Newborn 1927

Wu Miao patiently explained, "I know everyone distrusts the garrison, but this time is different. Our three armies are all out in the open; that won't escape the eyes of Qinglong Village's spies. That's why we came up with this tactic of feigning an attack while secretly advancing. The garrisons from Laiyang County and Qixia County, combined, number four or five hundred men, led by Tian Wu, a native of Qinglong Village, will take a shortcut to launch a surprise attack on Qinglong Village. Qinglong Village only has about a thousand men, and with troops divided to intercept us, they won't have many left in the stronghold. Their attack is quite likely to succeed." Everyone understood and had no further objections.

In Laiyang County, before the army had even set out, Zhao Yuanbao had already sent men to Qinglong Village to report their battle plan. The security regiment had already left the city, with Zhao Changming leading the first company of the first battalion as the vanguard, heading south, crossing the Qinglong River to Longwangzhuang, and then turning east. The garrison, on the other hand, quietly exited through the north gate, heading north along the Xuanlong River. Zhao Yuanbao personally followed behind the garrison.

In the afternoon, Yang Jiefang received intelligence from Laiyang County. Instead of remaining in bed, he convened a military meeting in the Juyi Hall. All officers of company commander rank and above participated. Yang Jiefang first reported the latest intelligence, then asked, "Tian Wu is leading a team to launch a surprise attack on our Qinglong Village. Which route do you all think he will choose?" He had obtained several maps from the Yantai West Fort armory, which he had hung on the wall. While most of them didn't look at the maps, they were very familiar with the surrounding terrain. They began to discuss and list out the possible routes.

Niu Sanbian said, "Knowing Tian Wu as I do, I know which path he'll choose. Little Boss, are you planning to ambush him? Let me go, I'll definitely bring that old bastard back to you." Yang Jiefang laughed, "I'll personally command this battle. You should stay behind with the guards and guard the stronghold!" Niu Sanbian asked, "But are you physically capable?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I'm mostly recovered. They only dared to send troops because they thought I was dead. Once I appear on the battlefield, hehe, that will be quite interesting."

Next, Yang Jiefang made some arrangements. Yan Donglai led the special operations squadron to confront the Laiyang County security regiment. He, on the other hand, led the rest of the Jiefang team to confront the garrison forces of Laiyang and Qixia counties. He first sent Sun Zhiyong with a squadron to immediately set off to scout the enemy situation.

Early the next morning, Yang Jiefang led four infantry companies, along with a training corps, an artillery platoon, and a heavy machine gun platoon, to leave Qinglong Village. Those who remained in Qinglong Village came to see him off. Jiang Xiaojun looked worried and reluctant to part. Fully armed, Chu Gu, along with several women, set off. This was Black Widow's idea; she said these women were all members of the Phoenix Team, trained in martial arts and marksmanship, and had also received a few days of battlefield first aid training, which might prove useful. Yang Jiefang didn't refuse, allowing Chu Gu to lead them along, but he was determined not to let them go to the battlefield.

After traveling less than twenty li, they encountered a messenger sent by Sun Zhiyong, who reported, "We've made contact with Zhao Yuanbao. According to his information, the Laiyang County garrison and the Qixia County garrison met yesterday afternoon at Guzhai Cliff by the Xuanlong River and spent the night there. Based on various indications, Captain Sun judges that they will take the Shexinggou route and suggests that Xiaodangjia set up an ambush there." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "Okay, we'll get to Shexinggou ahead of time. Go back and tell Sun Zhiyong to have them follow the garrison. Once we start fighting here, he must block the garrison's retreat." The messenger agreed, and Yang Jiefang continued, "Here's what we'll do! Take the heavy machine gun squad with you and put them under Sun Zhiyong's command to bolster his firepower."

After the communications officer and the heavy machine gun squad left, Yang Jiefang led his men towards Shexinggou. Instead of going directly to Shexinggou, Yang Jiefang found a secluded spot nearby to lie in wait. He first arranged sentries and then dispatched scouts; then he selected several men from the training unit and led them to Shexinggou to conduct a site survey of the terrain. Since Chu Gu insisted on coming along, he had no choice but to take her.

Snake-shaped Gully, as its name suggests, is a winding mountain gully, more than ten miles long, with steep mountains on both sides and a narrow, overgrown path in the middle, rarely used by anyone. Yang Jiefang surveyed the area, sketching the terrain on paper, before leading his men back to their ambush point. Without resting, he summoned the company commanders and artillery platoon leader Chen Shanpao, among others, to the training unit. He spread the topographical map on the ground and discussed specific tactics with them. Everyone eagerly offered their opinions, quickly reaching a consensus, which Yang Jiefang then finalized.

What followed was a tedious wait. It wasn't until the afternoon that Sun Zhiyong sent someone to report that the garrison hadn't moved from their position at Guzhai Cliff. Yang Jiefang quickly figured it out: the garrison was probably waiting for the other directions to open fire before launching a surprise attack. Sun Zhiyong asked if they should launch a surprise attack that night. Yang Jiefang refused; a small-scale attack wouldn't be very effective and would only make the enemy more alert. He told everyone to wait patiently, but to be careful to remain concealed.

Everyone had brought dry rations and water when they set off, so they weren't lacking in food or drink for the time being. The day passed just like that. That night, everyone slept on the grass without lighting a fire. Although the weather had warmed up, it was still a bit cold at night. Everyone huddled together for warmth.

The next morning, Zhao Yuanbao personally came to report the intelligence. The garrison had indeed set off, heading towards Shexinggou. Sun Zhiyong and his men quietly followed behind. Yang Jiefang didn't rush to move, sending out reconnaissance personnel until he confirmed the garrison had entered Shexinggou before leading his team to the pre-arranged battlefield. He led the training corps and artillery squad to guard the front, while the other four companies were positioned in ambush on the jagged hilltops on both sides. Shexinggou meandered through the mountains, and each hilltop they were positioned on could suppress the road from three directions. No fortifications were built; everyone found their own hiding places.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, news came from the observation post that about a platoon of soldiers had entered the ambush area; they were clearly scouts from the garrison. They were simply walking along the path in the ravine, without climbing the peaks on either side to scout. Yang Jiefang told everyone to remain calm and not to move without his orders. Everyone was wearing camouflage uniforms and hiding in the grass, making them difficult to spot. The scouts found nothing amiss and passed through the ambush area.

The instructor beside Captain Yang Jiefang said, "Remember this, if you lead troops into battle in the future, pre-battle reconnaissance must be thorough. The main force can traverse the ravines, but the scouts must survey the ridges on both sides." Everyone carefully memorized it. Zhao Changgui asked, "What about those scouts? Keeping them around is a potential problem." Yang Jiefang casually replied, "Take a squad and keep an eye on them. Don't let them cause trouble." Zhao Changgui agreed and, with Wang Dali, Chen Ergou, and their squad, quietly followed them.

Before long, the main force of the garrison entered the ambush area. The troops were spread out, four or five hundred men stretching for over a kilometer. Yang Jiefang observed through binoculars and, sure enough, spotted Tian Wu at the head of the column. Once they were within his effective firing range, Yang Jiefang didn't immediately order to fire. He suddenly stood up and shouted, "Steward Tian, ​​your mission is complete! Run forward quickly, we'll cover you!" Tian Wu was startled and cried out, "Little Boss—" His shout startled the garrison members around him. Wasn't Little Boss supposed to be dead? How could he be here unharmed?

Yang Jiefang didn't waste any more words, turning around and shouting, "Fire!" Chen Shanpao's artillery squad was already prepared. Two mortars fired simultaneously. Two loud "bangs" echoed as shells landed on either side of the road—the shells from the left landing on the right, and vice versa. Yang Jiefang angrily yelled, "Chen Shanpao, is all you can do is fire blanks?" Chen Shanpao quickly replied, "Mistake, mistake, I'll adjust." The sound of the cannons was the command. The moment the cannons fired, almost all the companies opened fire simultaneously. A fierce barrage erupted, catching the guards off guard and scrambling for cover.

Zhang Datou, the garrison captain of Laiyang County, rushed forward and kicked Tian Wu to the ground, demanding in a stern voice, "Qinglong Village has small cannons? Why didn't you say so?" Tian Wu replied, "You didn't ask." Their garrison didn't even have heavy weapons; how could they have imagined bandits possessing cannons? Enraged, Zhang Datou pulled out his pistol and fired three shots at Tian Wu. Tian Wu sensed danger the moment the gun was drawn, scrambled to his feet, and tried to run, but he was no match for Zhang Datou and was immediately shot to the ground.

At this moment, Chen Shanpao readjusted the firing parameters. Yang Jiefang shouted, "Hurry up, three-round rapid fire! Whether it hits or not, just fire!" Chen Shanpao obeyed and fired. This time, the shells landed accurately on the road, but the results were minimal. The personnel were already quite far apart and were all lying on the ground, so only those near the point of impact were affected. The actual lethality was less than a few grenades thrown from the mountain. However, the psychological blow to them was devastating. The garrison, despite their numbers, only had two light machine guns. On the other hand, Qinglongzhai had one light machine gun for each company, totaling five. They were on higher ground, firing and throwing grenades, leaving the garrison helpless. Now, seeing Qinglongzhai had two light machine guns, how could they possibly fight? The garrison wasn't exactly an elite force; they were okay in favorable situations, but once they encountered setbacks, they would immediately turn tail and run.

Everything was going according to his prediction. Yang Jiefang shouted, "Down the mountain! Chase after them!" No sooner had he spoken than Gao Meng and Wang Xunyong stood up and rushed down the mountain. Yang Jiefang and the others followed suit. Chen Shanpao hurriedly directed the artillery squad to fire continuously, providing cover for the infantry's attack.

The mountain path was narrow, and with so many people, movement was difficult. Gao Meng and Wang Xunyong, walking side by side in front, saw a man who looked like an officer waving a pistol and directing the guards to fight back. Both men simultaneously raised their guns and fired at the man. The officer, Zhang Datou, the captain of the Laiyang County guard, was shot in the chest and fell to the ground instantly. Seeing this, the guards fled for their lives. Gao Meng and Wang Xunyong exchanged a glance and said simultaneously, "I hit him." Then, they fired shot after shot at the guards ahead until they ran out of ammunition. Only when they stopped to reload were they overtaken by others. The guards, preoccupied with escape, didn't turn back to fight back; they were practically sitting ducks. Adding to the chaos, bullets rained down from the mountaintops on either side, and men continued to be hit, collapsing to the ground and groaning in pain.

When Yang Jiefang reached the path down the ravine, he had fallen behind the others. He shouted a warning, "Watch out for those wounded soldiers lying on the ground. Don't let them shoot us!" Chu Gu, along with the other women, rushed ahead of Yang Jiefang to check on the wounded soldiers, taking their weapons for safety. When they checked Tian Wu, they found he was still alive. Chu Gu was about to fire a shot when Tian Wu cried out, "Girl, wait! I'm not going to live anyway, can I say a word to the young master?" Chu Gu sneered, "What's there to say to you?" She didn't fire, but searched Tian Wu to make sure he was unarmed.

Yang Jiefang approached Tian Wu and asked, "What do you want to say?" Tian Wu replied, "Young Master, my wife and children are in the hands of the government. I had no choice! But I didn't betray any secrets. I didn't say anything to the government that they didn't ask, and I tried to say as little as possible about what they did ask. Like the fact that the mountain stronghold has cannons, I didn't reveal a single word." Chu Gu interjected, "Regardless of whether you leaked any secrets or not, just the fact that you ambushed and assassinated the Young Master is enough to get you stabbed three times and riddled with holes, leaving you with no trace of your body."

Tian Wu replied, "I didn't want to either; I was forced into it. I fired first before the two gunmen were ready, to warn you, Little Boss. They fired hastily, so they probably missed." Yang Jiefang sneered, "And I should be grateful to you?" Tian Wu continued, "Little Boss, I know you're a good person! I'm saying this not for anything else, but just to ask you to rescue my wife and children from the authorities!" Yang Jiefang replied, "When you chose to pull the incense stick down the mountain, you should have expected this outcome. It was your own choice. Qinglong Village has already done more than enough. What do I care about your family's life or death? You've been hiding something from the authorities because you don't dare completely offend Qinglong Village; you want to play both sides. A fence-sitter like you, trying to please both, is destined to please neither." Tian Wu was speechless. At that moment, he deeply regretted his actions.

Yang Jiefang crouched down, leaned close to Tian Wu, and whispered, "You were able to time your ambush on the road so perfectly; someone on the mountain must have alerted you. Tell me who that person is, and I'll save your wife and children." Tian Wu's eyes widened as he stared at Yang Jiefang in astonishment.

Just then, Chu Gu suddenly fired her gun, hitting Tian Wu squarely in the heart. Tian Wu convulsed and quickly died. Yang Jiefang turned to look at Chu Gu, frowning, and asked, "You guessed it?" Chu Gu replied, "I guessed he would make wild accusations." Yang Jiefang sighed and didn't pursue the matter further.

Under the machine gun fire from both sides, most of the guards failed to break through the ambush and surrendered on the spot. The remaining small group, almost entirely from the Qixia County Guard, turned and fled the ambush, thinking they had escaped, when gunfire suddenly erupted ahead. Two Maxim heavy machine guns crisscrossed, blocking the entire ravine. With their path blocked and pursuers at their backs, the guards naturally considered fleeing to either side. Both sides were steep slopes, difficult to traverse. They simply threw down their weapons and began climbing, using both hands and feet. Sun Zhiyong immediately ordered the machine gunners to fire on the slopes, but they couldn't completely block the way. A small number escaped through blind spots. The rest were either killed or captured.

The moment the gunfire erupted, Zhao Changgui's team also sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of fire on the reconnaissance team members in the ravine, wounding three on the spot. The remaining few did not escape and were all captured.

In other words, the standing armed forces of Laiyang County and Qixia County were almost completely wiped out in one battle. The entire battle was not long; the garrison suffered more than fifty casualties, while Qinglongzhai only had three wounded. Throughout the entire process, Qinglongzhai was on the offensive, dominating the garrison.

After the garrison troops from the two counties were disarmed, they were herded into a ravine and placed under guard. Yang Jiefang summoned Sun Zhiyong and ordered him to lead three infantry companies, an artillery platoon, and a heavy machine gun platoon to support Peng Dahu. He had been fighting the Qixia County security regiment all day and didn't know the current situation. Of the three opposing forces, Yang Jiefang was most worried about Peng Dahu's. He wasn't entirely confident in Peng Dahu's abilities. Then, after Yang Jiefang's side finished clearing the battlefield and escorting the prisoners, they returned to Qinglongzhai.