Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

On a hillside outside Zhenyuan City, the Second Brigade Commander Nie Xiaogang was holding a telescope and observing the scene on the city wall of Zhenyuan City.

As one of the three largest city-level cities in Linzhou Province, Zhenyuan City has a long history of more than 2,000 years. Three vassal states in history have once built their capitals here. The city walls of Zhenyuan City are also famous for their thickness. After two thousand years of wind and rain, as well as continuous repairs afterwards, they are definitely better than the iron walls of Mocheng County.

The troops of the Second Brigade were organized into battalions and lined up in a row five miles outside Zhenyuan City, but they surrounded the city without attacking, which made Yue Zhongxiang a little confused.

After carefully observing the defenses of Zhenyuan City, Nie Xiaogang said to the Chief of Staff Sun Changdong beside him, "The 123rd Brigade is much more powerful than Zheng Jiahai's 121st Brigade. On the wall on the east side of the city gate alone, there are to heavy fire points, with no less than light and heavy machine guns."

Sun Changdong smiled and said, "These warlords seem to be of one mind, but in fact, there are differences in closeness and distance between the various troops. The commander of the 123rd Brigade is Huang Jinzhong, but he is Yue Zhongxiang's nephew. The 123rd Brigade is his direct line of troops, which is different from the 121st and 122nd Brigade, which are raised by stepmothers. Yue Zhongxiang spends more than half of the people's money he extorts here every year on the 123rd Brigade. This 123rd Brigade is also a unit with outstanding military achievements in the entire Linzhou Second Army."

Nie Xiaogang nodded and said, "But if the commander tells us to go all out to break into the city, these heavy firepower points will be no different from sitting ducks. No matter how thick his walls are, they can't withstand the continuous bombardment of 150MM heavy artillery. The 76th Division doesn't know yet that we have a large number of artillery, and we have even formed an artillery battalion. A round of artillery fire can directly eliminate all of his heavy firepower points and open up a gap, which is no different from the 1st Brigade Reinforced Regiment taking over Mocheng County."

Inside Zhenyuan City, Yue Zhongxiang touched his bald head in confusion. The 2nd Brigade of the Northwest Revolutionary Army mobilized all its forces to surround Zhenyuan City, but did not attack. What was the reason for this? Was it to show off their muscles in front of him?

Chief of Staff Shen Jing pondered for a moment and then said, "Commander, I think they want to surround the point and attack the reinforcements."

Yue Zhongxiang's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Tell me what you think."

"Our Zhenyuan City has strong walls, and the 123rd Brigade is powerful and equipped with amazing firepower. It is unlikely that the Northwest Revolutionary Army will be able to take Zhenyuan City in one fell swoop. So they deployed their troops outside the city to put pressure on us. I want you, the division commander, to mobilize the 122nd Brigade and Zheng Jiahai in Yuanshan to come to Zhenyuan City to rescue it, so that they can ambush the troops of the 122nd Brigade and the 121st Brigade and inflict heavy damage on us at the lowest cost."

"So, this so-called 2nd Brigade is just bluffing and doesn't dare to launch an attack on Zhenyuan City at all."

"Master, you are wise!"

"Send a telegram to Xing Jun of the 122nd Brigade and Zheng Jiahai of the 121st Brigade. Tell them to hold on to Hengshui and Yuanshan. No matter what happens, they cannot leave the city. If they lose their territory, I will skin them alive!"

After figuring this out, Yue Zhongxiang finally felt relieved. No matter how big the battle formation of the Northwest Revolutionary Army was, I would just remain unchanged in the face of all changes and would not be tricked. If you have the ability, just stay outside the city for a few months. Anyway, the food in Zhenyuan City is enough for the entire 123rd Brigade and the division headquarters to consume for more than half a year.

"Tell Nie Xiaogang to mobilize the artillery battalion and teach Yue Zhongxiang a lesson. Otherwise, Yue Zhongxiang will think that we can't do anything to him if he stays in Zhenyuan City like a coward."

"Yes, Commander!"

"Reporting to the brigade commander, the commander sent a telegram asking us to launch an offensive against Zhenyuan City immediately, giving Yue Zhongxiang the illusion that we are going all out to take Zhenyuan City!"

"Okay, pass my order down, the artillery battalion will immediately build artillery positions. I will clear all the firing points on his Zhenyuan city wall today!"

An hour later, the 2 18MM mountain guns and 75 6MM howitzers of the 105nd Brigade's Artillery Battalion were deployed on a high ground outside Zhenyuan City and established artillery positions.

After adjusting the shooting angles and determining the location of the enemy's heavy firepower points, a total of 24 artillery pieces opened fire at the same time. The shells crossed the sky like meteors and bombarded the eastern wall of Zhenyuan City.

Boom boom boom! Continuous explosions continued to sound, and a large number of shells hit the east wall. The nearly one thousand soldiers from the two battalions on the wall, as well as the heavy firepower points set up in advance, were instantly turned into ashes in the artillery fire.

Waves of shrill screams rang out, and broken bricks on the city wall kept falling off, as if the sky was collapsing and the earth was splitting apart. Countless soldiers of the 123rd Brigade were blown to pieces in the artillery fire, corpses and broken arms flew all over the sky, and blood flowed like a river. It was like a purgatory on earth.

"Reporting to the division commander, the 2nd Brigade of the Northwest Revolutionary Army has a large number of artillery pieces, which have launched an artillery attack on the guard positions on the east side of our city wall. The two battalions of the 123st Regiment of the 51rd Brigade have been almost completely wiped out, and all the heavy firepower points set up on the city wall have been destroyed by artillery shells!"

Yue Zhongxiang stood up suddenly: "What! How can the Northwest Revolutionary Army have a large number of artillery! Damn Zheng Jiahai, why didn't he report this situation to the division headquarters!"

In Yue Zhongxiang's opinion, the 121st Brigade, which had fought against the Northwest Revolutionary Army many times, should be aware of the enemy's firepower equipment. If Zheng Jiahai had told the division headquarters in advance that the Northwest Revolutionary Army had a large number of artillery, he would not have established defensive positions on the city wall. On the narrow city wall, the artillery shells were like the scythe of the god of death, and each shot would take the lives of a large number of soldiers from the 123rd Brigade.

In fact, Zheng Jiahai was not aware that the Northwest Revolutionary Army had a large number of artillery. When the 38th Regiment fought against the predecessor of the Northwest Revolutionary Army, the Sanjiang County Security Corps, the other side did not use any artillery on the battlefield. In this battle of Mocheng County, the reinforced regiment of the 1st Brigade broke into the city in a short period of time. The news was blocked, and Zheng Jiahai has not yet heard any specific news.

More than 200 artillery shells were fired, destroying the entire eastern wall of Zhenyuan City beyond recognition, leaving no one or animal alive. Then, the soldiers of the 1st Brigade's reinforced regiment launched a full-scale attack on Zhenyuan City under the charge.

The city gate had been completely torn apart by the howitzers. The 123rd Brigade in the city urgently built a line of defense on the street inside the city gate and engaged in a fierce head-on firefight with the reinforced regiment.

The reinforced regiment of the 2nd Brigade successfully captured the first line of defense in the city after half an hour of fierce fighting and built a defensive position. The soldiers under their command continued to advance into the city in an orderly manner.

Inside the division headquarters, Yue Zhongxiang roared in frustration: "Damn it! The other side has only sent out one reinforced regiment. Your two regiments can't hold the position at the city gate. What use do I have for you!"

Brigade Commander Huang Jinzhong was sweating profusely as he explained to Yue Zhongxiang, "Commander, the enemy's weapons and equipment are very sophisticated. They are charging in desperately. They also have a kind of machine gun we have never seen before. They can fire continuously in their hands. In a close-range exchange of fire, we are no match at all. Now we have built a second line of defense along Hanyang Street. I assure you that the 2nd Brigade will not be able to get in."