Black Flag Army

Chapter 167 Rebellion in the Rear

Wu Chunlei added: "You are flying back to Beitang City, which is very fast. Balkhash Castle is built of copper ore, known as a copper wall and iron wall. Heavy artillery may not be able to destroy it. When you return from Beitang City, we may be able to catch up, but this also means that we will suffer more casualties."

Liu Zhendong smiled and said, "After talking for a long time, the commander-in-chief still doesn't want me to go into battle. In order to avoid too many casualties in our army, I have no choice but to not go."

The transport plane flew for eight hours before landing at Beitangcheng Airport. As soon as Liu Zhendong got out of the cabin, he saw Leng Hanbing waiting at the airport. As soon as Leng Hanbing saw him, he said, "Di Juzi has an order! You have one hour to complete the handover procedures for items and prisoners of war, and then take your men to Suwu City by plane. There is a serious rebellion in the Beihai Lake area. The commander of the Lijingcheng Security Division, Shakshahu, killed the division and brigade inspectors and launched a mutiny. Several bandits responded and gathered more than 50,000 people to break through Lijingcheng and massacred many innocent people. Di Juzi personally led the Beitang City Security Division to quell the rebellion."

Liu Zhendong said: "Doesn't the Security Division have inspectors and supervisors at the division, brigade, regiment, battalion, and company levels? Even if he killed the inspectors at the division and brigade levels, there are still inspectors and supervisors below, why can't he stop the rebellion?"

Leng Hanbing sighed and said, "When we attacked the northern part of Beihai Lake, Shakshahu was the first to surrender to us with an army of over 10,000 people. In order to get more money, we were more lax in controlling Shakshahu's army. At his request, we only set up inspectors at the division and brigade levels. There were no inspectors at the regiment, battalion, or company levels. Now it seems that this was a mistake. After Shakshahu killed the inspectors at the division and brigade levels, he completely controlled the army."

Liu Zhendong asked again: "In addition to the obvious inspectors at the division and brigade levels, aren't there also invisible inspectors? Didn't they play a role this time?"

Leng Hanbing said, "I don't know much about this either. You need to go to Suwu City and ask Di Juzi for the specific reason. You should go through the handover procedures with the provincial government as soon as possible. Don't waste any more time. They are already waiting in the terminal."

In just one hour, Liu Zhendong quickly and efficiently completed all the necessary handover procedures with Hu Lin, the secretary general of the provincial government. Then, without hesitation, he boarded another plane that had already been fully fueled and ready to go, and rushed towards Suwu City.

There were five other huge transport planes flying together, carrying hope and mission like steel giants. The six planes were packed with not only the brave and fearless general Liu Zhendong, but also more than 300 loyal and resolute special forces officers and soldiers under his command.

Recalling the time when Liu Zhendong went to the Outer Northwest Campaign, he led a total of 1,500 special forces soldiers to Yini Town. However, after three thrilling and fierce battles, they paid a huge sacrifice, and now only more than 300 people are left. The special forces regiment is undoubtedly an elite division that can easily achieve great military exploits, but it is also the unit that suffers the most casualties. Every battle is a life-and-death contest, and every soldier is defending the dignity and territorial integrity of the country with his life.

At the temporary command post of the Black Flag Army in Suwu City, Di Xiong was looking at the map carefully. The Chief of Staff of the Third Army Group Lan Jinping, the Commander of the Security Division Li Laoshi, the Commander of the Eighteenth Division of the Third Army Group Zhang Lingyun, and the Deputy Commander Chen Wanqing were all around him.

Di Xiong was thinking about something with his head down when he suddenly heard a slight sound of footsteps. He looked up and saw a tall and straight figure walking into the room. When the person came closer, Di Xiong saw that it was Liu Zhendong.

Di Xiong's face immediately showed joy. He stood up, walked forward, and said excitedly: "Ah! The Northern Spear King is here! That's great! With you here, I will be more confident in recovering Li Jingcheng and destroying that hateful traitor Shakshahu!"

Liu Zhendong smiled slightly, his eyes firm and confident. He nodded to Di Xiong in response, and comforted him: "Don't worry, Commander-in-Chief Di. We will go all out to defeat the enemy together and take back the city that belongs to us!" After that, the two shook hands tightly, conveying trust and determination to each other.

Liu Zhendong couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't the invisible inspector general play a role in this rebellion? Otherwise, he could at least bring back some officers and soldiers."

Di Xiong sighed and said, "The wrong person was hired! Gu Mingfeng, the invisible inspector general of Li Jingcheng's garrison division, was too arrogant and had exposed himself long ago. He was the first to be arrested, and after being arrested, he could not withstand the torture and confessed to three brigade-level invisible inspectors. The biggest deterrent of the invisible inspector general is invisibility. Once exposed, it will be useless."

Liu Zhendong looked at Zhang Lingyun and said to Di Xiong, "Although there are more than 50,000 rebels and bandits this time, they are just a mob. Can't the 18th Division handle them? Do you still need to bring the Security Division?"

Lan Jinping said solemnly: "Commander Liu, please do not underestimate these few Buryat horse bandits! You know, they are brave and experienced fighters! These guys have fought against the powerful Kolchak and fought fiercely with the fearless Buryat army. Facing such a powerful enemy and dangerous situation, they can still survive tenaciously. Their fighting power is really not to be underestimated!"

Di Xiong said: "These bandits were originally active in Central Siberia in the north. Somehow they were driven to Lijing City and joined forces with Shakshahu. The Bu Party army is suspected of letting them go. After the rebels and bandits joined forces, the Japanese provided them with sophisticated weapons and airlifted anti-aircraft guns from South Manchuria to them. They also equipped them with Japanese instructors, which caused trouble for our bombers."

Li Laoshi was furious, veins popping out on his forehead. He clenched his fists tightly and said through gritted teeth, "Damn it! These Japs are omnipresent, we can see them everywhere! They run around like a pack of hungry wolves, always supporting our opponents from behind. Humph, I think it's probably that Kenji Doihara who's behind all this! This cunning guy, I don't know when I can kill him!" After saying that, Li Laoshi was so angry that he slammed the table heavily, as if he wanted to vent all the anger in his heart.

Liu Zhendong asked, "Is this Shakshahu still in Lijing City? Is he now the leader of several bandits?"

Di Xiong said: "Although Yu Keqi is the leader of the three bandits, he acknowledges that Shakshahu is the boss and is willing to be his deputy."

Liu Zhendong said with a firm gaze: "Tonight, I will lead the special forces group to board the fighter plane and head straight for Li Jingcheng! We must personally eliminate the hateful traitor, Shakshahu. As long as he is eliminated, the rebels will be leaderless, and this will speed up the process of eliminating these rebels and bandits." His voice was sonorous and powerful, full of determination and confidence. It seemed as if he had seen the dawn of victory waiting for him not far ahead.

Di Xiong shook his head firmly and said, "You have no idea where this so-called 'Tiger of Buryatia' is hiding. If you let the special forces regiment rashly go to Li Jingcheng, wouldn't they be running around like headless flies? Not only will they fail to find the target, but they will put themselves in extreme danger and will end up with the annihilation of the entire army!" His tone was full of worry and warning, and he seemed to be deeply concerned about this risky behavior.

Lan Jinping looked at Liu Zhendong seriously, and said in a low but firm voice: "The Intelligence Department has taken action. An intelligence team composed entirely of elite Mongolians has sneaked into Li Jingcheng without anyone noticing. They came here to inquire about the residence of the 'Tiger of Buryatia'. The current situation is still unclear, but it is foreseeable that there will be a thrilling contest waiting for us. Commander Liu has been traveling hard all the way, please rest and recuperate for two days. Once there is any movement or important clues, we will tell you immediately, without wasting a minute!" After saying these words, Lan Jinping's eyes revealed a kind of firmness and determination.

Liu Zhendong sighed heavily, his tone full of helplessness and unwillingness: "We have experienced hardships and fought bloody battles to capture the Beihai Lake area. I originally thought that this place had become our stable base like Beitang City. Who could have expected that the situation would reverse so drastically overnight! I had planned to march westward and attack Lake Balkhash immediately after completing the handover of the spoils. But now, I have to start another fierce battle on this land!"

His eyes revealed a hint of fatigue, but more of determination and resoluteness. Obviously, he had no intention of backing down from the predicament. On the contrary, he was burning with fighting spirit, determined to overcome all difficulties and defend his territory.

Di Xiong said with a serious look: "It is not easy to conquer a country, and it is even more difficult to defend it! We have gone through untold hardships to conquer this place, but if we are a little careless, we may give up this land. Needless to say, the Mongols who originally occupied this place will definitely not be willing to give up; and the Tsarist Russians who are eyeing it in the north will never give up. What's even more hateful is the omnipresent, insidious and cunning Japanese. They are like poisonous snakes in the dark, always waiting for the opportunity. Once they find a flaw, they will definitely jump out without hesitation to disrupt the situation. Therefore, we must not take it lightly!"

Liu Zhendong was indeed very tired, and went to bed after dinner. Di Xiong was still discussing the next tactics with Lan Jinping under the oil lamp.

At the same time, Shakshahu, known as the "Tiger of Buryatia", was standing on the top of Li Jingcheng. He said to his deputy Yukchi with a solemn and worried look on his face: "Can our army really defeat the dreaded Black Flag Army? I heard that the commander-in-chief of the Black Flag Army actually came to the battlefield in person and has already arrived at Suwu City in the south! You know, they have defeated Kolchak, who had hundreds of thousands of troops, before! This battle may be difficult to fight..."

Shakshahu pondered in his heart, with a hint of worry and uneasiness in his eyes. He knew that the strength of the Black Flag Army should not be underestimated, especially the arrival of its commander-in-chief Di Xiong, which added countless variables to the battle. Facing such a powerful opponent, he couldn't help but begin to doubt whether he and his soldiers really had enough ability to deal with this fierce battle.

Yukchi, who was standing by, also felt the pressure, but he tried to stay calm and comforted Shakshahu, "Commander, don't worry too much. Although the Black Flag Army is indeed brave and good at fighting, we are not without a chance of winning. I heard that Kolchak was fighting on two fronts at the time and had to divide a large part of his troops to defend against the Bu Party army, so he was defeated. Now we have anti-aircraft guns provided by the Japanese, and the Bu Party army is also watching the fight from the sidelines. As long as we unite and fight hard, we will be able to withstand the enemy's attack."

However, Shakshahu was not relieved. He understood the cruelty and uncertainty of war, and any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences. At this moment, as a shaman, he could only pray silently to Changshengtian, hoping that he and his soldiers could win this life-and-death battle.

Shakshahu's chief of staff Mu Huazhen said solemnly: "Commander! No matter what the final outcome of this battle is, we have no way to retreat. After all, we killed Gu Mingfeng and many other Black Flag Army officers, and they will never give up. Now, we are already at loggerheads with the Black Flag Army. Fortunately, their main force is currently engaged in the Battle of Lake Balkhash and has no time to be distracted. Therefore, we only have two enemy divisions to deal with, and one of them is a security division of the same nature as ours."

Mu Huazhen was not aware of the special situation of the Beitang Guard Division. He had no idea that the Beitang Guard Division was once led by Liu Chengliang and had undergone extremely rigorous training, which made the unit's combat effectiveness far superior to other guard divisions. Not only that, their equipment was no different from that of the field army, equipped with powerful heavy weapons such as heavy artillery, infantry guns, and rocket launchers. Because of this, Di Xiong deliberately chose to lead this elite division to participate in the battle when suppressing the rebellion this time.

The next morning, the sun shines on the earth, bringing a glimmer of brightness and hope to the entire battlefield. However, this battle is destined to be full of blood and cruelty.

The soldiers of the 18th Division of the Black Flag Army and the Northern Tang Guard Division lined up neatly, looking forward with determined eyes - Li Jingcheng. Although they knew that they only had more than 20,000 troops, while the defending army had 50,000, they were not afraid and moved forward without hesitation.

At the beginning of the battle, the bombers rushed into the sky like birds of prey, risking being shot down by anti-aircraft guns, and launched dive bombing and strafing at Li Jingcheng. Every dive was a test of life and death, but the pilots had no intention of retreating and resolutely carried out their mission.

At the same time, the heavy artillery of the Black Flag Army roared, and the shells hit the city wall like a rain of rain, instantly blasting huge gaps. Then, the cavalry rushed into the city like a whirlwind, waving their weapons and engaging in close combat with the enemy.

The city was filled with shouts of killing and smoke. The soldiers of the Black Flag Army and the Northern Tang Guard Division fought bravely and showed no mercy. They used their flesh and blood to resist the enemy's attacks and refused to retreat. In such a fierce battle, everyone knew that only by moving forward courageously could they win.

This attack, which seemed to go against military common sense, actually contained endless courage and determination. The soldiers of the Black Flag Army and the Northern Tang Guard Division firmly believed that as long as they united as one, they would be able to defeat the powerful enemy and capture Lijing City!