Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Collecting "Two Extensions" to Break the Clear Stream

The laughter in Qiandongyuan Village lasted until 12 noon, and the cooking class served everyone a bowl of millet soup.It is "soup" not "porridge".Everyone bowed their heads and saw their own shadows in the sea bowl, and couldn't help but think of someone.This person is He Long. More than a month ago, He Long had a mantra at the meeting in Xiaohe Village: After a big victory, I invite everyone to drink millet porridge!At that time, the so-called "big victory" was just a presupposition.This presupposition is based on the premise that no major battles will be fought in northern Shaanxi. One important reason for this is the food issue.

Peng Dehuai said in his speech at the time: "It is very necessary to unify the two districts of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Shanxi-Sui. Financial unification is also very important. Streamlining must be strictly implemented. With 900,000 people supporting 90,000 people, it cannot even last for three months. Food in the countryside is exhausted and manpower is wasted too much, so there should be strict establishments and systems at the front and rear. Some people put their hopes on Chen Geng’s troops to come to Shaanxi, and do not seriously prepare for hard work. This kind of thinking must be effectively resolved.”

Therefore, the arrow of Chen Geng's Taiyue column was pulled from northern Shaanxi to western Henan to assist Liu and Deng in managing the Central Plains, and to use a reverse containment to indirectly create conditions for the army and civilians in northern Shaanxi to wipe out the enemy.The reason why Mao Zedong supported this plan and agreed to "start fighting in the border area and Chen Geng" was mainly because of "both strategic and food benefits."He estimated that it would take five years to "solve" Chiang Kai-shek.Then, for Hu Zongnan, there will naturally be a process from "weakening" to "eliminating".No matter how "simplified and economical" is, in terms of the material conditions in northern Shaanxi, this process is by no means an easy task. Since March, no crops can be planted in the wild and chaotic northern Shaanxi, and of course there is no hope of harvesting food.Peng Dehuai had suffered enough from the lack of food.During the time when they went north to the "Three Sides", the army was so hungry that they even bought the immature corn from the villagers' fields piece by piece, and ate the stalks and sticks together, and even those leaves that could be set up for a fire were reluctant to throw away. Swallow slowly.When we arrived in Dayulin, the pumpkins were knotted, and we ate pumpkins.The pumpkin is eaten up, the horse is slaughtered...

Mao Zedong pinned his hopes on He Long.Let He Long unify the command of the rear as the commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Sui Joint Defense Force, which contains Mao Zedong's extremely meticulous painstaking efforts. Before the Battle of Shajiadian, Mao Zedong and the 800-man "Three Detachments" had just moved to Jia County, and eating became a big problem.All the food in Jia County was used to support the troops fighting Yulin, and there was a small amount left over. The local troops were not enough to eat, so how could they supply the central government?In desperation, Zhang Xianyue, the brigade commander of the New Fourth Brigade, proposed to kill the donkey. Mao Zedong disagreed and killed the donkey. What kind of crops will the common people get in the coming year?Someone also suggested that the soldiers should let go of their stomachs and eat jujubes. People in Jiaxian have a habit of eating jujubes from trees when they are ripe, regardless of yours or mine.Mao Zedong also disagreed. Dates are the "life-saving fruit" of the local people, and they cannot eat even one.So what to do?Zhou Enlai and Zhang Junxian, secretary of the Jia County Party Committee, stared at each other with big eyes.Mao Zedong had no choice but to play He Long's card.

In the past few days, several members of the former committee of the CPC Central Committee used one location each day. On this day, they moved to Shenquanbao, across the river from Linxian County in Northwest Shanxi Province. Mao Zedong planned to send a telegram to He Long and Xi Zhongxun with emotional ups and downs, saying: " Yesterday I went to the front committee to attend a meeting. Peng and the heads of the various columns were very confident about continuing to wipe out the enemy in the current area (between the Wuding River and the Yellow River). The morale of the troops was high. Several batches of capable personnel were quickly dispatched to the six counties of Shen, Fu, Jia, Mi, Sui, and Wu to mobilize food vigorously. As long as there are 7,000 to 10,000 shi of grain, they can supply one month to complete the combat plan. If the situation permits, we can also consider Attack Yulin again." From the telegram, He Long could see the importance of food.

Since the Xiaohe meeting, the Shanxi-Sui Military Region's grain-raising work has become an overwhelming task.In order to compete for time and speed, He Long once moved his brain to the south of Jinan, trying to solve some problems from the prosperous Taiyue.However, after all, the mountains are high and the water is far away.Now it seems that we have to tap the potential on the spot.Mao Zedong pointed out that the six counties in Hexi were actually under the direct and indirect control of the Kuomintang.Although Mao Zedong easily told He Long, "The enemy's seven brigades are in the north of Zhenchuan, and Suide has only one brigade. It is impossible to run around again. Encouraged by our army's victory, it is still possible to raise 10,000 shi." Obtaining food in these areas is tantamount to pulling teeth out of a tiger's mouth!

He Long himself stood in front of the grain raising team, fully armed, to mobilize.He lifted up his leggings, knocked off the soot on the soles of his cloth shoes, and said with a serious expression: "Some people say, it's just to get some food! Food, big problem! Whoever gets me food, I will give him great credit! Comrades of the main force of the field army They fought there hungry, they couldn’t even eat the grain stalks, and Chairman Mao was hungry too! Great!” Most of these cadres for food adjustment came from various districts in the east of the river, such as Nao County and Jingle. In any major battle, there are a few grains of grain stored in public warehouses and private warehouses, which can fill the stomach at the worst.Hearing about the plight of various food shortages on the battlefield in northern Shaanxi, especially the news that both the central government and Chairman Mao were hungry, everyone was very moved.

As soon as the team set off, results were seen within a few days.On the day of grain harvest, the grain transport teams on the Yellow River Water Wharf became more and more powerful one by one, and the bells of the donkeys jingled: the people on their shoulders sang songs and shouted chant, and the atmosphere was very unusual.These moving scenes, together with the golden corn kernels and millet kernels, the red and white sorghum rice, the plump red beans, and the plump pumpkins, were transported to the front line in northern Shaanxi and Mao Zedong's dining table. It has become an immortal topic.

The war in northern Shaanxi is fighting for food.This point, Peng Dehuai felt the deepest.He not only knows the importance of food, but also knows what kind of support is behind the food.When Liu Ziqi met him when he was captured, the two talked casually about their fellow countrymen.Liu Ziqi never understood why he was taken prisoner.His 1st, 2nd and 3rd brigades consisted of three regiments. Except for one regiment staying in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, the other two regiments plus the brigade directly under the brigade had more than 10,000 people. The equipment was so hard, why did it collapse when it came into contact with the Communist Party?Liu Ziqi felt dishonored and unwilling, he wanted to leave.

Peng Dehuai said: "If you want to leave, I won't stop you. Last year the entire brigade commander Huang Zhengcheng was captured in southern Shanxi, so he let you go back? The problem is, you have to compare the Kuomintang with the Communist Party, don't wear dark glasses Look at the world. It is not honorable for a soldier to be a prisoner, but it is honorable for you to return to the embrace of the people." Hearing the word "people", Liu Ziqi was moved.You are a soldier, but you are also a member of the people!He has read many books, and there is nothing he does not understand.As the saying goes, don't be afraid of not knowing the goods, but be afraid of comparing goods.When the two parties were compared on the table, Liu Ziqi became enlightened.That Huang Zhengcheng hugged Hu Zongnan tightly, and later heard that he was shot.But what the Communist Party pursues is revolution, the first is the "people", and the second is the "team".As Peng Dehuai said, being a division commander or brigade commander does not mean that you have a high status. In the people's army, as long as you are a revolutionist, you can do whatever you want, and you can be the commander-in-chief.

Just a few uncomplicated words made Liu Ziqi understand why the main force of the Communist army could not be found in the past when large troops were dispatched, while small troops were dispatched inattentively and were eaten. There are many people and weapons are good, but they can never dominate the battlefield. , but fell into a passive position everywhere, after all, his "national army" is not the "people's team."Liu Ziqi makes an important life choice.This old "army", from a private to a brigade commander, has spent dozens of years in the army, and even served as Tang Enbo's chief of staff. Now, he is willing to be a "captive".He felt that he was not captured by the enemy as a soldier, but by justice and by the people. Liu Ziqi seemed to be completely free.Peng Dehuai didn't put any pressure on him, he just said, if you think the Communist Party is good, we will work together; if you think the Communist Party is bad, I will send you back.After careful consideration, Liu Ziqi agreed to work together.Peng Dehuai asked him to write a letter to his family in Xi'an to report that he was safe, and said, "Send whoever you want to send." Liu Ziqi wrote a letter and took a photo for the adjutant who was captured with him to send it.Just like that, Liu Ziqi changed teams.Later, he served as a staff officer in the staff office of the First Field Army Headquarters, took his director, and edited a magazine called "Field Army".He lost a title of "Brigade Commander".However, I have found my position as a "human being", and I am very fortunate all my life.This can be witnessed from a telegram published in full in the Jinsui Daily shortly after the conversation between Peng and Liu.It was co-named to Liu Ziqi by a group of "prisoners" who were successively captured on the battlefield in northern Shaanxi, such as Li Kungang, commander of the 167th brigade, Li Jiyun, commander of the 31st brigade, Mai Zongyu, acting commander of the 135th brigade, etc. , are in its column.The telegram reads: "Brother Wen was liberated in the Shajiadian Battle in northern Shaanxi. My brother was inexplicably depressed and fearful all day long, but after my brother heard the news, I was deeply happy for my brother. , received preferential treatment, lived without pain, and personally experienced the joy of living in democracy and freedom. He was neither a tool of Chiang Kai-shek’s anti-democratic civil war nor a scavenger for the US imperialist aggression against China. I know the correct path for the cause of the liberation of the Chinese nation, and I hope to get rid of troubles and work together to achieve our country's independence, freedom, democracy and peace." Reading such a telegram with rich connotations, let alone Liu Ziqi who was in it Even an outsider decades later will have to produce a lot of life insights. It can be seen that the war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is essentially an out-and-out political contest.Although there are some skillful operations in some details, fundamentally speaking, it is still a competition of naked worldly hearts.Who doesn't like independence, freedom, democracy and peace?Autocratic dictatorship is unpopular at any time.The behavior of Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan, the mental shackles imposed on the middle and upper classes of the Kuomintang and the extensive oppression of the whole society, doomed their downfall. However, how this "platform" "collapses" requires a military operation process. Peng Dehuai is undoubtedly a master in this area.But everything he did was just taking the word "inevitable" from this great fate.As far as the situation at the time was concerned, many large-scale military initiatives were actually led by a mediocre thing, and this "thing" was food.Therefore, in Peng Dehuai's mind, He Long was still the commander-in-chief of the Northwest Battlefield. When he received the main creators of the movie "Shajiadian" in 1954, he also solemnly emphasized that when writing about the Northwest Battlefield, it is necessary to "strengthen the description of Comrade He Long".He still couldn't forget the 100,000 shi of grain he got from Hedong after the battle of Shajiadian.It is said that for this little food, He Long personally commanded the food protection team to fight several battles with Yan Xishan's "thiefs".After much difficulty, the grain was handed over to Hexi, and Ren Bishi continued to transport it.He was entrusted by Mao Zedong to take on this important task.Northern Shaanxi is no better than western Shanxi, so Ren Bishi had no choice but to give a policy: Those who transport grain can eat grain.Go to the Yellow River to carry a bucket and a half of grain, and return half a bucket to the public.Then a grain road was pulled out from Qingjian, Yanchuan, Wubao and other ferries.The soldiers got this bucket and a half of millet, and they really couldn't stop talking! Peng Dehuai held the pea batter and drank it with difficulty.These are the local fellows who dig out the wheat seeds and peas under the hard wall, grind them into fine flour and send them over.He saw with his own eyes that in the small village of a dozen or so families where the Xiye headquarters was stationed, every family was eating bran and swallowing vegetables, but when he heard that Peng Dehuai was here to command the war, they all ran to the fields to cut the sorghum tassels that were about to mature. Come down, rub some rice, take off the bran on the mill, and those beans that have not been peeled out and have no time to dry, put them in sacks one by one, and carry them to the troops on donkeys.Peng Dehuai's mouth was on the rim of the bowl, and his eyes never left the map. It seemed that only in this way was he worthy of drinking the mush in the bowl, otherwise, he would be in a panic. On the map, the big arrow of Chen and Xie's corps has crossed the Yellow River from the junction of southern Shanxi and northern Henan to the west of Henan, threatening Tongguan.The crisis in Xi'an is obvious.Then, with the loss of the 36th Division and the fire in the backyard, Hu Zongnan, can your concentration withstand fresh wounds and a handful of pepper noodles?Peng Dehuai never underestimated Hu Zongnan, but he never took this opponent too seriously. He knew the piece of meat under Yang Qilang's neck and Achilles' heel, and knew that Hu Zongnan was at a loss at this moment.After the Battle of Shajiadian, there were various indications that Hu Jun had a mind in northern Shaanxi, but the reconnaissance information needed to be digested. Whenever this happened, Peng Dehuai had to crush Hu Zongnan's thoughts like chewing bean batter. Smack the ground. Indeed, Hu Zongnan, who judged the situation, once again decided to shrink his wings and take a defensive attitude towards the battle in northern Shaanxi.In the vast hinterland north of Yan'an, he only sticks to the three support points of Suide, Qingjian, and Wayaobao as a barrier for Yan'an.A large number of main forces retreated to Yan'an or the Guanzhong area closer to Xi'an for reinforcements.In this way, not only can the posture of opening a lion's mouth be maintained in northern Shaanxi, but more importantly, the rear security of Xi'an is reliably guaranteed.Unexpectedly, such a perfect strategy was not valued by some senior officials. Before the official decision was made, some people jumped out to oppose it.Liao Ang, the commander of the 76th Division stationed at Qingjian, is the one who "doesn't agree" most vigorously.Liao believed that Hu Zongnan's desire to stick to the three strongholds north of Yan'an had no practical significance.Leaving aside the lack of guards and the relative isolation and ease of being divided and ruled by the Communist army, each stronghold is so far away from Yan'an, how much of a "barrier" can it play? As soon as he heard his tone, he knew that Liao Ang was definitely not someone who would take nothing for granted.Although he was defeated by Peng Dehuai as early as in the mountain castle, and he was completely annihilated and survived alone, but his tactical vision is still a little bit.It is not unreasonable to advocate withdrawing from the three support points north of Yan'an and concentrating troops to consolidate the peripheral strongholds of Yan'an!But Hu Zongnan's reasoning is even greater. Once Suide, Qingjian, and Wayaobao were given up, wouldn't it be tantamount to declaring that the entire northern part of Shaanxi would be handed over to the Communist Party?This kind of blatant retreat doesn't make Chiang Kai-shek angry!Hu Zongnan didn't want to risk the disgrace of the world.The final conclusion is of course that Liao Ang's small truths obey Hu Zongnan's big truths.Think about it, what is it if this is not a good opportunity given to Peng Dehuai by God? Peng Dehuai's determination to attack Hu Jun's territory from inside to outside, and inside and outside to attack Hu Jun's territory, is like a long wind blowing out of a gorge, whistling loudly.According to the requirements of the strategic offensive of the Northwest Field Army, the Central Military Commission formed the Fourth Column of the Northwest Field Army from the first garrison brigade, the second brigade and the sixth cavalry division of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Sui joint defense army. The commander Wang Shitai and the political commissar Zhang Zhong Liang and Yan Kui will serve as deputy commander and chief of staff. Later, the sixth column was formed with the Teaching Brigade and the New Fourth Brigade, with Luo Yuanfa as the commander, political commissar Xu Liqing, and Zhang Xianyue as the deputy commanders.Now, Peng Dehuai put the five columns on the sand table, and the momentum of the northern Shaanxi battlefield immediately changed drastically.He asked Yesi to lead the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 columns in person to remove the support points that Hu Zongnan regarded as a barrier in the northeast of Yan'an, and formed the No. 2 and No. 4 columns into the outer-line corps, and handed them over to Wang Zhen for unified command. Order the second column to attack the enemy from Gan (quan), Fu (county), and Luo (chuan), gradually merge with Wang Shitai's four columns, attack the Huanglong mountain area south of Yan'an, and launch the Huanglong campaign. From the perspective of large corps combat, the battle of Huanglong is a bit of a big twist.This made Hu Zongnan bewildered and unprepared.In fact, Peng Dehuai only hoped that Wang Zhen would clench his troops into one fist, bypass Yan'an, drill into the depths of Hu Zongnan, and overwhelm the river there, causing him to have one Buddha born and five Buddhas ascended to heaven, and then he would make a big fuss on the outside.This task suits Wang Zhen's taste quite well.Compared with the southward detachment driving the Central Plains back then, it is nothing compared to the big witch.With an order, Wang Zhen commanded the four verticals already in Guanzhong to go north from Baishui to Huanglong.At the same time, Er Zong bypassed Yan'an without anyone noticing, and captured Daluo Mountain without any effort.Then, I plunged headlong into the hometown of Nanniwan, where I was going to satisfy my stomach and recharge my batteries.In the next step, the good show of the two columns is not difficult to sing. One south and one north sing, read, do and fight, and Hu Zongnan can't drink ecstasy soup.As long as Hu made the judgment that the main force of the Communist army in the western field intended to move south, he couldn't help but give his full attention.In this way, Peng Dehuai's other three columns can boldly eat north of Yan'an! Of course, Wang Zhen's hard work is not limited to this.Nanniwan is the "Little Jiangnan" in the hands of the old 359th brigade. Peng Dehuai sent troops here with very rich intentions.Among other things, the shortage of food for the entire army will be relieved for a while.But this secretive expectation was quickly shattered by the ruthless reality.Nanniwan and all the old liberated areas left by Hu Jun to Wang Zhen are far from the concept of the past.In Nanniwan, the stele engraved with the inscriptions of Mao Zedong and He Long was overturned, and the slogans painted on the wall with whitewash had been shoveled away. The auditorium of "Zhujiazhuang" was also burned to ruins, the monuments of martyrs were all smashed, the roofs of cave dwellings collapsed, cadres and soldiers looked up and looked down, their eyes were desolate, and they couldn't see a single complete thing.Of course, the common people ran away long ago, the village was quiet, every house was closed, and the corn, sorghum and beans in the field were in a ridiculous mess, and no one took care of the harvest.Standing at the edge of the village, there were feces and urine and all kinds of tatters left by the Kuomintang soldiers all over the place - this happened to be a wonderful encouragement for Wang Zhen's upcoming Huanglong battle. In the blink of an eye, it is halfway through September.Getting up early and marching, Kazakhstan can see clearly, and hoarfrost has already been seen on the grass blades by the roadside.Wang Zhen frowned, thinking of the thick and long arrow pointing from north to south of Hexi pasted on Mr. Peng's military map, he couldn't help feeling nervous.This is a historical tide, and the situation of the national liberation war is undergoing fundamental changes.The outstanding performance of the Chen and Xie corps in western Henan has already made Xi'an feel uneasy, not to mention Hu Zongnan, even Chiang Kai-shek's nerves can't stand it anymore!The land in the northwest is Lao Jiang's heart and soul, how can he sit idly by!From the enemy's report at the headquarters, Wang Zhen has learned that Chiang Kai-shek flew directly to Xi'an a few days ago and personally sat in "study on how to defeat the bandit army."This shows that the strategic decision of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China really hit the enemy's vital point.So, how the second and fourth columns will tear open in the Huanglong area, tearing him, tearing Hu Jiang bloody, is the urgent task before Wang Zhen. Erzong has always been known as the "scud", and Wang Zhen has never been ambiguous about the organization and command of going deep into the enemy's rear and fighting independently.Therefore, immediately took the Independent Fourth Brigade as the right column, and the 359th Brigade as the left column, flew down from Nanniwan in one go, and first conquered Shibao, where the Kuomintang set up a bureau in Huanglong.At the same time, the fourth column led by Wang Shitai also captured Baishui.The two columns then joined forces in the southeast of Shibao.Then, the "two kings" worked together, and Hancheng collapsed without attack.Hancheng is surrounded by mountains and rivers, so it is extremely rich. In addition, it is an important ferry port on the west bank of the Yellow River, and the trade distribution of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces makes it rich in storage and fat.The two columns of troops solidly replenished.In particular, getting 6 field guns and more than 800 rounds of shells lifted Wang Zhen's spirits, patting his chest and wanting to spank Yichuan behind him. Not a bad idea, of course.Yichuan is the gateway to northern Shaanxi, and Hu Zongnan invested heavily in defense.If Yichuan does not fall, even if the "two kings" make trouble in the Huanglong area, they will not be able to connect with the large areas of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, and will not be able to achieve a climate.Hu Zongnan still holds northern Shaanxi in his hands, and sits firmly in Yan'an and Xi'an, taking it easy.But once Yichuan is defeated, the situation will be different. Not only will it be difficult for Hu Jun to gain a foothold in northern Shaanxi, but the Guanzhong and most of the Weishui River Basin will also lose their lips and teeth, and even Xi'an will become a piece of peeled taro... Wang Zhen is very happy Said: "After this battle, we will fight Xi'an and see where Hu Zongnan can go!" Wang Zhen's optimism is justified.Before and after the second and fourth columns rioted in the Huanglong area, Peng Dehuai had carefully deployed the Yanqing campaign in Anjiaji.Xu Guangda's third column and teaching brigade set off from Wen'an Station on October 1 and headed straight for Yanchang and Yanchuan.At that time, there was only one battalion of the enemy's 24th brigade defending Yanchang County. With a little effort, the defending enemy would be overwhelmed.Zhang Xin, the brigade commander of the 24th brigade, kept throwing "spiritual bombs" at his garrison battalion commander Fu Ruiguang. It's inevitable", "sacrificing the small self to fulfill the big self", etc., all of which will not work at the critical moment!The red flags of the People's Liberation Army were planted in the two cities of Yanchang and Yanchuan almost at the same time. As soon as the "two extensions" were lost, Qingjian's buttocks were exposed in broad daylight.When Sanzong seized Yanchang and Yanchuan, Yizong also started from Jinsha Town and got Sansanlipu in the south of Qingjian City.In this way, the enemy defenders at Qingjian, Zichang, Suide and other points were completely cut off from the Yan'an base camp.Hu Zongnan's shock was no small matter! Originally, after the Battle of Shajiadian, Hu played the two trump cards of the entire 29th Army and the entire First Army very cautiously.After repeated deliberation and conspiring with Lao Jiang, the two departments were finally shrunk to Yan'an.The next wishful thinking is to let Liu Kan's 29th Army take control of the Yan'an occupied area and block our west field troops going south; while Dong Zhao's whole army will go south to Guanzhong to deal with Chen and Xie's corps. color look.The south fist and the north kick were already too weak, never thought that Peng Dehuai would let Wang Zhen chase after Dong Zhao by the tail again and again, unable to parry again and again, until he turned to Qingjian to escape a little.Just as they were about to head south, there was news that the 500th Regiment of the 167th Brigade was ambushing in the Qusijiao area.The ambush was serious, with more than 100 soldiers killed and more than 80 captured. More importantly, 21 cars and 5 tanks disappeared. Hu Zongnan couldn't hear the word "ambush", and couldn't help being sifted all over when he heard it, as if the rolling plateau in northern Shaanxi was full of graves.Therefore, he urgently ordered Dong Zhao to postpone the southward journey, at least not to make the intention of going southward naked, but to be as subtle as possible, so that Chen Wu would go from Yangjiaping and Qu Sijiao to Yan'an, and the main force would carefully go around to the south of the road, passing through Guanzhuang and Hebei. Fork into Yan'an.When we arrive in Yan'an, we will make plans again, whether to go south or not, the initiative is in our hands.But he never expected that Peng Dehuai, who is so predictable, has set up a "pocket" for him east of the fork.Although our army failed to achieve the goal of "annihilating part of it" due to the disparity in strength of the troops and the heavy rain on the way, but just the scene of chaos was enough for Liu Kan and Dong Zhao to clean up for a while! In short, Huanglong Mountain is a mess, and Hu Zongnan simply doesn't know where to put it.The reality is that Dong Zhao is like a frightened bird, and Liu Kan's false thoughts are in the direction of Qingjian.In the past, Hu Jun kept saying that he wanted to find the main force of the Communist army; now, in their minds, "it is best not to encounter the Communist army."This situation made Wang Zhen and Wang Shitai basically have no worries.The two hit it off on the sand table and were full of confidence in attacking Yichuan.The day of action was set for October 15th.Four days later, the 2nd and 4th columns suddenly approached Yichuan City. The main force of the 359th Brigade surrounded Tiger Mountain and Hutou Mountain in the north of the city.The Four Verticals dispatched a police brigade to focus on seizing Fengchi Mountain in the southeast of the city. As soon as the siege formation was deployed, Wang Zhen's temper returned.He ran to the first-line regiment command post, threw his hat away, grabbed a light machine gun from the soldiers, and charged upwards roaring like thunder.Su Hongdao, the head of the regiment, was frightened when he saw this situation, and rushed over to hug Wang Zhen: "Commander, this can't be done..." Saying "No", the troops have already attacked across the board, and the silent orders encouraged Every soldier and grass-roots commander has an unstoppable momentum.Instructor Lian Dehe had a leg broken by enemy artillery fire before he could go far.He took a breath in the pool of blood, and immediately got up and jumped on one leg.It was a 60-degree slope, and he jumped and climbed up with one leg, rushing in the middle of the team.The battle was brutal, and in the end it was the one-legged instructor who led the two remaining squads of the company to Qilang Mountain. Dong Zhao, who was gasping for breath in Yan'an, could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb, and immediately led the 1st Division, 90th Division, 27th Division and 47th Brigade to come for reinforcements with great fanfare.Wang Zhen and Wang Shitai ordered the troops to carry the red flag at the head of Yichuan City, and escorted the KMT Lieutenant General Xu Yongxiu, Major General Xu Pei, and Colonel Peng Youming, Colonel of the 27th Regiment of the New Ninth Brigade and other prisoners to withdraw from the battle.In accordance with the instructions of the Central Military Commission, both columns crossed the Yellow River eastward to preserve their strength.The fourth vertical was transferred to the Gulin area, and the second vertical was transferred from Ji County to Yuncheng. A few days later, at dusk, Dong Zhao's troops rushed to Yichuan with a bluff.Looking up, the smoke has already cleared here, presenting a school of peaceful singing and dancing.After the collapse of Yichuan's urban defenses, the 27th Regiment of the New Ninth Brigade of the Kuomintang, the 182nd Regiment of the 61st Brigade, and a company of the Field Artillery Battalion of the 90th Division, plus more than 3,000 local armed forces, were stationed in the city. , Except for the dead, wounded and captured, the rest were scattered as birds and beasts.As soon as the People's Liberation Army withdrew, the birds and beasts whose nests had been blown up returned to their nests and built fortifications one after another, and deliberately made the city full of auspiciousness, so as to show calmness in front of Shangfeng and not be too conspicuous.This effect was easily achieved, and Dong Zhao was gratified for several days.Of course, there were other reasons for Dong's mood.In the radio contact with Liu Kan, he has learned that Liu and Liao Ang, the commander of the 76th Division stationed in Qingjian, are currently living like years... Qingjian is a small town in a mountain nest, with Jiuli Mountain in the north and Bijia Mountain in the southwest.This "pen holder" extends from the outside of the city into the city, and various theories are derived from it, giving the small town a taste of passing on poetry and prose. Liao Ang agrees with this.Although he is a soldier, he is refined by nature, likes to read some classics, and even more likes to collect books.I heard that Qingjian had a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty nicknamed Huang Hanlin, who had a rich collection of books, especially ancient books, many out-of-print thread-bound editions were priceless.Liao Ang unceremoniously got into Huang Xiucai's study and "collated" for several months, and finally "collated" a set of well-preserved Siku Quanshu under his own name. In Liao Ang's mind, this is probably the most proud thing he has done since he entered Qingjian.It is enough to offset the loss of the two outpost cities Yanchang and Yanchuan.As for the number of casualties and the number of surrenders, it is no surprise to him.He calmly removed Chen Lian, the battalion commander who was scolded by Zhang Xin, the commander of the 24th brigade, as "greedy for life and afraid of death, and incompetent in command", and asked the deputy battalion commander Lu Shaoxia to act as the battalion commander. Before the main force had time to encircle Qingjian, he was approved to withdraw to Suide and defend with the 165th brigade of the Suide garrison. However, Liao Ang was wrong.Hu Zongnan never put the issue of Liao's advance and retreat on the agenda at all.He is sitting in Yan'an fishing happily.In his mind, northern Shaanxi is a huge pond, and Qingjian is just a hook point. Liao Ang, a member of Huangpumen who thinks he has been through the battlefield, is actually a piece of earthworm meat!In any case, this was a fact that Liao Ang could not accept.Faced with Hu Zongnan's same few lines of reply-"strengthen the fortifications, prepare to annihilate the invading enemy, and continue to investigate the situation and report", Liao Ang was extremely frustrated. The feeling of direct lineage plummeted, and the first thing Liao Ang had to do was to quietly load the set of Siku Quanshu into two cars, send heavy troops to escort them to Xi'an, and then transport them back to his hometown in Sichuan.Then, he heard intermittent rumbling cannons from the southwest direction outside Qingjian City.The only possibility is to ask Hu Zongnan to transfer the entire 165th brigade guarding Suide and the 72nd regiment guarding Wayaobao to Qingjian to strengthen the defense.When reporting the battle situation, Liao Ang bit the bullet and told Hu Zongnan what he meant.Never thought that Hu Zongnan would still talk about him as Wang Gu left and right, and said that besieging cities and fighting for aid is a common strategy of the enemy. Separation, I am afraid that the siege of Qingjian will not be resolved, but the two parts will be at a disadvantage.It's still the same old saying: "Still stick to the current situation and report the battle situation." Obviously, if Liao Ang is not bitten to pieces, Hu Zongnan will never send reinforcements lightly. In fact, Hu Zongnan didn't take Liao Ang's feelings to heart at all.At this moment, Peng Dehuai was the one he had his eyes on the most.According to land and air reconnaissance, the communist army around Qingjian has a number of names, but there is only a "one column", and the "three column" troops were still in Yanchang and Yanchuan. , Hu Zongnan was still confused for a long time.Therefore, when Peng Dehuai brought the first, third, and sixth columns to the city, Hu was still persistently implementing his "fishing tactics" and kept saying that he would wait for the main force of the Communist Party to "bite the hook."The 2nd and 4th columns have gone far to the south of Shanxi. How can there be any "main force" in the Communist army? Difficult to come and hard to go made Liao Ang difficult.He is serious about his work, not to mention he has a soft spot for Qingjian.I remember that on the day of Zhancheng, he purposely climbed up from the Xianyu Highway to the Beacon Mountain, which is like a screen wall in the southwest of the city.At this time, this beautiful small city named after the river seems to be embedded in the cracks of the stones, which makes people feel emotional.The combat staff officer told Liao Ang to the map that the commanding height under his feet was called Bijia Mountain by people who read books, and Rake Mountain by the local people.Liao frowned and snorted, "The rocks are rolling, don't mention raking, I'm afraid I can't sweep them with a broom. I'd better set up some machine guns for me!" This is indeed the case. At that time, this county in northern Shaanxi, with a population of 20,000, had "households but no mouths, and no people to live in." deserted.If you want to attract money, you have to import it. Liao Ang understood this simple truth, so he made a big fuss about attracting residents from outside the city back to the city.First, the troops were sent to put up slogans and notices, using the Sui Department's brand, to vigorously advocate such things as "household condolences, oral relief", "transactions will not be taxed for the time being", "land sharing will continue to be valid", etc. Pulling and pulling, you have to enter the city, or you have to enter if you don’t. But, do the common people listen to you?They have never trusted their ears but only their eyes. You Liao Ang posted 10,000 notices and slogans, which is not as convincing as a blockhouse, not to mention that he built 57 in one go within an area of ​​more than 20 square kilometers around Qingjian. Bunker!Moreover, horizontal partitions and bunkers were added to all the city walls; hundreds of civilian houses in the South Pass and North Pass had holes drilled in the walls, and obstacles such as traffic trenches, barbed wire, and deer villages were connected like spider webs; Mountains of boulders blocked the intersection; Bazi Mountain in the northwest of the city was the core position of Liao Ang, where not only a few machine guns were erected, but also an artillery position was built in addition to the fortifications poured with reinforced concrete.The cold cannons are squatting on top of the residents one by one, who has the guts to accept the "household condolences" and receive the "mouth relief"! Liao Ang was lacking in skills, so he simply let go of his hands and feet and stopped acting. He devoted himself to improving the defense of Qingjian City to the level of steel teeth, and he was so excited that he wrote the words "Immense as Gold" into a large banner and hung it up.What is "consolation by household and relief by mouth", if you have that money, you might as well go to Xi'an to buy some delicacies such as ham, canned fish, and sausages, so that the guards and soldiers can enjoy themselves!For Liao Ang, only relying on a division headquarters, a brigade headquarters, and a brigade that still owes a regiment such a small force, if you want to be "impregnable", that's all you can do.Peng Dehuai led the three column commanders and political commissars to conduct an on-the-spot investigation, but he had no choice but to nod secretly.However, this did not affect his confidence in attacking the city at all.At that time, most of the troops of the 1st, 3rd, and 6th columns had rested in Wen'anyi and Jinsha Town for more than ten days. The replenishment of soldiers, weapons, and ammunition was all right. Apart from Peng Dehuai's worries about insufficient siege weapons and lack of experience, his overall determination was unequivocal.After looking at the terrain, he took off the binoculars and said to several column leaders as he walked down the mountain: "Everyone, work hard, fight hard, and clear the clear stream. I invite everyone to eat meat!" Under the conditions of swallowing millet bran, locust tree leaves and chewing black beans, this is really quite a temptation.The memory of everyone eating meat together can be traced back to the summary meeting just after finishing the Shajiadian.那是毛泽东、周恩来和任弼时亲临会场，总部使出吃奶的力气，把所有家底都搭上，才勉强张罗了一顿酒肉，以至于吃得大家个个经久难忘。 贺炳炎当即追着彭德怀不放：“老总你可得说话算话，别吹牛！” 彭德怀瞪贺一眼：“吹你个鬼哟！”转而无奈地叹口气。彭德怀一个“请”字，是纯粹个人的承诺。这个愿他许了不止一遍，一直总没机会兑现，几乎成了老总的心病。时间渐入冬季，以眼前的情况看，别说请吃红烧肉，就是饱撑一顿小米干饭的理想也如同云外之烟。彭德怀喝黑豆汤都喝出毛病，肚子一天到晚稀里呼噜，开个小会就得跑两趟厕所。心细的廖汉生找四科长高克恭一问，才知道老总拉痢疾了。廖汉生又心痛又着急地数落高，可是高也有倒不清的苦水。要米没米，要菜没菜，油盐酱醋都谈不到，吃了上顿没下顿。而彭总的脾气谁都知道，拗得很，一丝一毫特殊优待也不接受。部队到“三边”时，炊事员为他买几根黄瓜，还给他狠狠说一顿，一句话把小灶就撤了。跟部队一起喝大锅汤，什么关照也保证不了，叫后勤咋办呢？ 这就是彭德怀。他的严格总是从自己开始。所以，他的纪律犹如铜墙铁壁，严丝密缝，又像泰山一样压得住阵脚。饿肚子饿到要人性命的情况下，说打仗是打“政治”，归根到底还是打“纪律”。在沙家店战役总结会上，彭德怀就少数战士动不动对老乡耍态度、强行牵老百姓毛驴这件事，愤恨地拍了桌子。 那是让一野老同志们终身忘不了的情节，彭总铁青着脸，两手背着吼道：“山里没得树，那是死山；水里没得鱼，那是死水。不要觉得打个把胜仗你就了不得了，没有人民群众支持和关怀，你25000人能抗得住23万强敌？哪一个要是讲他能做得到，那我就来告诉你：放屁！吹大牛！莫听他的，他是个疯子！我们中间就有那么些同志，不晓得天高地厚，把自己成绩看得比天还大，看别人的优点比豆子还要小。而别人缺点到他眼里却比天还穴。这种人，脑子里有个公式，成绩是自己的，缺点是别个的。打了胜仗，站在别人面前耀武扬威；打了败仗，把别人推出来做替死鬼……不是我彭德怀言重了，我们中间确有这样的角色哩！” 这一席话说得可不轻，许多人头埋到裤裆里去了。彭德怀戛然而止，不说了。过了好一会儿，大家才使劲拍巴掌，想叫他再讲。彭将手一挥，扔下一句“没得讲了”就要往台下走。掌声潮水般地响起来，彭德怀的脚步被拖住了，他用手压了压，把如潮的掌声压干净后，才又说：“我这个人，嘴巴子笨，和同志们在一道工作，经常见面，有的还是一日三见面。我要有话讲，你们不鼓掌欢迎，我也要讲；我要无话说，莫说鼓掌，你就是放大炮我也不会讲。今后，免了这一套。”说着，径自下去了。 没有人再鼓掌，大家都在想彭德怀的话。关于争取群众支持的问题，彭已三令五申。这年4月1日，还专门和野战军副政委习仲勋、政治部主任徐立清联名给各部队发电报，强调军民关系，要求检查纪律，“每一伙食单位要有纪律检查组，每班要有纪律检查员。连首长每日须有简短纪律生活讲评，营首长三至五天，团首长七至十天，旅首长半月须有一次讲评，坚决贯彻三大纪律八项注意”。还要求“各连队每到一地，召开军民联欢会，进行社会调查，军政首长、特别是政治机关要找地方干部谈话”。对那些“将引起人民怨恨我军”的“利用群众逃跑及坚壁清野，将鸡鸭猪羊杀光，翻箱倒柜，挖窖，牵牛赶驴，打人骂人，乱拉向导，吃粮用草不打条子，吃菜烧柴不给钱”等现象，采取断然的处罚措施…… 四科长高克恭甚至眼里有点湿润。他觉得自己比别人更多地了解彭德怀，因而也就没法简单、孤立地看待老总对群众纪律问题的态度。就在头天晚上，高克恭看不过彭德怀一趟一趟跑厕所，想法子弄到些小米煮了点干饭，小心翼翼地端到老总面前。彭德怀白了一眼，没好气地问：“干么子？”高克恭忙解释：“吃吧，人人都有一份。”每次吃好一点的东西，老总都要从头查问到底，这个有没有、那个有没有，直到炊事员承认自己也有一份，他才肯下筷子。“毛主席、周副主席都吃窝窝头啊！”彭德怀捧起饭碗时，总是这样心事重重地感叹不已。然后，才开始苦着脸像吞宝剑一样把东西咽下去。 这滋味，胡宗南门下那些吃粮当兵的官老爷哪能体会得到？即便像10月6日清涧城防空前吃紧、城南阵地一部被解放军突破、廖昂大喊“粮弹告罄，如不早派援兵驰援，将陷于粮尽弹绝之地”时，事实上也未必就真的“粮尽弹绝”了。时任整七十六师少将参谋长的刘学超先生，几十年后撰文就明白无误地承认这一点。胡宗南想必对此也很有底数，所以，任凭廖昂喊破嗓子，他始终是那句套话：“着再详查具报”，根本不提“驰援”二字，非得等到廖昂和刘学超含沙射影地援引司马公“能战则战，不能战则守，不能守则走，既不能战，又不能守，又不能走，唯死与降耳”那几句名言，才稍稍改变态度，复电：“已饬刘戡军长率五个旅来援……”最后，胡宗南的飞机在清涧空投的既不是粮也不是弹，却是30亿元簇新的法币！ 大概就在胡宗南稳坐钓鱼台对付整七十六师种种真假莫辨的呼救时，彭德怀给中央军委和贺龙拍发了这样一份电报： （一）清涧敌兵工事不弱于蟠龙，我大部已有相当充分准备，班排以上干部均看好了地形，讨论攻击办法均有信心，因天雨时间关系，小部准备仍不充分，不便延迟，决于6日黄昏攻击，估计三天可得手。 （二）一、三两纵东西夹攻，教导旅位置于廿里铺骆驼铺，打绥德南援之敌及清涧北退之敌；新四旅一个团主力在河家山岔，一个营在拐峁东北阻敌援军争取时间，旅直及另一个团，于清涧卅里铺。 （三）清涧得手后拟以新四旅与警区四、六两团攻占瓦市（为争取时间，亦可不攻瓦市均攻绥榆）以教导旅及一、三两纵攻取绥德，得手后北取榆林，不知粮食有无办法，请贺龙考虑。 不足250个字，不但把清涧的攻城方案及后续任务表述得淋漓尽致，还给人以品评不尽的人格内涵。于是，围绕着一座小城展开了两幅明暗色彩各不相同的世情图景。把这两幅图景放在今人面前，要品评它也许不是什么太难的事情，但在当时，身为情境中人，能于时空之间超脱出来见解一二，怕是只有毛泽东一人。 那些日子毛泽东很忙。全国解放战争正处在重大决策之后关键性的执行阶段，每天都有激动人心的消息传到米脂杨家沟。文电交驰，舆论一惊一乍，处变不惊的毛泽东，也几乎失去睡眠的概念。黎明时分刚打个盹，就有报告说，贺龙过黄河来了。他知道来的不是贺龙一人，还有刚从晋冀鲁豫解放区匆匆赶到的三秦名将赵寿山。虽有电报在先，毛泽东的兴奋还是难以抑制。这会儿普天下人都在痛骂蒋介石，指责他对赵寿山有功不赏反加陷害，硬是把赵逼上梁山！ 赵寿山是杨虎城的部将，先后担任过十七师师长和三十八军军长。红军时代起，赵就暗恋共产党，“凡能有助于红军之处，无不悉力以赴”，曾为红军购买150多辆大车的粮食，帮助渡过难关。1937年春节过后，他还把自己一双儿女也送往延安学习。到抗战期间，蒋介石“攘外安内”政策出台，更坚定了赵寿山亲共倾向。“西安事变”中，赵坚决主张不放蒋介石，为这事彭德怀苦口婆心做了三天说服工作。那时，赵部驻三原，与中共将领彭德怀、任弼时、贺龙、左权、杨尚昆、陆定一、王稼祥等人“朝夕往还”。后来，赵部移防晋东南，在中条山抗日三年，得了个“中条一柱”的美名。就凭这一点，老蒋也不会轻易放过赵。又是抽他的部下“受训”、进“劳动营”，又是派特务盯梢或者搞闪电式调遣，折腾到1942年，赵寿山干脆扔掉“前途渺茫”的国民党，秘密加入共产党，成为置身敌营的一名共产主义战士。 毛泽东走过去抓住有点踉跄的赵寿山，喊了声“同志”，说：“大家这么多年对你都非常操心，今天你终于胜利地回来了！”又说：“多年来身在虎口，安之如夷，其故安在乎？今天我们好好谈谈！”赵寿山使劲点头，也说：“要谈，要谈，我憋了一肚子话啊！”他比毛泽东小一岁，出生于陕西户县北乡定舟村一户贫苦农民家庭，16岁在陕西陆军测量学校踏人戎途，后投效到冯玉祥的陆军第十六混成旅，从上尉参谋兼教导团学兵团地形教官，一步步干到杨虎城手下的教导队队长、教导营营长。北伐时，杨为国民革命军第二集团军第十军军长，赵升为补充团团长，继升旅长、汉中绥靖司令及十七师师长和三十八军军长。1944年春，蒋介石一纸命令，迫使赵忍痛别离了自己辛辛苦苦一手抚育起来的三十八军，而到蒋的嫡系第三集团军，当个空头总司令。两年后，蒋又以赵意欲出国考察水利为由，将这个“空头司令”的乌纱帽抹掉。正好，赵寿山趁此机会，于重重封锁之中，转道奔向了解放区。 谈话从晚饭的饭桌上轻松自如荡漾开来。毛泽东一面给赵寿山夹菜，一面笑着说：“你是一个聊斋人物哩……”赵寿山一怔，不解地望着毛。毛泽东看出赵的疑惑，不急不忙地放下筷子，解释道：“蒋介石是一个世界，我们又是一个世界，就好比阴阳两界嘛！你同贺老总还有彭老总，都是这两个世界的见证人，最有发言权。”赵寿山回味片刻，觉得比喻奇妙，道理深刻，大有暮鼓晨钟的震撼。忽然间，他想起好友杜斌丞在西安被害的往事和蒋介石与他的最后一次谈话。 杜斌丞就是太不明白蒋介石那个世界了。当初赵看出蒋对杜的痛恨，曾力劝杜离开西安，丢掉脑子里的“四架冰山”： 其一，不要以为有本家杜聿明说话，就可安然无恙。事实上蒋要捕人，杜聿明连屁也不敢放； 其二，不要以为与西北一些知名军人有关系，就可保平安。这些人眼下都是光杆司令，而蒋介石怕的是枪杆子； 其三，不要以为有个西北民盟主委的头衔就碍着蒋的手脚，蒋只要愿意，连张澜、沈钧儒也照逮捕不误； 其四，不要以为曾当过陕甘两省政府秘书长，在西北有人望，蒋会念旧而打消嫉恨。没有的事，蒋照样可以恨得浑身打战…… 遗憾的是，杜斌丞就是参不透这点玄机，坚持不离开西安，代买好机票也不走，气得赵寿山骂道：“你不走，那就只有等死。不过你死也要死得强硬一点，不要丢人，日后我回来给你立碑献花圈！”果然，杜在胡宗南进攻延安时人头落地。相比之下，老蒋对赵寿山要客气得多，虽说特务监视从未间断，但赵做出真得要出国考察的姿态时，蒋主动约赵吃饭，并在饭后的谈话中，把赵大大奖励一番，表示对过去未能早日提拔负有责任，待赵赴美考察回国后将有国家最重要的任务令赵承担。然而，赵寿山的脑子够用，根本没把蒋介石口头诺言当回事。说来说去，这都是赵对蒋的世界悟明白了啊！ “寿山，你说说这么多年来斗争的情况好不好？”见赵寿山出神地望着窗外，毛泽东小声提醒道。赵寿山抽回思绪，沉重地叹息一声：“主席，是组织同志们救了我。寿山何德何能，这么多年能踏着两道门槛没有惹出杀身之祸！若不是党的关怀和经常的指示，别说一个寿山，十个怕也没了！”接着，赵寿山还谈到保全性命的一些其他方面原因，比方说三十八军武力的存在，特别是该军长期的历史关系，内部团结，有战斗力。当然还有赵自己置之死地而后生的决心及在社会上建立起来的良好舆论，把可能团结的人都团结起来，其中包括蒋管区一些所谓社会贤达，使他们人前人后多说好话不说坏话。这样，便有了一个较好的私人关系基础等。毛泽东的倾听亦是高质量的，不时让赵将某段话重复一遍，并插进自己的点睛妙语。谈话不知不觉间，便到了凌晨4点。 第二天晚上，毛泽东又找赵寿山谈工作问题。毛笑着对赵说：“你很受欢迎，彭、贺都是争着向我要人，我都没答应啰。我要同你商量一下子，两个岗位随便你拣，你愿意在后方，就给贺当副手；愿意在前方，就给彭当副手。” 赵答：“请主席决定，我没有意见。” 毛泽东表示对这个回答不甚满意：“我的决定要实事求是嘛，最要紧的是人尽其才、人尽其用，心情舒畅。”他踱到赵寿山跟前，很虚心的样子问：“你分析一下子，你在前方的作用大，还是在后方的作用大？”赵寿山不得不被毛的这番诚恳所打动，多少年来唯命是从，现在要自己当自己的家，他突然鲜明而强烈地意识到，身边的确是个完全不同的世界了，那光芒是耀眼的，他禁不住有点目眩，有点慌乱，有点手足无措。他沉吟一会儿，试着用自己的脑子认真思考了一下面前的问题，就说，要谈起作用来，我在前方可能作用比较大些。因为我是个当兵的，一切水平很低，仗打了多年总还有些经验。将来打西安，我是关中人，人地都比较熟悉，在情报方面可能要灵通一些。这下毛泽东满意了，随即说：“好，我原打算让你在后方给贺当副手，现在看，你还是到前方给彭做个副司令员更为有利。” 彭德怀接到命令喜出望外，待与赵寿山见面，更是咧开了嘴。清涧攻城正在节骨眼上，本来就不拘礼俗客套的彭德怀，干脆一步到位，拉完手就谈战场情况。 其时，一纵正在攻打那座笔架不像笔架、耙子不像耙子的制高点。这个控制全城的致命要点，自然而然要引起双方殊死决战。它确实是块难啃的骨头，主阵地整块灰色的岩石拔地而起，本来周围的陡崖峭壁就高悬数丈，廖昂又作了一次人工切削，就更为陡峭。担任主攻的三五八旅炮火有限，加之初始目标又没选准，一连攻击了三次都受挫，部队牺牲相当大。这可急坏彭德怀，刘戡的援军眼看就到永坪，距清涧只有一天的路程，时间再耽搁下去，势必影响攻城全局。他操起电话要贺炳炎：“你赶快给我拿下'耙子山'！”贺在电话里边也是心急火燎：“部队伤亡不得了啊，困难太大！”“不许讲困难！必须拿下！”说完，彭德怀摔了电话。那边的贺炳炎也摔了电话。 彭德怀压下火气，立即带上副参谋长王政柱和几名参谋、警卫人员，一头扎到三五八旅指挥所，把黄新廷和余秋里叫上，直奔前沿堑壕。黄、余二人吓得左遮右挡，生怕流弹伤着彭老总。彭德怀可不管这些，伸手推开挡在面前的人，自顾自趴在前沿工事上观察敌情。好一会儿，心中有了底，一回指挥所就重新调整部署，组织攻击火力，再打，到第二天上午，终于打下了耙子山。然而，三五八旅元气大伤，连七一六团团长储汉元都牺牲了！战后，彭德怀再次来到耙子山，感慨万端地说：“也亏了三五八旅啊，像这样坚固的工事，凭我们这个装备，若不是革命队伍，任何队伍都拿不下来！” 清涧老百姓将这座山改了名字，不叫耙子山也不叫笔架山，叫“汉元山”。一个勇士的名字与小城清涧永远共生于历史一角，而枉费心机的廖昂终难逃脱被俘的命运。这个结局是他所绝没有料想到的。当时解放军将清涧外围据点全部肃清、城西笔架山守军又蜂拥而退时，上帝本已递给他一个轻松而体面的台阶——一个被共产党军队俘虏过又重新放回的士兵，给他带去一封信。信是他的黄埔同窗张宗逊写的。张真心诚意地希望廖“认清形势、迷途知返”，廖在几秒钟里内心倒也动了一下，但这股微风立即又从树梢上抹过去了。“那怎么可以！”他冲着比较务实的参谋长刘学超和旅长张新训斥道。随后，耳边便仿佛听到刘戡的援兵千军万马掩杀过来。 廖昂一遍一遍地昭告部属亦昭告自己：“再怎么说也不能放下武器！”接着命令作战参谋用报话机与延安指挥所明话联络。他一分一秒地熬着，总算得到援军先头部队接近清涧西南高地的消息，甚至连联络号音都有了，可是，望穿秋水、想断柔肠，终究只闻其声，不见其人。入夜，被管制灯火的清涧，宛若一个巨大的铁盒子渐渐沉入水底，廖昂脱下皮大衣，换上士兵服，继而将胡宗南空投的30亿元法币一张一张投入火中…… 天地定数把这个11年前在山城堡就已一败涂地的廖昂，再次推到彭德怀面前。彭沉着脸，单刀直入大声责问：“廖昂，你是怎么搞的，叫你投降么子不投降？你睁开眼睛看看，城里城外死了多少人！”在这之前，廖昂见到他的另一位黄埔同学许光达时，还趾高气扬，一副不服气的样子，嘴里嘟嘟哝哝：“我不晓得这一仗是怎么输的，不晓得你们是怎么把我抓来的。你们有胆量就把我放了，我们正正规规再打一仗！”听到彭德怀这句话，立刻就像霜打的茄子。他双手不听使唤地抖起来，一边抖一边给彭递上支“薛仁贵”牌香烟。 彭德怀拨开他的烟，缓了缓口气：“我听说你还很委屈，还不服输，是不是啊？哼！真是长居鲍鱼之肆，久而不闻其臭。你只知你们有几十万部队，装备精良，而我们只有几万人。可你知道吗，我们这几万人同150万陕北人民是血肉相连的。150万啊！他们个个都是战斗员，这个兵力优势只怕你们没法子比哟！陕北的哪个山头、哪条河川、哪个城镇和乡村，没有我们的民兵监视哨？你们拉一下枪栓，我们都一清二楚。你们是么子？是不义之师！是聋子是瞎子，是没有脑壳的人。所以，我们必胜，你们必败，道理就这么子简单，我们打的是人民战争……谅你也搞不懂！” 廖昂张着嘴巴，的确似懂非懂。这时，警卫员跑来报告，说炊事班优待俘虏的面条做好了。彭德怀朝廖昂看一眼，说：“廖师长要是饿了，我们就开饭！”廖不置可否地连声喏喏。彭德怀即让警卫员把面条端上来。这是一盆光面，粉粗，擀得也马虎，清汤白水，一丝油星也见不着，又没有菜。彭德怀操起勺子就往碗里打面条，而廖昂却站在一边吃惊地瞪大眼睛。他犹豫好一会儿，说：“早就听说彭总司令生活俭朴，万没想到是这么清苦，鄙人敬佩之至！” 这话刺激了彭德怀。他把碗往桌上一顿：“怎么，这样的饭还算清苦？兵连祸结，你知道陕北父老乡亲都吃么子？他们连小米、包谷面也吃不上！一年到头靠榆树叶子面、黑豆糊糊填肚子。我们跟你们不同，我们是人民的军队，人民是我们的娘老子，我们理当同他们同甘共苦。今天我彭德怀吃这碗白面条，已经是高高在上了，是特殊待遇啰！你们这些达官显贵，骑在人民头上，吃的是山珍海味，哪里管得着老百姓的死活，连个粗茶淡饭都难以下咽，这说明你们国民党腐败到了么子程度。你们注定要被人民打倒！” 廖昂挑起一根面条，哆哆嗦嗦地送到嘴边，过于精细地嚼了嚼，他并未嚼出多少油盐咸淡，倒是嚼出一肚子落叶缤纷的秋风。他忽然记起了那天的日子，那是10月10日，双十节。