Independence Corps

Chapter 6
Meetings between opponents are often awkward.

Although Tan Weiming had already ordered him to go on, if Shen Mengzi really could attend the appointment, the 12th division must treat each other with courtesy.Shen Mengzi was indeed treated politely.As soon as he crossed the Matou Bridge, he was invited to the car by Hou Si, the head of the 117th regiment who was there to welcome him. "The master, we meet again." Hou Si's voice is still so thin, this man is extremely brave in battle, dispatching troops is no worse than Bai Jianjiang, but when he speaks, he can't change his appearance cavity.And the older he gets, the more sissy he becomes.Shen Mengzi can still vaguely remember some of the festivals he had with Hou Si when he was the commander of the cavalry battalion.For those who lead troops to eat food, it is common to fight today and tomorrow, so there is no need to be surprised.He fought against Hou Si, and he did it with real swords and guns.Later, they also worked together to deal with the Sixth Division under Chief Yan.But these were all in the past, at least a decade ago.For the past ten years, Hou Si'an has enjoyed peace under Tan Weiming's hands, living a carefree life.Shen Mengzi was in the wind and rain, and never had a day of leisure, as if God destined him to live on the cusp of the storm.Hou Si invited Shen Mengzi into the car, and he himself got into the black car like a beetle.A row of guards snapped their guns together, and moved out of the way for them.Shen Mengzi frowned suspiciously when he realized that Bai Jianjiang hadn't followed.Hou Sima said comprehendingly: "I'm sorry, but you are the only one invited as the teacher. Let Brother Bai feel wronged first." Through the car window, Shen Mengzi saw that Bai Jianjiang was invited by the 117th regiment to a row by the Matou bridge. In the bungalow.Shen Mengzi was not afraid, anyway, he had Tan Weiming's letter in his arms, even if he didn't have it, Hou Si wouldn't dare to do anything to Bai Jianjiang.In these years, is it still rare to go to the meeting alone?But sitting in the car at this time, I felt a different feeling in my heart.The same food as soldiers, the same lead soldiers to fight, the situation is so different.Look at Hou Si, dressed in a straight American military uniform, with a pair of 20 rings on each side, and a beetle when he goes in and out.Looking at myself again, I feel a bit like a beggar.Hou Si probably had an insight into his thoughts, smiled a little, and said: "It is said that the head of the family has been doing well these years, so I think so." Shen Mengzi was about to say that he was good-mouthed, but Hou Si said something more, "How does it taste to follow the Communist Party?"

"Stop farting!" Shen Mengzi reprimanded Hou Si domineeringly, but in his heart, he was grateful to Hou Si.A person who has been an enemy and a friend to himself, after many years, can still remember his nickname back then, and can call it naturally, which proves that in Hou Si's heart, he, Shen Mengzi, still has some weight.I hope that Tan Weiming can follow Hou Si's example and remember the past more or less.

Thinking of this, Shen Mengzi slightly closed his eyes.In fact, he closed his eyes as a show for Hou Si to see.At this time, opening your eyes wide and looking left and right is very taboo, and it will also make people look down upon. Hou Si fears that he does not want him to do this.It's different when you close your eyes, at least it can dispel the vigilance in Hou Si's heart and give him a sense of security.But those eyes can't be closed, even if they are closed, a light can still be emitted from the gap between the eyes, and everything outside the car window should be taken into the eyes, and it can be taken in.Shen Mengzi discovered that Liu Ji was Liu Ji, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is a paradise.Wufengling on the other side of Matou Bridge has just stopped the fighting, and the smoke has not yet cleared. On the side of Matou Bridge, the Japanese's iron hooves are coming, and the flames of war may ignite this market town at any time.What Shen Mengzi saw was a different scene.The shops on both sides of the street were fully opened early in the morning. The shopkeepers were wearing coats and carrying white towels, standing at the door with a smile and shouting once or twice from time to time.The owner of the small breakfast stall yelled boldly in front of the steaming hot pot: "Soymilk fried dough sticks with marijuana flowers, Liu's tofu fried pot cakes." The sound and the smell made Shen Mengzi feel a desire to jump down. Beetle, let me serve you three bowls.These days on the mountain, he never had a full meal.Not only did Tang Peisen plot against him at the butt of the gun, but he was also able to endure the plotting in his stomach.The military pay is so tight that I can't even say it.But he has to bear it.From the day he was incorporated into the 18th Army, Shen Mengzi reminded himself repeatedly: Endure!A small leak will sink a great ship.He, Shen Mengzi, is ambitious, he doesn't care about momentary honors, disgraces, gains and losses, let alone haggle over every detail with Tang Peisen. The 72 group's picture is a great cause. Although Shen Mengzi is not good at talking, he has a clear goal for himself and his brothers in his heart.He believed that one day, he and his brothers from the 72nd Regiment would impress the world!

The car turned around Linhe Street and drove towards the tree-lined Guangqing Road.Shen Mengzi could already smell the coldness of the Tan mansion.

Tan Weiming, the commander of the 12th Division, welcomed Shen Mengzi on the stone steps of the second gate of the mansion.Today Tan Weiming was dressed in casual clothes, with a long gown and short coat on his body, quite like a wanderer.Probably he deliberately wanted to show his kindness and easy-going, and he deliberately painted a smile on his face.

"Mr. Shen is here, and my brother is far away to welcome me. Forgive me." He bowed and greeted him with a smile.

Shen Mengzi clasped his fists and said, "Brother Tan, you are being polite. I, Shen Mengzi, are not talented, so I am bothering you today."

"Oh, brother Shen, I, Tan, have been looking forward to you for a long time." The two walked in while exchanging warm greetings, as if they were old friends.In fact, in the past years, the 72nd Regiment and the 12th Division also had a lot of conflicts, but at that time each had their own masters and there was no way.The situation has developed to this day, and they can no longer care about it.It is necessary to let go of previous suspicions and unanimously speak out.This is what Tan Weiming wrote in the letter.Shen Mengzi believed that Tan Weiming would not play tricks with him, he was just like himself, and he couldn't afford it now.

Hou Si and Adjutant Geng followed closely behind.Maybe they were also aware of the crisis, and their faces became more and more tense.War is like this, it can suddenly set the sun and make the mountains and rivers lose their color.

Compared with the free and easy scene of the bosses on the street, the Tan mansion has a different atmosphere.Needless to say, the security is high, every inch of the air here is filled with the smell of gunpowder.Shen Mengzi could smell that Tan Weiming had gotten into trouble, and the trouble might not just be as simple as the Japanese coming.He tried his best to pretend to be unaware, fearing that his sensitivity would draw Tan Weiming's unnecessary vigilance.At this time, a little suspicion will lead to greater trouble.

Walk through the carved wooden corridor guarded by guards, bypass the garden, and you will arrive at Tan Weiming's combat headquarters.Like Commander Tu, the commanders of the 11th Army Division and above all set up their headquarters in their own homes. After all, the Tan Mansion is the headquarters of the 12th Division.Tan Weiming stopped and made a gesture of invitation.Shen Mengzi clasped his fists again, and said frankly: "Mr. Tan is Mr. Tan. Your yard has opened my eyes, brother."

Tan Weiming smiled modestly: "This is all the old commander's kindness, Tan has no such ability."

Unexpectedly, Hou Si and Adjutant Geng did not follow in. When Shen Mengzi strode into Tan Weiming's study, Hou Si and Adjutant Geng stood at attention and stood on both sides of the study, guarding them.

As soon as he entered the room, Tan Weiming's face immediately darkened, he was not as arrogant as he was in the yard just now, and there was absolutely no trace of talking and laughing.Tan Weiming said with a full heart: "Brother Shen, I invite you here this time, I have something important to discuss."

Shen Mengzi saw a kind of sincerity from Tan Weiming's face, and this sincerity suddenly moved him. People like Tan Weiming rarely bow their heads to others, and rarely talk to others with such a sincere attitude.It seems that he has encountered a lot of trouble.

"Brother Tan, don't be polite. If you have anything to say, please tell me."

"Brother Chen, it is said that you and my armies are at war, so Tan shouldn't have invited you privately, but the situation is urgent, so Tan did it as a last resort. I hope Brother Shen can forgive me if I'm not careful."

"Brother Tan, don't say that. My brothers and I were very touched when I received your letter last night. Now the iron hooves of the Japanese invaders have trampled on half of my country. In front of a strong enemy, we really should sit down and have a good talk. .Our guns shouldn't be pointing at our own people all the time!" Shen Mengzi said sincerely.

Tan Weiming let out a long sigh: "It is said that Brother Shen is not easy. Hearing what you said, I, Tan, am very happy, very happy!"

Shen Mengzi said politely: "If Brother Tan is more polite, he will see you outside. Brother, I came here with all sincerity, so let's get straight to the point."

"Okay!" Tan Weiming said heavily, pouring tea for Shen Mengzi with his own hands.He didn't expect that Shen Mengzi could be so direct, saving him a lot of clichés and nonsense.Tan Weiming was originally a person who didn't like to talk nonsense.Dare to write a letter to invite Shen Mengzi to come to the house in the flames of war, firstly it shows his courage and sincerity, and more importantly, he has confidence in Shen Mengzi.In Tan Weiming's heart, Shen Mengzi, the head of the 72nd regiment, is a hero, and he, Tan, has always respected heroes.

"Then I'll be blunt?" Tan Weiming said politely again.After all, the two were enemies in the past, and they are also rivals now. Tan Weiming was still a little uncomfortable when he suddenly had to show his heart.

Shen Mengzi smiled generously, took a sip of tea, and waited for Tan Weiming to speak.

"Brother Shen, the situation is not good!" Tan Weiming said emphatically.Shen Mengzi was startled, Tan Weiming's bad voice raised his heart all at once.

"To tell you the truth, Gucheng fell two days ago. The 126th Division and 137th Division responsible for guarding Gucheng reached an agreement with the Japanese a month ago. Japanese."

"Is this really the case?" Shen Mengzi got up abruptly, and he really guessed the matter, "You son of a bitch, dare to be a traitor!"

Tan Weiming smiled wryly: "Now that the country is in crisis, there are various choices. The 126th Division and the 137th Division have adopted self-protection. On the surface, they have found a way out for the brothers of the two divisions, but in fact they are leading wolves into the house. Gucheng is lost. , It means that the line of defense has been breached, and the Japanese are now gathering large forces to secretly attack our Miliang Mountain. Little Japan’s ambition is to occupy Miliang Mountain, and then do whatever it wants in the entire Central Plains.”

"You little devil has a good idea. I, Shen Mengzi, would rather die in battle than lose an inch of the ground under my feet!"

"Brother Shen is very true. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party are family affairs, but the Japanese are our common enemy." Tan Weiming sat down and looked at Shen Mengzi earnestly.

"Brother Tan is right, if little Japan is not eliminated, there will be no peace in the country!"

"Brother Shen, Mr. Tan invited you here because he wanted to discuss the plan to fight against Japan."

"Brother Tan, if you have any advice, please tell me." With a few words, the two of them eliminated the barrier between each other.Shen Mengzi is a sensible person. In front of the enemy, the first task is to tear down the fence between the two sides.This fence runs across the middle, and my heart is blocked, very blocked.

"Brother Shen, do you know why Little Japan is not in a hurry to attack Miliang City?" Tan Weiming asked suddenly.

Shen Mengzi shook his head, he really didn't know much about the actions of the Japanese in Gucheng, and his information was far less closed than Tan Weiming's.

"Brother Tan, since the words are out of the way, feel free to speak out if you have any doubts. There is no need to hide it between you and me."

"Brother Shen is really a happy person. Tan is definitely not hiding it, but there are some things that Tan is really hard to say!"

"Brother Tan--" Shen Mengzi frowned. He saw an ominous look on Tan Weiming's face. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Tu Lanlong, could it be?

"Brother Shen, according to the information I have, the Japanese 13th Division, which has already occupied Gucheng, is in secret contact with Commander Tu in the city. My people intercepted a piece of information, which was sent to Commander Tu by the Lieutenant General of the 13th Division. .”

"You mean?" Shen Mengzi's heart suddenly went black, he really had everything he was afraid of.He gritted his teeth and stood up abruptly, "How dare someone surnamed Tu be a traitor?"

"I can't say that right now, but Gangben is full of tricks, this old fox, he knows how to stir up internal strife."

Infighting?Shen Mengzi suddenly fell silent.

Tan Weiming was right to worry. The three forces coexisted in the Miliang Mountain area, and there were many contradictions within the 11th Army. For Gangben, this was an opportunity and a hope.If the infighting among these three forces could be provoked, the Japanese would be able to take down Miliangshan without firing a single shot.Cannibalism!Shen Mengzi thought of this word again.Only then did he understand how important Tan Weiming's letter was to resolving the current internal conflicts in Miliang Mountain.Tan Weiming is not an ordinary person, no wonder he can let go of the arrogance of the ace teacher and take the initiative to ask Shen Mengzi to come down the mountain.

Shen Mengzi glanced at Tan Weiming gratefully, and suddenly respected his opponent and friend.

When it was dark, they returned to Huajialing.Along the way, Bai Jianjiang scolded non-stop. First, he scolded Tan as something wrong, but he dared to reject him from Liu Ji.Then he scolded Hou Si again: "God's sissy, dare to play tricks on me, one day I will completely silence his sissy!" Shen Mengzi didn't say a word, and he was thinking about a question along the way: Will Tu Lanlong really make a deal with the Japanese?
Bai Jianjiang was tired of cursing, and the scolding was boring, he raised his head and stared at Shen Mengzi: "You are the boss, you should say something, why is Tan looking for you?"

Shen Mengzi stared at Bai Jianjiang for a long time, shook his head, and walked forward again.Bai Jianjiang stomped his feet fiercely: "You have to tell me if it's sunny or cloudy, what's the point of keeping a sullen face?"

Shen Mengzi still didn't speak.

Back at the temporary headquarters, Shi Run was the first to greet him: "How is it, has the political commissar come back?"

Bai Jianjiang pulled Shi Run over: "What is he doing when he comes back? Master Tan's food and drink are so good!"

Shi Run glanced at Bai Jianjiang dissatisfied and timidly, wanted to say something, looked at Shen Mengzi's face, swallowed it without saying anything.

Lao Luan was holding the gun, leaning against the edge of the cave dwelling half-squatting and half-lying, as if he had nothing to do with himself.The other battalion commanders stood obediently in the cave, neither daring to ask nor go out.Obviously, before Shen Mengzi and Bai Jianjiang arrived, Lao Luan was discussing something with several battalion commanders.

Shen Mengzi glanced at it, then turned to Shi Run and said, "Go, call Commander Lan."

Shi Run went away in response.Shen Mengzi turned to the second battalion commander again: "Where's the new scout, is he back?"

When Shen Mengzi left, he deliberately explained to the scout named Lu Yichuan, he was anxious to know the result.

The second battalion commander said that Lu Yichuan hadn't come back yet, and Shen Mengzi told him to look for it immediately.The Second Battalion Commander looked at Lao Luan, who turned his head, pretended to be sleeping and started snoring.The second battalion commander didn't dare to hesitate, bowed his head and walked out quickly.When there were six people left in the cave, Shen Mengzi said: "Old Luan, get up, there is something important."

Lao Luan stood up reluctantly, and it was obvious that he did not have any hopes for Shen Mengzi and Bai Jianjiang's trip.Just now he yelled at several battalion commanders like a cow, and those who were afraid of death ran away with the head of the family, and those who were not afraid of death, acted tonight, went to Miliang City at night, and went straight to Tu Lanlong's lair.Seeing that the head of the family came back with a dark cloud, he knew that something happened on this trip.

Shen Mengzi ignored Lao Luan, he was in no mood and didn't have time to deal with it, and after saying a few words, he announced an important decision.The decision made by Shen Mengzi shocked Lao Luan and others, and even Bai Jianjiang, who went to Liuji with him, was tongue-tied after hearing it.Shen Mengzi decided that except for the third battalion and sixth battalion to continue to stick to Huajialing, the other battalions should go down the mountain before dark and go directly to Luanshigangzi.Luanshi Gangzi is on the edge of Liuji, across a small river from Liuji. It used to be guarded by the 12rd Brigade of the 53th Division. Now, Tan Weiming is determined to let it out.

"No way, it's too risky!" Bai Jianjiang was the first to say.Bai Jianjiang is a native of Miliang, and he is very familiar with the terrain of Miliang.In his opinion, Tan Weiming's move was tantamount to putting the 72nd Regiment directly on the line of fire.

"If you can't do it, you have to do it, this is an order!" Shen Mengzi didn't explain.At this time, explanations are superfluous, and he doesn't want to waste time.

"I don't agree!" Lao Luanteng stood up and stared at Shen Mengzi with a wicked face.

Shen Mengzi chuckled: "I didn't expect you to agree, you stay with the third battalion and sixth battalion, Huajialing will be handed over to you."

"I still disagree!" Lao Luan said stubbornly.

"It's against you, if you want to stay, stay, if you don't want to stay, take your three camps and leave!" Shen Mengzi's face darkened suddenly.

This sentence was too heavy, Lao Luan lowered his head slumpedly, his eyes, which were still sparkling just now, were filled with grievances and a layer of wetness.This old man actually showed a pitiful look when he was hurt.

Shen Mengzi ignored him, and continued to tell everyone: "Now is an extraordinary time, we can't just sit and wait, brothers, if you trust me, Shen Mengzi, just do what I say. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. I know everyone is It's good for the 72nd regiment, but the 72nd regiment can't be a coward!"

Bai Jianjiang didn't say anything this time, he knew that Shen Mengzi had already made up his mind, and if he objected again, it would be tantamount to making things difficult for himself.

The moment Bai Jianjiang got up and walked out of the cave, Shi Run came back with the Sixth Battalion Commander Lan Xiaoshi.Shen Mengzi briefly told Lan Xiaoshi about the decision just now, and specifically told him: "The third battalion has a small number of people, and has just suffered a loss. Huajialing, I will tell you."

Lan Xiaoshi nodded solemnly, he knew that a fierce battle to test him was coming.

The troops gathered at Luanshigangzi in the evening.

Tan Weiming, the commander of the 12th division, did not break his promise. He left all the fortifications in Luanshigangzi intact to Shen Mengzi. Not only that, he also left a batch of weapons and ammunition for the 72nd regiment.Shen Mengzi and the others came to the command post used by the 12rd Brigade of the 53th Division. Except for the radio station and the telephone, everything else was there.Shen Mengzi looked at the neat furnishings in the room and said to Bai Jianjiang: "Do you still doubt him?"

Bai Jianjiang still shook his head dissatisfied: "Master, as I said, you can order me to fight as you want, and don't say anything unnecessary."

Shen Mengzi knew that he still had knots in his heart. When the troops went down the mountain just now, he took the time to chat with Bai Jianjiang and briefly expressed his thoughts.Bai Jianjiang also had the same attitude now, ambiguous, ordered him to listen, and he wanted to keep the doubts in his heart.Shen Mengzi didn't have time to talk to him now, and within 10 minutes of entering the house, he ordered Bai Jianjiang to quickly deploy defenses.Bai Jianjiang went in response, and Shen Mengzi called two battalion commanders and explained his plan one by one. The two battalion commanders quickly threw themselves into the pre-war preparations with strides like arrows.

When it was dark, and the scout Lu Yichuan hadn't seen him yet, Shen Mengzi suddenly muttered in his heart: Could it be that he was wrong?
This is a dangerous move, don't make a mistake, if you make a mistake, he, Shen Mengzi, will never have the face to face anyone in his life, let alone the brothers of the 72nd Regiment!

Tan Weiming's conversation with him rang in his ears again.

(End of this chapter)