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

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the sounds of gunfire and artillery had already filled the open fields west of Xinbao'an.

Zhao Dongliang stood on the turret of the command tank, his binoculars scanning the chaotic battlefield ahead.

More than four hours—from the first shell hitting the 101st Division's position at four in the morning,

By 8 a.m., his heavily armed brigade had broken through the enemy's lines almost instantly, like a red-hot knife slicing through butter.

The battle was progressing so smoothly it felt almost unreal.

The remaining 6,000-plus men of the 101st Division were scattered and disorganized after the devastating heavy artillery bombardment in the early morning.

When the tracks of the Type 59 tanks rolled over their hastily dug trenches, many positions did not even put up any decent resistance.

White flags, one after another, were raised from behind the dilapidated fortifications.

What Zhao Dongliang didn't expect was the process of capturing the prisoner.

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Brothers of the 101st Division, I used to be from your 6th Regiment, and now the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Regiments are all on our side! Brothers, lay down your weapons and surrender! Follow us and you'll have enough to eat and clothes to wear! Surrender now!" The loudspeaker on the armored vehicle shouted repeatedly.

These words seemed to have a magical power—the Kuomintang soldiers who were originally hiding in the shell craters and huddled behind the ruins, after hesitating for a moment upon hearing this shout, actually stood up in twos and threes.

Someone raised a gun above their head and cautiously walked towards the People's Liberation Army's position.

The first one, the second one... and then a whole group. By nine o'clock in the morning, entire companies began to lay down their weapons.

"Reporting to the brigade commander, the 3rd Battalion has received over 400 more men, saying they're from the 2nd Regiment of the 101st Division. We heard their regimental commander was killed by artillery fire this morning, and the deputy regimental commander came directly here with his men." The staff officer rushed over to report, his face filled with disbelief.

"They asked...asked if they could see the villagers who had been captured earlier."

Zhao Dongliang put down his binoculars and jumped off the tank. The soil beneath his feet still retained the heat of the shelling.

"Let them meet at the rear. Arrange for the captured officers to be persuaded that Regiment Commander Zhao Baoguo has revolted and is doing well. Have Baoguo make an appearance then."

He paused, then added, "Be careful to screen them and prevent spies from infiltrating. We must prioritize the safety of the nation."

"yes!"

By 10 a.m., the organized resistance of the 101st Division had basically disappeared.

Only sporadic gunfire remained on the battlefield—the last stand of a very small number of die-hards, who were quickly wiped out by tanks or accompanying infantry.

However, these hastily constructed defensive systems in the field proved so vulnerable after being bombarded by heavy artillery and then faced with the frontal assault of tank formations.

At 1 p.m., the heavy-armored brigade breached the first line of defense of the 267th Division.

At 2 p.m., the breach expanded to a width of three kilometers, and the 267th Division was divided into eastern and western halves.

At 2:40 p.m., Zhao Dongliang received a report from the reconnaissance team: a large number of antennas and communication vehicles were discovered in a village about two kilometers behind the enemy lines, which was suspected to be an enemy command post.

He immediately called for the division's artillery.

Five minutes later, a salvo of 155mm shells covered the village.

It was only later that I learned that Guo Jingyun, the commander of the 35th Army, was there at the time.

This fierce general under Fu Zuoyi disappeared into the artillery fire along with his command post before he could even issue the order to break out.

News of the army commander's death spread like wildfire among the remnants of the 267th Division.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, a white flag waved on the high ground of the 267th Division's main position. Then, a second, a third…

By 3:30 p.m., the gunfire had mostly ceased. Organized units of Kuomintang soldiers emerged from their dilapidated fortifications and piled their weapons in designated open areas. The rifles, machine guns, and mortars quickly formed small mountains.

Zhao Dongliang stood beside the tank, watching this scene, and lit a cigarette.

From 4 a.m. until now, eleven and a half hours have passed. A main force of 20,000 men has been wiped out.