Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty Nine

On the first day Peng Dehuai officially started the Lanzhou campaign, Chiang Kai-shek flew to Chongqing.When these two things are mixed together, it is the most unique symphony in China in 1949. Chiang Kai-shek returned to the mountain city with full confidence.He has always had high expectations for the Great Southwest.In the War of Resistance Against Japan, China lost a round first, and in the end, didn't it rely on the support of Sichuan Province and the southwest region to defeat Japan?Chiang Kai-shek said: "Today, Chongqing may once again become the center of anti-aggression and anti-communism, and once again shoulder the mission of supporting the extremely difficult battle. I hope that all my compatriots in Sichuan will raise the spirit of the War of Resistance and work hard to maintain the achievements of the War of Resistance and complete the national revolution. "His trip is to let the surviving military and political officials accept the national salvation strategy of "victory in the Southwest".So, from the moment I stepped off the plane, I couldn't wait to call the conversation.

It was August 27, the third day after Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Chongqing, and Ma Bufang stepped onto the stone steps of the official residence of Chongqing Cave and Forest Garden with a heavy heart.When the plane took off from Xining, he was in a state of confusion; when he arrived in Chongqing, he was even more flustered; at this moment, there was a trace of shame mixed with the panic. After all, Chiang Kai-shek had seen the big world, and when he saw Ma Bufang, he went up to him as if nothing had happened, and said, "Zixiang, thank you!" Ma Bufang stood there speechless, not knowing what to say for a long time.

"Sit, sit." Chiang Kai-shek greeted enthusiastically in Mandarin with Fenghua tail, and sat down on the opposite sofa first. Following Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, Ma Bufang sat down awkwardly, blushing, and said, "Lanzhou is over..." "Understood!" Chiang Kai-shek waved his hand calmly, "Isn't there still Xining? There is also Ningxia, and Xinjiang... I am here this time to consider the establishment of a base for the restoration of the country. With the Southwest, the Northwest cannot be completed! Check it out, Lanzhou has a lot of loopholes in its defense."

Ma Bufang was sensitively aware of whether it was the "central faction" who would sue first.So, he immediately said angrily: "Liu Ren and Peng Mingding did not play a good role in the battle in Lanzhou. At the critical moment, Hanzhong and Ningxia also watched with cold eyes. If any side puts the interests of the party and the country as the most important thing, it will not be so if you reinforce it." ! There are no good ministers inside, no support outside, I am fighting alone..." Chiang Kai-shek interrupted Ma Bufang's complaints, and said generously: "Ningxia and Hanzhong both have difficulties. Ningxia wants to protect itself, and Hanzhong, um... this... is still being repaired. As for Liu Ren, what is his situation? He will report to Acting President Li, I don’t know him very well. However, Peng Mingding should be very effective, didn’t you hear that he cooperated well with your son?”

Ma Bufang snorted disapprovingly: "I'm afraid we worked well with Tao Zhiyue!" "Well——" Chiang Kai-shek's eyes flashed coldly, "As the saying goes, being a monk for a day hits the clock. In the hearts of the world, a monk who can hit the bell is still good. It is even more rare to be able to ring the bell and read a few scriptures. One person Allow the world, the world allows only one person, isn't it Zixiang?" Ma Bufang smiled, thinking that Chiang Kai-shek was funny, and he had the audacity to borrow a trivial Peng Mingding to talk about "the world".He was about to change the subject when he saw someone outside hastily reported that Song Xilian and Hu Zongnan had asked to see him.Ma suddenly seemed restless, with embarrassment on his face, and wanted to get up and leave.Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly waved his hands: "Don't go, it's not someone else, let's sit down and talk together."

Song and Hu came to supplement Jiang's statement of the "March into Western Yunnan" plan.This is the result of their hiding in Hanzhong and conspiring for nearly a month.From the day the plan was submitted, the two were full of confidence and concluded that Chiang Kai-shek must be interested in the plan.So when I stepped into this door today, I was always full of emotions, it can be said to be full of air! This made Ma Bufang, who was already angry and upset, feel uncomfortable.After lightly shaking hands and exchanging greetings, Ma Bufang sang in a foreign accent and said, "If we don't come to the president, it will be difficult for us to meet each other. I'm afraid I won't receive a telegram if I send it. Even if I receive it, I'm afraid I won't have time to read it... ..."

Hu Zongnan knew that there was something in Ma's words, so he didn't answer. He only asked Chiang Kai-shek's opinion on the case of "advancing into western Yunnan".It seems to be deliberately showing off to the horse.Let Ma know that I, Hu Zongnan, did not support Lanzhou because I have other great talents and plans, and I am busy with a big cause. Seeing that everyone’s words were not speculative, Chiang Kai-shek took the opportunity to change the topic. According to his inherent thinking, he poured cold water on the "advance into western Yunnan": "I have seriously considered it and do not intend to agree to this case. First, it may be difficult to maintain Guangdong and Guangxi. The mainland must retain the southwest region so that it can cooperate with Taiwan and the coastal islands in the future to counterattack and restore the country; second, the issue of international status..."

Song Xilian and Hu Zongnan looked at each other in great frustration, feeling that suddenly, they couldn't even think of a reason for their defense. "No wonder, you don't regard the Northwest as a place!" Ma Bufang said coldly, his words sounded like a gunshot. Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly came out to smooth things over: "Zixiang, you misunderstood, that's not the case. This... we can continue to talk about the Northwest, where did we just talk about? Oh, Peng Mingding..." He gave Ma Bufang his whole body and mind, And leave Song and Hu aside. Ma Bufang suddenly lost his appetite.Moreover, it is dangerous and ridiculous to talk about Peng Mingding in front of Chiang Kai-shek, not to mention Song and Hu were present.He felt that there was no need to shake off his "family scandal" in front of outsiders.No matter how unpleasant it is, Peng is also the deputy chief of staff of the Northwest Military and Political Chief's Office!If Peng Mingding had died in the command position in Lanzhou at the last moment on the night of August 25, everything right and wrong would have to be re-evaluated!

It's a pity that Peng Mingding didn't do what Ma Bufang wanted.Before he persisted to the "last moment", he glanced back at Sanai Hall and squeezed into the retreating crowd without any hope. That moment was quickly swallowed up by night, including the memory of the past.Peng Mingding tried his best to imagine how this city, which he had abandoned by himself, would welcome new students, but he himself—he couldn't be sure about his future life.He thought, no matter what, he couldn't just throw himself into the arms of the Communist Party naked like a veritable bereaved dog.At the same time, it will be the next third death of betrayal and loss of virginity.He can't accept this fact, even if there is a future... Alas, what "future" is there!

Peng Mingding was thinking in a daze like this, caught in the flow of people, not knowing where to go. "Hey, it's me!" Someone pulled Peng Mingding in the darkness: "Come here, there's a car over there!" Peng Mingding heard the voice was very familiar, so he walked out of the crowd obediently, turned a corner, and sure enough, there was a jeep parked beside the street.At this time, he recognized the other party. It turned out to be He Xinmin, the head of the camel regiment.Then he asked casually, "Where's the team?" He replied impatiently: "You, you are still mentioning the team at this time!"

Peng Mingding was furious: "As the colonel of the national army, how can you lose your team? How did I talk to you in the past? You are confused!" He Xinmin chuckled, "Brother, my team is already on the road with supplies! If we wait until now, we might not even be able to get out of the city!" Obviously, He Xinmin came to pick up Peng Mingding alone with his car.Peng Da was moved, and patted He's hand vigorously in the dark. The Iron Bridge of the Yellow River was not too crowded, and He Xinmin's car horn blared as he managed to pass.Afterwards, he stepped on the accelerator and drove on a rampage, and drove to the outskirts of Lanzhou in less than five minutes.After running wildly for a while, Peng Mingding asked, "What's ahead?" "Don't worry, brother, it's not the camp of the Communist army anyway, let's go to Hekou first." Peng Mingding didn't pretend to think: "Go, drive all the way to Yongdeng!" He Xinmin's car drove to Yongdeng before dawn.He threw Peng Mingding in a shop and went to find a team by himself.Of course, this is also what Peng meant.Peng patted He on the shoulder and said, "Brother, don't dare to lose a soldier, a camel, it's all money!" Finally, until dawn, Peng Mingding saw Ma Jiyuan. After this night of tossing, Ma Jiyuan was completely different from the day before yesterday.With a bald head and a face, he stumbled from the direction of Hongchengzi in a state of embarrassment, with only a row of entourage behind him, including his family members (wives and wives).Seeing Peng Mingding, Ma Jiyuan burst into tears, choked with sobs for a long while speechless. Peng Mingding also pretended to hide his face and weep, and said: "The matter has come to this point, so there is no need to be sad. If the green hills are left, you may not be afraid that there will be no firewood, so let's think about how to get out." "I thought Tan Chengxiang's 100th division was still intact, but unexpectedly it was completely lost..." Ma Jiyuan couldn't hold back his tears and snot. "Few people were withdrawn from the mountain. The 100th Division was in the Donggangpo area. The battle was not too intense, and the loss of the position was not too great. Unexpectedly, they retreated to the bridge, rushed from left to right, and suffered heavy casualties. The Communist army took the first step to block it. At the end of the bridge, Tan Chengxiang had to lead his troops to go to Yantan, trying to cross from there. As a result, the water was deep and fast, and there were no tools for crossing the river. There were only a few things such as door panels and wood chips. The river was so big, how could they swim across it? There were not a few dead, and the Communist army chased them to Yantan..." This all happened in the middle of the night. Ma Jiyuan had a clear book, which shows that he did not leave Lanzhou very far, but Peng Mingding, who claimed to stay behind, ran to Yongdeng, a hundred miles away. At this moment, laughing at fifty steps and laughing at a hundred steps is meaningless.Ma Jiyuan was in a much more peaceful state of mind than before he withdrew from the Lanzhou headquarters. The bullets of the Communist Party did not shoot through Peng Mingding as he cursed.Everything in this world is fixed.Ma Jiyuan felt that he and Peng were not birds in the forest at all, they just flew together occasionally!Thinking of it like this makes me feel much happier, and there is no need for jealousy or favor.He said to Peng: "If you want to stay, stay, if you don't stay, don't stay, go wherever you want!" Peng Mingding asked tentatively, "I don't know what your plan is?" Ma sighed and said: "I can't go, I have to gather the team here, and count as much as it protrudes..." Peng Mingding's mind turned very quickly, and he had a new idea, saying: "Since the officer is here, there is no reason for Peng to go!" When a person is extremely weak and lonely, he does not reject any partner.Ma Jiyuan thought about the principles of self-liberation, put all the grievances of the Lanzhou battle in Liu Ren's account, and adopted a tolerant attitude towards Peng Mingding, so that he could become his new partner when he was down. Then, they took in the remnants and defeated generals one after another in the northwest area of ​​Yongdeng. After a lot of effort, they only had more than 6,000 people. Among them, there were three cavalry regiments serving as guards from Lanzhou to the north bank of the river mouth. Han Youlu led the garrison in Qinwangchuan to cover and contain them.The rest of the people who were put away were old and disabled, some of them were Gansu officers and soldiers put together by the Gansu security team not long ago.Ma Jiyuan originally wanted to recruit a few better-looking divisions and drag them to Liangzhou (Wuwei) to join the Fifth Cavalry Army in Xinjiang and make a name for themselves.Seeing such broken copper and rotten iron, my heart was half cold.Besides, Xining called again and again at this time, urging him to return to Qinghai as soon as possible. Ma Jiyuan once again experienced the pain of losing power, and decided to withdraw. This time, Peng Mingding was completely in the dark.He and several officials from the former Northwest Chief's Office still had some hope, and withdrew from Yongdeng to Gulang step by step, thinking that there would be a big move in Hexi, so they called each other official names and tried their best to maintain the prestige of the previous court.As I walked, I found that something was wrong with the team. There were dozens of them in groups, like herding sheep, and few went north, but many returned south. I couldn't help asking the soldiers what was going on.The soldier replied: "The Ma family doesn't want us anymore, so we have to go home and make a living..." Only then did Peng Mingding find out that Ma Jiyuan had dismissed all the team that had been taken in.He himself left without saying goodbye, took a small road and went straight to Xining, which was precarious in the wind and rain. Xining's attraction to Ma Jiyuan, besides his father Ma Bufang, has another glimmer of hope.It is said that Tan Chengxiang's 100th Division, Han Youlu's 248th Division, and Ma Zhenwu's 190th Division all had officers and soldiers from Qinghai who were crossing the Datong River and Daban Mountain, heading towards Huangzhong and Xining. In a situation where the dragons have no leader.In addition, more than 300 remnants of the Eighth Brigade of the Maying Cavalry and Zhao Sui, deputy commander of the Qingma 82nd Army, who rushed to Xining in advance, as well as some scattered new and old infantry, are also eagerly waiting for Ma Ji's aid. 's arrival Ma Jiyuan can no longer waste his expression on Yongdeng.It is his most fundamental mission to stick to Xining and a corner of Pian'an until the third world war breaks out.Ma Jiyuan was not so confused that he couldn't tell which was more important. Now, Ma Jiyuan's direct opponent is none other than the famous Wang Zhen from the First Corps of the People's Liberation Army. A week ago, on August 22, when Wang Zhen stepped into Linxia, ​​Linxia was almost an empty city.This is perhaps more frightening to the occupiers than fierce resistance. Wang Zhen is a general without fear, and the history of "going south and returning north" is enough to prove this point.However, "Empty City" alerted him to the existence of a force.This is not a problem that guns can solve.Wang Zhen called Sun Zhiyuan, Director of the Political Department of the Corps, and said that he would convene a meeting with the Propaganda Ministers of the First and Second Armies to study the ideological work of the current army: "Old Sun, it's time to use your 'pole', you give Can I organize a 'cannon group'?" Sun Zhiyuan said: "The barrel of the gun and the barrel of the pen are all under your command, obey the leadership of the party, you point east to hit east, point west to hit west!" "You can't report the good news and not the bad news!" Wang Zhen said, "I hold this meeting, and I don't talk about hard work or achievements, it's just a review!" The "worry" mentioned by Wang Zhen focuses on the discipline of the masses.Before the Western Expedition set off, Wang Zhen put forward a slogan for the troops called "win the battle by relying on policy and discipline", and drew up a provision of "three things and five things not allowed": first, we must strictly implement the discipline policy and respect the customs of ethnic minorities Second, everyone must speak up and everyone must publicize; third, we must resolutely implement the captive policy, and do not kill or humiliate. The "five prohibitions" are: first, you are not allowed to enter mosques; second, you are not allowed to enter the inner rooms of Hui compatriots; third, you are not allowed to eat pork; fourth, you are not allowed to borrow Hui utensils;This is not enough. It also clearly stipulates the names of Hui men, women and children after entering the Hui area.The elderly should be referred to as old man and old lady, and young and middle-aged people should be called "big brother" and "sister-in-law". They are not allowed to call them "hometown" in general, let alone "old cousin" or "boss". In the end, Wang Zhen put a "sink" on these disciplinary provisions, stipulating: Anyone who violates ethnic and religious discipline can be shot without reporting. Speaking of it, it is a question of changing the mouth.But habit is a strange thing. If you don't talk about it, it doesn't seem to exist; as soon as you talk about it, it becomes a mountain.In order to move the mountain, some companies even organized soldiers to take quizzes with each other, and even rehearsed the encounter or contact with fellow villagers in the yard. One pretended to be an old man or old lady, and the other played the PLA. He called "Old Man" respectfully, and "Old Man" drew a long "Hey", which made everyone laugh.The instructor criticized with a sullen face: "Be serious, is this a joke!" Then he went to the director in a serious manner: "Don't make your voice too loud, be kind, natural, and don't tense your face..." Wang Zhen said cheerfully: "This is a huge political job! There is an old saying that the officials forced the people to rebel. The Hui people rebelled during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, which was forced by the Qing government's oppressive politics; the Hui people rebelled after the Republic of China. The same is true for our people. The westward march of the People's Liberation Army is to eliminate the warlord Ma Bufang who oppressed the people of all ethnic groups and liberate the oppressed ethnic groups. It is different from the past. Some people say that Hui old women will kill people with kitchen knives. That was when the Hui rebelled against reactionary rule. I The military discipline is strict, and the Hui compatriots will definitely support us. Now that people have misunderstood, we must do our propaganda work well, and no one will be missed.” Liu Ruifang, Minister of Propaganda of the First Army, reported an experience: using captured soldiers for propaganda.He said that once he saw a little soldier talking to the captive soldiers, talking about family affairs, and many tears were shed.The little soldier said: "Everyone, don't be afraid. All the officers and soldiers of the enemy army, as long as they lay down their weapons, the People's Liberation Army will give them preferential treatment. You shot us with guns, and it was not your will. You are also the children of hard-working families. Ma Bufang forced you to do it... Many of our comrades served as soldiers for the Kuomintang in the past. After liberation, they became soldiers of the people. It doesn’t matter. There is no order of revolution. We are fighting for the people. If you want to stay, you can stay. Take off the twelve-pointed star, and then you can go home. We will each give two silver coins as a package, and everyone will go back to farm the land, and tell the people in the hometown, don’t believe Ma Bufang’s nonsense of ‘killing back and exterminating religion’...” Later, when the troops arrived at the new place, there were indeed many captive soldiers in Kuomintang uniforms who helped lead the way, and went into the mountains to find the imam to explain the truth and speak out from their own experiences.These people all received two silver dollars from the People's Liberation Army and returned home. They spoke to the local people very convincingly. Inspired by this, Wang Zhen said: "The First Army is an old army with a glorious tradition. It was brought out by Boss He himself. It is capable of fighting, and its policies and disciplines are well implemented. There are many heroes. Only one-armed heroes There are quite a few of them! Commander He Bingyan is an old battle hero. Should he write a script based on his deeds and act it out for the troops. Don’t underestimate acting. What an educational effect these dramas have had on the troops! After the captured soldiers were liberated, as soon as they complained and watched the drama, they quickly rectified their positions and became heroes in war!" After hearing Wang Zhen's words, Liu Ruifang slapped his head and said, "That's right, if Commander He's deeds are staged, they will definitely move people to death! Not to mention anything else, it's the part where he broke through the encirclement and sawed his arm in central Hunan. He has a heart of stone." I have to cry too... I will definitely organize people to write it!" He Bingyan knew about this, and kept saying no: "If you want to talk about heroes, our army will catch a lot of them. I can't be called a 'hero'. Don't listen to Wang Huzi's nonsense, he is a hero!" He Bingyan While talking, he waved the remaining hand vigorously, and resolutely refused to accept the interview, saying that he didn't have time. This is also true.He Bingyan is busy implementing an important task with political commissar Liao Hansheng.Lanzhou is about to explode, and it is expected that Qingma will return to Qinghai. The troops must rush to Xining first to gain the initiative.Therefore, they decided to transfer four cavalry reconnaissance companies and cavalry squads of nine regiment reconnaissance platoons from the army straight and the first, second and third divisions, as well as division chiefs, reconnaissance staff officers of each regiment, and a total of more than 600 cavalry to form an army's advance reconnaissance The troops rushed to Xining to find out the enemy's situation, roads, terrain, etc. along the way to Xining, and to be the pioneers for the large troops to seize Xining. Sun Gong, the chief of the military reconnaissance section, led 600 Qingqi to gallop to Xining.He was born thin, with bright eyes and a good brain.In the past battles such as Shajiadian, Yiwa, Fumei, etc., he has performed outstandingly, never failed, and won the trust of He and Liao. Even so, He Bingyan and Liao Hansheng found Sun Gong together, explained the task in detail, and pondered the details.The three of them sat on the edge of an earthen nest at the foot of a hill, and talked little by little from the tasks of the regiment to the tasks of the army.Afterwards, He and Liao asked Sun Gong if he had any difficulties.Sun Gong stared at the map in his hand intently, for a long time, he just swallowed and said nothing.Obviously, there are difficulties—not “some” but too many, but at that time I never had the habit of talking about difficulties when accepting tasks.Sun Gong held back for a long time and said, "I guarantee with my life that I will resolutely complete the task!" These words sound a bit heroic but not empty.This is hundreds of miles of high mountains and mountains in Xining, all of which are multi-ethnic inhabited areas, and the people do not understand the language.Sun Gong only has an old-fashioned map and an old-fashioned radio station in his hands.Because he had to pack lightly and pay attention to speed, he brought extremely limited supplies, most of which were horse feed. Not to mention anything else, even the Yellow River Lotus Pond Ferry, which was not far from the departure, was enough for him to eat a pot! The Yellow River barrier was the last straw for Ma Bufang to stick to Xining, so he worked hard in this area, from Guide upstream to Jianza, Hualong, Linxia, ​​and Yongjing. A section, a slightly decent ferry crossing, was completely destroyed by hand, and even the wood, ropes, and cattle and sheepskin materials that could be bundled into leather rafts were also cleaned up.All that was left to Wang Zhen's first corps was the surging Yellow River. Of course, there are also people along the coast.As long as there are ordinary people and poor people, things will not be monolithic.This is Wang Zhen's consistent creed.He never doubted the masses.It is always said that the masses do not understand that we have not done our job well.Even those Hui people who are closely related to Ma Jiajun or who have been deeply poisoned, he still has great confidence.Wang Zhen's world is very simple: there are only two kinds of people in the world, one is full and the other is grumbling. Therefore, the Communist Party in the country has a magic weapon called "mass work", and the Kuomintang in the country has a headache when it hears the word "common people".Because of the task of crossing the river, the mass work of the First Corps has the most practical needs and the most practical content.In the past few days, all divisions and regiments have formed working groups to carry out propaganda and mobilization from door to door.This is a multi-ethnic area, and the common people have complicated feelings towards the People's Liberation Army.In the past, the Ma family ruled that the Muslims were always the boss, and the other clans were all grandchildren.Hearing that the People's Liberation Army was going to beat people surnamed Ma, my emotions were immediately mobilized.Then, at the empty ferry, miracles happened one after another.On the banks of the river hundreds of miles away, with the support of various ethnic minorities, the troops were busy repairing boats and building rafts.Someone asked a Salar man in his early forties: "Where did you hide those brown ropes, wood and sheepskin rafts so that the horse bandits didn't find them?" It’s all hidden here! Even if the Ma family kills me, they won’t be able to find me. As long as I’m here, the Ma family will search for everything, and I can still send the army across the river!” When Wang Zhen heard this little story, he laughed out of excitement.It had been the third day since the Corps had been stationed in Linxia, ​​and it was rare for Wang Zhen to laugh like this, so the guards were overjoyed, so he hurriedly told Sun Zhiyuan, director of the political department.Sun lived in the house of a well-known person, and he also had a happy event on his face. Seeing Wang Zhen's little guard coming, he yelled loudly through the window: "Hey, brat, go and report to Commander Wang. , Our landlord is back!" The Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China has generally made it clear: the first army may be stationed in Xining in the future, and the second army will brush away from Xining, cross the Qilian Mountains, and prepare to occupy Yumen before entering Xinjiang. In this way, the Yellow River seems to have become the starting line before the first and second armies.Wang Zhen's Corps Headquarters is located in Linxia, ​​and the Yongjing Ferry on the right has assembled an army.It will cross the Yellow River from here, pass through Minhe and Ledu, and march from east to west along the road from Huangshui and Lanzhou to Xining; the Xunhua ferry on Wang Zhen's left hand is gathering the second army.From here it will cross the Yellow River to the north and go north through Gandu, Hualong and other places.Judging from the map, Wang Zhen shoulders both shoulders and double shoulders, which seems to be a heavy responsibility. Wang Zhen held the starting gun in his hand, as if waiting for an opportunity to trigger it. Maybe it is the "landlord" that Sun Zhiyuan mentioned!His name was Ma Pilie, and he was related to Ma Bufang. Before 1940, he was a major general and deputy chief of the 82nd Army of the Kuomintang, and later served as the finance director of the puppet Qinghai Provincial Government, and was elected as a representative of the puppet National Congress. He held a meeting in Nanjing and was very close to Chiang Kai-shek... Wang Zhen thought that in this chapter of history at this moment, there should be such a little-known figure standing up and giving a little guidance before writing.But he escaped before the First Corps entered Linxia. Ma Pilie did not go far, but hid in the countryside and speculated for three or two days, then decided to return to the county with his wife and children.As a result, just as he had guessed, the house was full of People's Liberation Army troops, and everything inside and outside was never touched. The property of Ma Pilie and all the big Ma family in Linxia was well protected.More importantly, as an old man himself, he was still treated respectfully and respectfully by all personnel, including ordinary soldiers of the People's Liberation Army.This made him realize that the current army is not as disgusting as rumors have spoiled it, and the discipline is obviously beyond his imagination, which is completely different from the officers and soldiers of the Kuomintang army. Ma Pilie was led to meet Wang Zhen at the "East Mansion" in Linxia, ​​where the headquarters of the Corps was located. If it wasn't for someone's introduction, Ma Pilie would never associate Wang Zhen's prestige with this carefree man in front of him.He politely let Ma Pilie into the house.After greeting him and taking his seat, Ma still asked in a low voice, "Where is Commander Wang Zhen?" Wang Zhen laughed loudly: "I am Wang Zhen!" Ma Pilie was so thunderous that he got up before he had time, and he didn't even say "Oh, oh..." "I'm sorry". "Mr. Pilie, what is your opinion on the liberation of Linxia?" "Just in time! Great! I'm so happy! Full support, welcome!" Ma Pilie did not expect that Wang Zhen would call him "Sir" and omit the word "horse".This kind of politeness, which he thought was too high, made his shoulders unbearable, his body trembled uncontrollably, and fine sweat oozes from his forehead, so that his answers later were incoherent and a little stuttering. No matter how nervous he was, Ma Pilie justly accused Tsing Ma and praised the People's Liberation Army as much as he could. After listening to Ma Pilie's words, Wang Zhen smiled and said, "You are an enlightened person. We knew you when you were in Xi'an." He was worried that Ma would not understand, so he gave an example: "In northern Shaanxi, there was a Mr. Li Dingming. He He is an enlightened person, very progressive, and he put forward the idea of ​​streamlining the army and streamlining the administration, and Chairman Mao spoke highly of him.” This remark reassured Ma Pilie and made him feel at ease. Wang Zhen also asked Ma Pilie to look at the big notice of the People's Liberation Army posted on the wall. It was the "Eight Chapters of the Agreement" signed by Mao Zedong and Zhu De. Wang Zhen explained while reading, and his attitude and style were impeccable.Ma Pilie was moved: "A stone hanging in my heart fell to the ground, and I felt an indescribable sense of relief in my heart." When the heat was up, Wang Zhen stepped to the entrance of the stage: "Can you go to Lanzhou and talk to Ma Jiyuan, tell him not to play tricks, can he destroy the first field army? Even if we can, we still have the second and third Field Army. You are related to him, would you consider going there?" "Very good, I can go, I can go." Ma Pilie replied straightforwardly. "Will this embarrass you?" "I don't think so. Even if it's a bit embarrassing, it's only on me. It doesn't matter. I will definitely take your words." Within two days, Wang Zhen's words came true: Lanzhou was declared liberated.Ma Pilie didn't have to go the wrong way. Then go to Qinghai.Ma Pilie said that he had worked in Qinghai in the past, knew many people, and was willing to contribute to the liberation of Qinghai. He also recommended Ma Bufang's uncle Ma Liang and two other representatives of the Han nationality to go together, saying: "In Linxia, ​​some things in the past are all about the past. Han will do it together." Wang Zhen fully agreed. As soon as he left, Wang Zhen's starting gun was finally fired. This is August 27th. At the Yongjing Ferry of the First Army, the Second Division and the Second Artillery Regiment directly under the Army took out the few belongings that they had worked so hard to prepare for the past few days, such as iron chains, ropes, wooden basins, and door panels. , and even a few boats.Relying on these funds, try to build a pontoon bridge on the rough river. Yongjing Ferry is a traditional ferry crossing from Gansu Province to Qinghai Province. There used to be a chain bridge. When the enemy fled into Qinghai, the chain bridge was completely broken. Ships of all sizes were also snatched and burned. Now only the bridge is erected. Boardwalk is one way away! The first few attempts failed because of the turbulent water.The price was heavy: all the few small boats were washed away!There was a boat carrying a squad, which was out of control 10 meters away from the shore. Master Wang Shangrong went down more than 200 meters before he could say a word on the shore, and a wave capsized... At this time, Army Commander He Bingyan and Political Commissar Liao Hansheng came over to ask Wang Shangrong about the situation.Wang Shangrong is actually the deputy army commander, and the division commander of the second division is a part-time job, so he has the responsibility to consider the overall situation.As soon as He Bingyan met, he yelled: "Hey Lao Wang, what happened? Is it harder than Dadu River?!" Wang Shangrong frowned tightly: "How can it not be difficult! You see, the river is so wide and the current is extremely urgent. A shift threw it in two minutes ago...the pontoon bridge can't be built!" He Bingyan stared at Wang Shangrong and wanted to say something rude, but felt that it was inappropriate, so he stomped his foot, pulled Liao Hansheng up and said, "Go, let's go to another river mouth!" Not far away, I saw Sun Gong, the chief of the military reconnaissance section.His advance reconnaissance team was assembled and was about to go down the river.Sun Gong did not know where to find a few fellow villagers, and explained the method of crossing the river by gesturing and rowing. He said that he used a boat to enter the water from the upstream, and floated downstream with the current while paddling. across the river.Those fellow villagers were all good watermen, and they had the most experience in crossing the river on cowhide rafts and sheepskin rafts. "What about the horse?" He Bingyan intervened and asked. The fellow said: "It's easy to handle, drive into the water! Animals can paddle, they won't drown!" With blue veins on his temples, He Bingyan said, "Then hurry up and get your experience within two hours." In fact, the people in this area have been used to crossing the Yellow River on cowhide rafts for generations. Traveling in the waves is like sitting in the garden. The young people all have "two brushes", and most of them who volunteer to be boat drivers are skilled and sure of success.Although the people on the raft were a little timid, they were definitely safe and sound. This kind of raft is not difficult to make. It is to sew the whole cowhide or sheepskin into a leather tube, tie the sides tightly, and blow enough air to form a buoy.If you are alone, just hold a pontoon and swim across the river.If there are many people, several leather tubes must be tied under the wooden frame to form a group of large rafts, which can carry 3 to 4 people at a time, and even a dozen people can be carried by a large one.When crossing the river, just hold on firmly, don't turn over, just row and float over. Sun Gong succeeded!He and Liao spread the word everywhere as if they had discovered a new continent.The Military and Political Department organized several groups of people to go to the homes of ordinary people along the coast to do the work from scratch. The core content was to buy cattle and sheepskins.Following this, hundreds of water masters were also organized, and each raft of local sailors wobbled back and forth to ferry the troops. In the early morning of the 28th, the leading third battalion of the second division and fifth regiment followed the army reconnaissance team, rushed across the rapids of the Yellow River on a raft, and arrived at the north bank.As soon as they landed, the troops immediately deployed, and they came out of nowhere, taking the commanding heights occupied by the enemy soldiers.The ferry was under control at once.As agreed, they immediately fired three red flares.The divisions and regiments of the whole army raced against the clock according to the scheduled plan, sending rafts across the river one by one. Sun Gong's reconnaissance team also made a contribution in controlling the ferry.They sent two reconnaissance companies to cooperate with the vanguard battalion.After defeating the enemy's defense at the ferry, immediately advance with the team. From the Lianhuachi Ferry in Yongjing, Gansu to Minhe County in Qinghai, it is the real provincial border. Not to mention the high mountains and dangerous roads, because it is close to Lanzhou, there are still many stragglers fleeing from Qingma. It is really not easy for the scouts to go !But just after setting off, the vigor was astonishingly strong. Although he was walking, questioning, reconnaissance, and sometimes had to deal with the less honest fleeing enemies, the speed of progress was still quite fast. 600 Qingqi traveled day and night, passing Wangjia Mountain and Yangjia Mountain in one day and one night, and reaching the border of Minhe. The big troops are also fighting for time with all their strength.It seemed a bit stupid to flip the raft back and forth, but it solved the problem after all.The troops lined up on the east bank of the river, with 100 rafts, 4 people on small rafts, and 8 to 10 people on large rafts. Nearly a thousand people will be crossed in one trip. What is difficult is heavy weapons and mules.The commanders and fighters used their brains to get better and better, dismantled all the heavy mountain cannons, and carried several rafts on each cannon, and transported them across the river one by one.Driving mules and horses down the river is actually the old experience of the Red Army crossing the Jinsha River and Dadu River on the Long March. The old comrades are not laymen.The difference is that the number of mules and horses is large this time, and the river is wider than the Jinsha River and Dadu River. Moreover, the mules and horses in the north are different from those in the south and are afraid of water.Most of them would jump down one after another when they saw the first horse go into the water. A few timid ones, no matter how much they whipped, would just circle around the river, but refused to go into the water.A little soldier was in a hurry, he picked up a wooden stick and beat hard, the stick was broken, but the horse was not driven into the water.He picked up the broken wooden stick and continued to beat him. As he was beating, Liao Hansheng came over and was very angry: "Why are you so barbaric! Huh?! Horses are our comrades-in-arms just like people!" The soldier couldn't hold his breath and wanted to fight again. Liao Hansheng shouted: "Stop it!" The soldier acted as if he didn't hear it, and cursed at the same time: "I must tell you to go into the water today! If you don't go into the water, I will beat you to death!" The horse was beaten until its buttocks were sticking out, and its body was covered with scars. It kept jumping up and down, neighing. Liao Hansheng shouted: "If you don't stop me, I will punish you!" “处分我也要打……”那战士嘴到手到，棍子又断了一截。 廖汉生实在火得不行，冲上去给那战士一个耳光。这一下那战士傻了，他没想到军政委会给他来这一手，木呆呆地盯着廖汉生，手也住了。 为这个耳光，廖汉生事后悔得不轻。战士打马固然不对，首长打战士就对吗？他专门写了一封信检讨错误，赔礼道歉，并在军党委会上作了自我批评。 部队渡河一天一夜，廖汉生和贺炳炎守在渡口眼都没眨一下，警卫员们心疼首长，跟在后面嘟嘟嚷嚷劝他们休息，贺、廖都当作没听到。说狠了，贺炳炎还发脾气，脖子一梗说：“彭老总打兰州七天七夜都没睡觉啊，我们又不是豆腐渣渣！一定要趁马步芳立足未稳，打他个措手不及，早一分钟过河就早一分胜利！” “早一分钟过河就早一分胜利”，这是王震出发前提出的一个口号。王震这时也在循化渡口和二军的郭鹏军长、王恩茂政委及政治部主任左齐等人坐镇指挥渡河。他在循化找到一个叫马全钦的民主人士，做了工作，将旧政权的税务局长周文焕推举出来当了新政权的县长。这一来，涉及渡河具体事宜就好办得多了！ 旧政权上层一活动，连磨房船都派上了用场。虽说循化渡口察汗大寺那一带自古称为“天堑”，峡谷林立，但二军的渡河还是搞得有声有色，察汗大寺、草滩坝、依麻目庄三个渡口并用，又是木船、又是木排，皮筏子的数量更是可观，渡口的欢声笑语、歌声号子声，清早开始就不绝于耳。 时近中午，王震正在欣赏渡河的声势和速度，忽报河心打碎了一个木排。惊魂未定，又有报告：另一只木船突然间像脱了缰的野马，疾飞下游，船上有两个排的人马，还有十五团的两位营长…… 这天已是8月30日，马继援和40名随员人困马乏来到西宁近郊。 黄昏中的西宁，黑漆漆的城郭东倒西歪地卧在风中。大片灰云从天边漫散过来，与远近的山影横接，显得压抑、沉闷，躁动不安，看上去令人不快。马继援与几十个随从和马汗淋淋地立在郊野，久久地望着这座故城，沙尘密布的脸上，轻轻冲开一道一道小沟，分不清是汗水还是泪水。 这时，远处传来马蹄声。渐渐的，城区方向一支马队出现了……马继援心头阵阵发紧。他知道那必定是父亲派来迎接的人。 来人是一九〇师师长马振武。 马振武在百米开外的一个小土丘上下马，一脸晦气地走到马继援跟前。他走得很慢，步子也拖沓，这让马继援仿佛等候了漫长的一年，但自己却一步也走不动。 两人对视，许久，马振武愤怒地骂了一句：“长官公署那伙王八蛋……我恨不得抓住他们，宰光了狗日的！” 马继援低着头不吱声。 “马英他们都在等你哩！”马振武又说。 马继援皱紧眉头问：“我父亲呢？” “走了，说去了重庆，老蒋召他。” 马继援暗暗一惊。又问：“啥时走的？” “三天前。我也没见着，马英见着了。” three days!正好是马继援从永登往回走的途中。马继援盘算着这突然变故后面所隐藏的东西，心里不禁打起小鼓。 他们跨上马背，招呼随员一同进城，边走边聊。马振武小心地报告：“听说共产党军队王震部在过黄河；几天内就到，有好几万人……” “……”马继援脑子乱得很。 “我们几个都商量好了，抱在一起干，决不投降共产党！现在就盼你回来挑个头。” 马继援勉强点了点头，心里有点灰。问：“大概还能拉多少人？” “2000多人不会有事，光马英就有千儿八百哩！” “有多少枪？有炮没有？” “枪多得是，炮也有，是些小炮。” 马继援表示充满信心，可转而他又说：“今晚算了，让我好好睡一觉，明天再讲。” 马继援这晚并没有像他说的那样“好好睡一觉”。一回到马家公馆，他就派人秘密地找来了八十二军副军长赵遂，说：“共产党军队是不会放过你我的，现在最重要的是保存实力。事到如今，我只能把西宁的事托给你了！” 赵遂说：“国难当头，顾不得许多，有话你就尽管说吧！” 马继援说：“今后只有把战马变耕马，以待良机……” 赵遂是聪明人，一听就明白了，说：“我不走，我要坚守到底！” 马继援叹息着，不无感慨地说：“果然是日久见人心啊……你可以告诉大家，各人骑上各人的马，带上自己的枪，把重武器全部毁坏，各自回家，将枪与弹药埋藏起来，所有官兵掩姓埋名，变为民间便衣战士……将来机会一到，我们仍是八十二军，到那时再来翻身，再与共匪算总账！”说完，马继援将一封标明“亲启”的信递给赵遂，让他代转马英。 送走赵遂，马继援又派人去叫马步銮，问：“东西都准备好了没有？” “都准备好了，重的装箱上锁，贴了封条，轻的用棕绳打包。分类填写清单，一式五份……天亮之前装车往飞机场运，小飞机昨天晚上就停在跑道上了！” 马继援满意地点头，又问：“黄鱼多少？白货多少？” “黄鱼三十一箱，白货一百二十一箱。” “黄的不是三十五箱吗？” “哦，有四小箱并到大箱里了。我亲自点的数，绝对没错！” “好。你和马全义、马璋随行，跟他们招呼一声，明早10点准时起飞！” 马继援就这样带着马步銮、新编步兵军军长马全义和一二九军一师师长马璋及百余箱黄金、白银，匆匆飞离了西宁。 消息像一颗炸弹，那些残兵败将、达官贵人顿时惊恐万状，逃的逃、躲的躲，大半天工夫，西宁这座古老的城市就空空如也了。不走的是那些苦巴巴的老百姓，他们袖着手在夜色中围住酥油灯，静静地等待将会到来的一切。 此刻，孙巩所带的先遣侦察部队已经过了马营、古鄯，进到巴州附近。人马都疲劳到了极限！从秦安出发，至今已经连续作战二十多天，有的马掌跑掉了，有的战马累死了，孙巩自己一匹骑了好几千里的枣红马也一个跟头栽倒在地。一师侦察科的郝科长建议：“为了保持战斗力，是不是休息一天呀？” 孙巩想了想也有道理。这么多天连口气都来不及喘，跑累了，就在马背上打个盹；肚子饿了；咽口炒面，灌口凉水，简直把性命搁在一边，再下去，只怕人也垮、马也垮了！于是他决定电请军首长同意，休息半天。 可是贺炳炎和廖汉生的复电却是：“据悉，马匪残部尚有两万余人向河西走廊溃退，其中八十二军残部与骑八旅均回窜青海，任务紧急，分秒必争，望不怕牺牲、不顾疲劳、不惜一切代价，昼夜前进，务必抢在敌人之前……” 孙巩当即召开干部会，传达军部指示。说：“如果不是万不得已，相信贺、廖首长也不会……”他实在没有更多的道理可说。 那匹伴随着孙巩踏过千山万水的枣红马，还四蹄朝天仰在地上，拼命地抽搐。战马也通人性，它的眼睛大大地瞪着主人，眼角不住地滴着泪水，好像在留恋着什么，又好像是在哀告着什么。 孙巩难以控制自己的感情。他实在不忍目睹无言的战友如此痛苦的挣扎！这是一匹百里挑一的好马，曾得到过贺老总的夸奖。他太喜欢它了！漫长的战斗道路上，他们相互依恋、配合默契……他蹲下去在马身上轻轻地抚了一抚，它浑身都是汗淋淋的，还在冒着热气。 “再见了……”孙巩小声咕哝一句，突然起身拔出手枪。 手枪在孙巩手上不住地颤抖…… 孙巩一横心，枪响了。枣红马眼里渐渐失去光亮，泪水也干了。孙巩别过脸，吩咐别的同志将它埋葬在一棵乌桕树下。 部队又重新上路，向李二堡、塘尔垣、新民、中堡方向前进。孙巩换了一匹马，悲伤的心情很快被前方敌情淹没。据侦察，民和没有敌情，马英的骑八旅已经撤到民和以西，目前正沿着湟水以北的公路回窜，估计会在湟水峡谷两侧高地、特别是在老鸦峡一带设防阻击。 “是迎上去，跟马英较量一下，还是……”前卫部队请示孙巩。 若论实力，孙巩的先遣队虽然在人马数量上比马英骑八旅差一大截，但却都是经过严格训练、又有作战经验的侦察员。而马英的队伍不说是乌合之众，也已是惊弓之鸟。双方交锋获胜的把握有七八成，干得好，有可能把马英吃掉一部，甚至全部吃掉也未可知。如果那样，青海下一步麻烦就小多了。 这是个诱人的计划。但是，孙巩果断决定，不冒这个险，他说：“为了不耽误时间，咱绕过去，在湟水以南，沿着青砂山的半山腰穿越沟岭前进！” 部队二话不说，抛开大路，钻进深谷。由于山高沟深，无线电信号突然中断。贺炳炎和廖汉生吓了一身汗：莫非……不会吧！ 孙巩带的这600轻骑可是一军侦察力量的精英啊！军、师、团三级侦察人员都有，万一有个三长两短……贺炳炎、廖汉生心里越想越焦急，火烧一样难受。 音信一断就是一天一夜。这一天一夜，先遣队已进入乐都县的中坝、瞿县。他们在深谷峻岭间一口气急攀20多个小时，已经精力难支。而就在这时，又与一个大寺院附近的敌人骑兵突然遭遇了！ 孙巩的脑子“轰”的一声，第一个念头便是：先下手为强，狭路相逢勇者胜！ 部队的确已拖到极限，有人走着走着往路边树杈上一靠，就昏死过去。马匹累死的情况也越来越严重。还有一些人和马不小心从高耸入云的峭壁上糊里糊涂地坠下悬崖…… “但是，敌人也累呀！”孙巩咬着牙给部队下命令：“马匪也是人嘛！我判断这绝不是大部队，咱要有信心，速战速决，拼上去！” 敌人是在乱石中的一个小山包上。孙巩用三个连，两个打正面，另一个鼓足劲从山后包抄上去，不到半个小时，就缴了敌人的械。一共80多支枪，百多匹好马，还有些马刀什么的。原来这是敌人的一个骑兵连。这批战利品来得正是时候，特别是马匹，许多连队都缺得很，刚好可以美美补充一下。 打了个小胜仗，再往西走出十来里地，深谷便到了尽头。先遣队高高兴兴地冲出岗沟，通信电话突然恢复了“滴答滴答”的信号，一听就是军部的紧急呼号，查询他们所在位置。孙巩急令沟通军部，报告：“我已到乐都县城对面，侦知乐都敌骑西撤，民和已被友军解放，我即继续向西疾进……” 下一个目标就是西宁。这一两天，西宁出现少有的“无政府”状态。城内跑不走或者不想跑的士绅，过去也耳闻一些共产党的政策，所以纷纷站出来维持秩序。各族老百姓也纷纷自行组织起来，看着马家的财产。 孙巩的先遣队沿着湟水南岸川谷地带奔驰，穿过大峡，天黑时才到达平安驿宿营。这时，队伍才长长地嘘了口气。按原计划，此地是与二军先头部队的会合点，二军还没赶到，而他们却抢先逼近这个西宁的门户。 孙巩将指挥所设在一个叫南村的小镇子里，镇上留一个排，大部分兵力隐蔽在平安东西的几个村庄里，以免过早地暴露目标。 这天晚上，孙巩没法入睡。敌人正在溃散之中，摸不清底细。时间就是胜利，傻等不是个办法。那么，凭他所带的这么一支小部队，远离主力有两三天的路程，孤军深入，能否乘敌空虚、忙乱的机会，一举袭取西宁呢？围绕这个问题，他把三个师的侦察科长郝宏远、魏家祯和黄庭钦召集起来商量。大家仔细分析了形势，都觉得事不宜迟，等兰州方向大批散兵游勇都拥到西宁，麻烦就大了。 战机稍纵即逝。从现实情况看，我方兵马少但却很精。敌人眼下正乱着，还没形成一团，谈不上战斗力。孙巩立即两条腿走路：一边动员部队，一边电告军首长，催促主力加快速度，随时增援上来。 第二天拂晓，孙巩带着部队从平安驿出发，飞驰40里。10点钟左右，突然兵分两路逼向机场，包围了乐家湾，继而占领机场。敌机场人员一听枪响，全都举手投降，有三架飞机刚刚爬上跑道，也被缴获过来。 审问了机场人员，孙巩才知道马步芳和马继援等人都跑了。走时所带的金银财宝，许多临上飞机时，因为带不动，又被丢了下来，存放在飞机场。 这一下孙巩心里平静多了，大胆作出决定，让部队睡个好觉，吃顿饱饭，喝点热水，然后，精神抖擞地占领西宁市东关。 部队冲到东关一看，更放心了。马匪根本还没来得及组织防守，一切都散着摊，任由出入。西宁是座空城。孙巩得以从容部署兵力：二师侦察连占领西门、南门一带；三师侦察连占领小桥工厂区；一师侦察连和军直侦察连，占领东关的周家泉马步芳公馆、湟中大厦、湟光电影院、湟中实业公司等处。指挥所设在湟中大厦的楼上。 刚把部队部署开，西宁城内治安维持会的人就来了。孙巩部署了警戒，即与维持会的人接触。所谓“接触”，主要就是交代政策，提出要求。孙巩特别强调：“我主力部队随后就到，望动员商人照常开业，夜晚12点戒严……” 交涉完维持会，城市的稳定工作基本上有了着落。孙巩大大地松了口气，赶紧回指挥大厦，这时，他才感到两条腿灌了铅似的，怎么也拖不动。他竭力稳住自己的身体，但步伐还是踉踉跄跄。好不容易挨到指挥大厦，一级一级台阶刚爬到二楼，忽觉天旋地转，眼皮一耷，什么都消失了。 孙巩昏厥在楼梯口。五天时间不到，他奔跑了近千里路程，而真正的睡觉时间累加起来不足四个小时。 “孙科长……老孙！”一师侦察科长郝宏远赶紧招呼人把孙巩抬到案几上：“大家不要慌，现在都听我的指挥……” 话音未落，“啪、啪、啪！”约在距湟中大厦不出200米的地方，冷不丁地响了三枪。接着又有什么地方一阵爆豆似的枪响。 黑夜沉沉，整个城市像一条随时都会触礁的船。 郝宏远把地图凑到手电光底下，努力判断枪声最为激烈的方位，觉得应该是西关和小桥一带。那是工厂区，中间隔着湟水，支流称北川河，向北40里便是大通桥镇，地形复杂。郝宏远的心都提到嗓子眼上，吩咐电台立即与守在那边的三师侦察连取得联系。 三师侦察连报告：他们正在与城外的散敌激战。 “不要主动出击，守住就行了！”是孙巩的说话声。他被喂进一点糖水，睡了一小会儿，醒过来了。大家惊喜地跑过来问长问短，孙巩摆摆手，吃力地翻着身。 “你要干什么！”郝宏远一把拦住孙巩，“你躺着动动嘴，我来执行就是了嘛！” 孙巩说：“通知各侦察连，提高警惕，加强戒备，组织整班、整排集体巡逻，一定要保存实力，不要主动出击，敌人打枪不要管他，只要不主动袭击我们，我们不还手，天一亮就不怕了！” 天一亮能有什么办法？孙巩自己心里也没底。军主力相距西宁满打满算还有将近两天的路程，而他所带领的这600轻骑，初来乍到，两眼一抹黑。过去打仗，每到一地总有地下党的同志主动派人联络，介绍敌情，而西宁，似乎压根就没有中共地下党组织（后来证明这是事实，西宁是全国唯一没有中共地下党组织的城市）。孙巩有种强烈的感觉，自己是骑在老虎头上或是坐在火山口上。 时间过得真慢，一分一秒都拉得极细极长，就像一根快要挣断的琴弦，而孙巩和战友们的每一颗心脏，都在这琴弦上颤颤巍巍地跳动着。 远远近近的枪声仍在不断，城里的、城外的，无法判定准确位置。然而，作为指挥部的湟中大厦却渐趋平静，除了电台报键声和大家相对紧张的呼吸声，似乎就没有别的声响。 不知过了多久，突然楼下传来一阵骚动。 “啥事？”孙巩跳起来急问。 警卫战士慌慌张张地报告：“有个当地人自称是王震司令员派来的……” “我叫卢德，”一个精瘦的中年男子破门而入，抢着答道：“王震司令员派我来当劝降联络员。我比你们先到西宁，了解一些情况……” “王震司令员派来的？”孙巩皱紧眉头，与郝宏远对视了一下，问：“有证明吗？” 自称卢德的人回答：“没有，因为出发得太匆忙。” “那……”孙巩的脑子在急速转动。 卢德说：“王震司令员是不是长个瘦高个，说话哈哈笑？他亲口告诉我，叫我到西宁跟你们先头部队一个姓孙的领导接头……” 孙巩顾不得多问了：“好，你详细谈谈情况吧！” “你们不要着急，马步芳留下的人马现在不在西宁，西宁只有些零零散散的人，闹不了啥气候。他们大队人马都在上五庄和大通桥那边集合呢！有两千多人，是马家八十二军的，军官也有好几十个。他们打算这一两天就打回西宁来，所以，城里老百姓很害怕，担心你们的部队少，弄不过他们。我跟他们说，你们大部队马上就到，他们不相信哩……” “你能把维持会的那几个人找来吗？”孙巩逼问道。他似乎已忘记刚才晕倒，抖擞的精神又回到他的眉梢。 卢德犹豫了一下，说：“可以！但能不能派两个同志跟我一道去？” 孙巩怔了怔，点头同意。 郝宏远往前一站：“我去吧！” “好，你带两个人一块去！有情况随时联系。”孙巩边说边向郝宏远递了个眼色，示意他见机行事。 郝宏远招呼两个老侦察兵，跟着卢德走了。一去几个钟头没有消息，把孙巩急得满头大汗。这几个钟头里，他把什么情况都想到了，如一切顺利，天亮时将采取哪几项措施控制局面。否则……他甚至已通知各侦察连：随时准备集中…… 天亮时，情况有了戏剧性的变化。郝宏远跟维持会那两个曾经露过面的长袍先生以及卢德，老朋友似的有说有笑进了门。孙巩神经一松弛，差点又要晕倒，眼前阵阵发黑，