Chapter 145: Capturing the Stubborn Enemy with Wisdom

  Some propagandists are seen cheering everyone on and conveying combat orders.

  When Yang Xing arrived, they all stood up. A soldier asked: "Commander, I heard that as long as we fight bravely and make meritorious achievements on the battlefield, we can all become members of the Strong Country Association?"

  Yang Xing shook his head and said: To be brave in battle, to have many clever ideas for fighting, this is a prerequisite for joining the Strong Country Association. In addition, it's what your propaganda officers say, to unite soldiers, set an example in training, in combat, and in building military-civilian relations, only then can you become a member of the Strong Country Association.

  A soldier pointed at the propagandist and said: "Comrade Commander, what the propagandist didn't say earlier was that he mainly talked about the harm of bandits and the need to fight bravely."

  "This propagandist said: Dog Wa Zi, I've already talked about this when we were stationed, it's just that this time we haven't gotten to that lesson yet??" First issued on Ai Fa 145.

  Patting on the shoulder to comfort: Next time, we can't just emphasize military perspective. If we only emphasize military perspective and highlight bravery in battle, it's not enough. Our national meeting is about loving our country, hating enemies, and having a strong affection for our fellow villagers and people.

  A soldier in the corner suddenly said: Oh, I understand now. The propagandist just spoke for so long, and I still couldn't figure it out.

  Yang Xing shook his head and said: The propagandist just now mainly talked about specific methods, everyone must remember them firmly. To say that one loves the country, Li Hongzhang also says he loves the country, but in reality, he is a traitor. So, the things the propagandist talked about, we not only need to remember, but also flexibly apply them in combat, work and life.

  Another soldier who was very rough said: "Captain, it's not necessary to mobilize us, everyone knows about the bandits. Think back to our hometown that year when there was a drought and the harvest was very poor. During the New Year, several bandits ran to my house, robbed 10 bags of rice, and also took away my family's old yellow cow. Whenever I think of bandits, I get so angry."

  It's as if opening a treasure chest, everyone coming and going, talking about how your family is doing and how our family is doing.

  The propagandist saw that he was so undisciplined in front of the team leader, and was about to call a halt when Yang Xing stopped him, saying to the people around him: Propaganda is not just what we propagandists say, but more importantly, it's what the soldiers say. Only then can there be an effect of propaganda.

  However, Yang Xing did not have the mind to ponder this mobilization method. Accompanied by Wang Xiu and others, he was surrounding the map for the final deliberation.

  At this time, Yang Daniu brought a guide over and it turned out that Huang Qingyuan had sent out invitations to the four neighboring villages, asking them to come to Liu's old house tomorrow to celebrate the New Year.

  Wang Xiu immediately proposed that it was the bandits who received our army's urgent pursuit and were preparing to hold various wealthy and powerful people hostage for self-protection.

  He shook his head and said, "Our army's actions are cautious and Huang Qing is unlikely to know the whereabouts of our large army."

  In ancient times, bandits were killed without pardon. If you wanted to protect yourself by holding some wealthy merchants hostage, it was simply impossible.

  However, since that's the case, the plan was also corrected accordingly. It was immediately decided to have Cheng Peng lead the 2nd battalion and an artillery platoon take a small path to ambush at Bei Liangzi in the south, waiting for the main force to arrive before launching a direct attack on the bandits from behind.

  Additionally, Yang Daniu led the guard regiment to divide into several teams, secretly disguised as guests celebrating birthdays or visiting tombs, infiltrating Ou Zi Cave, Gu Yan Gou, and Qi Li Ping, resolving the hidden sentries along the way, and coordinating with Yang Xing's main force.

  The army secretly assembled and mobilized after a brief period of rest, then set out in secret, advancing eastward.

  The army rested in place at Bai Mu Shan. The next morning, the dew was extremely heavy and they could only vaguely see more than 10 meters ahead.

  Taking advantage of the dew, they set out in secret and had a very smooth journey. The bandits thought they were safe and sound, with no armed forces to threaten them within a hundred miles, so during this New Year's festival, they even invited some wealthy and powerful individuals who colluded with them to join their company.

  Thanks to the efforts of the Fourth Child and others over the past few months, the guards had already taken care of the small number of hidden sentries, allowing the main force to arrive at Tianchi Town.

  At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, Yang Xing had led his troops to arrive at Qiping Mountain. At this time, the dew had already dispersed, and the sun was also showing its lazy face. Without using a telescope, one could see that within a mile, Liu's house had more than a hundred rooms. In the middle of the courtyard, smoke was swirling, and from time to time, shouts were heard.

  He was overjoyed at once, waved his hand, and Wang Hsun-hsu led one camp to encircle from the north, while Ho Erh-ch'uan led three camps to encircle from the west.

  At a distance of 400 meters from the Liu family courtyard, Yang Xing used binoculars to confirm the positions of the first and third battalions again, and was carefully observing the scene inside the Liu family courtyard.

  Battalion Commander Liu Ergou looked at Yang Xing with both eyes and asked: Regimental Commander, can we open fire?

  Yang Xing took another look at the more than 10 small cannons beside him and then nodded to Liu Ergou.

  These gunners who had adjusted the shooting parameters long ago quickly loaded the shells into the small steel cannons, and in an instant the shells whizzed by, falling around the Liu family's courtyard.

  Through the telescope, I saw that the crowd of people who were originally drinking in the yard were like a frightened flock of sheep, holding their heads and fleeing in all directions, squeezing under various eaves.

  But just then a shell landed on the roof, not only blowing it in but also sending up a burst of flame.

  In an instant, the frightened crowd fled out of the gate and was about to flee north towards Hanpo Ridge when they were suddenly shot at by a battalion of soldiers hiding in the fields. Over a hundred bodies fell to the ground before retreating back to Liu's house like a tidal wave.

  During the retreat, three battalions had already inserted themselves from the west and blocked them. After a round of gunfire, the originally dense group of bandits became sparse and scattered.

  A small number of people who had dodged the bullets had just retreated back to the yard when suddenly the south side was breached. Cheng Peng led the second battalion in climbing over the wall from the south and killing their way in. The bandits were attacked on three sides, and they collapsed in disarray. Some of the weaker-willed ones had already raised their hands in surrender.

  The battle had been going on for less than twenty minutes, and there were only a few scattered gunshots in the Liu family's courtyard. Yang Xing knew that this time the bandit suppression was already a great success, so he immediately led a squad to hurry to the Liu family's courtyard.

  Corpses littered the entire way, piled up densely, with occasional groans from some severely injured people struggling to breathe, making one's hair stand on end.

  In less than twenty minutes, over two hundred bandits were killed. Now a group of captives are being held in the courtyard, waiting for local officials and gentry to come and identify them.

  Huang Qingyuan and a group of leaders were being led away with their hands cuffed behind their backs, each one kneeling down, completely devoid of the arrogant and overbearing air they had once had, and no longer daring to show off their ferocity.

  Yang Xing sat in the center of the courtyard, glaring at a group of people with great disgust, and said after a long time: "Huang Qingyuan, you come from a wealthy and noble family, how can you do such an unscrupulous thing? Are you not afraid that after death, you will not be able to see your ancestors?"

  Hearing the question from above, Huang Qingyuan raised his head and said: "Replying to Your Excellency, that wealthy family did not rise by cleverly taking advantage of others. Now is a time of war and chaos, now is the time to dominate one side."

  Yang Xing laughed loudly and said, "The world is in chaos, heroes use their lives for a just cause, but they cannot regard human life as worthless grass, nor can they disregard the lives of the common people, slaughtering them like fish and meat. Your strange and absurd views are nothing but the ravings of a madman."

  Huang Qingyuan's face darkened, and he said: "Cheng Wang defeated the bandits, General, your military tactics are strange. If you take away the sharpness of the cannons, if it is a hard battle, I, the evil tiger of northern Sichuan, am not necessarily afraid of the turtle son's model team."

  Yang Xing burst out laughing: "You're about to die and yet you still dare to boast of your eloquence, you wicked scoundrel, what do you know of military affairs?"

  At this point, Cui waved his hand and ordered the leader of the bandits to be taken away, awaiting a public trial in three days.

  Cheng Peng walked up to Yang Xing and whispered in his ear, "Commander, our entire troop has over 30 people injured and 6 dead. According to reports, except for the eight small bandits who escaped, there were 526 bandits in total, with 213 killed, 136 wounded, and 171 captured. Additionally, at the bandit camp, we seized over 80 rifles, more than 200 shotguns, and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. We also seized over 10 catties of gold, over 1,000 taels of silver, over 100,000 silver coins, and nearly 2,000 dan of rice and flour. As for the land deeds and high-interest loans, they are countless."

  Yang Xing laughed and said: What about those rural gentry who were invited as guests?

  Cheng Peng rubbed his nose and said: "Team leader, Huang Qingyuan invited more than 60 local gentry, among whom 5 were beaten to death, 13 were injured, and the rest were safe and sound."

  Yang Xing was overjoyed and laughed: "It seems that bandits are a scourge in one place, indeed a great harm."

  Cheng Peng saw Yang Xing so happy and immediately said: "Yes, in addition to these materials that were confiscated, Huang Qingyuan also occupied several mines and dozens of shops, with an estimated value of over 100,000 yuan. Moreover, there are nearly ten local rascals who colluded with him, and dozens of good women who were robbed by bandits."

  Yang Xing looked at Wang Huanxu and said, "Old Wang, follow the original plan. You lead the 1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion, and Guard Company to continue mopping up in Huaying Mountain, and eliminate the bandits lurking within a radius of over 100 miles around here."

  Looking at Cheng Peng, he smiled and said: "Old Cheng, I have an idea, I don't know if it's feasible. Mobilize the masses around us, let the brothers collect these bandits' evil deeds, interrogate these corrupt officials, see if they are in cahoots with the bandits. In this way, on the third day of the Lunar New Year, hold a public trial meeting in Huaying County to try these bandits and corrupt officials, and those who have blood debts will be punished severely."

  Cheng Peng exclaimed: "Comrade Tang, a public trial, like in Kangding, isn't that bad?"

  Thinking of the public trial in my previous life, and the re-education rally held in Kangding a few months ago, which had a great deterrent effect on criminals. He smiled immediately: nothing is good, let the people from all over the countryside come and see the ugly face of the evil tiger of northern Sichuan. In the past, he was touted as being incredibly powerful, with three heads and six arms, but at that time, everyone would see what this evil tiger of northern Sichuan and his gang of bandits really looked like.

  Immediately went to Huang Qingyuan's bandit lair cellar, handling the property deeds left behind by Huang Qingyuan.

  Three days later, on the second day of the first year after the Republic of China, in Huaying, Sichuan, it was crowded with people. The county magistrates and militia commanders from various counties and cities in northern Sichuan had all arrived at the meeting.

  The model troops and local militia were fully armed to maintain order, publicly tried the bandit gang of Huang Qingyuan, known as the "Northern Sichuan Ferocious Tiger", and the local villains who colluded with them.

  Wang Hsun-hsieh, as the chairman of the conference, publicly confirmed and exposed these bandits and corrupt officials who colluded with each other, committed murders and arson, and engaged in all sorts of evil activities over the past few days.

  After the public trial, although some stubborn elements still had a hard mouth and wanted to show off their heroic appearance, they were unfortunately crippled by the fourth child, and the whole person was weak and no different from a sick husband.