Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Wei Hongjun has to consider all these.

The Sixth and Seventh Battalions might have some concerns about leaving their familiar Beiling Village for retraining in Songjia Village. Therefore, Wei Hongjun personally went to Beiling Village to persuade Xiao Yongshun and Cao Lei, offering them a heart-to-heart talk, stating that after the retraining, the troops could be stationed in Districts Eight and Nine. He also met with their officers to discuss how to resist the Japanese and survive behind enemy lines. He also worked with the Party group Han Weiguo had established within the National Salvation Army to work with the army and allay their concerns. Having persuaded their troops, the Third Battalion relocated to Beiling Village.

Xiao Yongshi and Cao Lei didn't resist much.

Because the two of them had already discussed this with Wei Hongjun. They knew that the Eighth Route Army was eyeing Beiling Village because of its strategic location. However, Wei Hongjun had to put in a lot of effort to convince the officers under their command.

After accepting the reorganization, Cao Lei gave the independent detachment a gift.

Yan Xishan and some generals of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army prepared for the fall of northeastern Shanxi. Therefore, they built a moderately large arsenal in the most inconspicuous Sheng County. The 61st Army of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army was responsible for the construction of the arsenal.

The National Salvation Army’s previous weapons and ammunition all came from there.

Although the National Salvation Army had used a lot of it, there were still quite a few valuable items left in the arsenal. There were over 500 Jin-made Type 65 rifles alone, as well as 14 light machine guns, 5 heavy machine guns, and even three mortars.

There is even more ammunition.

It is precisely because of such an arsenal that Cao Lei turned a blind eye to the sale of weapons and ammunition to his subordinates.

Since he had joined the Eighth Route Army, Cao Lei also wanted to live a better life. Although the independent detachment was not short of weapons and ammunition, the more weapons and ammunition, the better.

These weapons and ammunition are very good for the independent detachment. With so many weapons, the independent detachment can expand its army by two or three more battalions.

The new Sheng County magistrate, An Xin, had just arrived at Beiling Village and had not done anything when he encountered the matter of the National Salvation Army accepting the reorganization of the independent detachment.

An Xin was stunned.

He is actually quite ambitious.

With so many county heads in Shanxi fleeing, An Xin received training at a guerrilla warfare school run by Yan Xishan. To prevent the Eighth Route Army from expanding recklessly behind enemy lines, Yan Xishan planned to send his own troops into the area to establish a base. Consequently, Yan Xishan also established a guerrilla warfare training course. It was here that An Xin received his training, and then he moved to northeastern Shanxi, hoping to make a big splash. Initially, he was quite happy, as he had a foundation there.

The National Salvation Army has thousands of troops.

Moreover, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army once built a small arsenal in Sheng County, leaving behind a lot of weapons and ammunition. As long as they develop well, they can build an armed force of 3,000 to 4,000 people behind enemy lines.

The results of it?

Before they could do anything, the National Salvation Army was incorporated into the Eighth Route Army. Not only were the National Salvation Army troops reorganized, but the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army's arsenal was also sold to the Eighth Route Army.

Therefore, he expressed his dissatisfaction with Wei Hongjun.

This means that the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army’s arsenal belongs to the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the Eighth Route Army cannot take it away.

In reality, An Xin was a lone commander, and Wei Hongjun could have ignored him completely. However, he was, after all, the county magistrate sent by Yan Xishan, so Wei Hongjun appeased An Xin, saying that any future battles won by the independent detachment would be shared with An Xin.

He also agreed to Anxin establishing a county government in Sheng County.

As for how Anxin carries out its work and whether it has the ability to form another team in Sheng County, that is Anxin's business.

Besides managing his relationship with An Xin, Wei Hongjun was also preparing to visit Chunhua Fort to observe the situation. Chunhua Fort connected Huailai, Zhuolu, Shengxian, and Wanping, the current base of the Pingxi Detachment. It was a very important place.

If the independent detachment wants to open up a base in southern Chahar in the future, the main force will attack from here.

While Wei Hongjun was inspecting Chunhua Fort and considering the future development of the independent detachment, a major event happened in the Sanggong area not far from here.

"Section Chief Zhang, Dong Baji is getting more and more outrageous. He's been increasingly restless lately, and he's been in frequent private contact with Cheng Daqi of the Kuomintang. There's also news that he's in contact with people sent by Japan. If this is true, then there's a high probability that something big will happen."

Independent detachments have been deployed in the Xuanfu, Huailai, and Zhuolu areas, and the Special Service Battalion is currently developing its presence there. Similarly, the Pingxi detachment has also been deployed there, collaborating with the Pingxi Prefectural Committee to carry out its work.

Because geographically and administratively, these places are all under the command of the Pingxi Prefectural Committee. Even Shengxian, the current base of the independent detachment, is under the command of the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee.

Therefore, the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee sent a number of working groups to Huailai area.

Among these working groups, the largest one established a base in Sanggong area.

The Sanggong area refers to Gongshan Fort and Sangshan Fort.

The ones who were now in a hurry were Guo Yonghuai, who had been sent by the Pingxi Prefectural Committee to Sanggong to organize farmers and promote anti-Japanese resistance, and Li Wei, the district propaganda minister. They arrived at Gongshan and found Zhang Zihua, the head of the Organization Section of the Political Department of the Pingxi Detachment.

Zhang Zihua frowned and asked, "Is Dong Baji planning a rebellion?"

Dong Baji is the chairman of the Huailai Lianzhuang Association in Sanggong District.

The so-called Lianzhuang Association was essentially the same thing as a local defense group. Bandits had long plagued the areas along the Yanghe River. To protect against them, local landlords pooled their resources to form a defense group called the Lianzhuang Association.

Dong Baji was rich and powerful in the local area and was one of the largest landlords, so he served as the chairman of the Lianzhuang Association.

At the beginning, it was a village association established by landlords from 39 villages. Later, Dong Baji merged the village associations of other surrounding villages into the association and established the "Huailai Village Association".

It has become the largest village association in the region, currently with over fifty participating villages. Furthermore, the Chahar region has been plagued by constant war, leaving civilians with a large supply of weapons. Furthermore, the wealthy landowners behind the village association have also purchased numerous weapons. As a result, the "Huailai Village Association" possesses over seven hundred armed personnel.

They were very powerful in this area, and ordinary bandits didn't dare to provoke them. After the Pingxi Detachment and the Pingxi Prefectural Committee's working group arrived in Sanggong, the first person to be assigned to the task was Dong Baji. This was because Dong Baji was the most powerful person in the area, and his 700 men and guns were very attractive.

Dong Baji also accepted the recruitment of the Eighth Route Army, joined the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association, and served as the Minister of Armed Forces. However, at present, he only joined the Eighth Route Army and the troops did not fully accept the reorganization.

There have been conflicts between the two sides recently, and the conflicts are ongoing.

The Pingxi detachment was collecting grain. Sanggong was a relatively abundant area in Chahar, so the work team went there to collect grain, but was opposed by Dong Baji. Dong Baji disagreed with the Eighth Route Army collecting grain there and even impounded the grain they had collected.

Moreover, Dong Baji has been dissatisfied with the Eighth Route Army recently.

Because the Eighth Route Army’s discipline was too strict.

They wouldn't allow this, and they wouldn't allow that. The Eighth Route Army controlled everything. Not only was military discipline strict, but they also controlled the private lives of their officers too strictly.

Dong Baji was born into a landlord family. After becoming the chairman of the village association, he gained immense power in the area. He wouldn't say he indulged in drinking, gambling, or anything else, but he certainly had a variety of bad habits. He also looked down on the "beggar army" of the Eighth Route Army.

However, the Eighth Route Army's influence and strength were growing behind enemy lines, so Dong Baji didn't want to offend them and accepted their reorganization. However, Yan Xishan had recently begun to attach importance to the enemy's rear, sending a large number of personnel there. This was primarily to win over civilian armed forces like Dong Baji.

Dong Baji's background naturally matched him with Yan Xishan and his men, and he was naturally in conflict with the Eighth Route Army.

Therefore, the relationship between the Eighth Route Army and Dong Baji has been deteriorating. This time, Dong Baji opposed the Eighth Route Army's grain collection in the Sanggong area, and Yan Xishan's people were also behind it. Both Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan have always opposed the Eighth Route Army's large-scale development behind enemy lines.

"The situation is very bad. Dong Baji has been meeting frequently with Yan Xishan's people and even with Japanese representatives recently. I think we must be on guard. Chief Zhang, I think our troops should be stationed in the Sanggong area to intimidate Dong Baji. We should also send people to the Huailai Lianzhuang Association as soon as possible to reform this unit. Now this unit only obeys Dong Baji's orders, which is very bad for our situation."

"Where do we have troops now?"

Zhang Zihua was so anxious that he was sweating all over.

The Pingxi Detachment currently has a heavy workload. Although troops have been dispatched to establish bases in Xuanhua, Huailai, and Zhuolu, they haven't deployed many troops, primarily work teams. The Pingxi base near Peking is a favorable location, with a large population, many educated people, and a relatively affluent urban area. However, this has both advantages and disadvantages. Because these areas are too close to the Peiping-Tianjin region, they are also infested with Japanese troops and traitors, and are frequently targeted by these forces. Furthermore, grain production in these rural areas is low.

The Pingxi Detachment's current base was rich in cities but poor in rural areas, with very low grain production. The Eighth Route Army primarily operated in rural areas, and low grain production in rural bases directly affected the development of the troops.

The troops also need to eat.

The main force of the Pingxi Detachment is currently divided into two parts. The majority of the main force is developing in the Pingbei area, and a small part of the main force remains in the Wanping area. Therefore, in the short term, the Pingxi Detachment cannot send troops into the Sanggong area.

But Dong Baji had seven hundred men and guns at his disposal. Even if they weren't all hostile to the Eighth Route Army, they were outsiders, and Dong Baji was a fellow villager. It was easy to imagine who they would support.

If Dong Baji rebels, it will be a big deal.

Zhang Zihua is not an ordinary person, he is from the political department of the Pingxi Detachment.

I have experienced countless harsh situations and seen countless brutal enemies.

He now had to consider the worst outcome.

The Pingxi Detachment had no troops to send. If Dong Baji rebelled at this time, the Pingxi Detachment and the working group sent to the Sanggong area by the Pingxi Prefectural Committee would likely be wiped out. If Dong Baji wanted to surrender and become a traitor, there was no better gift than these Eighth Route Army working groups.

Zhang Zihua is currently the highest-ranking official in Sanggong area.

Suddenly, he felt a great deal of pressure on him. If he wasn't careful, he would lose dozens of well-tested Eighth Route Army cadres.

"Section Chief Zhang, is it true that we can't contact our troops? We don't have anyone in our hands right now. Wang Congfu, a member of the Fanshan Anti-Japanese National Salvation Self-Defense Force, is a local and a former bandit. He's unreliable. Besides, Wang Congfu's squadron only has about fifty people, and they can't hold Dong Baji back."

"The main force is now divided into two groups, leaving a small number of troops to consolidate the Wanping, Fangshan, and Changping areas, while the main force went to Pingbei.

Zhang Zihua was very familiar with the situation of the Pingxi Detachment.

Guo Yonghuai was very anxious.

"But we can't leave Dong Baji alone, or he'll raise his butcher knife against us at any moment. After this period of contact, I think he's no different from the White Dog Returning Home Corps."

"Let me think about it."

Zhang Zihua thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Yes, there really is a troop nearby. How could I have forgotten them? The independent detachment under the First Division is in Sheng County. Recently, their troops have been active in the Zhuolu area, and their influence is quite significant. I will personally ride from Chunhua Fort into Sheng County, and the round trip will take no more than three days. During these three days, you must be careful not to do anything that will anger Dong Baji. Wait for me to return."

Chapter 106 Asking for help

After settling the Third Battalion, Wei Hongjun inspected Chunhua Fort. He recorded everything he saw, thought, and even his ideas for future development. He planned to return and convene a meeting of the detachment's Party Committee to formulate plans for the next step northward.

If the independent detachment is only trapped in Sheng County, it will not be able to continue to develop.

But just when Wei Hongjun was about to go back, Zhang Zihua rode at full speed to Beiling Village.

"Section Chief Zhang."

Wei Hongjun was shocked.

Wei Hongjun was familiar with Zhang Zihua. Zhang Zihua had previously served in the Independent Regiment as Deputy Chief of the Propaganda Section, possessing greater seniority and a higher rank than Wei Hongjun. Later, when the Pingxi Detachment led the Independent Division's Third Regiment to establish the Pingxi Base Area, Zhang Zihua followed the unit there. There, he served as Chief of the Organization Section of the Political Department. Seriously speaking, Zhang Zihua was now a regimental-level cadre in the Eighth Route Army.

I didn't expect to meet Zhang Zihua in Beiling Village.

Zhang Zihua looked exhausted, but he was overjoyed the moment he saw Wei Hongjun.

Even crying with joy.

He hadn't expected to encounter the Third Battalion of the Independent Detachment and then meet Wei Hongjun just after entering Beiling Village from Chunhua Fort. This made everything easier. If only the Third Battalion of the Independent Detachment was here, it would be very difficult for him to borrow troops.

why?

Because we are not in the same system.

Zhang Zihua was a member of the Pingxi Detachment, while the Third Battalion was an independent detachment, subordinate to the First Division. Since the establishment of the Pingxi base, the Pingxi Detachment and the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region have become parallel units. Initially, the First Division nominally led the Pingxi Detachment, but now the Pingxi Detachment is on par with the First Division. The First Division's troops are the First Detachment of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, while the Pingxi Detachment is the Sixth Detachment of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

The two sides can cooperate when they meet.

But Zhang Zihua, a member of the Pingxi Detachment, was not qualified to mobilize troops from the First Division. The Third Battalion of the Independent Detachment also did not dare to privately mobilize troops to support Zhang Zihua; this was military rule. Therefore, if he wanted to borrow troops from the Independent Detachment, he still needed the consent of Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun.

When Zhang Zihua entered Sheng County, he didn't know where the independent detachment's headquarters was, so he was very anxious.

I didn't expect to meet Wei Hongjun here.

Seeing Wei Hongjun made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Red Army, it's so good to see you."

Zhang Zihua stepped forward and shook Wei Hongjun's hand tightly, saying excitedly: "Hongjun, hurry up, we need the help of the independent detachment."

"Drink some water first."

When Wei Hongjun saw Zhang Zihua like this, he was shocked.

Zhang Zihua was a cadre of the Pingxi Detachment. Given the current situation, could something have gone wrong with the Pingxi Detachment? Although Zhang Zihua wasn't a historian, based on his historical knowledge, while the Pingxi Detachment had been through a difficult period, nothing major had happened.

Why is Zhang Zihua like this?

So let Zhang Zihua drink some water first.