Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

March 1948 Northern Shaanxi Nanjing Luoyang The season has entered March, and the wind in northern Shaanxi is still hard and cold.It snowed for two days in a row, and it suddenly cleared up in the evening.The strong wind didn't stop, rolling up ice-like snow particles and whistling all over the sky, rushing towards the window lattice of the cave dwelling. Mao Zedong's cotton-padded jacket was patched. He unbuttoned his collar, pulled down the scarf around his neck, held his hand around his waist, and held a cigarette in the other. His face was illuminated by the light, and he looked away from the telegram on the desk.

The telegram was sent by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping on February 12.In the past month, Mao Zedong almost regarded it as a "tip bag", placed it in a prominent position on the desk, and studied it many times. The telegram said: Mao Zedong once again drew a thick line under the word "Xiangxi" with a red pen, took a puff of cigarettes, his face shimmered, and said to himself: "It's better to go west!" The victory of Liu Deng's army leaping thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains proved the ingenuity of Mao Zedong's first dangerous move. The outside attack of the three armies of Chen Su, Chen Xie, and Liu Deng in the shape of a "pin" has brought about major changes in the pattern of various battlefields across the country. A nationwide strategic decisive battle is about to begin.

The national war situation is a game of chess.Mao Zedong is like a chess master, with a macro perspective, with the courage of a military strategist, the insight of a politician, and the romantic feelings of a writer, with a wave of his hand, it is like holding the moon for nine days, and he is ready to take the second risky move.This is the second leap forward: order Su Yu to lead Huaye's three columns to cross the Yangtze River south, directly attack Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and lead the liberation war to the far-reaching rear of Jiang's area. Now, Su Yu's army has assembled in Puyang, and is preparing troops for the southward crossing of the river.

In order to make Liu Deng's "Westward Strategy" go smoothly and promote a complete change in the national war situation, Mao Zedong, who was dealing with Hu Zongnan in northern Shaanxi, calmly picked up another pawn - Peng Dehuai's Northwest Field Army, which was unexpectedly located in Shaanxi. Yichuan——He wants to extend the "slightly to the west" to the west. Yichuan City guards northern Shaanxi and is an important gateway for the Northwest Field Army to attack Jiang's area in the south and threaten Xi'an.Mao Zedong decided to surround Yichuan with the strategy of besieging the city and fighting for aid. On the one hand, he mobilized Hu Zongnan's group to go north and wiped it out during the movement;

On February 12, the battle of Yichuan began.As expected, Hu Zongnan fell into the trick - upon hearing that Yichuan was in an emergency, he hurriedly ordered Liu Kan to take four brigades to help them along the main road, and more than 25,000 people went to Wazi Street and slipped into the pockets that Peng Dehuai had arranged.On March 2, Peng Dehuai led his troops to launch a general attack on Yichuan City.This campaign is sure to win.Mao Zedong sat in the cave dwelling in Yangjiagou, waiting for the good news, then took out Liu Deng's telegram, turned his thinking to the Central Plains, and planned a series of strategic developments to the west.

The rooster crows over and over again. The guard Wang Yong brought a bowl of warm noodle tea, Mao Zedong drank it in a few sips, and said to Wang Yong, "It smells so good!" Noodle tea is made from roasted millet and ground into noodles. Wang Yong is very good at it. Seeing the chairman drink it in a few sips, he hurriedly said, "Chairman, I'll make you another bowl." "No need. It's just right. If you have too much, you won't feel its sweetness." Knowing that the chairman was reluctant, Wang Yong picked up the bowl and wanted to leave.Mao Zedong said: "Wang Yong, we will stop talking shit."

Wang Yong laughed out loud, revealing his black teeth.The food is tight, and the supply is not enough. I eat black beans every day, and my mouth is black, my teeth are black, and my stool is black.Even the black beans are only half hungry.The ration standard was reduced and reduced, and a black bean was chewed and chewed on the teeth, reluctant to swallow.Mao Zedong also ate this kind of "money rice" made of black beans. Mao Zedong said: "Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping and the others have already gone to eat from the enemy, and we will also go to eat from the enemy." Zhou Enlai lifted the cotton curtain of the cave dwelling and said with a smile, "Chairman, Yichuan City has been taken down!"

Mao Zedong: "Then Hu Zongnan will sleep even more restlessly." "General Manager Peng telegraphed that more than 29,000 enemies were wiped out in this campaign, and seven officers above the major general level were captured. The commander of the 90th Division, Yan Ming, was killed. Our 'old friend'..." "Liu Kan? How is it?" "Dead, smashed to pieces." The expression on Mao Zedong's face suddenly sank, thoughtful, walked a few steps in the cave, and said: "This man has been chasing us in northern Shaanxi for a year, and he has driven us to nowhere several times!"

"Yeah, chasing and chasing, it was very hard, and finally sent myself to a dead end." "Boss Peng has done a great job!" "Liu Kan died under General Peng, so he deserves to die without complaint." Mao Zedong refilled his cigarette with a smile on his face. Zhou Enlai saw the telegram from Liu Deng on the case, knew Mao Zedong's thinking, and said instead: "The situation in the whole country is very good now. The Northeast Field Army has wiped out 156,000 enemies in the winter offensive, including 17 cities; North China, Shandong, and North Jiangsu have completed winter training and will start spring operations soon; Liu Deng, Chen Su, Chen and Xie's three armies are fighting for the Central Plains, galloping across the rivers, Huai and Han, and the national victory is certain!"

Mao Zedong: "Without Liu Deng's leap forward, this situation would not have existed! Together with the Chen Su and Chen Xie Corps, they have attracted more than 160 brigades of all Jiang's troops on the southern front to surround them. Look at their telegram, this Slightly to the west, it is clearly another good game!" Mao Zedong walked to the map, and Zhou Enlai moved the lamp closer to the map. Mao Zedong pointed to the Huaixi area of ​​the Central Plains on the map with his pen: "Liu and Deng have already transferred out of the Dabie Mountains and assembled for training in this area. They chose to attack westward with a very strategic vision. First, the enemy forces on the western front are extremely empty and advantageous. I attack the enemy's weak points with the actual force; second, let Chen Xie and Chen Tang go west first, attracting the enemy's 10th and 11th divisions to the west, so that the troops in the Dabie Mountains can be transferred out for training and replenishment; Liu Deng's army moved west again, which could mobilize and attract the enemies of the Dabie Mountains to the west. This series of routines can be said to kill two birds with one stone, and kill multiple birds with one stone. Enlai, don’t you think it’s very clever?”

Zhou Enlai nodded and said: "The great victory in Yichuan will definitely shock Chiang Kai-shek's western front; as soon as the door to the south is opened, the Northwest Field Army will take advantage of the victory to counterattack, and Chiang Kai-shek will definitely send troops to the west to help the empty Guanzhong. Chairman, in this way, Liu Deng wants to The time is ripe for a slight expansion in the west. The key question now is where to fight the first battle in the west." The pen in Mao Zedong's hand slid westward along the Longhai Line and stopped at Luoyang. "Luoyang is the hub of the three provinces of Qin, Jin, and Henan. It is the main point of connection between the Central Plains and the Northwest. Taking Luoyang can not only cut off the main artery of Longhai, but also connect the new areas of Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi with the Central Plains and the old liberated areas north of the Yellow River. It can also gain a far-reaching rear; it can also look forward and backward, and disrupt Chiang Kai-shek's defense system in the Central Plains. Moreover, after the victory in Yichuan, the Northwest Field Army will take advantage of the victory and advance into the Jingwei River Basin, threatening Xi'an and Baoji. Chiang Kai-shek must adjust The Pei Changhui corps stationed between Tongchuan and Luoyang also served as Cheng Xiyuan. In this way, the buttocks of the isolated city of Luoyang will be shown to us." Zhou Enlai: "Liu Deng said that the first battle depends on the situation, and now the opportunity has come." Mao Zedong swiped his brush, and Luoyang City on the map was enclosed in a thick red circle. "Didn't Er Chen (Chen Shiju and Chen Geng) call several times in order to fight Luoyang, and they were so anxious? Let them have a good time this time. The first battle to attack westward is to attack Luoyang City!" Mao Zedong dropped his pen: "Chiang Kai-shek will never give up the important town of Luoyang easily. The enemy must be saved when attacking. This can not only annihilate the enemy, but also mobilize the enemy. The competition in the Central Plains begins here! Once the training in Puyang is over, Su Yu's army will cross the Yangtze River again. , this game of chess will be even more exciting!" The more Mao Zedong talked, the more excited he was, and he unbuttoned all the buttons of his cotton coat: "Chiang Kai-shek is unreasonable. If he loses his reason, he will beat him up. Okay, we will fight him to the end! Not in three years, not in five years, not in five years Ten years; our generation can't do it, there is the next generation!" He laughed, "Naturally, there is no need for the next generation to beat him, and it doesn't take three to five years. To overthrow the Chiang Dynasty and welcome the victory of the whole of China, It won't be too far away. Enlai, I see something, you can start preparing." Zhou Enlai: "Did the chairman agree to cross the Yellow River?" Mao Zedong laughed heartily: "You are still right!" Zhou Enlai: "The chairman said that if you don't beat Hu Zongnan, you can't beat the Yellow River. Now, Hu Zongnan has lost this game of chess." The Yichuan victory shocked the Nanjing Kuomintang government. Xi'an is under threat, and the entire Northwest is at stake.Hu Zongnan was in a hurry, and Chiang Kai-shek followed Mao Zedong's chess strategy and urgently transferred the Peichanghui Corps in the Tongguan and Luoyang sections of Longhai to the west.As a result, Luoyang is only defended by the 206th Division of the Youth Army, and its strength is relatively weak.Chiang Kai-shek had a premonition that the opponent would not let go of this favorable opportunity, but because he had no soldiers to transfer, he sent a special plane to Luoyang to pick up the division commander Qiu Xingxiang to give him an opportunity. Chiang Kai-shek turned his back on the normal way of talking in circles, and said directly to Qiu Xingxiang: "Luoyang is a strategic hub, the gateway to the Central Plains and the Northwest Defense Alliance. Master Qiu, your burden is not light!" Qiu Xingxiang hurriedly stood up and stood at attention: "Principal, please give me instructions." Every time he summoned battlefield commanders, Chiang Kai-shek would first talk about his strategic position and operational significance, and then give specific instructions on where to increase troops and where to reduce them.As everyone knows, many times, things go wrong here-some commanders who are sincere and fearful of offending Longyan dare not change because of the enemy's situation, and stick to the commander's order and lose the game. Chiang Kai-shek walked up to the map and patted the map of Luoyang city with his hands: "Mangshan, Longmen, and Ximen are all very important. We must strengthen fortifications, study defenses, and organize troops. The airport is also very important, and we must control it. We must stick to it for a long time. plan." Qiu Xingxiang took office in Luoyang less than half a year ago.Last autumn, when Chen Geng's troops crossed the Yellow River south, Xiao Jin, the former commander of the 206th Division of the Youth Army, called for emergency calls.Chiang Kai-shek patted the table and scolded Xiao Jin for studying in Germany as a fake foreign devil.The morale of the 206th Division was weak and demoralized.Chiang Kai-shek made up his mind: If he wants to stick to Luoyang, he must change his general to change the 206th Division.He summoned Tang Enbo, who was in charge of the second-line corps, to screen repeatedly, and selected Qiu Xingxiang, who showed his skills in the Battle of Siping Street and was known as the fifth "Qiu Tiger" of the Whampoa Military Academy. Only a few months after taking office, Qiu Xingxiang was summoned by Chiang Kai-shek's special plane for the third time, which is rare for division-level commanders. Chiang Kai-shek's fingers trembled nervously, and repeatedly slapped Luoyang City on the map, making Qiu Xingxiang fully aware of the urgency of the war and the importance of Luoyang City to the entire situation.The weight on Qiu Xingxiang's shoulders was as heavy as a mountain, and he wanted to express the grievances in his chest: Even if he Qiu Xingxiang has three heads and six arms, how can he clean up a mess in a short period of time?Qiu Xingxiang stared at the president, but didn't complain.A few months ago, at the military meeting in Jurentang, he saw with his own eyes that Luo Lirong, the commander of the Third Army trapped in Shijiazhuang by the communist army, complained to Chiang Kai-shek and demanded to solve the problem of military supplies. If you can stand still, you will have food. As the commander of the army, you, Luo Lirong, led an army of tens of thousands, and you are stationed in a place like Shijiazhuang, where the time and place are favorable. ,inability……" Another reason why Qiu Xingxiang didn't complain was that he deeply understood that Chiang Kai-shek also had suffering.If it is not helpless, how can the youth army known as the "Royal Forest Army" be brought to the front line? Qiu Xingxiang thought so, and said loudly: "Principal, don't worry, Luoyang will be safe unless the world falls apart!" Chiang Kai-shek stared at Qiu Xingxiang for a minute: "Is there a garrison commander in Luoyang?" "No." Qiu Xingxiang answered casually, not knowing Chiang Kai-shek's intentions. Chiang Kai-shek wrote a handwritten letter, and named Qiu Xingxiang as the Luoyang garrison commander: "Take this order to find Yu Jishi." It was as if a torch boiled Qiu Xingxiang's blood all over his body.For a moment, he felt dizzy like flying through the clouds, and Chiang Kai-shek asked again, "What specialties do you have?" Qiu Xingxiang was stunned, not understanding why this sudden question came from, and he paused for a moment before replying: "I have nothing but to lead troops to fight, and I can only serve the party and the country with my death!" Chiang Kai-shek nodded: "The success or failure of the military is related to the safety of the party and the country. If the Communist Party is not defeated, we will die without a place to die." Qiu Xingxiang could hear that although the president spoke plainly, he was actually emotional.Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, and a sense of tragedy of "accepting orders in danger" arose spontaneously.He tried his best to control it, he wanted to show the firmness of a soldier in front of the president. Qiu Xingxiang came out of Chiang Kai-shek's official residence and went straight to Quyuan Tavern in Beiting Lane, where Chiang Ching-kuo prepared a light banquet.This is a common practice. When young army commanders come to Nanjing, whether for business or private reasons, Chiang Ching-kuo must find a clean place to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.Jiang Jingguo has always been frugal, a few small dishes, two glasses of thin wine, and pays the bill out of his own pocket. Jiang Jingguo took a sip of wine, and said to Qiu Xingxiang in a tone of "one of his own", "Brother Xingxiang is a rare general in the party and country. My father often praises the general, and hopes that our brothers will use the general as a model. Share the worries of the people at the time of national crisis. If we want to win in the military, we must increase the combat effectiveness of the troops. In terms of equipment, you can contact me frequently and adjust gradually. I will do my best. In terms of military resources, unemployment can be set up widely Youth Student Reception Station, we must firmly grasp these educated youths..." Qiu Xingxiang respected Chiang Ching-kuo very much, and was deeply grateful for the kindness of the Jiang family. If you succeed, you will become benevolent, and you will do everything you can to help the youth army!" With the success or failure of Luoyang hanging in his heart, Qiu Xingxiang had no appetite.After leaving the "Quyuan", he drove directly to the airport.His girlfriend, Ms. Zhang Xiaoqian, saw Qiu off at the airport. She was dressed in a bright spring, and her eyes were full of affection: "I look forward to the general's triumphant return." Heroic spirit is long, but love between children and children is short, Qiu Xingxiang smiled lightly: "I will do my best, and I will die!" In early spring and March, the snow in the wheat fields in western Henan has melted, the grass beside the road has turned green, and the willows around the village have sprouted green buds, and the earth is full of vitality. A few days ago, Chen Shiju, the commander of the Huaye West Front Corps, Tang Liang, the political commissar, Chen Geng, the commander of the Chen Xie Corps, and the third and eighth columns of the Huaye Corps, the commanders and political commissars of the fourth and ninth columns of the Chen Xie Corps held a meeting in Xiangcheng The emergency meeting carefully planned a battle plan to take Luoyang directly. On the combat map, four red arrows point to the ancient city of Luoyang.The two red arrows in the middle are the third column of Huaye. They set off from Xiangcheng, crossed Linru to the north, and then divided into two groups, pointing to the Dongguan and Beiguan of Luoyang; They went north along the same route, then divided into two arrows, and inserted into the Xiguan and Nanguan of Luoyang-they had formed a situation of encirclement on all sides.The Red Arrows to the east are the Eighth Column of Huaye. They set off from Yu County, crossed Dengfeng and Shaolin Temple, and seized Yanshi County and Heishiguan in the east of Luoyang, preparing to block the reinforcements from Zhengzhou and Luohe.The red arrows to the west are the ninth column of the Chen Xie Corps. They set off from Yiyang, and the arrows point to Xin'an and Mianchi west of Luoyang, respectively, to guard against the enemy in the direction of Tongguan. Chen Shiju patted the map with his hands: "One hundred thousand elite soldiers took Luoyang, and it can be recorded in history!" Chen Geng said with a smile: "Our troops drilled ravines and green gauze tents, and the field guerrilla is first-class. Attacking such a big city, but it is the first time for a big girl to sit in a sedan chair." Tang Liang continued: "The more the city is attacked, the more it is attacked, and the battle becomes more regular." Sun Jixian, the commander of Huaye's third column, said: "It's Wu Song, so I'm not afraid to enter Jingyanggang; if I dare to dig out the nest of 'Qiu Tiger', I'm not a vegetarian!" The generals laughed heartily. Under the command of the headquarters headed by Chen Shiju, the red arrows on the battle map turned into a multi-way army, and embarked on a mighty journey to attack Luoyang.An army of one hundred thousand came closer to you, crossed the Yihe River, broke through the Dragon Gate, and approached the "impregnable gold" city of Luoyang step by step. Qiu Xingxiang's eyes were bloodshot, his beard was clean-shaven, and his yellow tweed uniform was still straight.In order to fight for every inch of land, he raced against every second, but everything was tight inside and loose outside. Xi'an was in a tight spot, and Pei Changhui's corps went to Ma Xi to evacuate Luoyang City.For a moment, people in Luoyang were flustered, seeing a city handed over to a group of "baby soldiers", panicked and distraught.The hearts of the people affect the military situation. If the morale of the army is weakened again, how can we resist the enemy who is attacking the city? Qiu Xingxiang put all his eggs in one basket and took all the family members of the officers and officers of the division from Zhengzhou to Luoyang to show his confidence in victory; at the same time, as the head of the Luoyang garrison and the commander of the garrison, he held a feast in restaurants and restaurants, inviting the heads of the local party and government offices to gather They drink freely.Amidst the drunken eyes, the men and women of the Peking Opera Troupe of the 206th Division danced their sleeves and played the melodious flute, singing the frightened city of Luoyang as if it was the capital of the six dynasties. Facing the young soldiers who were called "baby soldiers" by outsiders who lacked combat experience and insufficient strength, Qiu Xingxiang himself lacked confidence, so he had to place his hopes on strong fortifications.Qiu Xingxiang secretly rejoiced that he had focused on fortifications as soon as he took office.He drew on the experience of defending cities in Northeast China and North China, and carefully built fortifications to make them modern and semi-permanent.In response to the Communist Army's "human sea tactics", Qiu Xingxiang designed and built a large number of small but strong fortifications.He judged that after the battle started, the connection between the various strongholds would be cut off by the communist army, so he ordered that sufficient food, ammunition and medicine be prepared so that each stronghold could have independent support. On the evening of March 8, Qiu Xingxiang once again inspected various city defense fortifications, with a few relieved smiles on his exhausted face.The layers of fortifications outside Luoyang Urn City are ingenious, strong and concealed, and the core position of Luoyang Middle School in the city is also impeccable.This is the base camp of the command department, and he, Qiu Xingxiang, will either be wiped out here or make great achievements. The two armies of Chen Tang and Chen Xie were like god soldiers and generals, and they surrounded Luoyang City with airtightness. Before noon on March 11, most of the outskirts of the city had been cleared.The fortifications of Jiulongtai and Luze Guild Hall were solid, and Chen Shiju, who was known for his decisive command, immediately ordered his troops to "siege and monitor" and prepare to attack the city at dusk. At this moment, Qiu Xingxiang was standing on the tower of the east gate, and his binoculars allowed him to see ten miles away.In the mist and haze, the communist army was everywhere, and the defeated cavalry of the young army fled in all directions; however, the flood-like siege team of the communist army was blocked in Jiulongtai and Luze Guild Hall, and they attacked and retreated several times... Qiu Xingxiang immediately called Chiang Kai-shek: "Our army's morale is strong, we have repeatedly defeated fierce fronts, and gained a lot..." Chiang Kai-shek replied with a commendation: "It is a great reward to win the crowd with the few. I hope to inspire the three armies, stick to their positions, cooperate with the peripheral corps, and gather and annihilate the invading enemy." Jiang Jingguo also called and praised Qiu Xingxiang and the youth army. Qiu Xingxiang suddenly had a kind of heroism of "who would give me a great hero".He smiled indifferently, and ordered Lai Zhongsheng, director of the Political Work Department: "The call from Nanjing will be conveyed to all officers and soldiers immediately, so as to inspire fighting spirit!" Sun Jixian, the commander of Huaye's third column, was observing the terrain in a hidden place in the frontier position of Dongguan. Qiu Xingxiang's efforts in fortifications really surprised him.Outside the east gate, there are five barbed wire fences, four deer villages, three-story bunkers, and two outer moats within a distance of less than 100 meters from east to west; the entire east gate is tightly packed with gasoline drums, sand bags, bricks and tiles; The holes on the gates, walls, and bunkers are as dense as a honeycomb.There are reports that there are still many underground fortifications. Sun Jixian believed that such a complex and strong fortification could not be conquered by ordinary forces. He returned to the headquarters to hold a column summit meeting and decided to change the company assault echelon into a battalion assault echelon, with skill attacks and strong attacks alternated. At nineteen o'clock on March 11, Sun Jixian issued an order to attack the city. Rumbling gunfire mixed with heavy and violent blasting sound soared into the sky, and the dense automatic firearms were like a gust of wind and rain.Under the cover of artillery fire, the commando charged towards the east gate. Sun Jixian spread out the map of Luoyang area, watching every process and change of the battle. Commander Wang of the Eighth Division called: "The obstacle from the East Bridge to the Wengcheng Gate has been removed, and we are developing towards Wengcheng." Coincidentally, the first spring thunder after the "Awakening of Insects" exploded at this time, and there was a sudden heavy rain in the sky.The expression on Sun Jixian's face suddenly turned gloomy like the sudden change of weather. The spring rain came at an inopportune time! Sure enough——Mr. Wang called: "The ground is full of mud and water, the road is slippery and difficult to walk, and it is difficult to move forward." Commander He of the Ninth Division called: "The troops were blocked in the city, and there were heavy casualties." After a while, Master Wang called again: "Erlian rushed into the Wengcheng." The second hand of the watch moved slowly.The sound of guns and guns became more intense, and the rain became heavier and heavier, as if piercing the sky. The first battalion of the 23rd Regiment of the Eighth Division was responsible for breaking through the east gate.The Huaye Eighth Division was able to attack and defend well, and was praised by Chen Yi as "a very good first-class corps".The first battalion is the division's sharp knives and fists, and has fought many beautiful battles.Battalion Commander Zhang Ming is fierce and unruly, a legendary figure who has created countless miracles on the battlefield. Even so, attacking Luoyang City, which is so well-fortified, is still a new and difficult task for the Eighth Division and Zhang Ming.Zhang Mingyi reversed the traditional siege strategy in the past, and boldly adopted a new plan of segmental blasting and segmental assault of the three companies of the whole battalion. Amidst the lightning and thunder, Zhang Mingying's warriors blasted against the fire net, broke through several fortifications in a row, and took down the Wengcheng. The majestic Luoyang East Gate and the towering city tower were displayed before them.Zhang Ming was seriously injured in his back. He pushed away the stretcher and continued to command the troops to fight. Xu Wantang, the company commander of the first company, led the whole company into the Wengcheng and blasted the east gate.The enemy's artillery fire hit like a torrential rain, most of the casualties in the demolition platoon, the small fire team was almost wiped out, and the entire Wengcheng was in flames.A sacrificial soldier's head and waist were all buried by the soil blown up by the shells, only the broad back was exposed, like a stone step tainted by gunpowder smoke, wide, solid and dignified.Every commando soldier has to step on his back to step on the gasoline barrel and rush into the breach.This great fighter gave his young life for the cause of the people's liberation, and his flesh and blood became the "bridge" and "springboard" for victory.Shang Like, a war correspondent at the time, said: "How many years have passed, the touching image of this unknown soldier still remains in my mind. We should always commemorate him and thank him!" At 00:40 on the 12th, Commander Wang called: "Zhang Ming's battalion has attacked well! The east gate has been breached, and the city gate has been blasted open! The city tower has been occupied, and the lights in the city are still on! Commander, just this Five hundred catties of explosives and more than a thousand shells were used for the east gate!" It could be heard that Mr. Wang couldn't hold back his excitement, and Sun Jixian and Ding Qiusheng, the political commissar of the column, applauded again and again. A few minutes later, Master Wang's tone suddenly became heavy: "The enemy concentrated artillery fire and bombarded me violently at my breakthrough. The follow-up troops were unable to advance, and the phone call of the assault battalion was cut off..." The situation suddenly became urgent.At this moment, the west gate, south gate and other breakthroughs have not yet been broken through, and the enemy will concentrate all artillery fire and reserves to deal with the troops rushing in from the east gate.Sun Jixian and Ding Qiusheng exchanged opinions quickly, and immediately transferred the 24th Regiment and the 22nd and 21st Regiments that were attacking the Northeast Gate to the East Gate, forced their way into the city from the breakthrough, and threw themselves into street fighting. "One brigade! Zhao Yunfei, Zhao Yunfei! If you don't fucking take back the breakthrough of the east gate, I'll tear you to pieces!" Qiu Xingxiang dropped the microphone heavily.In just three hours, the city wall was breached by the communist army, disrupting all deployments.He realized that whether he could regain the city wall was the key to the success or failure of Luoyang. Qiu Xingxiang dispatched heavy artillery to fire violently to block the east gate passage, but the effect was not great.The soldiers of the communist army were red-eyed.Cannonballs and bullets rained down like sorghum, knocking down rows of communist soldiers rushing ahead, and in a blink of an eye the rows behind jumped up again, continuously.The breakthrough is getting bigger and bigger, and it is finally out of control.The communist army swarming into the city spread out towards Dongmen Street, and the retreating defenders all huddled in civilian houses.The communist army fought house by house and made rapid progress. If the communist army that broke into the city cannot be wiped out, and the outlying corps cannot arrive in time, the city will undoubtedly fall.Qiu Xingxiang drove around in a jeep and personally directed the street fighting. At noon on the 12th, the situation became more and more critical, Qiu Xingxiang called Nanjing urgently. Chiang Kai-shek replied: "We have ordered the outlying corps to rush to help, and hope to encourage the three armies to stick to their positions." Zhou Xihan was extremely anxious.The 29th regiment failed to attack the west gate twice, and the troops of the Huaye brothers who broke into the east gate fought alone in the city. He was like a volcano.Chen Geng called: There are two ways to enter the city, or continue to attack, or break in through the east gate opened by Huaye. This was like adding fuel to the fire, humiliating Zhou Xihan, and he smoked the self-rolling "cannon barrels" one by one.Enter the city through the east gate opened by the brother army?The troops are too concentrated, and it is inconvenient to deploy in street fighting, but it is easy to be killed by the enemy's artillery fire.The commander is clearly "provoking the general". Zhou Xihan picked up the phone and wanted to call Zhao Huaqing's 28th Regiment.The 28th Regiment is an old army formed with the Red Army as the backbone. It has fought many beautiful battles and won the title of "Night Victory Army".Zhou Xihan said on the phone: "Is the second group?" "Old Second Regiment" is the name of the 28th Regiment by the people of Taihang Mountains, that is, the 772nd Regiment of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division in the War of Resistance Against Japan.Zhao Huaqing was stunned, the brigade commander never called the 28th regiment that way.Before Zhao Huaqing could answer, Zhou Xihan asked again, "Is it 'Night War Ever Victorious Army'?" Zhao Huaqing had an epiphany and felt the blood rushing up: "Brigade Commander, I am Zhao Huaqing!" "The 29th Regiment did not attack the west gate. Now I have two ways to enter the city. One is to continue to attack the west gate, and the other is to enter the city through the east gate opened by the brothers. I want to hear your opinion." "Brigade Commander, fight resolutely! Eliminate all difficulties and open the west gate!" "Who hit?" "Our group!" "Do you fight during the day or at night?" "With no delay, fight during the day!" "How long will it take to prepare?" "No later than two o'clock this afternoon!" Zhou Xihan was happy, and said with a strong Macheng accent: "Very good, very good! Your regiment is mainly attacking the west gate, the 29th and 30th regiments are assisting on the right flank, and the artillery of the brigade is fully supporting you in the battle. Brother troops in the east gate are fighting alone. You must break into the west gate. I believe in the Red Army, and Commander Chen also believes in the Red Army!" At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the west city gate was breached. Zhao Huaqing led the troops into the city, his cotton trouser legs were stained red with blood. The desperate youth soldiers panicked and formed a mess. More and more teams rushed into the city, chasing and fighting along the streets and alleys, expanding to the center of the city, and approaching the core position where the enemy headquarters is located-Luoyang Middle School. Qiu Xingxiang sat on the armchair, looking at a big spider that was weaving a web in the corner.Lai Zhongsheng, the director of the political affairs department, sighed, complaining that he was deceived and should not come to work in this ghost place; In fact, Chiang Kai-shek has issued a lot of orders, but the following are not so obedient.Sun Yuanliang's corps on the eastern front only sent one brigade, and they stopped when they reached Heishi Pass.This is Sun Zhen's order.Sun Zhen was dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's placing Luoyang under the jurisdiction of Hu Zongnan, and reported to Chiang Kai-shek that "the two enemy columns guarded, and Sun Yuanliang's troops were blocked at Heishi Pass". Qiu Xingxiang waited until Sun Bingtuan could not come, so he directly called Hu Lian's 11th Division.He and Hu Lian are both Chen Cheng's favorite generals and the backbone of the "civil engineering department".Qiu Xingxiang believed that Hu Lian would not refuse to save him. Sure enough, Hu Lian, who is famous for his bravery and pungentness, was affectionate and righteous, and he sent reinforcements as soon as he got the reward. Qiu Xingxiang ignored Lai Zhongsheng's resentment and scolding, and concentrated on watching the spider weaving its web.He knew the fighting ability of the 11th Division, as long as they agreed to rescue each other, they would be able to reverse Luoyang's decline.As long as he weaves his "web" tightly like this indomitable spider, as soon as the reinforcements arrive tomorrow, he, Qiu Xingxiang, may create a miracle and play "the second Siping Street" - in the battle of Siping Street, Qiu Xingxiang faced danger without fear, and The Northeast Field Army competed from street to house, held the core position, and repelled the siege troops. Their feats were outstanding and they were appreciated by Chiang Kai-shek. On the 13th, Qiu Xingxiang shaved his beard, polished his black leather riding boots, climbed onto the fifth-floor roof platform of the North Building of Luoyang Middle School, and shouted loudly: "Raise the flag!" A big red flag with blue sky, white sun and ground fluttered under the blue sky. Qiu Xingxiang stood under the flag and swore: "We must stick to it! Reinforcements will arrive soon! Victory is ours!" The two armies of Chen Tang and Chen Xie merged into the city to fight side by side, and the defeated youth army fled to the core position in the northwest corner of the city.Zhao Yunfei, the commander of the enemy's first brigade, was captured; Sheng Zhongyue, the commander of the second brigade, lost his troops and hid in a private house in disguise.By the end of the battle, the main force of the Luoyang youth army had been wiped out, leaving only the core position and a group of troops in the northwest corner of the city.Some citizens opened shop doors and brought hot tea and meals to the People's Liberation Army; many young students took the initiative to help the troops hunt down the hidden and scattered enemy soldiers. The observation post of the 28th Regiment moved to a tile-roofed house less than 100 meters away from Luoyang Middle School. Through the hole in the wall pierced by shells, Zhao Huaqing and several leaders of the regiment observed Qiu Xingxiang's last core position.There are five teaching buildings lined up here from south to north, and Qiu Xingxiang has built solid group fortifications such as deep ditches, high forts, tunnels, and basements.A fence with a height of one foot and five feet was built around the fortification.Outside the wall is a trench five meters wide and six meters deep, with steep edges and dense bunkers at the bottom of the trench.According to reports, more than 5,000 soldiers and a large number of light and heavy weapons gathered in Luoyang Middle School. The tongues of flames from the core fortifications were connected together, and the house of the regiment observation post was battered all over.Political commissar He Yunfeng was a serious person, and if he didn't look carefully at one place, he ignored the bricks and tiles flying across the wall and took notes by the side of the wall hole.A bullet flew over and hit his left eye, blood sprayed all over his face immediately, and his body fell straight on the rubble. Zhao Huaqing's face turned green, and he hurriedly picked up He Yunfeng: "Political commissar! Political commissar!" Gu Yongwu, the deputy head of the regiment, with trembling lips, cursed: "Qiu Xingxiang, I'll fuck your eighth generation ancestor!" He led the second battalion to press towards the core position... Qiu Xingxiang squinted his eyes, half smiling and frowning. The solid fortifications worked ideally.I can't remember how many times the communist army launched a charge, but the core fortifications stood firm, like a wall holding back a raging lion outside. Even after sunset and rain, the planes could not help the battle, and Hu Lian's reorganized 11th Division failed to come to the aid as scheduled.If heaven blesses tomorrow, the rain stops, the sun clears, and the reinforcements from the sky and the ground arrive together, at that time... Qiu Xingxiang rushed to the viewing hole and raised the binoculars. The Communist Army is transporting supplies from the Luoyang warehouse.Qiu Xingxiang judged that the main force of the communist army might be preparing to withdraw westward.But the core position is still surrounded by layers, without any weakening.He also judged that the communist army might have too many casualties due to the ground attack, and it was necessary to carry out a tunnel blasting attack. He was wrong. The People's Liberation Army has concentrated all kinds of artillery on the Central Plains battlefield in the shortest time, all aiming at Qiu Xingxiang's base camp. The non-stop reorganization of the 11th Division was blocked on the other side of the Yi River.This Yihe River was originally a small river, shallow and slow flowing all the year round.Unexpectedly, the rain fell from Funiu Mountain and Xiong'er Mountain in the upper reaches, and the water was collected in Luodong, which made the Yihe River suddenly roar and rush, making it impossible to ford. Qiu Xingxiang sent an urgent telegram to Chiang Kai-shek: "The reinforcements were blocked by Yishui. This is God's will, not human fault. Qiu Xingxiang vowed to live and die with Luoyang." Chiang Kai-shek was in love with each other, and ordered the plane to take off in the rain: "Luoyang can be lost, and Qiu Xingxiang will definitely pick it up for me!" Yu Jishi knew that the airport had already fallen into the hands of the communist army, but he still sent the plane out.The plane circled over Luoyang and returned in a hurry. On March 14th, more than 200 cannons were fired at the core position to carry out a devastating bombardment.The shells poured down like torrential rain.Amidst the huge roar, the fortifications collapsed, and flames erupted from the five buildings. The general reserve team guarding inside suffered numerous casualties. The acting head of the fourth regiment, Zhu Que, was shot dead on the spot.The shrapnel scratched the back of Qiu Xingxiang's head, and his thick short hair was immediately dyed red. The blue sky and white sun flag hanging high in the North Building fell in the fire. Forty minutes later, the Eighth and Ninth Divisions of Huaye's Third Column advanced from the east and north, and the 28th and 29th Regiments of the Tenth Brigade of the Chenxie Corps' Fourth Column advanced from the west and south to the core positions simultaneously.The flames burned through the night sky.The People's Liberation Army is surging, and it is impossible to guard against it.Qiu Xingxiang commanded the remnants to fight from the open to the building, from the ground to the ground, and finally got into the bunker. The tide is over. At the moment when the gunfire stopped, Qiu Xingxiang was shocked like a flash of light, and heard the close gunshots from the Yi River.He laughed twice, turned around and got out of the bunker, entered the outer ditch, entered the tunnel, and commanded the remnants to block the tunnel entrances at the east and west ends: "The reinforcements have entered Luoyang City! A reward of tens of millions of yuan will be offered to those who persist until the last minute! No war!" And those who escape will be punished on the spot!" A soldier with a broken spirit is like a boneless flesh, even if a bounty of gold bars is offered, it will not be able to arouse the power to parry. At twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, Qiu Xingxiang was captured alive from the tunnel by the People's Liberation Army. It was dawn, and it was a sunny day.Qiu Xingxiang looked sadly at the bursting sun, "I've been looking forward to it for so many days, but now the tiger is in the sun, everything is over, but it came out!" He was escorted to a room.He recognized it as the Senate Chamber.A few days ago, he was still hosting a meeting here, and exchanged cups with his colleagues. 走进一个四十岁上下的人，络腮胡子，架着近视眼镜，镜片后是一双活泼的眼睛：“老同学，我叫陈赓。你是黄埔军校第五期的吧？” 邱行湘知道这位同窗。陈赓救过总裁的命，在黄埔军校同学的心目中，他是个传奇人物。 “我高兴地通知你，你被人民解放了。能否获得人民的谅解，要看你是不是能自己解放自己。欢迎你到我们解放区去。” 陈赓言罢，吩咐护送邱行湘的人准备几十磅猪肉罐头，供他路上食用。邱行湘怀疑自己的听觉。他并不在乎几十磅肉罐头，但他对共产党的认识却是从这猪肉罐头开始的。