Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 219 A Half-Step Victory Over Heaven: Wu Wanli! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Eastern section of the Hanjiang South Front, Tiande Peak, 27th Army Headquarters
"Monk, monk..."

Li Yunlong, who was asleep with his head on the table, was talking in his sleep when he suddenly woke up.

"Old Li, other people dream about getting married."

"You're something else, thinking of a frivolous monk."

Kong Jie rubbed his dark circles and joked.

"I had a weird dream. There was that kid Wu Wanli standing next to the monk. He told me that Kong Jie and Li Yunlong were both great generals, but they were only generals with talent."

"But Ding Wei is such a brilliant strategist, like a marshal! Isn't that infuriating?!"

Li Yunlong wiped his mouth and slammed his hand on the table.

"Old Li, I just got the latest telegram!"

"Ding Wei will lead the 12th Army into Korea to participate in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea!"

Zhao Gang held up a telegram and said with a smile.

"I knew I was dreaming! I thought that brat Wanli was really thinking that, but it turns out that Old Ding really came!"

"Good good!"

"Old Ding, Kong Erlengzi, and me, the entire Jin-Sui Iron Triangle is here!"

"wrong!"

"Now it should be called the North Korean Iron Triangle, hahaha..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong immediately burst into laughter.

"Hey, the American devils are much harder to deal with than the Japanese devils."

"But with us old brothers together, let alone Ridgway, even if Truman came, we'd kick him into a ditch!"

Kong Jie waved his hand and laughed.

"By the way, Ding Wei also went to see the old political commissar before he left. The old political commissar is very concerned about Comrade Wu Wanli."

"It's partly because of her military achievements, and partly because of the concern shown by that quiet comrade in the cultural troupe, after all, she's my niece..."

"After the visit, they were supposed to leave, but they voluntarily stayed, saying they wanted to support the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and make their own contribution."

Zhao Gang said.

"What's the use of a bunch of women staying here? All they do is sing and dance to boost morale."

"It's not worth risking your life for these things. You might as well go home and take care of your children."

"It would be such a pity if such a good young woman were to die on the battlefield."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong thought of Xiuqin, who had been kidnapped and sacrificed in Ping'an County, and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He sighed.

"Old Li, you're being a bit too chauvinistic!"

"Even though you're acting out of a desire to protect them, you can't deny their role."

"Besides boosting morale, they also take on medical and nursing work and some logistical work, keeping them extremely busy every day."

"Didn't the higher-ups say that women hold up half the sky?"

Zhao Gang patted Li Yunlong on the shoulder and lectured him.

"I don't understand these things. Anyway, I think fighting is a man's job."

"Let's not talk about that now, let's deal with the current situation first."

"Ding Wei's 12th Army is too slow; it's too far to help those in need!"

Li Yunlong said.

"The UN forces' 1st Cavalry Division has already set off, and the 7th Steel Regiment is in a very dangerous situation..."

"If we want to carry out a rescue, we'd better hurry!"

"The cavalry regiment was just transferred, and although we don't know why, it's still an opportunity!"

Kong Jie thought for a moment and then said.

"There's no need to wonder why, it must be that kid Wanli has come up with some new trick!"

"I've said it before, when things really get critical, I would never stand by and watch the Seventh Steel Regiment die!"

"Old Zhao, no matter what you say this time, I have to go and provide support!"

As Li Yunlong spoke, he was already calculating in his mind how many men he would bring.

"I won't stop you this time; it really is time to go."

"Wan Li has sent a telegram requesting reinforcements. He wants to gather his forces and wipe out the main force of the US Fifth Division in one fell swoop!"

Zhao Gang offered his support in a manner contrary to his usual practice.

"To annihilate the main force of the US Fifth Division?"

"Wanli is too arrogant. Does he intend to send the entire 27th Army out to risk their lives?"

"But the American 1st Cavalry Division is keeping a close eye on Tiande Peak; if they leave, things could get very complicated..."

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie immediately spoke up.

"He only needs the support of one division, even if it's not a main force division like the 80th Division."

"The newly expanded 30,000-strong Eighth Army, which was completely wiped out, was all deployed to the vicinity of the US Fifth Division."

"Although most of the fighting force was only enough for defense, there were also several thousand veterans of the uprising who had followed Wu Wanli in the Battle of Seoul."

"Add to that our division, and the several thousand men from Wu Wanli's side, and this is nearly 50,000 troops surrounding and annihilating the more than 10,000 men of the US Fifth Division."

"Annihilating the entire US Fifth Division is no problem."

"I can try to follow your lead on how many people to send, but there's one thing: you can't go yourself."

Zhao Gang looked at the map and said.

"Easy to say!"

"Damn it, the New Eighth Army has laid bare all their secrets, so let's not be stingy."

"Let Zhang Dabiao personally lead the 80th Division, with the 5,000-mile-long First Assault Regiment as the vanguard, to provide immediate support to the 7th Steel Regiment!"

Li Yunlong slammed his hand on the table and immediately gave the order.

....................................

Western part of the Hanjiang South Defense Line, 50th Army

Gunpowder smoke permeated the scorched earth on the south bank of the Han River, like ink.

The barbed wire on the 50th Army's position was torn and tattered by artillery fire, and the barbs, covered with bits of flesh and cloth, whistled in the cold wind.

Commander Zeng leaned against the collapsed half of the command post frame, his gaze sweeping over the trench littered with spent shell casings.

There, several young soldiers with faces covered in soot were huddled together, drinking rainwater from chipped enamel bowls.

One of the child soldiers had an empty left sleeve and a canteen around his neck that had been pierced by shrapnel, with dark brown blood clots forming in the dent of the bronze canteen.

"Commander! Field Hospital No. 3... is too crowded."

The guard's voice was trembling with tears.

"No matter what method we use, we must make sure the wounded are properly cared for!"

Commander Zeng swallowed hard, stepped on the tattered bandages fluttering in the wind, and spoke slowly.

The dark red stain that permeated three layers of gauze reminded him of the cinnabar talismans used for ancestral worship in his hometown in southern Yunnan.

Commander Zeng turned his head and bumped into the medic lifting the tent flap. The stench of pus and blood mixed with lime powder hit him, and his heart ached even more.
"Commander, the soldiers have done their best, but if this continues, the 50th Army will be wiped out!"

"and……"

The chief of staff sighed and said.

"Moreover, our largest caliber artillery is only mortars, and we don't have many shells."

"Plus, so many machine gun emplacements have been destroyed by the American devils, and we're running out of ammunition..."

Commander Zeng had anticipated this and replied directly.

"Commander, in that case, could we apply to the Volunteer Army Headquarters to shorten the defense time?"

"The sooner we retreat, the better, so we can at least leave some seeds for the children of central Yunnan!"

The chief of staff, witnessing the horrific scenes, offered words of advice.

"No!"

"The boss said we'll hold out for as long as he says, we absolutely cannot back down!"

"Back when I was in the Nationalist Army, I watched the troops withdraw from Northeast China, North China, Shanghai and Wuhan..."

"One piece of land after another was handed over to the enemy, and tens of millions of our compatriots were trapped in enemy-occupied areas, where they were wantonly oppressed and slaughtered by the Japanese devils!"

"Now that we finally have a chance to keep the enemy outside our borders, how can we back down!"

"Once our volunteer army retreats, the people will suffer twice as much!"

"Have you forgotten what atrocities the American troops committed in China back then?"

"Female students in Beiping were just like that, taken by the American devils..."

Commander Zeng's eyes welled with tears, and he felt a surge of humiliation.
"Commander, hey..."

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff could no longer persuade him, even though he was only halfway through his sentence.

"Young people of Yunnan, I, Zeng, have failed you!"

"The sacrifice was so great, I have no face to face the people of Yunnan..."

"If I am lucky enough to return, I will never go back to Yunnan again."

Commander Zeng removed his general's hat and bowed to the remains of the Yunnan soldiers who had not yet been properly buried.

"Reporting to the commander, the American armored group has turned around!"

"And an American division on the other side is urgently evacuating!"

"Commander, now our defensive pressure is greatly reduced, and we don't have to make such heavy sacrifices these past few days!" Suddenly, the political commissar rushed over, clutching a telegram, and said excitedly.

"What!?"

"An entire division was urgently evacuated?!"

"Yeah……"

"With half of the American troops gone from the attack, comrades can finally catch their breath!"

Commander Zeng's eyes widened, his heart trembled, and then he exclaimed with joy.

"The US military's offensive has always been continuous. Suddenly withdrawing a division is almost equivalent to abandoning the mission halfway!"

"What could have made those American devils so anxious?"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff gasped in shock and immediately asked.

"Because of the Seventh Steel Regiment!"

The political commissar succinctly stated.

"Seventh Steel Regiment?!"

"I've heard of their reputation; the elite troops who liberated Seoul and Incheon."

"But even the most elite unit is just a regiment. How could it possibly influence such a major change in the American devils' forces?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Zeng immediately asked.

"Commander, you've been busy with military affairs lately, so you haven't been paying much attention to the regiment on the other side."

"I've just finished organizing them; you can take a look at them together and you'll see."

The political commissar handed several telegrams to Commander Zeng and said.

Commander Zeng took the telegram with some skepticism, the paper rustling in his palm.

A glance revealed headlines such as the 7th Steel Regiment annihilating the paratroopers, capturing Lizhou Airport, defeating the 32nd Regiment of the US 5th Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division's attempt to cooperate with the US 5th Division to encircle and annihilate the 7th Steel Regiment...

These victories, like sharp blades, cleaved open the grief that had been weighing on Commander Zeng's heart.

In the distance, dust and smoke rose from the American positions as expected during their retreat.

Hundreds of Pershing tanks turned their turrets and sped eastward, their tracks crushing the very route they had prepared to attack the 50th Army just half an hour earlier.

"Bring me the map!"

Commander Zeng took the map, his fingertips tracing the winding curve of the Han River, and suddenly pointed eastward, emphasizing the location of the Hongyun Gorge in Lizhou. He immediately understood, and a surge of emotion and admiration rushed to his head.

"Having personally entered the game and found himself in the most dangerous place, what exactly is Wu Wanli trying to do..."

"This is the Korean battlefield, a battlefield filled with gunfire and bullets. The price of trying to win against fate is the possibility of being killed at any moment!"

"It's all in chaos, complete chaos! The American devils have temporarily focused their attack on just one regiment!"

"This is a complete and utter extermination..."

Commander Zeng said, his voice trembling slightly.

"The situation is very clear."

"Comrade Wu Wanli used himself and the Seventh Steel Regiment as bait to wipe out the Fifth Division of the United States in one fell swoop."

"The UN forces also used the 7th Steel Regiment as bait to lure out the main force of the 27th Army to encircle and annihilate it."

"It's a gamble, a high-stakes gamble that concerns the fate of tens of thousands of people!"

"I admire his courage and boldness..."

"Announce to the entire army that Comrade Wu Wanli helped us evacuate American troops, and everyone should know about it!"

After taking a clear view of the entire battle situation, Commander Zeng couldn't help but give the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff immediately agreed.

Before long, the soldiers below all knew about it.

If an army is already facing such difficulties in the face of an American offensive, how much more difficult would it be for the 7th Steel Regiment, which is caught in the vortex of the storm?

Thinking of this, the soldiers of the 50th Army couldn't help but take off their military caps and look towards the location of the 7th Regiment of the Eastern Steel Army.

There is gratitude, but also worry.

I don't know who started it, but in the twilight, intermittent singing drifted over.

Before long, the moved soldiers of the 50th Army sang Wu Wanli's song "Fluttering in the Wind" in unison.

"..."

....................................

Beneath the ruins of the south gate of Lizhou, Lei Zhen crouched down to inspect the copper wires of the tripwire mines.

"Ordinary landmines were buried on the main street, and five hundred bounding mines were placed on both sides of the barbican."

"The mortars were positioned at the Bell and Drum Tower, and the mountain guns were also aimed at the South Gate."

"The light and heavy machine gun teams will occupy the high ground and ensure that the American troops are riddled with bullets as soon as they arrive."

"They even used flamethrowers!"

"If I hadn't been with the regimental commander, I probably wouldn't have been able to fight such a crucial battle in eight hundred lifetimes!"

He adjusted his military cap and reported with a smile.

"Have the kids set up the M2 heavy machine guns behind the broken wall,"

"The fake telegram that Park Er-zi sent to the American troops was enough to make those American devils rush in, eager to make a name for themselves."

Lei Zhen wiped the gunpowder residue from his face and looked at the South Gate with a hint of murderous intent.

Soon, the final setup was completed.

On the horizon, thousands of American troops were indeed rushing towards Lizhou City.

……

At the south gate of Lizhou, the last vestiges of twilight were shattered by military boots.

Thousands of American troops poured into the barbican in skirmish lines, with the vanguard carrying M1 carbines.

Park Jung-hee's fake telegram completely lowered the guards of these lightly armed hunters, and no one expected an ambush.

"Crack!"

"Fuck! We were tricked by the Chinese!"

An American soldier suddenly stopped on the main street of the barbican, then immediately realized what was happening and started cursing.

He wasn't the only one; many American soldiers stepped on landmines at the same time.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

With a deafening explosion, the copper wires that shot out from under the hiking boots drew a half-golden arc in the twilight.

Five tandem bounding mines exploded on the ground, their sharp fragments raining down on the American infantry ranks in an umbrella-like pattern.

Before the U.S. lieutenant, who was chewing on chocolate, could react, his helmet was sliced ​​in two, and splattered brain matter covered the radio of the communications soldier behind him.

"Ambush!" (There's an ambush!)

The piercing screams had barely begun when the mortars on the top of the bell and drum tower and the mountain guns behind them were already spitting fire.

"call out----"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The pre-calibrated shells precisely struck the gaps in the column, lifting the infantrymen who were trying to use the rocks as cover into the air.

Just as a company of American soldiers rushed to the left, three machine guns hidden behind the rubble suddenly opened fire, 7.62mm bullets leaving the barrels and turning the American soldiers they were aiming at into clouds of blood mist.

"The pass on the right! They've deployed flamethrowers!"

Before the American company commander, who had just flanked the enemy, could finish speaking, a nearby gasoline drum suddenly exploded.

"Idiot, do you remember when the commander led us to burn down Anshan?!"

"Let the 5th Division of the US Army experience the same treatment as the 25th Division!"

Successfully leading Xu Mumu and other soldiers, carrying the captured M2 flamethrower, grinned coldly.

The next second, a twenty-meter-long fire dragon instantly engulfed half of the reconnaissance company, and the melted rubber soles of the shoes sizzled on the bluestone slabs.

"The barbican is closed!"

Lei Zhen's roar pierced through the sound of the explosion. The soldiers of the 7th Steel Regiment, who were lying in ambush at the breach in the city wall, suddenly pulled the ropes, and the pre-suspended boulder fell to the ground.

This completely blocked the US military's retreat route, and the artillery shells that followed continued to rain down on the US military positions.

“Da da da da da da da da da…”

In an instant, countless machine gun muzzles flashed, and dense bullets swept down American troops in droves like a massacre.

Blood mist flew everywhere, and corpses littered the field. The American troops were powerless to resist and had no chance to surrender before being crushed by the overwhelming firepower.

………………

"They try to emulate our rapid march, but they don't even know their own limitations."

"Slow as a snail, and we've lost our biggest asset, the tank!"

"Fool, now we can soar to new heights together!"

Successfully looking at the American corpses scattered on the ground, he felt as if he were seeing his own glorious path of progress, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I...I won't become an official, I won't..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mumu scratched his head and said.

"success!"

"Telegram Commander, the American troops who attacked Lizhou have been completely annihilated. Lizhou is safe, and we can confidently encircle and annihilate the US Fifth Division!"

Lei Zhen, supporting himself with his rifle, stood up and gave the order, his eyes bloodshot.

(End of this chapter)