Huang Qingyuan can we stand upright as human beings."

  Yang Xing nodded and led a group of people to the soldiers stationed in this small village.