Chapter 53 3. Lu Zhengcao, a famous general in Central Hebei Province, met He Long for the first time

On January 19, 1939, He Long led his troops to the area of ​​East and West Liaocheng and Ziwen Town in the southwest of Anping County in the hinterland of Central Hebei. Lu Zhengcao, commander of the Jizhong Military Region, welcomed He Long, Guan Xiangying and others with great enthusiasm. He Long and Lu Zhengcao have never met before, but they still have heard about Lu Zhengcao: In October 1937, Lu Zhengcao, a Communist Party member who served as the head of the 691st Regiment of the 53rd Army of the Kuomintang Army, refused to implement the Kuomintang's order to flee south. Xiaoqiao Town, Jin County, Hebei Province, together with Zhao Chengjin and others, staged an uprising and renamed it the People's Self-Defense Army. Under the leadership of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, they carried out guerrilla warfare with the Hebei Guerrilla Army and established the Jizhong Anti-Japanese Base.

As soon as they met, He Long said to Lu Zhengcao humorously: "You are not a small commander! The population of Jizhong is twice as large as that of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia!" During the meeting, He Long explained the tasks of the 120th Division: one is to replenish personnel and expand the 120th Division, because there are too few people in Northwest Shanxi; the other is to help your 3rd column consolidate the troops; the third is to help the Jizhong base.It was agreed that the 120th Division would rest for a few days, and then go to Huibokou, Hejian County to meet with the leadership of the Jizhong Military Region.

On January 26, the headquarters of the 120th Division arrived at Huibokou. After the two armies met, a grand party was held.Cheers, laughter, applause, and slogans came and went. The writer Sha Ting sat in the auditorium, feeling the fire-like enthusiasm. He looked at He Long who was speaking on the rostrum, and was infected by a cheerful emotion.These days, He Long has left a deep impression on him.In this regard, Sha Ting once wrote a paragraph: ... He stood among the crowd, with six wheels on his back and his military cap raised a little higher, with the air of a battle-hardened veteran who had just come off the line of fire.He introduced us to the Liaison Director of the Military Region... After turning around, he introduced us to Director Sun of the Political Department, followed by Comrade Lu Zhengcao, who was tall, thin and dark, and dressed very neatly. time, and he suddenly went away again.After the dinner, we saw him in the conference hall and listened to his enthusiastic and firm speech.There is no doubt that the completion of the great march made him very happy.

That night, on the stage, the 120th Division Combat Drama Club and the 4th Independent Troupe Troupe of Jizhong Military Region began to perform cultural programs, pushing the party to a climax.In this regard, Lu Zhengcao once said: "This meeting lasted until late at night. Although the weather was cold, the singing and cheering made the venue very hot. It is really a strong general who inspires the will of the armed forces, and a brave teacher inspires the hearts of all people." He Long, Lu Zhengcao, Guan Xiangying and others watched the performance with great interest.Koichi Miyamoto, a Japanese in Hebei, and a Korean woman who had just escaped from a Japanese stronghold took the stage and sang exotic songs.

At this time, the reconnaissance department reported that the Japanese army had invaded Ershilipu, and there was a possibility of attacking Huibokou.After hearing this, Lu Zhengcao was a little worried. He knew very well that there were Japanese troops stationed 30 miles away, so he turned his head to look at He Long. He Long said calmly: "Don't worry, just transfer troops to cover!" After speaking, he called Huang Xinting, the head of the 716 regiment, and ordered him to transfer a battalion to take charge of the cover.After finishing the arrangement, He Long turned around and said to Lu Zhengcao, "Let's watch the show as usual! It's not too late to leave after we're done."

He Long sat down quietly, and everyone felt relieved to continue watching the show. As soon as the play was over, He Long quietly said to Lu Zhengcao: "I think it's better to hurry up and act. It looks like the enemy is really attacking." The troops quickly moved to the northeast of Suning County.