Chapter 48: Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao? It Should Be Called Besiege a Point to Strike at Reinforcements!

Even the 23rd Security Division, despite holding the advantage of the terrain, found it difficult to withstand the enemy’s onslaught. With no natural defenses to rely on and their retreat route severed, the situation had become extremely dire.

As his subordinates urged him for a decision, Division Commander Bai Xinyou’s expression grew increasingly grim. He took a deep breath, struggling to steady himself. Never had he imagined that in just eight hours, the tide of battle would shift so dramatically. What he had believed to be an unbreakable line of defense was shattered in an instant, and now they were even encircled by the enemy.

Even Bai Xinyou, known for his gentle temperament, could not suppress his fury. “Damn you, Yan Chun! You’re a fool—your whole family are fools! If you’d used even a shred of common sense, you wouldn’t have lined up your men for the enemy’s machine guns. Even the Chenyun forces couldn’t have broken through so quickly if you hadn’t handed it to them!” His voice trembled with anger and helplessness.

“Commander, blaming others won’t help us now,” a staff officer replied coolly, his face severe, reminding Bai Xinyou that finding a way out was paramount.

“Our only option is to gather our remaining forces and break through the encirclement before the Seventh Reinforced Division completely seals our escape,” he advised. “If my guess is correct, Jiang Bai would have deployed most of his mobile troops to seize Wangkou quickly—at most two thousand men.”

“If we succeed in breaking the encirclement, whether we link up with the Wangkou garrison or turn to attack Wangkou, we’ll regain strategic freedom.”

These words deeply resonated with the commanders present.

With the 23rd Security Division routed and the passage entirely blocked by the enemy, they had lost all will to fight. Now, their only thought was to escape Jiang Bai’s net and preserve their remaining strength.

In these chaotic times, only those who command troops can speak with authority; otherwise, you become nothing.

“Commander! Hesitation will bring disaster—please make your decision at once!”

Just as the anxious officers tried to persuade the indecisive Bai Xinyou, a deafening explosion erupted outside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The relentless blasts shook the ground beneath their feet as if the very earth trembled with a minor quake. Dust rained from the ceiling, catching everyone off guard.

“What’s happening out there? What’s with all that shelling?”

“Judging by the explosions, those must be 75mm mortars!”

As the officers exchanged anxious whispers, a messenger, reeking of gunpowder, burst in and reported breathlessly:

“Commander! It’s bad—our frontline positions are under ferocious bombardment from the Chenyun Army! Their fire is so intense our men can’t even raise their heads to return fire! The Chenyun Army’s independent regiment is advancing under the cover of artillery, storming our positions!”

Bai Xinyou’s face darkened at this news.

“So, this young division commander plans to wipe us out after smashing the 23rd Security Division!”

Their retreat had just been cut off, and Jiang Bai’s forces were already launching an all-out assault. This was an open provocation.

“Arrogant indeed! I want to see what this so-called Seventh Reinforced Division is really made of, to be so brazen!”

Brushing the dust from his cap, Bai Xinyou swiftly issued his orders:

“Notify the frontline at once—they must hold the line! If the Chenyun Army dares to come, let them taste our bayonets! Show them the iron will of the 24th Security Division!”

Roused by Bai Xinyou’s words, the once-fearful commanders found their fighting spirit reignited.

“Don’t worry, Commander! We’ll accomplish the mission!”

Watching his men leave, their spirits restored, Bai Xinyou felt no relief—only a heavier heart. As an experienced officer, he knew that with inferior equipment and unfavorable terrain, courage alone was no recipe for victory; it was almost laughable to believe otherwise.

After a long, pensive silence, Bai Xinyou seemed to reach a decision. “Very well, let’s be prepared for the worst. Signal corps—draft a telegram for Officer Yan at once!”

Even as Bai Xinyou anxiously relayed the situation to Yan, far away on the Xuzhou front, the Seventh Reinforced Division was already launching a fierce assault on the 24th Security Division’s positions, using the cover of pre-dawn darkness.

This offensive was nothing like the previous river crossing battle. The 24th Security Division’s positions lay on exposed plains, offering almost no natural defenses, leaving them in a highly vulnerable state.

Division Commander Jiang Bai of the Seventh Reinforced Division knew that speed was the key to breaching the enemy’s defenses. He concentrated his artillery, advancing swiftly under the cover of night toward the 24th Security Division’s front line.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunfei’s unit maneuvered overnight to their designated position and opened fire without delay, laying down successive curtains of artillery fire, providing effective support for the advancing infantry.

This sudden onslaught left the 24th Security Division with no time to adjust their defenses or organize a counterattack. In just half an hour, the front lines were largely overrun.

As Chu Yunfei’s artillery regiment advanced with its creeping barrages, the infantry of the Seventh Reinforced Division pressed deeper into the 24th Security Division’s inner defenses.

The shelling was relentless—each salvo brought heavy casualties and chaos. The soldiers of the 24th Security Division, battered by this terrifying firepower, were either cut down or forced to cower in their trenches, unable to mount any meaningful resistance.

With such overwhelming artillery support, the 64th Brigade’s infantry broke through three of the 24th Security Division’s defensive lines in succession with remarkable ease.

As the front collapsed, the remaining defenders were thrown into disarray, powerless to mount an effective defense. The advancing infantry encountered little resistance, rapidly widening the breach and plunging deep into enemy territory.

To further strengthen their assault, the Seventh Reinforced Division deployed reconnaissance units in platoon-sized teams to infiltrate and strike behind enemy lines, aiming to shatter the command structure amid the turmoil and cripple the 24th Security Division’s organized defense.

These infiltration teams moved with flexibility, sabotaging communication facilities and cutting supply lines, intensifying the confusion and panic within the 24th Security Division.

As the battle raged on, the 24th Security Division’s positions were steadily devoured by the Seventh Reinforced Division, and morale plummeted to rock bottom. Under such a ferocious attack, resistance faltered and many units began to disintegrate.

With infiltrators wreaking havoc from within and the 64th Brigade pressing hard from the front, the defensive line of the 24th Security Division was torn wide open.

By the time Bai Xinyou realized the gravity of the situation, it was already too late to redeploy troops to mend the breach.

Large contingents were encircled and devastated by the 63rd Brigade’s flanking maneuvers.

Bai Xinyou had no choice but to order a retreat, leading his shattered forces into the rear mountains. There, using the terrain to their advantage, they barely managed to stabilize the line, but their path of retreat was completely severed.