Chapter 45 (4) Going north

On the evening of September 9, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Luo Fu, Bogu, Wang Jiaxiang, and Peng Dehuai held an emergency meeting at Zhou Enlai's residence.Outside the venue, security is heavily guarded.Inside the venue, the atmosphere seemed tense.Under the dim light of the horse lantern, every face was full of serious expressions. In Mao Zedong's speech, he analyzed Zhang Guotao's various manifestations of splitting the party and the Red Army and resisting the central government's orders after the Red Army and the Fourth Army joined forces.Zhang Guotao has tens of thousands of troops in his hands, which is a huge capital. He wants to seize military power, and if he does not give military power, he will not send troops to attack Songpan.The central government gave him military power, but he was not satisfied, and wanted to reorganize the central committee and the Politburo.Taking the overall situation into consideration, the central government still tolerated it.As a result, the great opportunity to attack Songpan was lost, and the Xiatao campaign also failed.Now, he stands above the central government and wants the central government to completely obey his will and go south. This is simply blackmailing the central government and treason!

Luo Fu also said that in order to unite Zhang Guotao, the central government has been wronged.First, Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong withdrew from the Military Commission, and the deadline for such concessions has come. Zhou Enlai believed that it was right to give way to Zhang Guotao.Because if we didn't do that at that time, we couldn't unite him, nor could we unite the commanders and fighters of the Red Fourth Front Army.Now Zhang Guotao is indifferent to the patient education and persuasion of the central government, and dares to defy the central government's decision and mess around. This mistake must be borne by him.In the future, there will be a plenary session of the Central Committee, and his mistakes will be criticized through the Communist International.With the development of the situation to this point, it is impossible to continue to persuade Zhang Guotao to implement the central government's decision to go north.Zhou Enlai pointed out that we should not give up trying to persuade Zhang Guotao, because this is not only related to him alone, but to the entire Fourth Front Army of the Red Army!Mao Zedong agreed with Zhou Enlai's views, and proposed to take action while continuing to fight for Zhang Guotao, and work on both aspects at the same time.

Luo Fu said, "Shall we go north by ourselves?" Mao Zedong said: "We can only do this, there is no other way." Luo Fu said: "If the two front armies are separated, will the contradictions be further deepened?" Mao Zedong said: "Zhang Guotao is determined to go south, what should we do? Can we go south with him?" Zhou Enlai said: "Now we can only separate, there is no other way. Of course, the separation is temporary. The work of fighting for and uniting Zhang Guotao and the Fourth Front Army will not be interrupted because of this, but will be strengthened even more than before. As long as Zhang Guotao touches Nail, after suffering, he will understand the harm of going south."

Bo Gu said: "We went north secretly, will we give Zhang Guotao the excuse to tell him to come to a villain and sue first. If Moscow doesn't know the truth, will it blame us?" Wang Jiaxiang said: "Moscow will not listen to him. It is we who represent the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, not Zhang Guotao!" Bo Gu said: "After we go north, Zhang Guotao is likely to intensify his incitement to the Fourth Front Army, attack and slander us, and frame us for splitting!" Wang Jiaxiang said: "It seems inevitable. However, Comrade Enlai also said just now that we will not stop our work to win them over. The next step depends on how we do this work well."

Zhou Enlai said: "Black is black, and white is white. Lies can only be covered up for a while. Zhang Guotao wants to attack and frame us to harm us, that is daydreaming! We don't have to worry about what he wants to do." Luo Fu said: "After we go north, we must hold a meeting to discuss this issue in time, and report the situation to the whole party and the Communist International." Mao Zedong saw that everyone had no objection to going north, so he put forward the action plan he had drawn up.Immediately, the Red Army, the Third Army, and the column directly under the Military Commission formed a temporary northward advance team. They set off that night, first concentrated in Asi, and continued northward to Gannan.After the troops arrived in Asi, they sent a telegram to Zhang Guotao, continuing to advise him to give up his attempt to go south and implement the central government's policy of going north.In order to win over Zhang Guotao as much as possible, the Central Committee also explained to him that the Right Route Army will be under the command of Zhou Enlai in the future.Everyone agrees with Mao Zedong's suggestion.

Peng Dehuai said: "What if the Fourth Front Army finds out that we are going north, comes to intercept us, and takes military action against us?" Mao Zedong said: "They may come to intercept, but they will not take military action against us. They know what consequences this will have." Peng Dehuai said: "What if such a thing really happens?" Zhou Enlai: "Then try to avoid them. Even if they fire, we can't fight back. You know, once our guns are fired, it means that our Red Army will engage in an unprecedented cannibalism!" Mao Zedong said: "We must not do such a stupid thing as relatives hurting enemies!"

The meeting was late.When the meeting adjourned, it was already the early morning of September 10.The Red Army has already been ready, waiting for the order to set off.According to the deployment at the meeting, Zhou Enlai led the rear echelon to set off.Just after the rain stopped, after the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, a round of bright moon appeared, and the woods, creeks, and trails in the mountains were stained with a layer of silvery white.The wind blew the treetops, making a slight vibrato, which made people feel a coolness.On such a beautiful moonlit night, the troops moved quietly and secretly, not even the horses neighing, as if they were afraid of disturbing the bright moon in the sky.

The team climbed over a hill, and suddenly, they heard a noise coming from the woods ahead.Zhou Enlai got up from the stretcher and felt that the situation was not good as soon as he heard it, so he told the team to run over quickly.When approaching the woods, I heard clearly that it was a group of people arguing, and the noise was like thunder, piercing the silence of the moonlit night.An officer running ahead turned around and reported to Zhou Enlai that it was the Fourth Front Army who had come to intercept him, and a conflict had occurred between the two sides.Zhou Enlai shivered and told the stretcher bearer to rush towards the crowd.

The stretcher squeezed into the chaotic crowd, Zhou Enlai turned over and jumped off the stretcher, and walked to the center of the crowd with the support of the guards.At this time, the two parties to the conflict have aimed their guns at each other, and both sides are facing a big enemy, their swords are on the verge of breaking out. "General Political Commissar!..." A woman's shout was especially shrill amidst the crowd. Zhou Enlai looked away, only to see a female cadre rushing over.He recognized the female cadre as Wei Xiuying, who belonged to the health team of the Army Headquarters of the Red Army.He asked, "Xiao Wei, how could such a thing happen?"

Wei Xiuying said: "We were acting according to the orders of the military department. They chased us and said we were deserters and wanted to arrest us!..." Zhou Enlai asked, "Which side will strike first?" Wei Xiuying pointed to a tall officer of the Fourth Front Army, who was Captain Li of the Secret Service Regiment.Wei Xiuying said, "They were the ones who aimed at us first!" Zhou Enlai asked Captain Li: "Why did you point the gun at your comrades?" "You are deserters! Shameful deserters!" Captain Li shouted.As soon as he yelled, the others also yelled loudly.

Zhou Enlai frowned, pointed at the officers and soldiers of the army on the one hand, and ordered sharply: "Put down the gun!" The officers and soldiers of the First Army looked at Zhou Enlai in amazement, hesitated for a moment, and put down their guns.Seeing this, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Front Army looked at each other in amazement. Zhou Enlai walked up to Captain Li and said kindly: "They are following the orders of the Central Committee, not fleeing." Captain Li stared at Zhou Enlai and asked, "Who are you?" Zhou Enlai said, "I am Zhou Enlai." Captain Li was taken aback for a moment.Immediately, he glanced at the officers and soldiers of the first army, and sneered at Zhou Enlai: "It's also the right army, why did they receive orders, but we didn't receive orders?" Zhou Enlai: "There is always a first order when you give an order. You will receive the order soon." "Hey! We have received the order!" Captain Li said, "But it is not your order, but the order of Chairman Zhang and Political Commissar Chen. We are not ordered to go north, but to go south!" Zhou Enlai stared at each other calmly, and still said kindly: "Chairman Zhang and Political Commissar Chen should also obey the orders of the Central Committee?" Head Li raised his head and said loudly: "Our Fourth Army only listens to Chairman Zhang and Political Commissar Chen!" Zhou Enlai sighed and said: "Is this still the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army? This is the army of the warlords!" Captain Li was stunned, blinked his eyes for a long time, and said, "Your center leans to the right, follow the escape route!..." Zhou Enlai felt a stormy wave of anger welling up in his heart.After the two front armies joined forces, Zhang Guotao sowed dissension and publicly criticized the central government in the fourth front army, saying that the central government was leaning to the right, escaping, and so on.Therefore, the concept of boycotting the central government has been deeply ingrained among the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Front Army.He suppressed the intense anger in his heart, stared at Captain Li and said, "The central government leans to the right and implements the escape route. Who said that?" Commander Li said: "Isn't that the truth? Why didn't you defend the Jiangxi Soviet area and came here? How did you reduce from hundreds of thousands of people to less than 20,000 now?" Zhou Enlai: "Did the Central Committee make a mistake? Only the Central Committee has the right to draw this conclusion, and only the Communist International has the right to draw this conclusion. Have you received the Central Committee's conclusion? Have you received the Communist International's conclusion?" Captain Li was dumbfounded. Zhou Enlai said sharply: "The Central Committee did not draw this conclusion, the Communist International did not draw this conclusion, you yourself drew this conclusion for the Central Committee! What kind of behavior is this? This is attacking the Central Committee and slandering the Central Committee! This is absolutely not allowed! This is Make a big mistake!" Captain Li and his companions looked at me and I looked at you, but they couldn't find a word to answer for a long time. Zhou Enlai waved his hand in pursuit of victory and said loudly: "Now, on behalf of the Central Committee, I order the comrades of the Red Army to implement the Central Committee's decision to go north. Are you going to shoot? Only the Kuomintang reactionaries will shoot at the Red Army of Workers and Peasants!" " Leader Li and the others hesitated, and no one said anything. Zhou Enlai walked over, patted Captain Li on the shoulder, and said: "What Chiang Kai-shek can't do, don't do it for him!" After speaking, he ordered the officers and soldiers of the First Red Army to move on.Head Li and the others were still in a trance, at a loss, and watched Zhou Enlai and the others leave. After walking a dozen or so steps, Wei Xiuying asked Zhou Enlai anxiously: "Commissioner General, what if they are really mad and shoot at us?" Zhou Enlai smiled calmly and said: "No matter how confused they are, they know that the Red Army cannot fight the Red Army!" On the same day, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China called Zhang Guotao in Asi.The telegram said: "I have read the telegrams to Xu and Chen to transfer the right army to the south. The central government thinks it is completely inappropriate. The central government now earnestly points out that the current policy is only to go north; to go south is the enemy's situation, terrain, and residents' supplies. I am unfavorable, which will make the Red Army fall into an unprecedented difficult environment. The Central Committee believes that going north should never be changed. The left army should go north as soon as possible. area, and then develop eastward.” At the same time, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued instructions to Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao: "(1) The only correct decision for the current strategic policy is to advance rapidly to the north. The reasons for the multiple considerations have been detailed in previous decisions and telegrams. When you go south, it is obvious that you have violated the central government’s repeated decisions and telegrams. The central government has sent another telegram to Zhuzhang to cancel the telegram. (3) In order to realize its strategic plan without losing the opportunity, the central government has ordered the main force of the first army to advance to Luoda and Lajie. Four. 1. The 30th Army is under your command. It should advance after the first and third armies within a day, and have the task of supporting the first and third armies. From now on, the right army will be under the command of Comrade Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of the Military Commission. Implementing the responsibilities of political commissars is contrary to the strategic policy of the central government. In order to implement its own decision, the central government directly instructs the commanders (party members) and political commissars of the former committees and enjoins them to realize them.” The next day, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee called Zhang Guotao again.The telegram said: "(1) In order to implement its own strategic policy, the central government once again instructed General Political Commissar Zhang to immediately order the left army to march towards Banyou and Brazil without violating any mistakes. (2) The central government has decided to return the right army to Comrade Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of the Military Commission command, and has ordered the first and third armies to concentrate on Luoda and the Russian border. (3) Immediately reply to the specific arrangement of the left army going north." Zhang Guotao did not reply to the central government, but directly called the Red First and Third Armies at 22:00 on September 12, claiming that "the first and third armies going east alone will become an endless escape, and there will be no time for regret in the future."He also said, "Brothers don't see that the soldiers don't have winter clothes, and they will freeze to death if they don't procrastinate to death. They don't try to make defeating the enemy a prerequisite, but just want to move to a better area. If you deceive yourself and others, you will really ruin the first and third armies." He lured Order the first and third armies to "return quickly, under the command of Xu Chen, go south and first redify Sichuan, and this province will eventually be our base." Zhang Guotao has gone south with all his heart.