After surveying the terrain around Baimakou, Zhang Xinghan took the reconnaissance company and the guard company to leave there and run towards Taicang County.

Since Baimakou is not suitable for garrisoning, if the Zhongrui Regiment wants to block the Japanese army after landing under Taicang City, it must build tight and solid fortifications around Taicang County. According to the scouts, due to the tight front line, there was still an infantry company and some local armed forces such as landlords and gentlemen left behind.

The Taicang County is more than ten kilometers away from the Yangtze River in Baitukou, and the range of Japanese naval guns is not that far. As long as Zhang Xinghan built a large number of defensive fortifications inside and outside Taicang County, and then relying on these fortifications to defend and retreat, he will be able to win the retreat time for hundreds of thousands of national troops retreated from the Songhu battlefield.

If Taicang was not captured, the main force of the Japanese army would never dare to bypass Taicang and march straight into the rear of the national army. Once their retreat was cut off, hundreds of thousands of national troops retreated from the Songhu battlefield would be exhausted.

Therefore, the Taicang County was Zhang Xinghan's only opportunity. He was confident that he would build complete fortifications around Taicang County within one month to block the Japanese army.

But the most urgent task at the moment is to first enter Taicang County, investigate the situation, and then incorporate the remaining troops. What Zhang Xinghan lacks the most at this time is troops.

On the road from Baimakou to Taicang, the company commander of the reconnaissance company, Lu Baohua, personally led a vanguard to rank in front of the road. Zhang Xinghan and Li Dashan led the guard company and the main force of the reconnaissance company to follow up.

The two teams of officers and soldiers marched towards Taicang County. Since it was still under the rear of the National Army, and the remaining troops in Taicang County were weak, it was not until Zhang Xinghan brought his men outside Taicang County that the defenders discovered them.

Behind a simple fortification made of sandbags outside the city gate, several soldiers dressed in worn clothes and were made of Hanyang, but were energetic, looked at Zhang Xinghan and the others with vigilant expressions.

Seeing the clothes of the soldiers in front of him, the word "Sichuan Army" flashed through Zhang Xinghan's mind. Now it has entered October, and the Sichuan Army, who have sworn out of Sichuan to fight against the war of resistance from Sichuan, should also arrive at the Songhu battlefield.

At this moment, a young officer who was also worn out but had a firm look in his eyes stood up with a rifle in his arms and well-equipped officers and soldiers behind him, and asked, "Which unit do you belong to?"

As soon as the man in front of him spoke, Zhang Xinghan heard the strong Sichuan dialect accent in his words, and immediately replied loudly: "We are from the Rui Group of the National Revolutionary Army. I am Zhang Xinghan, the leader of the Rui Group, who are you from the Sichuan Army?"

"Hello, sir! We are from the 26th Division of the Sichuan Army!" The officer immediately stood up with a pistol and stood up. At the same time, the Sichuan Army soldiers behind him also put away their guns and stood up.

Only then did Zhang Xinghan see that his military rank was a second lieutenant, and he saluted and asked, "Who is the chief here? Let him come to see me immediately!"

"Please wait, please inform us of the company commander!" The lieutenant was obviously very polite, and then turned around and ran quickly outside the city.

It turned out that on their way to the front line, Zhang Xinghan's name had already spread among the Sichuan Army. Now, Zhang Xinghan himself probably doesn't know that he has become a household name for the military and civilians across the country.

After a while, a team of Sichuan Army wearing shabby uniforms and straw sandals were driven out in the city, but the formation was neat and energetic. The leader of the Sichuan Army was also wearing straw sandals. The difference was that there was a clean box on his waist. When the man saw Zhang Xinghan, he immediately stood attentively and saluted: "Hello, sir, the commander of the 4th Company of the 3rd Battalion, 152nd Regiment, 76th Brigade, 26th Division of the Sichuan Army was ordered to report, please give instruct!"

"Company Commander Gu! Now I am hereby order from the commander of the Third War Zone to take over the Taicang County. Your headquarters will stay for the time being, and wait for the main force of my Zhongrui regiment to arrive before making a decision." Zhang Xinghan saluted and said without hesitation.

"Sir... This..." said the Guzi hesitantly, "After the order of my 152nd Regiment, we led our troops to garrison here. Now we have no order from the leader of Jieguji, so we must not leave our post without authorization!"

"The front line is in a tight situation now, and everything is followed by the mobilization of the chief of the war zone. If the military opportunity is delayed, you Commander Jie can't afford it. So that's how to do it." Zhang Xinghan put on an air of an official position without denying it.

Seeing Zhang Xinghan's face was determined, Gu Zidi naturally did not dare to disobey the military order. If he dared to disobey the military order at this time, Zhang Xinghan had the right to shoot him, and immediately stood up and said, "Yes! Follow the command of the superior."

"Company Commander Gu, please let me familiarize myself with the terrain here, so I can make a decision!" Zhang Xinghan said with a stern expression.

"Yes! Please, sir!" Gu Zidi immediately turned his hand sideways and said.

………………………………………

After surveying along the Taicang County, Zhang Xinghan accompanied Guzidi and others to the east gate wall of the county town. Here, the Baima River runs through the whole city from east to west and exits the Yangtze River along the east gate.

There are several major roads around Taicang County, and there are lakes and paddy fields on both sides, which is extremely unfavorable to the mobility of Japanese tanks and heavy artillery mechanized troops, and in fact, it is conducive to infantry operations.

Therefore, the Zhongrui Regiment only needs to defend a few major highways, especially the road that goes directly to Baimakou in the east gate, which will be the main direction of the Japanese attack, and other directions only require the deployment of alert forces. Once the Japanese transfer the direction of the attack, Zhang Xinghan can timely allocate troops to provide assistance.

Standing on the city wall and looking down at the front, looking around, there is a plain wherever you look. If it weren't for the lakes and paddy fields around the road, it would be really hard for the Zhongrui regiment to block the Japanese army here.

After staring for a while, Zhang Xinghan turned to Lu Baohua, the company commander of the reconnaissance company, and said: "Baohua, send people to Jiading immediately and order the first, second battalion, communications corps, machine gun company, baggage company and health team to set off immediately and move to Taicang, and order Chief Zhou and the third battalion to stay, ready to collect the defeated soldiers who retreated from the front line at any time. No matter how many people there are, they will be stopped and reorganized on the spot!"

"Yes!" Lu Baohua immediately stood at attention, then turned around and took the order and left.

After watching Lu Baohua leave, Zhang Xinghan turned to Guzi and said, "Company Commander Gu!"

"Yes!" Gu Zidi immediately stepped forward.

"Please take people to the city to issue a notice door to door, saying that the National Army was ordered to garrison this place and needed fortifications. Please help from the fellow villagers of Taicang City. All families have their strength to provide tools. We will pay the wages according to the head!" Zhang Xinghan ordered.

"Yes!" Gu Zidi immediately responded, and then turned around and left quickly.

After the cornfield left, Li Dashan next to him said with a confused look on his face: "Tuanzu, this position is built to resist the Japanese. We need migrant workers to formally requisition it. Why do we have to pay? What's more, we have extra money there?"

"Didn't the Military Commission allocate a thousand oceans to us?" Zhang Xinghan asked back.

"But that is the military pay of the brothers. The money I received from my life. If there is no military pay, my brothers may not be convinced!" Li Dashan said.

"In the face of national crisis, any Chinese with blood should stand up and defend their country. There is no more family and country, and you still need money to use it? My brothers from the Rui Group will understand!" Zhang Xinghan said righteously.

Indeed, the Chinese people of this era are still relatively kind. Many soldiers of the national army were unable to receive military pay on the battlefield. Many troops were holding IOUs, but the soldiers of the national army still had no regrets. They fought with the Japanese army for eight years and built a new Great Wall for the Chinese nation with their flesh and blood.

It is precisely because of the millions of soldiers of the national army that the Chinese nation will continue and China will not be destroyed.

Zhang Xinghan's words left Li Dashan speechless. At this moment, Li Dashan raised his head and suddenly saw a large crowd of people walking towards the east gate on the street in the city behind.

"Group! Look." Li Dashan hurriedly pointed at the city.

Zhang Xinghan followed Li Dashan's reliance and saw that the not-so-wide street was almost crowded with people, both men, women, young and old. In front of them, there was a millet land that had just been sent out by him.

PS: Add to the one chapter I owe yesterday, I owe you three chapters in total. The disease has been pestering me these two days, making it impossible for me to write well. I took a few injections and took medicine to be better. I should have been calculating all night tonight, and I will definitely change what I owe you.
Chapter completed!