The troops have entered Pingcheng. Is it not a matter of minutes to capture Pingcheng? However, Commander Liu was wrong. The fighting in Pingcheng lasted all afternoon. The attacking troops suffered 2,000 casualties and they only advanced one street.

But this is not the worst situation. The large Japanese troops have already arrived at the outskirts of Pingcheng, and the troops around Pingcheng have lost the best time to retreat.

The troops attacking Pingcheng cannot withdraw. Once they withdraw, the Japanese troops will rush out of Pingcheng, and the two divisions of the Jinsui Army blocking the Japanese reinforcements will be flanked.

The two divisions blocking the Japanese reinforcements cannot withdraw. Once they withdraw, the troops attacking Pingcheng will be immediately surrounded.

However, the Jinsui Army still had one division and one cavalry regiment in reserve. According to the original plan, they were to encircle and suppress the Japanese army with the absolute advantage of five divisions.

If this division and a cavalry regiment went around behind the large Japanese army, with the cavalry regiment as the vanguard, although it would not be possible to completely annihilate the Japanese army, it would still be possible to defeat the Japanese supporting troops and save the unfavorable battle situation.

But there is a huge risk in doing so, that is, they have no prepared troops, the siege troops will suffer too many casualties, and there will be no one to replace them to continue the attack. This means that the battle can only succeed but not fail.

The situation is so urgent that the frontline commanders can no longer think so much and must make a decision as soon as possible.

As evening approached, the soldiers Yao Pengju sent out to conduct reconnaissance finally returned.

This time, the soldier did not stop at all. His clothes were soaked with sweat. The soldier was lying on the ground. He was almost exhausted.

The reconnaissance soldier had no strength to speak. He was already crying impatiently, and his hands just kept pulling Zhao Zhiguo's clothes.

"Water!" Zhao Zhiguo called to the soldiers to bring the water, "drink slowly, don't be in a hurry, it's getting dark soon, we will have enough time."

Zhao Zhiguo comforted the scout lying on the ground. Although he said this, he was more anxious than anyone else in his heart.

After a delay of more than ten minutes, the soldier was able to speak intermittently: "Ping... Pingcheng... has been lost!"

This news was like a grenade exploding around Zhao Zhiguo, and his mind was buzzing.

"Our troops are besieging Pingcheng. We don't know how many troops there are, and they are fighting fierce battles with the Japanese army in Pingcheng."

The scouts did not know the specific strength of both sides.

"What kind of play is this? Invite you to enter the urn? Then catch a turtle in another urn? But this doesn't look like it!" Gao Cang didn't understand.

"I also don't understand. Since our troops have the strength to attack Pingcheng, why did Pingcheng fall?" Qin Dongsheng became increasingly confused.

Zhao Zhiguo's mind was also in a mess. Why didn't he defend Pingcheng properly? First, he gave Pingcheng to the little devils, and then took it back from the little devils. Could it be that the people above wanted to train their troops' ability to attack fortresses? Unless it was because of their brains

You have to be sick to think of such a stupid idea.

"It seems we can't rest any longer. The original plan remains unchanged and we approach Pingcheng. Let's go and understand the specific situation."

It took Zhao Zhiguo a while to regain his composure. When he heard that Pingcheng had been lost, he became desperate.

If Pingcheng is really lost, they have only one way to escape the Japanese encirclement and suppression, and that is to go west, keep going west, and then go south. What happened a year ago will happen again.

He now knows that there are many troops of the Jinsui Army around Pingcheng. Although he does not know when these troops were transferred, the situation is much better than he imagined.

Now Zhao Zhiguo still has one battalion and two companies of organized troops with sufficient combat effectiveness. Maybe they can help.

"Gao Cang, leave all the heavy weapons in your battalion to Qin Dongsheng. Dianhou and your company go forward to explore the road. Gao Cang and Yao Pengju follow closely with their troops. Qin Dongsheng and you move slowly with heavy weapons, but I only give you

You have five hours, and you must meet us after five hours."

Zhao Zhiguo laid out the orders one after another.

While Zhao Zhiguo was placing orders, a division and a cavalry regiment of the Jinsui Army also detoured toward the flanks of the Japanese army under the cover of darkness.

The Little Devils are also analyzing the situation on both sides. According to their previous intelligence, the Chinese army only has one division near Pingcheng. Now that so many troops suddenly appeared, the Little Devils commander has become more vigilant.

The strength of the Chinese army did not match the intelligence. The Japanese army judged that the Chinese army had been prepared for a long time, but their sneak attack on Pingcheng caught the Chinese army by surprise.

Although the little devil's frontline commander had judged the situation, he did not know how many troops the Jinsui Army had prepared near Pingcheng.

The Japanese frontline commander made contact with the Japanese troops in the city. The troops in the city suffered about 800 casualties, but most of the city was still under the control of the Japanese army.

The ammunition carried by the Japanese troops defending the city was almost exhausted, but the most indispensable thing in Pingcheng was military supplies. As soon as Lu Ziming ran away, the combat supplies in the city were all cheap to the little devil. The little devil took all the light and heavy weapons that originally belonged to Lu Ziming and his division.

Came out to fight the Jin-Sui Army.

The Japanese troops in the city were still very optimistic. The casualties they caused to the Chinese army were about four times their own casualties. If they had not been on an unstable footing and the Chinese army had launched an attack on them, they might have caused six times more damage to the attacking troops.

The above casualties.

Japanese officers assured their commander that they could hold on to the city for at least two days.

The little Japanese frontline commanders had enough trust in their troops in the city, and now that it was dark, the Japanese troops continued to attack, which was very disadvantageous! The Japanese troops who came in a hurry did not have time to prepare the camp.

That night, the Japanese frontline commander ordered the large troops to retreat two kilometers to establish a defense line to guard against attacks by the Chinese army.

Their heavy artillery troops will arrive tonight, and tomorrow morning with the cooperation of the artillery, they will be able to break through the Chinese army's position in one fell swoop.

This order from the Japanese forward commander saved his life.

A division and a cavalry regiment of the Jinsui Army detoured back to the flank of the large Japanese army, but did not find that the Japanese army had retreated. There was nothing in front of them.

Zhao Zhiguo and others, who were rushing towards Pingcheng, heard the sound of chaotic footsteps and the neighing of war horses from a distance.

"hidden!"

Zhao Zhiguo quickly ordered the troops to lie down and take cover. Just a few dozen meters in front of them, the Japanese army was retreating in a mighty manner, preparing to set up camp.

"Captain, it seems that the Japs have a lot of troops, at least two regiments of troops!"
Chapter completed!