Age of Rebirth

In Pingtang, a small town more than 20 kilometers away from the Hongshui River, Bai Chongxi accidentally met Liao Lei, Commander of the No. 20 First Army of the Gui Army, and Zhang Gan, Commander of the Ninth Army, who were also staying here briefly. There are more than 2 troops.

The unexpected reunion surprised Bai Chongxi inexplicably. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan couldn't restrain their excitement. They lost contact with the headquarters for a day and a night. Bai Chongxi's safety made them worry even more. If it felt like a world away, "President, you have suffered." There was even a slight tremor in the voice, which showed the excitement of the two of them.

Bai Chongxi sighed deeply, shook his head and said, "You are still the same, it's good to be back, it's good to be back, at least we haven't wiped out our Guangxi family fortune," that is, in front of Liao Lei and Zhang Gan, Bai Chongxi will talk In my heart, this Nanning defense battle was a huge blow to Bai Chongxi. After fighting for more than [-] troops, Nanning city was lost in the end.

After withdrawing all the way, the Japanese bit their backs and pursued them relentlessly. Even a world-class hero and a general in a hundred battles will lose his heart, lose his pride, and lose his energy. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan, why not? He also understood Bai Chongxi's mood better at this time. For a while, no one spoke, as if there was something shaped between the three of them.

The noon sun lingered on Bai Chongxi's physical and mental exhaustion. For a long time, he seemed to whisper, "Just come back." Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he hurriedly said to the adjutant beside him, "Quick, send a telegram to Vice Chairman Tang. More than [-] people from our department have successfully broken through and are currently resting in the Pingtang area on the south bank of the Hongshui River, and are expected to cross the river in five hours. Enter Laibin.”[

Bai Chongxi's mental state seemed to have recovered a little bit. He looked at Liao Lei and Zhang Gan and said, "Tell me, Shanglin didn't see you two, how did you come to Pingtang?" Liao Lei and Zhang Gan spoke with lingering fear , The 21st Group Army and the Ninth Army are the main forces of the Gui Army defending Nanning.Has been at the forefront, especially after Nanning entered the street fighting.

After receiving the breakout order from the headquarters.After discussing with each other, the two decided to postpone the withdrawal for an hour. They were worried that once the troops at the front broke through, the Japanese army would be alarmed.The headquarters and other troops were in danger. For those who were there, the troops of the two were too close to the Japanese army, and their positions were staggered and twisted together.If they move first, the Japanese army will definitely be aware of it.

Thanks to the order of Masaharu Honma, the Japanese troops at the front stopped the night attack and switched to building fortifications.Although the two did not understand the intentions of the Japanese, they took advantage of this rare opportunity to quietly withdraw their troops from Nanning City without disturbing the Japanese army. From Shuangqiao to Wuming, turn to the assembly point of Shanglin.

Just when he arrived at Wuming.Before dawn, Liao Lei and Zhang Gan breathed a sigh of relief.But encountered the Japanese army interspersed with troops, the 57th Division of the Fourth Army.The two sides met suddenly, and a bloody battle was inevitable. The Seventh Division of the Japanese Army, thinking that they had captured the main force of the Gui Army, surrounded them and fought desperately.

Liao Lei and Zhang Gan commanded the troops to retreat while fighting. The Japanese army sent in reinforcements. By daybreak, the Japanese were fighting more and more, and they were chasing after them. A piece of bad news. The reconnaissance unit near Shanglin reported that at the original assembly point Shanglin, at the southern foot of Mingshan Mountain, there was intensive gunfire, and it seemed that there was a fierce exchange of fire between the troops, and a large number of Japanese troops were found. In the direction of Shanglin, it is suggested that the troops divert to Laibin.

The situation was critical, there was an interception before, and there was chasing after. The little devil clung to his troops, obviously waiting for the main force to arrive, and swallowed up more than 3 people in one go. After discussing with Zhang Gan, Liao Lei and Zhang Gan decided to change the route , went east to Binyang, crossed the Hongshui River to visit the guests, and fought and retreated. After fighting for more than a day, when they reached Kunlun Pass, only more than 3 of the 2-strong army were left.

The reinforcements of the Japanese army also came up. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan thought they could get out, so they made up their minds and decided to use the dangerous terrain of Kunlun Pass to fight the little devil here. Even if the troops were exhausted, they could still serve President Bai Zuo and other troops attracted more Japanese troops and relieved their pressure.

The remaining troops of the 21st Group Army and the Ninth Army, whether it was Liao Lei, Zhang Gan, or ordinary soldiers of the Guangxi Army, thought that this was the last fight and had no intention of going back. At that time, the original [-] was Wu Xiaoxian, the commander of the [-] Regiment, who arrived with troops that went deep into the rear of the Japanese army.

Wu Xiaoxian couldn't help but order troops to take over the line of defense immediately. Of course Liao Lei and Zhang Gan couldn't agree. They left Wu Xiaoxian's lone army at Kunlun Pass to stop the Japanese army. According to his plan, before withdrawing, he left all the light and heavy machine guns, mortars and most of the medicines to Wu Xiaoxian, and then reluctantly said goodbye. Before withdrawing far, the direction of Kunlun Pass was full of gunfire and shouts of killing. Shocking.

Hearing this, Bai Chongxi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked eagerly, "How is Wu Xiaoxian now? Can he contact the horse?" Liao Lei and Zhang Gan's expressions darkened, and they shook their heads and said, "The situation is unknown, so it's probably more or less auspicious." , We contacted once five hours before we arrived in Pingtang, and we had repelled six Japanese charges, and then lost contact.”

Bai Chongxi didn't ask any more questions, and he didn't speak any more. He knew very well that the chances of being able to withdraw from this blocking battle with a small number of troops were very slim. If it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, he will give up attacking and chasing himself. "Wu Xiaoxian is a true warrior!" I very much agree with Bai Chongxi's statement. In fact, the lives of Liao Lei and Zhang Gan were saved by Wu Xiao first.

The three fell silent again, with sadness in their eyes. A war horse galloped from the direction of the Hongshui River, splashing the muddy water on the muddy path. The war horse and the men on horseback were also splashed with mud. The young captain officer with a hole in his head jumped off his horse, somewhat out of breath.

Standing at attention in front of the three of Bai Chongxi, a clean and neat military salute erupted with a military demeanor. Bai Chongxi's eyes flashed with admiration. At this time of defeat, tens of thousands of troops were shrouded in the emotion of defeat. This young captain, still It is really rare to be able to maintain such a mental outlook. In an instant, this young captain has already entered Bai Chongxi's heart, which may be the beginning of his prosperity.

"Report to the chief. General Chang Feng, the chief of staff of the corps directly under the Independent Division, has sent a liaison adjutant who is waiting for the chief to be summoned in Pingtang. In addition, the humble officer came from the Hongshui River to report the important situation. The independent division troops, more than a dozen A few days ago, more than a dozen pontoon bridges were erected on the Hongshui River, allowing our troops to pass through within an hour. Sun Shangzhi, the combat staff officer at the headquarters, said, "The young captain spoke clearly, and in a few words, he explained the matter. Be clear.

Bai Chongxi was stunned, "What? The troops of the Independent Division have already built a pontoon bridge on the Hongshui River? Did you see it with your own eyes?" A series of questions revealed the shock in Bai Chongxi's heart. Sun Shangzhi nodded affirmatively, and Bai Chongxi's heart burst An indescribable smell, can be described as mixed flavors, to be precise, it is more surprise than loss.

More than a dozen pontoon bridges cannot be completed in a short period of time. According to Sun Shangzhi's report, they were erected more than ten days ago. Doesn't that mean that Tang Qiuli had already foreseen that the defense of Nanning had not yet begun? After today's failure, and prepared in advance, what is his persistence in Tang Qiuli's eyes?Whether it's overreaching, stubbornness, or being unable to see the situation clearly, or the performance of being capable, the thoughts of counting are complicated and entangled in his mind, which almost makes Bai Chongxi collapse.

Under the leadership of the liaison officer sent by Chang Feng, Bai Chongxi and his party arrived at the bank of the Hongshui River, where the river was surging and the water surface was wide. The soldiers of the Gui army were passing through more than a dozen pontoon bridges in an orderly manner, driving to the opposite bank continuously. The pontoon bridges were wide and strong. Even heavy equipment, such as artillery, can pass safely. Bai Chongxi lamented that Tang Qiuli thought of going ahead. Unfortunately, during the breakout process, all the heavy weapons were thrown on the road. The last one All the artillery of the Artillery Regiment, after being destroyed, remained in Nanning City, where the blood of Bagui's children was sprinkled.

Changfeng's liaison officer asked Bai Chongxi to cross the bridge first, but Bai Chongxi refused. He stood on the south bank of the Hongshui River and watched the Gui army soldiers cross the bridge. He also said that as long as there is a soldier who has not crossed the Hongshui River, he will He would never set foot on the North Shore. When he said these words, he paid attention to the major liaison officer of the independent division. It seemed that he could see a trace of sarcasm in his eyes, and Bai Chongxi's heart suddenly ached.

Maybe it was because he was overly concerned or overly sensitive. More importantly, his mentality had changed. A liaison officer sent by Chang Feng would not bring the fluctuations in his heart to the surface at all, but Bai Chongxi I have this feeling, and regard it as Tang Qiuli's attitude and opinion towards himself. [

Thinking of this, Bai Chongxi's mood became more and more depressed. The fumigated wind on the river surface, carrying the smell of his hometown, could blow away the dust from his body, but could not blow away the dark clouds in his heart. When he reached the Hongshui River, he was already safe. He couldn't even hear the sound of guns and guns pursued by the Japanese army, but he felt that he left a lot of things on the south bank of the Hongshui River and in Nanning City.

The 17 army guarding Nanning was so high-spirited and fighting like a rainbow at the beginning. They were determined to show the prestige of the Gui army under the city of Nanning. In just ten days, more than 9 Bagui children spilled blood on Nanning. In the end, they were still forced to retreat. Relying on Tang Qiuli's prearrangement, they safely evacuated across the Hongshui River.

The figure of the last Guangxi soldier disappeared into the dense jungle on the opposite bank. Bai Chongxi sighed and said, "Cross the river." In his sigh, he could hear the loss and vicissitudes in Mr. Bai's heart