Chapter 66: Emerging from the Grasslands, Leaving the Hardest Bone to Long Wencheng

The terrain consisted primarily of muddy swamps resembling man-eating beasts. Places that appeared to be solid grassland would cause anyone stepping on them to sink halfway into the mire.

Fortunately, an ample supply of wooden planks had been prepared, allowing the troops to walk across them. Ropes were then tied around the sinking soldiers, and the remaining men pulled with all their might—sometimes even utilizing horses for the rescue.

These preemptively gathered planks and ropes saved the lives of countless soldiers.

Yet, what saved the greatest number of lives was the private stockpile previously provided by Long Wencheng—nearly one hundred thousand catties of grain.

This grain truly proved to be a lifesaver. Many units had been reduced to just two or three days' worth of rations remaining.

Now, replenished and fortified, every unit possessed at least six days of food supply.

This was more than enough for them to traverse the entirety of the Zoige Marsh.

Five days later, in a mountain hollow to the southwest of Baozuo Town, a massive contingent of the Red Army followed the 18th Red Division out of the marshes, gathering in this region.

Standing on a hillside, Long Wencheng held a pair of binoculars and gazed into the distance.

Finally, amid the gathering dusk, several cavalrymen galloped toward them. It was Lin Tong, who had been dispatched to scout the enemy's movements.

Dressed in civilian attire, they were returning directly from Baozuo Town.

Compared to the main force of the 18th Red Division, the cavalry company had crossed the terrain much faster, arriving two days prior and infiltrating the town of Baozuo disguised as civilians.

Over the past two days, aside from reconnoitering Baozuo itself, they had also scouted several surrounding county towns, essentially mapping out the enemy's troop deployment.

"Division Commander, we’ve figured it out. The enemy in Baozuo consists of one regiment, numbering around fifteen hundred men," Lin Tong reported to Long Wencheng.

"Good work. Take the comrades and get some proper rest," Long Wencheng instructed.

With that, he mounted his horse and rode toward the rear of the column.

Upon reaching the location of the Central Column, he reported the approximate enemy deployment and other relevant intelligence.

To their surprise, the headquarters had already grasped the enemy's military disposition beforehand through intercepted enemy communications decrypted by the Second Bureau.

They were even certain that a full division of enemy troops from the Lazikou direction was racing southwards to reinforce the Baozuo area.

This force was the Nationalist 49th Division, commanded by Wu Chengren.

Following a brief consultation, a plan to "besiege a stronghold to annihilate incoming reinforcements" was formulated.

This battle was imperative because Baozuo Township controlled a vital strategic artery—the Songgang Ancient Road.

Only by clearing this route and capturing Lazikou could the northern advance corridor into the Shaan-Gan region be thoroughly opened.

Furthermore, the Red Army's grain was nearly exhausted, making a swift resupply an absolute necessity. Otherwise, in this barren wasteland, the troops would perish from starvation without even needing the Nationalist forces to annihilate them.

That very night, the meeting finalized the specific operational plan.

Ten thousand men from the Fourth and First Front Armies would encircle the single enemy regiment stationed in Baozuo Township.

They would then besiege the stronghold to draw out and destroy the incoming 49th Division.

However, the Nationalist 49th Division numbered eight to nine thousand men. To thoroughly annihilate them, the net had to be drawn exceptionally tight.

"Who is best suited to execute this mission? Someone capable of withstanding several thousand desperate troops from the 49th Division trying to break through," Commander-in-Chief Desheng asked, flicking the ash from his cigarette.

"A cornered beast fights desperately, and this cornered beast can unleash formidable combat effectiveness," said Premier Zhou as he looked up at the others, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"I have a candidate in mind."

"What a coincidence, so do I," said Commander Wang with a smile.

"Actually... I have one as well," Commander Liu spoke up at this moment.

Exchanging glances, they immediately realized that everyone shared the exact same thought.

"It seems we all have the same person in mind," Commander-in-Chief Desheng laughed heartily.

"He is indeed the most fitting choice. He excels at fighting the toughest battles, his troops are well-equipped with abundant weaponry and ammunition, and dealing with an enemy fighting a desperate, life-or-death struggle requires sending him and his men forward."

Commander Xu listened in utter confusion, as he belonged to the Fourth Front Army and was not very familiar with the situation within the First Front Army.

Moreover, Long Wencheng had only risen to prominence after crossing the Xiang River, having previously been merely a regimental commander; naturally, he had no idea whom the others were discussing.

Unable to hold back any longer, Commander Xu asked, "Can you stop speaking in riddles and fill me in as well?"

"Hahaha, this man is Long Wencheng, the sharpest blade of our First Front Army during the Long March," Premier Zhou named him directly.

"Long Wencheng? I know him. Our army's grain shortage was actually filled by him," Commander Xu said, slapping his palm in realization.

"Who would have thought that besides procuring grain, he's also such an exceptional military commander?"

"Indeed, even Guiyang was captured by him, and later the daring seizure of Luding Bridge and the surprise attack on Xichang City were all his achievements. From crossing the snow-capped mountains to traversing the marshes, he has consistently been a well-deserved vanguard commander," Commander-in-Chief Desheng praised without reservation.

"Then let him take the assignment. There is likely no one more suitable," Commander-in-Chief Zhu made the final decision.

Shortly thereafter, the entire operational plan was fully finalized.

The remaining forces of the 18th Red Division along with two other armies would set up an ambush along the route the enemy 49th Division was bound to take to reinforce Baozuo Township.

The 18th Red Division was assigned the heaviest responsibility because their role in this ambush was the "closing the gate" part of the tactic known as "beating the dog behind closed doors."

In other words, they were tasked with cutting off the enemy's retreat.

Therefore, upon discovering the enemy passing through, they were not to attack, but instead let them enter.

Only when these enemy troops attempted to retreat from the pocket formation would the 18th Red Division open fire and block them, ensuring not a single enemy escaped.

Without a doubt, this was the most difficult task. Once the Nationalist 49th Division encountered an ambush at the front, their immediate reaction would certainly be to fall back.

When that time came, the enemy's eight to nine thousand troops would converge entirely upon the sector defended by the 18th Red Division.

In addition, another Red Army unit was deployed south of Baozuo to guard against any potential reinforcement by enemy forces from the Songpan direction.

Finally, a reserve force of over twenty thousand men was kept in readiness.

During the operational meeting, once these deployments had been arranged, Commander-in-Chief Zhu looked up, swept his gaze across the gathering, and asked, "Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

"Go down and make your preparations," Commander-in-Chief Zhu said, glancing at the time on his wristwatch.

As the others prepared to leave, he called out to stop Long Wencheng.

"Commander-in-Chief, what is it?" Long Wencheng turned around and asked.

Commander-in-Chief Zhu placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Your division bears the heaviest burden. You may face not only the desperate struggle of the 49th Division but also attacks from enemy forces heading from the direction of Lazikou. If you encounter any difficulties, do not hesitate to voice them, and I will find a way to help you resolve them."

After a moment of reflection, Long Wencheng replied, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, I have a request."

"What request? Speak," Commander-in-Chief Zhu said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"After this battle is over, can our 18th Division continue to serve as the vanguard?" Long Wencheng asked.