Chapter 52: Fragrant Bait Cast, Predators Advance in Pincers

In early May 1936, the spring days on the Longdong Plateau already carried a considerable touch of warmth, yet the wind sweeping across the loess gullies still held a biting chill, stirring up fine dust and lashing against this ancient and silent land. Located on the northwestern edge of the Wuqi revolutionary base area, Yuancheng Town had just been truly liberated by the Red Army and was beginning to glow with new life. At this moment, it had become the core of a massive strategic chessboard. Every task carried out here was genuine and profound, but the scale and momentum they presented were skillfully magnified to serve as a tempting bait designed to lure the enemy deep into the trap.

In Yuancheng Town and its surrounding villages, the Red Army work teams were solidly and earnestly carrying out mass work. Struggle rallies to overthrow local tyrants and distribute land were warmly conducted under the auspices of the Soviet government. For the first time, the long-suffering poor peasants genuinely received land and grain, their faces beaming with heartfelt joy. Organizations such as the Red Guard and the Young Pioneers were rapidly established to stand guard and assist in maintaining order. Slogans were painted on earthen walls, and revolutionary songs echoed through the villages—all of these were scenes of genuine base area construction, brimming with vibrant revolutionary spirit.

However, on top of this authentic mass work, the Independent Regiment deliberately added a few heavy and prominent strokes. Lin Huowang, commander of the logistics battalion, was ordered to lead the entire battalion of 950 men into Yuancheng. Simultaneously, one thousand politically reliable Red Guard core members who had undergone preliminary military training were drawn from surrounding districts and counties, uniformly issued military uniforms, and formed into a sizable and well-groomed force.

These troops were not merely putting on a show; they genuinely shouldered the defense and construction duties of the Yuancheng area: constructing defensive fortifications on the key heights outside the town, setting up genuine heavy machine guns and mortars; dispatching patrol units to patrol and secure major transportation routes; and assisting the Soviet government in land reform and propaganda work. Yet, their very presence, alongside the deliberately showcased scale, conveyed a strong signal to the outside world: the main force of the Red Army was gathering and operating right here.

Inside the town, radio antennas were indeed erected, and the tick-tock of telegraph signals frequently transmitted outward—that was Lin Huowang maintaining normal contact with the Wuqi regimental headquarters while intentionally letting the signals be intercepted. The smoke from the camp kitchens was indeed heavier than usual, as it had to supply meals for a larger personnel. The cadence of drill chants and songs was also louder—functioning both as normal training and as a demonstration of strength.

Dressed in neat military uniform, Lin Huowang earnestly handled various military affairs in the capacity of a frontline commander. His orders and instructions were entirely valid and effective, though in conversation he would occasionally let slip information such as "forces remain stretched" or "the defense sector is too vast." Through specific channels, these pieces of information were precisely delivered to the ears of certain "special audiences."

The true finishing touch occurred one evening. Village Head Zhao—a local gentry with marital ties to the officers of the Huaxian Ma Family Army, who had been impacted during the liquidation struggle—was being transferred under custody. Taking advantage of a brief moment during the guard shift change, he actually managed to escape successfully! Rolling and crawling in sheer terror, he sprinted across the gullies all the way back toward Huaxian. This accidental mishap could have disrupted the plan, but it was quickly incorporated into the overarching scheme. The reconnaissance company soldiers made a show of "pursuing" him in vain, allowing him to carry away a profound impression that Yuancheng was "swarming with the main forces of the Red Army," "busy with land reform," and "guarded yet not without exploitable gaps."

...

Hundreds of miles away, Guyuan, a major town in eastern Gansu.

Unlike the frontline strongholds of Huaxian or Qingyang, the atmosphere inside Guyuan city felt much heavier and more oppressive. The headquarters of the Kuomintang 35th Division was set up in a sprawling courtyard with towering walls and heavily guarded posts. In the council chamber, smoke curled in the air. Division Commander Ma Hongbin, dressed in full military attire without his medal ribbons, sat with a gloomy expression on a master armchair draped in tiger skin. His fingers tapped unconsciously and continuously on the smooth mahogany tabletop, producing a dull and rhythmic clatter that tightened the hearts of the brigade and regiment commanders standing rigidly at attention below.

The atmosphere in the hall was suffocatingly oppressive. Over the past few days, intelligence gathered through multiple channels—including radios, scouts, and embedded informants—had continuously fed fragmented information onto this table, all vaguely pointing to the same conclusion: the main force of the Red Army's "Independent Regiment," known for its formidable combat effectiveness and frequent infliction of defeats upon their own side, seemed to have suddenly broken away from the core area of its Wuqi base and appeared around Yuancheng in the northwest. There, they were making a great hullabaloo about "land reform," displaying extreme activity while simultaneously revealing a rare state of "laxity."

"Is the intelligence... truly reliable?" Ma Hongbin finally spoke, his voice hoarse and slow, carrying a heavy northwestern accent and a trace of undisguised doubt. "The communist bandits are exceptionally cunning, accustomed to making feints to the east while attacking the west and luring the enemy deep. Could this be another trick concocted by that fellow named Wang Lin? Deliberately putting up a lax front to hook us?" He had suffered losses at the hands of the Red Army, particularly the loss of numerous cavalrymen at Qingshizui, a memory that still stung to this day, and he was deeply aware of how cunning and entangled their commander was.

"Division Commander," the chief of staff stepped forward eagerly upon seeing this, bowing slightly as he handed over a stack of neatly organized telegram sheets and reports. "Your concerns are entirely justified. This subordinate has verified it repeatedly. First, reports from multiple batches of elite scouts sent to different directions and in successive waves are basically consistent: there are indeed frequent Red Army activities around Yuancheng, on a massive scale. Estimating from the various encampments, the number of personnel is at least several thousand. Numerous checkpoints have been set up, but inspections are not as strict as before, sometimes even existing in mere form. Our scouts managed to approach and observe easily on several occasions. During the day, most of them hold meetings and distribute grain, appearing preoccupied with internal affairs; at night, the camps are brightly lit and noisy. While security appears tight, it is actually lax on the outside and rigid on the inside, and patrol routes are fixed, making them easy to evade."

He paused, picked up the topmost document—which looked somewhat crumpled, with its edges even stained with slight mud and dark red blemishes—and deepened his tone: "Moreover, most crucially, about two hours ago, our personnel lurking near Yuancheng made contact with Village Head Zhao, who had escaped from the communist bandits at the risk of his life. This is a secret letter written in his own hand and affixed with his fingerprint. He is my brother-in-law, a shrewd man with considerable local prestige in Yuancheng, and he would certainly not lie, nor is he someone the communist bandits could easily buy off."

Ma Hongbin raised his eyelids, took the confidential letter, brought it close to his eyes, and began to read it carefully, word by word. The handwriting was somewhat hasty, clearly written in a state of panic and haste, but the content was quite detailed: it described how the Red Army in Yuancheng denounced local gentry and distributed wealth (with Zhao himself being denounced but miraculously spared execution), and how they requisitioned civilian houses and built camps on a large scale. The letter particularly mentioned that the leader of the Red Army was an officer with a "dark complexion, stern expression, and referred to as 'Regiment Commander Wang'" (Village Head Zhao evidently misheard Lin Huowang's surname), who seemed to wield great authority yet inadvertently revealed complaints in conversation such as "forces are dispersed, and being compelled to manage both the movement and defense against raids makes us feel quite stretched" and "the main force has not yet fully concentrated." Village Head Zhao also emphasized that he managed to break free and escape only because the guarding Red Army soldiers were distracted by gunfire in the distance (suspected local militia harassment).

Looking at this blood-soaked, grievance-filled, and detail-rich handwritten letter, the doubt in Ma Hongbin's eyes finally began to dissipate bit by bit. Greed, eagerness to wash away past humiliation, and the desire to build meritorious service grew wildly in his heart like wild grass. He abruptly stood up, the heavy legs of the master armchair scraping harshly against the grey brick floor. He strode over to the huge military map on the wall, his gaze locking like a falcon onto the tiny dot labeled "Yuancheng," then slowly shifting toward the direction of "Wuqi" behind it.

"It seems... the communist bandits have achieved successive victories and grown wildly arrogant! They truly think this Ma Hongbin is made of clay and dares not sally forth?" He sneered, his voice tinged with ruthlessness and excitement. "Very well! There is a path to heaven which you refuse to take, yet you cast yourselves into the pathless hell! Having abandoned the sturdy tortoise shell of Wuqi and run to this isolated land of Yuancheng where retreat and advance are equally constrained, this is truly a heaven-sent opportunity, destined for my 35th Division to achieve great merit!"

He whirled around, his gaze flashing like lightning as he swept it across his subordinate generals, and issued an ironclad command: "Opportunities must not be lost, and time waits for no man! Orders!"

"Ma Yulin!"

"This subordinate is here!" 103rd Brigade Commander Ma Yulin felt a surge of spirit, stepping forward sharply with his head held high and chest puffed out.

"You are to lead the main force of the 103rd Brigade—the 206th and 207th Regiments—reinforced by the 1st Battalion of the Huaxian Security Regiment, totaling five thousand men, to form the Western Route Assault Column! At dawn tomorrow, set out from the Huaxian and Quzizhen line, and march straight along the main road to Yuancheng! Your mission is a frontal assault, advancing steadily and firmly, sticking to the main force of the Red Army like a nail, forcing them into a decisive frontal battle with us! Be sure to draw their full attention!"

"Understood! Rest assured, Division Commander! This subordinate will smash through like an iron hammer and guarantee the capture of Yuancheng, leaving no escape for the communist main force!" Ma Yulin acknowledged loudly, full of confidence.

"Ye Chengzhang!"

"This subordinate is here!" 105th Cavalry Brigade Commander Ye Chengzhang responded instantly, his eyes sharp and carrying the arrogant, fierce demeanor characteristic of cavalrymen.

"You are to lead the main force of the 105th Cavalry Brigade—the 109th and 110th Regiments—along with the attached Ma Peiqing Cavalry Regiment, totaling three thousand elite cavalrymen, to form the Eastern Route Rapid Outflanking Column! Assemble your troops immediately, set out from Qingyang, detour via Huachi and Yuele, and execute a wide, long-range battlefield outflanking maneuver!" Ma Hongbin's finger swept a huge arc across the map, bypassing potentially fortified areas to strike straight into the Erjiangchuan and Baibaochuan regions northeast of Yuancheng. "Your mission is to give full play to our cavalry's speed advantage, marching day and night at top speed to seize all mountain passes, routes, and commanding heights east and northeast of Yuancheng! Act like an iron pincer, clamping down hard to completely and cleanly cut off all possible retreat routes of the Red Army back to their Wuqi lair! Once Brigade Commander Ma Yulin launches a frontal assault and draws the main force of the Red Army, your cavalry must launch a fierce surprise attack from their flank and rear! Pincer them from front and rear, coordinating from within and without with our western force!"

At this point, Ma Hongbin chopped his palm downward in a gesture of encirclement and decapitation, his tone grim: "Be sure to annihilate the main force of the Red Army's Independent Regiment, along with their commanders, completely and cleanly beneath the walls of Yuancheng! I want total annihilation, not mere rout! Understood?"

"Understood! This subordinate understands!" Ye Chengzhang puffed out his chest, his face beaming with the natural cavalry superiority over infantry and absolute faith in victory. "Three thousand iron cavalrymen will certainly not fail the heavy trust of the Division Commander! We shall sweep through their retreat paths like a violent autumn wind flattening fallen leaves, leveling their encampments! Not a single man or horse shall escape back to Wuqi!"

"Good!" Ma Hongbin was greatly gratified to see his two primary generals brimming with fighting spirit, yet he did not forget to emphasize one last thing. His gaze swept across the entire room with unquestionable majesty: "Gentlemen! This offensive concerns the reputation of our 35th Division, and even more so the situation in Longdong and the entire Northwest! The Generalissimo and the Xi'an authorities are all watching us! Therefore, the action must be fast—like thunder and lightning! The strike must be fierce—like a collapsing mountain and shattering earth! We must display the prestige of our 35th Division and wash away past shame! By annihilating this faction of the Red Army main force, Longdong will be secured, and all of you will be meritorious heroes who have served the Party and the State; I will certainly petition the higher authorities for your rewards!"

"We strictly obey the Division Commander's command! Vowing to annihilate the communist bandits and establish meritorious deeds!" The generals shouted in unison, their voices ringing so loudly that the roof tiles hummed, and an aura of murderous intent filled the hall.

The combat orders were rapidly transmitted to frontline units via encrypted radio. The entire war machine of the 35th Division began operating at high speed.

The next day, just as dawn broke.

On the western front, Huaxian and its surrounding strongholds resounded with shouts of men and neighing of horses amidst billowing dust and smoke. Ma Yulin led a mixed force of five thousand infantry and cavalry, marching out in a grand procession from the fortresses and camps. The infantry columns were long and heavy, the soldiers trudging forward with rifles on their shoulders; mule and horse teams laden with ammunition, rations, and tents were intermingled, appearing somewhat bloated; officers galloped back and forth beside the column on horseback, shouting, urging, and berating the slow-moving soldiers. The heavy footsteps, horse hooves, creaking of cart wheels crushing road surfaces, and the officers' curses blended together to form a dull, oppressive wave of sound, rolling relentlessly forward along the highway leading to Yuancheng. Their momentum was fierce and aggressive, with a clear objective directly pointing at Yuancheng.

Almost simultaneously, on the eastern front, across the vast wilderness outside Qingyang City, three thousand cavalrymen surged forth like a breached flood. Ye Chengzhang rode at the very front, closely followed by Ma Peiqing. Several thousand meticulously fed and robust Hequ war horses raised their four hooves, forcefully trampling the earth that had not yet fully turned green, producing a thunderous, heart-shaking sound of hooves. The cavalrymen carried carbines on their backs, the scabbards of their sabers clashing against the metal parts of the saddles with a rattling noise. Their faces, weathered by sand and wind, wore their habitual arrogance and a contemptuous excitement toward the impending "harvest" battle. Like a massive iron whirlwind, they galloped furiously along the predetermined outflanking route, kicking up dust that blotted out the sky with astonishing momentum. In their view, using elite cavalry against infantry lacking heavy weapons and mobility—coupled with the prime outflanking posture—meant that victory was already well within their grasp.

The two giant, gleaming iron pincers had completely spread open, carrying destructive power as they fiercely closed in upon Yuancheng, the tempting "bait." Ma Hongbin, holding command from Guyuan, remotely controlled all of this through the radio; he felt as though he could already see the victorious dispatches and commendation orders from Nanjing.

However, neither Ma Hongbin, who was determined to win back in the Guyuan headquarters, nor the arrogant and aggressive generals in the eastern and western columns, had the slightest inkling that outside Yuancheng—the very place where their gazes were fixed—deep within those seemingly silent, gully-riddled, ridge-and-knoll-crossed expanses of the Loess Plateau, another web of death, vastly larger, more intricately woven, and even more deeply concealed, had quietly and fully spread out. Nearly eight thousand fierce warriors of the Independent Regiment, under Wang Lin's precise coordination, had utilized the cover of night and complex terrain to enter their preset ambush positions days in advance. Like the most seasoned hunters, they held their breath, sharpened their claws, loaded their chambers, zeroed their gun barrels, and peered coldly through camouflage with sharp eyes, watching the prey step unawares and precisely into the ultimate graveyard meticulously prepared for them.

The storm had gathered and was about to descend upon this ancient land in its most violent form.