Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

The other person's light went out. Then, a deep voice came, with a northern accent: "The night dew is heavy; where do you come from?"

Zhao Ping'an responded with the coded message: "I came from Beiping to find an old friend."

"What was your old friend's surname?"

His surname is Zhao, and his given name is Ping An.

The code words were exchanged. The figure under the tree stirred and whispered, "Comrade Zhao, please come over and talk."

Zhao Ping'an then cautiously emerged from his hiding place and came to the locust tree. By the extremely faint starlight, he could see that there were two people in the other party.

One of them was lean and sharp-eyed, with a bulging waist; he was clearly a bodyguard.

The other was dressed in ordinary dark peasant clothes, with a simple face, but his eyes appeared exceptionally bright and calm in the darkness; he was about thirty years old.

"Comrade Zhao Ping'an, hello. My surname is Li, you can call me Lao Li." The older man extended his hand, his voice calm yet firm.

"Upon receiving your message, our superiors took it very seriously and specifically sent me to make contact."

As they clasped hands, Zhao Ping'an could feel the roughness and strength in the other's palms. "Comrade Li, thank you for your hard work. The situation is urgent, so let's get straight to the point."

"Okay." Old Li didn't waste any words. "First of all, thank you for the wise choice of Regiment Commander Zhao Dongliang, Battalion Commander Zhao Ping'an, and all your officers and soldiers."

The higher command has given a warm welcome to your uprising and pledged to do everything in its power to guarantee your safety and future.

"Thank you for your trust, superiors." Zhao Ping'an felt a warmth in his heart, and then got to the point. "Our regiment currently has about 920 men, and the equipment situation is roughly as follows..." He repeated the equipment list mentioned in the previous letter in more detail, and added information on the current morale of the troops, the control of the core personnel, and the marching route.

Old Li listened very carefully, while the guard next to him quickly took notes under the cover of darkness.

"Your timing and route are excellent." Old Li nodded after listening. "The hills around Jixian and Sanhe are continuous, which makes it easy to hide and make contact."

According to our intelligence, Fu Zuoyi's main force is further south in this eastward advance, and your regiment's right flank is relatively isolated, which presents an opportunity.

The higher command has ordered our independent regiment and county brigade operating in that area to prepare for a rescue operation.

He paused for a moment, then explained the plan in detail: "We suggest that the uprising take place in the Panshan area northwest of Ji County."

The terrain there is complex, and the enemy forces are weak, so our troops can move into position secretly in advance.

The timing is set before your regiment receives the attack order, advances to the foot of Panshan Mountain, and makes contact with the enemy.

The specific identification method will be as agreed upon by you: a white cloth will be worn on your left arm during the day, and a light signal will be used at night. We will arrange a guide to meet you at the designated location and lead you to the safe area.

Zhao Ping'an quickly jotted down the key information: "Understood. An uprising in the Panshan area before contact with the enemy. Also, our regiment has a technical team carrying some important documents and small equipment; their safe transfer must be ensured."

"Don't worry, we'll arrange for someone to support the technical team," Old Li assured him.

"In addition, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the uprising and reduce internal resistance, we suggest that you conduct a more specific internal mobilization at the last moment."

We can now continue to build up our core team under the pretext of "preserving our strength" and "finding a way out."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Zhao Ping'an nodded. "There's another matter. Zhao Baoguo, the commander of the Xizhimen garrison in Beiping, is my elder brother's sworn brother. We can try to win him over; he might be useful in the future."

A glint flashed in Old Li's eyes: "This information is very important. I will report it to my superiors. Comrade Zhao Baoguo's safety and mission will be arranged separately by the higher-ups."

The two then quickly and efficiently discussed details such as how to handle sudden firefights, backup communication methods during radio silence, and routes for evacuating the wounded. Time flew by in the tense conversation.

"That's about it." Old Li glanced at his pocket watch. "Comrade Zhao, go back and prepare. We'll head to the Panshan area ahead of you to make arrangements."

Remember, stay calm and stick to the plan. A victorious reunion is just around the corner!

"Definitely!" Zhao Ping'an squeezed Old Li's hand tightly.

Without further farewell, the three of them disappeared silently in different directions, just as they had appeared.

Old Li and his companion headed towards the mountains in the northeast, while Zhao Ping'an, like a night bird returning to its nest, sneaked back to his sleeping camp.

Back in the tent, Zhao Dongliang was already waiting there, and Dazhu immediately gave him an inquiring look.

Zhao Ping'an nodded and said in a low voice, "The connection is established, everything went smoothly."

Dazhu went to inform Battalion Commander Zhao Desheng and Company Commander Wang Dashan that they should come to see me before dawn under some pretext, as there was something important to arrange.

In the latter half of the night, Zhao Ping'an, unable to sleep, used the dim light of his flashlight to mark the location of Panshan Mountain on a simple map.

They repeatedly rehearsed every step of the uprising and considered any potential loopholes.

As dawn broke, Zhao Desheng and Wang Dashan arrived at Zhao Ping'an's tent one after the other, under the pretext of "reporting on the march" and "asking for instructions on supply issues."

Zhao Ping'an informed the two key executors about the details of the meeting and the core of the uprising plan.

The two men were both nervous and excited after hearing this. Wang Dashan clenched his fists: "We've finally waited for this day! Don't worry, Battalion Commander, our company guarantees to complete the mission!"

Zhao Desheng was more composed: "I know the Panshan area; the terrain is indeed advantageous. I will keep the other company commanders in check, and then we will coordinate our actions."

"Remember," Zhao Ping'an concluded, "continue as usual until the final order is given."

To those below, I'll say it again: follow the regimental commander, and you'll have a way to survive and a future. The specifics will become clear in time.

The team continued its march, heading northeast towards Yutian, and towards the predetermined Panshan Mountain that would change everyone's fate, steadily advancing.

On the surface, this was still a Kuomintang army ordered to the front lines. But at its core, it was completely different.

An invisible line has tightly linked it with the distant mountains and the sparks there.

And Zhao Ping'an's grand dream about steel became more real and tangible with each step forward.

He knew that when the gunshots rang out in a different way on Panshan Mountain, a new chapter in his life would begin.

Both the heavy gift that this country desperately needs will soon see the dawn.