Chapter 29

When the sound of gunfire erupted in Tongdao, He Zhengdao, who had already changed into his civilian clothes, sneaked away from the city with a few excited guards.

Today’s battle, which escalated from a mere verbal dispute, undoubtedly made the guards feel that their regiment commander’s skill in sowing discord was truly formidable.

Everyone knew that when the entire regiment of the Gui Army was mobilized, even bringing in mortars, the conflict would only end when one side was completely eliminated. As for who would bear the responsibility afterward, whether it was the Hunan Army or the Gui Army, it was no longer the concern of people like He Zhengdao.

After all, they were all ‘conspirators’ who only cared about the kill, not the cleanup.

It was clear that this internal conflict between the Gui and Hunan armies would likely affect the pursuit of the Red Army to some extent. At the very least, the two armies would be more cautious when they cooperated privately in the future.

By the time they tried to investigate the incident, they wouldn’t be able to find the instigators like He Zhengdao, and arguing over it would be pointless.

If they had to blame anyone, it would be the fact that the two armies were already at odds with each other, and the addition of He Zhengdao, who was skilled at using every means to strike the enemy, made this situation quite normal.

The fire had been ignited, and it no longer mattered to He Zhengdao how it would end. For the current Red Army, the more fiercely the two armies fought, the better. This would be the greatest benefit for the Red Army’s strategic relocation.

Only when the two armies were almost exhausted and weakened would the Central Army, which had become the strongest force in Tongdao, suddenly emerge from their camp as a mediator, urging the two armies to cease hostilities and reconcile.

Faced with the Central Army’s ill-intentioned mediator, the heavily wounded Gui Army immediately demanded that the Hunan Army leave the city with their dead and quickly return to their own territory.

The Hunan Army commander, who knew that the matter would ultimately be handled by the higher-ups, quickly sent a telegram to He Jian, who was preparing to lead his troops into Guizhou Province, detailing the events.

The main force of the Gui Army, which had fled from Tongdao, had not gone far when they encountered the main division of the Gui Army coming to their rescue.

Seeing the heavily wounded Gui Army brothers, the main division of the Gui Army, which had come to their aid, immediately deployed an entire division outside Tongdao, demanding that the Hunan Army surrender their weapons. In response, the Hunan Army naturally reinforced Tongdao without hesitation.

For a moment, Tongdao, which had been occupied by the Red Army just a few days ago, seemed to become the fuse that would ignite a full-scale war between the Gui and Hunan armies. Upon learning of this, Chiang Kai-shek immediately issued an order to both commanders, threatening to execute anyone who fired the first shot. This slightly stabilized the situation, as the Gui and Hunan armies continued to gather forces near Tongdao.

Where did these troops gathered around Tongdao come from?

They were undoubtedly drawn from the joint forces pursuing the Red Army. The main force of the Red Army, which had captured the small county of Liping on the border of Guizhou and Hunan, was puzzled when they learned that the Gui and Hunan armies, which had been pursuing them, suddenly turned around and gathered near Tongdao. They couldn’t understand why these warlord forces, which had been like wolves, suddenly stopped pursuing them.

Because the main force had been on the move, they had not received timely intelligence and were temporarily unclear about the reason for the sudden withdrawal. When they learned that a significant portion of the pursuing Gui and Hunan armies had disappeared and the remaining forces were on standby, the main force of the Red Army was given a rare opportunity to rest and regroup.

After the Long March began, Mao Zedong’s suggestion to change direction in Tongdao was proven to be a decision that fit the current situation of the Red Army. After entering Liping, the Red Army held its first Political Bureau meeting since the change in direction.

At this meeting, Mao Zedong’s strategic thinking was once again affirmed. The Red Army decided to abandon the plan to join the Second and Sixth Corps in western Hunan and instead advance deep into Guizhou to strike the weakest warlord force, Wang Jiaxuan’s troops. They would establish a base area spanning three provinces based on the situation.

He Zhengdao was well aware of what was about to happen in Liping. When he realized that the chaos in Tongdao had made it unsuitable as a base for entering Guizhou, he carefully considered the current situation.

He found that the Hunan Army, which had been focused on suppressing the Second and Sixth Corps in Huaihua and Zhijiang, had now shifted its attention to Tongdao, where the Gui and Hunan armies were facing off. The city of Jingzhou, which was close to the border of Guizhou, had suddenly become a weak point.

If the Independent Regiment could capture Jingzhou, it would certainly infuriate the Hunan Army. He Zhengdao knew that there were significant military supplies stored there for the suppression of the Red Army.

Understanding that the Red Army would face a shortage of ammunition and supplies along the way, in addition to the heavy encirclement, He Zhengdao believed that delivering these much-needed supplies and medicine to the front lines would be a significant help.

Considering the current situation, which was very unfavorable for the Independent Regiment, but still provided some room for maneuver, and the fact that the Gui Army was hostile to the Hunan Army, He Zhengdao decided to capture Jingzhou. He believed that even if the Hunan Army was furious, they would be powerless to stop them.

Moreover, when formulating the battle plan, He Zhengdao did not intend to act under the name of the Independent Regiment but under the name of the Second and Sixth Corps, which were still active on the border of Guizhou and Hunan.

Capturing Jingzhou would not only provide the Red Army with much-needed supplies but also reduce the pressure on the Second and Sixth Corps, who were heavily encircled. It would also further muddy the waters, making it even more confusing for the Hunan Army to understand why the Second and Sixth Corps, which they were heavily encircling, suddenly appeared behind them.

After deciding on this plan, He Zhengdao immediately ordered the Independent Regiment to head for Jingzhou. After three nights of forced marches, nearly 2,000 officers and soldiers of the regiment were hidden in the mountains near Jingzhou, preparing to rest and regroup.

To gain time, He Zhengdao decided to lead a group of guards into Jingzhou to gather intelligence. At night, Political Commissar Yao Shengjun would lead four main battalions to secretly gather near Jingzhou, aiming to end the battle in the first half of the night and empty the city in the second half.

When He Zhengdao and his group arrived outside Jingzhou, they found a place unguarded by the Hunan Army and sneaked into the city. After a quick reconnaissance, He Zhengdao敏锐地发现，靖州城的驻军确实不多。

可能是由于桂军在桂湘边境集结的部队太多，原本驻扎在这里的一个主力团也被紧急调往通道城进行防御。

现在这些驻守城中的保安团，根本就是湘军的二线部队。对付这样一支部队，何正道自问兵强马壮的独立团没有任何问题。

关键是他必须确保，晚上战事一起尽快将保安团拿下，并且迅速控制城中的局势。让这些保安团根本没有办法发出信号，告诉靖州城失陷的消息。

在靖州城转悠了一上午的何正道，将城中当桂军布有官兵把守的军事要地都查勘清楚，觉得肚子有点饿的他，又带着几个充当伙计的警卫连战士，来到了一家看上去算是靖州城里最好的酒楼解决一下温饱问题。

虽然这种高消费对于何正道而言，无疑是非常奢侈的。但在这种酒楼，能打听到不少消息。毕竟，出入这种酒楼的人，在靖州城里多少都有些身份和资产。要不然，他们也绝对不可能，能吃得起一顿好几个大洋甚至更多的酒席啊！

清楚这顿饭钱，晚上只要拿下靖州城又会几倍几百倍拿回来的何正道，很快带着几个看上去打扮得像走货商镖师一样的战士，来到了酒楼二楼的一个大厅，让店小二擦拭了两张桌子，又点了几个在他看来，既经济又实惠的拿手好菜。

就算是酒水，何正道也没小气地叫了两瓶，让这些都会喝酒的警卫连战士稍稍润润嗓子。对于何正道而言，他很清楚这种‘出差公干’的机会，也是个拉拢人心的机会。

况且两瓶酒，分到他们这八九个人，每个人一两都分不到。根本就出不了问题！

随着何正道点好菜，店小二也点头哈腰地端着菜单，吩咐厨房开始做菜。没过多久，正在喝茶闲聊的何正道等人，就看着店小二端来了他们点的酒菜。

望着这些对红军战士来说有些过于奢侈的酒菜，他们有些不敢下筷时，何正道显得很大气地说道：“都愣着干什么，吃啊！又不用你们付钱，怕什么！”

以前陪何正道外出侦察过情况的警卫连战士，很快就笑嘻嘻地给何正道倒了一杯酒水，也没忘记给其他战友倒上一杯。

不管怎么说，跟着这位团长打仗舒服畅快之余，还能时不时喝酒吃荤打牙祭。以至于现在何正道，在警卫连战士心目中，无疑是个非常值得追随的首长。

就在何正道一边吃喝一边倾听酒楼中那些客人谈论的事情时，很快一个酒楼老板陪着走上来的湘军上尉引起了何正道的注意。

而接下来这位上尉与酒楼掌柜的一番话，无疑让何正道彻底忍不住笑起来。这是为何呢？

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Why did He Zhengdao find it so amusing? The conversation between the Hunan Army captain and the innkeeper revealed that the Hunan Army was completely in the dark about the situation. The captain was complaining about the sudden disappearance of the Gui Army and the lack of communication, which made He Zhengdao realize that his plan was working perfectly.