Newborn 1927

In this battle, over 30,000 prisoners were captured. As usual, these people would be subjected to labor reform. However, one person caught Yang Jiefang's attention: Gao Shuxun. A patriotic general whose name had been etched in history, Yang Jiefang knew him. Regardless of his military prowess, his character was impeccable; once won over, such a person could be used with confidence. This was one of the perks of being a time traveler!

Yang Jiefang did not treat him as a prisoner, but had him escorted to Jinan. At the Fourth Army headquarters, Yang Jiefang met with Gao Shuxun. Ye Ting and Qu Tongfeng were also present. Gao Shuxun had been very anxious the whole way; everyone knew Yang Jiefang liked to kill generals, and he didn't know what his fate would be. But when he actually met Yang Jiefang, he calmed down and said, "Gao Shuxun, a defeated general, greets the young commander."

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "General Gao, you flatter me. The defeated general is Shi Yousan, not you. You just followed the wrong person. I think it's necessary to explain this battle to you. Look, this is Commander-in-Chief Chiang's order. I had no choice but to send troops to northern Henan!" As he spoke, he showed Gao Shuxun a telegram. The meaning was clear: it wasn't that I wanted to fight you; it was Chiang Kai-shek's order.

Gao Shuxun's expression changed drastically when he saw the line on the telegram: "This petty thief is fickle and deserves to be punished." He said, "Shi Yousan also received a telegram like this."

Yang Jiefang was stunned. He had originally intended to shift the blame to Chiang Kai-shek, but unexpectedly, he had taken the blame himself. He exclaimed, "We've been tricked! He wants us to kill each other to weaken our strength. In his eyes, we're all stepchildren; he can't tolerate us at all!"

The facts were undeniable, leaving Gao Shuxun no room for doubt. With a pained expression, he said, "What a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone plan! So many of our brothers have died. He must be very happy now!" Yang Jiefang comforted him, "There's no other way now. The important thing is what we do next!" Gao Shuxun said, "I'm at my wit's end. Commander, please give me your advice!"

Yang Jiefang said, "Although Shi Yousan was accidentally killed, he still has more than 30,000 brothers under him. I'll let you go back, and you can organize them again and form your own army." Gao Shuxun shook his head and said, "After the great defeat, the morale of the army has been lost. Forcibly gathering these people together will only result in a rabble. Putting aside their combat effectiveness, the Nationalist government will definitely not recognize this army."

Yang Jiefang agreed, saying, "Commander-in-Chief Chiang is currently determined to reorganize local troops, and the troop organization is indeed a problem. How about this? We can reorganize these people into local security forces. I will provide you with funding and weapons, and you can reorganize them, how about that?"

Gao Shuxun's heart skipped a beat. A man of military background, he understood that in this chaotic era of warlordism, there was no future without an army. The only way to rise above others was to continue commanding troops. Although this meant taking orders from Yang Jiefang, he didn't resent it. Yang Jiefang had a good reputation, treated the people under his rule well, and was a man worth following. Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, he certainly didn't want to let it slip by.

Gao Shuxun weighed the matter briefly and agreed, saying, "Young Commander, how much funding can you provide?" This was essentially inquiring about the troop's organization. Yang Jiefang replied, "I heard that Shi Yousan is recruiting just anyone. That won't do! The soldiers under him are of mixed quality; how can we guarantee combat effectiveness? Since I'm providing the funding and equipment, it has to be according to my standards. These 30,000-plus men, every single one of them, as long as they meet our recruitment criteria, we'll accept them all. If there's a regiment of men, we'll form a security regiment; if there's a brigade of men, we'll form a security brigade. What do you think?"

Gao Shuxun agreed, "That's only right!" Yang Jiefang continued, "Don't be impatient. Stay in Jinan for a few days. When you have time, talk to Commander Ye and Chief of Staff Qu about the most advanced European strategies and tactics. To be frank, our strategies and tactics are far behind the West. As for the reorganization of the troops, I'll have my men select the best soldiers for you. Once everything is ready, I'll provide you with weapons, equipment, and funding, and send you off to take up your post!" How could Gao Shuxun refuse at this point? He immediately agreed.

Yang Jiefang telegraphed Sun Zhiyong and Bai Lang, instructing them to screen the captured prisoners. Only a brigade's worth of men was needed. If manpower was insufficient, some could be recruited locally. These men would be reorganized into the Yubei Security Brigade. Gao Shuxun would naturally be the brigade commander, but the military commanders of each regiment would certainly be Yang Jiefang's men. Some of Shi Yousan's officers would be retained by Gao Shuxun, but those others would definitely serve as deputies.

Taking advantage of the recent conflict between Chiang Kai-shek and Feng Yuxiang, Yang Jiefang gained some benefits without completely breaking ties with either side. The battle in western Henan continued, and Feng Yuxiang repeatedly telegraphed him urging him to seize Zhengzhou. Chiang Kai-shek also sent a telegram to court him, tacitly acknowledging Yang's occupation of northern Henan.

Yang Jiefang, seeing the situation was favorable, decided to withdraw and had no intention of continuing his involvement. However, his subordinates were all eager for another battle. As for who to fight, they said they didn't care. Some advocated heading south to attack Chiang Kai-shek and seize Henan, while others advocated heading north to attack Yan Xishan and seize Hebei. Various telegrams requesting permission to fight were sent to Yang Jiefang, but he suppressed them all without replying.

Just then, Liu Xijiu sent a telegram from Xi'an: the Railway Construction Committee's grain reserves were running low. Since the start of the war between Chiang Kai-shek and Feng Yuxiang, the Longhai Railway had been cut off, preventing the transport of grain from Shandong to Guanzhong. The Nationalist government's disaster relief committee in Xi'an was short of funds and grain, serving only a statistical function; the actual relief efforts were being made by the Railway Construction Committee. To continue the work-for-relief program and aid to the disaster victims, railway construction had to continue. After the Lingbao-Xi'an section was completed, construction began on the Baoji-Tianshui section. The Railway Construction Committee had some grain reserves, but these were insufficient to feed two million people and would not last long.

Yang Jiefang had no choice but to send separate telegrams to Feng Yuxiang and Chiang Kai-shek, requesting that they clear a path for the train to transport grain into Guanzhong to aid the disaster victims there. Feng Yuxiang quickly replied, indicating that there was no problem. Chiang Kai-shek, however, cited damage to the railway as the reason, demanding that the grain be transported to Zhengzhou first, and then continued westward after the railway was repaired. Yang Jiefang immediately replied, saying that he would send an engineering team to accompany the grain transport trains, repairing the railway as they traveled westward. Chiang Kai-shek then had no reason to object and agreed to the plan.

So Yang Jiefang sent someone to inform Zhao Changgui, asking him to arrange for the grain to be transported by train. Zhao Changgui immediately came over, saying worriedly, "Commander, the reason we interrupted the grain transport is not because the railway is really impassable. It's mainly because we're worried about the safety of the transport convoy. This is grain that everyone is coveting! If the transport convoy is robbed, the two sides in the conflict will definitely shift the blame to each other, and it will be useless to find anyone."

Yang Jiefang replied, "I've considered this issue as well, so I plan to conduct an armed escort. They'd better not attempt to seize the grain, or I'll make them regret it." Zhao Changgui's eyes lit up immediately. His group of warmongers wanted to join the fight; they just needed a reason to act. So he asked, "Little Commander, are you really planning to transport the grain, or are you trying to lure them out?"

Yang Jiefang said irritably, "Of course I want to transport grain. Luring the snake out of its hole? Who are you trying to lure? Who would admit it?" Zhao Changgui laughed, "I was just saying. While transporting the grain, it wouldn't be bad to do one more job." Yang Jiefang said seriously, "More than two million disaster victims! If they run out of food, the consequences are unimaginable. Those warlords only care about their own interests and can ignore the disaster victims, but I can't do that. As the saying goes, 'Where justice lies, even if it means facing millions, I will go.' The most important task now is to get the grain there. We can talk about other things later."

Seeing Yang Jiefang's response, Zhao Changgui set aside his other thoughts and asked, "How many people do you plan to use for escorting the shipment?" Yang Jiefang countered, "How much grain can we transport at once?" Zhao Changgui replied, "Our normal practice is for one locomotive to pull eight to ten carriages. Each carriage carries fifty to sixty tons of grain. We can send out a dozen or so carriages at a time, or connect multiple locomotives together, sending out dozens or even hundreds of carriages at once. That's four to five thousand tons of grain, enough to last about ten days."

Yang Jiefang thought for a moment and said, "You arrange it. Each locomotive will transport the goods separately, not together. At least ten trains should be dispatched per batch, with two carriages reserved on each train. This way, a regiment can be assigned to escort each batch. The armed escorts will board in Tai'an." Zhao Changgui's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "You plan to use the Third Brigade?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes. They have completed their re-equipment and are currently the best-equipped brigade in our army. I hope they can guarantee the safety of the transport."

Zhao Changgui nodded and replied, "I'll arrange the trains. If three batches go smoothly without incident, the railway construction committee won't run out of supplies." Yang Jiefang reminded him, "Arrange some railway maintenance personnel to accompany the trains to repair any damaged sections of the railway as needed." Zhao Changgui replied, "I understand. Also, prepare some sleepers and rails with the trains."

Seeing that Zhao Changgui had thought of these things, Yang Jiefang felt reassured and let him handle it. He then called Xu Yuezhi over and instructed him, "We are going to conduct an armed escort of grain into Guanzhong for disaster relief. I'm asking you to publicize this in advance through radio broadcasts and newspapers. This armed escort is not aimed at anyone; it's only to protect the safety of the grain."

Xu Yuezhi asked, "What if someone tries to take advantage of the situation? What measures will we take?" Yang Jiefang coldly replied, "If anyone dares to come knocking, we will have no choice but to defend ourselves and retaliate without any leniency." Xu Yuezhi responded, "I understand." He already had experience dealing with such matters.

Subsequently, Yang Jiefang telegraphed Zhao Changming, commander of the Third Brigade, instructing him to prepare for deployment. He also telegraphed Sun Zhiyong, commander of the First Brigade, ordering him to urgently construct a temporary airfield. A batch of aircraft would be transferred there in the next few days. In fact, Sun Zhiyong had already been escorting prisoners of war to Xinxiang to build an air force base. At this time, aircraft were generally lighter and did not have high requirements for runways. As long as the ground was leveled and compacted slightly, it could be used.

The disaster was urgent, and Zhao Changgui immediately dispatched twelve trains to transport grain. In Tai'an, the main force of the 7th Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, led by Regiment Commander Zhao Changgen, boarded the trains to escort the first batch of grain. Three days later, the trains arrived in Gongxian County, where they were stopped by the railway station staff. At this time, the armies of Chiang Kai-shek and Feng Yuxiang were engaged in fierce fighting at Yanshi, and the area west of Gongxian was not safe. Zhao Changgen ordered the convoy to stop and rest for the night, and sent a regimental operations staff officer to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek's army, hoping that both sides could temporarily cease fire on both sides of the railway.

The next morning, the people sent to negotiate hadn't returned, so things probably hadn't gone smoothly. Zhao Changgen wasn't willing to wait any longer and ordered the convoy to proceed slowly. After traveling for more than an hour, they reached Huiguo Town ahead, just as the last train had left Gongxian County. Two men, both wearing camouflage uniforms, were walking towards them along the railway tracks; they were Staff Officer Li from the regimental headquarters, who had been sent out to make contact, and a bodyguard.

Staff Officer Li returned and reported, "The attacking Central Army refuses to cease fire and wants us to wait here." Zhao Changgen asked, "When do they expect to capture Yanshi?" Staff Officer Li replied, "The battle is fierce, it's hard to say. Yanshi is the eastern gateway to Luoyang! The defenders are putting up a very strong resistance." Zhao Changgen then asked, "Is the railway ahead passable?" Staff Officer Li replied, "The railway is fine, but it's blocked by the army, they won't let us pass. They also say we're aiding the enemy. Their attitude is very tough." Zhao Changgen sneered, "Aiding the enemy? Heh, I was just looking for a reason to start a war. They've already come up with an excuse."

Zhao Changming first telegraphed the Third Brigade headquarters to report the situation. Then he ordered all combat personnel to disembark and lead the way. As the order was given, squads of soldiers jumped off the train, quickly assembled beside it with their various weapons, and then turned to move forward. Zhao Changgen stood on the roof of the train and gave orders. The troops quickly spread out to both flanks and advanced towards Yanshi.

Twelve trains, each with a No. 1 tank unloaded from the rear panel of the last carriage using a winch. This was a newly equipped armored company. They hadn't even been used in the Battle of Northern Henan; they were being deployed now to intimidate the Central Army.

The regimental reconnaissance company scouted ahead and quickly spotted a checkpoint, but there were only roadblocks and no soldiers in sight. The reconnaissance company carefully cleared the roadblocks and only continued advancing after ensuring safety. After advancing several more miles, they could hear the rumble of gunfire from the direction of Yanshi. A troop of soldiers appeared ahead, rushing towards them. Upon encountering each other, the soldiers in front immediately turned and occupied a small hillside beside the railway. There were pre-dug trenches on the hillside; it was unclear which side had dug them.

The reconnaissance company could have easily bypassed them, but they didn't. Instead, they advanced towards the hillside in skirmish formation. When they were about 200 meters away, the enemy fired a shot into the air, and one of them shouted, "Listen up! I don't care who you are, this is the perimeter. No one is allowed to approach without orders from above."

The reconnaissance company commander shouted back, "I'm also passing on a message to you: our train must pass through here within an hour. If you don't move aside, we'll have to run over your dead bodies." After saying that, he slowly retreated, withdrawing from the enemy's firing range.

Less than half an hour later, a rumbling sound came from behind. Twelve No. 1 tanks lined up on both sides of the railway, each tank followed by about ten heavily armed soldiers. Behind them, more soldiers advanced slowly in skirmish formation. The Nationalist troops on the hillside, seeing this, changed their expressions and immediately sent messengers back to report the news.

Tank No. 1 did not charge directly but stopped 500 meters from the enemy. Several soldiers emerged from both sides of the tank and set up mortars on the spot. With twelve tanks and twelve mortars lined up in front of them, the Nationalist troops could certainly guess that the People's Liberation Army was mostly bluffing and would not actually take action, but they still could not control their fear.