Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

Zhao Wenlong's eyes lit up.

"Commander, what do you mean?"

"Send a platoon to the front, make it look like a strong attack, and draw the bandits' attention to the front of the mountain."

"The other two platoons sneaked in from the back of the mountain."

"With coordinated efforts from within and without, we can take it down in one fell swoop."

Just then, Sun Shengli spoke up again.

"Commander, there's one more thing."

Zhou Tianyang raised his head and looked at him.

"In the council hall, I heard Liu Feng tell his men that they were going to Zhao Jia Gou to collect grain the next day."

Sun Shengli's voice was not loud.

But every word is very clear.

He said the people of Zhaojiagou hadn't yet paid their grain due last month.

"If they don't give it to us by tomorrow, we'll burn down their village."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Tianyang's eyes lit up.

Zhao Wenlong also realized what was happening.

He slammed his hand on the table.

"Damn it, isn't this just delivered right to our doorstep?"

His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and his eyes were wide open.

He stared intently at the location of Zhaojiagou on the map.

Zhou Tianyang didn't rush to speak.

He sat back down in his chair.

With my hands crossed on the table, my mind started racing.

The bandits were about to descend the mountain.

This is fantastic news.

What is the biggest challenge in attacking Black Wind Stronghold?

It's not the number of people, it's not the equipment, it's the terrain.

Three checkpoints: watchtower, bunker, and hidden sentry post.

The mountain village is accessible by only one road, with cliffs on both sides.

In this terrain, a direct assault would mean sacrificing the lives of our soldiers.

Even if we manage to capture it, the casualties will be considerable.

But the bandits wanted to go down the mountain.

The situation is completely different.

They dictate the terrain at the foot of the mountain.

They can ambush wherever they want, and however they want.

Without the advantage of terrain or the obstruction of checkpoints, bandits are nothing but a rabble.

"Sun Shengli, did Liu Feng say when we're leaving?"

How many people?

Zhou Tianyang's voice was steady.

But he spoke a few minutes faster than usual.

"They said tomorrow, but didn't say a specific time."

Sun Shengli recalled the conversation he had overheard.

Repeat it word by word.

"Liu Feng said that he would go to Zhao Jia Gou to collect grain tomorrow and told the brothers to get ready."

"A bald man next to him asked him how many people he brought."

"Liu Feng said that sending about a hundred people would be enough, and the rest could stay home."

"A hundred or so?"

Zhao Wenlong's eyes lit up even more.

"So there are only thirty or forty people left in the village?"

"It should be."

Sun Shengli nodded.

"There are a total of 130 or 140 people in the village, and Liu Feng took about 100 of them with him."

"There are at most thirty or forty people left in the village, and they are all old, weak, sick, disabled, or useless."

Zhou Tianyang tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

About a hundred bandits came down the mountain, leaving only thirty or forty in the village.

This is a golden opportunity.

If we can ambush the bandits coming down the mountain halfway and wipe out most of them.

The few people left in the village are no longer a concern.

When the time comes, dealing with the bandit stronghold will be a piece of cake.

It's even possible.

There's no need to attack the stronghold; the people there will run away on their own.

They were bandits, not Japanese soldiers.

They lacked the resolve to hold their ground and never retreat.

The leader is dead, and the main force is gone.

Who would be foolish enough to stay in that dilapidated village and wait to die?

"Wenlong, bring me the map."

Zhao Wenlong took the map off the wall and spread it on the table.

Five heads huddled together.

Staring at the hand-drawn topographic map of southeastern Shanxi.

Zhou Tianyang's fingers started from Lijia Yu.

Move southeast along the mountain road.

After passing through several small villages, we finally stopped at Zhaojiagou.

"Zhao Family Village is here."

His finger touched the small circle that marked the village.

"Black Wind Stronghold is here."

Move your finger to the southeast corner of the map.

The point is a location marked with a counterfeit symbol.

There are three roads from Black Wind Village to Zhao Family Village.

Zhou Tianyang drew three lines on the map with his finger.

"The first rule is to take the main road."

"Passing through Wangjiazhuang and Liujiabao, we're going in a big circle."

"This road is the longest, about forty miles, but it's easy to travel."

"If bandits are traveling with mules, horses, and carts, this is the most convenient route."

"The second option is to take the mountain path."

"Passing through Eagle Beak Gorge and Tiger Ridge."

"This road is shorter, about thirty li."

"But the road is difficult to travel; the mountain path is rugged and accidents are easy to happen."

Article 3.

His finger stopped on a thinner line.

"Go through Wazigou, this is the shortest route."

"Go down the mountain from Heifengzhai and head straight into Wazigou."

"Walk fifteen li along the gully, cross a ridge, and you'll reach Zhao Family Gully."

"Wazigou?"

Zhao Wenlong repeated the name.

"Yes, Wazigou."

Zhou Tianyang moved his finger back and forth along that line on the map.

"I saw this ditch when I went to scout it out."

Sun Shengli took over the conversation.

His tone carried a certain certainty.

"The ditch isn't long, about seven or eight li."

"There are hillsides on both sides. The slopes are not steep, but they are covered with shrubs, which provide excellent concealment."

"The bottom of the ditch is a dry riverbed, which is usually dry. The riverbed is full of rocks and sand, and it's safe for people to walk on."

Which route would the bandits take?

Zhao Wenlong asked.

"Wazigou".

Zhou Tianyang and Sun Shengli spoke almost simultaneously.

The two exchanged a glance.

Zhou Tianyang gestured for Sun Shengli to continue.

"Bandits who come down the mountain to rob need to be quick."

Sun Shengli pointed to the location of Wazigou with his finger.

"Go quickly and come back quickly, don't give the other party time to react."

"Taking the main road is too far, and taking the mountain path is too difficult."

"Wazigou is the closest, fastest, and most convenient option."

"Moreover, Liu Feng is a very bold person."

Sun Shengli added.

"He must have thought that no one would dare to intercept him on the way."

Zhao Wenlong nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"Then let's ambush them at Wazigou."

"No rush."

Zhou Tianyang raised his hand, signaling everyone not to rush to conclusions.

Let's do a simulation first.

His finger moved across the map.

Start with the marker for Black Wind Village.

We pushed forward little by little along the route through Wazigou.

"Let's assume the bandits set off early tomorrow morning."

"At a normal marching pace, descend from Heifengzhai and enter Wazigou."

"How long does it take to walk the entire fifteen-mile gully?"

"More than two hours."

Sun Shengli thought for a moment.

A rough number was given.

"The ditch is difficult to walk in; the riverbed is full of stones, so you can't walk fast."

"That means the bandits entered Wazigou around 9 or 10 a.m.

Zhou Tianyang's finger continued to move.

"How far is it from Lijia Yu to our ambush position in Wazi Gou?"

"About twenty li."

Liu Dazhuang spoke up.

He's a local and knows the area best.

"From Lijia Yu, head southeast along a small path, cross two ridges, and enter the middle section of Wazi Gully, which is about twenty li away."

"If we march quickly, it should take a little over two hours to get there."

Zhou Tianyang mentally went through the timeline.

The bandits entered Wazigou between nine and ten o'clock, and they had to set off no later than seven o'clock.

So, according to this calculation...

There are still a few hours to prepare.