Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen

From Wangjiawan to Ansai, commonly known as 110 miles.Zhou Enlai, Lu Dingyi and the soldiers of the security squad set out on the road and rode their horses along the Yanhe River.Between the sky and the earth, the sun and the spring breeze are all available, and the clatter of horseshoes in the mountains beats this joyous May like drums. Not far from Zhenwu Cave, Lu Dingyi said: "Vice Chairman Zhou, get off the horse and take a breath!" He was so small that he couldn't hold down the horse, and he jumped on the horse's back all the way. The guards were calling incessantly behind, so they were very tired and sweating profusely.Zhou Enlai was not easy either. His right arm fell from a horse in Yan'an in the summer of 1939 and became faulty.Pulling the rein with the left hand is not always so strong now.So, everyone got off their horses and walked to the river, wanting to drink their saliva and wipe their faces with wet towels.

After drinking water and wiping his face, Zhou Enlai unbuttoned his clothes and stood on the high slope, letting the breeze blow his chest. "Dingyi," he said, "the place we're going to is said to be the cave where the Taoist master Zhenwu practiced. The earth's energy is strong and the incense burns. It's famous far and wide!" Lu Ding stretched his arms and responded, "Peng Dehuai and Comrade Xi Zhongxun are very good at choosing a place to rest. Zhenwu Cave is the best place to practice martial arts. I also heard that the cave is very deep and can go all the way to Longdong and Ningxia. !"

A few small guards believed it was true, and they all said, that would be great. In the future, when troops go to battles in Longdong and Ningxia, they can go through the caves and covertly meet the enemy. They don't need to put on sheets or plant branches, and spend the night lying on the ground in the open. Zhou Enlai and Lu Ding laughed when they heard this.Zhou thought for a while and said, "Yes, Dingyi, what the brats said is a joke but there is truth in it. I think that's probably the real intention of Peng and Xi..." Seeing that Lu Dingyi and the guards were staring at him in puzzlement, Zhou Enlai stopped talking and motioned everyone to get on their horses.He got on his horse and went on to say: "Ma Bufang of Qinghai and Ma Hongkui of Ningxia took advantage of the gap between our Northwest Field Force and Hu Zongnan to carry out surprise attacks on the Longdong base. In less than a month, the Heshui and West Huachi, Quzi, Huanxian, Qingyang, five cities, they have taken them all! These monsters are brutal and inhumane, and the people of Longdong have suffered a lot. Comrade Peng Dehuai has long had the heart to deal with the 'two horses'."

Zhou Enlai was right in his judgment. After the Battle of Panlong, Peng Dehuai and Xi Zhongxun considered Longdong the most.With continuous blows, Hu Zongnan was forced to "behave" a lot.He pulled all the main force to Yan'an to set up camp, as if he was invincible.However, the Northwest field troops withdrew to Ansai, squatting for ten days, people needed food and horses, and a small county was bound to be difficult to support in the long run.However, Ansai is very close to Yan'an, and Hu Jun is huddled together again. With the disparity in strength, it is inconvenient to fight lightly.During the seven or eight days in Ansai, it was said to be a rest, but a stone in Peng Dehuai's heart never moved.He spends all day searching and measuring on the map... When he is sleepy, he takes a nap; when he is hungry, he drinks something.Xi Zhongxun said: "My boss, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it like this!" Peng Dehuai had a serious expression and said nothing.Xi Zhongxun had no choice but to order the management department to arrange the guards to work, and take turns guarding Peng Dehuai, eating, drinking, sleeping, and all-round protection.

Xi Zhongxun took care of the victory ceremony.He is a lively person, wherever he goes, he yells, and things are booming from beginning to end.When the day comes, Xi Zhongxun is even more busy. For a while, he is a consolation group for the border region government, and for a while he is a leading comrade of the Northwest Bureau of the Communist Party of China.The introduction of experience by former model workers and the glorious flowers worn by combat heroes are all rushed.However, no matter how urgent he was, Xi Zhongxun stood in his way alone, and would never disturb Peng Dehuai.It was not until the afternoon before the meeting that the troops reported: "The central government is here! Vice Chairman Zhou is also here!" Xi Zhongxun ran to the headquarters in person and grabbed Peng Dehuai: "Boss, you need a horse, we will ride an animal to pick him up." Vice Chairman Zhou!"

What else is there to say?Peng Dehuai put down the work at hand and went to the entrance of the village side by side with Xi Zhongxun. Seeing Zhou Enlai and others approaching in a hurry, Xi Zhongxun shouted from the horseback: "Welcome! Welcome!" Peng Dehuai also jumped off the horse and greeted him with a smile on his face. He shook hands with Zhou Enlai, Lu Dingyi and the guards one by one, and said: "You are not walking slowly, is there anything wrong on the road?" Then he stood aside, watched Xi Zhongxun greet everyone loudly, and smiled taciturnly. . "You've worked hard! You've worked hard!" Xi Zhongxun said, "The troops are so happy to know you are coming..." As he spoke, he went up to help Zhou Enlai get off his horse.Zhou Enlai said "no need, no need" and his feet were already on the ground.That kind of energetic and full of pride strongly infected everyone.While shaking hands with everyone, he said: "We are also encouraged by the victory news, and we are riding fast like a spring breeze!" After finishing speaking, he raised his neck and laughed.The laughter echoed in the valley for a long time until the opening of the victory ceremony the next day.

The venue of the Zhujie Conference was chosen on the Yanhe Beach in the south of Zhenwu Cave, commonly known as "Mawang Beach" by the locals.A few days ago, the Ansai County Committee of the Communist Party of China organized migrant workers to build a rostrum on the beach.The record sheets of each unit and various trophies are all displayed on the side of the field. The meeting was held in the afternoon of March 14, and the troops assembled at the station early in the morning and took them to the meeting place.The commanders and fighters who had just won the battle, after a few days of rest, those who shaved their heads, those who shaved their faces, and those who were stained with the "foreign wealth" of Panlong Li Kungang, all changed into single clothes, and carried new guns and cannons on their shoulders , The mental outlook is great!At noon, more than 50,000 field troops, local troops, guerrillas, and local people from Ansai County gathered in Mawangtan.The sound of gongs and drums on the bank of the river, the sound of firecrackers, the waist drum team and the Yangko team stirred up the yellow sand, a happy scene in the northern Shaanxi plateau that seemed to have passed for a long time, and it returned to these people wearing double-breasted jackets and white sheep belly turbans heart.

People binge for a reason.From March 19th when the 358th Brigade finally withdrew from Yan'an, to May 4th when Panlong was conquered, in less than one and a half months, the Northwest Field Force "three battles and three victories" in Qinghuabian, Yangmahe and Panlong Towns , wiped out more than 14,000 enemies, and captured three major general brigade commanders alive, two of whom were "King Kong class".Especially for taking down Panlong Town, military uniforms, flour, mountain cannons, bullets, medicine, mules and horses, thousands of supplies, are simply lifeblood in northern Shaanxi where the poor see the king of Hades and suffer from Coptis chinensis!Any one of these victories is enough to increase the prestige and confidence of the soldiers and civilians in the border area.

Zhou Enlai appeared.He looked around the meeting place in good spirits, and walked up to the rostrum where huge portraits of Mao Zedong and Zhu De were hung.Behind him were Lu Dingyi, Ma Mingfang, deputy secretary of the Northwest Bureau of the Communist Party of China, and Jia Tuofu, vice chairman of the Border Region Government.Ma and Jia brought 600 million yuan in cash allocated by Chairman Lin Boqu of the border region government to reward the troops; Zhou Enlai, as the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, made a special trip from hundreds of miles away to attend the meeting. The incident itself was extraordinary. meaning.According to Mao Zedong's intention, Zhou will announce at the meeting: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is still in northern Shaanxi, and Mao Zedong is still in northern Shaanxi!Obviously, this is shocking news.Mao Zedong said: "Let not only the soldiers and civilians in the border areas know, but also Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan. Didn't he claim to destroy the nest of the Communist bandits? To capture the bandits, the king was captured first, but what is the truth? I, Mao Zedong, are still in northern Shaanxi, and he failed!"

"Comrades," Zhou Enlai's sonorous voice was carried slowly by the gentle breeze on the Yanhe Beach, "on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, on behalf of Chairman Mao and Commander-in-Chief Zhu, I would like to extend my condolences to you for the defense of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, Yan'an, and the Party Central Committee." I would like to express my cordial condolences to all the commanders and fighters who fought bloody battles defending Chairman Mao! Warm congratulations to the soldiers and civilians in the border area for their great victory in smashing Hu Zongnan's attack..."

"The most intense and arduous internal battle of the National War of Liberation has almost come to an end. In this year, the PLA wiped out 97 and a half brigades of the Kuomintang's regular army with a total of 730,000 people, plus those irregular troops, a total of 1.12 million people. This is a It's a very good start, and Chiang Kai-shek's tail will never be raised again! With this year's experience, we are not afraid of large corps battles! From now on, no matter how hard the Kuomintang fights, we will accompany Chiang Kai-shek to the end! To win the national victory, the party The Central Committee and Chairman Mao are full of confidence! Finally, I would like to announce to my comrades: Since the withdrawal from Yan'an, Chairman Mao and the Party Central Committee have remained in northern Shaanxi, fighting side by side with the soldiers and civilians in the border areas!" "Long live Chairman Mao!" The slogan suddenly sounded, the applause was thunderous, and people exchanged uncontrollable excitement with tears in their eyes. "Chairman Mao is still in northern Shaanxi! Chairman Mao is still with us!" He repeated silently and silently, converging into a fiery warm current that surged violently in the hearts of everyone in the venue.The military parade started, and the troops were extremely emotional. The commanders and fighters shouted with all their might: "Jiang's army will be defeated! Our army will be defeated!" That wave of air made the roaring Yanhe River tremble. The victory ceremony unknowingly reached the singing and dancing stage, and the team was a little drunk by the laughter and applause.After the war, old friends and new friends get together, and everyone has something to tell.Everyone talked about their experience while watching the program.In the past month or so, there have been three battles and three victories, and there have been a lot of stories. Naturally, novel and weird stories are indispensable.Among them, the story of He Bingyan riding alone and finding his lost mule has become the focus of people's rumors. That was before the Panlong battle, the one-armed hero He Bingyan was transferred from the third column of the Shanxi-Sui Military Region as the deputy commander of the Fifth Brigade to the deputy commander of a column.He is a famous "He Daudao". When the enemy and our camp were so close at that time, he took only one guard, a mule and a horse, from the location of Yesi in the east of Panlong, and crossed between the enemy and us to Panlong. Long Ximian's Yizong took office immediately.Many comrades persuaded him not to take such a risk, but He Bingyan put on his big cloak and walked away.As a result, he walked in the middle and, as expected, bumped into the nose with the enemy security team. At first, those guys in the security team saw that He Bingyan was wearing a big cloak, riding a big mule, with guards behind his buttocks. He was very imposing, and he didn't shy away from others. He thought he was some official from the regular army of the Kuomintang, so he was confused and didn't dare to touch him. .Unexpectedly, He Bingyan was so careless that he mistook the security team for his own people, went up and asked them: "Hey, which army are you from?" bolt.Only then did He Bingyan realize that the situation was not good, he jumped off his horse and called the guards to run back quickly along the ravine.Because they ran in a hurry and the road was difficult to walk, the mules and horses didn't bother to pull them. The security team chased for a while but failed to catch up with the man, but caught He Bingyan's mule.After all, the horse had been trained, and the security team couldn't help it, so it galloped all the way to our first column.He happened to meet Liao Hansheng, and immediately recognized He Bingyan's mount. He was taken aback, and hurriedly called the Yesi to inquire, only then did he know that He Bingyan was not in danger.The mule that had suffered for its owner was taken to Panlong Town by the security team, and stayed among Li Kungang's mules and horses for several days before being captured again. "The mule returns to its original owner", everyone said, "He Daudao" was destined for great fortune and great fortune, and the mysterious stories can be made into novels... Just as everyone was chatting about He Bingyan with enthusiasm, a man from northern Shaanxi with a white sheep belly turban stepped onto the rostrum.The host of the meeting, Wang Zhenke, introduced in a loud voice: "This is Yang Buhao, a labor hero in the border area..." After speaking, he took the lead in applauding, and the audience was full of joy again.Yang Buhao is a celebrity. Chairman Mao was good friends with him when he was in Yan'an, and the two had very close contacts.When Mao came back from negotiations in Chongqing, Yang caught a few chickens and packed a basket of eggs, and specially carried them to Zaoyuan on a donkey to visit.Mao Zedong also sent him back two boxes of biscuits and a few sticks of bacon, as well as fruit and candy; at the end of the year, Yang took a Yangko team and sent Mao Zedong a gold plaque with the words "Savior of the People" written on it. Mao Zedong read it Yangge entertained guests with wine and meat in the auditorium of the Military Commission; Hu Zongnan invaded the border area, and Mao took Yang to the Zaoyuan to ask for advice on how to fortify the wall and clear the wilderness, and asked him to answer questions for reporters from the US Military Observer Group... See you today When it came to Yang Buhao, it actually contained another kind of sustenance.Therefore, he didn't say a few words, and the audience was extremely quiet. Yang Buhao said: "On the seventh day of the first month of this year, I went to pay New Year's greetings to Chairman Mao. Chairman Mao asked, 'Yang Buhao, we are leaving. Are you going with us or with the guerrillas?' I thought about it, and my aunt died. , leaving three children, how can I go? I said: 'I can't leave here, I will fight guerrillas!' After breaking up with Chairman Mao, I carried a gun and became a guerrilla..." Yang Buhao spoke from his hometown in Hengshan County The local dialect, speaking a sentence, stuttering, but the people in the audience sounded very useful, and many people's eyes were red when they heard it. Wang Zhen is even more so.He remembered the situation when the 359th Brigade met Yang Buhao for the first time in Nanniwan Production, and his heart was ups and downs, and he couldn't calm down.Yang was sent to the 359th Brigade to guide production, and he was already rated as a labor hero at that time.When Yang heard that Chairman Mao had to work himself and hand over the public grain, he immediately told Wang Zhen that he would farm for Chairman Mao and pay the public grain.After the fall, Yang Buhao really sent Chairman Mao a stone of wheat grain. Mao Zedong asked him happily: "Why do you pay the public grain for me?" Yang Buhao touched his heart and said: "I fled to Chuankou in Yan'an. My wife and the girl starved to death and there was no place to bury them. If they were buried on the land of the landlord, they would owe a lifetime debt to Hades. The Red Army came, and the Communist Party established in Chuankou. I won’t be able to repay Chairman Mao’s kindness even if I risk my life!” Mao Zedong was silent for a long time after hearing these words.Later, he told Wang Zhen in private that there was philosophy in Yang Buhao's words, "How can our Communist Party win the world?" This question made Wang Zhen sleepless for several nights.Yes, what do we rely on to gain a foothold, what do we rely on to win battles, and what do we rely on to make ordinary people risk their lives to follow us?When withdrawing from Yan'an, Hu Jun captured more than 30 unarmed people in Wanglihe.The Kuomintang army threatened them with guns to hand over the Communist Party, so they stood up with more than 30 people and said that we are all Communist Party members.When asked who is the leader, everyone stood up together and said that our Communist Party is a leader, and it is we who lead ourselves.In fact, not one of them was a member of the Communist Party... Waves of applause from the audience exploded, and Wang Zhen realized that Yang Buhao had finished speaking.Then came the fighting heroes wearing big red flowers on their chests one by one, and Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai and other leading comrades personally handed out the award certificates covered with fists to them.The final program of the meeting was to add a large number of soldiers liberated from the enemy's 31st Brigade and 167th Brigade to the ranks of various units of the People's Liberation Army.Standing beside Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai silently watched the brigades forming their own teams to make up personnel. He held in his mind the three slogans that Zhou Enlai had put forward at the meeting just now—one is to regain Yan'an, the other is to liberate the Northwest, and the third is to work together with the people of the whole country. The annihilation of the Jiang family dynasty feels very heavy. At this time, Lu Ding remembered the conversation with Zhou Enlai on the road, and asked, "Mr. Peng, what is the next step for the troops?" Peng Dehuai answered two words without thinking: "Let's go!" Zhou and Lu looked at each other with a smile and nodded knowingly. It was getting late, and the troops began to disband.The leading comrades stood on a high place and waved goodbye to everyone. While waving his hand, Peng Dehuai talked about his thoughts to Zhou Enlai and Lu Dingyi. He hoped to march westward and whip the "two horses". The safety of the former committee.Zhou Enlai agreed and promised to go back and discuss with Mao Zedong. At this time, the troops have already left the venue.The chiefs of each company gave the soldiers a task, each carrying a big pumpkin or a bag of millet.This was a gift brought by the villagers who attended the meeting to reward the PLA. The Border Region Government accepted it uniformly and distributed it to each unit. The soldiers carried a long line of pumpkins and millet. In the eyes of Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai and the people of the four villages Gradually blurred, but in the Xinhua News Agency reporter's camera lens, it preserved a clear and moving moment, and it occupies an eternal page in the history textbook. Hearing Zhou Enlai's introduction of the situation of rewarding teachers in Zhenwu Cave, Mao Zedong was very happy, and said: "You look good, and you suddenly pierced Hu Zongnan's diorama. What's 'three-point military, seven-point politics', Lao Peng We have only fought a few battles, and there is already no division. The military is bankrupt, so where is the politics? The fact that Zhenwudong came so suddenly shows the problem!" In order to set off Mao Zedong's good spirits, Zhou Enlai followed the topic to evaluate the entire Jiang army camp, especially pointing out its current situation of internal crises and disintegration. As he talked, he mentioned that Zhao Shoushan went to Shanxi and Hebei after going through hardships and dangers two months ago. Things about the Luyu Liberated Area. This news made Mao Zedong more excited than ever.Zhao was an important figure in General Yang Hucheng's former army. Since July 1945, when his 17th Division held an uprising in Luoning, Henan, Chiang Kai-shek has tightened control over him and his 38th Army.He was promoted secretly and appointed as the commander-in-chief of the third army of the Jiang family.This kind of situation of hanging into a sack and kicking and punching is of course the most unbearable.Therefore, Zhao Shoushan took the initiative to resign from this hollow carrot position under the pretext of going to the United States to investigate water conservancy.With such a showdown, the issue of his personal safety became a matter of concern for Mao Zedong and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for a long time. Mao Zedong asked Zhou Enlai, based on the information currently held by the central government, how many people like Zhao Shoushan are there in Jiang's army?He asked Zhou Enlai to strengthen communication and mobilize the middle and senior commanders of the whole army to take the initiative to do this work. "Disintegrate the enemy's army and subjugate the enemy's army without fighting. We must learn from Lao Peng!" Mao Zedong said, "In the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek was released without signing. , Lao Peng spent three days running to do the work of persuasion. If we didn’t get it back then, where would we be today?” Recalling the "Xi'an Incident", Zhou Enlai was filled with emotion.The outside world mentions that the CCP has made great achievements in mediating, mainly referring to Zhou's trip to Xi'an. In fact, almost the whole party was mobilized at that time, and everyone went to battle, and more unsung heroes contributed.As for Zhao Shoushan, apart from Peng Dehuai, Ren Bishi, He Long, Zuo Quan, Yang Shangkun, Lu Dingyi, Wang Jiaxiang and a large number of people have all worked "day and night", which made him "benefit a lot". Zhou Enlai has always advocated the simultaneous development of two fronts, and set an example, worked hard, and achieved many unexpected achievements.For example, Xiong Xianghui next to Hu Zongnan was the result of his "playing idle chess and playing cold pieces" in the early days of the Anti-Japanese War.After experiencing a series of major events such as the evacuation of Yan'an and the "three battles and three victories", it is extremely unforgettable to think about this incident today.Zhou Enlai missed Xiong Xianghui deeply. Xiong Xianghui is carefree and uneasy these days.Since Northern Shaanxi Broadcasting Station and Xinhua News Agency broadcast the news that the Northwest Field Army held a victory meeting, Hu Zongnan remained silent for several days.The broadcast did not specify the specific location of the victory celebration, but only said that "it will be held tens of kilometers away from Yan'an."That is to say, the CCP doesn't take Hu Zongnan seriously at all, and he is almost across the mountain from Yan'an!Is this the consequence of "shrinking Yan'an and only defending but not attacking"?Hu Zongnan asked himself painfully a thousand times and ten thousand times.Obviously, this was another big thrill.He put a pair of sweaty hands in his trouser pockets, and walked up and down in the small courtyard in front of the bank cave in the border area by himself.Xiong Xianghui sent confidential documents as a routine every day, and then left in a hurry.He insisted on concentrating on his dantian, strictly fulfilling his duties, watching the development of the situation quietly, and never crossing the threshold. Time flies and it is another week, and it has been more than half a month since Beaulieu failed. On this day, Xiong Xianghui handed over the documents and was about to leave, when Hu Zongnan suddenly yelled from behind: "Wait a minute!" Was it because the sound came suddenly, unexpectedly, too low, cold, or for some other reason, in short, Xiong Xianghui couldn't help being startled, and broke out in a cold sweat.But he immediately raised his head and smiled and said, "Mr. Hu, what's the matter?" "No!" Hu Zongnan sighed.After a short pause, he emphasized his tone meaningfully, "It's all right..." Xiong Xianghui greeted him with relief, pretending to be solemn: "Mr. Hu, please tell me something!" Hu Zongnan pondered for a moment, but stopped talking.Finally, he made up his mind and said to Xiong in a low voice: "I've made up my mind, there's nothing to do here, you'd better go to America, and leave early tomorrow morning!" He stretched out his hand. Even if the old matter is brought up again, Xiong Xianghui still feels that he is not mentally prepared.The first signal that popped into his mind was: Hu has got rid of his mental predicament and has made a decision! So what is this new decision?Judging from the recent telegrams from Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek is extremely dissatisfied with the fact that the leaders of the CCP are still in northern Shaanxi.Especially knowing that the venue of the Zhenwu Cave Celebration is very close to Yan'an, I am even more unhappy.Naturally, this emotion should be expressed through texts and telegrams, and Hu Zongnan's pressure continued unabated!At this moment, an important piece of information inspired him, Peng Dehuai showed signs of going west to Longdong!Prior to this, the direction finder of the American radio station had clearly concluded that there was undoubtedly a radio station group in the Wangjiawan area of ​​Jingbian County. While shaking hands, Xiong Xianghui thought about all the possibilities.He secretly decided that before leaving northern Shaanxi, he must contact the organization once. In fact, the CCP has already judged this.Before Zhou Enlai went to Zhenwu Cave to reward his teachers, Mao Zedong said that "Hu Zongnan is coming to visit us", which made him think a little longer about Peng Dehuai's plan to go west to Longdong.However, the final decision was made.On the day when the victory ceremony was held, Mao Zedong called Zhou Enlai, Lu Dingyi, Peng Dehuai and Xi Zhongxun: "I fully agree with the June combat policy. Except for the Seventh Police Regiment staying at the site, the whole army will go out of Longdong..." There are many reasons for this, and the most fundamental one is based on the consideration of breaking the inherent pattern and "making Hu Zongnan move and wipe out the enemy with cameras".Mao Zedong's telegram was full of confidence in this, asking Peng Dehuai to "fight the new brigade first, and then fight the 100 brigades or other recalcitrant units."Clearly, the appetite is not small.The battlefield in northern Shaanxi was a dangerous game from beginning to end.If you only seek safety, you will achieve nothing; only by seeking danger, can you receive immortal merit.This determines that Hu Zongnan must play Xuan Xuan.Xuanjiuxuan's "bait" was too quality, Hu Zongnan and even Chiang Kai-shek would lose their rationality and be unable to resist when they thought about it.Therefore, Mao Zedong's ingenious calculations from a high place can always hit the edge of the ball just right, without error. Peng Dehuai's situation is different.He is always in a specific situation, facing a specific opponent, and then defeating the opponent with experience and wisdom.After the battle plan of going west to Longdong to whip the "two horses" was approved, the Northwest Field Corps set off from Ansai on May 21 when Xiong Xianghui and Hu Zongnan bid farewell to the road. The troops were divided into three groups. Yizong was on the right, and Yesi led the new fourth brigade in the center, quietly turning to the border between Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. After nine days of rapid march, the troops stepped into the inaccessible Ziwu Ridge.This is the area where the Red Army's Long March first arrived in northern Shaanxi and joined forces with Liu Zhidan in victory. The commanders and soldiers returned to their hometowns. Wan He howled and galloped, and the neat and orderly troops were divided into fragments all at once, calling each other across the mountains in the rain, which was out of reach. Where there is a mountain, there is a road. The troops quickly adjusted their marching columns, and after traveling between the mountains for a long time, they finally broke through the border between Shaanxi and Gansu provinces and reached Huai'an, Yuele, and Heshui in the east of Longdong. At dawn on May 30, the first column on the right succeeded in the first battle, captured Jiangtai, and wiped out the 279th Regiment of the 60th Brigade of the 81st Division of the Ningma Reorganization stationed there (less than one battalion). The head of the regiment Ma Diobang (son-in-law of Ma Hongkui); the new fourth brigade in the middle road also developed very smoothly, captured Yuele in one fell swoop, wiped out five companies of the third regiment of the second brigade of Qingma cavalry, captured major general Chen Yingquan, deputy brigade commander, and colonel commander Wang Tao: Only the second vertical direction on the left encountered a hard nail, and the battle was extremely fierce, and the results were not very satisfactory. The last battle between the Second Column and the Teaching Brigade was on May 28.According to the marching sequence at that time, the teaching brigade was the vanguard, and the second column was the rear.At noon, the avant-garde regiment arrived at Haocaopu, more than 20 miles east of Heshui, and suddenly encountered the security force of the 8th Brigade of the "Qingma" newly formed cavalry.Both the enemy and ourselves started a gun battle without any explanation.Because it was the first battle, both of them wanted to overwhelm each other with momentum and fight to the death with all their strength. Therefore, although not many troops were invested, the battle was extremely fierce. This is a terrible place, and the natural environment is extremely harsh.As soon as the soldiers walked out of Ziwu Ridge, where the flood was roaring, water became a rarity again in a blink of an eye.On the bare loess high slopes, it is common to see no water source for tens of miles.The local villagers have stored water for generations just like storing grain. Every family built a cellar next to the kiln, and dug ditches from the plateau to bring in a little pitiful rainwater.It is said that for the sake of water purification, some sheep manure or horse manure eggs must be poured into the water cellar.You don't have to think the taste of water is bad, you can take a sip of this "dung egg water" and you are very particular!In most cases, there is only mud in the cellar.Mud has to be poured into the mouth. The so-called "passing the Flame Mountain for eight hundred miles, the old sandy beach can't be seen at a glance", Sun Dasheng had a hard time here, not to mention the naked eye!It was nearly June, and although frost was still condensed on the sand grains in the morning, and it was bitterly cold, but at noon, the sun was scorching like fire, and the flames were blazing, so that the mouth was smoked. In the first half of the day, it also turns you into a soft noodle. Drenched in sweat, Wang Zhen raised his binoculars to observe the direction of the gunfire for a while, jumped off his horse, and asked Guo Peng simply, "Has the shooting continued?" He replied no, and said that Brigadier Luo Yuanfa had also rushed to the front. Wang Zhen was a little surprised, the enemy was just a front security force, why is it so tough?He thought for a while and said: "Don't bother with him, we will do our job, you and Wang Enmao command the 359th Brigade to attack Heshui, and the 4th Brigade alone will give you another 12th regiment, how about it? , Surround it first and then fight, be quick, the troops run, if they are slow they will slip, they are cavalry, four legs!" "What about Brigadier Luo?" Guo Peng asked anxiously. Wang Zhen said: "Luo Yuanfa's teaching brigade continued to be vigilant, and the 'Qingma' 100th brigade was stationed in Qingyang and Xihuachi, very close. If we don't resist this enemy, how can Heshui fight? We must resist. Hold on, cut off reinforcements! If Luo Yuanfa and the others are doing well, they can attack Xifeng Town. The large force will go straight to Xifeng Town after defeating Heshui. Don’t spend too much time on the outlying strongholds. On the stronghold, it will be difficult to fight!" While talking, the sky was getting dark, and night was about to fall. Guo Peng understood Wang Zhen's intention, and with a few words, he pulled the troops away.He asked Liao Ming, deputy political commissar of the 359th Brigade, to lead the 717th and 719th Regiments to the north and northwest of Heshui City, and wipe out the enemies at the three main strongholds of Yuanjiashan, Lijiashan, and Lujiayuan. ; The 718th Regiment rushed to the east of the city, first wiped out the defending enemy at Erlang Mountain in the east of the city, and then attacked the city;When the troops arrived at the designated positions, it was still dark.According to the scheduled combat plan, the attack was launched at 7 o'clock in the morning, so the two or three hours of rest in front of me were extremely precious.The soldiers lay down on the dirt, chewing fried noodles dryly, and fell asleep after chewing.Guo and Liao led the heads and political commissars of the 717 and 719 regiments, and walked past them lightly, and quietly touched the front. The darkness before dawn, everything is silent.Facing the looming silhouette of the highland in the night, Guo Peng and others quietly observed and analyzed it.Guo Peng pressed the map on the ground, carefully checked the directions from left to right with his flashlight in hand, and assigned the highland attack missions marked on the map to specific regiments, camps and even companies.In the end, at a distance of nearly 100 meters behind the forward position, there was still a small mound of soil that had not been touched. It was not marked on the map, and the scene was not very eye-catching. As a reserve team, the troops lie behind the small mound, which is concealed and safe, and in case the echelon attack is frustrated, the distance you go up to attack is not too far." This is not an improper arrangement.But never expected that as soon as the battle started, it was the "hidden and safe" small mound that suddenly rained bullets.It turned out that the enemy had already deployed quite heavy firepower on this high ground. Rifles, light and heavy machine guns, and small cannons of various calibers were immediately intertwined with the frontal enemy fire, forming a dense fire net.At dawn, I saw that the "small mound" was another serious highland stretching down Erlang Mountain, Lujiayuan, Nansiyuan, Xiguan Mountain and other highlands. After asking, I knew it was called "" Fenugreek".Such a well-known highland is not marked on the map! Looking at the intertwined fire net in front of him, Guo Peng felt heart-wrenching pains.This accident stumped him, he regained his composure and quickly adjusted his plan.Guo Peng made a decisive decision and ordered the Ninth Regiment, which was the reserve team, to immediately go into battle and attack Fenugreek—fortunately, the Ninth Regiment was deployed behind Fenugreek.With a trace of guilt, a trace of rejoicing, and a trace of trepidation, Guo Peng issued this order, and the 719th Regiment immediately changed from a reserve team to a commando team. No matter how quickly the commanders reacted, they were still somewhat hasty. Lack of mental preparation.However, the fortifications on the Fenugreek Heights are bright and dark, and once the firepower appears, it will be overwhelming.Therefore, less than five minutes after the Ninth Regiment fired a charge, the troops retreated in a hurry, with heavy casualties.Guo Peng's eyes were red, and he urgently ordered to attack again.However, the troops were lying on such a large open ground, and the enemy's firepower was prepared and arranged in stages. Our temporary deployment, light and heavy weapons could not form a fist, and could not give the opponent a minimum suppression. Repeated attacks and repeated defeats did not work. At this time, the 717th Regiment, which was mainly attacking the northwest direction of Heshui, also played very unsatisfactorily.According to the old rules, the troops approached the front of the enemy's outer trenches with bayonet grenades.Unexpectedly, the cunning "green horse" laid an ambush, and when the attacking troops of the Seventh Regiment rushed forward with bayonets, the enemy who had been ambushing in the dark tunnel suddenly shouted and rushed out unexpectedly.A hand-to-hand battle with swords flying and blood spattering started!The commanders and fighters of the Ninth Regiment did not have a stable foothold and did not have an advantage.The soldiers of the "Green Horse" were all proficient in swordsmanship, and the melee did not last for a few minutes before the Ninth Regiment escaped from the position bloodstained.When Guo Peng heard the report, he pressed his hands on the phone for a long time and dared not let go.Now only the 718th Regiment and the 12th Regiment of the Independent Fourth Brigade were left. He wondered if there would be miracles in these two directions. The Wild Eighth Regiment and the Twelfth Regiment have not disappointed Guo Peng so far.The two regiments had taken all the outlying strongholds on the front of the attack, and the most meaningful one was of course Erlang Mountain, which was condescending and could control the entire east of the city with a single machine gun.The terrain in the north and south cities is flat, and not far from the west city is the Malian River, which is narrow and there is no room for it.Therefore, Guo Peng hoped that a miracle could happen in the east of the city.As early as before dawn, he ordered the Eighth Regiment to take advantage of the dark conditions to rush to the gate of Dongguan at all costs, lay explosives on the gate, and carry out blasting.However, it was another accident. The gate of Dongguan City was originally composed of several overlapping barriers. The first barrier was blown away, and the second barrier was blown away... At this point, the intention of besieging Heshui has been fully exposed.The four words "concealed and sudden" that Peng Dehuai originally thought of have come to naught. This made Wang Zhen very anxious, and the thick tendons on his temples swelled up.The second column command post has almost become a prison. Wang Zhen really wants to ride his horse and go straight to the frontline troops to see how powerful the enemy is.However, he is the commander of the column, so of course he can't let his temper go.He unscrewed the lid of a pot of strong Laobaigan that Qianzhen Wanai brought with him and held it in his hand, smelled it, and took a sip.When he wanted to drink again, he was stopped by the guards.Wang Zhen had no choice but to look into the eyes of the little guard.This was a private agreement between them before the war, and he personally granted him this power.As a commander, you should keep your word!Wang Zhen had no choice but to suppress the thunderous roar deep in his heart.He sighed heavily, filled the pot with white wine, poured it on his face vigorously, then tightened the cap, and reluctantly handed over half of the remaining wine to the guards. What should we do now?Wang Zhen burned himself inside and out, and quickly thought about countermeasures.He knew that the situation would become more and more difficult to grasp. The most important thing now was to strengthen the command of Guo and Liao and effectively control the troops. "Enmao, you go to the 359th Brigade," Wang Zhen said to Wang Enmao, the deputy political commissar without turning his head or turning his face, keeping his eyes on the observation hole. minutes, I'll give you 8 minutes!" 实际上，可供三五九旅选择的再攻方案只有两条：一是先解决合水北山敌主要阵地，然后攻城；二是相反，先攻合水城，再杀回马枪，解决城北敌主要阵地。王恩茂一路掂量。他力主第一方案。目前现实摆在这里，“隐蔽、突然”已经谈不上了，不把外围据点整理清楚，就冒冒失失攻城，势必腹背受敌。部队前面破城，屁股后面没遮没拦地给人家打，怎么架得住！ 这一来，仗就完全落入俗套，按部就班。阵地对阵地，而且敌人是从容有备，我方则重开锣鼓。王恩茂见郭鹏耷拉着脸，说：“没有办法的办法，只能如此。否则，部队牺牲不起！”郭鹏咬咬牙，他还从来没有经历过这么被动的局面。时间来不及多虑了，他同意电话报王震，说：“看看王司令是什么意思。”王震岂能有回天之力？电话里就痛痛快快地告诉王恩茂和郭、廖二人，“你们看着办，总之要灵活机动……”这个指示的潜台词是很明白的。于是，天一擦黑，王恩茂就和郭、廖重新组织力量，再从城外据点打起。可是，部队刚刚展开，一场不期而至的大雨劈头盖脸浇下来，把精心拟订的全部计划，都浇成了黄汤！ 驻守庆阳的“青马”新编骑兵第八旅一个团，终于耐不住寂寞：他们倚仗膘肥体壮的烈马和刚从美国人手中得到的新式排子枪，大呼小叫以圣战者自居，战刀高举在手，口号不绝于耳，一路黄尘弥漫、气势汹汹，直奔合水而来。负责打警戒的教导旅全力迎战，但毕竟仓促上阵，对方又全是马队，来势迅猛。速度之快，是过去在陕北与胡军交手时少见的。王震一看这架势，知道硬顶肯定扛不住，便趁该敌与教导旅专心争夺一个叫马家嘴的山头时，命独四旅突然从马莲河一线悄悄插到这股敌人身后，断其退路——起码做出这种姿态。 果然，庆阳来的“青马”援敌着了慌。他们对这种带有冷兵器时代鲜明痕迹的兵家大忌，有着本能的畏惧。一听说后路被人抄了去，队伍立刻骚动起来。惊慌的情绪是相互传染的，不一会儿。官兵不约而同拨转马头，夺路而逃。这时，又一个意想不到的情景发生了：解放军阵营中那些可爱而又可敬的勇士，一看敌人要跑，便趁机不顾一切猛扑上去，一个个死死抱住马头，或是背起步枪，追上烈马，拼命揪住马尾巴，嗓门嘶哑地喝令马背上的骑敌：“缴枪不杀！解放军优待俘虏——”他们哪里知道，鞍前马后露着一颗人头，正好是骑敌血刀翻飞的极好机会，于是，这些胳膊被草靶和树枝训练得跟牲口一般粗的马上屠夫，毫不犹豫刀起头落，一如抛切西瓜。他们陶醉了，打着呼哨，疯狂地虐笑着，在马莲河畔度过了平生最得意的一个下午…… 傍晚的黑云重压下来，天地只留下灰蒙蒙的一条虚线，恍恍惚惚、隐隐约约的虚空间，教导旅和独四旅伤痕累累的战士们，在默默掩埋烈士。残烟缕缕和横七竖八的无头遗尸——当然也有少量被勇士们用短刀捅倒的骑敌与敌马，把几公里旷野涂抹得黏稠而峰峦叠嶂。晚风呜咽，马莲河的涛声锥心刺骨，但指战员们还是打起精神完成一切。不管怎么说，这是一个胜利的结局。几分钟前，王震司令员在电话中跟教导旅旅长罗元发和独四旅旅长顿星云就是这么肯定的。王恩茂与郭、廖对于这个胜利更为看重，他们作出种种假设，每种假设都足以造成极为严重的后果。现在，这些后果一个也没有降临，所以值得庆幸，不失为以小的代价换取大的成功之范例。总之，这个沉重的夜晚虽然悲痛，却也还有值得沉浸的理由。血战了大半天，指战员们太累了！部队打扫完战场，简单地总结了一下经验教训，便抓紧时间休息，养精蓄锐，以利再战。 千头万绪的善后工作淹没了一个最重要的主题，那就是对于敌情的分析。他们只知“马家军”的野蛮与惨无人道，而对其性子急、胆子大、心眼小、仇怨报复心理迫切且敢于铤而走险这一点，似乎还估计不足。 第二天一大早，庆阳驻敌便倾城出动，“青马”新编骑兵第八旅以2000人马，分南北两路，再度浩浩荡荡疾驰合水，来寻前日旧梦。情况确乎突如其来，风云翻卷、局面复杂，疲惫不堪的教导旅和独四旅多少有点儿茫然不知所措。因为疏于戒备，事先该扼守的隘口没有扼守，该构筑的阵地也没有构筑，匆忙上阵难免顾此失彼，致使敌人以南路作掩护，而北路神不知鬼不觉地突然插到合水攻城部队侧后。这一手非同小可，短短十几分钟时间，三五九旅就被推到了极地！生死存亡，只是一眨眼之间的事。 郭鹏急忙下令，从七团和九团各抽一个连抢占有利地形，阻止这股狂风暴雨般席卷而来的骑敌。但是太势单力薄了，骑敌如同潮涌，两个连岂能挡得住！ “再调一个营！”情急之下，郭鹏已无心商议，抓起电话就喊。他要七团把预备队三营调上去。可是，三营还没有跑到位置，骑敌已经刀劈马踏一阵风似的冲了过去。敌我之间，马上马下，根本不可同日而语。三营一枪都没来得及放，伤亡就已极其惨重。郭鹏正不知怎么办才好，忽又闻报合水城北葫芦巴高地守敌，突然大开城门迎接援军。这是一个稍纵即逝的转机，他心头一动，顾不得与王恩茂和廖明招呼，当即就从半山坡上的指挥所扑出来：“我下山去组织反击！”谁知刚跑出指挥所，一颗流弹嗖的一声飞过来，他只觉得手臂被重重一击，眼前一黑栽倒在地…… 三五九旅被困在合水城下，步枪手榴弹失去往日的威风。整个战场混乱一片，几乎听不到爆炸声，只见马刀闪烁，叮当响亮，鲜血溅得天都红了！骑敌身上、脸上全是血浆，个个成了血人儿。鞍边的脚镫上是血，高筒皮靴上是血，战马奋起的马蹄上是血，连抛向蹄掌后面的泥点都是红色的！死亡已经不是什么问题，战士们手中握着手榴弹，不知该往哪儿扔。他们哑着嗓子大声喊：“拼啦！拼啦……”毫无惧色地扑闪在敌人马群中间。一个小战士拉开引环正要出手，却见有战友跃上马背和敌人扭在一起。手榴弹嗤嗤冒着白烟，犹豫间，另一骑敌冲到了面前，一刀下去，小战士倒下了，手榴弹也开了花，敌坐骑受了伤，嘶鸣着竖起双蹄。刹那间另一个战士冲上来，挺枪不偏不倚朝马胸前一刺刀扎下去，结果来不及拔出，用力别了一下，刺刀断在马身子里。于是，他又急忙向马背上的敌人开了枪……“拼啦！拼啦！”战士们撕心裂肺地呼喊着，扑打着，一个一个倒下去，似乎谁都不把死亡放在心上。 仗打到这个份上，王震似有万箭钻心！但这是个从不肯轻易低头的硬汉。他无论如何也不能相信，千锤百炼的三五九旅怎么会输给这群马背上的乌合之众？但事实已不容置疑。他敏感地注意到王恩茂和廖明在报告战场情况时，用了“尸横遍野”和“血流成河”这样的词语。他当然知道三五九旅的处境，旅长郭鹏又负了伤，被抬下指挥所。但是，大仗恶仗对三五九旅来说已不是什么新鲜事，南下北返途中，绝处逢生、反败为胜的战例成把抓。眼下，能否考虑给予必要的增援……王震急切地思虑着，忽然接到野司通报：侦知“青马”驻宁县一〇〇旅已兵分两路，正向马莲河东岸的合水步步进逼。 战事未果，指挥员要突然冷下来，下达撤退命令，其实需要很大的勇气。更不用说是在付出了巨大代价的情况下。 6月1日这天，王震从清早到午后，连水都没有喝一口。他要给彭德怀和习仲勋打电报，检讨合水失利。显然，因为这一失利，影响了整个战役，王震深感自己负有重要责任。但是对于“青马”的“英勇善射能战，行动迅速胆大”这一点，他又有一肚子话要说。他觉得在彭、习面前陈述这一点，“实非夸大以掩过错，亦非认识为不可消灭敌人”，而只是希望借此对“青马”的特点有所认识，“可供今后行动方针之资料”。王震的报告作得那样沉痛。他在执笔拟写“战役共伤亡八百余人，干部伤亡尤为严重，弹药消耗特大（九旅近乎打光），必须移至一个地区整顿几天”这几行文字时，泪滴差不多都要下来了！ 奉命撤出的部队，即刻转移到合水西北一带不毛之地。这里人烟稀少、吃水困难，部队唯一存身的办法，就是“天当被、地当铺”，露营山野，好处是“马家军”一般不愿光顾。因而指战员们得以安安静静地喘口气。合水一仗对部队震动太大了！ 战士们就躺在光秃秃的塬畔，眼望苍天，苦涩地回忆着刚过去的一幕幕……这是西野部队较早与“马家军”的“四条腿”交锋，它刻入每个指战员的心里。要记下的实在太多，王恩茂在当天的日记中论及作战经验，就历数出五条：“一、与任何敌人战斗，均不能轻敌；二、攻击敌人城镇、据点，必须攻克敌主阵地，才能结束战斗；三、攻击任何敌人，均须控制强大预备队；四、炮火作用很大，但无论如何不能单纯依赖炮火解决问题；五、攻占一个阵地，必须对付敌人的反冲锋。” 至于攻击敌阵地一次不成功，不另想办法，而作无效的反复冲锋；冲锋到敌人工事面前受阻时，停留在敌人火网之下，不知转移地区和做工事；冲锋前进挺胸屈身而不匍匐；敌人打手榴弹不知疏散卧倒；不观察利用地形常挨冷枪；炮火零乱缺乏组织指挥以及步兵不认真迫近作业等，更是一言难尽。 彭德怀喜欢阅读这样一类具体详尽的战报。他对那些大而无当的东西不感兴趣。二纵的遭遇在老总心中拧成了一个“结”。这个“结”由来已久。早在1935年秋徐海东的红二十五军与“马家军”激战平凉马莲铺之后，彭德怀就听说西北有支“四条腿”的国民党部队，“一手拿古兰经，一手拿枪炮”，很有些说道。什么借教建军，以教治军，内部不分族别，强制回化，信奉伊斯兰教；什么以“护教保教”挟制官兵，鼓吹杀死10个仇敌即可升天见真主，因而战场上人人舍命、宁死不降等，传得神乎其神。及至到了1936年夏西路军惨案发生，彭德怀对“马家军”的认识有了切近感。精神信仰——哪怕包含着政治阴谋是一方面，战场上骁勇——哪怕带有蛮荒野性也是一个方面，而脱离战场之后对生灵的屠戮及种种丧失人性的狂妄，则又是另外一个方面。这一次，彭德怀算是有了切肤之痛。但站在西北战场的高度考虑，他还不急于立即着手报一箭之仇，而是沉下来用心去酝酿一个大的策略。 在彭德怀心中，西出陇东从根本上来讲，也还是对付胡宗南的一着棋。他从未把胡宗南和“马家军”及邓宝珊放在一口锅里煮，而总是适度地将他们区别开来，在他们之间游刃有余。安塞休整期间彭德怀就断定，只要西野主力一动，胡军“固守延安”的定力便不攻自破。果然，当得知陇东战况而又探知中共中央大体位置就在不远处的王家湾时，一直犹豫不定的胡宗南再也把持不住了！尽管有此前三战的隐痛，尽管对“马家军”只用眼角去瞧，尽管蒋介石一日三电督令他用兵务必慎之又慎，胡宗南还是义无反顾地下达了一道命令。他要董钊、刘戡所部拨四个半旅出来，由刘戡担纲，分别从西、南两面，以钳形攻势直扑王家湾！ 消息传到西野司令部，彭德怀笑了。他踱近地图，说：“老习呀，我猜就是这样。现在，主动权又在我们手里了。我们只要稍作反应，哪怕是东移一小步，胡宗南也会叫'马家军'跟上来。好嘛，他跟'二马'一东一西，我们夹在当中，正好'围而聚歼'，如意算盘打得真不错哩！”习仲勋说：“我看'马家军'未必就听他胡宗南的调遣。”“那可不敢断言，”彭德怀分析道：“合水一仗给他们占了上风，正在那里神气得不得了呢。更何况，老蒋最近又待他不薄，给了官，给了云麾勋章，又给了武器，一大批美国货啊，都是排子枪。受人钱财为人消灾，总得表现一下子嘛！”说到这里，他放低了声调，手中的红铅笔在地图上找到陕北三边一带，重重地画了个圈，叹道：“就是党中央毛主席他们有点儿险情啊！” 以彭德怀的判断，胡宗南兴兵北上，中共中央在王家湾是待不下去了。向北转移，胡、马防线接合部的“三边”地区是唯一选择。那么，西野主力下一步攻击箭头就只能指向北而不是南，这同样别无选择。到目前为止，胡宗南最担心的还是彭德怀南下关中，那是陕中粮仓啊！还在合水一仗热火朝天时，胡即命令整三十六师急驰关中，分守长武、彬县、旬邑三地，就常识而言，彭德怀西出陇东而不图关中，似乎不好解释。可是，彭德怀现在却选择了北上的大方向。他举起一个手指从合水出发，溯环江而上，越庆阳、曲子，抵达环县。他敲定了环县。驻守环县的是宁马八十一师，师长马悙靖，是时任国民党西北军政长官公署副长官马鸿宾的儿子。 彭德怀说：“碰一个是碰，碰十个也是碰，我们就横下心，再碰他一个！” 彭德怀是智慧的，打环县只不过视作继续北上“三边”的一个铺垫，打得下打不下并不重要，重要的是打。当然，这不是说环县是可以随意糊弄的，在战术上，攻则必克是彭德怀一贯的决心，何况“宁马”不比“青马”，相对来讲要弱一点。如能一举打下环县，合水之战的阴影多少可以扫除一些，同样达到敲山震虎的目的，不负陇东之行，进一步实现对付“马家军”的总体策略。在西北战场一盘棋上，彭德怀不但要区别胡宗南与“二马”，还要区别“马家军”内部的“宁马”与“青马”。存此一念，部队在向环县进发之前，他才突然灵机一动，有了个神来之笔——义释马奠邦。 “什么？我们牺牲那么多同志，不毙掉这小子就算便宜他了，怎么还放他？”全军上下没有想得通的。如果不是彭德怀亲自跑到俘虏营宣布这一决定，谁敢说这是事实！是的，连马奠邦自己也闹糊涂了。不是说被共产党捉住就要割舌头、挖眼睛、活剥人皮吗？咋就……他望着面前这个平平朴朴的中年人，一再揉眼睛。看守战士告诉他彭德怀的名字，他傻愣在那里好半天，终于醒悟过来，急忙在衣襟上蹭蹭手、躬身抚胸，行了个穆斯林“都瓦”礼。然后，他将信将疑地揪着衣角，嘴里嘟囔一大串只有真主才会听懂的话。 接着，彭德怀去打环县马惇靖。这是一次有准备的攻击，部队全都憋足一股劲。彭德怀命一纵三五八旅打头阵，狠狠砸下去！值得回味的是，久经沙场的彭老总此番的“四面合围”竟偏偏出了个明显的疏漏——城东塬没有部队占领。这等于是一只手攥紧了万钧雷霆，而另一只手又轻轻地网开一面。自然，招架不住的“宁马”溜出了东塬，夹着尾巴朝黑城岔方向逃遁。彭德怀把追歼残敌的任务交给王震的二纵。因为第一拳挨得太重，逃敌狼狈极了，什么重炮、轻重机枪、骆驼驮子上的弹药和粮食，统统甩下了。甚至连步枪和马刀也丢得遍地都是，指战员们越追越起劲，部队士气大振，前几日失利的沮丧烟消云散。 不管怎么说，攻克环县算是个真正意义上的胜仗。部队虽然劳累一点儿，伤亡倒不大。最令人鼓舞是俘获的资财和武器装备非常可观。短期内有吃有喝，许多人还领到一支新家伙，怎能不开心呢？前一段战士开小差的现象明显少了，全军上下皆大欢喜。休整是愉快的，干部们忙着开会研究战例，战士们随意搞点训练，环县川里川外部队驻地，到处都听得见欢声笑语。相比较而言，野司驻地反倒显得有些沉闷，除了滴滴答答的无线电发报声，就听不到别的声音。大家连说话和脚步都放得很轻，生怕惊动了什么。这当然与彭、习两位主要领导同志的情绪有关。 休整日期必须压到最低限度。中央前委已把撤离王家湾的消息通报了彭、习，刘戡的兵马开始北上，步步进逼，而前委又确定下一步要动邓宝珊集团——邓占据榆林重镇，这个邓宝珊动不动就跟胡宗南呼应一下，给陕北战场带来的威胁不言而喻。彭德怀对此早有想法，中央的决定让他颇觉兴奋。更何况，前委同时还告知，晋南的陈、谢纵队也将于7月西渡黄河，加入到西北野战兵团的序列，攻打榆林。然而，这一切都取决于眼前这道难关能否闯过去：中央欲往“三边”转移，西野主力由环县去榆林，也必经“三边”。 “三边”现为“宁马”所占。几个月来，他们在那里移村并户、编保制甲，建立一套政权机构，搞得老百姓鸡飞狗跳，四散奔逃。本来，定边、靖边、安边地处长城脚下的大沙漠边缘，吃粮、喝水都成问题，居民也少得可怜，这一来更是没人烟了。眼下西野主力要在这地方跟“四条腿”的“马家军”再度交手，劣势显而易见。彭德怀命令电台跟中央前委保持全时联络。两个安危挂在心上，如同两把刀子悬在头顶，实在叫人轻松不起来。 部队不得不提前出发，沿陕甘宁三省边界线，向首攻目标定边前进。第一天就开始喝泥浆。那黄泥巴汤又黏又稠带着难以沾唇的苦涩味，真是没法解渴。大家边行军边谈论着艰苦，说着说着，队伍整个儿踏入大沙漠，涩嘴的泥巴汤也没得喝了。沙漠上风沙弥漫，炎日熏烤，战士们饥肠辘辘却不敢把炒面往口中放。有的人掉队之后就再也不赶队伍，军纪也不管用了，某旅逃兵最多时每天达八十人！这让各旅、特别是营团干部大伤脑筋。彭德怀天天都要亲自看各纵、各旅的宿营报告。这天，他正在为此事皱紧眉头，忽见年轻的电台主任汗流浃背跑来哭丧个脸，“老总，不知为啥子，我们跟前委的电台联络信号五分钟前突然中断，怎么也呼叫不出来！”