Bright Sword: Starting from the Improved Grenade

At the end of March 1943, the North China Front Army crossed the Yellow River and entered Jinan at the cost of a tank division, two infantry regiments, and a cavalry regiment.

On the other side, the Shandong Military Region, together with the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, began to send troops to recover the remaining areas of Hebei.

Qi Xieyuan's former North China Pacification Army, now the Ninth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with a strength of one division, was blocked in Tianjin by Commander Lin with his 300,000 troops and could not move.

It was at this time that the Kuomintang special envoy, who had gone through untold hardships and was left with no good clothes, arrived at Commander Lin’s headquarters.

Looking at the disheveled special envoy in front of him, Commander Lin frowned in disdain. Seeing this, the soldier leading the way hurriedly explained.

"Commander, I asked the special commissioner to go wash up, but he insisted on seeing you first!"

"Haha, it's okay, go down first!"

The chief of staff smiled and waved his hand, letting the soldier leave. Then he took a wet towel from the washstand and handed it to the special envoy: "Wipe it off. You've worked hard!"

Hearing the chief of staff's words, the special envoy immediately recalled the tragic experience along the way.

I don't know if the news leaked out, but two of the three special envoys died at the beginning, and he was the only one who came here after overcoming all kinds of obstacles and accidents.

He was filled with sorrow all of a sudden. He silently took the towel, wiped his face, and brushed off the dust on his body.

"Thank you!"

After washing himself, the special commissioner, who had barely regained some energy, immediately asked, "Commander Lin, why don't you stop the attack?"

"Haha, what are you talking about, Special Envoy?"

The Chief of Staff patted Commander Lin's hand and took the initiative to explain: "Why should we stop?"

"Are you still going to stop us from beating up a dog traitor?"

"What kind of traitor is this?"

The special commissioner frowned and said, "Qi Xieyuan is now the commander of the Ninth Army of the National Revolutionary Army."

"Don't you always emphasize the need to unite all forces that can be united?"

"Now that Commander Qi has turned over a new leaf, you should accept him!"

"what?"

The chief of staff was surprised: "We didn't know about Qi Xieyuan's rebellion!"

He shook his head regretfully and said, "Why didn't you send the news to us earlier? We are now killing each other and being laughed at by outsiders!"

Do I still have to apologize to you?

The special commissioner rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, now that you know, just stop it!"

"As for the cities in Hebei that are defended by the Ninth Route Army, don't attack them. They are now our Kuomintang territory."

"This... is a bit difficult!"

The chief of staff was embarrassed: "You also know that although we are one family, the Shandong Military Region and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region are on the same level as us."

"We can't give orders directly, we have to get an order from the central government!"

Special Commissioner: "Then let the central government give the order!"

"But I don't know what happened to the central government two days ago and we can't get in touch with them!"

The chief of staff spread his hands and said, "I have sent someone to take the new radio to the central government to see what is going on. I estimate that there will be a reply in half a month."

"Half a month?"

The special envoy's voice became louder. In the past half month, Qi Xieyuan and his Ninth Route Army have been beaten to death by you countless times.

"Can't you just send them a telegram and say that the North China Pacification Army is now the Ninth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. We are all one family and we can't kill each other!"

"Okay, okay."

The chief of staff hesitated for a moment: "But what if others don't believe us when we just talk without any evidence?"

"Then prepare a car for me and I will go talk to them in person."

The special envoy said impatiently: "With a special envoy like me as a witness, they can't say it's fake!"

"also."

The Chief of Staff nodded: "But you have to wait a moment!"

"Wait a moment?"

The special commissioner felt like hitting someone: "Wait, everyone is dead!"

"Have no idea!"

The chief of staff explained with a wry smile: "Some people in the Pacification Army cannot be recruited. They have too much blood of our people on their hands."

"If we let them go, we won't be able to explain to the people and the many Eighth Route Army soldiers!"

Hearing this, the special envoy's heart sank. He knew that even with this reason, he could not stop the Eighth Route Army from purging the Pacification Army.

"Then can I go to Tianjin to meet General Qi?"

The special commissioner pretended to be concerned about the Eighth Route Army and said, "I can help you persuade Commander Qi to voluntarily hand over those extremely evil soldiers."

"It will also prevent your soldiers from suffering unnecessary casualties in the siege."

"All right!"

The chief of staff said in a deep voice: "We can let you enter Tianjin, but you will be responsible for all the consequences!"

"no problem!"

Seeing the special envoy walking towards Tianjin without looking back, Commander Lin smiled and said, "If we delay him here for a week, Hebei will be completely recovered!"

In Tianjin City, the special envoy, led by a soldier, came to Qi Xieyuan's headquarters.

"Special Envoy, you are finally here!"

Qi Xieyuan came forward from a distance, took the special commissioner's hand, and asked with concern: "How is it, what does the Eighth Route Army say?"

"Have they agreed to withdraw their troops?"

"no!"

The special commissioner shook his head: "They have to purge the most heinous soldiers in the Ninth Route Army first, otherwise they won't stop!"

"what?"

Qi Xieyuan's face changed. Wasn't he the one who committed the heinous crime?

"Special Envoy, you have to save me! The Eighth Route Army will not let me go!"

"rest assured!"

The special commissioner patted Qi Xieyuan on the shoulder and said, "You are someone that the master cares about. I will not let you die."

"Is there a radio station? I want to contact Chongqing!"

"Yes, yes."

Qi Xieyuan anxiously took the special correspondent to the telegraph room.

Soon the special envoy sent a report of what happened here to Chongqing via radio.

Two days later, a telegram was sent back. The special envoy picked up the telegram and read it. He said to Qi Xieyuan beside him: "General Qi, you are saved!"

"It says that you can leave Tianjin with a regiment of soldiers and follow me back to Chongqing via Shanxi!"

"Chongqing?"

Qi Xieyuan was surprised and asked, "So you don't want Hebei anymore?"

"No more!"

The special commissioner shook his head and said, "Based on the experience of the past few days, it is impossible for the Eighth Route Army to give up Hebei."

"Sir, you never thought that you had to pay a certain price to keep me alive when we were fighting for territory with the Eighth Route Army in Hebei."

"this....."

Qi Xieyuan was a little unwilling, because he still had 100,000 troops scattered in Hebei!

"Which is more important, life or soldiers?"

As if he could see what Qi Xieyuan was thinking, the special commissioner advised: "Don't forget, Hebei is surrounded by the Japanese army."

"We, the Kuomintang, cannot send troops here. Do you think your pacification army can defeat the Eighth Route Army?"

"Don't throw your life away for unrealistic ambitions!"

"This...okay!"

Qi Xieyuan nodded in agreement with difficulty.