Too late! Absolutely too late!

The 20th Cavalry Regiment, which had just withdrawn from Xingwan, received an order from Brigade Commander Kawatarō of the Kawakawa Regiment before their saddles could even be removed: "Immediately scout the highway from Xiezhuang to Tanghe! The entire Third Division will immediately move to Tanghe."

"Hai!" Utada Tsubasa, the regimental commander, straightened up and bowed. He was very willing to accept such a task.

Moving to Tanghe was, in reality, a retreat!

In Tanghe, there were large groups of Japanese troops, as well as fortifications that the Japanese had been building continuously in recent days.

Entering Tanghe would guarantee their safety!

Captain Takahashi Hideki personally led more than eighty Japanese soldiers, quickly running towards Tanghe.

This road had always been clear, and the supply materials for the 16th Infantry Division were delivered along this route.

His Excellency the Brigade Commander was being too cautious this time.

Nevertheless, Captain Takahashi Hideki was willing to carry out such a mission.

The warhorses galloped, their hooves thundering. These eighty-odd Japanese soldiers of the Takahashi Cavalry Brigade felt as if they had taken a trip to the gates of hell and escaped back.

The Yoshikawa Yūsuke squad had been collectively destroyed, and all the soldiers in the brigade knew it.

The road to Xingwan was a dead end, while the road to Tanghe was the way to survive. This was the consensus of all the Japanese soldiers of the 16th Infantry Division.

Captain Narumiya Senjin, galloping on his horse, looked at the construction that suddenly stretched across the road eight hundred meters away.

He reined in his horse in surprise: "What is that?"

"It wasn't there yesterday!" Sergeant Ichikawa Kinonosuke replied.

He had just delivered a message from Tanghe yesterday and had not seen this construction.

The construction was not the issue, but rather the soldiers in front of it.

They were obviously Chinese Nationalist soldiers!

When had the Nationalist soldiers blocked the road back to Tanghe?

"Captain!" Sergeant Tamayama Bokkō hurriedly greeted the captain, who had just arrived.

Captain Takahashi Hideki had originally been in the rear, but when Narumiya Senjin and the others stopped, Captain Takahashi caught up.

He raised his binoculars and looked ahead: "Baga! They actually blocked the road!"

Through the binoculars, he clearly saw that the road had been barricaded by Nationalist soldiers, and the heavy machine guns erected on it were clearly visible.

"Attack?" Captain Narumiya Senjin asked uncertainly.

With the captain here, he would, of course, obey orders.

"Baga! Retreat!" After cursing again, Captain Takahashi Hideki ordered a retreat.

If it hadn't been for the lesson they had recently received from the Nationalist army's planes, the cavalry brigade would never have retreated.

Attack! Attack! Keep attacking! This was Captain Takahashi's motto.

But now, Captain Takahashi Hideki was somewhat afraid of the Nationalist infantry, and he dared not take the initiative to attack.

Brigade Commander Kawakawa Tarō of the 19th Infantry Brigade and Brigade Commander Inamori Tomoya of the 30th Infantry Brigade, who were still in Xiezhuang, heard Captain Takahashi Hideki's report.

The two brigade commanders gasped!

If it had been ten days ago, they would have been overjoyed to encounter Nationalist troops blocking the road and would have immediately sent troops to attack.

But now, the two brigade commanders looked at each other, their faces showing difficulty.

Seeing Brigade Commander Kawakawa Tarō open his mouth to speak, Brigade Commander Inamori Tomoya also wanted to speak.

Brigade Commander Kawakawa Tarō said, "Let's write our thoughts on paper and see if we have the same opinion."

The two brigade commanders wrote their notes and opened them at the same time. Both of them had written two words: Request support!

"Inamori-kun! Indeed, great minds think alike!"

"Immediately report to the division commander and request support from Commander Okamura Neiji."

"Hai!"

Upon receiving the report, Division Commander Fujie Keisuke was secretly relieved and anxious: "The last bit of strength of the entire division is in Xiezhuang, and we cannot abandon them."

He immediately rushed to the headquarters of the 13th Infantry Division in Tanghe. Division Commander Tanaka Seiji was holding a woman who was too young in his arms and drinking.

There were also two geishas performing in front.

Seeing Division Commander Fujie Keisuke arrive, Division Commander Tanaka Seiji smiled and gestured for him to come in: "Fujie-kun, I invited you to come and enjoy yourself yesterday.

You finally came today! Nobuko, go and accompany Fujie-kun!"

"Hai!" The graceful girl replied, stopped singing and dancing, and walked towards Fujie Keisuke.

"Your Excellency Tanaka! Please save the Sixteenth Division!" Division Commander Fujie Keisuke had no time to sit down, nor did he drink the sake that Nobuko offered.

Instead, he walked up to Tanaka Seiji and bowed his head to request.

"Nani? Fujie-kun! What happened?" Tanaka Seiji waved his hand, and the girls all retreated.

"Your Excellency Tanaka! The road between Xiezhuang and Tanghe has been cut off by the Nationalist army!"

"Nani? Is this true?"

"It was discovered by Captain Takahashi's cavalry brigade when they were moving to Tanghe."

"Where is it?"

"Lizhuang!"

"Lizhuang? This place is twenty li from Tanghe, the road isn't that far!" Although Division Commander Tanaka Seiji had had a little to drink, his mind was very clear.

"Yes! Please, Your Excellency the Division Commander, immediately send a team to clear the road to Xiezhuang."

"Is it that urgent?" Division Commander Tanaka Seiji was puzzled.

Now Okamura Neiji only wanted to maintain the previous defense line.

Fortunately, they had been constantly building fortifications and reinforcing bunkers on their previous defense line.

As long as the Japanese troops retreated to the defense line, it would be easy to defend.

The Tanaka Seiji Division had already prepared to rescue the 16th Infantry Division.

One infantry regiment was preparing to attack Lizhuang.

In Xiezhuang, Brigade Commander Kawakawa Tarō and Brigade Commander Inamori Tomoya were ordering all the Japanese soldiers to urgently reinforce the fortifications.

They had already built complete fortifications in Xiezhuang, and at this time, in order to hold out for a longer period of time,

Several thousand Japanese soldiers were working hard to make the fortifications even better.

The artillery regiment was also anxiously re-orienting its firing direction, preparing to support the subsequent breakout towards Tanghe.