Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Banners Open and Teachers Come Out

After Chiang Kai-shek hastily congratulated "Merry Christmas" to his wife, he hurried to the venue of the "National Assembly".Whether it is a deliberate arrangement or an unintentional coincidence, a new draft constitution will be adopted on this meaningful day.In this way, Chiang Kai-shek spent Christmas 1946 in a state of happiness and helplessness. Back in the dark night, the great loneliness seized him again. The period after June 1946 is simply unbearable to look back on!Stalin had formed an unbreakable alliance with the CCP and opened the door for the CCP to enter the Northeast.At this juncture, the US special envoy Marshall went back to the other side of the ocean to be his secretary of state full of anger and complaints.Taking the attack on the Central Plains as the starting point, the national army mobilized 1.6 million "elite" divisions to attack the CCP's liberated areas in an all-round way. What is its record?In addition to occupying 105 empty cities, there is almost nothing to gain.Now, the 105 cities have to raise hundreds of thousands of soldiers just to garrison them, and almost every city has become a burden.The problem is not only these, it also became an important excuse for Zhou Enlai to criticize the Kuomintang for tearing up the "Armistice Agreement" at the negotiating table.

Could it be that he is really facing bankruptcy?Chiang Kai-shek stared at the unfathomable night, and the ebb and flow of his heart could not be calm.Unknowingly, he turned on the desk lamp and sat up with his clothes on. He sat like this for a long, long time, but it was still dark.He simply got up and came to the desk to read the pile of important documents selected by the confidential secretary.Suddenly, he was attracted by a document stamped with the seal of "Top Secret" by the Ministry of Defense. That was the "Battle Plan for Raiding Northern Shaanxi" prepared by Hu Zongnan, commander of the First Theater Command, as early as May 16, before the KMT-CPC negotiations completely broke down.In this plan, Hu suggested that through the "Li Ting Sweeping Caves" blitzkrieg operation, he would go straight to Yan'an and flatten northern Shaanxi.Hu Zongnan's enthusiasm is commendable, but in Chiang Kai-shek's view, it was too hasty to mention "attacking northern Shaanxi" at that time.

At that time, Chiang Kai-shek's eyes were fixed on the Central Plains. There was an ancient saying that "those who lose the Central Plains lose the world", but did not comment on northern Shaanxi.Just because the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is placed in northern Shaanxi, it cannot disturb the overall strategic deployment.Besides, at that time, the Kuomintang had not publicly abandoned the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and rashly took action against northern Shaanxi and Yan'an. In terms of public opinion in the international community, it would also be at a disadvantage.Of course, this political account must be settled.Hu Zongnan was young and energetic, eager to make contributions, and from time to time he liked to make a little publicity, Chiang Kai-shek knew it well.But this is not a bad thing. On the contrary, Jiang attaches great importance to this "Whampoa heritage".As for "attacking northern Shaanxi", it's only a matter of time.Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek gave this plan the word "suspend" after a little deliberation.

This "slowness" has been "slowly" for more than half a year.In the meantime, Hu Zongnan wrote a letter again in mid-October, revisiting the grand plan to raid Yan'an and capture northern Shaanxi. Chiang Kai-shek was still weighing and weighing in his hands. Four months have passed, and Chiang Kai-shek has not been thinking of a "new strategy" to deal with the Communist Party for a day, and finally he has a little bit of experience.At this moment, the battle plan of "attacking northern Shaanxi" came before my eyes again.In an instant, Chiang Kai-shek felt a touch of long-lost emotion in his heart.it's time!Chiang Kai-shek slowly flipped through the "Battle Plan for Raiding Northern Shaanxi" in front of him.After a while, he got up and walked closer to the map, staring at thousands of miles of rivers and mountains for a long time.What stands out in his heart at this time is not only northern Shaanxi, but also Shandong, which is opposite to it.

The adjustment of the CCP's liberated areas from an all-out attack to a focused attack has been brewing in Jiang's mind for many days.This established goal, put on the map and perfunctory, becomes more and more clear, that is to focus on capturing the east and west wings of North China and the Central Plains.If within one month, mobilize heavy troops to attack Luzhong in the east and Yan'an in the west, it will be tantamount to cutting off the left and right arms of the CCP.Then, another thing will attack and cover the Central Plains, and North China and Northeast China will not be a problem!

Chiang Kai-shek was so excited about his own profound thoughts, and regardless of the dawn when he was still asleep, he picked up the phone and connected Gu Zhutong and Hu Zongnan, who were thousands of miles away: "Get ready, I want to see you... ..." At this very moment, Chiang had made a rough idea that he would mobilize nearly a hundred brigades (later the exact number was 94 brigades with a total of 700,000 people) to form a powerful strategic offensive group on the east and west fronts. Quickly, put two satellites in Shandong and northern Shaanxi! The following drama depends on Gu Zhutong and Hu Zongnan!Chiang Kai-shek subconsciously filtered these two people in his heart again.Since Gu Zhutong was a tactical instructor at the Whampoa Military Academy, Jiang has been very optimistic about his military ability.Back then, Sun Yat-sen ordered the formation of the Kuomintang party army and appointed Jiang as military secretary. Jiang's first thing was to set up the Whampoa Military Academy Teaching Corps. Gu Zhutong was immediately appointed as the commander of the first battalion of the second regiment, and was promoted to commander in the blink of an eye.During the Anti-Japanese War, the Southern Anhui Incident, which shocked China and the world, was Gu Zhutong's masterpiece.This gave Chiang a new understanding of his "talent" beyond military affairs.Chiang Kai-shek is convinced that he is called "the crocodile of the Jianghuai River".

As for Hu Zongnan, Jiang couldn't hide his complacency when he mentioned his name.He often proudly said: "Zongnan is my true student!" In the power circle of the Jiang Group, how many people can bear this honor?Such a sentence is worth ten thousand sentences!At this moment, Chiang Kai-shek couldn't help but recall the situation when he personally led Chen Lifu and Bai Chongxi to Xi'an a few months ago. That time he made a special trip to visit Hu Zongnan's official residence at No. 1 East Cangmen.He was pleasantly surprised to see that in the center of Hu's living room hung a grand photo of himself and Sun Yat-sen on the Zhongshan Ship, with the words "gifted by Jiang Zhongzheng" inscribed in Jiang's own handwriting on it.Does Hu Zongnan's loyalty and following spirit need to be tested?

Indeed, Hu Zongnan's irreplaceable position in Chiang Kai-shek's heart cannot be shaken by anyone.Hu himself was convinced of this.He has worked tirelessly in the Northwest for several years, and he always dreamed of having a chance to show his talents. In the past few months after the release of the "Battle Plan for Raiding Northern Shaanxi", Hu Zongnan lived like a year, waiting for Lao Jiang to speak.Now, what are you waiting for?In one breath, he called together the important people under his command, such as Pei Changhui, Gao Guizi, Liu Maoen, Li Tiejun, Luo Lie, Dong Zhao, Sheng Wen, Liu Kan and so on.All of a sudden, the small buildings in the headquarters of the Sui Department in Xi'an were in chaos.

Everything goes into a state of war.Aunts and wives who go shopping in the street, those who listen to Qin opera in the opera garden, those who flirt at the mahjong table...all change their clothes and stand in front of this little soldier.Hu Zongnan's triangular belt was tightly strung around his body, and he stared at all his subordinates with piercing eyes.He forced himself to sink his qi into his dantian, creating an unpredictable cloud on his face to show his profundity and majesty.This bit of bravado was taught by Lao Jiang.In a very short period of time, just by being silent, it can cause the other party to panic psychologically, and then, when a word pops out, the whole audience will be shocked in all likelihood.

Now, Hu Zongnan's first sentence is: "Three months ago, the president stood here to give you a lecture!" Everyone's minds buzzed, Hu Zongnan stood in front of them, but another voice sounded next to their ears: "In order to defend the Great Northwest This fortress defends the achievements of the War of Resistance and completes the national revolution. You are fighting hard! Therefore, there is my impregnable Northwest, which is the glory of the party and the country..." Hu Zongnan intentionally created such effects.Seeing that everyone was a little distracted, he immediately raised his voice by an octave, and tried his best to pronounce the strong Zhejiang-style Mandarin: "Nowadays, some people blame us for the partial failure of the party-state and some troubles in US aid. ...Military incompetence, political corruption, and economic crisis are all nonsense and really outrageous! At present, the National Assembly has decided the people's opinion, and the leader is still our leader! He is still supported by the whole people! Hu Zongnan changed his tone, and suddenly blamed himself a little bit: "It's us soldiers in the front who can't share the leaders' worries, so ashamed! The president has high hopes for us, and hopes that our soldiers in the Northwest will raise their anti-communist spirit. Do you remember taking on the arduous mission of conquering Yan'an and turning the Northwest into the center of anti-communism and national salvation?"

Sheng Wen, chief of staff of the Sui Department, is very careful.During Hu Zongnan's lectures, he was always looking for someone, and that was Xiong Xianghui, who never left Hu Zongnan's side and never showed his sensuality. The origin of the matter has to be traced back to Fan Hanjie, the former Chief of Staff of the First Theater.After Hu Zongnan deliberately boasted many times, Fan Hanjie paid special attention to Xiong Xianghui at the beginning, and gradually, they began to have some contacts with each other.Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. His impression of Xiong Xianghui gradually deepened, and he felt that this person was smart and stable, generous and tolerant, and he played seamlessly with his subordinates. A perfect person, from this, a feeling of uneasiness also quietly breeds.He noticed that Xiong's social interactions in Xi'an were complicated but clear, without any color, at best they were idlers.This caused Fan Hanjie's research to be delayed.Reluctantly, on the eve of going to the Northeast Security Command to take up the post of commander in chief, Fan Hanjie confessed to Sheng Wen without any reason by means of small talk. After Hu Zongnan's lecture, there was a short break during the meeting.Sheng Wen walked to Hu Zongnan's side, pretending to be casual and asked, "Why didn't you see Little Bear at the meeting?" Hu Zongnan's face immediately showed a bit of pride: "Oh, I plan to sponsor him to study in the United States. Recently, he is busy, taking care of some housework, and getting married..." Sheng Wen chuckled, and said repeatedly: "Good thing! Good thing..." After speaking, he returned to his seat and began to meditate.He is a very high-spirited person, and he was very impatient after hearing Hu Zongnan's great truth, but he restrained himself.I don't know why, but at this moment, I suddenly feel uncomfortable.So, he got up slowly and said: "What Chief Hu said just now is very bold. In fact, didn't the committee make it very clear a long time ago that the key to fighting Yan'an is to eliminate the vital forces of the Communist bandits. In this case, according to our original plan In my humble opinion, the CCP’s 40,000 to 50,000 troops in the Yan’an area are not enough to kill our planes and cannons!” Although these words are arrogant, they are not without some truth.In order to deal with the liberated areas in northern Shaanxi, Chiang Kai-shek has painstakingly made a large number of deployments. Just look at the expansion of Hu Zongnan's air power, and it is clear at a glance.In the past few months, the small Xi'an Airport has accommodated nearly a hundred aircraft of various types such as C-46, C-47, P-51, and B-25.The Xi'an Air Force is the third military region with the strongest Kuomintang Air Force. It has jurisdiction over seven provinces including Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang. It can command a P-47 fighter brigade (the 11th Air Force Brigade) belongs to 4 squadrons.Three of these four squadrons are equipped with 12 P-47 aircraft, and the other squadron is equipped with 12 P-40 fighter jets, for a total of 48 aircraft, which are under the command of Hu Zongnan at any time.In addition, there are 12 bombers of the B-25 Bomber Squadron (Ninth Squadron of the Air Force) belonging to the First Hankou Bombing Brigade, C- 12 to 24 aircraft in 1 to 2 squadrons of 47 or C-46 airlift aircraft are also waiting for deployment.These air force pilots below the squadron leader were all graduates of the first, second, third, and fourth phases of the Chengdu Air Force Sergeant School training during the Anti-Japanese War. They also underwent actual combat training in the later period of the Anti-Japanese War. for youth". Of course, the facts are by no means limited to these. Sheng Wen did not know that Chiang Kai-shek had decided to appoint Hu Zongnan as the commander-in-chief of this unprecedented "encirclement and suppression".In addition to Hu's headquarters, the Ningxia Ma Hongkui Group, Qinghai Ma Bufang Group, and Yulin Deng Baoshan Group have a total of 34 brigades with 250,000 people, all of which will be handed over to Hu Zongnan's command.Chiang Kai-shek has made up his mind and plans to let Hu Zongnan besiege the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region in five ways, seize Yan'an in one fell swoop, and eliminate the CCP's party, government, and military headquarters and border area troops. All this, Hu Zongnan's heart is much brighter than Sheng Wen's.Therefore, in terms of self-confidence, Hu Bisheng is even worse.However, "Officer Hu" did not pretend to be alarming, but walked back and forth heavily, and said with a sneer, "Chief of Staff, don't underestimate the enemy. Yes, the Communist Party in northern Shaanxi has only tens of thousands of troops. All the people in the north have the habit of wielding guns and knives. Besides, don’t forget that there are still three columns of He Long in the Jinsui area across the river from northern Shaanxi!” When he said this, he suddenly said Turn around, "Naturally, soldiers never tire of deceit. We can use ten brigades, plus an armored regiment, to attract the main force of the CCP in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region to Longdong, forming a decisive battle. In this way, is it possible to attack Yan'an? ..." Hu Zongnan paid attention to everyone's expressions, and everyone was suddenly enlightened, but Dong Zhao, Liu Kan, Li Tiejun and others were quite disapproving. Hu Zongnan raised his chin proudly, his eyes shot out the light that swept thousands of troops, and said: "I have decided to attack Longdong with the reorganized 29th Army, first take Qingyang, and then take Heshui!" Liu Kan, the commander of the 29th Army The muscle under the eyeball couldn't help jumping a few times.Longdong has long been a fuse, and the battle at Yetai Mountain was fought here a year ago. As soon as the Longdong Hu army moved, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China immediately became sensitive.This is a "fist" protruding from the southern line of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, and it is called the salient in military terms.Because of its special status, a Guanzhong sub-region was specially designated.It turns from Yijun to the south through Tongguan (now Tongchuan) and Yaoxian County, then to the west through Chunhua, to the north through Xunyi to Zhengning in Gansu, a line is drawn like a bag, Yijun Hezhengning is the mouth of the pocket, so the Kuomintang army also called it the "sac-shaped zone". Needless to say, the strategic location of this "capsular zone" inserted into the area occupied by the Kuomintang army is very important.In terms of the defense of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, it is a top independent outpost.With such an "outpost", all towns, large and small, in the Guanzhong and Longdong regions occupied by the Kuomintang army will be worried and uneasy.At the same time, it also poses a serious threat to the western section of the Longhai Railway and the traffic line of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Highway.This is another convenient transportation line. The CCP’s Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region just took advantage of this gap to import and export all materials. The Kuomintang government’s economic blockade of the border region often failed because it could not tie up this “pocket”.Therefore, when Hu Zongnan mentioned the "sac-shaped zone", he got a headache, complained in front of Chiang Kai-shek, and made countless attempts to get it, but he couldn't get it.This time, his goal is Yan'an. If the "capsular zone" is not resolved, he will gather troops in the Yi and Luo areas, and his ass will be left in front of everyone.With threats to the side and unsafe supply lines in the rear, how can we talk about capturing Yan'an?This is the fundamental motivation for him to spend ten times as many troops as a small article.Mao Zedong's great talent was roughly revealed, and he saw Hu Zongnan's mind at a glance, and said: "There is an emergency in Guanzhong, and He Long crosses the river. I think this is how the northern Shaanxi drama will start!" The so-called "emergency in Guanzhong" was only a "sign" judgment at the end of November 1946. At this time, the first column of the Shanxi-Sui Military Region, which had just been organized, had received the "West Crossing the Yellow River, Defending Yan'an, Defending the Party Central Committee, and Defending Shaanxi" Ganning Border Region" order.Commander Zhang Zongxun and political commissar Liao Hansheng hurriedly organized the troops, and immediately drove from near Yanggao to Sanjiao Town, Linxian County, not far from the east bank of the Yellow River, where they replenished supplies and ammunition. At that time, He Long was in Xing County, worried, so he came here to speak to the troops.He was always the coarse military uniform, with tight-fitting leggings and a belt.As usual, he walked to the front of the team with a big pipe in his hand, spread his legs and straightened his waist, and waved to everyone with a smile and shouted: "Thank you, comrades!" Who among the officers and soldiers in the column is not familiar with He Long, especially those from the 358th Brigade? Old comrades took the opportunity to slap their hands round, and replied in unison like a tsunami: "The chief has worked hard!" Liao Hansheng grinned and murmured to Zhang Zongxun beside him: "Our army, when Boss Congratulations arrives, and when he will be in high spirits, I didn't say anything!" Zhang Zongxun nodded, and the two of them clapped their hands unconsciously. He Long picked up his pipe, freed his hands to signal everyone to be quiet, and then puffed out, saying, "These days, comrades are traveling westward, why? It's to deal with Hu Zongnan, an old enemy! Hu Zongnan, the commander-in-chief, is very imposing. Mile. Comrades, ten brigades..." He Long stretched out his five fingers and flipped over: "But don't be afraid! His little thing is nothing special. We have the Party Central Committee, Chairman Mao's leadership, and the military and civilians in the border regions Unite as one, no matter how powerful Hu Zongnan is, he can't scare us!" He Long picked up a bowl of boiled water on the small wooden table in front of him, took a sip, and continued: "However, Chiang Kai-shek is vicious enough this time, he is determined to smash our heads! Attacking Yan'an, he wants to destroy our Party Central Committee! Comrades are going to cross the Yellow River west now to serve as guards for the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao. The task is arduous. Time flies so fast. In 1941 and 1943, our only brigade and the 358th brigade went west Crossing the Yellow River and fighting in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region! In August 1945, we returned to Hedong to participate in the counter-offensive of the War of Resistance. Now, we still go back...all old comrades, the old Eighth Route Army, the old Red Army, the Party Central Committee, Chairman Mao trusts us a lot, and our responsibilities are extremely heavy, so we have to show something, so that the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao can rest assured!" Boss He's rough voice followed the footsteps of a group of commanders and fighters to step on the hot land of the border area.The border area is the border area. Wherever you go, there are ordinary people on both sides of the road. Boiled eggs and dried red dates fill the soldiers' pockets and satchels.Wubao, Suide, Qingjian, and Yanchuan finally arrived at Gangu Station near Yan'an. Liao Hansheng couldn't restrain his excitement and was about to cheer for the troops when he suddenly met a group of nurses sitting on the pack of animals. Yard dolls.As soon as I got to know them, I realized that they were ordered to withdraw from Yan'an.It turns out that the situation is already so serious!The atmosphere in the team suddenly became tense, the song stopped singing, and they hurried away and strode away.The farther we went, the more units that were withdrawn, we rushed all the way to a small place called Guaimao in the east of Yan'an City.This is the military commission designated a vertical stand-by point. Both Zhang Zongxun and Liao Hansheng had sullen faces, and they rushed to Yan'an to receive orders that night without stopping.No one would have thought that the first task that the Military Commission discussed with Yi Zong was to congratulate Commander-in-Chief Zhu De on his birthday! December 1, 1946 was Mr. Zhu's 60th birthday.Mao Zedong seems to have great enthusiasm for this matter. Three days ago, he specially asked a group of people from the Central Office, the Northwest Bureau of the Communist Party of China, and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region to make a serious discussion for Zhu De. Sixtieth birthday.Then, the radio broadcasted loudly, and the common people played gongs and drums. The Yangjialing Central Auditorium was cleaned up, and the celebration was arranged the night before Mr. Zhu's birthday.When Zhang Zongxun and Liao Hansheng heard the news, they immediately returned to Guaimao and got ready.They carefully selected nine combat heroes as representatives in the army, led by the column leader, and rushed to celebrate their birthday with a congratulatory gift. This congratulatory gift is a red five-pointed star inlaid with the golden word "Shou".Around the five-pointed star are hung Japanese pistols, command knives, American-made carbines and binoculars captured in the War of Resistance Against Japan and Self-Defense.Below the five-pointed star is written the congratulations and signatures of all the officers and soldiers of Yizong: "Congratulations to Commander-in-Chief Zhu with the victory of the battle! All the commanders and fighters of the Zhang and Liao columns of the Shanxi-Sui Military Region congratulate." That night, there was joy inside and outside the auditorium of the Yan'an Communication Office. The Northwest Bureau of the Communist Party of China and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region turned Mr. Zhu's birthday celebration into a grand celebration. There is an indescribable feeling.Zhang Zongxun whispered to the overjoyed Liao Hansheng next to him, "In such a critical situation, the central government arranged to celebrate Boss Zhu's birthday, which is very meaningful!" Just as he was talking, Yang Shangkun walked towards them.Hand in hand, Yang said: "After the meeting, the chairman asked you to go." Liao Hansheng asked urgently what was the matter.Yang Shangkun hesitated for a moment, but still told them in a low voice that the Central Military Commission and the leaders of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region were going to inspect the first column of troops at Yan'an Airport. Yan'an Airport is located outside Yan'an East Gate, close to Qingliang Mountain on one side and Yanhe Beach on the other.On the other side of the airport is the cemetery, where Wang Ruofei, Qin Bangxian, Ye Ting, Deng Fa and other "April 8 martyrs" are buried, as well as the political commissar Guan Xiangying who is closely related to the officers and soldiers.When Political Commissar Guan passed away, the No. 1 Column was fighting on the front line of the Northern Shanxi Campaign. The cadres and soldiers, especially those old Red Army soldiers who had followed He and Guan from the west of Hunan and Hubei through the Long March, were all heartbroken for not being able to bury the old chief. There is a deep regret.The Military Commission held such a review and mobilization meeting next to Guan Xiangying's tomb, which was somewhat intentional. It is the season of freezing weather, and the piercing north wind makes people's hearts tremble.It was still early before the leadership review time, and the team had assembled and taken to the airport.Liao Hansheng announced to everyone in a low voice that he would use this little time to pay homage to Political Commissar Guan Xiangying at the cemetery.So, the troops quietly stepped into the cemetery in a column.The tough man in the past has become a pile of soil on the side of the post today. All the cadres and soldiers took off their military caps, and their steps were extremely light. Grief is faint, and bitterness is deeply hidden in the heart; the past is vivid, and it floats silently out of the clouds.Many veterans who had had direct contact with Guan Xiangying in the past couldn't stop crying.Standing in front of the tomb, everyone's eyes were red, whether they knew Guan Xiangying or not, they all felt deep sorrow. At the moment of saying goodbye to the cemetery, Liao Hansheng finally couldn't hold back his tears.He covered his face with his hands, and the salty juice leaked from his fingers.In this way, with tears in his eyes, he proposed that all officers and soldiers pay tribute to Commissar Guan Xiangying in silence.In the past few months after Guan Xiangying's death, Liao Hansheng burst into tears every time he thought of it.I do not know how many times, he cried from the bottom of his heart: "Old political commissar, how can you just abandon us like this? You can't die! You can't die!" He wrote a special eulogy and sent it to "Jin Sui Daily" She counted the nurturing grace of getting along with each other for 13 years, and said: "At that time, I was still a naive young man, and you supported me like a gentleman. In addition to instructing the party's line and policy, even such small tasks as filling out the form Taught them to me personally. I can make a little contribution to the party, which is the result of your education and training... You died too early, the Chinese revolution needs you..." This kind of sincere and profound emotion cannot be appreciated by people who are not in the situation. Because of this episode, the next leader's review will look extraordinarily solemn.The north wind is still howling on the unobstructed airport.The column set up a temporary platform with a square table, and the cadres above the brigade and regiment were arranged on both sides of the platform, and the heavily armed troops stood neatly in square teams according to the organization.When the cars of the head of the Central Committee and the leaders of the border areas slowly drove towards the team, the trumpeters of the whole column blew the welcome horn in unison. During the sound of the trumpet, the car stopped at the side of the reviewing platform, and Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Chairman Lin Boqu, Vice Chairman Li Dingming, Propaganda Minister of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Lu Dingyi, Secretary General of the Military Commission Yang Shangkun and others stepped off from the car in turn. The commander of the column Zhang Zongxun raised his hand, and the sound of the welcome horn stopped abruptly. He loudly issued a command to the officers and soldiers of the entire column: "Stand at attention—" Then, running to about seven steps away from the head of the Central Committee, he reported loudly: "Chairman Mao, Commander-in-Chief Zhu, all officers and soldiers of the first column of the Shanxi-Sui Military Region have assembled, and the commander-in-chief is invited to review!" Mao Zedong smiled kindly and nodded.Liu Shaoqi and Lin Boqu whispered something.Zhu De stood up straight, raised his hand to return the salute, and said with a strong Sichuan accent, "Please rest easy, comrades!" Zhang Zongxun gave the command "take a rest", and together with political commissar Liao Hansheng, he guided the review. Mao Zedong unceremoniously walked in the lead, and the other leaders followed closely.Everyone walked from the head of the team to the end of the team, and from the front row to the back row in the gusts of cold wind.All the officers and soldiers in the queue were full of energy, with their heads held high, their excited eyes moving slowly following the figures of leading comrades. After the inspection, Liao Hansheng introduced the heads of the Central Committee to the troops one by one in his voice.Because of the strong wind, his voice was sometimes strong and sometimes weak in people's ears. When it was the chief's turn to speak, Mao Zedong frowned and looked up at the sky, and said, "With such a strong wind, the soldiers behind might not be able to hear you. Put the table in the middle, and let's all surround you." All leading comrades said yes in unison.Zhang Zongxun and Liao Hansheng immediately ordered to move the table and adjust the troops according to Mao Zedong's wishes.Everything was ready. First, Lin Boqu put his hands on the table and made an opening speech on behalf of people from all walks of life in the border area. There were two meanings, one was welcome, and the other was request.After his words ended amid warm applause and slogans, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Liu Shaoqi gave instructions one after another. Mao Zedong said that he would stand on the table and speak.He was already tall, but now he looked even taller.On this day, Mao Zedong was wearing a single hat and a cotton coat with a gray earthen fur collar. The scarf was light-colored and tied loosely around his neck. Casual and magnanimous, this is completely different from the magnanimity that Boss Zhu wears in a cotton military uniform and a wide leather belt around his waist. Mao Zedong boarded the table and waved to the surrounding teams, saying: "Everyone, come closer, squeeze tighter, and warm up..." Then, watching the team huddle around the table, he put his hands on his hips and spoke.He reiterated his point of view expressed in his conversation with American journalist Anna Louise Strong in August, saying that all reactionaries are paper tigers.Chiang Kai-shek is a paper tiger, and Hu Zongnan is also a paper tiger. Regardless of how many planes and cannons he has, and hundreds of thousands of troops, they are all just to scare people.As long as we adhere to the principle of concentrating superior forces to annihilate the enemy one by one, we will surely be able to defeat the strong with the weak and the many with the few!Therefore, he took the turbulent Jinnan campaign as an example, saying: "We don't believe what he said. People say that when eating persimmons, pick the soft ones first. Chen Geng didn't believe his evil in Gongque Village in Jinnan, and instead attacked Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan." Ace Division 1, what happened? More than 4,000 members of the Kuomintang Model First Brigade were reimbursed, and Lieutenant General Huang Zhengcheng was also captured alive. During the days when you came to Yan'an, comrades from the Second Column and the Fourth Column fought well in southern Shanxi Hurry up, the battle of Luliang will be resolved in ten and a half months. Hu Zongnan is currently facing the enemy, and the mud Buddha crosses the river. Life is not easy. In the future, he will fight in northern Shaanxi and Yan'an, and there will be no good results. What does this mean? ? This shows that even if we are at a disadvantage as a whole, we are not afraid, as long as we can create local advantages, we can also win the battle..." Mao Zedong's words detonated a ball of "gunpowder" in the team, and waves of heat surged up.Some soldiers slapped their buttocks and stomped their feet: "Hey, look at the second vertical, they have done it in Shanxi! We went all the way to Yan'an, and we didn't see what Hu Zongnan looked like!" Someone else retorted: "That's not a loss, this trip to Yan'an was not in vain. Ge Laozi served as a soldier in the Kuomintang army for six years, and he didn't even see a regiment commander. He has only been in the PLA for a few months, and even the chairman and commander-in-chief It’s really unexpected to meet them and listen to their speech so close. If you go to war again, it’s worth dying.” "How can the Communist Party and the Kuomintang be the same? You haven't seen our Chairman Mao and Commander-in-Chief Zhu, which one is like a high-ranking official? During the Long March, He Huzi carried me across the snow-capped mountains!" Suddenly, a burst of applause woke everyone up, and when they looked up, it was Commander-in-Chief Zhu De standing on the square table.His smile was also so mighty, the team fell silent instantly, the soldiers could not help but straighten their waists, and the formation was naturally horizontal and vertical in silence.Boss Zhu said: "Your good show is yet to come. The current task is to train quickly. This battle will be fought sooner or later, and it must be fought! Because of the victories of the Jinnan brothers' troops in various battles, Hu Zongnan still has no time to spare to raid northern Shaanxi and Yan'an..." Mao Zedong had two happy events that day, one was to have a bowel movement, and the other was to receive good news from Chen Geng.The former made several guards happily run around the yard to tell each other, while the latter kept Peng Dehuai awake all night. Chairman Mao said: "Old Peng, think about it. On the southern Shanxi battlefield, our army only had three main brigades and one local brigade. The enemy's strength was four or five times that of ours. Our army was still able to wipe out the enemy in brigades. This fact What does it mean? What Chen Geng can do in southern Shanxi can be done in other battlefields across the country? I don’t think there is a problem. For example, in northern Shaanxi, Hu Zongnan has a heavy army, and we only have tens of thousands of people..." In fact, Peng Dehuai had thought about this question a long time ago, but at that time his thinking still remained on the scale of guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines during the Anti-Japanese War.As for large-scale battles, only the Hundred Regiments War can be used as a reference.However, the experience of the Hundred Regiments War lies more in the aspect of organization and coordination. Except for the first strategic period from the victory of Pingxingguan to the smashing of the Nine Routes Siege, which featured concentrated forces and coordinated friendly forces to annihilate the enemy, the combat characteristics of the subsequent strategic periods were all behind the enemy lines. Expanded, the regular army dispersed guerrilla warfare, shifted from frontal regular warfare to guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, from centralized command to decentralized command, and organized command of some mobile warfare, emphasizing the relative balance between decentralization and concentration.The combat experience after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War only focused on siege, and Peng Dehuai's main focus of thinking was the coordination of arms.But this time is different, the target of the battle is different, the quality of the commander is also different, more importantly, there is a field battle with a certain scale, the terrain and features are ever-changing, and the weather conditions are also unpredictable, not to mention the unpredictable situation of the enemy's backup .Peng Dehuai believes that the most important revelation of Chen Geng's World War I lies in creating local superior conditions and controlling the initiative on the battlefield.He even felt that this kind of "moving and braking" field battle would not be a victory if he lost the initiative on the battlefield! In the case of relative disadvantage, how to fight for the initiative on the battlefield?Peng Dehuai ate very little for dinner, left the bowls and chopsticks, and went straight into the meeting room of the Military Commission.Arranging troops one by one on the map has become his greatest pleasure.In this question circle, he roamed endlessly facing the big sand table in northern Shaanxi. More than a month ago, Peng Dehuai personally took Wang Zhengzhu from the Military Commission's Operation Bureau and several other staff officers and guards to the Jinpen Bay area. When the teaching brigade heard that Mr. Peng was going to inspect, all the leaders ran to the intersection to meet him. Peng Dehuai straightened his face as soon as he got off his horse: "What are you doing?" The chief of staff, Chen Haihan, hurriedly replied, "Come to welcome you!" "I want you to welcome me?" Peng Dehuai glared, shook hands with everyone, and strode straight to the war room without looking back.As soon as he sat down, Brigadier Luo Yuanfa hurriedly took out his notebook and prepared to report.Peng Dehuai sipped his saliva and waved his hands: "Don't talk too much, I just ask you to answer. After you received the order from the central government, what preparations have you made? Talk about reality, don't talk too much." Meetings, political and industrial meetings, and staff work meetings began. What was communicated, discussed, and understood? Peng Dehuai interrupted halfway through the talk: "Tell me about the specific measures!" He turned to Chief of Staff Chen: "You tell me "Chen Haihan talked about the plan, the fortifications, the capture and reconnaissance of prisoners, the communication and contact, the cotton-padded jackets on the soldiers, the clothes that took off the sheets, the shoes and socks on the feet, etc., and the leading cadres personally inspected the fortifications When building the situation, he said that there were some firepower points and even had to shoot a few shots himself. Peng Dehuai was satisfied and said, "Yes, I am more at ease. Go to the regiment to have a look." In the First Regiment of the Teaching Brigade, Peng Dehuai looked at their soil mines with great interest, and decided on the spot to deal with 3,000 migrant workers for them and help them build fortifications. Peng Dehuai said: "There are landmines, and there are migrant workers. If the fortifications cannot be repaired, I will kill your heads!" Luo and Guan secretly stuck out their tongues. Luo Shaowei said: "Mr. Peng, I won't do it if you kill my head. As the head of the revolution, I have to fight Hu Zongnan..." Recalling these scenes, Peng Dehuai felt a surge of strength in his heart. It was dawn, and Peng Dehuai suddenly felt a little tired.It was a sign of his mental victory.He dozed off.When he woke up, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Yang Shangkun and others were already sitting in front of him. Seeing that he was sleeping soundly lying on the drawing board, everyone walked on tiptoe and covered their mouths when talking, not wanting to wake him up. Peng Dehuai still woke up. He rubbed his red and swollen eyes and grinned at everyone as an apology. Mao Zedong said: "General Peng is on the alert, so we can sit back and relax. How is it? Do you have any clues?" Peng Dehuai opened his hands and wiped his face, and said: "My conclusion is affirmative. The key is to create local advantages in the overall disadvantages. As long as the superior forces are concentrated to resolutely wipe out the enemy all the way, they are flexible and brave in command, and well-organized in action. Accurate and quick, the enemy's attack can be broken!" Mao Zedong smiled: "Let me tell you, the world is still big in the dream!" He took out a pack of cigarettes, took out one, lit it and took a puff, and expressed his opinion while puffing: "Lao Peng's conclusion is right!多势众，有的是飞机大炮，我们呢，人少力薄，手里还拿着三八大盖。人家要进攻我们，追着我们打，人家有主动权。我们的主动权在哪里呢？没有，要创造！我们只有两条腿，这两条腿翻过雪山、走过草地，也爬过太行山；我们有解放区老百姓，他们不喜欢国民党，喜欢我们；我们还有许多陈赓，有许多老彭。老彭这一套，黄埔也学不到嘛……” 彭德怀急忙打断：“主席过奖了，我也是向你学习的嘛！我建议以临、浮战役为例，通报全军，把集中兵力、创造局部优势作为战胜敌人的重要法则。” 朱德、刘少奇和毛泽东等全都点头赞同。 杨尚昆正准备去组织拟发通报，彭德怀把他叫住了，说：“慢些，我还有句话。”这时，警卫员送进两个窝窝头和一小碟咸菜，彭德怀就边咬着窝头边跟大家说：“胡宗南要打延安，下令调晋南的部队，把那里的好些县城都交给地方团队据守，这一来，陕北这边敌我悬殊更大，压力也更大，建议从晋绥和晋冀鲁豫两区调兵。” 毛泽东想了想，说：“可以。大家看怎么调法？” 朱德和刘少奇的意见是，尽量把问题解决在晋南，拉住胡军，就地歼敌有生力量，万不得已时才驰援延安。彭德怀对这个意见深以为然，因为陕北是个光秃秃的陕北，尽管有若干年“自己动手，丰衣足食”的努力，但要在短期内成千上万地增加吃口，还是承受不住的。这是个很现实的问题，而且从长远看，也还不能不考虑这个困难。所以，今后日子还长，能拖一天就拖一天。再说，时值风云变幻之秋，保证陕北稳定对全国战事当然是有意义的。 毛泽东始终把消灭敌人有生力量放在第一位，于是他决定，晋绥军区三个纵队，留一个三纵在晋北，一纵直接西渡黄河调延安，二纵由晋北的离石南下，与渡过汾河进入吕梁地区的晋冀鲁豫野战军第四纵队相配合，对付胡军。“如胡军向延安急进，则你们亦急进；如胡军缓进，则你们可攻占吕梁各县，待命开延。” 胡宗南万万没有料到中共中央军委会出这一招。他的第一、第九十师刚刚西渡黄河，屁股后面的中阳、交口、石楼、永和、隰县、蒲县、大宁等一大批县城，便被我二纵和四纵部队席卷一空。随之，形势急转直下，胡军第一、第九十师一只脚踏进陕西、一只脚还留在黄河，西有陕甘宁边区部队阻在面前，东有占据吕梁各县的二、四两个纵队堵在身后。胡军这两个师腹背受敌，威胁之大足以让胡宗南出一身冷汗。他急令入陕的两个师屁滚尿流火速东返，而仍驻临汾、吉县的另外六个旅，分成多路向蒲县和大宁反扑。 对付这个局面，中共中央军委游刃有余，当即下令河东二、四两个纵队抽出少部兵力在刚夺到手的各县之间运动防御，让敌人觉得有利可图，引诱他们一鼓作气往深里钻。这时候，主力则不动声色攥个拳头，躲到旁边某个便于机动的位置上，寻找歼敌战机：并且，趁敌人气势汹汹全力搏命那股热乎劲，神不知鬼不觉迂回到蒲县至临汾公路上，卡死交通要道，切断敌人六个旅退路。与此同时，太岳军区部队主动出击，钻到敌人老窝子里大干一场，袭击浮山、翼城和垣曲等一些城市，在敌后院点火，造成威胁。 事实跟中央军委的神机妙算丝毫不差，敌六个旅上来就顾头不顾腚地往大宁跑，结果在蒲县以西地区接二连三遭到伏击，下到士兵上至旅长，全被打得晕头转向，找机会就往深山野地里钻，能溜尽溜，溜不掉的大队人马，眼巴巴上不了路。一时漫山遍野草木皆兵。于是，调头回撤。本以为这是条唯一的生路，谁知我二、四纵队主力此刻已瞅准机会，在敌人退路上布下天罗地网。回撤敌军早已疲惫不堪，这时我军突然出现，不要说打，一阵惊吓也够他们受用的。结果，敌后卫六十七旅一万多人在几个小时内便被“包了饺子”！ 吕梁地区这一仗打下来，胡宗南乱了章法，原定攻略陕北的行动不得不“重新考虑”。而阎锡山则不然，他在太原城里捧着茶壶心里有些滋味。早在抗战之初，阎锡山的“关门主义”就遇到“中央军”“王师入晋”的威胁。那时候，日军正在打山西，中共在晋东南的上党地区、晋西北和晋中吕梁地区，都辟建了根据地，蒋介石瞅准机会千方百计让“中央军”“跑马圈地”。结果好景不长，日本人越打越紧，“中央军”顶不住，阎老西的地盘几乎成了共产党的天下。好不容易熬到抗战胜利，阎锡山从“克难坡”回到太原，正要封门拉闸，重整山河，胡宗南闯进来了。胡拉大旗作虎皮，突然派出一个集团军说是奉中央电令，要经山西去河北受降。阎锡山一口回绝，理由也是响当当的，“抗战八年，山西境内体无完肤，大军过晋，粮秣补给和交通运输均感困难”。胡宗南不得不抬出蒋介石，并表示决不占山西丝毫便宜，仅仅借道而已，一到榆次就东出娘子关。阎锡山还能不让步么？只好明令欢迎，暗中戒备，拖延了胡部半个多月时间，还不许下级军官与胡军官兵接触，不许胡军进入城市。但胡军一开进山西能由着你阎锡山吗？顺手牵羊、雁过拔毛的事一而再，再而三，阎锡山忍气吞声。胡宗南那股牛气，他惹不起呀！他常想，要是能借共产党之手出一出这口恶气该有多好！现在，这个时刻终于来到了，可是，阎锡山心中又有了矛盾：唇亡齿寒，惊，此其一；幸灾乐祸，喜，此其二。 几个月前的晋北战役，让阎老西在蒋介石心目中很没有面子。虽然半路上将临战的大同防务划归傅作义是救了场子，但在颜面上讲，多少有点儿让人下不来台的意思。之后便有胡宗南屡屡增兵晋南，说是为了收拾山西局面，打通同蒲铁路什么的，事实上还不是想给他阎某人下楔子！这下好了，胡宗南损兵折将，锐气大挫，最起码也多了一个饭桶陪着自己，不至于南京方面一提到山西就打我阎老西的屁股。阎锡山正想到得意处，忽然听到报告说，汾阳和孝义地区发现了共产党军队主力部队！这个消息使他大感意外，不由得浑身打个激灵：中共这一刀是冲自己来的呀！那么，在晋南究竟有多少中共“主力”呢？阎锡山不管三七二十一，急忙给驻守这一地区的所部第七十师发报求证。耐着性子等了一个礼拜，复电没有等到，却等到一个令人心碎的噩耗：孝义失守！ 这天是1947年1月17日，在胡宗南的日历上，是个凶日。太阳刚出山，关中“囊形地带”就有战报，说中共警备第一旅三团攻占了旬邑城。胡正要下令整十七师四十八旅一四三团驰援旬邑，中共新四旅及警一旅三团，又兵分三路向宁家至金池一线发起攻击。 这种情况下，晋南孝义失守对胡宗南也就麻木了。在他心目中，整治“囊形地带”这块心病压倒一切。要知道，那可是关系到攻略延安的大计呀！从年前开始，胡宗南就在运作这件事。他已将失去晋南吕梁地区的悲痛如数宣泄到关中。他要再次把关中这块弹丸之地变成一幅蓝图的起点，短短半个月，便以整编第十七师第四十八旅、整编第三十六师第一二三旅、整编第十五师第一三五旅及两个保安团，先后占领关中分区西坡店、巩家斜、长舌头、武王山等地，并且一步一步扩大占领区，尽夺关中要塞。 胡宗南任何时候都希望保持自己主角地位，即便对待战事失利也是如此。他坚决认为：关中丢失一个旬邑，比晋南丢失10个孝义还要严重。更何况，孝义失守那是阎锡山的败绩！ 但是，参谋长盛文不这样看。他不管胡宗南听得进听不进，还是以一副忠言逆耳的心肠把话说出来了。他说：“孝义失守，汾阳不保，汾、孝一丢，晋南就尽在共产党军队掌握之中。如此，我军在山西只剩下同蒲路沿线和晋中盆地一小块立足之地了，而共产党军队晋绥解放区与陕甘宁边区几乎连成一片。假如，他们趁势向晋西南方向发展攻势……”后面的意思就是，中共突破晋西南，便直接威胁胡宗南老巢——西安。这当然比区区一个关中得失的分量要重得多。 然而胡宗南有自己的定数，“你讲的不过是'假如'，”他慢悠悠地笑了笑，语气中带着一丝清冷，“难道你就不能睁开眼睛看看关中现状？我军不进则退，共产党军队陕甘宁边区三个旅正在虎视眈眈，上百里的防线危在旦夕！” 事实上，盛文的“假如”和胡宗南的“现状”都有道理。中共中央军委的战略目标就是要给对手造成这样一种东、西难顾的被动局面。攻克孝义的是晋绥军区独二旅和独四旅，与此同时，晋冀鲁豫野战军第四纵队也把汾阳围个水泄不通。汾、孝地区储粮充足且阎部守备比较薄弱，中央军委的决心，正是把当前目标定在这两条上。 阎锡山对着地图愣了半天，才由衷地叹了一句：“我斗不过他们！” 这并不等于他认输。阎锡山是不轻易上五台山的，相反，他已抱定鱼死网破的宗旨，几天之内便以其主力第六十一、第三十三、第三十四军等部，分南、中、北三路，由文水、平遥、介休三个方向，同时增援汾、孝地区。他没想到这正好给中共中央军委创造局部优势提供了机会。 中共中央军委决定，以小部兵力阻击阎军北、中两路，而把主力四个旅悄悄放到孝义东南地区，显然，眼睛瞄准了阎军南路。 战局如期展开。果不其然，在1947年1月21日到29日的8天时间内，阎锡山南路指挥部及所属第六十九师悉数被歼。南路另外三个师和他的中、北两路援军也被打得七零八落，有两个团被追得完全散了架，史称“是役共歼敌1.1万余人”。 这个开局简直太漂亮了！到此为止，西北台面上应该说雏形已定。山西问题大体上解决，阎锡山那点人马、那点地盘，只够他苟延残喘，使出吃奶的力气也蹦不了三尺高。傅作义经历了绥远、大同战役以及对张家口的争夺，再提与中共对阵时，多少会有点儿心猿意马。他的神经还牵动着邓宝珊与宁、青二马。邓给自己定位似在“识时务者”之列，曹又参和后来的横山起义还不能让他悟出点道理？濒临沙丘的榆林城仅可作为一个具有象征意味的军事堡垒，邓宝珊的努力或许就是，怎样使这座军事堡垒更加纯粹，更能够保持文化气节。 宁、青二马则不一样，与共产党宿仇深远，这还不单单体现在政治方面，也包藏着某些民族情绪。然而，就当下而言，似乎还轮不到他们与共产党直面交锋。这是因为，在大西北纷繁的尘嚣之中，有个君临一方的胡宗南。关中虽小，已足以展示胡宗南的领袖姿态。眼下他正与中共在关中展开角逐，这一仗不论胜败，都会将胡宗南托出水面。他将由此走向人生顶点，或者，跌落深渊。