Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 963 Floating Bridge

In Pingtang, a small town more than 20 kilometers away from the Hongshui River, Bai Chongxi unexpectedly met Liao Lei, commander of the 21st Group Army of the Guangxi Army, and Zhang Gan, commander of the Ninth Army, who were also staying here briefly, and they led the breakout

More than 20,000 troops came out.

The unexpected reunion surprised Bai Chongxi. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan couldn't restrain their excitement. Day and night, they lost contact with the headquarters. Bai Chongxi's safety made them worried. When they met again, something unexpected happened.

As if from another world, "Master, you are suffering," there was a slight tremor in the words, which showed the excitement of the two people.

Bai Chongxi sighed, shook his head and said: "You are not the same, just come back, just come back, finally we have not wiped out all the family wealth of our Gui family." That is to say, Bai Chongxi would say this in front of Liao Lei and Zhang Gan

To be honest, this Nanning defense battle was a huge blow to Bai Chongxi. He put in 10,000 troops, but in the end he lost the city of Nanning.

After retreating all the way, they were bitten on the back by the Japanese and pursued them closely. Even a great hero or a general who has fought a hundred battles will be depressed, his heroic spirit will be worn away, and he will not be able to lift his spirits. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan were not like this.

This made me understand Bai Chongxi's mood at this time better. For a moment, no one spoke, as if there was something invisible standing between the three people.

The midday sun could not dissipate Bai Chongxi's physical and mental exhaustion. For a long time, he seemed to whisper, "Just come back." Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and hurriedly said to the adjutant beside him: "Quickly, send a telegram to Vice Chairman Tang.

Our more than 80,000 troops have successfully broken through the encirclement and are currently resting and recuperating in the Pingtang area on the south bank of the Hongshui River. They are expected to cross the river and enter Laibin in five hours."

Bai Chongxi's mental state seemed to have recovered a little. She looked at Liao Lei and Zhang Gan and said, "Tell me, I didn't see you two in Shanglin. How could I have arrived in Pingtang?" Liao Lei and Zhang Gan spoke with lingering fears.

The 21st Group Army and the Ninth Army are the main forces of the Guangxi Army defending Nanning and have always been at the forefront, especially after Nanning entered street fighting.

After receiving the breakout order from the headquarters, the two discussed and decided to postpone the withdrawal for an hour. They were worried that once the frontline troops broke through and alerted the Japanese army, the headquarters and other troops would be in danger.

The troops were too close to the Japanese army, and their positions were intertwined and twisted together. If they moved first, the Japanese army would definitely be aware of it.

Thanks to the order of Masaharu Honma, the Japanese troops at the front stopped their night attacks and turned to building fortifications. Although the two men could not understand the Japanese intentions, they took advantage of this rare opportunity to attack the enemy without alerting the Japanese troops.

Quietly withdraw the troops from Nanning City. Their breakout direction is from Ganwei in the north of Nanning, to Wuming via Shuangqiao, and then turn to the Shanglin assembly point.

When they arrived at Wuming, it was still dark. Just when Liao Lei and Zhang Gan breathed a sigh of relief, they encountered the Japanese troops interspersed with the 57th Division of the Fourth Army. The two sides suddenly encountered each other, and a bloody battle ensued.

Inevitably, the Japanese 57th Division, thinking 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 called in reinforcements. By daybreak, the Japanese were fighting more and more and were in hot pursuit. The blocking troops left behind were unable to stop the tide of Japanese soldiers.

Another bad news,

The reconnaissance force that went out to Shanglin reported that they found intensive gunfire at the southern foot of Mingshan Mountain at the original assembly point of Shanglin. It seemed that there was a fierce exchange of fire between troops. They also found a large number of Japanese troops heading towards Shanglin. It was recommended that the troops

Diversion to the guest.

The situation was critical. There were interceptions in front and pursuers in the rear. The Japs were clinging to their own troops, obviously waiting for the arrival of the main force so that they could devour the more than 30,000 of them in one go. Liao Lei discussed with Zhang Gan and decided to change their route.

, went east to Binyang, crossed the Hongshui River to reach the guests, fought and retreated, and fought for more than a day. When they arrived at Kunlun Pass, only more than 20,000 of the 30,000-strong troops were left.

The Japanese reinforcements also came up. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan thought that they could not escape, so they decided to use the dangerous terrain of Kunlun Pass to fight to the death with the Japs. Even if all the troops were exhausted, they could still save the lives of Mr. Bai.

Zuo and other troops attracted more Japanese troops and relieved the pressure on them.

The remaining troops of the 21st Group Army and the Ninth Army set up a formation at Kunlun Pass. Both Liao Lei and Zhang Gan, as well as ordinary Gui Army soldiers, believed that this was the last stand and had no intention of going back.

At this time, Wu Xiaoxian, the former commander of the 314th Regiment, arrived with troops that penetrated deep into the rear of the Japanese army.

Wu Xiaoxian couldn't help but ordered the troops to take over the defense line. 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. He fled with his troops for his life. After arguing for a long time, Wu Xiaoxian threatened to commit suicide.

The threat forced the two to agree to his plan. When they were about to evacuate, they left all the light and heavy machine guns, mortars and most of the ammunition with Wu Xiaoxian, and then they said goodbye. They didn't withdraw very far. In the direction of Kunlun Pass, there were guns and artillery.

They screamed in unison, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

Hearing this, Bai Chongxi's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked eagerly: "How is Mr. Wu Xiao doing now? Can you contact Ma?" Liao Lei and Zhang Gan's faces darkened, they shook their heads and said: "The situation is unknown, it is probably more serious than bad.

, we contacted once five hours before arriving in Pingtang, and had repelled six Japanese charges. Later, we lost contact."

Bai Chongxi did not ask any more questions or speak anymore. He knew very well that the chance of withdrawing this kind of blocking battle with a small number of troops was very slim. The Japanese planned to completely eliminate the Gui army, and they would not be able to do so because of the terrain of Kunlun Pass.

If it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, you will give up attacking and

Pursuing his own goal, "Wu Xiaoxian is a real warrior!" Bai Chongxi murmured to himself. Liao Lei and Zhang Gan looked at each other. From their eyes, it could be seen that they agreed with Bai Chongxi's statement. In fact, Liao Lei

The lives of Lei and Zhang Gan were saved by Wu Xiao first.

The three people fell silent again, with sadness in their eyes. A war horse galloped from the direction of the Hongshui River, splashing muddy water on the muddy path. The warhorse and the people on the horse were also splashed with mud. A military uniform was torn several times.

The young captain jumped off his horse, somewhat out of breath.

When Bai Chongxi stood at attention in front of the three of them, he gave a neat military salute, and his military temperament burst out. Bai Chongxi's eyes flashed with admiration. On the occasion of the defeat, tens of thousands of troops were enveloped in the emotion of defeat. This young captain, still

It is really rare to maintain such a mental outlook. In an instant, this young captain has entered Bai Chongxi's heart, and it may be the beginning of his rapid rise.

"Reporting to the headquarters, General Chang Feng, Chief of Staff of the Corps directly under the ** Division, has sent a liaison adjutant, who is waiting for the summons from the headquarters in Pingtang. In addition, a humble official came from the Hongshui River to report important situations. The troops of the ** Division,

More than ten days ago, more than a dozen pontoon bridges were erected on the Hongshui River, allowing all our troops to pass within an hour. Sun Shangzhi, the headquarters’ operational staff, said, "The young captain spoke clearly and in a clear tone. In a few words, he

Things are explained clearly.

Bai Chongxi was shocked, "What? The troops of the Japanese Army have already built a pontoon bridge on the Hongshui River? Have you seen it with your own eyes?" A series of questions revealed the shock in Bai Chongxi's heart. Sun Shangzhi nodded in the affirmative, and Bai Chongxi felt overwhelmed.

There is an indescribable smell, it can be said to be a mixture of five flavors, to be precise, it is a feeling of loss and surprise.

More than a dozen pontoon bridges cannot be completed in a short 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 the Nanning Defense War before it started?

for today’s failure,

And prepared in advance, but what does his persistence mean in Tang Qiuli's eyes? Is it overestimation, stubbornness, unclear vision of the situation, or a manifestation of incompetence? Countless thoughts are tangled in his mind.

, causing Bai Chongxi to almost collapse.

Under the leadership of the liaison officer sent by Chang Feng, Bai Chongxi and his party arrived at the Hongshui River, where the water was surging and the water was wide. The soldiers of the Gui Army were passing through more than a dozen pontoon bridges in an orderly manner, heading to the other side in a steady stream. The pontoon bridges were wide and strong.

Even heavy equipment, such as artillery,

It can be passed safely, Bai Chongxi sighed, Tang Qiuli thought of going ahead, but unfortunately, in the process of breaking through, all the heavy weapons were lost on the road, and all the artillery of the last artillery regiment remained behind after being destroyed.

The city of Nanning was sprinkled with the blood of Bagui’s children.

Chang Feng'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 crossing the bridge. He also said that as long as there was a soldier who did not cross the Hongshui River, he would

He would never set foot on the north bank. When he said these words, he paid attention to the major liaison officer of the army. It seemed that he could see a trace of ridicule in his eyes. Bai Chongxi's heart suddenly stung.

.

Maybe he is simply overly concerned or overly sensitive. More importantly, his mentality has changed. A liaison officer sent by Chang Feng will not bring the inner fluctuations to the surface at all, but Bai Chongxi

He felt this way and regarded it as Tang Qiuli's attitude and opinion towards himself.

As soon as he thought of this, Bai Chongxi's mood became more and more lonely. The wind on the river, carrying the smell of his hometown land, could blow away the dust from his body, but it could not blow away the dark clouds in his heart. When he arrived at the Hongshui River, he was already safe.

He couldn't even hear the gunfire of the Japanese army's pursuit, but he felt that he had left many things on the south bank of the Hongshui River and in Nanning City.

The 170,000-strong army guarding Nanning was so high-spirited and full of fighting spirit at the beginning. They were determined to show off the majesty of the Gui army under Nanning City. In just ten days, more than 90,000 Gui soldiers shed blood on Nanning. In the end, they were forced to retreat.

, relying on Tang Qiuli's pre-arrangements, they were able to safely evacuate across the Hongshui River.

The figure of the last Gui Army soldier disappeared into the dense jungle on the other side. Bai Chongxi sighed and said: "Cross the river," and stepped onto the pontoon first. Liao Lei, Zhang Gan, and all the senior officers around him started to

In his sigh, I could hear the loss and vicissitudes of Mr. Bai's heart.

(To be continued)