After putting aside his thoughts, Nakajima stood by the road waiting. Lucao quickly jumped off his horse not far away, and then walked quickly to him to salute: "Your Excellency, I'm back." After saying that, he laughed: "People must have been frightened. We fought outside the city all night. The people in the city didn't dare to leave the city at all, so we could gallop outside the city."

"Ku Caojun, you're doing a pretty job. Let's take a break now." Nakajima said with great concern. Ku Cao and the soldiers around him looked very tired. Several soldiers almost pulled the reins to stand firm, and the horses were also a little listless.

Within three days, Lucao's cavalry ran back and forth for hundreds of miles, and they were still fighting continuously. Both the horses and manpower had reached their limits and were no longer able to fight. Although Lucao was no longer sent, Nakajima still did not reduce the speed of the march. The vanguard did not fight against Zhongmu that night, and the defenders abandoned the city and fled.

The next day, Nakajima gave up Zhongmu and attacked Kaifeng.

"I really can't see clearly what Nakajima is going to do?" Zhuang Jihua did not neglect after receiving the telegram from Li Zongren. He immediately found Nakajima's route on the map. His fingers pointed at Dingtao. This should be Nakajima's destination, but only seven or eight thousand people wanted to rescue Honma. This would be too unfair to take more than 100,000 Zhongzhao teams around Heze seriously. Zhuang Jihua didn't believe that Nakajima would be so naive. It would be possible if it was before the two battles in Nanjing and Xuzhou.

"They have no follow-up troops and no ammunition to supplement them. How long can the offensive last?" Gong Chu was also puzzled. After Xu Zuyi left, he temporarily acted as the chief of staff, which made him feel very satisfied in his heart.

Zhuang Jihua nodded softly, this is exactly what he couldn't see clearly. The blitzkrieg of the German army in his previous life was also carried out while ensuring logistics supply. In this way, only the Communist Party of China had done the battles that were supported and supported. However, he was fighting at home and could get support from the people everywhere.

Zhuang Jihua stared blankly at the unexpected outside the window. The wind and snow came, and he was a little depressed. The weather became worse, so the Air Force could not count on it. The Japanese army must have taken advantage of this god-given opportunity to repair the airport. After the snow stopped, the Air Force might no longer have the advantage before. He sighed softly: "Tele to Chief of Staff Xu, ask him to send a brigade in Dingtao, and accelerate the offensive and annihilate the Honma as soon as possible. Tell Commander Li of the War Zone, please inform Nakajima at any time."

The wind and snow were blowing, and the earth was covered with white snow. The streets of Xuzhou were bustling with people. The Chinese team on the south bank of the Yellow River made Xuzhou citizens feel that victory was coming again. Firecrackers for welcoming spring exploded in advance on the streets. Some citizens couldn't wait to post festive blessings on the doors and windows, adding a bit of joy to Xuzhou, which was covered with clouds.

The most sensitive to the change of battle situations are journalists, but most journalists' sense of smell remains in the fifth zone, but only a few keen reporters have connections with the first zone. Weber and Logan are obviously two of these few.

Logan arrived in Xuzhou half a month ago. He went to Japan before. He missed the Battle of Xuzhou. This time he arrived in Xuzhou and met with Charles to form the Xuzhou Battlefield News Station of the Times.

"Weber, they must be hiding something," the peers were enemies, but for the few smart journalists, it was the opposite. Logan was obviously such a person: "The air in the War Zone Command was abnormal."

Weber stirred gently. The spoon in his hand looked at the distant northwest, as if he wanted to see through the true face of it. He agreed with Logan's judgment, but he didn't know what happened. Contrary to the optimistic sentiment of the Chinese counterparts in the "release hall", he did not think that the current situation was beneficial to China. Although the situation released by the Fifth War Zone was still so encouraging, the Zhong** team on the East and South Lines were retreating step by step. For several consecutive days, no major changes were reported in the direction of Juancheng, which shows that Honma withstood the Zhong** team's offensive. If the counterattack was held back, the situation in Xuzhou would become very bad. He wanted to go to Heze, but the War Zone Command adopted the last method of the southern line, prohibiting anyone from going anywhere.

Weber suddenly saw Lan and others forming a strange small circle. This small circle is very capable. They can get interview certificates that others cannot get, and they can get news that others cannot get. Many reporters want to enter this small circle but cannot do so.

"Miye, depending on your excitement, are there any important clues?" Logan quipped.

Ye Xufei's face turned slightly red, she cursed in her heart, but nodded again and sighed softly: "There is something that has not been announced yet. Tai'an has fallen. Sun Lianzhong retreated to the south of the Dawen River, Zhang Zizhong retreated to Xintai, and Tang Enbo also gave up Ju County. The only good news is probably that Sun Liren is still defending Linshu. In general, our army retreated fifty to eighty miles from the Eastern Front, and the situation is not optimistic."

Ye Xufei said this and glanced at the reporters who were talking happily about Heze's counterattack, with a hint of contempt in her eyes.

"It seems that my premonition is correct, and the situation is developing in a direction that is unfavorable to China." Logan lit a cigarette and took a light sip, and the smoke rushed out with his words: "Is there any change in the southern line?"

"Yes," Ye Xufei is generous today, revealing all the news he got from Xu Changming: "The two newly added divisions of the Japanese army arrived at the front line, the defense line of the Sei River was completely broken, and our army retreated to the north bank of the Sei River. Another thing is that the Jiangsu Security Brigade had a fire with a guerrilla team of the New Fourth Army near Xuyi, and a regiment under the Security Brigade was defeated. Commander Zhuang may have a headache again."

Zhuang Jihua's ambiguousness towards the Communist Party of China is obvious to all in the war zone. The last time Guan Linzheng and Tang Enbo were dealt with was proved that when the war situation was so tense, such a thing happened again was probably not just a headache, but also took advantage last time and suffered a loss this time. I am afraid that it was not only Zhuang Jihua, but also Chiang Kai-shek from Wuhan.

Weber was stunned: "Near Xuyi? Why did the New Fourth Army get there?"

"Who knows?" Ye Xufei shook her head and said, "They always run around, and they go there when they are empty, but the banner they are fighting against Japan."

"But there are no Japanese troops in Xuyi." Weber said.

Ye Xufei nodded slightly. The dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was something that the Japanese were willing to see, and this was not enough. It was best to fight in all aspects.

"Where is the direction of Heze?" Webber thought about it and felt that it was a news clue and could go to the interview, but it is not the most important thing at the moment. The most important thing is Heze.

"I don't know this anymore." Ye Xufei was very sorry. Xu Changming came back from the southern line and knew more about the situation of the southern line and the eastern line, but he didn't know much about the direction of Heze, and Wang Geng personally controlled it.

Weber and Logan showed regret at the same time. Ye Xufei talked for a long time. The only clue that was valuable to them was Xuyi's news. Everyone will know the rest tomorrow. What Weber is interested in is why Xuzhou is still so calm. Is it another Nanjing-style retreat?

Ye Xufei did not disclose all the information she obtained. The Chinese team had plans to retreat. Xu Changming revealed that the materials near Xuzhou began to gradually move westward, but the extent was not large, but this was enough, indicating that Zhuang Jihua began to take preventive measures and his confidence in winning had begun to shake. She suddenly thought that was the retreat on the Eastern Front that Zhuang Jihua intended to arrange? Once this problem arose, it immediately bit her heart like a poisonous snake.

However, the retreat of the eastern front was not Zhuang Jihua taking the initiative to seek change, but was forced to do so. The Japanese army increased its offensive on the southern front. Two new divisions rushed to the front line of the Seihe River. The Zero Division and the 11th Division formed the attack corps on the Western Front and attacked Luoji in the upper reaches of the Seihe River. The flanks of the Fifty-Eighth Army and the Forty-Fifteenth Army that blocked Gusuo were seriously threatened and had to retreat long distances to the front line of the Qijiaji in Linyang. The Japanese army crossed the Seihe River from the upper reaches, and the front defense was meaningless. Li Pinxian commanded the troops to retreat north of the Seihe River.

The rapid deterioration of the southern line forced Zhuang Jihua to shrink the defense line on the eastern line. Otherwise, once the Japanese army broke through and captured Yongcheng, the entire eastern line would be in danger of being surrounded. The Chinese team began to fight and retreat on the eastern line.

In order to save the crisis on the southern front, Zhuang Jihua ordered Liao Lei to increase the Dingyuan offensive and force Haneda to mobilize troops from the front line to return to defense.

"You don't have to attack the city, you can divide it into several ways. Use a unit to monitor the Third Division and the 106th Division. The main force will attack the southern section of the Jinpu Line with all its strength, cut off the transportation of the southern section of the Jinpu Line, force Xiwei Shou to mobilize troops to return to defense, and reduce the frontal pressure. Whether the southern line blocking can be successful depends entirely on whether your offensive is effective."

The anxiety revealed in Zhuang Jihua's telegram made Liao Lei a little scared. After the Third Division retreated to Dingyuan, he pursued Li Yannian, but he led the main 21st Army to the south and surrounded the 106th Division (with the brigade) with Li Xianzhou. However, Junjiro Matsuura was quick to move. After receiving the news of the evacuation of the Third Division, he immediately ran away to Dingyuan. Liao Lei and Li Xianzhou caught up with Gaoji. After a bloody battle, they annihilated one of their corps. Junjiro Matsuura led the remaining troops to escape into Dingyuan.

Liao Lei commanded three armies to slowly surround Dingyuan. Fujita Jin frequently encountered an emergency, but Nishio Shouzuo was unmoved. Nishio Shouzuo firmly believed that although Fujita's attack was insufficient, there should be no problem in defending, and Liao Lei could not bear the Third Division.

After receiving a telegram from Zhuang Jihua, Liao Lei immediately changed his tactics and used the 21st Army to monitor Dingyuan. Li Yannian's Second Army immediately went south, crossed Chihe, and attacked Chuzhou; Li Xianzhou's Ninety-Two Army went northeast and broke the Jinpu Line.

After the tactics changed, both Nishio Shouzuo in Nanjing and Haneda on the front line felt pressure immediately. The Chinese team did not attack the city at all. Li Yannian bypassed Chuzhou and conquered the small station on the Jinpu line south of Chuzhou, and cut off the transportation of the Jinpu line in one fell swoop; Song Yunfei blew up the iron bridge near Mingguang, and then ambushed the Japanese convoy in Gaobeidian, Linhuaiguan, and blew up 30 military vehicles. A squadron of the Japanese army was shot dead; Li Xianzhou swept across the Sanjie to Guandian, demolished all railways along the line, and burned the railroads.

"Eight squares!" After receiving the report, Nishio Shouzuo angrily split the coffee table in front of him into two sections. The Chinese team adopted the same tactics twice, but he had no choice but to increase his troops again, but where did the troops come from? After the two divisions headed north, even Nanjing was very empty. The Chinese guerrillas on the Beijing-Shanghai line were unprecedentedly active, and some guerrillas even went deep into the suburbs of Shanghai.

"Order Fujita Jin to stay with the 106th Division to guard Dingyuan, and the Third Division immediately withdraws the Jinura Line and sweeps the troops along the line, and ensures smooth military transportation." Nishio Shouzao gritted his teeth and insisted on refusing to transfer troops from the front line to defend.

Fujita Jin was very helpless after receiving the telegram. This was simply an unsuccessful task. The current tactics adopted by the Chinese team are not to fight with you. If his division is dispersed, he will be eaten bite by bite. If he gets together, he will not be able to take into account the entire railway. Fujita Jin decided to explain to Nishio Suzuo that a division can't guarantee military transportation in this situation. However, he was severely scolded by Nishio Suzuo and almost got rid of his position as the commander of the division.

"There is no choice but to execute this ridiculous order." Nishio Shouzao said helplessly to Junroro Matsuura. Matsuura could only smile bitterly. After the Third Division left, he only had less than one unit of troops left. If the Central Team outside the city launched an attack, it would be difficult for him to defend Dingyuan.

After Fujita Jin left Dingyuan, Liao Lei immediately felt that the fighter was coming. He acted as a division to attack Dingyuan, but he secretly led the main force to follow Fujita Jin. At the same time, he secretly ordered Li Yannian to leave a unit to continue to go south to threaten Pukou. The main force stopped and bypassed Chuzhou and headed north.

Fujita Jin was confused by the activity of the Zhongxun team outside Dingyuan, and did not realize that Liao Lei was following behind. He had to decide whether to go south or north, to go south to find Li Yannian, and to go north to deal with Li Xianzhou. After thinking about it over and over again, Fujita Jin decided to go south because Li Xianzhou was a guerrilla and his strength was definitely not strong, but Li Yannian was attacking openly, and was obviously one of the main forces of the Zhongxun team.

The road after being broken became muddy under the storm of wind and snow. The heavy leather boots were covered with mud and became heavier. The cannon trucks were trapped in the mud pit with thin ice. The soldiers pushed hard behind them. The sparse trees and weeds on both sides shook in the cold wind. The morale was as depressing as the cold weather.

Fujita Min strangled the reins and stood on the side of the road. Watching the team passing by, I felt a little emotional. When I first landed in Shanghai, my morale was so high. Compared with now, it was like in another world. The soldiers were singing songs and rushing towards the enemy's defense line, but what about now? Most of the soldiers who rush towards the enemy were now buried in Jiangnan, China.

"Sing a song, this kind of emotion is...."

Before Fujita finished speaking, a shell exploded not far ahead.

I have been running to the hospital these two days. I have been delayed yesterday to make up for the updates.
Chapter completed!