Chapter 54: A Thousand-Li Strategic Redeployment Traps the Isolated Force; The Outer Ring of Huanxian Encircled at Last

Chapter 54: A Thousand-Mile Maneuver to Encircle the Isolated Enemy — Final Encirclement on the Outskirts of Huan County

The thunder of gunfire in Erjiangchuan gradually subsided, yet the smoke stubbornly lingered among the loess ravines like battle spirits unwilling to dissipate. The main force of the Independent Regiment had no time to savor the full destruction of the enemy cavalry, nor to thoroughly clear the battlefield. Standing atop the smoke-shrouded ridge, Wang Lin’s eyes blazed with determination, already fixed toward the west—where Ma Yulin led a 5,000-strong infantry force that, like a confused and ferocious trapped beast, was about to begin a frantic retreat, roused late by their commander Ma Hongbin’s sudden awakening.

“Orders: All battalions regroup immediately! Severely wounded to stay behind for medical care under Lin Huowang’s unit arriving shortly. Lightly wounded march with the troops! Distribute all captured horses and pack animals at once, prioritizing mobility! In ten minutes, advance westward! Target—Ma Yulin!” Wang Lin’s voice spread swiftly through the telephone and dispatch riders to all units fresh from the fierce battle.

No cheers, no hesitation. The soldiers quickly withdrew from the fierce combat and executed orders with stunning efficiency. The captured horses were immediately handed to infantry core units, machine gunners, and artillerymen; heavy mortars and ammunition boxes were swiftly secured onto pack saddles. Ten minutes later, a force, weary yet spirited and vastly more mobile thanks to the horses, surged from Erjiangchuan like a floodgate unleashed, thundering westward. Their footsteps and hoofbeats stirred fresh dust, echoing the lingering smoke behind them.

Almost simultaneously, hundreds of miles away at Guyuan headquarters, Ma Hongbin experienced a drastic shift from triumphant pride to the chill of a death trap.

On the radio, the once frequent and arrogant reports from the eastern cavalry brigade under Ye Chengzhang suddenly ceased, replaced by disturbing static. Then, telegrams from Ma Yulin’s western force grew anxious, reporting persistent, stubborn harassment by small Red Army units on their flanks and rear, severely slowing their march and inquiring about eastern allies’ progress.

A dark premonition gripped Ma Hongbin like a venomous serpent tightening around his heart. He roared at his communications officer, “Call again! Keep calling Ye Chengzhang! Call Ma Peiqing! Nonstop until they answer!”

But all calls fell into the void. The deadly gorge of Erjiangchuan seemed to swallow every signal and breath of life. Time dragged on in suffocating silence; cold sweat beaded on Ma Hongbin’s brow as memories of the Red Army’s cunning tactics and the icy gaze of Commander Wang Lin flashed in his mind.

At last, a faint, terrified signal from the nearest border outpost to Erjiangchuan confirmed his worst fears. The sentry reported hearing continuous, unusually fierce explosions and gunfire from the east lasting about an hour, then complete silence, with a massive column of smoke rising on the horizon…

“It’s over… we’ve been trapped!” Ma Hongbin’s face drained of color as he fell heavily into his chair, the old wooden armchair creaking under the weight. He realized that the so-called “main Red Army force” near Yuancheng was merely bait. The real main force had secretly maneuvered, aiming not to hold ground but to annihilate the two-pronged army he had dispatched. His elite cavalry brigade was likely doomed.

“Quick! Send a telegram to Ma Yulin!” Ma Hongbin leapt to the radio, voice hoarse with panic. “Order him to halt the advance on Yuancheng! Stop! Immediately reverse the front and rear formations! Withdraw swiftly to Huan County! Defend and await reinforcements! Tell him the Communist main force is setting a trap; Ye Chengzhang’s unit may be compromised. No matter the cost, retreat to Huan County at once! Hurry! Send urgent transmission!”

“Tick… tick…” The encrypted signals bore Ma Hongbin’s terror and final hope, shooting westward into the void.

***

On the western front, Ma Yulin’s 5,000-strong force trudged irritably and slowly through the loess plateau ravines. They had barely advanced before endless harassment left them exhausted and scattered.

“Bang!” A cold shot rang from behind a ridge; a soldier on the flank dropped instantly.

“Rat-a-tat-tat!” Short bursts of machine-gun fire struck the front line, raising clouds of dust and forcing the entire column to hit the ground again.

Barely regrouped, two explosions—mines or grenades—detonated amid the ranks. Casualties were light but chaos and panic erupted once more.

Small Red Army units—mainly Zhang Hongtu’s reconnaissance company and elite detachments from the regiment’s guard battalion—ghosted through the complex terrain, striking from east to west, attacking then vanishing, never engaging in prolonged battles. They targeted officers, cut off scouts, sabotaged supplies, and disrupted flanks. Ma Yulin’s counter-sweeps found only empty ground or fell into ambushes.

This sticky, relentless strategy severely slowed Ma Yulin’s advance, sapping morale and strength as if trapped in a quagmire. Ma Yulin grew increasingly irritable, a dark cloud shadowing his thoughts and distrust of eastern allies mounting.

Just then, a breathless messenger arrived, handing over an urgent telegram from headquarters.

Ma Yulin glanced at it and instantly paled, his hand trembling as he held the paper.

“Commander… what does the urgent dispatch say?” the adjutant asked cautiously.

Ma Yulin’s eyes flashed with shock and fear as he yelled hoarsely, “Quick! Orders! Halt the advance! Reverse front and rear formations! Retreat! Withdraw immediately to Huan County! Hurry! Hurry!”

His voice cracked with panic. The order spread rapidly, turning the already chaotic column into turmoil. Though confused, soldiers seized on the word “retreat,” and seeing their commander’s frantic expression, panic quickly spread. The column hastily turned, formations breaking down. Officers shouted commands desperately to maintain order, but a hasty retreat made disciplined ranks nearly impossible.

As they turned to withdraw, the “ghostly” harassment intensified sharply! Gunfire became incessant, cold shots and artillery chasing them like relentless pursuers, urging them onward or serving as grim escorts. Zhang Hongtu and his men, like seasoned hunters, drove the frightened prey toward a prearranged slaughter site.

Ma Yulin’s only thought was to flee—back to the relative safety of Huan County’s fortified town. He abandoned formation and supplies, desperate to escape the nightmare.

But the Independent Regiment’s main force was racing westward with desperate urgency. Soldiers knew that if the enemy slipped back into Huan County’s defenses, breaking through would be near impossible. Ignoring fatigue, they pressed on with forced marches; mounted troops dragged their infantry comrades, artillerymen urged pack horses on. Wang Lin continually urged, “Faster! Faster! We must reach them first!”

A fierce race against time unfolded across the vast plateau.

Ma Yulin’s forces fled in disarray, gunfire dogging their heels like relentless parasites. The Independent Regiment pressed hard, dust clouds billowing.

At last, near a place called Sandao Yaoxian, about twenty miles from Huan County, the race came to a decisive end.

The terrain here was relatively open, but the road to Huan County crossed several connected loess plateaus and deep gullies—ideal for setting up blocking positions.

Led by Li Yunlong, the most mobile Fourth Battalion, fueled by their captured horses and fierce resolve, stormed ahead like a whirlwind to Sandao Yaoxian.

“Quick! First Company left flank! Second Company right flank! Third Company hold the center! Machine guns, set up on that high earth mound! No time to build fortifications—use your bodies if you must to hold them back!” Li Yunlong’s voice was hoarse; his eyes bloodshot as he waved his pistol, commanding his troops to quickly form a rudimentary but resolute line.

As the Fourth Battalion deployed, the vanguard of Ma Yulin’s retreating force entered view. Seeing the sudden Red Army blocking position, the already panicked enemy fell into deeper despair and chaos.

“Break through! If we break through, we live!” Ma Yulin’s bloodshot eyes gathered what remained of his troops for a desperate assault on the Fourth Battalion’s line.

Gunfire erupted violently on Sandao Yaoxian. The Fourth Battalion’s soldiers clung to hastily found cover, fiercely resisting with rifles, machine guns, and grenades against an enemy many times their number. The battle ignited instantly. The enemy’s desperate attacks came in relentless waves. The Fourth Battalion’s line wavered perilously several times; Li Yunlong personally led a countercharge with his guard platoon to push them back. The front was taut as a drawn bowstring, ready to snap, but this spearhead held fast, blocking the enemy’s last route back to Huan County.

While Ma Yulin’s forces furiously assaulted the Fourth Battalion, their rear formations grew ever more chaotic and crowded. From the flanks, even greater dust clouds rose.

“Comrades! Charge! Surround the enemy! Don’t let a single one escape!” Huang Musheng’s Second Battalion and Zhou Zhiming’s Third Battalion, like two massive iron pincers, finally arrived. Without pause, they shifted from march formation to attack, charging the enemy’s long, disordered column from flank and rear.

Bullets rained from the sides and behind like a torrential downpour! Shouts and battle cries thundered! Ma Yulin’s forces were trapped on three sides. Rear guard units collapsed first, discarding weapons and attempting to flee, only to be captured or killed by encircling Red Army soldiers. Flanking units quickly disintegrated under the sudden onslaught. The entire column was cut and torn into fragments!

Ma Yulin vainly tried to rally resistance, but formations were broken, morale shattered, and orders could not be effectively transmitted. His troops became headless flies, blindly flailing within the shrinking encirclement.

“Good! Encirclement complete! Tighten the pocket! Compress gradually!” Wang Lin struck the earthen wall of the newly established forward command post with a heavy fist. The 5,000 men under Ma Yulin were now trapped like fish in a barrel.

At this critical moment, soldiers of Liu Gensheng’s artillery company, pushing their panting pack horses, finally brought the last mortars into their preset firing positions.

“Quick! Set up the guns! Calculate firing data! Target—the enemy’s main concentration! Provide covering fire!” Liu Gensheng shouted hoarsely.

Gunners quickly positioned the artillery and set the parameters.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The belated artillery barrage struck the already chaotic enemy mass like the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Explosions thundered amid the enemy ranks, deepening their panic and despair. Resistance crumbled utterly amid the cannonade.

The battle then turned into a complete annihilation. Independent Regiment battalions tightened the encirclement from all directions, gradually mopping up the isolated enemy remnants. Shouts of “Surrender and live!” echoed across the battlefield. Enemy soldiers surrendered in droves, pale-faced and raising hands as they emerged from hiding.

Protected by a handful of loyal guards, Ma Yulin abandoned all supplies and troops, exploiting dusk and local confusion to break out through a relatively weakly held ravine, fleeing headlong toward Huan County without looking back.

The sunset bathed the Sandao Yaoxian battlefield in golden red hues, mingling with the bloodstains on the earth. Gunfire slowly thinned until ceasing entirely. The vast field was strewn with surrendered enemy soldiers, heaps of weapons, scattered supplies, and silent wagons.

Accompanied by Wang Guangdao and Zhong Guangbang, Wang Lin inspected the vast battlefield. Though exhausted from two intense battles, the soldiers’ faces glowed with pride and exhilaration.

“Report, regiment commander, political commissar,” a staff officer hurried over, unable to conceal his joy. “Preliminary count: over one thousand enemy killed or wounded, more than three thousand captured! Over three thousand rifles seized, over a hundred light and heavy machine guns, several mortars, countless ammunition and supplies! Ma Yulin escaped with a small group; his main force has suffered a decisive defeat!”

The officer’s voice lowered as he continued, “Our losses were not light either. About four hundred casualties in the Erjiangchuan ambush; heavier losses in the Sandao Yaoxian blocking and encirclement battles, especially severe in the Fourth Battalion. Total casualties for both battles exceed 1,500, including nearly 500 killed and the rest wounded.”

Hearing this, Wang Lin fell silent for a moment, eyes scanning the bodies of fallen Red Army soldiers being carried away, a stab of pain in his heart. These were battle-hardened veterans! He spoke slowly, “They are all heroes… Without their sacrifice, this great victory would not be possible. Give our martyrs a proper burial; record each name carefully. Ensure proper compensation and care for the wounded, no matter the cost!”

“Yes, sir!” The staff officer saluted solemnly.

Wang Lin nodded, eyes sweeping over the smoke-cleared battlefield, gazing toward Huan County. He knew that with this battle, the main force of Ma Hongbin’s 35th Division was utterly destroyed, and the situation in Longdong had completely reversed. The Independent Regiment, through a brilliant thousand-mile maneuver and successive frontline battles, had not only shattered the enemy’s encirclement but nearly annihilated enemy battalion after battalion, achieving an unprecedented and glorious victory.

“Send a dispatch to Central Command,” Wang Lin told Wang Guangdao, his voice tinged with fatigue but more with resolve and pride. “Our Independent Regiment, after continuous combat at Erjiangchuan and Sandao Yaoxian, has essentially annihilated Ma Hongbin’s eastern cavalry brigade and western infantry brigade main forces, inflicting heavy casualties and captures. The enemy in Longdong now trembles at our name. We are clearing the battlefield and will rest briefly before pressing the advantage.”

Beneath the setting sun, the battle flag of the “Iron-Blooded Rearguard Tiger Regiment” fluttered high over the Longdong plateau like a blazing flame, heralding the dawn of a new era on this land.