Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The Brave General

Zhang Zizhong's words and deeds at this time are all true reflections of his heart. The 59th Army entered the fifth theater, and its primary task was to defend the Huaihe River. Despite the danger of the Huaihe River, Yu Xuezhong's 51st Army and Gui Army's 31st Army were a little bit overwhelmed by the massive attack of the 13th Division. At this time, Li Zongren still had a card in his hand. His Guangxi army was divided into three armies, but except for the 31st army, the 48th army and the 7th army were still far away and could not catch up for a while. If Yu Xuezhong in Huaibei lost the chain first and allowed the 13th Division to cross the Huaihe River, Xuzhou would surely suffer from the enemy and become the second Nanjing.This truth is not only understood by the officers and soldiers in the Fifth War Zone, but also by the people who are still in Xuzhou.

But many people still have reservations about using Zhang Zizhong. The reason is that Zhang Zizhong's bad impression in everyone's minds has not been completely erased. The Huaihe battlefield is so critical, and the government still sends such tainted generals to fight. All are cautious. Zhang Zizhong's experience is actually the experience of most outstanding soldiers since the Republic of China.At the beginning, most of them had dreams and wanted to save the country and the people, but after they joined the army, they fell into the whirlpool of scrambling for right and wrong, and even made it easy for outsiders to invade.

In the words of Zhang Zizhong's reflection, the reason why China has become what it is today is the crime of the soldiers. If the soldiers had recognized the crisis of the country earlier and united to resist insults, Dongyi would never dare to commit crimes. On the train going south, in front of the military reporters, he said sadly, you ask me what the current soldiers should do, it is very simple, it is how to find a chance to die.If we want to wash away our sins and serve our country, there is only one way—to die, to die early, to die early and honorably! Zhang Zizhong wanted to fight the enemy to the death, but before he reached his destination, news came from the front that the Huaihe defense line had been breached, and even Xiaobengbu, the strongest defensive point on the north bank of the Huaihe River, was lost, and the Northeast Army retreated one after another.

If Zhang Zizhong was not in the army at this time, under such circumstances, the instinctive reaction of the 59th Army would surely have to turn around and run away as in the past, or be coerced or dragged down by the retreating Northeast Army. Zhang Zizhong's decision is to not retreat or run, not to evade or dodge, to use hard to hard, to use fist to fist.He said categorically to his subordinates, this time we want to win! No matter how many opponents there are, how strong or weak they are, they must win and cannot lose, because I have.My grievances can only be washed away by fighting to the end and getting real results.

An army against a division may not necessarily gain the upper hand. The 59th Army has fought more than one battle on the Jinpu Line before. The opponent is sometimes just a brigade, regiment, or even a brigade, but it has never won. In terms of strength, the 59th Army may not be good.Among the various departments of the original 29th Army, Zhang Zizhong's troops were the best trained and equipped, and they were not comparable to ordinary local troops. heavy machine gun. In the past, there were many reasons for losing battles, such as discord, or the soldiers did not die, but at this moment, all the unfavorable factors no longer exist. Even the soldiers know that the battle in front of them is related to whether the old chief can recover. Reputation must be fought with one's life.

The deployment has been set, and the 59th Army not only did not stop, but accelerated its march, rushing to form in front of the Japanese army.As soon as the opponent showed his head, he punched him hard. The 13th Division was chasing vigorously, but before recovering, it had already been hit hard, so while crying for pain, they rushed forward, and the two sides fought together. When the scene became heated, Zhang Zizhong personally wrote an order to the frontline troops: endure the last minute, last the last second, and you will surely get the comfort of conscience! After receiving the order, all the officers above the battalion commander of the 59th Army swore in front of the battle: there will be no retreat, and victory will be used to wash away the grievances of the chief.

The 59th Army rushed forward like a tsunami. The 13th Division did not all cross the river, and its foothold was not stable. A few days later, Zhang Zizhong seized Xiaobengbu with all his strength. Seeing that the situation was over, the 13th Division had to retreat to the south bank of the Huaihe River. The Chinese and Japanese armies once again faced each other across the river. Zhang Zizhong reined in his horse by the shore, full of enthusiasm. History records that the Huaihe battlefield is a famous ancient battlefield. More than 1,000 years ago, the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the former Qin Dynasty fought fiercely here. It was also a desperate struggle between civilization and barbarism, between the weak and the powerful.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty could only send 80,000 troops to fight against each other, while the former Qin Dynasty had 800,000 soldiers, a tenfold difference. In terms of numbers, they were hardly at the same level, but the Eastern Jin Dynasty general Xie Xuan insisted on creating the allusion of "the wind and the cranes are jittery"—— 800,000 Qin soldiers and horses were defeated so badly that they thought it was the other party chasing and killing them even when they heard the wind and the cry of cranes. I know that if the former Qin Dynasty wins, someone will definitely write such witty phrases as "national fusion" and "unification is the trend of history" in the book, and Fu Jian of the former Qin Dynasty may also be featured in the book.

It is a pity that the Han nationality won and the Jiangnan civilization was preserved, all thanks to the Xie family. Time flies, but relying on the blessing of our ancestors and relying on brave generals, Huaihe once again blocked the alien bandits for us. This is Zhang Zizhong's first victory since he returned to the army. General Zhang is truly a brave general. What is bravery? Xian Zhen was a well-known marshal-level general of the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period.The famous battle of Chengpu in history is the masterpiece of this gentleman, the so-called "the matter of Chengpu, the first plan".

He has a fierce man named Lang Tan who has always been as brave as a wolf and a tiger.But Che Zhen felt that he wasn't brave enough, so he didn't want to reuse him.The wolf macho was very angry about this. During the Spring and Autumn Period, people value integrity.Many big and small fierce, once they are not reused by their superiors, the usual way is: just get angry and die. Lang Tan's companion asked him, "Why are you still alive?"If you can't make up your mind by yourself, I can help you. Listen, what you said was really inhuman, but Lang Tan was not angry. He replied to his companion, "I must die, but death is unjust and not brave!"

The real courage must be "usable for the world". In the battle between Qin and Jin, Lang Tan acted as the vanguard and died on the spot. In fact, Xian Zhen is also such a person.He once "spit in disregard" in front of Duke Wen of Jin because of disagreements over official matters. Duke Wen of Jin had a lot of people, so he didn't bother with him. Instead, he felt guilty. In the end, when fighting the Di people, that is, the nomadic tribes in the Spring and Autumn Period, he charged and died without even wearing armor. Therefore, it is said in "Zuo Zhuan" that these people are all possessed of great courage, and they are first-class figures of gentlemen. Just like playing a relay, the Huaihe battlefield in the south had just lifted the alarm, and in the Linyi area in the north, Pang Bingxun yelled for help again. Fortunately, at this time, the 48th Army and the 7th Army had already arrived in Huainan. Together with the 31st Army, the Guangxi Army came together to fight against Lu Bu. Being caught and unable to move, Zhang Zizhong was able to get out of Huaibei and once again acted as the captain of the fire brigade. Maybe the heavens feel sorry for Li Zongren, who has few soldiers. It is not easy for this small family to manage, so he is very thoughtful, almost intertwined, and every thread is in place. The army came a little later, but Zhang Zizhong couldn't get out anyway. Zhang Zizhong wants to rescue Pang Bingxun, but there have been some festivals between the two in the past.There is a saying that when the old Northwest Army fell apart during the Central Plains War, Lao Pang had malicious intentions and wanted to take the opportunity to annex Zhang Zizhong's men. Judging from Pang Cripple's usual slick demeanor, he might have actually done this kind of nasty thing of taking advantage of the fire. As early as Zhang Zizhong was transferred to Xuzhou, he privately conveyed his difficulties to Li Zongren through other people, saying that he could fight to the death on any battlefield, but he would feel embarrassed when he was with Pang Bingxun. Of course Li Zongren had to do ideological work, and Linyi was in danger, so of course Zhang Zizhong would not really refuse to go, but he was a little embarrassed about his face. After a few words of persuasion from Li Zongren, he immediately agreed to take the order to go. The Battle of Huaibei won the first place, which greatly boosted the reputation of Zhang Zizhong and his 59th Army, and changed the image in the hearts of the Chinese people.After returning to Xuzhou, the people from all walks of life publicly recommended representatives to meet the victorious general and ask him to give a speech to inspire the morale of the army and the people. Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhang Zizhong opened his mouth, he directly poked into his sore spot: For everything about my past, the people of the country did not understand and called me a traitor.I can only use the facts to vindicate all this, and now I have nothing to say. Having said this, Zhang Zizhong suddenly choked up and couldn't make a sound. When his emotions were almost out of control, he summed up his determination in one sentence: On the Xuzhou battlefield, we are absolutely sure to defeat our opponents! Zhang Zizhong's words are not just talking nonsense, the soldiers picked out by "Zhang Papi" are not built, especially after they have the belief of victory and the spirit of daring to die, they are like a tiger with wings. For a total of 180 miles, the 59th Army rushed to Linyi in one day and night. When they heard the news that they had come to help, the frontline positions suddenly cheered and their morale was greatly boosted. The meeting between Zhang and Pang was not as embarrassing as originally expected. The common concern about the foreign war has already swept away the depression of the two sides in the civil war. After a few polite words, immediately discuss the battle plan, that is, how to solve the siege of Linyi. Pang Bingxun had been beaten terribly these days, so he naturally hoped that Zhang Zizhong could replace him sooner so that he could sit by the side to catch his breath. This was also his original intention of hoping for reinforcements. Everyone's eyes were on Zhang Zizhong—with General Zhang's bravery in the Huaibei battle, he would never refuse. Unexpectedly, contrary to everyone's ideas, Zhang Zizhong just declined. Prior to this, Zhang Zizhong had conducted a detailed analysis of the various defeats that the 59th Army had suffered north of the Yellow River.He found that these defeated battles all had a common feature, that is, pure defense, but pure positional defense was not the commander of the 59th Army. What they were best at in their usual training was not positional warfare, but long-distance raids or night raids. If you choose the strengths and weaknesses, of course you will lose the battle. Therefore, Zhang Zizhong said to Pang Bingxun, if you want to rely on me, you have to make it difficult for you, brother, and you will hold on. Zhang and Pang each proposed a plan, and finally handed it over to Xu Zuyi to defend. Xu Zuyi judged that Zhang Zizhong was right, so he deployed the overall situation on this basis. After Zhang Zizhong returned to camp, he immediately mobilized the soldiers and horses of his headquarters. I know that everyone has been exhausted after the rapid march, and we have to take a rest before fighting as usual, but what we are facing is the Itagaki Division, which is the main force of the Japanese army armed to the teeth. When we fight against them, we must use unconventional versus conventional , Like the Battle of Huaibei, attack ahead. Pass my order, wading across the Yi River, copying the soup! The Yi River is more than 100 meters wide, but it is not deep. It only reaches the knee. It is just early spring in the northern country, and the spring is cold, and the river is also icy cold. At this time, what we look at is the strength of an army.One minute on stage and ten years off stage. The soldiers trained by Zhang Zizhong all had several layers of skin peeled off from their bodies. Ordinary frostbite injuries are nothing to them. Zhang Zizhong personally supervised the teacher behind him. The sky began to drizzle, adding to the chill, but this person's heart was warm. Rain does not completely represent poetry, and sometimes it will create various difficulties for moving forward.For example, a horse will fall down because of slippery muddy roads, and an eagle may also get lost because of unclear direction. Only by crossing, tenaciously crossing, can we see the scenery in the distance. There is the boundless wilderness, the vast sky, the sky and the earth for the warriors to gallop and fly. Saving yourself is also reshaping your life. Zhang Zizhong is confident that he can still win and keep winning, because he has no fear in his heart, only the power to transcend any selfish distractions. But when the military reporter asked Zhang Zizhong to predict the outcome of the battle with Itagaki, he still became cautious. Itagaki is powerful and should not be underestimated. In fact, the success or failure of this battle is not sure, but I will do my best to keep my conscience at ease. Sure enough, after the 59th Army landed on the east bank of the Yihe River, the market started to go well, and even defeated the Japanese army in many positions, but what kind of person Itagaki was, he immediately reacted and detected Zhang Zizhong's intentions. Itagaki immediately withdrew his troops from the front and turned to counterattack to the flanks. Although the 59th Army landed on the shore, they were unable to stand firm. After a few rounds, they had to retreat to the west bank of the Yi River. The Japanese army took advantage of the situation to chase across the Yihe River, and saw that the situation not only did not ease, but also took a sharp turn for the worse. The failure of crossing the Yi River made Zhang Zizhong very angry and surprised. He removed a brigade commander who was responsible for this, and at the same time called up reserves to fight back vigorously. The two armies fought fiercely with Liujiahu Village on the west bank as the center. Both sides guarded half of the village and shot across the pond. After only one day and one night, dead bodies piled up around the pond. After three days of bloody battles, the 59th Army suffered heavy losses. Nearly half of the battalion commanders of the two divisions were killed or injured, and all the company and platoon leaders were replaced.Xu Zuyi sits in Linyi and has a panoramic view of all this.He called Li Zongren for instructions, and was going to let the 59th Army go down temporarily to rest. However, this is the time when the battle is at its height, how can Zhang Zizhong be willing to retreat. My casualties are heavy, and Itagaki's casualties are not small. Both sides are gritting their teeth and struggling. The key to victory depends on who can last until the last five minutes. Please give me one more day and one night, I will give Itagaki a fatal blow with all my strength, and if I fail, I will follow the order and retreat before it is too late. Li Zongren replied: Agree. Zhang Zizhong issued an order that all chief officers should come forward to supervise the battle, and all mountain artillery and heavy mortars should be pushed to the front line. Within the specified time, all shells must be sent to Itagaki for a taste. He changed his cautious attitude towards reporters a few days ago, and strictly ordered several generals who participated in the battle: In this attack, you must win and you must not lose, otherwise the military law will be merciless. This is the last chance to fight Itagaki, so there must be no mistakes. On the night of March 16, the ground in Linyi suddenly shook. Amidst the countless bullets, Zhang Zizhong gathered all his strength, and punched Itagaki's belly. The Battle of Linyi reached its climax. Zhang Zizhong's actions were so fierce and fast that itagaki was completely unexpected, so that the troops crossing the river were caught off guard, and all his own artillery was useless. After a night of hard fighting, in the early hours of the morning, the troops crossing the river from the Itagaki Division were finally unable to resist, and all the main positions of the Japanese army on the west bank, including Liujia Lake, were breached.According to the confession of the Japanese prisoners, they had not eaten a full meal for five days since they boarded the west bank of the Yi River. It can be seen that Zhang Zizhong's statement that "both sides are gritting their teeth and struggling for the last five minutes" is not false. After the war, it was counted that nearly 200 corpses of the Itagaki Division were left in Liujia Lake alone.In the past, the Japanese army had to take their dead bodies away, even if they couldn't drag them away for a while, they would take back small pieces from the dead in a hurry, such as a finger, an ear, etc., and hand them over when they returned home. For their relatives - I don't know what these Japanese people think, it's bloody, what's there to see? This time was an exception. Because Zhang Zizhong attacked very quickly and decisively, the Japanese army had no time to do these tasks, and the rest of the troops fled to the other side on their own. After driving the Banyuan Division out of the west bank of the Yihe River, Zhang Zizhong crossed the Yihe River for the second time in the rain, and punched him in a series of combinations, without giving his opponent a chance to breathe. This time, he not only supervised the battle at the back, but crossed the river himself to the front line.His appearance brought the morale of the frontline officers and soldiers to a boiling point. Even the wounded were not willing to go to the front line. Zhang Zizhong had to come forward to persuade them, and only those with serious injuries would go to the rear hospital. Zhang Zizhong's successful flank attack caused the Banyuan division to focus on one thing and lose another. Pang Bingxun took advantage of the situation to cover up and kill Linyi. On March 18, just five days after Zhang Zizhong forcibly crossed the Yihe River for the first time, Banyuan couldn't last the last five minutes. After the 59th Army and the Pang Army Corps wiped out the remnants of the enemy near Linyi, they joined hands to surround the Banyuan Division in Tangtou. When the special condolence representative of the Chinese High Command came to Linyi, he saw that the Japanese army was killed and wounded along the way. There were as many as six tanks that were blown up, and discarded war knives, military blankets, canned food, and various other things. The spoils of war are piled up like a mountain, everywhere. When Chiang Kai-shek heard the news, he couldn't help being overjoyed, as if he had slapped that domineering guard on the face, and he felt so happy.In the commendation order he sent to the Fifth War Zone, there was the phrase "opening a precedent for the victory of the Anti-Japanese War". The colonel and military attache of the American embassy, ​​and later the famous Stilwell, was also watching the battle in Xuzhou at this time.This gentleman can speak fluent Chinese, and he is a "China hand" among Americans. He usually does not need a translator to brag and chat with Li Zongren.At the beginning, he was also extremely pessimistic about the future of China's war of resistance. He even believed that the Chinese were fighting the Japanese with chopsticks. Not necessarily no hope of winning. Although the "Steel Army" encountered a fighter, although he was extremely reluctant, the fate of Itagaki's failure was inevitable. Prior to this, regardless of the Battle of Nankou, the Battle of Pingxingguan, or the Battle of Xinkou, Itagaki's combat mode was almost the same, that is, two troops cooperated, one went to the front and the other went to the side. This is a unique tactic Itagaki evolved from the outflanking tactics, which can be called the "two-headed snake tactic", and itagaki's specialty.To say it is unique, it is absolutely possible to attack with two fists, making you hard to defend against. The so-called front and side are not fixed, and can change back and forth with the battlefield situation, which is a wonderful attack. It should be said that no matter who he partners with, Itagaki is always the only protagonist and the most dazzling star in "Double-Headed Snake".Without him to contain a large number of Chinese troops, it would be difficult for any Japanese army to sneak attack from the side. This is also an important reason why Itagaki can gain fame in the Japanese military circles. Judging from the military documents seized after the war, he attacked Linyi south this time for the purpose of biting people with double-headed snakes as in the past. But this time, the "two-headed snake tactic" that has been tried and tested can no longer work. In addition to the delay here in Linyi, Itagaki's southward movement has been delayed for as long as a month. Not only was it impossible to meet up with Jigu as scheduled, but it also failed to reflect the role of taking the lead in attracting more superior Chinese troops. Through the great victory in Linyi, Zhang Zizhong's reputation as a good fighter has been well-known in the five theaters and the entire domestic military circle. Those who can face Itagaki are not ordinary people.In the Battle of Nankou, Tang Enbo moved out the family property of the 13th Army, and was beaten back and forth by Itagaki.When it came to the Battle of Taiyuan, Chen Changjie did not hesitate to use his old foundation to fight to the death, and with the scale of a hundred regiments, he was able to repel Banyuan for a while. It should be said that although Itagaki was not completely defeated in these two battles, it hurt him and planted the womb of the Itagaki Division. The gradually weakened inner bag, and people who generally don't know the inside story, also think that the Itagaki Division is still the top-ranking unit in the Japanese military. Even so, apart from Tang and Chen, there are still only a handful of domestic generals who can walk back and forth with Itagaki in front of the horse, and even win the battle. By this time, Zhang Zizhong had truly entered the forefront of the anti-Japanese famous generals ranking list.The reason why he was able to perform miraculous feats repeatedly despite the great disparity in the strength of the enemy and ourselves was not only that he had the talent of a general, but also had a lot to do with his special life experience.There are very few people like him who can remain unmoved whenever the battlefield is dangerous, and one move will surely achieve the goal without giving up. Zhang Kexia, a staff officer with the army, explained the secret of Zhang Zizhong's success in one sentence: "The determination of the public is as firm as iron and stone"! It is easy to shake mountains, but it is difficult to shake iron and rocks. Zhang Zizhong had already trapped the Banyuan Division in Tangtou, and the situation was very favorable, but at this time Zhang Zizhong suddenly received an order from the Fifth War Zone: Teng County fell, the Jinpu Line was very critical, and immediate reinforcements were needed. Now Li Zongren, as long as he thinks something is wrong, the first thing that comes to his mind is Zhang Zizhong. Zhang Zizhong fought in Huaibei and Linyi again, without a single defeat, and he was obedient to himself. Who would not like such a general, so he has long been a treasure in Lao Li's heart. After Zhang Zizhong was ordered, he left a brigade for Pang Bingxun, and the main force followed him to the Jinpu battlefield. But in the middle of the journey, Li Zongren suddenly sent another telegram, telling Zhang Zizhong to stop and stand by. This telegram was sent by Chiang Kai-shek. Although the Xuzhou battlefield was directly commanded by Li Zongren, many major joints were dispatched by Chiang Kai-shek. The latter did not agree to transfer Zhang Zizhong away from the Linyi battlefield. Lao Li was eager to solve the urgent needs of the western battlefield. He forgot that the eastern and western battlefields were originally integrated. Its venom is injected into your body. You must know that Zhang Zizhong only repelled the Itagaki division temporarily, and repelling does not mean defeat. Itagaki still has enough strength to make a comeback and take Linyi. For the defense of Xuzhou, this is the biggest threat. After Li Zongren received Chiang Kai-shek's order, he hesitated at first. He did not believe that the Linyi battlefield would fall into crisis again. One "on standby" was actually observing the movements on the Linyi battlefield.If the weather is calm and the sea is calm, the original order will remain unchanged. If there is any unexpected event, then we will make further calculations. However, Chiang Kai-shek's speculation was unfortunately correct, and itagaki came again, this time with a bigger momentum than last time, and Pang Bingxun was forced to call for help again. Seeing that something was wrong, Chiang Kai-shek simply sent a telegram to Zhang Zizhong himself, asking him to return to Linyi as soon as possible. Soldiers are people, not machines, and no one can bear this back and forth. The officers and soldiers of the 59th Army complained about the improper command of their superiors. Only Zhang Zizhong, who did not avoid death, was afraid of hard work. With his efforts, the 59th Army marched to Linyi within one day. Zhang Zizhong was very fast, but it was too late. The situation on the Linyi battlefield is no longer what it used to be. Not only did most of the defensive positions be lost, but the Itagaki Division once again went to the west bank of the Yi River, making the great victory in Linyi a few days ago almost wiped out. On the battlefield, no one is a real god. Once the fighter is gone, it is difficult to recover even if there is the power to recover.If he hadn't been transferred back then, or had come back earlier, taking advantage of the victory to capture Tangtou or Ju County, he would never have been as passive as he is now. Li Zongren's previous chess was basically well-regulated, with no obvious loopholes, but his move of transferring Zhang Zizhong out of Linyi, and then wavering, without making up his mind to transfer him back, was a real defeat. After seeing the situation clearly, Zhang Zizhong felt very heavy. The Itagaki Division is a tiger, not made of paper. As long as it recovers and bites back, it will be even more difficult for you to beat it to the ground again. Seeing the return of the great savior King, Pang Bingxun was so excited that his tears and nose flowed, and he kept telling Zhang Zizhong, if you hadn't turned back in time, I would have been miserable, and Linyi would definitely not be able to keep it. This old man, he really regards Zhang Zizhong as a god, thinking that with the latter's arrival, all problems can be easily solved. Zhang Zizhong had to tell the truth. The fighters are gone, and there is no defensive position that can be relied on. My troops suffered heavy casualties in the Linyi victory last time, and they are exhausted right now. It is not suitable to attack, wait for Banyuan to turn his edge towards me, and then the siege of Linyi will be resolved by itself. Pang Bingxun was stunned when he heard it. That is to say, he still needs to rely on an old bone to continue to support Linyi City, but he really can't hold on anymore. At this time, there were only two or three hundred people left in each regiment of the Pang Legion, and the better one was the Secret Service Regiment, but there were only seven hundred people.Lao Pang mobilized all those who could carry guns in Linyi City, and even the student team drove to the front line, and the total number of troops was no more than 2,000. There are more than 4,000 people participating in the siege of the Itagaki Division, which is twice as many as the Pang Legion. In addition, the equipment of special forces such as heavy artillery and tanks is indeed enough for him. Thinking that Zhang Zizhong was still unable to help him get out of the crisis, Pang Bingxun couldn't help crying, and tried his best to beg Zhang Zizhong to take the offensive. Xu Zuyi has been accompanying Pang Bingxun in Linyi City. He also knows very well that Pang Juntuan has no strength to struggle. Although Zhang Zizhong's strategy is safe, it is also very risky. If Banyuan pushes forward with all his strength Gong, not only the Pang Legion may be wiped out, but Linyi City is also difficult to secure. On the other hand, the loss of the 59th Army is also clearly accounted for.In the great victory in Linyi, the whole army paid a lot of money, and some regiments could only be reduced to one or two battalions, especially the 38th Division, which Zhang Zizhong had in the 29th Army, suffered heavy losses, including being the captain of the guard for Zhang Zizhong A considerable number of veterans, including a battalion commander, were killed on the spot. Although Xu Zuyi had the right to coordinate, he didn't know what to say when he saw the pair of suffering brothers and sisters in front of him. The decision is in the hands of Zhang Zizhong, no matter what he does, it is right and beyond reproach. As the time passed, Zhang Zizhong gritted his teeth and attacked, even if he had to go all out to attack, in order to solve the difficulties of Pang Juntuan and Linyi. His capital is still Huang Weigang's 38th Division. This division is the hero of Linyi's great victory. It depends on it to turn defeat into victory. Although it is scarred and exhausted, there is no suitable candidate for it. The determination was made, let alone hesitation. Zhang Zizhong gave an order, and Huang Weigang's division rushed out, like wielding an iron broom, and began to sweep the Japanese troops on the west bank of the Yi River. At daybreak, Itagaki increased its troops, and a large number of Japanese troops counterattacked to the west bank. The failure of the first battle of Linyi made Itagaki more aware of the importance of occupying the west bank of the Yi River, so this time he became ruthless, even if the front teeth were smashed to the ground, he had to bite the west bank position to death. Just as the two sides were fighting for each other, the main position of the Pang Army on the east bank of the Yihe River was suddenly attacked by the opponent in two important places one after another. Pang Bingxun really couldn't stand it anymore! With the West Bank still in a stalemate, Zhang Zizhong drew three infantry regiments from Huang Weigang's division, personally supervised the division, and crossed the Yi River three times to help the Pang Army regain the main position. But it is relatively easy to hold the position, and it becomes extremely difficult to regain it. The fortifications built by Pang Juntuan once blocked the Banyuan Division, but are now being used by it, causing heavy casualties to the 59th Army. On the battlefield, in the dark, Zhang Zizhong watched his disciples fall one after another in front of him and lay dead bodies in the field. In one day, more than 2,000 people were killed or injured. Many of the officers and soldiers of the 38th Division were brought out by Zhang Zizhong, who had seen it all since he was a child. This kind of emotional connection is by no means covered by a simple relationship between superiors and subordinates. In the first battle of Linyi, the officers and soldiers were killed and injured, and those who were injured and transported flocked to the road. Zhang Zizhong still "stands still without aspirations."But this time was different. When facing Zhang Kexia alone in private, he couldn't hide the great pain in his heart, "the tears flowed, and the pain was deep in my heart." Starting from the Academy Corps, Zhang Kexia followed Zhang Zizhong to fight east and west. He has experienced more than a hundred battles, but he has never seen Zhang Zizhong look different on the battlefield. This is the "only tragic tear" he has seen in his life. The tears can only be hidden in the tent, and the wound can only be healed quietly by myself.Once out of the tent, facing the officers and soldiers under his command, Zhang Zizhong regained his "heart of stone": Seeing brothers who have been in need for many years sacrificed for the country, my heart is sad, it is worse than fried oil, but I firmly believe that what I lead you is a bright road, even though death is an honor, because soldiers serve the country, this is the time. Looking into the distance, Zhang Zizhong suddenly murmured: Maybe one day, I will fall too. This is the responsibility of a soldier when the country is in crisis. After the three infantry regiments were taken away, Huang Weigang was even more struggling on the west bank of the Yi River, because Banyuan was constantly adding troops here. Itagaki is a master of the "two-headed snake tactic", and what he is implementing now seems to be a "little double-headed snake": either give me the entire east bank of the Yi River, or let me have a foot in the west bank of the Yi River. Zhang Zizhong naturally couldn't give in, so Huang Weigang was strictly ordered to persist. After Huang Weigang used the last division reserve team, the front line was still in shambles, so he had to call Zhang Zizhong directly for help. Zhang Zizhong's answer to him is still the "five-minute theory": We are in trouble, the enemy is even more difficult, and if you persist for the last five minutes, you will be able to get support. Listening to it further, the so-called support was that Zhang Zizhong was mobilizing troops to attack the other side of the Japanese army. Huang Weigang became anxious when he heard it. In other words, after "five minutes", I was not given direct reinforcements. No one on my side could be transferred to the frontal position. Zhang Zizhong was furious when he heard the words: Is there no one, who is calling me then? What he said was really unreasonable, but Huang Weigang didn't dare to refute at all, put down the phone and hurried to the front line to supervise the battle. Zhang Zizhong was out of breath for a while, and he was actually not clear about the situation at Huang Weigang's place.After the conversation, he immediately gathered the last reserve team in his hand to personally assist Huang Weigang. When I arrived at Huang Weigang's place, I found that the situation was indeed not good, and he was completely suppressed and beaten by the opponent. On the Linyi battlefield at this time, Itagaki had an overwhelming advantage, and Linyi City was also surrounded by the Japanese army on three sides. The last field soldiers in the city were transferred to the front line, and the city was handed over to the security team for defense. Both the 59th Army and the Pang Legion were fighting hard outside the city, but they only had the power to parry. Among them, the Pang Legion almost completely lost its combat effectiveness, while the 59th Army suffered a total of tens of thousands of casualties, with only half of the troops left and morale began to decline. Xu Zuyi urgently asked for help from the Chief of the Fifth War Zone, but it took time for the reinforcements to arrive, and this period became the most difficult time for the defenders. Zhang Zizhong only had an independent brigade left to maintain the front line, and he also had a sense of foreboding, but in the telegram sent to Li Zongren, he still stated that as long as he survived, he would fight to the end. In order to continue to support him, he wrote a warrant to the commander of the Independent Brigade: The reinforcements will arrive tonight, and there will be a turning point after another five hours.I guess, the enemy is also at the last moment, whoever can endure the last second will succeed! After receiving the order, the Independent Brigade repelled the Japanese attack twice in succession, but by the third time it was already on the verge of collapse. The line of defense was about to collapse. At the critical moment, Zhang Zizhong arrived on a flying horse! Seeing their commander, the spirits of the officers and soldiers suddenly cheered up, they jumped out together, slashed fiercely with their knives, and finally kept their positions. "Last second" is too important. The God of War soars in the sky, but has been coldly observing the movement of the people on the ground. It only admires the most determined and will switch fighters at any time. On the afternoon of March 29, it saw this scene outside Linyi City, and then determined the next lucky person. This lucky man is Zhang Zizhong.That night, he finally ushered in reinforcements. If there is an unfortunate person, it is his opponent.As Isoya was unable to take Taierzhuang for a long time, the commander of the 2nd Army, Hisao Nishio, sent an urgent telegram to Itagaki to suspend his attack on Linyi. Except for the two infantry brigades left behind, the main force rushed westward to reinforce Taierzhuang. As soon as the main force left, the two brigades could hardly stand alone in Linyi.In terms of perseverance and endurance, Itagaki once again lost to Zhang Zizhong. For the first time, he failed the test of the "last five minutes". This time, in the "last second" contest, he once again missed the chance to win. The so-called war opportunity is a flash of light, something that appears in an instant, it is given by the God of War, but in the final analysis, it is human. Once out and in, the situation changed instantly, and Zhang Zizhong, who had been fighting hard, suddenly threw another heavy punch. In the middle of the night on March 30, Zhang Zizhong launched a counterattack across the board, forcing Itagaki to retreat to the north of Tangtou in a panic. This is known as the second Linyi victory in history, and the Linyi battlefield was able to stabilize again. As the so-called "No. 1 general in Japan", Itagaki of course understood what Zhang Zizhong's successful counterattack meant, which meant that a nail had been placed on Taierzhuang's side. Not counting the delay in Qingdao, nearly a month has passed since the first attack on Linyi, and Linyi is still elusive. This is the "steel army" that has never been defeated from Nankou to Taiyuan "? Even if others don't say it, Itagaki himself feels ashamed to face others. According to reports in Japanese magazines, due to the two defeats in Linyi, the head of the division who once ruled North China couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep well, and at one point even wanted to commit suicide in shame and anger—of course it was just a show, just a pose . Zhang Zizhong persevered in the war of resistance, winning three battles and three victories, and his performance won the praise of the whole house.After the victory was reported ahead, Chiang Kai-shek couldn't hold back his joy, and issued an order that night to revoke the punishment of "dismissal and investigation" against Zhang Zizhong. Gong, finally arrived. Due to his great contribution, Zhang Zizhong was also officially appointed as the commander of the 59th Army (the previous name was still only "Ministry of the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs attached to the Ministry of Lieutenant General"), and was later promoted to the commander of the 27th Army Corps. He can sit on an equal footing with Mr. Pang. This person who was at a loss, now finally saw the other side, and there was already a bright road under his feet.