Chapter Sixteen: Li Yunlong: Old Ding, tomorrow we'll have the brigade commander get you a Japanese girl!
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According to the timeline, the Fourth Rainbow Army should not have arrived in Shanxi at this point.
Perhaps it was because of the appearance of Su Changqing, this "butterfly."
A gentle flutter of wings.
It changed the course and development of events.
Unlike Li Yunlong,
Kong Jie and Ding Wei’s units arrived at the base only after the 24th Regiment had reached Shanxi.
Besides Kong Jie, Ding Wei, and other commanders, there were also other units of the Fourth Rainbow Army present.
Now, multiple offensives by the Northeast Army had been repelled.
On the Jinling front, a decision was made to cooperate with the Ma Family Army, attempting to jointly annihilate the Rainbow Army in Shanxi.
Thus, the Ma Family Army of the Northwest, a formidable fighting force, became the Rainbow Army’s primary enemy.
Being passive!
This was not something the commander liked to do. Since the Ma Family Army would not let the Rainbow Army in Shanxi be,
Rather than waiting for attacks from the Ma Family Army, it was better to quickly form a Western Expeditionary Force—
To strike proactively!
This idea naturally gained the support of the leadership.
This time, the Fourth Rainbow Army became the main force for the Western Expedition.
Among them, Su Changqing was appointed by the leaders as one of the key commanders participating in this expedition.
Shanxi, Yang Village.
Laughter and cheerful voices spilled from a farmhouse.
“Hahaha, Old Li, I heard ever since you joined Commander Su’s detachment, you’ve been eating well, with beef never running out while crossing the grasslands, and your guards even carry a jug of barley wine for you. This life makes both me and young Ding Wei green with envy!”
Kong Jie cracked open a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
Upon arriving in Shanxi,
Life was extremely harsh for most units, except for the 24th Regiment.
Peanuts,
Pickled vegetables,
Even a plate of beef was prepared alongside,
Plus several jugs of barley wine.
That life was truly flavorful.
“Hahaha, that’s right!”
“Old Li is a lucky man. Before crossing the grasslands, the 24th Regiment didn’t even have a bite to eat.”
“Our Commander Su is a man of action.”
“Damn those rich landlords who refused to lend or sell grain!”
“Beat the sons of bitches; who do they think they are?”
“When we crossed the grasslands, some fools tried to catch up with us, and Commander Su dealt with them without mercy.”
“Caught them and beat them badly. Because of that, we got a cavalry battalion, grain, and even a good amount of barley wine.”
“Old Kong, I heard your regiment’s life was really tough.”
“They even gnawed on leather belts, but Old Li here had beef jerky and barley wine to enjoy.”
“Walking and walking, once we got out of that grassland, it was smooth sailing and joy all the way.”
Li Yunlong chuckled and took a couple of sips of barley wine.
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Blowing hot air.
Kong Jie didn’t indulge him and kicked Li’s leg.
At this moment, Ding Wei suddenly interjected, “Hey, I heard Commander Su almost shot you?”
“I’m telling you, no matter whose subordinate you are, you’re always getting into trouble.”
“Hahaha…”
“Hahaha…”
“Hahaha…”
The Iron Triangle of Northwest Shanxi exchanged hearty laughs.
Then Ding Wei turned to the main topic.
“The battle at Zhiluozhen was really magnificent, one regiment’s strength wiped out an elite division of the Northeast Army.”
“I’ve read the full analysis report on the entire combat process.”
“The 24th Regiment’s layered firepower deployment, defensive fortifications, coordination among units.”
“Even the individual soldiers’ combat skills and teamwork have greatly improved compared to before.”
“Not to mention the cavalry and artillery coordination; the mortar fire cleared the battlefield before the cavalry reached the enemy positions.”
“Such exquisite tactical coordination is truly eye-opening and admirable.”
“This battle deserves to be a classic textbook example, to be included in the curriculum.”
Hearing Ding Wei, famous for his “wisdom,” give such high praise,
Li Yunlong was overjoyed. Although Commander Su Changqing led this battle,
Li Yunlong’s admiration for Su was now complete and profound.
So, listening to his old comrades praise the 24th Regiment and Su Changqing,
Li naturally felt a sense of pride.
“Hahaha, Ding Wei, you’ve got good eyes.”
“What kind of person is our Commander Su?”
“A top graduate from the Whampoa Military Academy, from the same class as the commander of the First Rainbow Corps.”
“In the Battle of Hongcheng, our detachment leader was the immediate superior of the First Rainbow Corps’ commander.”
“Later, he went to the Polar Bear country, entered that Fulongzhi Military Academy—an absolute top talent…”
“A genius at commanding battles!”
“Now, the organization has merged you with us into the First Column, following our commander Su. Everything you want, you’ll get.”
“Soon, if there’s a battle against those Japanese devils,”
“Commander Su will even get you a Japanese girl to warm your bed!”
“Screw you!”
“Hahaha…”
“Hahaha…”
“Hahaha…”
As the Iron Triangle laughed heartily in Northwest Shanxi, the door was pushed open.
Su Changqing entered.
This time, Su was appointed commander of the First Column and concurrently political commissar,
Holding absolute authority over the entire column.
Ding Wei, Li Yunlong, Kong Jie—the Iron Triangle of Northwest Shanxi—became Su Changqing’s subordinates.
“Ding Wei!”
“Kong Jie!”
“Li Yunlong!”
Su Changqing’s gaze swept over the three men before him.
The three who were just lounging cross-legged on the kang, chatting and joking,
Immediately stood up straight.
“Greetings, Commander!”
The three stood in a row and saluted Su Changqing.
Seeing these familiar faces, a slight smile curved Su’s lips.
Among the Iron Triangle, Ding Wei had the most strategic vision,
A true talent for command.
Li Yunlong was second—a rare fierce warrior,
In brutal and intense battles,
Li Yunlong was an extraordinarily sharp military blade.
But when it came to large-scale troop operations executed flawlessly according to orders from above, that was Kong Jie.
The three men each had their own strengths!
How to make the most of their talents—that was Su Changqing’s next concern.
This Western Expedition,
In fact, was extremely risky.
Of the over 21,800 troops of the Western Route Army, about 7,000 were killed, over 5,600 captured—none survived, all executed.
More than 4,700 were scattered or lost; only about 700 managed to reach Star Gorge and escape with their lives.
Mass burial of Rainbow Army prisoners was one of the Ma Family Army’s most common tactics.
In one battle, nearly 5,000 Rainbow soldiers were buried alive.
Besides burial alive and beheading, the Ma Family Army used fire, cutting, skinning, and other cruel methods on prisoners.
The persecution of female Rainbow soldiers was even worse.
Just recalling snippets of these memories made Su Changqing’s fists clench in fury.
He wished he could tear the Ma Family Army apart alive.
Facing the encirclement by the Blue Sky Party Army, Ma Family Army, and Northeast Army warlord forces,
The Western Expedition was indispensable.
An unshakable strategic deployment to consolidate the base.
Hence, Su Changqing arranged everything early on,
To prevent the tragedy from repeating.
At the same time, only by winning this Western Expedition and securing the base
Would the leadership consider sending the First Column out to establish new bases, enabling Su Changqing’s plans to build bases in Jin-Cha-Ji to unfold.
Therefore, this battle,
From any perspective, Su Changqing had to fight it.
And fight it brilliantly, to terrify the Ma Family Army.
…
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