Chapter 30 Chapter Thirty

April 1949 Nanjing Anqing Yaogang Beiping The low air pressure in Nanjing gradually accumulated. I don't know whether it was due to the early season of yellow plums or the bad political climate. The depression became more and more intense. Inside the presidential palace, Chief of Staff Gu Zhutong is holding a meeting of the Ministry of National Defense on Jiang Defense. The atmosphere of the meeting is as stuffy as the air outside.After Gu Zhutong made his opening remarks, there was a long silence, and the air seemed to condense.Dark purple veins protruded from Tang Enbo's thick neck. Most of the people present opened their clothes, but he didn't even unbutton his neckline.

Xu Tingyao, the commander of the armored forces, was from Wuwei in Anhui. Xu felt that the atmosphere was too oppressive, so he grinned and said, "Someone from my hometown said that the communist army stationed in that area went door-to-door to collect urinals and put them on the boat when crossing the river." as an oil lamp." Xu Tingyao's words really made everyone present burst into laughter.Navy Commander Gui Yongqing said: "We have all experienced the tactics of the Communist bandits. They have many tricks and can come up with any tricks and bad ideas. Don't think that collecting urinals sounds like a joke. Thinking about it, it is not that simple. It shows that They even thought of all the details of crossing the river. Our navy is not afraid of their urinals, but their smuggling.”

Ding Zhipan, Commander of the First Appeasement Zone, said: "There is no need to worry too much. The Communist Army has no naval fleet and no air cover. It can float across the Yangtze River and climb to the south of the Yangtze River with just a few broken wooden boats? I don't think it is that easy. " Qin Dechun, Deputy Minister of National Defense, continued: "The Yangtze River has been known as a natural danger since ancient times. Cao Cao and Fu Jian couldn't cross it. Is the Communist Party a heavenly soldier?" The atmosphere is a little more active.Tang Enbo didn't know whether Commander Ding and Deputy Commander Qin were speaking from their hearts or to encourage themselves. At this moment, his opinion of Jiang Fang was very different from that of the previous two months.In late February, he went to Xikou to meet Chiang Kai-shek.Jiang asked him about the defense of the Songhu area and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and he reported: "President, don't worry, the Yangtze River is impenetrable. We have also deployed mobile troops on the Yangtze River defense line. If the Communist army crosses the river from the Nanjing section of Zhenjiang, our army can strike and annihilate them. Taking a step back, if it doesn’t work, the troops in the First Appeasement Area can still resist from Zhenjiang along the highway and railway section by section, and retreat to Shanghai; then use the navy and air force to assist the ground troops to secure Songhu.” Chiang Kai-shek expressed satisfaction.

However, in mid-March, as the calls for peace talks became louder, batch after batch of communist troops marched towards the Yangtze River, and the turmoil in the national army became more and more severe.The strongholds on the north bank of the Yangtze River and Jiangxinzhou were on the verge of collapse, and some retreated without a fight.The Ministry of National Defense, the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Garrison General Command, the First Appeasement Zone, the Seventh Appeasement Zone, all corps, and all garrison headquarters had to formulate severe measures; all ships in the north of the river were not allowed to stop, and all ships that refused to park on the south bank were scuttled; Regardless of whether it is going up or down, ships must sail along the south bank; sailing is prohibited at night; important areas are under martial law and no boats are allowed to cross; villages and towns along the river are strictly enforced with joint security and continuous search and suppression; all troops who do not obey orders and retreat without fighting will be brought to justice Military law will never tolerate.

At this time, Tang Enbo said with a heavy tone: "Everyone, there are rumors of peace outside, and I think no one here will believe it. We are soldiers, and soldiers will never believe in peace. The Yangtze River is the boundary between life and death in front of the national army. Only by guarding the Yangtze River can the national army reverse its decline and come back to life. It is true that the Yangtze River is a natural danger and a natural moat. However, without sincere and skilled commanders and elite and brave soldiers, it is futile to hold the Yangtze River. The horse is good at walking, and the Mongolian horse is fierce. It is always in vain without a good leader. Ladies and gentlemen, it is an extremely severe day for the party and the country. Although the president is not with us, his concerns and worries make him often anxious all night long, burning fat and fat. We must do our best to wait. !"

Tang Enbo's words coated the meeting with a thick layer of tragedy. Next, Tang Enbo announced the deployment of Jiangxi defense: the 25 armies under the Tang Enbo Department of the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Security Command, about 450,000 people, deployed defenses along the river from Shanghai to Hukou and in the area north of the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line; Fifteen armies, about 250,000 men, under the Bai Chongxi Department of Central China Military and Political Commissioner's Office deployed defenses along the river from Hukou to Yichang; the Navy's Second Fleet, with 89 ships of various types, was located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River; the Jiangfang Fleet , under the jurisdiction of 44 ships, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River; the Air Force has four brigades, with a total of more than 300 combat aircraft, deployed in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hankou and other places; the Navy and Air Force are responsible for supporting the Army's defense of the Yangtze River.

Gu Zhutong emphasized: "Hefei and Bengbu fell into the hands of the Communist army one after another. Now there is only one important town, Anqing, on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Don't lose it again!" The Second Field Army complied with the deployment of the Front Committee of the General Assembly, and formed the West Group Army to fight across the river from Zongyang to Wangjiang with a width of about 200 li.Liu Bocheng's specific deployment was: the Third Corps crossed the river from the east of Anqing to Zongyang; the Fifth Corps crossed the river from the west of Anqing to the Wangjiang section, and then went straight out of Quxian along Fuliang to control the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line and cut off the enemy's retreat; The Fourth Corps crossed the river between Wangjiang and Madang, and then went east along the river to take over the task of the Ninth Corps to monitor the enemy forces in Wuhu and prepare for the capture of Nanjing; In the eastern region, he also commanded the troops of the Tongbai, Jianghan, and Hubei-Henan military regions to contain the Bai Chongxi Group and coordinate the Erye crossing of the river.

On April 1, Liu Bocheng led the Second Field Command to station in Shucheng; on the second day, he drafted the "Basic Orders for the Second Field Crossing the River"; on the third day, accompanied by Chief of Staff Li Da, he left Shucheng and drove south.They went to the front line of the battle, the enemy-occupied territory - Anqing. Anqing is located in the southwest of Anhui, on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, connecting Jingchu at the top, and Wuyue at the bottom.In this ancient city, ancestors worked, lived and multiplied as early as more than 5,000 years ago.The Wanshan and Wanshui here are the hometown of the ancient Wan Kingdom in the Zhou Dynasty.Anhui is abbreviated as "Wan", which is where it comes from. The name "Anqing" began in the 17th year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1447), implying peace and auspiciousness.

Anqing is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with beautiful mountains and rivers. Not only are there natural scenic spots such as Tianzhu Mountain, Sikong Mountain, Dalong Mountain, Xiaogu Mountain and Fushan Mountain, which are known as the "Ancient Nanyue" in history, but also left behind "misty rain towers, temple views and so on" in the prosperous Tang and Song Dynasties. There are fifty-five temples.Anqing, with a long cultural history, is rich in humanities. In Tang Dynasty, there was Cao Song, a poet; Calligraphy and seal cutting master Deng Shiru, modern educator Wu Rulun, esthetician Zhu Guangqian, writer Zhang Henshui, New Culture Movement master and one of the founders of the Communist Party of China Chen Duxiu, etc., have all played a leading role in history and left a strong mark.In modern history, major events such as the Taiping Army's three grams of Anqing, Shi Dakai Yizhi, Anqing Defense War, and Xu Xilin's Uprising all took place in Anqing.

The special geographical location, prosperous economic situation, long history and culture, and dangerous topography make this ancient city formed in the Neolithic Age always a place of war.The ancients said: "The top controls Dongting and Pengli, and the bottom controls Shicheng and Jingkou. The division of borders locks the north and south, and sits in the town to breathe east and west. The middle flow is a moat, so the Great Wall is here." The Southern Song Dynasty built the city to resist the Jin army. There were fierce battles in the Qing Dynasty, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's "Battle of Anqing" was the most tragic movement.

Anqing in the spring of 1949 was also an "eye" on the chessboard of the two opposing groups, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.Bai Chongxi placed an army on this "eye" - the main force of the 46th Army; Liu Bocheng's magnifying glass locked this "eye" countless times. In early March, the Fourth Corps of the Second Field Army of the People's Liberation Army marched south.Liu Bocheng deliberately asked Chen Geng to lead his army to detour to Macheng, defeated the Seventh Army of Bai Chongxi's army, and occupied Macheng; then, he ordered the Fourth Corps to stay here for a week, and sent a small army to pretend to move, spreading rumors to prepare to attack Jiujiang.In this way, Liu Bocheng still felt that the "weight" was not enough, so he ordered the 40th and 43rd armies of the four fields to advance south along the Ping-Han line to attack Xinyang and approach Guangshui and Xuanhuadian. Obviously, what Liu Bocheng set up was a "suspect formation".Bai Chongxi really took the bait.Seeing that our army was rushing towards Hubei with the wind and clouds, he suspected that he was going to copy Wuhan, and hurriedly ordered the main force of the 46th Army to shrink and move closer to Wuhan and Jiujiang, leaving only the 174th Division stationed in Anqing.The advance troops of the People's Liberation Army going south took advantage of the momentum to liberate Taihu Lake, Qianshan, Wangjiang, and Susong, and approached Anqing. The 174th Division hangs in Anqing alone, and Bai Chongxi is worried.The communist army gathered in Jiangbei, and Anqing would be the first to bear the brunt of any action.How can he sit idly by idly by sacrificing one of his teachers like this?After all, he had the nickname "Little Zhuge". A few days later, he questioned the Ministry of National Defense: "Now that Anqing is under the jurisdiction of the Eighth Corps, why is the 174th Division defending Anqing?" Chief of Staff Gu Zhutong held his breath. Once upon a time, you, Bai Chongxi, held this strategically important place and refused to let go; now that the communist army is pushing to the north of the Yangtze River, in order to preserve your own strength, you raised such a question to the Ministry of National Defense. So fine!However, the enemy is at hand, and Gu Zhutong can neither blush with the warlords of the Guangxi clique, nor give up Anqing, the only "nail" and strategic location of the national army in Jiangbei.He ordered Tang Enbo to quickly divide Liu Ruming's Eighth Corps and take over Anqing's defense. Liu Ruming's Eighth Corps was in charge of the defense of the 400-mile river from Tongling to Jiujiang. The opposite of him was the area where the Second Field Army of the Communist Party of China crossed the river.There is a saying that "the sky is wide and the land is wide, but the enemy's road is narrow." In 1947, when Liu Deng's army leaped thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains, and when 120,000 troops crossed the Yellow River by force, the defenders on the Yellow River were Liu Ruming's troops.However, at that time his troops were the Fourth Appeasement Area. This old miscellaneous army was blocked by the People's Liberation Army in Huaiyuan during the Huaihai War and did nothing.Gu Zhutong blamed him for not doing enough to help Huang Wei's corps, but Liu Ruming refused to accept it.He said: "The Fourth Sui District moved south to Bengbu. Before leaving, one of the five divisions was removed, leaving only four divisions with a total of ten regiments. You have to defend Bengbu and rush to help Huang Wei. Do you really think that Is this possible? Who can do it, I, Liu, will immediately hand over the seal and ask him to command!" Gu Zhutong said nothing more, and planned to make up five divisions for him.Unexpectedly, before he made any action, Xu Bang was defeated, and Liu Ruming was ordered to retreat south.The corps passed through Hefei, Caoxian County, and Yuxikou, catching people all the way, and they caught chickens like dogs.General Xia Wei of the Guangxi Faction, chairman of Anhui Province, reprimanded Liu Ruming by telegram and lodged a protest.Liu Ruming smiled coquettishly, and said, "That's the fault of the Guangxi family. Their eyes are on the top of their heads, and they can't see the current situation clearly. Anhui Province is gone. Why don't we catch a few more as soon as possible? Is it because we want to leave the strong men to the Communist Party?" Before Liu Ruming went south to the garrison, he received an order from Tang Enbo to go west to guard the Anqing section.As a result, Fanchang, Tongling, and Qingyang, which Liu Bu passed through, suffered disaster again.Xia Wei yelled: "Fuck his grandma, bandits are worse!" Liu Ruming had a good temper and didn't make any nasty words. He smiled and retorted: "Look at what Xia Wei has made of Anhui. Everyone has run away, and it's hard to catch a few strong men." Tang Jinbo ordered Liu Ruming to station the 55th Army in Anqing, the 68th Army in Qingyang, and one army on each side of the river.Liu Ruming said: "Yes. But there is a condition. You must add an army designation, otherwise it will be difficult to divide the troops." Tang Enbo said angrily: "You two soldiers are not satisfied with the number, how can you increase the numbers?!" Liu Ruming no longer defended, but placed his two armies in the south of the Yangtze River, with the front line deployed in Guichi, Qingyang, while Anqing was still guarded by Bai Chongxi's 174th Division.Bai Chongxi didn't see Liu Ruming taking the defense, so he protested to the Ministry of National Defense again.When the news reached Xikou, Chiang Kai-shek beat the bluestone slabs of Miaogao Terrace with a bamboo stick and cursed: "This rascal, you should have shot your mother Xipi long ago!" In desperation, Tang Enbo obtained the consent of Chiang Kai-shek and transferred the 96th Army of Li Yannian's Corps from Pukou to Liu Ruming.Li Yannian was full of anger, and was afraid that Liu Ruming would send his 96th Army to guard Anqing, so he had to go to Qingyang to negotiate with Liu Ruming.The fact that Liu Ruming is so big shows that the Kuomintang is weak and has to make compromises with this old miscellaneous brand. Liu Ruming naturally knew why Li Yannian came here, and he said with a bitter face: "Ji Gong, I also have a hard time! You don't know the background of the Eighth Corps? Four hundred miles of Jiangfang, only a few soldiers can be spread out in one mile. ? Where do I still have troops to defend Anqing?" Li Yannian didn't care to listen to his noise, waved his hands and said, "The Ministry of National Defense assigned my Ninety-sixth Army to your command, one division guards Anqing, and the other strengthens the Jiang defense." "How can this be so, Liu can't bear it..." Li Yannian said impatiently: "Okay, okay, you don't have to shirk. If the Communist Party crosses the river, it's not all over together." He said in a relaxed tone, "The deployment of the Ninety-six Army, although there are orders from Tang Zuo, But in my opinion, it’s better not to divide it.” How could Liu Ruming be a fool, he only wanted to preserve his own strength, so why didn't Li Yannian think so?So, he laughed and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Ji, I, Liu, will not leave my troops in Jiangnan, and send the attached troops to Jiangbei to guard the city. Let those Guangxi monkeys guard Anqing. I won't take it." Defense is." Li and Liu reached an agreement, and the 96th Army marched from Pukou to Qingyang.Liu Ruming ordered him to be in charge of the Jiangfang in the east and west of Dadukou, and the 55th Army and the 68th Army each gave up 50 miles of Jiangfang positions. Bai Chongxi sighed in Wuhan: "Lao Jiang can only defend himself, not the enemy. Liu Ruming refused to be stationed in Anqing, why didn't he just send the 96th Army to Anqing to garrison?!" Xia Wei said to Bai Chongxi: "Since Anqing is now Liu Ruming's defense zone, why should we defend it for him? Just remove it." Bai Chongxi was silent in thought.Spontaneously "Hai Jing Dian", forming a trend of "forcing the palace", he became cautious.There is another layer, that is, he has a heavy army stationed in Jiujiang, and he is at odds with the strategically important Anqing, and Anqing should not be given up casually. Liu Bocheng traveled all the way south, heading straight for Anqing, two hundred miles away. Whether to fight Anqing or not, Liu Bocheng has not been able to decide.Although the defenders in Anqing City are weak, the special geographical location of Anqing makes it a threat to the troops crossing the river.At first he decided that the Eleventh Army of the Three Corps would take Anqing down and pull out this "nail".However, fighting Anqing is bound to be time-consuming and involves troops, and there is so much preparation work to be done before crossing the river. Liu Bocheng is a meticulous person, and he wants to personally inspect whether Anqing will be hit or not.Along the way, the car got stuck in mud puddles several times, and Li Da's nose was covered with beads of sweat from his anxiety. At noon, the car arrived at the outskirts of Anqing.Li Da was worried about Liu Bocheng's safety and refused to let the car go any further.Liu Bocheng got out of the car and walked from the east section to the west section.He has admired this famous historical city for a long time, and there are relics of outstanding Chinese figures in the past dynasties... However, what catches his eyes now is the jagged fortifications, solid and modern fortresses, rolling hills, and vast swamps... "Li Da, what do you think?" Liu Bocheng shook his feet and sat on a wet stone. "Anqing deserves to be a strategically important place," Li Da said in a Shanxi accent. "It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It relies on the river and has such strong fortifications. If you want to fight, you must attack." Liu Bocheng nodded, remained silent for a long time, and said, "I saw that both the east and west sections of Anqing can cross the river. As long as the defenders in the city don't come out to interfere, you don't need to beat them." He walked a few steps, and said , "The Military Commission means to take advantage of the contradiction, 'clamp the white to fight the soup'. Let's give Bai Chongxi some face for the time being and not fight Anqing. After crossing the river, we will deal with his 174th Division later." Li Da said: "The Tenth Army can besiege and monitor Anqing to defend the enemy, and replace the Eleventh Army to fight across the river." "Okay." Liu Bocheng raised his face and looked at Anqing City through the rain curtain. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, but Liu Bocheng still had no intention of returning.Li Da was about to speak when Liu Shuai chanted: "Do you know whose poem it is?" Liu Bochengyin turned around and asked.Li Da smacked his honest lips a few times and shook his head. "This is a quatrain left by Wang Anshi when he visited Tianzhu Mountain in Anqing." Liu Bocheng slapped his muddy buttocks and said, "Okay, you have to return if you forget to return! Let's visit Tianzhu Mountain after liberating the whole of China!" The rain is fast and slow, one after another, one after another.In previous years, the rainy season came only in May, and just after the vernal equinox, the rain came in a hurry, and I couldn't bear the loneliness. The landlord's rooster crowed three times. Deng Xiaoping turned over and sat up on the canvas camp bed, took a cold shower, put on a big pointed hat, and walked out of the village.His life is very regular. Every morning he goes for a walk in the surrounding fields and does gymnastics. Yaogang Village is not big. Like all southern villages, there are scattered farm houses with irregular orientations and no courtyard walls.Unlike the villages in the north, where each household is next to each other, each household has a wall surrounding the yard, row by row, front street, back street, east street and west street, in an orderly manner.Villages in the south are more individual, they don’t necessarily face north and south, and they don’t need to be surrounded by high walls. The opening of the door is clear at a glance, less closed and more open.Most of the farm houses in Yaogang Village are nestled under the dense catalpa trees, lush and green.A small river gurgles in the middle, and the white ducks with yellow beaks and the big fat geese with anthuriums play in the water, which is very interesting. Deng Xiaoping went out to the west of the village and went down a gentle slope, and saw the shadows of people shaking on the verdant wheat and rice fields.Before dawn, it was raining again, and those who plowed the land, carried manure, and dug ridges and drained water all came out. Deng Xiaoping greeted the villagers and walked on the narrow field ridge.The field ridge that had absorbed enough rain was sticky and slippery, and he staggered every step, which drew good-natured laughter from the villagers.Their dark and emaciated faces, their prematurely shriveled temples and dull skin due to malnutrition, were transformed into tables, numbers, and materials in Deng Xiaoping's eyes. It was given to him by the secretary the day before yesterday, and it was a report on the people of the counties along the Jiangbei River in Anhui supporting the People's Liberation Army crossing the river.Just taking Qianshan County as an example, there is such a series of figures: 6.27 million catties of rice; 9.2 million catties of firewood; 2.5 million catties of horse grass; 20,000 catties of cooking oil; 170 sets of stretchers; 650 porters; 49,000 pairs of military shoes; 13,400 umbrellas.In addition, there are sacks, iron nails, tung oil, bamboo, bamboo hats... countless.In addition to supplies, in order to ensure the smooth entry of troops crossing the river and ensure unimpeded transportation, they built roads, bridges, docks, warehouses, dredged rivers, and erected wires... free of charge. Their physical strength and sweat. This is a new area, and the local governments of most counties are not perfect.After one notice, these people along the river who were still struggling on the hunger line took out everything the army needed with their blue-veined hands.Liu Bocheng commented on the material: "Migrant workers from Lu'an and Hefei to Anqing Road sent military rations day and night like a sea tide. The residents along the river saved their own food for the army. Their contribution is very touching." Deng Xiaoping wrote in his report to Mao Zedong: "The parties, government and people in all parts of Jiangbei have worked hard to support the front, especially the northern Anhui New Area has done more than its own capabilities..." The food, drink, food, and various preparations for crossing the river for more than one million field troops, 3.2 million permanent migrant workers, and nearly 20,000 local cadres who went south with the army have made the people's burdens more heavy than they can handle. Tolerable limit.Fortunately, on April 7th, the Central Military Commission called, telling them to cross the river on time on April 15th.The telegram said: I do not know when, the rain has stopped.The sky was overcast like a water basin, and there was an uneven color difference.The brightness of the eastern sky gradually increased, and after a while, a golden gap opened, like a swimming golden snake.Xi Guang, whom he had not seen for many days, was beating and struggling. The heaviness in Deng Xiaoping's heart was relieved a lot at once.The continuous spring rains made him worry that the rainy season on the Yangtze River would come early.Once this happens, the river will surge and crossing the river will face unimaginable difficulties.This was what Deng Xiaoping was most anxious about in the past few days. After exercising his hands and feet and doing exercises twice, Deng Xiaoping was ready to return to the village.There was a small river not far from the village. Deng Xiaoping saw Chen Yi and a group of children squatting by the river to fish for loach.The southern water network is criss-crossed, and loaches, crabs, and lobsters are all prey for children. "Okay, you guys have been fishing for a long time, it's my turn!" Chen Yi stared greedily at the hooks in the children's hands, eager to try.A child with a small "tail" on the back of his head reluctantly gave up the loach hook to Chen Yi. "Don't steal other people's business." Deng Xiaoping joked standing behind him. "It's not about robbing business, it's about passing on skills—this is a trick I was good at when I was young." Deng Xiaoping returned to the village with a smile. The headquarters of the General Front Committee is set up in a wash house with three entrances and three exits. There are not many such majestic houses in the village.The owner, Wang Shixin, is a landlord, and his eldest brother, Wang Shiyan, is the chief of the intelligence section of Tang Enbo's Beijing Shanghai-Hangzhou Police Command. Wang Shixin and his wife live in the innermost room of the cottage, and Deng Xiaoping lives in the second room in the east wing.Adjacent to Deng Xiaoping's bedroom and office are three rooms with carved wooden doors and windows. Three Eight Immortals tables are put together, covered with a white tablecloth, which is both a conference table and a dining table.At the head of the big house, Chen Yi lived in the east wing, Shu Tong, director of the political department of the East China Military Region lived in the west wing, and the duty room was in the middle of the east and west wings. Deng Xiaoping started his day's work with a jar of boiled water. He usually reviewed documents, drafted documents and telegrams in the morning.Chen Yi's secretary was Tao Xubin; Shu Tong's secretary was Lin Lu; Deng Xiaoping didn't bring a secretary, and he handled everything by himself. The secretary on duty only needed to send him documents and telegrams. He sat down at a two-drawer table that was both a bedside table and a desk, lit a cigarette, and began to review the "Three Pacts" and "Ten Rules" issued by the Third Field Army for entering the city. "Tuba Road" is about to enter the city.Mao Zedong had already entered Beiping City, and the Second and Third Field Armies across the Yangtze River would also march towards the Kuomintang capital Nanjing and the international metropolis Shanghai.Since its birth, the Communist Party of China has been taking a roundabout path of encircling the city with the countryside, crossing the natural danger of the Yangtze River, and will enter a new era in which the city leads the countryside.The focus of the Party's work has shifted from the countryside to the cities.The victory of the revolution in the whole of China is just around the corner, and the Communist Party and its army will appear on the urban stage with a new look.As the first secretary of the East China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he has a heavy responsibility. He must not only take care of the overall deployment, but also must see the crucial role of the details in the overall situation, and must not be overlooked. The door was pushed open, and Chen Yi, with muddy legs, laughed haha: "Brother Comrade, we can have a tooth-beating sacrifice!" He held up a bunch of loach in his hand. When Deng Xiaoping saw it, he became interested.These two Sichuan guys are gourmets, and they are very hungry. "It's so good! Let's have loach and boiled tofu for lunch!" Deng Xiaoping said happily. "It's not tasty, you need something stronger." Chen Yi thought for a while, "How about stir-fried shredded loach?" Deng Xiaoping shook his head: "Loach is no better than eel, which can be shredded and stir-fried? Let alone the umami taste, it must be fried into a pot of paste." "Forget it, let's not argue. Give it to the chef, just let him show off his skills." Deng Xiaoping didn't have a secretary with him, but he did have a chef, and he could cook a plate of chili peppers with clear water to taste.I usually suffer from the lack of fishy meat, and there is no "place to use it". Now Chen Yi can let him show off these loach. At noon, a large bowl of delicious stewed loach with shepherd's purse was served on the table.Just as Chen Yi and Deng Xiaoping picked up their chopsticks, the secretary on duty came in and handed Deng Xiaoping a telegram from the Central Military Commission. Chen Yi saw that Deng Xiaoping's expression changed rapidly, so he leaned forward to look at it before he finished reading. "Crossing the river peacefully is naturally desirable, but delaying the crossing time is absolutely unacceptable!" Chen Yi put down his chopsticks, took the telegram and read it again. Deng Xiaoping lit a cigarette, smoked a few puffs, flicked the ash, and said: "We must report the water conditions and various unfavorable factors that delay the time of crossing the river to the Military Commission." In the afternoon, a telegram to the Military Commission was sent. ... After receiving Yu's telegram, the troops were ordered to investigate the situation of the river, but no reply has been received.According to Zeng Xisheng and others, they have been stationed by the Yangtze River for several years, and the floods begin to rise in early May of the Gregorian calendar every year.Moreover, the water in May is greater than that in July and August. The lakes on both sides of the river are flooded, and the water surface of the Yangtze River is extremely wide. At that time, crossing the river will cause great difficulties.At the same time, now our army of millions is crowding the riverside, food and firewood are extremely difficult.If it is delayed for too long, the troops must be withdrawn for food and firewood.Therefore, we suggest that the time should be postponed only under the premise that the peaceful crossing of the river can be guaranteed; otherwise, it should also be assumed that the enemy will turn his face and the river is difficult to overcome, so we should postpone the crossing until after autumn.If this is the case, it is also very important that the supply of the large army from May onwards must be prepared again from the old liberated areas.According to the current preparations of the troops, it is quite certain to cross the river immediately.It is more beneficial to fight across the river first, and then strive for peaceful acceptance. The yangko drama "Brothers and Sisters Opening up Wasteland" on stage reached its climax. The older brother who pretended to be lazy was teased by the witty younger sister and begged for mercy.The plot is humorous, fresh and exciting.Zhang Zhizhong laughed until tears flowed, and applauded vigorously. This was a performance specially arranged by Zhou Enlai for the representatives of the peace talks in Nanjing on April 7.After the performance, Zhang Zhizhong said: "It's great! From the standpoint of a representative, I can't applaud; but from the perspective of understanding a new art, I am always smiling. I am sincerely happy, this is the vitality of our nation , there is a youthful quality in it." Zhang Zhizhong came to Peiping on April 1. He met tricycle drivers, hotel and tea shop clerks, and talked with college students and middle school students. A fresh air that he had never felt before came to his face.He is no stranger to Beiping, and the dry wind is still blowing in spring, carrying yellow sand from beyond the Great Wall.But no matter the pedestrians walking on the street or the busy men and women, the elastic footsteps, the smile hanging on the corner of the mouth, the stretched eyebrows, and the celebration gongs and drums, Yangko team, and waist drum team in the streets and alleys, are all It really gives people the feeling of "changing the world".However, this did not bring him much joy. He was like a sufferer wrapped in joy, which only doubled the pain. I had this feeling before coming to Peking. It was March 30th. He made a special trip to Xikou to listen to Chiang Kai-shek's face-to-face instruction for the peace talks, and then returned to Nanjing. He was invited to give a speech at the Legislative Yuan.His peace speech won rounds of applause from the audience. This was a warm scene never seen since the Kuomintang adopted the Constitution.Facing the enthusiastic emotions of the audience, he was very painful inside.These people are in favor of peace talks because they have unrealistic expectations of peace talks, thinking that "talks" can lead to a situation where the river is ruled.No matter whether the Kuomintang is in the war or in the peace, it lacks a clear and calm understanding of the current situation.They don't understand or don't want to believe that the Kuomintang has reached the end of its life.Whether it is war or peace, it is impossible to restore the decline. Zhang Zhizhong's inner contradictions are intertwined. His pain lies in his clear understanding of the failure of the Kuomintang, but also his deep affection for the party that has served it for more than 20 years, and his gratitude to Chiang Kai-shek. Before coming to Peiping, on March 29, Zhang Zhizhong insisted on going to Xikou again, driven by this feeling.At that time Qu Wu asked him: "Wen Bai, is it still necessary to go to Xikou at this time?" Zhang Zhizhong sighed: "For such a big matter, the president must nod. Although he retreated to Xikou, the power is still in his hands. Without his approval, even if the peace talks reach an agreement, it will be useless. He is still the leader of the party. President, we are party members, and we also have the obligation to ask him for instructions. Besides, from the perspective of politeness, it is also appropriate to see him when we are parting." When Chiang Kai-shek met him, he was still courteous, but his emotional indifference was obvious.Xikou was not as quiet as it was the last time he went there. There were many people going from Nanjing, and everyone looked indifferent and gloomy.Some people couldn't save face, and talked to him perfunctorily; some avoided it on purpose.Zhang Zhizhong speculates that this atmosphere may have something to do with the upcoming peace talks and his role. Chiang Kai-shek's attitude towards the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is very subtle.He is very clear that the peace talks are a banner that Li Zongren is waving in his hand to flatter domestically and internationally.Li Zongren's actions and efforts have only one purpose, and that is to rule the river.As long as this goal is achieved, the Guangxi Clan will be able to claim that half of the country in the south of the Yangtze River is lonely, and the Jiang family will be taken over by the Guangxi Clan.However, Chiang Kai-shek has accumulated many years of ups and downs in politics, and he knows that the rules of the game in the political trading field are absolutely life and death, and there is no other room for it.He concluded that Li Zongren's dream could not come true, so he did not come forward to oppose the peace talks, and made a gesture of support for the peace talks, because he needed the peace talks to buy the time he needed.As long as the peace talks can be dragged on until the end of autumn or the end of summer, the new corps that is being equipped, 2 million troops, can be put into the battlefield. After Zhang Zhizhong returned to Nanjing, he led a peace negotiation delegation to Peiping on April 1.No matter how heavy and difficult it was, he finally sailed to the other shore like a paper boat of peace with the excessive illusions and extravagant hopes of the Kuomintang. The liberated Beiping gave Zhang Zhizhong and the representatives of Nanjing many psychological impacts. This impact was even more intense when he met Mao Zedong, the leader of the Communist Party of China. On the second day after watching the Yangko opera, Mao Zedong met him at Shuangqing Villa in Xishan.When that familiar figure appeared, he still saw Mao Zedong in dark gray patched cotton clothes, just like the one he saw in Yan'an four years ago.He sighed in his heart: The victory of the Communist Party is inevitable, and the defeat of the Kuomintang is not accidental. "Mr. Wen Bai, we meet again." Mao Zedong smiled and held Zhang Zhizhong's hand, "Thank you. I came to Chongqing in 1945, and I appreciate your warm reception." "I didn't expect to meet Chairman Mao this time for the purpose of negotiating." Zhang Zhizhong was not without regrets.He didn't say half a sentence, that is, in today's negotiation, the positions of the two parties have been adjusted from four years ago. Mao Zedong said with a smile: "For major events in the world, if they are united for a long time, they must be divided, and if they are divided for a long time, they must be united!" Mao Zedong and Zhang Zhizhong discussed many issues that day, and the atmosphere was lively and harmonious, so that Zhang Zhizhong forgot his identity and deviated from the official position of the Kuomintang. Yesterday, Mao Zedong met Liu Zhongrong, the emissary of the Guangxi Clan, in this house.This is another channel for the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to contact, a channel that is kept secret.Many major events in the world often do not depend on the hustle and bustle of the front desk, but on the transactions behind the scenes.Liu Zhongrong was the secret representative sent by Li Zongren to Beijing to contact the CCP for peace talks, and Mao Zedong also welcomed him.As early as the difficult period when Mao Zedong first entered Yan'an, Liu Zhongrong had contact with Mao Zedong, and he can be regarded as an old acquaintance.As soon as Mao Zedong saw this fellow from Hunan, he said: "My fellow, you are late! Come two or three days earlier, and you will be in time to participate in our city entry ceremony." Liu Zhongrong hurriedly said: "The road is not easy to walk, you have to cross the front line, and the trains stop and go." Mao Zedong said with emotion: "More than ten years ago, when we first moved to Yan'an from the desolate Baoan, you came to see me through the blockade; this time we just entered Beiping from Xibaipo Mountain, and you came to see me through the front line again." It can be seen that we are not only fellow villagers, but we also have fate." "Thanks to Chairman Mao!" Liu Zhongrong was very moved. "We are not blessed. From Yan'an to Peiping, from scratch, from small to large, from weak to strong, until today's victory, we rely on our ability to endure hardships and overcome difficulties." Mao Zedong's expression became serious, "Going into the city I’ve been telling everyone that we can’t learn from Li Zicheng.” Talking about the Nanjing government, there are three kinds of people, Liu Zhongrong said: "One is that they realize that the fate of the Kuomintang is doomed, so they have to seek peace and stop the war. Intervening, only to gain time, ready to fight again, this is the die-hards; there is another kind of people, who neither offend Chiang Kai-shek, nor believe in the Communist Party, vacillating, very depressed, this can be called the depressed group." Mao Zedong was very interested, "Which faction do Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi belong to?" Liu Zhongrong paused for a moment: "Let's put it this way, they are not only guarding against Chiang Kai-shek's murderous hands, but also afraid that the Communist Party will eat up the Guangxi faction. Therefore, they had to negotiate peace to achieve the ideal situation of 'governing the river'. Therefore, Bai Chongxi tried his best to He hoped that the Communist Party would not cross the river. He estimated that the Communist Party could draw out only 600,000 troops to cross the river, and believed that the KMT would rely on the natural dangers of the Yangtze River and stick to it with the navy and air force, and it would not be so easy for the PLA to cross the river." "Mr. Bai doesn't want us to cross the river. This is impossible." Mao Zedong stopped and said solemnly, "Our troops that can be used to cross the river are one million, not six hundred thousand. Moreover, we still have There are a million militias. Our militias are not like the Kuomintang militias, our militias are capable of fighting.” Liu Zhongrong said: "This is beyond Bai Chongxi's estimation." "Do you still dare to go back to Nanjing? I can guarantee you that you will come back safely." Mao Zedong asked jokingly. Liu Zhongrong smiled: "Dare, they are still waiting for the news I brought back from Beiping." "Okay." Mao Zedong took another cigarette, took a sharp puff and said, "You can tell Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi when you go back: 1. Regarding Mr. Li Zongren's political status, you can temporarily stop it and still serve as his acting president. Nanjing issued orders. Second, as for the Guangxi troops, as long as they do not attack, we will not move them, and we will discuss in detail in the future; as for Chiang Kai-shek's direct line troops, the same is true. As long as they do not attack, Mr. Li decides to keep them temporarily.番号，听候协商处理。三、关于国家统一的问题，国共双方正式谈判时，如果李先生出席，我也出席；如果李先生不愿来，由何应钦或白崇禧当代表都可以，我方则派周恩来、叶剑英、董必武参加。谈判地点在北平，不能在南京。双方协商取得一致意见后，成立中央人民政府。到时候，南京政府的牌子就不要挂啦。四、现存双方谈判代表正在接触，美国和蒋介石反动派是不甘心的，他们一定会插手破坏。希望李、白二先生不要上美帝国主义和蒋介石的大当。” 踱了一圈步，毛泽东接着道：“另外，白先生不是喜欢带兵吗？他的桂系部队只不过十来万人，将来和谈成功，成立中央人民政府，建立国防军的时候，我们可以继续请他带兵，请他指挥三十万军队。人尽其才，对国家也有好处嘛。白先生要我们不过江，这办不到。我们过江以后，如果他感到孤立，也可以退到长沙再看情况。还不行，他还可以退到广西嘛。我们来个君子协定，只要他不出击，我们三年不进广西，好不好？” 这天毛泽东和张治中谈到将近中午，从全局谈到局部，由整体谈到细节。毛泽东看张治中似有难言之隐，便道：“文白先生，有话尽管说。我们是主张和谈的，不然也不会请你们来。我们是不愿打仗的，发动内战的不是我们嘛。只要李宗仁先生诚心和谈，我们是欢迎的。” 张治中沉吟了片刻，说：“据我观察，李宗仁还是有诚意的。他是以和谈上台的，和谈不成也于他不利。只是和谈条款中提到的战犯问题……就怕李宗仁签字有难处……” 毛泽东笑了。岂止是李宗仁有难处，你张治中这个首席代表也难得很，都摆脱不了溪口那个头号战犯的威慑。“文白先生说的所谓难处，我理解。为了和谈大局，我们可以考虑从和平条款里将那个战犯名字拿下来，你看如何？” 张治中没料到毛泽东如此宽宏，忙道：“这就好了，这就好了！” 毛泽东说：“这些天双方的代表接触一下，交谈交谈，待和谈方案拟好，正式谈判就容易了。” 张治中点头，问道：“如果组建联合政府，国民政府当将权力交给新政府吗？” 毛泽东说：“联合政府还不知道何时成立，或许两三个月、三四个月都说不定。在这段时间，南京政府当照常行使职权，不要散掉了——大家都跑了，南京就散了。” 张治中由衷地说：“我们没有遵循孙中山先生的遗教进行建设，我们愧对国家，愧对人民。今后你们执政，责任是重大的。” “今后，我们大家来做，是大家合作的。”毛泽东对这位南京政府的首席代表说，“当前，重要的是共同一致地来结束战争，恢复和平，以利在全国范围内开始伟大的生产建设，使国家和人民稳步地进入富强康乐之境。” “是的，是的。毛主席的一席话使我进一步理解了共产党的襟怀，我想我们的合作是大有希望的。”张治中对毛泽东的宽宏大量、大德大仁感到无比欣慰。 不知不觉四个小时过去了，毛泽东留张治中一起进午餐。张治中得知毛泽东昨晚工作至拂晓，不忍再打扰，便谢辞了。 四月二日至十二日，双方代表先进行个别商谈。习惯夜间工作的毛泽东，生活规律全被打乱。 与此同时，来自江边的电报，沉甸甸地，一份一份，接踵而来，送到毛泽东手中。先是总前委，接着是二野、三野，字里行间透着急切与焦灼。 二野报告： 据多方调查，长江水势自清明节即逐次上涨，（据十五军实测，三月二十六日至四月四日十天内，上涨五十一公分）。四月末五月初即加速上涨；六月上中旬，即达最高涨期。且夏季南风大起，雨多、流急、浪大，对我渡江阻碍甚多。目前我军粮食已感困难，久则师老志衰。还是以四月十五日渡江为宜。 三野报告： 长江下游四月为黄梅雨季；现已到桃汛，江水日涨；五月即属雨季。如延长一月，将发生以下困难：一是现有船只三分之一是内河船只，在江中行驶困难。二是雨季稻田放水，部队展开不易；江面过宽浪大，江阴下游无法渡江；甚至十兵团方面只能做钳制佯攻方向。三是粮草困难，烧草尤其困难。四是部队已进行各种动员，如延期过久，在心理上会增加某些疑虑。 军情紧迫，时不我待。江水、雨水、粮草、军心，均不宜过长地推迟渡江的时间。就此午夜中央专题开了紧急会议，大家的意见一致认为本月十五日渡江已是不可能，就目前和谈情况，最快亦须五至十天。 此举重大，渡江作战的胜负决定了中国革命全面胜利的到来或推迟，关系到整个民族的命运和千百万官兵的鲜血与生命。 十一日早晨五时，毛泽东以军委名义，致电渡江总前委，刘、张李、粟、张。 （一）依谈判情况，我军须决定推迟一星期渡江，即由十五日渡江推迟至二十二日渡江，此点请即下达命令。 （二）按照总前委灰未电，阳历五月初开始大水，则由卯删至五月初，尚有半个月至二十天未发大水。我军从四月二十二日至五月五日十四天内渡江完毕，似乎并无不利情况。是否如此，请总前委、刘、张、李、粟、张即日电告自己的意见，以凭决策。 （三）现南京主和派（李宗仁、何应钦、张治中、邵立子、于右任、居正、童冠贤及行政、立法、监察三院大多数）正在团结自己，准备和我们签订和平协定，共同反对以蒋介石为首的主战派。此种协定，实际上是投降性质，准备十五日或十六日签字，签字后两天（即十八日）公布。公布后，对于主战派及江南敌军，估计必起大的瓦解作用。 （四）和平签字并公布后，李宗仁、何应钦须有数天时间（即十七日至二十一日），说服汤恩伯及江岸敌军向后撤退若干公里，或让出某几个地段给我军。 （五）我们方面，则协定公布后尚有数天时间，即十八日至二十一日渡江（协定规定签字后立即开始实行），对于南京政府及江南军民表示仁至义尽。对方如有反悔，曲在彼方，我则理直气壮。 （六）我方立脚点，必须放在对方反悔上面；必须假定对方签字后不公布，或公布后不执行。那时我方的损失只是推迟了七天渡江时间，此外并无损失。 （七）假如政治上有必要，还须准备再推迟七天时间，即二十三至二十九日，但此刻不作此决定。 （八）你们下达推迟渡江至二十二日命令时，不要说是为了谈判，而要说是为了友军尚未完成渡江准备工作，以免松懈士气。 （九）总之，四月下旬必须渡江，你们必须精确地准备一切。 （十）每日联络，随时电告你们意见。