Newborn 1927

Chapter 237 Lure the snake out of its hole

Yang Jiefang casually asked, "Director He, how many horses does our horse farm have in total right now?"

He Huan gave a wry smile, glanced at Bai He, and then said, "If you include the newborn foals, there are a total of 120,911 horses. They are divided into six areas and raised separately according to their breed and purpose. However, all the stallions are raised at the main farm."

Yang Jiefang was somewhat surprised and said, "There's such a thing!"

He Huan said, "Most of them are mares newly purchased this year. We've bought up almost all the good breed mares available around Baotou. These mares have all been successfully bred, and starting next year, more than 80,000 foals will be born every year. Once these foals grow up, there will be a large number of horses to supply the army."

A horse's gestation period is about eleven months. Mares return to estrus quickly after giving birth, and if bred promptly, they can generally produce one foal per year. A horse's growth period is four years, meaning that after four years, tens of thousands of improved horses can be supplied to the army annually, with this number increasing year by year. However, compared to Japan's annual supply of 300,000 military horses, the gap is still significant. Given China's current underdeveloped transportation infrastructure, the number of horses determines the army's mobility and plays a decisive role in the outcome of war.

Yang Jiefang praised, "You have done a great job! However, the annual supply of tens of thousands of horses still cannot meet the army's needs."

He Huan pressed further, "How many horses do you think need to be supplied each year to meet the army's needs?"

Yang Jiefang considered it carefully for a moment and said, "Let's set a small goal first: can we supply 100,000 military horses every year?"

He Huan immediately felt troubled. Eighty thousand horses seemed like a lot, but many of them were inferior and unusable. Some of the best horses had to be kept as breeding stock, and it would be good if half of them could actually be used by the army.

He Huan said, "Commander, this is hardly a small goal. To supply 100,000 fine-bred military horses every year, the number of horses in stock must be at least 400,000 to 500,000. The growth of these horses takes time. It would be difficult to reach such a scale without accumulating experience for ten or twenty years."

Yang Jiefang replied, “I understand that too. Therefore, we still need to increase our horse sources. In Baotou, we need to continue purchasing high-quality mares. If we can't buy them in Suiyuan, we'll go to Ningxia and Outer Mongolia. We must try our best to increase our horse population. In addition, I have formed an alliance with a sworn brother in Chahar, and I have already subdued the Chahar Mongol tribe. You can select a batch of stallions for me and send them to the Ming'an Ranch in Chahar. Also, send a few veterinarians there to improve the horses in the various banners of Chahar. That will also be an important source of horses for us.”

He Huan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'll arrange this. If necessary, I'll go to Chahar myself."

After Yang Jiefang arranged the work, He Huan was left to handle the specifics of execution, as he didn't want to interfere too much. The two chatted for a while until it got dark. Bai He invited him to stay for dinner, and Yang Jiefang didn't refuse. However, before dinner was ready, two urgent telegrams arrived from the communications department. Yang Jiefang's face darkened upon reading them. He didn't even bother with dinner anymore, and after saying goodbye to Bai He and her husband, he hurriedly took his leave.

Yang Jiefang went to the management office of the horse farm and summoned Fu Zuoyi and Wu Zhichen. He said, "I have received reliable information that the Japanese are planning to assassinate me. This is the contents of the telegram; please take a look!" He then handed over the draft of the telegram.

One of the two telegrams was sent by Yan Donglai. He received an order from the Japanese Tianjin Garrison Command via a captured radio, instructing Nakano Murao to find a way to blow up the train. In the telegram, Yan Donglai reminded Yang Jiefang that there was definitely more than one Nakano intelligence group along the railway line from Baotou back to Jinan. They were very likely to receive the same order.

The other telegram was from Huang Sheng. He had learned the same information through his intelligence agents planted within the Tianjin garrison. The two telegrams corroborated each other, confirming that the Tianjin garrison command intended to take action against Yang Jiefang. Incidentally, the Japanese Tianjin garrison and Yang Jiefang had a deep-seated blood feud.

Fu Zuoyi and Wu Zhichen both paled upon reading the telegram, but their feelings differed. Wu Zhichen was filled with worry! Yang Jiefang was currently in his defense zone; any mistake would be a capital offense! Fu Zuoyi, while shocked, secretly admired Yang Jiefang. The fact that Yang Jiefang had received the information in advance showed that he had planted people within the Japanese army.

After the two finished reading the telegram, Yang Jiefang said, "Baotou and Guihua have always been windows for communication between Mongolians and Han Chinese. Various forces often gather here, making it a melting pot. Could there be Japanese spies among them?"

Fu and Wu exchanged a glance and asked, "Little Commander, what do you plan to do?"

Yang Jiefang said, "They've already plotted against me and want my life. What else can I do? We have to find a way to lure these spies out and kill them all."

This was the obvious course of action, and neither of them objected. The problem, however, lay in how to carry it out. With their intelligence, they naturally thought of using Yang Jiefang as bait to lure the spies out. But how could they dare let Yang Jiefang take such a risk? The problem was, if Yang Jiefang didn't show himself, they estimated the spies wouldn't reveal themselves either. Therefore, neither of them dared to speak.

Yang Jiefang guessed what they were thinking and said, "Since I've come to Baotou for inspection, I definitely have to go and see the Bayan Obo mining area. Li Boyan said that the branch railway has been completed. So I'll take the train to Bayan Obo. What do you think?"

Wu Zhichen immediately objected, "No. From now on, you cannot appear in public. The dragon carriage can go to Baiyun Obo, but you cannot go there." Wu Zhichen's meaning was clear: the Japanese did not yet have a true grasp of Yang Jiefang's whereabouts; they could only determine Yang Jiefang's location through the dragon carriage. Using the dragon carriage to lure out Japanese spies was acceptable, but using Yang Jiefang was not a risky move.

Yang Jiefang said, "Don't treat the enemy like fools! If I don't make a public appearance in Bayan Obo, these hidden enemies won't be easily exposed."

Wu Zhichen said, “I’ll say it again, you can’t risk your life. You can go to Baiyun Obo if you want, but you have to separate from the dragon carriage. My idea is that I’ll send a cavalry unit to patrol along the railway line in advance. Ostensibly, it’s to protect the railway and the dragon carriage. Secretly, they’ll escort you to Baiyun Obo first. When the dragon carriage arrives, you can show your face and deal with it. The return trip will be the same.” In other words, from now on, Yang Jiefang must separate from the dragon carriage.

Fu Zuoyi cautioned, "There's always danger in making a public appearance. The best way is to find a stand-in to go to Baiyun Obo in the young commander's place. The miners there don't really know the young commander. Those who do know him and have close contact with him should be trustworthy. As long as we inform them beforehand, we can manage to cover it up."

"That's a good idea," Wu Zhichen immediately agreed, then added, "The people in the dragon carriage must also be replaced. I'll send a cavalry battalion to switch identities with the guard battalion. If we can't guarantee the safety of the dragon carriage, we'll bear the responsibility ourselves!"

Yang Jiefang thought about it carefully and realized the method was feasible. The problem was, who could act as Yang Jiefang's double? Finding a double wasn't easy. The appearance, physique, and mannerisms all had to be somewhat similar. Just as the group was racking their brains, Li Fuxing spoke up, "Let me stand in for the young commander! My build is similar to his, and I can imitate his mannerisms about 70-80%. With a little makeup, I can fool outsiders."

Fu Zuoyi and Wu Zhichen both agreed. Those familiar with Yang Jiefang were definitely people close to him. Even if an outsider looked like Yang Jiefang, their speech and mannerisms would be too different, which wouldn't work.

Yang Jiefang thought it over carefully and then agreed. Under the current circumstances, Wu Zhichen would definitely not allow him to appear in public, and he couldn't put him in a difficult position. He said, "Commander Wu, you are familiar with the terrain. Predict which places along the way would be suitable for them to make their move. You need to make arrangements in advance and lay a trap."

Wu Zhichen replied, "Yes." They then discussed some details and finally formulated a complete action plan.

The next day, Yang Jiefang conducted his routine inspection of the horse farm. In the afternoon, Wu Zhichen, as usual, personally led his guard battalion to escort Yang Jiefang back to Baotou. By the time they arrived at Baotou Railway Station, it was already dark.

Yang Jiefang announced loudly, "Brothers of the Third Cavalry Division, you've all worked hard! I bet you're all hungry, right? Hehe, actually I'm hungry too. Today I'm treating you all to roast lamb and roast beef, so don't be shy, eat as much as you want!"

The officers and soldiers of the cavalry division's guard battalion were naturally very happy. Then, together with Yang Jiefang's guard battalion, they lit a bonfire on the platform and began grilling lamb skewers, beef skewers, and other meats.

After finishing their meal, Wu Zhichen and Yang Jiefang led the guard battalion, now under new identities, out of the train station. They didn't return to the cavalry division's base, but were instead arranged by Chu Shiwu to stay temporarily in a place in the city. This place had once been a barracks of the Baotou Garrison Brigade, which had been vacated after most of the brigade was reorganized into the cavalry division.

Jiang Xiaojun, Sheng Fangyi, and the female soldiers who came with them all disguised themselves and left in male uniforms. The weather was cold, and everyone was bundled up tightly, so they were not likely to attract attention and no one should suspect anything.

Only Li Fuxing stayed behind with a squad of guards.

As dawn broke, the train started moving and headed towards Bayan Obo. Yang Jiefang, along with Wu Zhichen and Fu Zuoyi, stayed in the barracks to await news. What followed was a tedious and long wait.

Although Baotou Railway Station is only a little over 100 kilometers from the Baiyun Obo mining area, at the current speed, it would still take half a day. To lure out any potential Japanese spies hiding in Baotou and give them ample time to act, the train was scheduled to stay overnight in Baiyun Obo and return to Baotou the next day. However, it was unknown whether the enemy would surface, how many there would be, or how they would appear; everything was uncertain. Therefore, the worst-case scenario had to be considered.

Wu Zhichen's arrangement was to leave a cavalry regiment and an artillery battalion on standby at the barracks. Two cavalry regiments would be dispatched, operating separately in battalion units. The guard battalion would be on the dragon carts; another cavalry battalion would be positioned in the open, patrolling back and forth along the railway line; the remaining troops would be concealed in hidden locations along the route, waiting in advance.

On the first day, according to reports from all sides, there were no unusual circumstances. On the second day, when the dragon carriage set off from Bayan Obo to return, everyone became tense. According to their prediction, the enemy would definitely choose to destroy the dragon carriage on its way back to Baotou.

When the train reached a place called Laoyanghao, the cavalry patrolling along the railway line reported that a group of bandits, numbering no less than a thousand, was rapidly approaching.

Yang Jiefang frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Are there still bandits around Baotou?" Since the garrison brigade was established in Baotou on the fifteenth of the month, bandits around Baotou had disappeared. Unexpectedly, they've reappeared now.

Wu Zhichen said with some helplessness, "Since ancient times, there has been no clear line between bandits and herdsmen on this Gobi grassland. Among the new recruits I recruited this time, it's hard to guarantee that none of them have been bandits before."

In this era, soldiers and bandits were indistinguishable everywhere. Yang Jiefang didn't dwell on the issue and sneered, "To be able to organize more than a thousand bandits, the power behind them must be considerable!" Regardless of the true purpose of the newcomers, at this moment they would all be considered to be after Yang Jiefang.

Wu Zhichen immediately issued an order to launch a counterattack on the spot, and also ordered two more cavalry battalions from the nearest location to rush to Laoyanghao to provide reinforcements.

Upon receiving the news, Li Fuxing and his men on the train immediately stopped. The soldiers on board sprang into action, using the train as cover to organize a defense. They mounted heavy machine guns on the roof and mortars on the open ground beside the train, with artillery observers providing firing parameters from the roof. The patrolling cavalry circled around to the back of the train from both ends and temporarily concealed themselves. This cavalry battalion on patrol was scattered along the railway line, and currently only a company of cavalry was following the train.

They had just finished preparing when bandits appeared in their field of vision, over a thousand riders charging straight towards the imperial carriage. These bandits were scattered, charging in a disorganized, chaotic manner. Once the bandits in front were within effective firing range, heavy machine guns and mortars opened fire first. Then, the soldiers also fired out of the carriage windows.

One by one, the bandits were shot down from their horses. The remaining bandits, while running, raised their guns and fired at the dragon carriage. However, their attacks were almost ineffective, causing few casualties. The area offered a wide field of vision, and under the suppression of the heavy machine guns, the charging bandits became sitting ducks, unable to break through. The battle did not last long; the bandits had suffered over a hundred casualties. The remaining bandits, perhaps unable to withstand the continued losses, turned and fled.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the cavalry hidden behind the train launched a counterattack and pursued the bandits. Li Fuxing shouted from the train, "Battalion Commander Wu, tell them to stop! Don't pursue! Our objective is to protect the imperial carriage, not to capture the bandits."

The cavalry guard battalion commander on the dragon carriage was named Wu Liujin, a nephew of Wu Zhichen, named for his birth weight of six jin. Wu Liujin replied, "This is a great opportunity to gain merit, how can we miss it? If we had horses, I would also like to chase after them."

Li Fuxing cautioned, "The task of pursuing the bandits will be handled by others. Be careful of their diversionary tactic!"

Wu Liujin immediately realized his mistake and sent someone to relay a message to bring back the pursuing cavalry. Afterwards, they reported the news, and the rest was no longer his concern. However, he still had something to do: he dispatched a group of soldiers to clean up the battlefield.

Li Fuxing said, in a tone that was both a reminder and a command, "If there are any survivors, bring them all over!"

As the soldiers cleaned up the battlefield, they found quite a few survivors, and they took those with the lighter injuries.

Li Fuxing and Wu Liujin got off the carriage to interrogate the prisoners. The prisoners spoke in a gibberish that neither of them could understand, only recognizing it as Mongolian. They assigned several soldiers who spoke Mongolian to the interrogation, and the results were surprising. According to the prisoners, they had heard that the imperial carriage was made of gold, and that simply taking a piece would guarantee a lifetime of comfort. Therefore, the bandits, hearing this, had all rushed over; they were just one group that had arrived earlier.