Chapter 29 (4) Friendship in arms

When Zhou En came to Li De's residence, he saw only Li De and Bo Gu in the room. Their faces were clouded, as if they had just finished arguing with someone.Zhou Enlai could tell at a glance that last night's meeting drove Li De out of anger, and he was looking for a place to vent his grievances!So, early in the morning, Li De called Zhou Enlai, who had been up all night and was about to take a nap, and said that he had something important to discuss. Zhou Enlai considered that Li De was only expelled from the meeting last night. If he ignored his "instructions" after a few hours, the matter would become serious. Besides, he was too excited at the meeting last night. If you were a little rude to him, you can take this opportunity to apologize to him and calm him down a little.With that in mind, he rushed over in a hurry.

However, Li De and Bogu called Zhou Enlai early in the morning, not to hear his apology.Before Zhou Enlai finished speaking, Li De waved his hand impatiently and said, "Don't mention it. Let's have a meeting now to study this thing." He picked up a copy of The newly printed document was handed over to Zhou Enlai. Zhou Enlai saw that it was the draft resolution of the Politburo made at the meeting last night.He frowned and said, "The Politburo has already made a decision, so what else should we study?" Li De sneered and said, "It's not serious to make a decision hastily like this. Let Mao Zedong instigate you to rush to make a decision. Doesn't this mean that Mao Zedong will lead you by the nose?"

Hearing what Li De said, Zhou Enlai immediately became angry.He calmed down his anger rationally, and said in a calm tone as much as possible: "Comrade Li De, you attended last night's meeting, and Comrade Bogu also attended, and persisted until the end of the meeting. Most comrades support changing the original Plan to move to northern Guizhou and establish a new Soviet area on the border of Sichuan and Guizhou. And a resolution was formed on this idea. How can we change it?" Li De said in a strong tone: "As long as the three of us are united and always stand on the same front, any resolution that we disagree with can be overturned."

Zhou Enlai also said in a strong tone: "That's what you said, but in fact it can't be done." Li De stared and said, "It's not that it can't be done, but that you, Zhou Enlai, don't want to do it!" "Yes, I, Zhou Enlai, don't want to do that!" Zhou Enlai raised his voice after saying this. "I will not overthrow a resolution passed by the majority of comrades with a raised hand. Besides, I, Zhou Enlai, also raised my hand to agree to this resolution!" "Go to Xiangxi to join the 2nd and 6th Army Corps, and you, Zhou Enlai, raised your hand to agree to the plan to create a Soviet area in Xiangxi. Why did you overthrow it yourself now?" Li De said, his face flushed like a fire.

"That's because the situation has changed." Zhou Enlai retorted, "The Politburo made this resolution based on the current situation. Together with most comrades, I think it is correct. Before the situation changes, I will not overturn this resolution." Resolution. Comrade Bogu was also present when the resolution was voted on. Comrade Bogu, you said that you didn’t raise your hand to agree, but why didn’t you express your opposition?” Bogu seemed distracted, his head was buried all the time, and he didn't make a sound. Li De glared at Bo Gu and let out a long breath.He knew in his heart that although he was well-educated in Bogu theory and had Mif, the head of the Eastern Department of the Communist International, as his backstage, he was only 26 years old after all, too young and lacked practical experience.When encountering complicated situations, he lacks assertiveness and is overwhelmed.In addition, after the contact with Moscow was cut off, he seemed to have lost his spiritual support, and he was at a loss.

He thought for a while, and said to Zhou Enlai: "Comrade Zhou Enlai, I know that you don't want to listen to my words now. But I still want to tell you, don't shake your faith because of setbacks, let alone let Mao Zedong hold you back." Your nose is going away. In this way, you are going to make a big mistake! Comrade Zhou Enlai, don’t forget that you and I will go to Moscow in the future!” Hearing Li De's warning, Zhou Enlai felt calmer.He let out a long breath and said gently to Li De: "Comrade Li De, I can't think about it so much now. Tens of thousands of us are being chased and intercepted by Jiang's army. On the one hand, I have to think about how to get rid of the enemy. Create a new Soviet area; on the one hand, I have to think about how to solve the basic necessities of the tens of thousands of troops without rear material support? As long as I do these things well, how will the International and the Party Central Committee deal with me in the future? It’s not a big deal.”

After coming out of Li De's residence, the morning fog was still there, and no one could be seen ten meters away on the street.Zhou Enlai and Xiao Wei were walking when they heard two people talking in front of them. It was a Sichuan accent, which sounded very familiar.He walked forward quickly, and saw that the two were Zhu De and Liu Bocheng. Liu Bocheng also participated in the Nanchang Uprising eight years ago, and was an old comrade in arms with Zhou Enlai and Zhu De.Liu Bocheng was originally the chief of staff of the Red Army. During the fifth anti-"encirclement and suppression" war, because of disagreements with Li De on strategic and tactical issues, Li De dismissed him as chief of general staff and demoted him to the Fifth Red Army Corps as chief of staff.

Zhou Enlai asked Liu Bocheng to come in because it was so cold.Liu Bocheng didn't want to see Li De, and didn't want to go into the house with Zhou Enlai.Zhu De said to Liu Bocheng: "I almost forgot to tell you that last night, Enlai slapped the table with Li De at the Politburo meeting!" Liu Bocheng looked at Zhou Enlai and Zhu De in surprise, and said, "Is this true?" Zhu De said: "Anything can be fake, but this is absolutely true!" "This is a good sign!" Liu Bocheng said excitedly, "Our chief political commissar dared to slap the foreign adviser on the table. This is a big event for our army!"

"If you have something to say, go into the house and say it, don't just stand on the street and eat the north wind!" Zhou Enlai said, holding Liu Bocheng's hand. Liu Bocheng said: "If you don't invite me this time, I will go too." The three of them took a few steps before a short man with a mimeograph machine on his shoulders came up to him. It was Deng Xiaoping. This 16-year-old went to France for a work-study program, joined the European branch of the Chinese Communist Party founded by Zhou Enlai in Paris, and was ordered by the Central Committee to go to Guangxi at the age of 25 to lead the Baise Uprising and Longzhou Uprising. Veteran", at this time he was an editor of the "Red Star Newspaper", the official newspaper of the General Political Department of the Red Army, and he was responsible for editing manuscripts, engraving on wax plates, mimeographing, and publishing.At the beginning of entering the Central Soviet Area, he was the very important secretary of the Ruijin Central County Party Committee.As an active supporter and resolute executor of Mao Zedong's line, as Mao Zedong was squeezed out by the "Left" central government, he was labeled as a "Maoist" by the "Left" line and was severely criticized and demoted again and again.On the eve of the Long March, as a "Maoist" who was "criticized and stigmatized" by the "Left" line, he originally planned to follow the army as an ordinary soldier. It was Wang Jiaxiang who transferred him to the General Political Department and participated in the "Red Star News" editing work.

Zhou Enlai looked at Deng Xiaoping, then at Zhu De and Liu Bocheng, and said with a smile: "It's a coincidence today, you three fellows from Sichuan have met together! Let's go, I will treat you today!" Deng Xiaoping said: "I dare not enter that yamen of yours!" Zhou Enlai said: "You went in, afraid that the boss and I will eat you?" Liu Bocheng said: "Go! Just now I said that I don't want to step into their door, but once I know something good, they won't let me in, so I have to go in!" Deng Xiaoping said: "What's the good thing?"

Zhu De said: "You will understand if you go there!" "I'll go if something good happens." Deng Xiaoping smiled. "When you come to your place, it is worthwhile to come out after a full meal!" The four of them returned to the headquarters of the Military Commission. By coincidence, the cook brought up a pot of steaming white rice porridge.It's been a long time since I had such a good white rice porridge. The four of them were busy doing it themselves, holding bowls and ladles, and eating sweetly.A bowl of porridge was less than half eaten, so the staff took a telegram and handed it to Zhou Enlai.This was probably an urgent document, and the staff officer stood by and waited for Zhou Enlai to read the instructions. Zhou Enlai put down his job, read the telegram draft, thought for a while, picked up a pen and quickly wrote a few lines on the telegram draft, and gave a few instructions before handing it over to the staff.He picked up his rice bowl and took a few bites when the staff officer came in again and told him to answer the phone, which was from the front line.When he returned from answering the phone, the three of them were full. Liu Bocheng said: "General Political Commissar, why do you have to divide a bowl of porridge several times before you can finish it?" Zhu De said: "He, don't talk about a bowl of porridge, even a nap has to be divided into several times!" Zhou Enlai smiled wryly, and said, "What can I do? Li De dismissed you and didn't appoint a new chief of the general staff. He asked me to be the chief political commissar and chief of the general staff again!" Liu Bocheng said: "I know, you, if there is a chief of staff, you will still be busy all day long!" Zhou Enlai stared at Liu Bocheng and said with a solemn expression: "To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed now. For the sake of our gathering in Nanchang to raise the flag against Chiang, how about you come back and help me?" Zhu De said: "This is a good idea! Bo Cheng, don't refuse!" Liu Bocheng's face darkened, and he shook his head, still not wanting to work with Li De.Zhu De said that Li De was arrogant, but he was defeated in a row. Everyone gradually saw through him.Now, everyone is complaining about his style of play.Unless he can make a 180-degree turn, no one will listen to his blind instructions.After crossing the Xiangjiang River, Li De's supreme command authority has existed in name only, and Zhou Enlai has taken full charge of commanding the troops. Hearing what Zhu De said, Liu Bocheng thought for a while and said, "In this case, I can consider it." At this time, Deng Xiaoping wiped his mouth and said carelessly: "I came here to beg for a meal. Now that I am full, it is time to go. You have important matters to discuss slowly!" "You can't go." Zhou Enlai called Deng Xiaoping. "I have something to discuss with you." Deng Xiaoping looked at Zhou Enlai dubiously, and asked, "Is there anything you need to discuss with me?" Zhou Enlai said, "Do you think you were called here just to make you eat these two bowls of porridge?" Deng Xiaoping scratched his head and murmured, "Didn't you ask me to help you carve the wax tablets?" Zhou Enlai looked at Deng Xiaoping, smiled sadly, and said: "More than ten years ago in Paris, you carved wax plates and mimeographed the newspapers of our branch in Europe. Everyone nicknamed you 'Dr. Mimeograph'. After so many years, You have been the secretary-general of the Party Central Committee, and you have also been the political commissar of the military, so how can you come back to be a 'doctor of mimeograph'?" Deng Xiaoping smiled and said: "This just shows that my skills are so good that no one can replace me!" "It's called talking to comfort yourself." Zhou Enlai sighed, with a few traces of sadness on his face. "In these years, you have been wronged a lot, and we are very clear in our hearts. They said that you are a 'Maoist', and they are right. After the ups and downs of the past few years, I feel that Mao Zedong's method is still the way to go. It makes sense. So, I adopted his proposition at the two meetings in Tongdao and Liping. You 'Maoists', I can no longer call you a 'Dr. Mimeograph'!" Deng Xiaoping patted the mimeograph machine, and said mockingly: "If you don't let me be the 'doctor of mimeograph', I'm afraid there will be no job suitable for me." "I can no longer sit idly by on the matter of great talent and little use." When Zhou Enlai said this, his expression looked a little annoyed. "Comrade Bo Cheng, I invite you to come back and be the chief of the general staff. As for Xiaoping, he was in Shanghai before. I remember that he was the secretary-general of the Central Committee before he went to Guangxi. Then I ask you to return to your original post and become the secretary-general again!" " Deng Xiaoping said: "Aren't you afraid that people will attack you and say that you reuse 'Maoists'?" Zhu De said: "He withstood the pressure of Li De and Bo Gu, and adopted Mao Zedong's proposition, which is already bold enough. Are you afraid that people will say that you want to reuse 'Maoists'?" "This is really a surprise!" Deng Xiaoping said with a smile, "I just wanted to beg for a meal, but I didn't expect that after earning enough money, I even picked up an official to become an official! Bo Cheng, if I had known this, we should Run towards them!" "You optimist!" Liu Bocheng said angrily, "I'm not as relaxed as you. At this time, I am called the chief of the general staff, and I am under a lot of pressure!" Zhou Enlai pointed to Deng Xiaoping and said: "He is an optimist! Otherwise, he has been wronged so much these years, and if he were to be replaced by someone else, he would have collapsed long ago." Deng Xiaoping suddenly remembered something, turned around to pick up the mimeograph machine, and said, "I still have a newspaper issue! I have to go to work." Then, he hurried away humming a little tune.