Chapter 9 Chapter 8: Looking for Opportunities to Kill the Enemy and Taking Root in the Dabie Mountains

On August 30, 1947, Mao Zedong's hand was swollen like a steamed bun in the cave dwelling in Niuguanzhai, Jia County, northern Shaanxi. It has been more than 5 months since the evacuation of Yan'an. Mao Zedong has never had a good night's sleep or eaten a decent meal. In addition to the rare natural disasters and frequent wars in northern Shaanxi this year, there is a shortage of food items. state of starvation.Extreme fatigue and severe malnutrition made Mao Zedong swollen and weak. Ever since Liu Deng sent his troops to the south, Mao Zedong has not missed them for a day.Whenever there is a telegram from Liu Deng, no matter day or night, he will deal with it personally.In order to ensure the smooth march of the army to the south, he ordered Chen Geng to lead his troops across the Yellow River to contain the enemy.Not long ago, Liu Deng called for emergency: Dozens of brigades of the Kuomintang formed a situation of interception and encirclement, trying to encircle and annihilate me on the way to march.Mao Zedong was so worried that he almost spent several days standing in front of the map.Just now, he struggled to pick up the pen again, and wrote a telegram to Chen Yi and Su Yu:

The wording is harsh.In the recent period, all the telegrams sent by Mao Zedong to the field armies were in the name of the Central Committee or the Military Commission, but the telegrams sent to Chen and Su were all named "Mao Zedong" and must be signed with four thick "A". It continued until the Huaye West Corps crossed the river and went down the river.This shows Mao Zedong's determination and anxiety. Ren Bishi wanted to comfort Mao Zedong, but he knew how could the word "An" be so good in such a situation?I had to repeat what I said: "Chairman, the situation in the East China battlefield has been tense. It must be difficult for Chen and Su to not move. I think they will definitely take action after receiving this telegram."

Mao Zedong's brows still did not loosen: "I hope so." Zhou Enlai walked into the cave in a hurry, with thick eyebrows flying: "Chairman, good news has come from Liu and Deng!" "Read it quickly!" Mao Zedong took a few steps forward and took the telegram: "No, let me read it myself." Mao Zedong sucked his lips, his brows gradually relaxed, and redness appeared on his gray and swollen face.He slowly reached out his hand and took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit the fire slowly, took a deep breath, and exhaled violently: "We finally made it out!"

"For twenty years, we have been in a defensive position for a long time. Since Liu Deng's southern expedition, our revolutionary war has turned to the offensive for the first time in history. This is a revolutionary offensive. It is not accurate to say that it is a counter-offensive. Because the counter-offensive is defensive. It is impossible to fully summarize the situation and content.” Chairman Mao said excitedly: "Liu Deng marched to the Dabie Mountains, and began to lead the war to the Jiang-administered areas, fight away from the liberated areas, use the manpower and material resources of the Jiang-administered areas, and reduce the burden on the old areas. victory."

Zhou Enlai deeply understood the meaning of Mao Zedong's words, and continued: "Yes. Since ancient times, whoever wins the Central Plains wins the world." Zhou Enlai paused, and then said: "Chairman, Liu Deng entered the Dabie Mountains and survived in every battlefield. But Chiang Kai-shek will not be reconciled. How can you allow others to sleep soundly beside the couch? He will definitely risk his life." Mao Zedong nodded. Zhou Enlai's eyes were heavy: "It's just that Liu Deng has carried too much on his back." Hearing this, Chairman Mao stood up excitedly, walked around on the ground, and said: "...they have no rear, supplies are difficult, people are dragged thin, and their feet are stretched. This price must be paid, because the price is great. Yes, we must call upon the entire Party and the entire army to learn from them."

Mao Zedong moved to the door, opened the curtain, and glanced at the stars in the sky: "The stars are brighter when the night is dark. If the difficulties are great and the more they recite, Liu and Deng will be more honorable. Their actions are heroic actions." Two days later, the telegram carrying the "Strategic Guidelines for the Second Year of the War of Liberation" drafted by Mao Zedong himself was sent to various battlefields of the People's Liberation Army: History has written down a lot: starting with the advance of Liu Deng's army into the Dabie Mountains, the Chinese People's War of Liberation changed from strategic defense to strategic offensive.

No matter where Liu Bocheng goes, he can't do without the map. Sometimes he even regards reading the map as a kind of rest and recreation. No matter how nervous and tired he is, as long as he stops by the map, he can sink his qi into his dantian and enter a state of "sedation".It seems that what he is facing is not a colorful, dotted and lined figure, but a living and raised world.He walked in with all his heart, crossed the mountains and rivers, stepped into the vast plains, crossed small bridges and passes, trudged between mountains and rivers, from a head full of black hair to a crown of silver...

At this moment, he is holding an oil lamp in his hand, standing in front of a "Situation Map of the Dabie Mountains", imagining the further deployment of the troops. Deng Xiaoping had just signed a combat order and turned on the radio to listen to the enemy's movements.He was afraid of affecting Liu Bocheng, so he turned the volume to the minimum. On the radio, the KMT’s radio station is broadcasting the battles of the past few days: “…In the second half of this month, 100,000 officers and soldiers of the National Army pursued and encircled the Communist Army in the Ruhe and Huaihe Rivers of Xixian County. They fought fiercely for several days. The battle was unprecedented. A lot of weapons have been seized. At present, the national army is attacking steadily, and the communist bandits have fled in separate groups. According to reliable sources. During this campaign, the national army once killed a tall bandit wearing glasses. It must be Liu Bocheng, the leader of the Communist Party..."

"I said political commissar", Liu Bocheng has bad eyesight but good ears.He put down the oil lamp and smiled at Deng Xiaoping: "How many times have I been shot to death?" Deng Xiaoping also laughed: "Chiang Kai-shek hates you for not dying! Originally in the southeast of Shanxi and Hebei, Shandong and Yu, you were already a confidant of others, but now you have fled to the Dabie Mountains, beside his bed, leaving him with a bone in his throat and a thorn in his back. If you want to take its head, how can he not hate and wish you to die?" "That's right." Liu Bocheng raised the oil lamp again, looked back at the map, and said, "Look, the Dabie Mountains span thousands of miles. In between, the products are rich and the terrain is dangerous. It can be called a place that military strategists of all dynasties must contend for. Now we are opening up the Central Plains, liberating the whole country, and realizing a major strategic turning point for our army. Of course, Chiang Kai-shek will fight for it with all his life. It is not your death It’s me who lives. However, I, Liu Bocheng, don’t want to die, so I still have to keep one eye open. Let’s see who competes in the Central Plains, who wins!”

"The trend of the times, the Kuomintang will undoubtedly lose!" While speaking, Li Da came in and reported: "Commander, political commissar, the meeting is ready." Liu Bocheng nodded: "Okay, Political Commissar Deng, let's go." In a threshing field, more than 200 elites from the Field Army Command have been assembled.This is the first cadre meeting of this scale since the Field Army Command went south. In the center of the venue was an Eight Immortals table temporarily borrowed from ordinary people. On the table was a teapot and an enamel bowl that were also borrowed.The clothes of the cadres present at the meeting were all washed clean, and their faces were neatly trimmed.

Before Liu Deng came, Chai Chengwen, the director of intelligence, was introducing the enemy's situation.Chai Chengwen was talking happily, when he saw Liu, Deng and Li approaching from a distance, he stopped talking and took the lead in applauding. Liu Bocheng waved his hand: "Today Political Commissar Deng is giving a report, and I am also an audience." "Then I'll throw bricks to attract jade." Deng Xiaoping went straight to the table of the Eight Immortals and sat down. Deng Xiaoping made it clear: "Comrades, we have reached the Dabie Mountains, from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River, and completed the first step of our strategic mission." The sky is blue with occasional white clouds.Deng Xiaoping seemed to be getting a little hot under the sun. He took off his gray military uniform and only wore a yellowed short-sleeved sweater. He took off his hat, revealing his bald head like everyone else.After a long journey and days of fighting, his face was visibly thinner, his eye sockets were sunken, and his cheekbones were more protruding. He took a sip of water and continued: "The Party Central Committee said our actions were heroic. Whether they are heroic or not depends on our future actions. At present, the Chen Xie Corps has advanced to the west line of Longhai and is heading towards Funiu Mountain. In this way, Therefore, the Dabie Mountains, Funiu Mountains, and southwestern Shandong formed a corner. In this strategic situation, we liberated the Central Plains and pushed Chiang Kai-shek back to a line. There are sufficient conditions." "First, due to our advance into the Dabie Mountains, the Chenxie Corps appeared on the Longhai West Front, and coupled with the offensive on the northern Shaanxi battlefield, Chiang Kai-shek's lack of troops was even more stretched. Now the enemy trailing us and around us has a total of 23 brigades, but 150,000 people , most of which were annihilated and replenished. In addition, it is extremely difficult for the enemy to draw troops from other places. On the other hand, when I crossed the Longhai Railway, the enemy mistakenly believed that we were forced to This is Chiang Kai-shek's strategic failure, and this is Chiang Kai-shek's Achilles' heel. He always miscalculates the situation and makes bad moves." There was laughter in the hall. "Secondly, let's take a look at the Central Plains. The Central Plains area has a population of 45 million and is rich in products. It was originally an important "military depot" and "grain depot" for Chiang Kai-shek. We have seized the enemy's supplies here and strengthened ourselves. increase the difficulty of the enemy." "Third, this region has been influenced by our long-term revolution. The people have been baptized by the revolution and support us in their hearts. However, due to the four transfers of the revolution, the people are currently taking a wait-and-see attitude towards us. This is understandable. Just now, a A landlady was worried that we would not win the battle and leave. Chairman Mao was also worried. He said that there are three ways to advance to the Dabie Mountains: one is to pay the price and be untenable and return; the other is to pay the price and stand The third is to pay the price, stand firm, and open up a solid base in the Central Plains. Comrades, we should strive for the third future." On August 29, 1947, the Xuzhou Kuomintang Army General Command. The chief of the adjutant's office walked into the commander-in-chief's office with imperceptible steps, stood there for a moment, and reported softly: "Commander-in-chief, Wu Shaozhou called, asking for instructions on the action plan of the Wu department after Liu Bocheng's department entered the Dabie Mountains." Gu Zhutong was very impatient and waved his hands without opening his eyes: "Please tell me what to do? Let him wait for the chairman's instructions." "Yes. In addition, the Shandong Celebration of the Restoration Relief Group asked to see the commander-in-chief." Gu Zhutong's anger finally exploded, and he slapped the sofa and roared: "What recovery? What relief group? A bunch of fools who eat and drink for nothing. Tell them, I won't see anyone!" Gu Zhutong was in a bad mood.This general, who can be regarded as the most elegant and cultivated general in the Kuomintang military circles, has recently been making unidentified anger and frequently admonishing people, causing the general headquarters to be horrified. He was indeed exhausted.For more than a month, in order to deal with Liu Bocheng, he went to Yangshanji to command the battle, and then traveled back and forth between Shangqiu, Zhengzhou, and Xuzhou.First, he took pains to figure out the movements of Liu Deng's troops, and then deployed all his strength to chase and intercept them.As a result, it still did not stop Liu Deng's army from entering the Dabie Mountains. Gu Zhutong has never been so useless since the day he joined the army.During the Northern Expedition, he led the 3rd Division out of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and fought all the way to Nanjing, invincible and invincible.When encircling and suppressing the Central Soviet Area of ​​the Communist Party, he served as the commander-in-chief of the North Route Army. He led his troops step by step, successively occupied Lichuan, Guangchang, Xingguo, and Ningdu, and then advanced into Ruijin, forcing the Red Army to abandon its base areas and start the Long March. In 1941, he made a small plan in southern Anhui, and almost wiped out the New Fourth Army. He has always been very confident in fighting the Communist Party, but this time... Gu Zhutong sighed, his eyes fell on the large mahogany desk. There is a page of paper on the mahogany table, like a pale face in the twilight, and lines of black characters on the paper are like blue veins protruding from the white face.It was the telegram sent to him by Chiang Kai-shek two days ago: Gu Zhutong looked away.On crime?If the crime is serious, the chief culprit should be the coach.Since Liu and Deng's army crossed the Yellow River, Chiang Kai-shek has made repeated misjudgments and regarded Liu and Deng's southward advance as a southward advance. , so that the Wu Department returned to Suiping, resulting in the failure of the encirclement.For all these mistakes, Chiang Kai-shek never blamed himself, only accused the commanders at all levels below for their poor command.Thinking of this, Gu Zhutong let out a long sigh: It's true that the commander is unknown, and the entire army is exhausted. At this moment, who is guilty is of secondary importance.Once the Communist Party becomes popular in the Central Plains, their own lives, including half of the Kuomintang, whether it is Chiang Kai-shek or Gu Zhutong, will all be ruined.Therefore, the top priority is to attack the Dabie Mountains. The confidential phone on the desk rang rapidly. Gu Zhutong guessed who was calling, and quickly grabbed the phone. The very familiar Shaoxing Mandarin came from the earphones.What surprised Gu Zhutong was that his voice was so soft and confident: "Mo San? I know you have tried your best to chase and suppress the communist army for many days. The remnants of Liu and Deng were wiped out at the foot of the Dabie Mountains. We had to seize the time and seize the opportunity to attack him. He was not stable, he was exhausted, and he had no rear base. This is the most difficult time for the enemy, and it is also the most favorable time to attack. Do not hesitate Remember, the war opportunity is fleeting. I will go to Mount Lushan tomorrow and wait for your good news on the opposite side of Dabie Mountain." Gu Zhutong was moved and terrified: "Principal, students should do their best to serve the party and the country." Gu Zhutong's heart brightened, and the office, which had been dull for many days, came alive.He circled the house quickly with his hands behind his back, and then ordered a military meeting to announce his deployment: (1) Zhang Zhen's department acted according to yesterday's telegram; (2) The 85th Division of Wu Shaozhou's Department, with one regiment defending Xixian County and the river defense to the south, changed the main force to cross the river at Dalinzhuang, continued to pursue Luoshan and the area to the south, and cooperated with the Luo Guangwen Corps to fight; (3) Zhang Xudong's regiment left a battalion in Xincai, and the main force quickly returned to Xi County to increase defense; (4) After the Luo Guangwen Department crossed the river with the 10th Division, they quickly resolved the siege of Luoshan; ... Gu Zhutong waved the chrome-plated metal stick in his hand, pointing to the one-fifty-thousandth military map: "Everyone, the Dabie Mountain is like a stone mill, as long as my 23 brigades and hundreds of thousands of troops work together to grind the Communist Army into powder. " Just when Gu Zhutong dispatched troops and generals, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping had already commanded the troops to implement a strategic deployment in the Dabie Mountains ahead of the enemy.Liu Bocheng asked his troops: "Before the enemy's heavy troops arrive and the hinterland of the Dabie Mountains is empty, spread out quickly, occupy a large area, and let sparrows fly all over the sky." In just a few days, the sixth column had taken Guangshan, Jingfu, Macheng, and Huang'an, and reached the north bank of the Yangtze River; Town; after occupying Huangchuan, the second column quickly advanced to Gushi and Shangcheng; the first column controlled the vast areas south of Luoshan, Guangshan and west of Jingfu; the Central Plains Independent Brigade approached Pinghan... Liu Deng dominates the north bank of the Yangtze River, and his power shakes the north and south of the river. At the same time, according to Mao Zedong's instructions, Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi led their troops to break through the natural danger of the Yellow River on August 22, and went straight out of Longhai Road to cooperate with Liu Deng in the Dabie Mountains.By the 31st, Xin'an, Mianchi, Yiyang, and Luoning towns were captured successively. Jier's main force moved eastward, threatening Luoyang, like a steel knife inserted from the side, splitting the two major groups of Gu Zhutong and Hu Zongnan. The connection forced Hu Zongnan's main force, the 1st Army and the 29th Army, to be transferred out of northern Shaanxi, which relieved the pressure on the battlefield in northern Shaanxi. The 134th Brigade of the division rushed to the west and mobilized the enemy strategically. In addition, the West Corps of the East China Field Army also joined them.After completing the operation in Southwest Shandong, the West Corps of the East China Field Army, led by Chen Yi and Su Yu, sent six columns of 180,000 troops to the south in five divisions, crossed the paralyzed Longhai Railway from east to west, advanced into the Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu areas, and launched an offensive.The Huaye East Corps carried out the defense of Jiaodong and severely damaged the enemy.In less than a month, 24 counties were conquered, more than 10,000 enemies were wiped out, and the strategic deployment was completed. During this period, the Northwest Field Army turned to a strategic counter-offensive and won consecutive victories in the Shajiadian, Guanzhuang, and Chakou pursuit battles. So far, the three major field groups have placed a big "pin" on the vast land of the Central Plains.The three armies of Liu Deng, Chen Su, and Chen Xie, drawn by Mao Zedong himself, are advancing, and a new strategic pattern of Peng Dehuai and Xu Shiyou's two wings has been formed. With the three armies of Liu Deng, Chen Su, and Chen Xie in the shape of "pin" to win the championship in the vast area from the Yellow River in the north, the Yangtze River in the south, Jinpu in the east, and Hanshui in the west, wind and rain from all directions will gather in the three mountains (Dabie Mountain, Taishan Mountain) , Funiu Mountain) between the four rivers (river, river, Huai, Han). The general trend of the Central Plains has been determined. Subsequently, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army launched an offensive on the northern section of Pinghan Road, liberated Xiongxian County, and knocked on Shimen; the Northeast Democratic Alliance launched a large-scale autumn offensive in Changchun, Jilin, Siping, and Jinxi-Yixian on the Beining line. The People's Liberation Army has shifted to a nationwide strategic offensive.China's history will soon undergo a major turning point. The weather was dull, and there was a faint sound of thunder coming from the depths of the Dabie Mountains. The low-hanging and thick clouds rolled and squeezed, and gradually piled up into one piece, sinking like lumps of thick lead, as if they had already pressed down on the already low ridge of the roof. The air is compressed and becomes more and more stagnant, as if it also contains metal components, making each breath a little heavier. More than 20 commanders of columns and brigades sat crowded together in this small ancestral hall. They were very close to each other, and no one talked to anyone. , all the lively atmosphere of the past was gone.Usually, they are alone, and there are not many times when they can get together.Occasionally when we get together, it's not that this one touches that other's head and says: "Still alive?" or that one pats this one on the shoulder, surprised: "You're not dead?" and then jokes for a while, but today it is very different. Chen Zaidao couldn't bear to hold back, and he couldn't breathe when he opened his neckline.As soon as he stood up, he hurriedly adjusted his military uniform and sat back to his original position: "Here we come." Soon, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping walked into the room, the expressions on their faces were the same color as the dark clouds behind them. More than 20 cadres above the brigade stood up together.The few people guarding the door went forward, saluted, and stretched out their hands out of habit. Deng Xiaoping waved his hand in the air in return: "The battle hasn't been fought well, so we won't shake hands." He went straight to the table, asked Liu Bocheng to sit down, then looked at the venue with scorching eyes, and said: "Today, everyone is called for a meeting without shaking hands. I think everyone here knows why they don't shake hands." There was no sound in the ancestral hall, and the already heavy atmosphere suddenly became a little more serious. It has been nearly a month since I entered the Dabie Mountains. With the rapid deployment of the large force, unimaginable difficulties followed. "The more you eat, the bigger the road, the smaller the road." This popular saying in the army vividly summed up the first discomfort when entering the Dabie Mountains. Most of the soldiers from the "lands of the Fourth World War" were descendants of Yanzhao who were accustomed to eating millet and yam eggs, and the rice in the south could not fill their stomachs.Lei Jinchuan, the deputy battalion commander of the 19th Brigade Mountain Pao Battalion, has now retired in Zhengzhou. Recalling that period of life, the old man said: "When mentioning Dabie Mountain, the first thing that comes to mind is hunger. Rice is not food, three bowls After eating, the two farts, the stomach will be empty. Then scratch the heart with claws, the eyes turn blue, and stretch out the little hand from the throat. After a few days, a battalion of big northern men have become southern barbarians. The face is sallow and sallow... This is still when there is something to eat." "At the beginning, I didn't know how to eat. Pour a bag of rice into a big pot, and it won't be boiled no matter how much you cook. You can't delay in marching and fighting. It doesn't matter whether it is cooked or not. You can eat the husk and rice. But You forget it, it doesn’t count, it’s tossing you on the road, making you have a stomach ache and diarrhea. No matter marching day or night, the team will be lively, and it’s "squeaky" everywhere, and the butt door is like a faucet that can’t be turned off. Bula a bubble. The hero can't stand the three bubbles, the team can't take it, and can't walk a few miles in a day and a night. Don't say that people can't stand this, the big mules brought from the north eat this kind of hulled rice They also had bowel movements and diarrhea, and one by one they died." "Anyway, there is still food here, and more often it is because of hunger. The people in the Dabie Mountains ran away when they saw the team, and we couldn't buy food with steel on our backs..." "There is no food to eat, let alone oil and salt. There is a shortage of oil and salt, and many soldiers suffer from night blindness. After eating meat, the whole company was poisoned, vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, when we first arrived in the south, the water and soil were not acclimatized, and the number of patients increased, and there was no rear placement. It was very difficult for the troops to march, let alone fight." Talking about the difficulty of marching, Shi Jingban, the former deputy political commissar of the Kunming Military Region who retired in Nanjing and the deputy brigade commander of the 8th Brigade of the Third Column, said: "In the battle in the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Great Plains, cars, artillery, and carriages are mighty. When we arrived at the Dabie Mountains, we entered the mountain on a narrow path, and out of the mountain we took the field path. All the cars were thrown away and the problem of marching could not be solved. Autumn rains in the south continued, and the field ridges seemed to be oiled, slipping three times at one step, and finally the posture of falling was "normal" It's all a stab, and the legs are split, riding on the field ridge, many people's buttocks are swollen." "When the army asked for directions, the villagers said that it was 10 miles, but the troops walked all night and did not get there. After asking again, it turned out that it was a straight line distance, with winding mountain roads, uphill and downhill, and actually more than 40 miles. A village was marked on the map. I decided to camp there. When I arrived, I saw that there were only three families, not to mention a large army, and even a squad could not fit in. This is the case in the southern mountainous areas. In the village, the army was tired all day, so they had to sleep in the wild at night, no matter the wind or rain." "The most deadly thing is the poisonous snake in the south. It can't be seen standing in the bushes and trees by the roadside. It doesn't know when it will jump up suddenly, and it can kill a person with one bite. It makes people worry all day long." "The cloth shoes brought from the north couldn't withstand the blisters, and within a few days the uppers were rotten, so we had to wear straw sandals. People in the north didn't wear straw sandals, and their feet were covered with pus and blood. They stuck together when they slept at night. If you can’t even take it off, if you pull it hard, the straw sandals will become ‘leather shoes’, and a layer of bloody flesh will be torn off.” There are many mosquitoes in the south, and the army has no mosquito nets. Many people have a high fever, and there is no medicine to treat them.In addition to shaking hands and diarrhea, scabies is a serious threat to the troops.The weather in the south is humid, coupled with marching and fighting day and night, crawling in mud, rolling in water, sleeping in the wilderness, when the body is not dry, let alone hygienic conditions, many people contracted terrible scabies. Disease, path, straw sandals, a tragic and tragic epic. The soldiers described the Dabie Mountains like this: "One is bright and the other is dark, and the toilet is hung with pots. There is nothing (no) nothing to do, poor and pitiful." The first two sentences of this jingle are about the private houses in the Dabie Mountains, and the second one is about the villagers seeing the troops. If they can’t run away, they spread their hands first, and they answer "Nothing is better" when asked, and "Poor" when they are in a hurry. Pitiful". Soldiers from Henan and Shandong said: "The Dabie Mountain should be called 'Dabie Mountain'!" Soldiers from Hebei and Shanxi said: "Dabie Mountain, Dabie Mountain, the name is inauspicious. 'Dabie Mountain', Xu Xiangqian's Red Fourth Army, Xu Haidong's Red 25th Army, and Li Xiannian's New Fourth Army 5th Division did not squat here. Look at us this time is enough!" There is a saying in Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan: It is better to walk 1,000 miles north than take a brick to the south. The northern soldiers who entered the Dabie Mountains fell ill, and had no other requirements. They drank a mouthful of rice soup and ate a mouthful of millet rice, and all illnesses were cured. They miss their hometown and hometown, and they don’t understand everything they are facing: “What the hell are you doing here? Did you lose the battle?” "Damn it, when did our Liu Deng army ever be so useless!" Strong homesickness and nostalgia and dissatisfaction with reality spread like a disease, which led to the decline of soldiers' will, the relaxation of army discipline, and frequent occurrences of beating fellow villagers, catching guides, pulling buffaloes, catching chickens, grabbing things, and even molesting women. . The non-combat attrition of the troops is increasing rapidly. In addition to the wounded and sick, most of them are deserting.At first they ran alone and in two, leaving a note before leaving: "I'm going back to fight the Kuomintang reactionaries." "I promise to continue the revolution when I go back, and I promise to kill more enemies, 10 of them are worth one here!" "I promise not to rebel, please organize to trust me." Later, they ran whole shifts and became deserters collectively. Gradually, the song "Dabie Mountain is like a sword, piercing straight into Chiang Kai-shek's heart" was sung less, and then it was almost inaudible. On September 5, Liu Bocheng set up a pocket formation in the area between the two rounds of the mall, encircling and annihilating the enemy's 58th Division with the main force of the first and second columns and the 16th Brigade of the sixth column.Due to the lack of combat experience in mountains and paddy fields for the first time in the Dabie Mountains, it was difficult to transport the wounded with food and grass, and some troops were slow to move and failed to divide the encirclement in time. The battle lasted for three days, and most of the 58th Division finally escaped. On September 17, the main forces of the first and second columns and the 16th brigade of the sixth column besieged the 58th Division again in the Yuzidian, Suxianshi, and Zhongpu areas of the mall.After three full days of fighting, only one regiment was wiped out in the Zhongpu area. On September 24, the 16th Brigade of the 1st and 2nd Columns and the 6th Column set up Fuguang Mountain and attacked the 58th Division three times.The enemy's 85th Division quickly aided from Guangshan Mountain.In this battle, although the enemy was repelled and aided, it still failed to solve the 58th Division. Fighting three battles is not ideal.Objectively speaking, although the three battles were not fought well, we mobilized a large number of enemy troops from the north, allowing our southward troops to quickly deploy and reach the banks of the Yangtze River, creating conditions for the realization of the overall strategic situation, but from a subjective analysis, it is not difficult to see that the troops potentially serious crisis. At the "No Handshake" meeting held on September 27, unavoidable issues were placed before the commanders of more than 20 columns and brigades of the field army: the environment is harsh, the situation is severe, discipline is lax, the right is conservative, and the morale of the army is shaken. Can you stand firm in the Dabie Mountains? Deng Xiaoping did not speak for several minutes.His stern gaze flashed across the faces of each commander, piercing everyone's heart like a long-lasting silent lightning. Someone coughed, and soon fell silent again.The ancestral hall, which was filled with smoke by the "cannon barrels" just now, is much fresher. Finally, Deng Xiaoping spoke: "Comrades, regarding the strategic tasks we have carried out, we have emphasized many times in the past: this is that we have reached the Dabie Mountains, and the next step is to establish the Dabie Mountains base area unswervingly and without hesitation. There should be no doubts or wavering at all!" "All of you here are senior cadres. Senior cadres should lead by example when they are in difficulty, encourage the troops to bravely overcome difficulties and eliminate the enemy. Otherwise, where are you as a senior cadre?" "Of course, we don't deny the difficulties, but what is more important and urgent is that we must strengthen our fighting spirit, oppose rightist ideology, and overcome bad tendencies such as lax discipline. For all of this, our leading cadres must first take the lead. Please think about it, this Have you taken the lead? If this problem is not resolved, we will be defeated for thousands of miles, so we have to retreat to the north of the Yellow River and return the victory we have won to Chiang Kai-shek. May I ask, which comrade hopes so? If so, please raise your hand!" Liu Bocheng, who had been sitting all this time, stood up slowly when he heard this.The only eye was bulging with blood: "The political commissar said that this was a 'no handshake' meeting. Let me say, this was also a 'egg-safe' meeting. Some of our cadres lacked courage, had no eggs, no Look like a man. What to do? I'll have to have a meeting and get you a pair!" Liu Bocheng is a well-known Confucian general, gentle and elegant, but once he is angry and speaks foul language, it is very shocking.He went on to say: "Some comrades looked left and right during the battle, were full of worries, acted slowly, and missed several good opportunities to wipe out the enemy. This cannot be allowed." Deng Xiaoping lit a cigarette: "Like a woman with small feet, swaying three steps at a time." "War is like a woman with small feet, where are your eggs?" Liu Bocheng wrote a big "Yong" character in the air with his hand, and then said: "This brave character "Yong" means that there is a glorious flower crown on the prefix of the word "Nan". That is to say, "Yong" is a man's No matter. Without a corolla, it is like a man without eggs. What is he called "courage"?... For a month, I just paid a price, went hungry for a few meals, and walked for a few days. It seems that the revolution has no future. When encountering a little difficulty, I doubt whether I can persist in the Dabie Mountains. These comrades are short-sighted, and they don’t even think about it. You stabbed a bayonet into someone’s heart, and they only bit your skin. What’s the fuss?” "When we marched into the Dabie Mountains, Chiang Kai-shek showed defeat, but why did we also show defeat? It's like two people fighting, you say you failed, and he said he failed, so the ghost won?" "Comrades, when we Communists joined the party, we vowed to overthrow imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism, and to be loyal to the party and the people forever. Now we will specifically eliminate their representative, counter-revolutionary Chiang Kai-shek. Shaking!" Liu Bocheng stopped abruptly.There was a rare loss of emotional control, and he slammed his fist on the table: "Now, we are going to weigh you, is you a Bolshevik? We just want to line up to see if you are a man!" These words hit the hearts of every participant like a heavy weight. There was rumbling thunder outside the ancestral hall, and a storm was coming. In the end, Liu Bocheng suggested that everyone should sing the song about Dabie Mountain again.There was a flash of lightning, and heavy rain poured down.At the same time, singing sounded in the wind and rain: