Chapter 32 Chapter Thirty-Two

April 1949 Nanjing and Beiping on the banks of the Yangtze River Another great pain before the birth of New China began. This is the most sacred moment in the history of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.At this time, the ancient Yangtze River is like a golden key to start the new China. On April 20, 1949, the 1.2 million crossing troops of the Second and Third Field Armies of the Chinese People's Liberation Army had assembled at the riverside.The three groups of east, middle and west are distributed on the north bank of the Yangtze River, which winds for 1,000 kilometers.The blue sky, the soft white clouds, the red sun reflecting the spring water of the river, what a sunny day.Everything maintains a superficial peace and quiet.On the river embankment, the cannon squatted firmly on the ground, and the muzzle was silent.The gunners were in the hidden department, with yellow rapeseed flowers in their mouths, killing the leisure time before the unbearable war.Nests of ships, large and small, were moored in the shelter, crowded to the brim.The ship is dressed in camouflage, covered with green branches and leaves, like a verdant bush.This is their last day of leisure.

Night fell.Millions of heroes, thousands of troops and horses, suddenly jumped out of the ground.Like the first spring tide of the sea, like the storm surging in the sky, there is a sea of ​​smoke, dust and heat waves surging across thousands of miles of land. I can't tell how many people there are, or how many columns there are.I saw all the villages, ridges, roads, embankments, bridges... full of people, people who can't finish walking; In this river-like flow of people, there is no singing, no bugle, no shouting; there are only quick and vigorous steps, neat and rigorous order, along different roads, towards a goal - the bank of the Yangtze River, and rush forward.The guns on their shoulders were polished black and shiny, exuding a strong smell of pomade.Their steady steps could not suppress the excitement in their hearts, as if the night could not cover up the spring light of April, it showed from the corners of their mouths and brows.The company platoon leaders, holding the command flag in their hands as a cane, forced to walk in a leisurely posture.However, the flagpole just gave away their thoughts, and they were all looking for wild flowers and twigs by the roadside to knock on.

Qin Jiwei, who was walking in the team, felt in a trance that the ground shook slightly under his feet.He didn't know whether it was the vibration caused by the vigorous footsteps of thousands of people stepping on the ground, or the illusion caused by the rush of blood in his body... The Yangtze River, which he has longed for for many years, is just a few miles away.What kind of demeanor is this vast water flowing with endless myths, legends, and stories that has attracted countless heroes? He heard the conversation between the two soldiers in front: "Hey, I heard that the swallow has a small stick in its mouth. Do you know why?"

"The Yangtze River is too wide. Swallow has to rest several times along the way, so it holds a small stick in its mouth on the river." Now they have all become swallows crossing the river, but the "little stick" on their mouths has been tempered for more than half a month, and it has become a bamboo, which is placed in their chests-"they are confident". Before the army crossing the river, there were tens of thousands of wheelbarrows and shoulders carried by the people of Anhui.On these carts and loads, there are piles of military rations, ammunition, sacks, straw bales, ropes... all the materials needed by the frontline soldiers.From the first ten days of April, the rustling of wheelbarrows and the squeaking of bamboo poles can be heard on the country roads and field paths stretching hundreds of miles between the Jianghuai River and the Huaihe River.During the day, the wheelbarrow that is driving the sea rolls up a cloud of yellow dust on the dirt road; at night, there are thousands of small horse lights on the car, connected in series to form a long twinkling golden yellow line, like a galaxy falling on the ground.Crossing the river is imminent, and this flowing "Galaxy" extends forward with the movement of the army, and has been "flowing" towards the Yangtze River.

Qin Jiwei, who was standing by the river, saw a cluster of azaleas on the head of a girl pushing a cart.A kind of familiar and long-lost warmth is crashing in the chest of this son of Dabie Mountain like the waves of the Yangtze River.Women in their hometown often adorn themselves with fiery red azaleas in their happy time.This kind of flowers blooming all over the mountains and plains carries the pure beauty of the mountains and fields, warm and bold, very much like the pure and charming women in Anhui. Beside the girl was an old lady with a basket, and she walked hurriedly with her bound feet. The white hair hanging around her ears made Qin Jiwei's eye sockets moist.He stepped forward and took the old man's hand: "Mother, don't you care about your feet? Take a rest."

"Well, it's wrapped in four layers of footcloth!" This is a moment that Chinese people will remember for a lifetime, just like a pregnant woman about to give birth, expecting intertwined labor pains, joy accompanied by anxiety, heaven connected with hell. Liu Bocheng called his close partner and comrade-in-arms Deng Xiaoping from the Tongcheng headquarters and said: "Commander Deng, the folks here are seeing off the troops, beating gongs and drums, and people are like waves!" In Yaogang, Chen Qizhang, Secretary of the General Front Committee of the Battle of Crossing the River, was busy distributing documents.For the printing and binding of these documents, he has shed three layers of skin.What he is busy with is no longer the documents about crossing the river, but the "Instructions of the East China Bureau on Taking over Jiangnan Cities" and "Instructions of the East China Bureau on Rural Work in Jiangnan New District"... Deng Xiaoping, secretary of the General Front Committee, instructed that these documents must be Send it down before crossing the river.

Tan Zhenlin "Boss Tan" of China Group stood in front of the map of the headquarters with his hands behind his back, his thin body straightened.More than a dozen telephones were ringing one after another, and the director of operations, the section chief, and the staff kept reporting to him: "The 12th Army is ready to cross the river!" "The Fifteenth Army is ready to cross the river!" "The Fourth Corps is ready!" "The Central Group is ready!" "The West Group is ready!"... It's time for a total attack. The first to cross the river was the 27th Army of the Central Group.It was night, and countless ferries were sailing on the river, and the river was full of small red lights that flickered.This kind of small horse lantern with a layer of red paper hanging on the stern is a communication signal on the water.With the ups and downs of the waves, the small red lanterns are scattered all over the river, presenting a beautiful and gorgeous war spectacle.

A violent storm of artillery fire broke out on the north bank of the river.As far as the eye can see, the flames of shell explosions bursting and flashing everywhere in the north and south of the river, sometimes like spring thunder rolling among the clouds, sometimes like an earthquake and tsunami turning the world upside down.The earth is trembling, and the river is howling.In the hot air waves, trees, reeds, river beaches, and water became scarlet, jumping, shaking... The boat was in the middle of the current, the waves were strong and the current was strong, and the hull shook violently.The sound of the guns echoed across the vast river and sky, like ten thousand huge foreign iron barrels being kicked and kicked by tens of thousands of people, making a hollow noise.

The artillery fire continues to extend, and its power can extend to a depth of fifteen kilometers on the south bank of the river.Thanks to the river defense information provided by the guerrillas in southern Anhui, the advance brigade for crossing the river, and the Fifth Bao Brigade, the firing points of the shells were "targeted" and the hit rate was extremely high.Ten minutes later, the cannons in the south of the Yangtze River became silent and silent. The first battalion approached the river bank.Several bunkers on the shore that had been chipped off by artillery fire were like half-burned stumps, and they fired wildly in retaliation, making the soldiers unable to lift their heads.Battalion Commander Dong Wanhua waved his painted right arm and commanded the troops to forcibly land.The boat rowing in the front is the third row and the fifth row, followed by the second row of the Majia boat.The first ship of soldiers all died on the beach, the second ship landed on the south bank under the cover of the "command ship", followed by the third ship and the fourth ship...

When the 235th Regiment was fighting fiercely with the enemy's 88th Army on Jitou Mountain and Dagai Mountain, Nie Fengzhi, the commander of the 27th Army, jumped and stood firmly on the land in the south of the Yangtze River. He looked back and saw that the great river was flowing eastward, tens of thousands of boats were vying to cross, the waves were surging, and the waves were scaled. It was an eternal spectacle!The Yangtze River, the largest river in China, has been galloping through ancient times, and it is difficult for an army to cross.More than a thousand years ago, Cao Cao, the Prime Minister of Wei, led 830,000 troops, and was blocked on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Trapped in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the entire army was wiped out.How many thrilling live dramas have been staged here in history, leaving behind the deep regret and infinite sorrow of generations of heroes.Today, the People's Liberation Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China has crossed the Yangtze River, not only changing the history of the Yangtze River, but also rewriting the history of the whole of China.

That night, more than 100,000 people from the three armies of the Central Group crossed the Yangtze River.The Kuomintang line of defense on the south bank of the Yangtze River, which had been operating for several months, was torn open a gap more than 20 kilometers long. The entire Yangtze River defense line in Jiangnan was shaken. The headquarters of the General Front Committee of Yaogang was brightly lit all night long, and the transmitter in the two-entry wing room in front was beeping non-stop.In the hall in the middle, Deng Xiaoping paced unhurriedly with a handful of bridge cards in his hand.Secretary Tao Xubin estimated that Deng Xiaoping paced twenty kilometers in total that night.Chen Yi didn't let go of the microphone, but yelled loudly. The owner, Wang Shixin, got up in the middle of the night to relieve himself, and heard the head of the group Chen roar: "Rush up! We must take it down... The Yangtze River is ours!" Then there was a bang. In the early morning of the next day, there was laughter in the courtyard, and many people came in and out.When Wang Shixin passed the courtyard, he saw Chen Yi wearing a yellow wool coat, and said happily: "Old Wang, our army fought against the Yangtze River last night!" Wang Shixin said: "That's good, that's great. I heard you getting angry at the fort last night! When you got angry, Jiang's bandits all knelt on the edge of the Yangtze River and surrendered." Chen Yi laughed out loud.The guard said, "Uncle, that's not called a fort, it's a radio station." Tang Enbo's green jeep drove along the Yangtze River defense line all day long. In early April, he arrived at the section from Wuhu to Tongling. When he learned that the commander of the 88th Army, Ma Shigong, had left a dictionary, he left without saying goodbye.The 88th Army was transferred here to replace the 106th Army that surrendered to the Jiangbei People's Liberation Army last month. Unexpectedly, this happened again.At present, the entire Eighty-eighth Army has no leader, and it has become a swarm of bees.In desperation, Tang Enbo had no choice but to transfer the 20th Army.On April 17, he came to inspect again. The 20th Army, which can be regarded as "following orders" on the entire Jiang defense line, has not completed the transfer of defense in more than ten days.Tang Enbo's army is known for its strictness. However, in this difficult autumn, the morale of the army fluctuates, and surrenders, uprisings, and defections occur from time to time. He can't ask too much for such an army that can still be commanded.Swallowing his breath, he drove to Liu Ruming's defense area the next day. Liu Ruming's Eighth Corps is all lined up horizontally, with no deep deployment and no backup support.Tang Enbo knew at a glance that this "veteran ruffian" had the idea of ​​"sneaking out".Tang Enbo did not misread Liu Ruming, and Liu Ruming also saw clearly Tang Enbo's Jiang defense deployment.The elite of the national army were all concentrated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and Chiang Kai-shek was sincerely defending Shanghai.A miscellaneous army like him is placed in the middle of the Yangtze River, but at the cost of sacrificing strength, it's just stumbling the Communist Party's feet.Liu Ruming is not stupid, Jiang Fang belongs to Chiang Kai-shek, and the soldiers belong to him.As long as there are soldiers and guns, no one can do anything to him.His intention is very clear, that is to preserve strength.So when Tang Enbo criticized his Jiang defense deployment, he smiled lightly and said: "Commander Tang, although I, Liu, is incompetent, I have eaten military rations for so many years, and I still know how to deploy in depth and reserve support. But one carrot has a hundred Hang, what do I use for configuration and support? How about you give me another division? Commander, give me another division?" Tang Enbo really wanted to evacuate this hooligan immediately and collapse, but all he could do was to order Liu Ruming to defend the two hundred li river with a cold face.How pale and powerless his order was, even he could feel it. At dawn on April 21, Liu Ruming received a report from his subordinate Li Yizhi, commander of the 74th Division of the 55th Army, that the Communist Army had crossed the river in front of the 88th Army on their flank east of Tongling.Liu Ruming immediately convened a meeting of officers above the division level to give advice face-to-face: "The Communist Army's large-scale crossing of the river has begun. Everyone, remember two words, one is 'good', and the other is 'clever'. What do you mean? Don't worry, let me explain them one by one. You all know that our opponent this time is that blind Liu Bocheng again. Maybe it’s God’s will, there’s nothing we can do about it. But don’t be afraid of him, they are fighting with their backs this time. It's useless. They also have a word, that is "crossing" - no ships are not easy to cross, and the Yangtze River is difficult to cross. We may be able to avenge our shame and revenge this time. The blind man fell into the Yangtze River to feed the river pigs. This is the word "good". But in the event of war, the situation is unpredictable, and Liu blind man has many ghost ideas. We have to make the second preparation, which is the word "clever". That is, once If the situation is not right, retreat immediately, abandon the position, and preserve our strength. But," Liu Ruming quickly glanced at everyone present, "when implementing the 'clever' tactics, no radio is allowed, and verbal orders should be given as much as possible, and telephones should be used as a last resort. Understood?" Those who understand and those who don't understand, all nod.In fact, Liu Ruming's intentions are not difficult to understand. Without the radio, one is afraid of being eavesdropped by the People's Liberation Army, and the other is to keep Yu Zhaolong, the commander of the 96th Army, from knowing.The later the Ninety-sixth Army withdraws, the better it will be for them. Not long after the meeting ended, the cannons on the north bank of the river rang out.At first Liu Ruming thought it was a routine matter, and it would be over after a few shots. First, Liu Bocheng was used to operating at night, but now the sun was still in the sky; second, all the information he got was that Liu Bocheng crossed the river at the end of the month.Unexpectedly, the cannons fired more and more fiercely, endlessly, and the defenders everywhere on the river bank couldn't raise their heads.Suddenly the radio and phone buzzed, and they all asked for instructions: "Jun Zuo indicated, should I type the word 'good' or the word 'qiao'?!" On April 21, the two groups of the East and the West simultaneously launched a general attack on the front of 1,200 miles from Madang in the west to Jiangyin in the east. At 4:45 p.m., artillery fire was first effective.For a time, the sky and the earth were all burned red, the rolling Yangtze River had no direction to flow, and the water jets several stories high were lined up one after another, turning into a large fountain of ancient wonders.As rows of shells soared into the sky, various whistles flew up in the sky.A cloud of white smoke rose from the lighthouse at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain on the opposite bank and collapsed.Another row of artillery shells, the Huangtugang on the opposite bank jumped a few times, and Liu Ruming's cannon on the Huangtugang suddenly lost its sound.The artillerymen have intelligence maps of the underground party in southern Anhui, which can be regarded as "some shot".In the battle of crossing the river, Liu Bocheng showed his combat art to the extreme, concentrating the absolute superiority of artillery fire and troops to achieve local absolute superiority, destroying the enemy artillery positions and blockhouses that threatened the greatest threat to crossing the river. The headquarters of the Second Field Army is located in Tongcheng Middle School.Tongcheng is located at the eastern foot of the Dabie Mountains.Since the city was founded more than 1,200 years ago, the poetry, art and literature gardens have gathered together, as well as academics, officials, scholars and Confucians.The Dalong Mountains in the territory are winding and undulating, and the lakes and rivers are criss-crossing, making it an ideal place to station troops.Tongcheng Middle School, founded in 1902, has four large bronze characters—Miancheng Guoqi—cast on a giant plaque.Liu Bocheng's headquarters is located in the library on the right side of the plaque.Here, Liu Bocheng completed the concept of crossing the river.He won the victory with a surprise army, and most of the places where the crossing troops landed were in dangerous areas where it was inconvenient to land, so as to achieve the purpose of catching the enemy by surprise.This kind of bold plot made even Li Da, the chief of staff who could best understand Liu Bocheng's will, break out a layer of sweat from the tip of his nose. At 16:30 on the 21st, all the combat orders were issued, and the war room fell silent, so quiet that the creaking of gas lamps could be heard.Liu Bocheng picked up a bowl of tea and a copybook written by Liu Gongquan, sipping it one mouthful at a time, savoring it word by word.Li Da hadn't closed his eyes for two days and one night, holding the bottle of vinegar in one hand and green onions in the other, drinking and eating vinegar and green onions.This is Li Da's "coffee" from Shanxi, a refreshing "magic product" invented by him in the extreme exhaustion of long-term combat.Under the gas lamp, Zhang Jichun, the deputy political commissar of Erye, was reading "Diary in the Battlefield" written by Yao Jiming, the chief of the combat department. The phone rang suddenly, and the first person to call from the river was Yang Guoyu, then chief of staff of the 11th Army when he went south, and his cadenced Sichuan tune sounded more lively because of his over-excitement: "Our cannons are coming! The water column aroused by this old man is tens of feet high! Now we start to cross the river!" At 18:00, Li Da sent the first front-line report to the Military Commission and the General Front Committee: Erye started crossing the river at 17:00 on Ma (21st). Two regiments of the Third Corps who crossed the south bank occupied the position west of Wushazha; one regiment of the Fifth Corps occupied the highland south of Huangshiji.The rest are on the continuation. At twenty o'clock that night, the second front-line report was issued: I know that there are seven regiments of the Three Corps and two regiments of the Fifth Corps who cross the South Bank. At 24 o'clock that night, the third front-line report was issued: (1) Our three corps have already crossed four divisions, and it is estimated that the eleventh and twelve armies will be able to complete the crossing at dawn on the 22nd day of tomorrow; (2) The sixteenth army of the fifth corps has already crossed two Division, it is estimated that the army will be able to cross before dawn on Yangri tomorrow; (3) The situation of the Fourth Corps is to be reported. Qin Jiwei, commander of the 15th Army of the Fourth Corps of the Second Field Army, stood on the Huayang Zhenjiang Embankment with a big bamboo hat on his head and muddy legs.It was drizzling all over the world, and the surface of the river was misty.The first bombardment at dusk destroyed the lighthouse across the river, and the enemy's "eyes" were blinded.The moon is not out yet.Hundreds of warships entered the river from Huayang Ferry, lined up along the embankment, like arrows drawn from a bow, waiting for an order. The fly in the ointment is that there is no wind on this day, and the masts with a height of more than ten feet are bare, and the sails are useless.Unwilling to be reconciled, Qin Jiwei shook off the bamboo hat on his head and raised his face to look at the dark sky.Suddenly, there was a sound of water waves on the river, and a whistling northeast wind came unexpectedly, blowing the bamboo hats on the ground and spinning them like a top. The soldiers and boat bosses couldn't believe it. After a few seconds of silence, cheers erupted from the embankment and across the river: "God has eyes, and the Communist Party is blessed!" "Let's cross!" Qin Jiwei gave an order, and the assault fleet of the 44th Division raised its sails, and hundreds of ships competed for the crossing.In an instant, white sails were scattered all over the river, and red lights were shining everywhere.There is no sound of people, no cannon fire, only the sound of turning the rudder, rowing the oar, and rowing oars, creaking, rattling, rattling.The northeast wind bulged the white sails, and in less than a bag of cigarettes the boats turned into little white spots, and the river returned to silence.But in the dark and dreary air there was a tingling tension. Qin Jiwei was still standing on the river embankment, the rain was getting bigger and bigger with the wind, but he couldn't feel it at all.According to Liu Bocheng's purpose of "surprising the enemy", Qin Jiwei chose Xiangshan and Xiangyuzaka as the main breakthrough points.The reefs in these places are uneven and the shore cliffs are steep.Liu Ruming concluded that the People's Liberation Army would not go ashore from here, and focused on Luzhai, landmines, and firepower to the east of the lighthouse.Qin Jiwei just took advantage of this. His 15th Army fought many evil battles, and they dared to do things that their opponents did not even dare to think about.However, the stranger the war, the more dangerous it is, his heart was raised in his throat. Ten minutes later, the commander of the 44th Division reported to Shouzhi: "The boat has arrived in the middle of the river, and everything is going well." Before Qin Jiwei let out a long breath, a long string of flares flew into the sky, and the river was brightly lit.Then, intensive gunfire erupted on the south bank of the river. "Fire cover!" Qin Jiwei ordered. The white sailboat heaved and tossed in the gunfire and wind and waves, the shells like rain and hail flew with sparks, and the water column rushed through the mast.The formation of the sailboats was disordered, and some began to deviate from the course. "Know the direction, success or failure depends on it!" Qin Jiwei commanded the 44th Division remotely. "Advance without retreat, fight for the first ship!" This is the slogan of the commandos of the 44th Division at the swearing-in meeting, and now they are fulfilling their oath. The "Red Three Company" rushed on a big ship in front, and the instructor Zhou Fuqi stood on the bow, carrying the red flag of "fighting across the Yangtze River", commanding the soldiers of the whole company.Suddenly the bow of the boat tilted, and he looked back. The old boatman Wang Yanxian fell in a pool of blood and seriously injured one leg.Zhou Fuqi inserted the red flag into his collar, grabbed the rudder of the boat, and at the same time ordered the health worker to bandage Uncle Wang's wound. Suddenly a light flashed, and with a "click", the hull tilted to the left, and the mast at the bow was blown off in the middle.The mast and sail fell into the turbulent river, but the rope at the other end was still connected to the boat.Zhou Fuqi was knocked down all of a sudden, and the river rushed in from the port side.At the critical moment, the big warrior Zhang Guozheng held the rudder firmly with his iron-like arms. "Take the axe and chop the rope!" shouted Uncle Wang. The fourth squad leader, Gao Yusheng, picked up the axe, and with a bang, the hull swung violently to the right, shook a few times, and stabilized. Soldiers swung oars, shovels, planks and even helmets to march forward.Uncle Wang, who was lying in the stern, shouted to the soldiers: "Comrade Dajun, work harder, we are about to dock!" Zhang Guozheng stripped off his shirt and put on his shirt. The south bank is just around the corner, and the trees on the Hongtu hill can be seen faintly.Suddenly there was a blinding light, tongues of flame burst out from the red hill, and the enemy began to block the beach with flamethrowers.The kerosene ignited a black and red flame more than a foot high with the collision and tumbling waves.In a few minutes, the surface of the river with a radius of 50 meters turned red, blocking the way to land. "Light and heavy machine guns, special shooters, and flamethrowers!" Zhou Fuqi ordered. The whole company began to shoot at Hongtugang.At this time, the artillery shells on the north bank of the river flew by and hit Hongtugang.The follow-up troops caught up one after another, and all fired on the frontal enemy, and the enemy's momentum weakened. "Squad 4, prepare to land! Squad 6, prepare the grenades and cooperate with the fire team to cover!" Zhou Fuqi had given an order and was about to lead the firepower team to land when someone suddenly fell on top of him.He hurriedly hugged and saw that it was Zhang Guozheng.Blood flowed down from Zhang Guozheng's left and right arms, and his naked chest and abdomen were bloody and bloody. "...Instructor, I...have I completed the task?" Zhou Fuqi understood the full meaning of this sentence.On the eve of crossing the river, Zhang Guozheng submitted an application for joining the party to the branch, hoping to be tested in battle, and hoped that once he died after completing the mission, he would be recognized as a Communist Party member. "Good comrade..." Zhou Fuqi choked up, "You have completed the task, don't worry!" Zhang Guozheng's lips moved and he closed his eyes.The situation did not allow for a moment's delay, Zhou Fuqi waved the red flag, gritted his teeth, and strode up the river bank. After a fierce confrontation, the enemy's arrogance gradually decreased.This place was originally the weakest point of Liu Ruming's fortification. Due to the sudden arrival of the army crossing the river, the up and down chaos;Despite the heavy losses at the front, the defensive battle was still very tenacious, and almost all the firepower was poured on Jiangxin. When Liu Ruming heard that he had suffered heavy losses and fought tenaciously, instead of appreciating it, he became furious, scolded his subordinates, and immediately issued three orders to his Eighth Corps.The first way is to turn off the radio station, cut off contact with the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Garrison General Command, Nanjing headquarters, and neighboring troops, so as to facilitate their own activities; The third way is to order the units directly under the Corps to retreat to the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line as quickly as possible. Chief of Staff Liu Jie asked to wait a while and transfer a division to go with the Corps.Liu Ruming slapped the table: "Have you forgotten Liu Bocheng's tactical principle? Now you don't have to worry about the list but the unhappiness of the soldiers. If you are fast, you will win. If you are slow, you will be a prisoner! Withdraw!" Less than half of the troops had withdrawn, the first and second echelons of the People's Liberation Army had rushed to the river bank, controlled key points and routes, and "wrapped dumplings" for the first-line troops of Liu Ruming's Eighth Corps. This situation is actually recorded in the KMT's so-called "A Brief History of Fighting Rebellion": "The river is full of bandit ships, connected end to end, and there is an endless stream." "There are too many bandit ships. Downstream to Wuhu." The official lamented that the momentum of the People's Liberation Army was "almost invincible". At 9:00 p.m. on April 21, the Second Field Army of the Western Group had crossed 16 regiments and controlled a landing field more than 200 miles wide and 10 to 20 miles deep; After two days of fighting, Qingyang, Gaotan, Zhide and Madang Fortress were occupied.Anqing defended the enemy, abandoned the city and fled, and was chased and wiped out in the Wutianpu area. So far, the Second Field Army successfully broke through the Yangtze River defense line, strategically cutting off the connection between Tang Enbo, the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Garrison General Command, and the Central China Bai Chongxi Group.However, due to the proper strategy and tactics of the Second Field Army, the six regiments of the third and fifth corps that crossed the river in the first batch had less than ten casualties. April twenty-first.Jiangyin to Yangzhong section of the Yangtze River. The East Group faced the elite troops of the Kuomintang.The middle section from Jiangyin to Yangzhou is Tang Enbo's most important place to defend and a place of worry.If this line of defense is breached, his plan to defend Greater Shanghai will be in vain, so he deployed the elite 54th, 28th, and 4th armies along the east of Nanjing.Defending the Jiangyin Fortress is the 21st Army, the best of the best equipped with beautiful weapons. Su Yu, the deputy commander of the Third Field Army, had calmness and wisdom in his deep eye sockets. While he deployed his two regiments, eight armies, and 350,000 troops one by one, he moved his army to fight against the enemy since 1947. The "rebellion" wheel placed in the enemy's base is a two-pronged approach.When the 21st Army of the Kuomintang received a report from the Jiangfang Frontier Force that "the communist army has begun to cross the river", Su Yu's commando had already boarded the Jiangfang position.Su Yu's strategic vision and outstanding military talent once again established his important position in the long river of Chinese revolution. Due to the success of the rebellion, more than 7,000 officers and soldiers in the Jiangyin Fortress revolted on the spot, turned their guns around, and responded to the troops crossing the river.The 29th Army of the Third Field Army continued to land from the breakthrough point of Jiangyin, which enabled the East Group's cross-river operations to advance rapidly.In the morning of the next day, with the rising of a red sun, the East Group Army continued to expand its results and defeated the three river defense armies of the Kuomintang, completely paralyzing the defense of the Yangtze River in the Jiangyin-Yangzhong section. On April 22, the entire line of the Kuomintang's Thousand-Li River Defense collapsed. Millions of troops fought fiercely against the natural dangers of the Yangtze River, and the youngest among them was only four years old. He was Wang Jinshan's son Manman.When he was carried on the bow, his young life had been handed over to the revolution just like his father's generation.Together with millions of warriors, he has withstood the baptism of the turbulent river and artillery fire. The flames and heat waves from the flamethrower burned his tender little face purple.It was an era and moment for casting heroes. Xiao Manman personally experienced that era and that moment, which benefited him endlessly throughout his life.This is due to his "crazy" father. From the eyes of ordinary people, this is indeed a bit "crazy". To commemorate that unusual moment, each person was issued a commemorative badge after crossing the river.But one person was missed, that is the four-year-old Manman.He refused, and protested with tears: "Why didn't I?!" "Yeah," Wang Jinshan smiled and slapped his forehead, "Why did you forget about our little warrior? Here, mine belongs to you." "No, I want mine! Why did you forget me?!" The Yangtze River was left behind by the PLA. Under the powerful offensive of the army crossing the river, the defending Jiang army was in disarray.Seeing that the Jiangfang Army was in danger of being divided and encircled by the PLA along the river, Tang Enbo immediately ordered a general retreat on the afternoon of April 22.He ordered the troops west of Wuhu to retreat to Zhejiang Road; he ordered the troops east of Wuhu to retreat to Shanghai and Hangzhou.He wants to form a new line of defense with two withdrawn troops and stick to Shanghai.The Jiangfang army who received the order on the Jiangfang line and the Jiangfang army who did not receive the order all fled away, like a frightened horse and a sheep running away.For a time, the large and small highways and dirt roads in the south of the Yangtze River were flying with loess, covering the sky and blocking the sun... Liu Bocheng of Tongcheng, with a magnifying glass in his hand, locked on the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway and the Huihang Highway. He analyzed that the enemy retreated southward in an organized manner, and might want to use the Qiantang River, Shanghai-Hangzhou Road, and Zhejiang-Jiangxi Road to form a new line of defense based on the mountainous areas on the Anhui-Zhejiang border.At present, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and the Beijing-Hangzhou Highway have been cut off by the Third Field Army, and the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway and the Huihang Highway have become the only channels for the enemy to retreat. He took a sip of water, turned his hands behind his back for half a circle, stopped suddenly, and said to Chief of Staff Li Da: "We must immediately change the original combat direction." Li Da and Liu Bocheng approached the map, and Liu Bocheng continued: "Our main force no longer crosses the three fields to go to the Nanjing area, but goes straight out of Guixi, Shangrao, Quzhou, and Yiwu on the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line with all our strength. This can cut off the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line. It can also cut off the connection between Jiang and Guangxi, use all its strength to detour to the side of Jiang's army, deal a severe blow to it, and expand the scope of the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou battle I planned." Li Da said, "Okay. I'll report to the General Front Committee right away." On the same day, the General Front Committee approved this strategy.On the same day, the Second Field Army issued the "Instructions on Cutting off the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Line and the Huizhou-Hangzhou Line to the Corps", requiring the Three Corps to attack the enemy in Huizhou, the Fourth Corps to attack the enemy in Shangrao, and the Fifth Corps to attack the enemy in Jiezhou and requested that "all troops should speed up their marches and increase their mileage so as not to delay and lose fighter opportunities." The corps moved after hearing the order, and the men did not stop, the horses did not unload their saddles, and they traveled 120 li a day, advancing southward, and began a great pursuit in the history of China's liberation war. On April 21, the Legislative Yuan of the Kuomintang in Nanjing issued an urgent notice that the 225 legislators who wanted to stay in Nanjing should leave immediately by plane, and ten transport planes had been prepared at Ming Palace Airport. The spring breeze is rippling, and the sycamore trees in Nanjing are still whirling and dancing, but people no longer have time to watch and pay attention.The sound of rumbling guns that came with the spring breeze enveloped the capital in panic and fear.The Beijing-Shanghai Railway has been interrupted, and the fleeing crowd flocked to the Beijing-Hangzhou Highway like a flood. In the presidential palace, Li Zongren was holding an emergency meeting, and He Yingqin and Gu Zhutong who were present were silent.Li Zongren had a blank face, his high cheekbones stood up tragically, and his five fingers subconsciously tapped on the table. Bai Chongxi is worthy of being the mainstay of the Guangxi Clan and the pillar of the national army. At this time, his face is still clear and his ambition is undiminished. He has not lost confidence in sticking to Wuhan and the southwestern half because of the communist army crossing the river.He first said: "Give up Beijing and Shanghai! De Gong, the only way out is to give up Beijing and Shanghai. If Tang Enbo abandons Beijing and Shanghai, and moves the main force to the Zhejiang-Jiangxi and Nanxun lines, he will compete with our 400,000 troops in Central China and stick to it." Hunan and Jiangxi can prevent the communist army from fleeing into the southwest." Li Zongren looked at He Yingqin and Gu Zhutong, and he agreed with Bai Chongxi's plan to save the decadence.However, it is Chiang Kai-shek's plan to stick to Shanghai. Can he agree to abandon Shanghai?Since he does not allow the Guangxi Clan to own half of Jiangnan, how can he let the Southwest belong to the Guangxi Clan? He Yingqin said, "This is the only option right now." Gu Zhutong nodded: "Yes, there is no other choice!" Li Zongren said: "I think what Jian Sheng said is very reasonable, but Tang Enbo..." He is really useless as the acting president.On the second day, Chiang Kai-shek from Xikou sent a special plane to pick up Li Zongren for a meeting in Hangzhou. On the morning of April 22, Li Zongren boarded the plane.This was their first meeting since Chiang Kai-shek retired on January 21.When the two hands were clasped together, both of them felt desolate in their hearts.Li Zongren did not expect that in just three months, nine out of ten of Chiang Kai-shek's beard and hair turned white.Chiang Kai-shek's eyes were pierced by Li Zongren's towering cheekbones. The Chinese character face he was very familiar with was already "a country will not be a country". In this mood, the two exchanged some pleasantries before going straight to the point. Li Zongren held back his anger, suppressed it again and again, but his tone was still very blunt: "You asked me to come out at the beginning because of the peace talks. Now the peace talks have broken down, the communist army is marching across the river, and the fall of Nanjing is imminent. What do you think?" manage?" "You continue to lead, I support you, don't be discouraged!" Chiang Kai-shek looked sincere. Li Zongren simply opened up and said: "If you want me to continue to lead, I can die. However, in the current situation where there are multiple governments and one country and three publics, no one can do things. How can I lead? ! " Chiang Kai-shek is indeed much more experienced than Li Zongren, although Li Zongren's words are very disrespectful, but there is no trace of anger on his face.Right now he still needs this shield, and Li Zongren needs to support him.Some gold and silver and the aftermath of Shanghai have not yet been settled. If Li Zongren can support for one more day, he will win one more day.He leaned forward and said, "The current situation has come to this point, brother Delin, only if you continue to lead can there be hope, and no one can replace you! No matter what you want to do, I will always support you!" Chiang Kai-shek's sincere eyes made Li Zongren most of his anger all of a sudden. "Since this is the case," Li Zongren said, "Shanghai must be abandoned right now to ensure Guangdong, Guangxi and the Southwest. Tang Enbo's troops should quickly move to Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and form a corner with Bai Jiansheng's Central China troops to prevent the Communist army from committing crimes in the south." "This discussion is very good." Chiang Kai-shek remained calm, "The military command is in the Ministry of National Defense. You are the acting president. You can ask the Ministry of Defense to order deployment according to your will. I will never ask." "What is the relationship between the General Staff and the Ministry of National Defense in the future?" Li Zongren pressed on.Chiang Kai-shek has always directly commanded the army through the General Staff, and the Ministry of National Defense and him are overhead. 蒋介石反应极快：“今后，参谋总长直接向国防部长负责。” 蒋介石一退再退，看来李宗仁就是提出一百个要求，他也会一百个答应。以至于李宗仁自己都感到，若再说下去，就显得太小家子气了。 蒋介石又是一番安慰和鼓励，再三表示他全力支持的诚意。 作别时，李宗仁心里一片茫然。他和蒋介石相处数十年，深知其久染洋场恶习，说话向来是不算数的。 会见结束，当天李宗仁飞回南京。飞机一落地，四郊的炮声、枪声礼炮一般不绝于耳，南京城内一片凄凉。平素最繁华的中山路、太平路，商店全部关门停业，街上行人绝迹，只有少数部队在做撤退准备。 当晚，汤恩伯奉召来谒。李宗仁问：“目前战局如何？” 汤恩伯数日未眠，面容浮肿，答道：“共军已迫近城郊。本晚大约无事，但务必请代总统至迟于明日清晨离京，以策安全。” 晚八时许，李宗仁派往北平的和谈代表章士钊、邵力子等人联衔来电，言之，共军入城时代总统不必离京；如嫌南京不安全，不妨径飞北平，中共当待以上宾之礼，竭诚欢迎。 李宗仁早已明白，他的这些代表是决心向共产党靠拢了，责其临危变节亦属徒然，遂将电报掷于地上。 四月二十三日，天蒙蒙亮，李宗仁被剧烈的炮声从睡梦中震醒。 “共军就要进城了……”他自言自语。 这时一阵急促的电话铃声响起，是汤恩伯打来的。汤恩伯报告解放军先头部队已经攻进城区，催促他赶快乘飞机离开南京。李宗仁来到机场，飞机的马达已经发动，汤恩伯和首都卫戍司令张耀明在机前迎候。 匆匆握别，匆匆登机，不待李宗仁坐稳，飞机便呼啸而起。 “绕南京盘旋两圈吧。”李宗仁低沉地交代秘书。这时东方已白，长江如练，南京城郊炮火方浓。当机翼掠过中山陵那一片灰蓝色的建筑群时，他粗大的喉结一阵颤抖，痛苦地闭上眼。 副驾驶员入机舱请示飞航目标。李宗仁缓缓启目，良久，说了句：“先飞桂林吧。”飞机随即转翼向西南飞去。 当日午夜，南京城宣告解放。 总统府威严的红漆大门被撞开，人民解放军如长江巨流汹涌澎湃奔腾而入。前后大殿、大堂、侧堂、甬道、熙园、画舫……一时间如爆满的河床，无数条打着绑腿的泥脚在飞奔，咚咚咚如春雷滚动，响彻这个神圣了数百年的官府衙门。 国民党的青天白日旗从旗杆上飘落，被掷踏于地。 国府机枢之地再无森严与威风。 “打到南京去，解放全中国”不再是口号。泥腿子的后代，土八路的大兵，双脚实实在在地踩着国民政府的大红地毯。这一切来得那么艰难，自一九二一年七月一日中国共产党成立，为之奋斗了整整二十八年。然而，这一切来得又是如此让人始料不及。自一九四五年八月十五日抗日战争结束，国民党四百多万军队气势汹汹地全面进攻、重点进攻，直至攻占了共产党解放区的首府延安；却在一九四七年七月黄河边上那个寂静而暴烈的夏夜以后不到两年的时间里，稀里哗啦，所剩无几，连号称龙盘虎踞的南京城都无力守护，就这么弃都而逃了。解放军的士兵们欢呼着，一直向里冲，冲过长廊，冲上十级大理石台阶，冲进“子超楼”，踩着满地散落的文件、纸片，一口气冲到挂着“总统办公室”牌子的大门前。打头的士兵猛然顿足。 Excited?仇恨？joy?Can't tell. 大门嘭地被打开了。 蒋介石巨大的写字台上，日历翻在四月二十二日。 就在这天午夜，已经脱衣睡下的蒋介石突然一跃而起，对儿子蒋经国说：“准备船，我们要走了。” “去哪里？”蒋经国一脸困惑。 蒋介石未语。直到“太康”号兵舰驶出港湾，蒋介石才出乎所有随行者的意料，对舰长黎玉玺说：“去上海。” 北平，香山双清别墅。 毛泽东已经脱下那件臃肿的棉衣，换上了春装。虽是通宵伏案工作，脸上却毫无倦意。用过早餐后，他信步走进六角凉亭。庭院里洒满了阳光，双清泉水如歌如琴潺潺流淌。几只麻雀在觅食，蹦蹦跳跳，唧唧喳喳，把毛泽东逗笑了。他的心情非常好。 秘书兴冲冲快步走来，将一张《人民日报》递给毛泽东，说：“主席，南京解放的捷报出来啦！” “噢，这样快！” 晨风中，“南京解放”的大字标题赫然在目。 南京这座古城对于毛泽东，更多的是理性的政治的概念。这个权柄之地，自一九二七年三月蒋介石在此成立军事委员会，一九二八年四月又成立了他的国民政府，这里便成了政权的象征。围绕着中国政权的归属问题，国共两党进行了长达数十年的殊死搏斗。而今乾坤陡转，地覆天翻，四海归一。毛泽东心潮澎湃，思绪万千，酝酿于怀的诗情喷薄迸发，一首《七律？人民解放军占领南京》跃上笔端：