Chapter 32 1. After Yan Xishan wakes up from a dream

When the War of Liberation entered its third year, Chiang Kai-shek's military bloc in North China was already facing the cruel reality of complete annihilation, and the only one who could compete with the People's Liberation Army was Yan Xishan, king of Shanxi. Judging from the situation at the time, it was not an easy task to wipe out the Kuomintang army in Shanxi.Although the People's Liberation Army has conquered Linfen, if they want to attack Taiyuan, they must continue to clear the road. The decisive battle in Jinzhong is inevitable. Let us go back to Xibaipo in the summer of 1948.

This is a very ordinary farm house.Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai and other central leaders were studying the major issue of adjusting the formation of the combat troops in North China. The fiery red sun slanted its rays in, making Mao Zedong's broad round face red, even though the wind kept blowing in from outside the door. Come, but the room is still very stuffy. Boss Zhu is holding a plantain fan and fanning it rhythmically in front of his eyes. Mao Zedong looked at him and said: "Now the Kuomintang troops in Shanxi have been driven away by us. Comrade Qianqian has shown his prestige there, and the momentum is gratifying. We have to adjust our combat strategy. What does Boss Zhu think?"

Zhu De stopped shaking his fan and said, "I agree with the chairman. Yan Xishan is not easy to mess with. When our liberation army advances, he will definitely defend Taiyuan and fight our army to the death." Mao Zedong stopped smoking and said: "Our army should now go north to Jinzhong as soon as possible, and strive to fight a good battle there, and then destroy Yan Xishan's prestige and pave the way for the decisive battle in Taiyuan." Zhu De asked: "Is it possible for Yan Xishan to win over?" Zhou Enlai said, "It's unlikely. According to Fu Zuoyi in Beiping, Yan Xishan once told him, 'I've been married several times in my life. This time I don't want to marry again. You should follow the Communist Party'."

Zhu De said: "That's good, let his Wutai fellow Xiangqian compete with him." Chairman Mao bowed his head and took a sip of tea, then put the cigarette in his hand on his mouth, took two puffs, and said seriously: "I suggest that the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu and Jinchaji-Western Military Regions be merged into the North China Military Region. Now The Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region was abolished, and Comrade Xu Xiangqian's troops were formed into the First Corps of the North China Field Army, with him as the commander and political commissar, and Zhou Shidi as the deputy commander."

Zhu De went on to say: "I agree, the chief of staff should be Comrade Chen Manyuan. I wonder if Comrades Enlai and Comrades Shaoqi have any opinions?" Liu Shaoqi, who was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, looked at Mao Zedong and said: "I have no objection to the adjustment of the establishment, but this army will fight tough battles in the future, and political work cannot be relaxed." Mao Zedong flicked the cigarette ash lightly, and said: "This suggestion is very good, Comrade Enlai, please talk about it." Zhou Enlai, who was sitting opposite Boss Zhu, leaned forward slightly and said, "According to the past situation, it is better to choose younger comrades for political work in the army. I suggest that Comrade Hu Yaobang be the director of the Political Department. "

Mao Zedong smiled and said: "This little Hu is not bad. He is very active, very political, and can fight wars. It is suitable for him to be the director." At this meeting, the organization sequence of the First Corps of the North China Field Army was formally determined: Eighth Column: Commander and Political Commissar Wang Xinting, Chief of Staff Zhang Zuliang. Jurisdiction over the 22nd Brigade, 23rd Brigade, and 24th Brigade, a total of nine regiments. Thirteenth Column: Political Commissar Xu Zirong, Deputy Commander Lu Ruilin, Chief of Staff Bai Tian, ​​Director of the Political Department Guo Linxiang.Jurisdiction over the thirty-seventh brigade, thirty-eighth brigade, and thirty-nine brigade, a total of nine regiments.

In addition, under Xu Qianqian's unified command are the First Artillery Brigade of the Military Region, the troops of the Taiyue Military Region, the troops of the Luliang, Taihang, and Beiyue Military Regions. There are a total of 47 regiments with more than 60,000 people. Boss Zhu said: "Yan Xishan's troop deployment includes not only one division in Datong, but also three group armies, three corps, twenty-two security regiments, and twenty-one garrison brigades entrenched in Taiyuan and Jinzhong." Mao Zedong asked: "How many troops are there in total?" Zhu De said: "There are more than 130,000 people."

Mao Zedong pondered for a while, and said: "There is nothing to be afraid of. He is already surrounded by our army on all sides, and he is already in a disadvantaged position from a strategic point of view." Zhu De shook his head and said, "You can't underestimate him! Judging from the current strength of troops, Yan Xishan is no match for Xu Xiangqian's regiment, but his remaining troops are still very capable in combat, and their weapons and equipment are also good." Zhou Enlai went on to say: "According to the analysis of the current situation, both the enemy and ourselves have relative advantages, and the issue of victory or defeat can only be determined through a large-scale decisive battle."

Mao Zedong said: "It is impossible not to wipe out Yan Xishan's vital forces in large numbers. Comrade Xu Qianqian should let go of his hands and feet, teach his fellow villagers severely, and strive to complete the task of liberating Shanxi within three months." Zhu De said: "It is not the best policy to take a strong attack. Before the Taiyuan campaign begins, we should adopt a split strategy and strive to annihilate one or two of his divisions in Jinzhong. It's time." Mao Zedong nodded in agreement, and he said to Zhu De: "If our army is not strong enough at that time, we can transfer Yang Dezhi's corps again. This man is famous for fighting tough battles."

The instructions from the central government were quickly passed on to Xu Xiangqian. At this time, Yan Xishan was also ready for a strategic counterattack. Shanxi in June seemed even more turbulent.The scenery of the Jinzhong Plain is very spectacular, the golden wheat waves rolling in the wind as far as the eye can see, a beautiful scene of a bumper harvest, but careful people will find that there is a murderous atmosphere under the momentum of the bumper harvest. The army is constantly being mobilized, and the war between the two armies is about to begin on this fertile land. What is war?

The people living here have to think about this issue, because it has been closely linked with their survival.Of course, these simple and kind-hearted people know that they will become victims of the war. Only by standing with the Communist Party, which represents the interests of the toiling masses, can they live a truly happy life. I saw the hope of standing up and being the master of the house. When Xu Qianqian's troops marched into Jinzhong, there were touching scenes of Lao Tzu sending his son to join the army and his wife sending Lang to support, which had never been seen in decades.Amidst the joyful sound of gongs and drums, the groom, wearing a big red flower on his chest, sat upright on the back of a donkey, holding a gun upside down, and followed the People's Liberation Army. This scene can be seen everywhere, this is our lovely Jinzhong people. Xu Xiangqian witnessed this scene, his body, which had been weakened by long-term labor, seemed to be full of vitality again, and his sunken eye sockets gradually became moist. In an earthen hut, he studied the combat plan with deputy commander Zhou Shidi and other corps leaders in Shanxi dialect.He said affectionately: "The land of Shanxi is my hometown. During the war, the people who suffer the most are still the people. From the bottom of my heart, I don't want to see our soldiers fall on my homeland again, and I don't want to see the people brought by the war. However, if the local emperor Yan Xishan cannot be defeated, will my fathers and fellow villagers have a good life? No, the central government has ordered us to completely liberate Shanxi, and I have given a guarantee to the chairman. Are you determined?" Zhou Shidi stood up suddenly and said: "There must be a decisive battle in Taiyuan. In order to reduce the pressure in the future, we should call out Yan Xishan's main force and try to eliminate part of him in the Jinzhong area." Xu Xiangqian said: "This policy is correct. At present, there is a large gap between our forces and Yan Xishan's. It is impossible to attack by force. The central government has this view." Hu Yaobang, who was sitting in the back, asked: "Since we conquered Linfen, the morale of our army has been very high, and the people of Shanxi have supported us quite a bit. A large-scale decisive battle will be fought, but if there is hope for peace, we must not give up. I understand the situation very well, although Yan Xishan himself is very stubborn, is there any possibility for his subordinates to win over?" Xu Xiangqian fell into deep thought, he didn't answer immediately, he lit a cigarette and inhaled slowly. Zhou Shidi glanced at Xu Xiangqian, and then said: "If someone is willing to lay down their weapons and stand with us, it is of course a good thing. I am afraid that the possibility of this is very small at present!" Xu Xiangqian put the cigarette butt in a broken teacup, stood up, looked at the bright sky outside the window, and said: "Yes, some generals in the Jin army, such as Zhao Chengshou, were my classmates in Wutai in the past, but these years they followed Yan Xishan has done a lot of bad things, and his hands are covered with the blood of the people, so the possibility of putting down the butcher knife is very small!" Xu Xiangqian didn't speak anymore, his thoughts returned to some things about his relationship with Yan Xishan in the past...the two of them are both from Wutai, and the two villages are only separated by a river.According to the traditional Chinese saying, they are more or less related. Yan Xishan is nearly twenty years older than Xu Xiangqian.Xu Xiangqian, who was born in a poor peasant family, has been deeply impressed by Yan Xishan's Gaomen house since he can remember.It is said that the compound of the landlord Yan Xishan's family is much more magnificent than the county government office. It is conceivable how rich his family was at that time.Yan Xishan was not as bad as he was when he was a boy. His childhood didn't have much aura, and it was full of bitterness to be precise.His mother died at the age of six, and his father was busy lending usury all day long, so he had to live a life of joy and love by his grandmother's side. It was at this time that his cruel and ruthless character was formed. Hemp has a lot to do with his childhood. Back then, Xu Xiangqian and Yan Xishan often met when they were watching operas in the village, but because of their family status, they had never had any direct contact with each other.The history of Yan Xishan's fortune is of course clear to Xu Xiangqian. Yan Xishan, who is short in stature and has a face like a trowel, sneaked into Taiyuan when he was an adult.At that time, the Qing government opened a military training school in Shanxi, and he applied for the exam regardless of his father's objection.According to his father's wishes, he wanted to cultivate him into a promising businessman, but he was not interested in it.Thought that this career, although very romantic, was hopeless for getting ahead.After he was admitted to the Armed Forces Academy, he changed the bad habits he had developed in the countryside and became an outstanding student.Three years later, he was selected by the Qing government to study at the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy. At this time, he met Mr. Sun Yat-sen and joined the Chinese League. After returning to China in 1909, he was active in Shanxi. Taking advantage of the opportunity for the government to run a military academy, he pulled a group of people to rebel against the Qing government, and his reputation gradually spread far and wide.After the Qing emperor abdicated, Yuan Shikai did not take Yan Xishan seriously, but his flag of rebellion was raised higher and higher, and with the help of Sun Yat-sen, Yuan Shikai reused him and was appointed as the governor of Shanxi.Later, he took over the power of Shanxi in the warlord melee. In contrast, Xu Xiangqian took a different path from Yan Xishan.After finishing private school in his hometown, he was admitted to the Provincial National Normal School founded by Yan Xishan in Taiyuan. After graduation, he worked as a primary school teacher. In 1924, he went to Guangzhou to be admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy and became the first batch of students. From then on, Yan Xishan began to pay attention to him, because Xu Qianqian graduated from the military academy and performed well in several battles, adding a lot of glory to the officers from Shanxi.One autumn he went back to his hometown to visit relatives, and Yan Xishan came to visit immediately after hearing the news. After Xu Xiangqian welcomed Yan Xishan into his home for a while, Yan Xishan smiled and said to him: "Brother Xiangqian (Xu Xiangqian's original name), you are the pride of our Wutai people. After graduating from Whampoa, you have shown extraordinary talents in several battles in the south. I was very excited when I heard this. A geomantic treasure land of heroes!" Xu Xiangqian said with a smile: "You are now the general manager of our Shanxi Province. This is the pride of Wutai people. I am just a nobody, and you are too flattering to say that." "That's not the way to say it. I'm just our parent officer in Shanxi. When you were studying in Taiyuan, I also went to the normal school to talk a few times. I heard that you are a rare talent, but when I came to you later, I heard from your father that he has gone to Guangzhou to apply for the exam. It will be good when he comes back. In the future, the revitalization of our Shanxi will depend on talents like you." "I'm visiting relatives this time, and I have to go back." "What are you going back for? Just do it with me." "Can not be done!" "why?" "Soldiers have to be disciplined, and they have to return to the army when they are on vacation." "You man! I'll give you a team leader now, will you do it?" "Don't do it." "Then what about being a teacher?" "Don't do it." "You are still too young, so I will give you a commander?" "Nor do it." Yan Xishan was quite surprised, he didn't expect that such a big official didn't attract Xu Xiangqian, he was a little angry, looked at Xu Xiangqian with a sullen face and said: "I think you are a fool. You are in your twenties and have a bright future. You can do whatever you want with me. What can you do if you go to the south? Your brother is now in my team. In terms of talent, he is not I know how to lead troops to fight, but we are close neighbors, we are somewhat related, and after only a few days, I will serve as a quartermaster for him, can I treat you badly in the future?" Xu Xiangqian smiled. Seeing Yan Xishan's face getting uglier and uglier, his father looked a little frightened.Busy over to pass cigarettes. Yan Xishan was quite polite to the old man, took a puff of the cigarette, looked at Xu Xiangqian and asked, "Why don't you do it with me?" Xu Xiangqian said seriously: "Then I'll tell you the truth. Shanxi is my hometown. I can't miss it. But our beliefs are different. I believe in communism. The goal of my struggle is to conquer the world for all the hardworking people in China." , for happiness, do you think we can work together?" Yan Xishan stood up suddenly and walked straight out, Xu Xiangqian had no choice but to see him out.Before getting into the car, Yan Xishan turned his head around again and said to Xu Xiangqian: "You are young and energetic, and you have seen too little of the world. When you come back after you figure it out, my door is open to you." Xu Xiangqian said: "I will come back, but I'm afraid you won't be welcome." "I believe you will find me sooner or later!" Yan Xishan left in a huff... He never expected that twenty years later, he, a fellow from Wutai, would really come to him. Since Xu Xiangqian led his troops into Shanxi, he has wiped out tens of thousands of horses one after another.The mighty Yan Xishan wakes up like a dream, and deeply feels that Xu Xiangqian who came to him is hard to deal with. Xu Xiangqian was recalling the past, and the people present looked at him and couldn't talk about it anymore. Xu Xiangqian came back from the window, sat at the small black table, and told everyone: "You may not be very clear about Yan Xishan. He is very scheming. He has taken refuge in several masters. He even fought with us during the War of Resistance. Now he is following Chiang Kai-shek with all his heart. A few months ago we met with him in the outskirts of Taiyuan. After a few fights, he became angry and clamored to stay with me, a fellow from Wutai, to the end. Now he is dispatching troops and gathering heavy troops in Taiyuan in an attempt to defend his old nest. Judging from the strength of the defense, he does have an advantage, but he also has weaknesses. , that is the problem of military rations. It can be estimated that his 130,000 troops, based on an average of one and a half catties of grain per person per day, would need to consume 5.85 million catties of grain per month. If the rations of urban residents are included, then It’s not just tens of thousands of catties, tens of thousands of catties! Such a huge demand for food is also the biggest headache for him.” Zhou Shidi said: "Comrade Xiangqian's analysis is reasonable. Right now is the harvest season. It is impossible for Yan Xishan to sit in Taiyuan and watch us blockade them. There is a chance to fight. The Qianli Plain in Jinzhong is fertile. Since ancient times, it has been Shanxi’s granary and Yan Xishan’s supply base. He knew very well that if Jinzhong was lost and there was no supply of food, the more than 100,000 troops would inevitably fall into the predicament of chaos without fighting.” Xu Xiangqian continued: "Now is the season of wheat ripening. The waves of wheat in Jinzhong and Pingchuan are rolling, and a bumper harvest is in sight. Therefore, Yan Xishan has put forward the slogan of preserving grain, grabbing grain, and storing grain to the whole province. This is exactly the reason why he implemented the strategic defense plan." The key. He has pulled the 33rd Army to the Qixian and Taigu areas, the 34th Army and 40th Division to Pingyao, Jiexiu, and Lingshi, the 43rd Army and its personal trainers to Fenyang and Xiaoyi, and the 61st Army to the In the Wenshui area; at the same time, the "Shock Corps" was also formed to specifically prevent our northward movement and mobile operations, and cooperate with the county security regiments and garrison brigades to build solid defenses and go out to catch people and grab food." Hu Yaobang with a youthful head put one hand on his forehead, turned over the map with the other, and asked: "Commander, how many troops does Yan Xishan put into the Jinzhong Plain?" Xu Xiangqian said: "According to what we have so far, there are about 100,000 people." "This number is not small." "Yes, these troops still have certain combat capabilities, but they are not united internally and their morale is low. If they really fight against us, they are still afraid of us." Zhou Shidi said: "As long as we don't encounter the big corps, of course we can defeat them." Xu Xiangqian nodded and said: "Yan Xishan knew this well. He was prepared for it. It's ridiculous to say it. He also put forward the slogan of 'one run, one run, all victories', and he wanted to use 'sports warfare' to deal with our army. mobile warfare." Zhou Shidi said with a smile: "It seems that the local emperor wants to use the method of storing food in his hands to consolidate Jinzhong and protect Taiyuan to the death." Xu Xiangqian said: "I learned from a captured regiment commander that Yan Xishan once told them, 'In the short term, Xu Xiangqian took a little advantage and ate a little bit of our troops, but that was just a fleeting moment, and the good times didn't last long. As long as we work together and stick to the situation for another half a year, the world pattern will change and the third world war will break out. At that time, the US military will definitely land in China. This is the best time for us to counterattack. The ideal of restoring the country with the province will definitely come true." Hu Yaobang laughed loudly, stood up and slammed his fist on the table, saying: "This is just a daydream. Our liberation army is invincible and has already driven Chiang Kai-shek to nowhere. Will the Americans support him again? Don't say half a year, I can't see it in three months. Shanxi may not be Yan Xishan's world. , What are you talking about to save the city?" Xu Xiangqian also smiled. A few dogs barked from the east of the village. The weather was still hot, a tall soldier brought in a big watermelon, put it on the table, picked up a butcher's knife, and raised his hand to cut the watermelon into two big petals, revealing the pink sand, and the water flowed immediately. When it came out, it was another cut, two halves became four small halves, three cuts, four cuts, countless pieces of watermelon fell on the table. People laughed and started eating melons. Footsteps sounded in the courtyard, and it was Chief of Staff Chen Manyuan who had returned. Zhou Shidi smiled and said, "The Chief of Staff is back, and we are waiting for your meeting." Chen Manyuan raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and said, "I still have long legs, and I catch up with melons again..." Xu Xiangqian took a large piece of melon and handed it over, and asked, "How is the situation at Ba Zong?" "Very good, the morale is very high, and all the cadres have asked for an early fight." "What's the hurry, there are wars." "Wang Xinting, commander of the column, hopes that after we go north to Jinzhong, we will not engage in mobile warfare, which will consume a lot of troops." "Of course the decisive battle must be fought, but mobile warfare cannot be given up." "His suggestion still makes sense." "Yes, but the current conditions are not very mature. To be honest, our corps has a small number of people, so we can't fight recklessly." "Then is the Jinzhong decisive battle still going on?" "Of course we will." Xu sat down forward, and the meeting continued. He asked the chief of staff to report the deployment of several columns, and then said to everyone: "After the Battle of Linfen, whether our army can quickly go northward to Jinzhong, annihilate the enemy and save food, and completely smash the enemy's plan to grab food and defend the city is the key to the liberation process of the whole Shanxi. Now our theaters have just turned into counter-offensive, North China The side asked us to help fight Fu Zuoyi, and the northwest asked us to help fight Hu Zongnan, but neither the Party Central Committee nor Chairman Mao approved it. The task of our Corps was clearly instructed: to fight Yan in the middle of Shanxi until Taiyuan was conquered." Zhou Shidi said: "The central government's decision is in line with the reality of the Shanxi battlefield, and we should resolutely implement it." Chen Manyuan did not make a clear statement, Xu Xiangqian said: "You are the chief of staff, please tell me your opinion." Chen Manyuan considered the problem based on the reality at the time. He checked the map for a while and said: "I support the central government's decision, but our Corps will encounter certain difficulties if we want to go north to Jinzhong and continue to pursue the enemy. One is that the enemy has a large number of troops, good equipment, strong fortifications, strong mobility, and a dominant position. The second is that we After more than two months of fighting in Linfen, the army is quite exhausted. The army is new, the shortage of cadres is large, and the lack of combat experience in large corps is also an obvious weakness. The third is the plain area, where firewood is extremely scarce. We made a preliminary plan and went north. To fight in Central Jin, such as sending troops and 100,000 migrant workers, it takes at least 300,000 catties of firewood to cook and boil water every day. The plains are different from the mountains, and it is very difficult for ordinary people to burn firewood. How can there be so much firewood for us? .” Zhou Shidi said, "Yes, we have to take these issues into consideration." Xu Xiangqian said: "As for the difficulties, the Central Committee and the North China Bureau took into account our actual situation and only asked our corps to wipe out one or two enemy divisions in Jinzhong first, and then expand the results of the battle." Chen Manyuan closed the map and said, "I'm worried that once we deploy our troops to Jinzhong, the thousands of miles of plains will be very unfavorable to our army's operations. It's okay to eat up one or two divisions of the enemy first, and then we must be cautious when advancing." Xu Xiangqian waved his hand and said, "I don't agree with you. The Battle of Jinzhong is very important. We should let our hands and feet go, boldly study the combat plan, and set the goal of annihilating the enemy as high as possible." Zhou Shidi asked, "Then how high should you set it?" Xu Xiangqian waved his hand and said, "At the very least, we must first eat Yan Xishan's army in the Jinzhong Plain." Chen Manyuan was still a little worried, he asked: "Isn't this plan a little too high before the final battle?" Xu Xiangqian explained very seriously: "It's not high, I've considered it over and over again, and I think it's necessary." "Then tell everyone about the idea." Xu Xiangqian stood up, and the young combat staff officer hung a rectangular map more than one meter high on the earth wall behind him. Xu Xiangqian pointed with a smooth thin wooden stick and said: "There are many small towns in the Jinzhong area, which are the outskirts of Taiyuan. Our purpose is very clear. The purpose of organizing the Jinzhong Campaign this time is to create conditions for the liberation of Taiyuan. We should use the opportunity of field battles as much as possible to lure the enemy into a decisive battle and eliminate them. The enemy has a living force. The more enemies we annihilate, the smoother the liberation of Taiyuan will be. Judging from the enemy's deployment, they are scattered in Jinzhong with four-fifths of their total force, robbing and transporting food, which is giving us a gap. I think It is entirely possible for a division of 60,000 to go north and fight on the move, eating up four to six divisions of the enemy twice. Although the troops lack experience in combat with large corps, they have strong morale, can endure hardships, obey orders, and observe discipline. The key lies in careful planning. The command was proper. In addition, the people in the mountainous areas have undergone land reform, and their enthusiasm for supporting the front is very high. The local party organized 100,000 or 200,000 migrant workers to deliver food, ammunition, and firewood to the front, so it was not a big problem. It is easy to mobilize, defend the wheat harvest, and cooperate with our army in combat." Zhou Shidi went on to say: "Commander Xu's strategy can be considered, but I am worried that taking the initiative to attack will cause huge casualties to our army, which is not good for attacking Taiyuan in the future." Xu Xiangqian said firmly: "There will be casualties, but they are unlikely to be large. When we fight in the field, it's like eating meat; when we attack a city, it's like gnawing bones. Now the enemy is mobilizing in all directions to grab food, and the fat is sent to the door. We might as well Take a few bites and eat a few of his divisions, so as not to waste time and effort in the future to attack the city and gnaw hard bones." Chen Manyuan was still skeptical about this plan, and he stood there without speaking. At this time, some people also put forward different opinions. Xu Xiangqian said: "Let's ask the chief of staff to discuss his opinions." Chen Manyuan looked at Xu Xiangqian and said: "Our Corps has never fought any large-scale mobile warfare. For more than half a year, the soldiers are indeed very tired. What should I do if I am eaten by the enemy? I still advocate attacking one or two divisions of the enemy first." Xu Xiangqian said: "Controversy before the war is a good thing rather than a bad thing. It can help our commanders to judge the situation more carefully, weigh the pros and cons, and make up their minds. But I think the Jinzhong Campaign is of great significance and extraordinary, and should be taken from the overall perspective. Set off, seize the fighter plane, and carry out campaign deployment according to the goal of annihilating four to six divisions of the enemy, and I will be responsible for mistakes." The commander-in-chief has made up his mind, and everyone can't argue anymore, so he studied and passed the deployment of the Jinzhong Campaign: The first step is to divide into the encirclement situation, go north to Jinzhong, split the Yan army's defense system, cut off the traffic, divide and encircle the rest The main point is to clean up the periphery, wipe out landlords and bandits, and ensure the wheat harvest in Jinzhong. The second step is to capture the enemy's key points by camera, lure the main force of the enemy to fight with us, and seek to destroy part of the enemy in the field battle, weaken the enemy's strength, reduce the enemy's occupied area, and create conditions for the capture of Taiyuan. The focus of the campaign: in order to eliminate the enemy's vital forces, and strive to deal a fatal blow to the enemy. A few days later, the General Front Committee convened the commanders of each column to further clarify the operational principles of this strategic deployment.At this time, Wang Xinting, the commander of the 8th column, and Liu Zhong, the commander of the Taiyue Military Region (later reorganized into the 15th column), mentioned the supply difficulties before the war. Xu Xiangqian told them: "Of course this battle will not be as easy as the Battle of Linfen, but we still have favorable conditions. This is the support of the people. Recently, the liberated areas have set off a craze for joining the army. This is unprecedented. What does this mean? It means Shanxi The desire of the people to stand up for liberation. The units of our corps must conduct an in-depth pre-war education, improve their ideological understanding, clarify their goals, and make all preparations. We must boost morale. According to the situation over the past year It can be seen that our commanders and fighters have the spirit of fighting bravely, not being afraid of sacrifice, and fighting continuously. Regarding the burning of firewood that you have reported, you can rely on local party organizations and organize the support of the people.” Since then, the Jinzhong Plain has seen the busy scene before the war again. The First Corps of the North China Field Army began to gather at the predetermined location. Peasants from mountainous areas such as Taiyue, Taihang, and Luliang followed behind the large army, transporting various supplies.The wheels are rolling forward, and the flow of people is surging forward like the Yellow River. This thrilling scene shows an overwhelming force.Decades later, when people living in a peaceful environment, especially young people who have not experienced the baptism of war gradually forgot the word war, many revolutionary old people in the old Luliang district who pushed a wheelbarrow through the war recalled this During this experience, I was still quite excited.Looking at their faces that have experienced vicissitudes and listening to the narration with a strong local accent, you will feel something inspiring from them. It can also be said that this kind of thing belongs to the category of revolutionary romanticism, or specifically To put it simply, it is revolutionary heroism. Closer to home, I will continue to introduce to readers and friends about Xu Xiangqian's Corps' decisive battle in Jinzhong. June 9, 1948. In the name of Commander Xu Qianqian, the North China First Corps issued the following operational orders: The second and sixth divisions of Shanxi and Suizhou were commanded by Peng Shaohui and Luo Guibo. On the 13th of this month, they marched to the north of Taiyuan, cut off the railway between Xinxian County and Taiyuan, and approached Taiyuan to defend the wheat harvest on both sides of Xinxian County and Taiyuan. Taking the Lvliang Group, on the 19th of this month, it entered the Wenshui and Jiaocheng areas, cut off the traffic from Taiyuan to Fenyang, removed the necessary strongholds on the outskirts of the area, compressed the enemy into a few isolated strongholds, and firmly controlled Wenshui, Jiaocheng, and Fenyang. Defend the wheat harvest in the Pingchuan area of ​​, Xiaoyi and Qingyuan. The Taiyue Group approached the Jiexiu and Lingshi areas on the 13th of this month, looking for opportunities to uproot several strongholds outside the area, attacking Lingshi, and cutting off the railway between Pingyao and Lingshi. With the Jinzhong Group (composed of Taiyuan Second Division and Beiyue Second Division), under the command of Xiao Wenjiu, on the 19th of this month, they approached the communication lines between Yuci and Taiyuan, and Yuci and Taigu, destroying railways, highways and bridges, ensuring that the enemy of Taiyuan It is impossible to send reinforcements to Qi County and Taigu, and send scattered small troops into the triangle area of ​​Xugou, Yuci, and Taigu to defend the wheat harvest. With the 13th column, on the 19th of this month, the enemy's stronghold in the Zihong area was pulled out, and then the Dongguan area was attacked and wiped out. With the 8th column, on the 19th of this month, the outer strongholds to the south of the east of Pingyao were pulled out, and another part was used to cut off the railway line between Qixian and Pingyao. The start of the campaign is scheduled for June 20. After receiving this order, all participating troops will immediately enter the battle state. In a small village, a frail Xu Xiangqian confessed to his deputy commander, Zhou Shidi: "The combat order has been issued, without further ado. I have to take the personnel from the command post to Changzhi to set up camp, and I have to trouble you to go to Xibaipo and report our combat plan to the Party Central Committee to see if they have any instructions." Looking at Xu Xiangqian's tired face, Zhou Shidi felt a little uneasy in his heart. He knew that Xu Xiangqian was dragging his sick body and insisting on working. It is difficult to recover quickly from the disease. As the sun was setting, Zhou Shidi stood in front of the window and said to Xu Xiangqian: "You are the commander-in-chief and you are not in good health. Please don't go to Changzhi for the time being. You can ask the chief of staff to take someone there first. When I come back from Xibaipo, you can go to the front line." Xu Xiangqian, who was sitting on the wooden chair, shook his head: "What if I don't go? Please don't worry about me." Zhou Shidi said: "Our tough battle is Taiyuan. It's better not to use your brain too much these days, otherwise what should you do if you have a headache?" "My headache is too stubborn. It hurts as long as I look at the documents. I will go to treat it after I win Taiyuan. It can't work now. It's critical!" "It's better not to go to the front line." "I've made up my mind, it's not easy to change, you'd better go to Xibaipo as soon as possible." "Should I report directly to Chairman Mao of the Party Central Committee this time or go to the North China Bureau first?" "Go to the North China Bureau first. They are all our direct superiors. They need to tell Liu Shaoqi, Bo Yibo, Boss Nie, and Xiao Ke about our situation, and then report to the chairman." "Do you want some reinforcements from the central government?" "Yes, but we have to make it clear that we are absolutely sure of winning the Battle of Jinzhong. It will be difficult to attack Taiyuan in the future. We will reduce our personnel. I hope the central government can send reinforcements to help us." "Okay, I will definitely report this meaning to the chairman." "Send my regards to the chairman and the head of the central government, and ask them not to worry about my health. The chairman wrote a letter to ask about my condition a while ago, so you just say it's all right." "The chairman may not believe that there is no problem at all." "Then you can figure it out. In short, the central government should not have any concerns about our launch of the Jinzhong Campaign." "I think the central government will agree to our plan." "Tell Comrade Xiao Ke again that our soldiers are not acclimated to the environment, their physical fitness has declined too much, and medicine is too scarce. Please ask him to think of a way." In the early morning of the next day, shortly after Zhou Shidi left, Xu Xiangqian led the staff of the Corps Command Center towards Changzhi. He rode a big black horse and looked quite mighty, despite his poor physique. it is good. Zhou Shidi came to Xibaipo to report the Jinzhong campaign plan to the Party Central Committee and the North China Bureau. The central government fully agrees with the combat plan of Xu Xiangqian and others. Mao Zedong asked: "How is the deployment of Yan Xishan's troops now?" Zhou Shidi replied: "The five armies of the Yan Army are all defending the area from Lingshi to Xinxian on Tongpu Road. Among them, the main forces of the 34th Army, 61st Army, 33rd Army, 19th Army, and 43rd Army have 9 divisions distributed in the area. All towns along the Yuci-Lingshi railway line and the Taiyuan-Xiaoyi sub-road line will grab grain when they are preparing for the wheat harvest." "I heard that Yan Xishan organized a 'Shock Corps' to deal with you?" "Yes. This is a mixed formation of infantry and artillery, and its main task is mobile support." "How many people are there?" "A total of 13 regiments." "It seems that Yan Xishan does not cry when he sees the coffin. Our troops have surrounded them, and he is still clinging to Jinzhong. Let these two Wutai fellows fight again!" "Our troops are still good enough to deal with Yan Xishan. After the Jinzhong decisive battle, if we attack Taiyuan, we may still need the assistance of our brother troops." "Yan Xishan has been running Shanxi since his father's hand. He will not give up easily. There must be a tough battle in Taiyuan. Our central government has considered this issue. We will send you reinforcements at that time. The key is Jinzhong If the battle is fought well, it will reduce the burden on conquering Taiyuan in the future, how is Comrade Qianqian's health?" "It's okay, but I have a headache after working for a long time." "It's fine, you have to take care of him more!" "He sometimes works and doesn't listen to our dissuasion." "Just say that I, Mao Zedong, told him to take care of his health. Where is he now?" "The people from the command post have been stationed in Changzhi." "Comrade Xiangqian is an honest man! If he is not in good health, he can stay in the rear and find a quieter village to command. It's okay not to go to the front line." "I persuaded him, but he went anyway." "It's good to go." Zhu De, who was sitting next to Mao Zedong, interjected: "The battle of Jinzhong is very important to solve Shanxi and even North China. You must carry forward the spirit of attacking Linfen, try to eat one of Yan Xishan's troops, and create conditions for attacking Taiyuan." Zhou Shidi said: "Please rest assured that the central government will definitely complete the task brilliantly." 毛泽东笑着说：“你不是要攻打太原的援兵吗，朱老总可以做主，有什么条件可以给他讲嘛！” 朱德连忙摆手：“还是请主席定夺吧。” “调动兵力，还是由你定。” 朱德望着周士第讲：“你们有何要求？” 周士第说：“要求不高，向前同志讲过，最好是能打硬仗的部队。” “那好，我先许愿，只要你们消灭了晋中的敌人，我将派杨得志兵团去帮助你们解决太原。” "That's great." 朱德面对毛泽东问：“不知主席同意不同意？” “我完全赞同，这个杨得志可是个很能打仗的人哩。” 周士第说：“不知主席对我们晋中战役还有何指示？” 毛泽东深深地吸了几口烟，然后用坚定的语气讲道： “你们在这次战役中提出的'保卫麦收'的口号很好，战前可以动员人民群众参加，晋中人民要收麦子，阎锡山要抢，这是一场很严重的斗争。你们战役的重心要放在消灭敌人方面，只有消灭了敌人，才能有效地保卫麦收。敌人要抢粮，就得出动，便于你们在运动中消灭。现在阎锡山还有十几座县城，只要打掉它一两个，敌人就慌了，下面文章就好做了。” 周士第离开西柏坡回到前线，各纵队已基本上进入了进攻阵地。 6月11日，吕梁军区部队首先进入汾阳，孝义地区与敌遭遇，一举攻占了高阳镇。 6月12日，太岳军区部队攻占了灵石。 阎锡山大惊，慌忙命令“闪击兵团”由平遥、介休、汾阳三路向高阳推进，企图合击吕梁军区部队，正式交手后，战火越演越烈，吕梁部队因立足未稳，加之敌人来势凶猛，伤亡很大。 徐向前立即命令隐蔽在平遥一带的第8纵队、第13纵队向介休、祁县一带出击，回援吕梁部队，诱歼“闪击兵团”。 徐向前离开长治火速前往子洪口。 他对参谋长说：“子洪是从东面进入晋中平原的门户，距祁县仅十多公里，13纵应设法从这里攻开一条路，减轻吕梁部队的压力。” 周士第问：“现在我军已过早地暴露目标与敌人交战，我主力部队进攻的时间是否可以提前。” 徐向前让参谋铺开一张放大了的地图，查看了一会儿，回头对大家说： “现在看来，我们原定的19日发起总攻已有点晚了，应该改为18日，我军主力应直下平川，将敌人打开，争取在平、介地区将敌第34军歼灭。” 周士第说：“这个方针很好，我军主力一动，敌军一定会向我们扑来，只要我们集中优势兵力与之决战，战机就对我们有利。” 天气很热，指挥所的几名年轻军官汗流满面，有人干脆脱了上衣，光着膀子来回穿梭，摩尔斯电码声从这座破烂的三间瓦房里传出来，回荡在干燥的天空。徐向前瞅着一名正在译电的作战参谋，讲：“请你们还是把衣服穿整齐，我们不是国民党部队，这个样子像什么话。” 参谋们很不情愿地穿上了衣服。 徐向前在一份签发的电报中做了这样的批示： 我主力部队出动后，所有参战部队应注意集中兵力，形成拳头，保持战斗中的优势地位，要以袭击之势围攻敌人，务求初战能取得胜利。另外各纵队要密切配合，打响后相机组织游击兵团，担负破坏交通任务。