Chapter 31: En Route to Sichuan, Resting and Expanding the Red Army Along the Way

Chapter 31: Reorganization and Expansion on the Road to Sichuan

Having crossed the Jinsha River and shaken off four hundred thousand pursuing troops, the Independent Regiment of the Red Fifth Army Corps entered southwestern Sichuan with the main force. Amidst the towering mountains and deep valleys, though the march remained arduous, there was no longer the life-or-death urgency of the previous constant battles. Chiang Kai-shek’s Central Army had been left far behind across the river, and the Sichuan and Yunnan provincial armies found it difficult to organize an effective pursuit. The Independent Regiment finally enjoyed a rare period of rest.

Wang Lin knew well that this relatively calm march was a golden window for expanding the Red Army, training troops, and restoring morale.

As the unit moved north along the rugged mountain paths, Wang Lin treated "expanding the Red Army" as a task equal in importance to the march itself. He ordered every battalion and company to form work teams, directing them to engage in mass work the moment they arrived anywhere, even for a brief rest.

During the three-day break outside Huili City, Political Commissar Wang Guangdao personally led the team in holding mass rallies to propagate Red Army policies. Zhong Guangbang led the key personnel of the administrative office to investigate local despots and bullies who oppressed the people; they opened granaries to distribute grain and shared seized wealth among the impoverished Yi and Han masses. The slogan "The Red Army is the army of the poor" echoed through the mountain villages of southwestern Sichuan with unprecedented clarity.

The strict discipline of the Independent Regiment served as the best propaganda. Soldiers helped the locals carry water, chop wood, and repair houses, while medics provided care and medicine to sick children and the elderly. This stood in stark contrast to the extortionate Sichuan warlords and Kuomintang local troops of the past. Many oppressed Yi "wazi" (slaves) and impoverished Han youths, having reached the end of their ropes, flocked to the Red Army encampments to enlist.

Wang Lin issued instructions: accept all who come, register them strictly, and select the best. In just over ten days, the Independent Regiment recruited more than two hundred new soldiers in areas like Huili and Dechang, nearly half of whom were hardworking Yi youths familiar with the terrain.

II. Training the Yi Recruits, Forging a Steel Force

The number of recruits surged, but their quality varied, and there were differences in language and customs. Wang Lin made training these recruits his top priority.

He fully utilized the "Triple Growth Rate" buff and "Tactical Simulation Analysis" function provided by his system, combining them with his own forward-thinking training concepts to develop a high-intensity, high-efficiency training plan.

Language Barrier: He transferred the few soldiers and political cadres in the regiment who understood the Yi language to form "Language Mutual Aid Groups," teaching the recruits Mandarin and Red Army discipline while teaching the veterans simple Yi phrases to facilitate communication.

Basic Training: Conducted in the gaps during the march. Drills, marksmanship, grenade throwing, field works... everything was based on real combat. Wang Lin emphasized: "Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime! Every action must become an instinct!"

Marching as Training: Fifty li per day, interspersed with exercises like "evacuating from enemy air raids," "seizing mountain peaks," and "squad-level assaults."

Live-fire Training: Despite the shortage of ammunition, Wang Lin insisted that "we can fight less, but we cannot train less." Whenever they reached a safe area, he organized live-fire practice. With the system’s aid in calibrating trajectories, the recruits improved rapidly.

Tactical Coordination: Using squads and platoons as units, they repeatedly practiced "three-three system assaults," "flanking maneuvers," and "infantry-artillery coordination." Artillery company veterans were dispatched to various battalions to guide the formation of battalion-level artillery detachments.

Ideological Tempering: Led by Wang Guangdao, they conducted in-depth class education and revolutionary tradition education. At "bitterness-airing" meetings, Yi recruits accused the "Nuohuo" (Black Yi slave owners) of cruel exploitation, while Han recruits spoke of the oppression by landlords and local officials. Their shared suffering quickly forged class solidarity, helping them understand who they were carrying guns for and who they were fighting for.

Combat Tempering: Though there were no major battles, there were constant small-scale anti-bandit operations, reconnaissance, and guard duties. Wang Lin boldly mixed new and veteran soldiers for these tasks, allowing the recruits to experience the battlefield atmosphere and grow quickly under the mentorship of the veterans.

By the time the troops reached the Maogong area after marching north, these recruits, who had enlisted only a month prior, possessed tactical proficiency, discipline, and fighting spirit that far exceeded ordinary new soldiers, reaching a level comparable to veterans with a year of service. The lifeblood of the Independent Regiment was renewed during the march.

As the rearguard of the entire army, the mission of the Fifth Army's Independent Regiment shifted from desperate defensive battles to guarding, receiving stragglers, and protecting the Central Committee and the rear of the main force. Wang Lin and his team were able to witness and participate in a series of historical events that decided the fate of the Red Army from a relatively "bystander" perspective:

The Huili Conference: The troops rested outside Huili City. Inside, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held an enlarged meeting to unify thought and affirm the Chairman's military command. Although Wang Lin did not attend, he felt the firmer resolve and cohesion of the entire army after the meeting. He strictly ordered the troops to strengthen their guard to ensure the absolute safety of the conference.

The Yi-Hai Alliance: Before entering the Yi-inhabited areas, the troops underwent thorough education on ethnic policy. Wang Lin required the officers and men of the Independent Regiment to strictly implement the "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" and respect Yi customs. The news of Commander Liu’s blood-brotherhood alliance with the Yi leader Xiao Yeda electrified the entire army. The Independent Regiment’s rearguard passed safely through the Yi area without any major conflicts, and dozens more Yi youths, inspired by the alliance, joined their ranks.

Forcing the Dadu River: Upon hearing that the eighteen heroes of the Red First Regiment had successfully forced a crossing at Anshunchang, the officers and men of the Independent Regiment cheered. Wang Lin gathered his cadres to analyze the tactical points of the crossing based on the battle reports, using it as a case study.

Seizing the Luding Bridge: When news arrived that the Red Fourth Regiment had made a 240-li forced march day and night, and that twenty-two heroes had seized the Luding Bridge by crawling across its iron chains, thunderous cheers erupted within the marching ranks of the Independent Regiment. Wang Lin stood by the roadside, watching the main force quickly cross the repaired bridge, feeling deeply moved: "This is the Red Army; they can create any miracle!" He commanded the Independent Regiment to cross last and was responsible for destroying the bridge deck to completely cut off the pursuers.

Throughout the march north, although there were no blocking battles as tragic as those at Shiban River, the rearguard work was equally arduous. Collecting stragglers, protecting supply transport, and clearing out small bands of bandits and KMT remnants... the Independent Regiment acted as a solid shield, silently guarding the back of the main force.

In June, snow began to fall as the Jiajin Mountain loomed before them. The air was thin, and the wind and snow were bone-chilling. Wang Lin decided to lead the vanguard himself.

Political Commissar Wang Guangdao was worried: "Commander, the snow mountain is treacherous. Let me take the reconnaissance company to scout the path first!" Wang Lin waved him off: "I have a tough life; the Xiang River couldn't take me, what's a snow mountain compared to that?" He activated the system's [Terrain Survey + Danger Warning], and the optimal climbing route appeared in his mind.

Before setting off, he drank a bowl of chili water and stood at the very front: "Everyone pay attention! Follow my footsteps closely! One wrong step and you're in the abyss! Two by two, hold onto each other, no one is allowed to fall behind!" He led the way personally, only signaling the others to follow once he had tested each step. In the wind and snow, his captured KMT officer's wool coat was strikingly visible, like a banner. The system constantly warned him of ice crevices and avalanche zones, and he was always able to bypass them in advance. The entire army was silent, save for the howling wind and their heavy breathing.

At the summit, Wang Lin's lips were purple, but he laughed aloud: "Look! I told you it would be fine!"

Not a single man was lost or missing after crossing the Jiajin Mountain. As they descended, the soldiers spontaneously sang: "Follow the Commander, and even the snow mountains will be leveled!" Wang Lin’s prestige reached its peak since the regiment's formation. When the Chairman heard of this, he smiled at the General and remarked: "This lad who fought his way out of the Xiang River is truly remarkable!"

In June 1935, the vanguard of the Central Red Army finally victoriously joined forces with the Red Fourth Front Army in Maogong (present-day Xiaojin County).

When Wang Lin led the main force of the Independent Regiment to Maogong, the unit had been completely revitalized:

Reorganization and Expansion: Total troop strength had recovered to nearly 3,500 men. It now comprised three full-strength main battalions (about 800 men each) and a logistics battalion of over 600 men (composed primarily of recruits from Gulin and southern Sichuan, who were experienced and steadfast).

As of June 1935, the Independent Regiment arrived in Maogong.

The First Battalion (Chen Ahai), Second Battalion (Huang Musheng), and Third Battalion (Zhou Zhiming) were all full-strength, each consisting of three infantry companies, one machine-gun company, and one battalion-level artillery company (four 82mm mortars).

The logistics battalion (600 men) was substantial, consisting of liberated soldiers from Gulin and Yi recruits, responsible for carrying the army's grain, ammunition, and clothing.

The regimental-level artillery company (Liu Gensheng) retained 8 mortars, bringing the total number of artillery pieces in the regiment to exactly 30.

Despite the replenishment, ammunition remained tight, but the morale of the officers and men was sky-high, their tactics were skilled, and their military appearance was immaculate.

Significantly Enhanced Firepower: Despite the massive consumption during the Shiban River blocking battle, sporadic captures along the way, small supplies from places like Huili, and the emphasis on equipment collection and maintenance since Gulin allowed the Independent Regiment to gradually restore its artillery count. Each main battalion had established its own artillery company (equipped with 2-4 82mm or 60mm mortars), and the regimental-level artillery company retained six 82mm mortars as reserve firepower. The total number of mortars in the regiment had finally recovered to 30. While mortar shells were still not abundant, the firepower structure was now much more rational.

Excellent Troop Quality: Under the "Triple Growth" buff and the tempering of rigorous yet scientific march training, the tactical proficiency, physical fitness, and willpower of all soldiers, both new and old, had reached a new peak. Yi soldiers accounted for nearly twenty percent of the unit; they were familiar with the mountains, hardworking, and tireless, becoming fresh blood and a vital force for the unit.

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere of the meeting in Maogong, Wang Lin looked at the well-disciplined and high-spirited iron-blooded force under his command, his heart filled with pride. From the remnants that had crawled out from the banks of the Xiang River, through the trials of Guizhou, the bloody battle at the Xiang River, the defense at the Jinsha, and the expansion in the Yi region, they had grown stronger with every battle.

He knew that greater challenges and more complex situations would arise after the two main forces joined. But his Independent Regiment was ready.