Chapter 379 5. The "expert in the world" who walked through the chest mountain

According to the combat order, the 4th Corps passed through Dayu in southern Jiangxi (now Dayu) and Rucheng in southern Hunan, and attacked the enemies of Dongchang and Qujiang in northern Guangdong. In order to complete the task, the troops need to cross the Wuling Mountains at the junction of the four provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangdong and Guangxi.The winding and majestic Wuling Mountains are one of the steepest mountains in southern China.The hardships and hardships encountered by the troops passing through the Wuling Mountains were no less than a fierce battle. Mu Xin, a reporter from the 4th Corps, recorded the situation at that time:

"Except for the Guangdong-Jiangxi highway that splits the overlapping mountains, all the roads are difficult and dangerous. The army on the right passed through the junction of Hunan and Jiangxi, and passed one of the peaks of the Five Ridges - Chest Mountain. Local residents have a poem describing Its ballad: "Passing through Chest Mountain, three feet and three feet away from the sky, people must bow their heads when passing by, and horses must take off their saddles." A certain regiment passed Lingziao, one of the main peaks of Dayuling Mountains. Qi Dahai, the chief of staff of the regiment, personally observed the road , led the blasting team, and used explosives to open the way. Guanyin Mountain, another peak that the army in the middle route climbed, has always been said to be a terrible miasma zone. The soldiers all drank wine, ate garlic, and walked over wearing masks."

"In the hundreds of miles of mountains, the daytime is often a vast expanse, and it is difficult to tell whether it is rain or fog. The winding roads stretching under the steep rocks and cliffs are often narrow paths that are only one foot wide. People walk among them and cannot see the top of the mountain. ; Under the misty mountain mist, there are swaying decayed grasses, and the path is full of green mountains. Sometimes, the road passes through the forest with towering old trees, and people are still sweating from the heat at the bottom of the mountain, but in these In the primitive forest, the cold wind blows like a severe winter. It is in these barren mountains and deep forests that are inaccessible to human beings, thousands of troops and horses of the southward army pass by without interruption. In the ranks of heroes, there is a euphoric singing .”

"A regiment climbed to a certain part of Lingzi'ao, and after a day's trek to the destination, there were only three thatched huts, and the troops had to camp. At that time, the sky was overcast and the cold wind rustled the woods. It had just rained the day before, and the underground It was very humid, and the water was still flowing in the small valley. The political office of the regiment issued instructions: "When camping, we must pay close attention to the discipline of the masses. The sheds should be set up on the hillside in sheltered places and places with little humidity. Thick grass should be laid and the roof should be covered. The cadres are in charge of inspections, and they get up in the middle of the night to cover the soldiers with quilts...' In the middle of the night, it rained again. The rain and the piercing cold made the soldiers stand up and light up the night fire to wait for the departure. The road on the second day was even more difficult. Troops often have to wait for the blasting team to use explosives to open the way before they can move forward. After nightfall, they continued to advance on the narrow and rugged path. A pack mule fell down on the dangerous path, and four or five little ghosts hurriedly climbed down the thorns and climbed down the ravine. Surround the animal, hold the head, and lift the tail to help it up. When the mule is broken, the man puts the things on the saddle on his shoulders and moves forward."

"Another unit climbed the chest mountain, which was fifteen miles high, and the huge artillery brigade performed amazing miracles. The soldier Liang Zhanfa carried two wheels weighing 130 kilograms from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, and helped others lift 170 kilograms. The heavy gun barrels were also brought up. Many soldiers carefully led the animals while carrying the gun mounts or wheels with difficulty. At the most dangerous places, they gathered together and tried every means to make the animals and everyone Everyone passed safely. Artillery soldier Zhang Futang said proudly: "The road is not as long as our legs, and the mountain is not as high as our feet." The residents were stunned at the huge artillery unit. An old man surnamed Li said to the advancing team: "I have lived for more than 60 years, and I have never seen cattle walking on Chest Mountain, and such a large army. You are really masters in the world.'" (Mu Xin: "Southern Line Tour", Life·Reading·New Knowledge Joint Publishing, November 1953 edition, pp. 119-120, 126, 133-134)