Chapter 58

The sound of gunfire and cannon fire echoing through the city at night frightened many of the city's residents. In these times, the people feared nothing more than the ravages of war. Especially after the Red Army entered Guizhou, the people knew that there were now too many troops in the province.

Even as the gunfire and cannon fire continued, no one dared to sneak out of their homes to take a look. Everyone knew that being too curious about such matters could cost them their lives. Besides, the people knew the locations where the gunfire was coming from.

As the gunfire and cannon fire gradually subsided, the people breathed a sigh of relief but still dared not sleep, fearing that someone might break into their homes and rob them of their hard-earned savings.

However, after the gunfire subsided, some bold individuals quietly opened their windows and peered outside. Most of these people lived in the more prosperous areas of the city and could hear the footsteps outside their doors.

Accustomed to these footsteps, they knew that a patrol was passing by. When they poked their heads out to look, they saw that the patrol, holding torches, was not the Red Army they feared, but soldiers in the uniform of the Nationalist Army.

The civilians who were spotted by the patrol soldiers soon heard a veteran soldier sternly say, "Why are you not sleeping and looking around aimlessly? There's a citywide curfew tonight, and we are suppressing a rebellion. If we catch you again, be prepared to be shot!"

These bold individuals were frightened by these words. But knowing the situation, they felt somewhat reassured and could now sleep more easily. For the people living along the streets, they were all considered to have some assets.

If the Nationalist Army was suppressing a rebellion, they felt it had little to do with them. The Nationalist Army taking control of Guizhou was no longer a secret. And the Nationalist Army suppressing a rebellion would not raise much suspicion among the people.

To these people who were adept at being adaptable, as long as the Red Army was not attacking Renhuai City, they felt relieved. After all, to rally the people against the Red Army, the Guizhou Army had portrayed the Red Army as an extremely brutal force throughout the province.

Even many civilians knew that the Red Army was the army of the poor, and their favorite activity was to fight the landlords. What were landlords? They were undoubtedly the rich in the eyes of the poor, the so-called merchants and gentry.

And these people the Red Army aimed to fight were precisely those the rulers of Guizhou needed to win over. Therefore, whether the Guizhou Army or the Nationalist Army controlled Renhuai City, the wealthy did not have to worry.

However, they had no idea that this was just a feint by He Zhengdao!

As the city gates were opened, the independent regiment outside the city quickly entered Renhuai City. While He Zhengdao was tallying the results and losses, he also ordered Sun Shicheng to send a telegram to the headquarters advancing towards Xishui.

Seeing the telegram from the independent regiment, Mao Zedong said in surprise, "Enlai, it seems our intelligence is still a bit outdated! However, with Renhuai City in our hands, the way into western Guizhou is now clear."

Zhou Enlai nodded in agreement, "Indeed! However, our underground organizations in Guizhou have been severely damaged, and our intelligence gathering has lagged behind.

Fortunately, He Zhengdao seized this opportunity decisively. However, there are still several main units of the Guizhou Army around Renhuai. If the news gets out, the independent regiment might be in danger!"

In response to Zhou Enlai's concern, Zhu De smiled and said, "We need to have confidence in the independent regiment! We've been out for almost three days, and the Nationalist Army seems unaware! This shows that the young man understands the importance of confidentiality.

Even if the encirclement forces now know we have moved, it will be difficult for them to catch up! I think, if possible, we should order the independent regiment to continue advancing and draw the attention of the Guiyang and Yunnan troops to our main force.

This way, our main force can enter western Guizhou as quickly as possible. Once the Yunnan troops come to our aid, we can take the opportunity to advance into Yunnan. If we achieve this strategic goal, we will have successfully escaped the danger!"

In Zhu De's and Mao Zedong's view, the biggest problem the Red Army faced was the encirclement forces pursuing them like rabid dogs. Now that they had shaken them off, the Red Army needed to increase the distance between them.

By securing enough time for maneuvering, the Red Army would not only gain time for rest and reorganization but also have enough time to plan their next move. The independent regiment seemed to be performing this task well!

'Can the independent regiment shoulder such a heavy responsibility on its own?'

Zhou Enlai felt somewhat skeptical about Zhu De's suggestion. Even though there were not many troops near Guiyang, there were still two newly reorganized divisions of the Guizhou Army, totaling over 20,000 troops. Could the independent regiment handle it?

Seeing Zhou Enlai's concern, Mao Zedong said seriously, "Enlai, I think we can trust the young man. He brought the independent regiment safely from the Xiang River to join us, and I believe he has the ability to be a good decoy.

Although I know it's dangerous, there's no such thing as a 100% safe war. However, Commander, Enlai, I think we should give them some autonomy in making decisions on the battlefield.

The previous telegram from the 9th Red Army Corps mentioned that the independent regiment in Xishui took several hundred prisoners. Now, their numbers should exceed 4,000. Should we give them a brigade or division designation?"

In Mao Zedong's view, the independent regiment had expanded its numbers through the process of reorganization during the battles. If they were given more autonomy, the chances of their success might be greater.

However, Mao Zedong did not want to give the impression of being autocratic. After all, he was just one of the commanders responsible for the Red Army and needed to consult with Zhu De and Zhou Enlai.

Zhu De quickly nodded in agreement, "A general far from home can sometimes act without orders. I think we can do it! I even think we can give the independent regiment a division designation, which would be more deceptive.

If we consider their battle achievements, the young man has earned the right to be a division commander. However, we will only give them the designation; they will have to figure out the equipment and personnel themselves. We can also give them the authority to make decisions on the battlefield. What do you think?"

Zhu De's generosity naturally won Zhou Enlai's approval. When He Zhengdao received the telegram from headquarters, he felt somewhat amused and frustrated. But thinking about it, the independent regiment, now numbering over 4,000, had reached its maximum capacity.

"Xiao Li, notify the political commissar and the battalion and company commanders to come to the meeting!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Arriving at the makeshift meeting room, He Zhengdao held up the telegram and said, "This is the telegram from headquarters. There's a good piece of news and a bad piece of news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

The deputy commander, Wang Tianlin, smiled and said, "Commander, let's hear the good news first!"

"The good news is that our independent regiment has been upgraded to an independent division! This means that all of us here will be promoted."

Hearing this, Yao Shengjun, who had been tallying supplies, was somewhat stunned and said, "Commander, are you serious? We only have over 4,000 people. Isn't it too hasty to expand to a division?"

He Zhengdao nodded, "Indeed! But the decision by headquarters is related to the bad news I'm about to share. We have to serve as a decoy for the main force and advance into Guiyang alone."

For an independent regiment of only over 4,000 people to attack Guiyang, which was guarded by over 20,000 troops, was indeed a very dangerous task. One misstep could lead to the annihilation of the entire force.

Seeing the mixed expressions of joy and worry on everyone's faces, He Zhengdao smiled and said, "The task given by headquarters may seem very dangerous, but I believe that as long as we work together, we have nothing to worry about.

When we fought our way from the Xiang River to here, how many enemies did we face? We are still alive and have won many battles. The headquarters entrusting us with such a heavy responsibility is a sign of their trust in us!"

These words made the battalion and company commanders think that it made sense.

He Zhengdao continued, "Additionally, to facilitate our command and operations, headquarters has given us the authority to make decisions on the battlefield. This means we can make our own decisions without constantly seeking approval from headquarters.

Since we have taken Renhuai, we have the key to advancing into Guiyang. Although there are many battles ahead, I believe our independent regiment will only grow stronger, and the enemy will tremble at the mention of our independent division.

If there are no questions about the orders from headquarters, we need to discuss the expansion of the independent division and the recruitment of new soldiers. This will determine whether we can successfully complete the task assigned by headquarters."

The designation was in place, and the equipment was not lacking. What was truly lacking was the manpower. Previously, He Zhengdao thought it was difficult to recruit civilians, but now he considered recruiting them into the logistics battalion.

By freeing up the Red Army soldiers in the logistics battalion to supplement the other main battalions, the expansion of the forces could be better managed. However, blind expansion would only weaken the combat effectiveness of the forces, which would be counterproductive.

He Zhengdao was very clear about this!