Chapter 3 Chapter 2 The Autumn Breeze Brings Coolness, He Nie Joins Forces to Expedite Suiyuan

In September 1945, Yan'an could clearly feel the coming of autumn, but at this time in Chongqing, the heat was still unbearable.Mao Zedong, who was called "Mao Bandit" by Chiang Kai-shek and offered a reward of hundreds of thousands of silver dollars for his head, unexpectedly came to the cave forest garden as his guest today.History is like a big drama, and the plot changes so fast that people can't figure it out. More than 20 years ago, Mao Zedong was elected as an alternate executive member of the Central Committee at the National Congress of the Kuomintang. Later, he served as the acting director of the Central Propaganda Department of the Kuomintang and edited the "Politics Weekly", a publication of the Central Propaganda Department of the Kuomintang.At that time, Chiang Kai-shek served as the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy, and Mao Zedong, as a political celebrity, also boarded the Whampoa forum.After 18 years of competing with each other and meeting again, this period of fighting in the same "trench" has naturally become the best topic for reminiscing about the past.

Looking back on the past, Chiang Kai-shek also felt infinitely emotional: "Time flies so fast, we haven't seen each other for 18 years." "Yes, so fast." Mao Zedong took his time and smoked his cigarette heartily. "In the past 18 years, under the leadership of the Chairman, China has been very different from before!" Chiang Kai-shek fanned the smoke subconsciously, and Mao Zedong suddenly remembered that Chiang Kai-shek was a person who did not smoke or drink, so he immediately put out the cigarette. Chiang Kai-shek squinted at Mao Zedong, knowing that Mao Zedong was mocking him, and felt a little embarrassed for a while.Chiang Kai-shek had learned how powerful Mao Zedong was, but he didn't know that Mao's language would be so sharp in such a casual conversation.He was determined to follow Mao Zedong's words.

"It's different. At least Japan was defeated and the history of foreign aggression ended." Chiang Kai-shek was not humble at all. Mao Zedong quickly raised his eyes to look at Chiang Kai-shek, and said aggressively: "The days of foreign aggression are not yet completely over, and the days of independence and peace are far from coming. All these things need to be completed through more sincere cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party." Chiang Kai-shek never expected Mao Zedong to answer like this. The days of foreign aggression are not completely over yet?What's the meaning?Does it mean that I use the Japanese army as a garrison?The days of independence and peace are far from coming?Are you scolding me and the United States again?The Kuomintang and the Communist Party will cooperate more sincerely?Was the previous cooperation insincere?Southern Anhui Incident?Sneak attack on Yan'an?A series of memories flashed through Chiang Kai-shek's mind one by one.

Chiang Kai-shek pretended to be calm, but his mind was already in a mess.He then made a few perfunctory words, found an excuse and left. When Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Ren Bishi, and Peng Dehuai in Yan'an learned of the conversation between Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek when they met by chance in the cave forest garden, they all burst into laughter, all of them were impressed by Mao Zedong's great wisdom and courage. "Just relying on Chiang Kai-shek's so little promise, it's hard to make a fortune." Liu Shaoqi said. "Chiang Kai-shek has a guilty conscience. He has done too many bad things, and his hands are covered with the blood of the people. He is always afraid that the chairman will poke his scars!" Zhu De still couldn't stop laughing.

"That's right. Boss Zhu is right. Chiang Kai-shek must be thinking wildly." Ren Bishi was still laughing. Only Peng Dehuai remained silent.He always looked serious and thoughtful.He had just learned that He Long had won Wenshui County, and was planning the next move for He Long.Taking Wenshui cut off Taifen Road (Taiyuan to Fenyang Highway), which is of great strategic significance for the next step to threaten Taiyuan and seize Fenyang and other counties.After taking these county towns and the vast rural areas, we will concentrate our main force to go northward, take Baotou and Guisui together, and occupy a large rural area, so that we can connect with the Jinchaji liberated areas.And this will greatly encourage and promote the Central Plains, North China, and even the entire East China...

The more Peng Dehuai thought about it, the more absorbed he became, and the more he thought about it, the more confident he became, completely immersed in his grand blueprint. "General Peng is strategizing again." Liu Shaoqi said. Peng Dehuai grinned and said, "Where is that." After speaking, he returned to his grand blueprint of connecting Jinsui and Jinchaji.After dozens of seconds, he suddenly asked again: "When is Comrade Nie Rongzhen leaving?" "It will be a few days." Zhu De said, "Our new Commander Nie has taken office, and he can't sit still for a long time!"

"In a few days, a U.S. military plane will go to Jinchaji to pick up their pilots, and Mr. Nie will take this plane back." Liu Shaoqi said, "Liu Lantao, Xiao Ke, and Luo Ruiqing will go back to Jinchaji together." The plane Liu Shaoqi mentioned was going to Jinchaji to pick up American pilots, and it flew to Yan'an not long ago.After the outbreak of the Pacific War, many fighter planes of the U.S. Air Force were damaged by Japanese aircraft, and many pilots parachuted to escape and landed in the Jinchaji area.This time the U.S. military sent a special plane to pick up the pilot, and Nie Rongzhen happened to take their plane back to Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, avoiding the pain of a long-distance march.

Peng Dehuai let out an "oh" and continued his thinking. On September 9, as a US C-46 aircraft took off from Yan'an Airport, Nie Rongzhen left Yan'an and was about to return to his combat post. The plane flies over the rolling Loess Plateau.Looking at the familiar Pagoda Mountain, the familiar Yanhe River, and those familiar mountains and valleys, Nie Rongzhen couldn't help but wander. After receiving a telegram from the Central Committee in August 1943 asking him to go to Yan'an to attend the Seventh National Congress, he left Jinchaji and came to Yan'an on August 27.At that time, Nie Rongzhen thought it was just a meeting, and he could go back in a month or two.As everyone knows, he stayed here for two years.

As soon as he arrived in Yan'an, Nie Rongzhen participated in the rectification movement. Many people accused the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region of not implementing Mao Zedong's idea of ​​protracted warfare and making the mistake of "underestimating the enemy and winning quickly".For such criticism, Nie Rongzhen accepts it humbly, and at the same time constantly reflects on his mistakes and deficiencies in the past six years of work in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei.During the two years in Yan'an, I was far away from the battlefield.But it is also very precious to have such an opportunity to concentrate on learning and summarizing.

Nie Rongzhen sat by the window, recalling this, and smiled faintly.Let the past go, the key is to do the things in front of you well. Nie Rongzhen left Yan'an with the spirit of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China.The Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China has just concluded, and some of the spirit and judgment at the meeting are indeed inspiring.Mao Zedong said that Japanese imperialism is at the end of its strength, and victory is just around the corner.In addition, Mao Zedong also gave clear answers to a series of questions that everyone cared about, such as how to form the government after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, how to play its functions, how to position the liberated areas and the people's army, and called on everyone to work hard towards a new democratic new China .

The significance of this meeting is extraordinary, and it really makes everyone feel that victory is at hand.The generals who finished the meeting couldn't wait to go to the front line. Of course, Nie Rongzhen was infected by this atmosphere without exception, and hoped that his subordinates would fight a few more good battles.What's more, the central government changed the Central Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Sub-bureau to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Central Bureau, and served as the secretary himself, and continued to serve as the commander and political commissar of the military region.This makes it even more of a responsibility to fight a few victories to report the good news to the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao who is negotiating in Chongqing. Returning to Jinchaji, where he had been separated for two years, Nie Rongzhen was full of strength.Although he knows the burden on his shoulders will not be easy. At this time, a large number of American warships and aircraft were transporting 150,000 troops from 6 armies and 17 divisions of Chiang Kai-shek to North China. With the cooperation of the Japanese and puppet troops, they successively seized major cities such as Beiping, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, and Shanhaiguan. , The Kuomintang established the Eleventh Theater.At the same time, Yan Xishan's troops from the Second War Zone seized Datong, Taiyuan and other places, and Fu Zuoyi's troops from the Tenth War Zone seized large areas of Guisui, Suidong, and Suinan.Wherever the armies of Jiang, Fu, and Yan went, they incorporated a large number of puppet troops, and even some Japanese troops.In addition, the U.S. military directly landed in Tanggu and Qinhuangdao at the end of September and early October, occupying these two important ports and Tianjin City, serving as the main gateway for Jiang's army to enter North China on a large scale by sea.The above three theaters of the Kuomintang army have concentrated a total of more than 430,000 troops in Jinchaji and surrounding areas.Based on the seized large and medium-sized cities, they continue to attack along the traffic lines and surrounding areas. After the plane landed at Lingqiu Airport, Nie Rongzhen and his party changed cars and drove all the way to Zhang Yuan. At this time, Nie Rongzhen could no longer hold back the excitement in his heart.It has been two years, and the familiar mountains and rivers are displayed in front of my eyes again.In the past two years, I have become more mature, and the Jinchaji Military Region has also grown stronger. The headquarters of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region is located in a small courtyard near Xuanhua Avenue, which was originally the headquarters of the Japanese Mongolian Xinjiang Dispatch Army. Hearing that Mr. Nie and other military leaders had returned from Yan'an, the headquarters was immersed in joy all night.Especially for Mr. Nie, we haven't seen each other for two years, are you fat or thin?The little devils are very concerned about Mr. Nie.It is said that a few soldiers who hadn't seen Nie Rongzhen during the day waited for him to fall asleep at night, and secretly lay on the window to see if Mr. Nie had changed, just like a rural boy peeping at a newly married bride.From this, one can imagine what kind of intimate relationship the Communist Party's senior officers have with ordinary soldiers.There are also a lot of little ghosts pestering Mr. Nie asking this and that, such as what Yan'an is like, what Chairman Mao looks like, and so on.In their hearts, Yan'an is a sacred place like heaven, and Chairman Mao is a banner of that sacred place. On the third day after returning to Zhangyuan, Nie Rongzhen, who had not left the dust, was preparing to throw himself headlong into the work of the Jinchaji Military Region. The main force of more than 1,000 people launched the Suiyuan Campaign together with the Jinsui troops.Because the situation in Suiyuan was very bad, after Fu Zuoyi captured Guisui, Wuchuan, Taolin (now Koble), Zhuozishan, Fengzhen, and Jining, he captured Xinghe and approached Tianzhen and Chaigoubao. And there is a tendency to attack Zhang Yuan.The central government wanted to get rid of Fu Zuoyi's arrogance, prevent him from advancing eastward, and strive to capture Suiyuan and connect the Jinsui Military Region with the Jinchaji Military Region. After receiving the telegram, Nie Rongzhen couldn't help frowning.He knew it was a daunting task.It takes a period of preparation time to enter Suiyuan to fight, and the autumn and winter outside the Great Wall are short. During the reorganization, grassroots cadres and soldiers did not receive good tactical and technical training. They were more familiar with guerrilla warfare than mobile warfare, and had no experience in fortified battles and coordinated operations with large corps. The troops near Datong with Yan Xishan have a total strength of 97,000, while the total strength of the Jinsui Military Region and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region is only 14 brigades with more than 53,000 troops, which is slightly more than Fu Zuoyi's strength. On, still at a disadvantage... All these made Nie Rongzhen very heavy.However, judging from the national war situation, our army is at a disadvantage.The essence of Mao Zedong's military thinking is to create local advantages in the overall disadvantages, and through continuous creation of local advantages to achieve the goal of defeating the many with the few and defeating the strong with the weak.From the Jinggangshan period to the Long March to the War of Resistance Against Japan, our army fought in accordance with this strategic thinking.Compared with Fu Zuoyi and Yan Xishan, they are now at a disadvantage, but as long as they command properly and seize the opportunity, it is possible for the inferior to win the superior. Thinking of this, Nie Rongzhen made up his mind to resolutely complete the tasks assigned by the central government and achieve the strategic intentions of the central government. Nie Rongzhen, deputy commander Xiao Ke, deputy political commissars Liu Lantao, Luo Ruiqing, and chief of staff Tang Yanjie agreed to deploy the three columns of Jicha, Jijin, and Jizhong to launch the Suiyuan Campaign together with the Jinsui brothers. After a month of preparation, on October 15, Nie Rongzhen led three columns to attack westward. Taking Wenshui County was He Long's first major victory since he led his army to conquer.According to Boss Zhu's words, after winning Wenshui, an outpost in Taiyuan, the next step is to watch a good show in Jinzhong. He Long was in a particularly high spirits that day when he started drinking water.As soon as he entered the city, he yelled to play a game of basketball.When He Long was the commander of the 120th Division, the "combat basketball team" of the 120th Division was famous.Not only is his skill good, but his style of play is also very good.During the tense years of the Anti-Japanese War, those boys in their teens and twenties spent their youth on the battlefield and on the court.Later, Mao Zedong also received the members of the "combat basketball team", praised their fighting spirit, and encouraged them to make persistent efforts. This year, He Long was 49 years old. Seeing the soldiers leaping like dragons and tigers, he felt itchy in his heart.But in the end it still didn't play.I was smoking a cigarette on the side, watching with a smile. After the basketball game, He Long walked around Wenshui County. The county seat is not big, with two streets horizontally and vertically.The hustle and bustle of people shows that the people have already adapted to this war-torn era.In the Shanxi area, the reputation of the Eighth Route Army had been spread among the common people as early as the Anti-Japanese War, so He Long could still see the masses serving tea and water to the soldiers who cleaned the battlefield.People and soldiers get along very well.It's just that the fierce battle has just been fought, and some places in the city are still smoking. Turning a corner, I heard the noise of many children. The crowd said that this is Wenshui Middle School. Because the government was busy with the war, many teachers ran away and couldn’t come to class. The students could only play and laugh on the playground. Playing most of the time. "What is this like?" He Long exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Dolls in their teens don't go to class and play around all day long. What will they do in the future? They will be the masters of the country in the future! If they don't learn knowledge and have no culture, what should they do?" Owner?" When He Long was a child, because his family was poor, he went around to earn a living without going to school for a few years.Although he has been tempered during the revolutionary journey, he knows the importance of learning cultural knowledge at school.He looked at this group of dolls who were ignorant of the world, and a feeling of pity suddenly surged in his heart.If it is said that they did not go to school back then because conditions did not allow it, but what about now?The Japanese devils have surrendered, the history of foreign aggression is over, and the children are still not in school. He Long decided to change Wenshui High School into "Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Sui five-province joint defense army stationed in Shanxi battalion school", and more than 100 students went with the army. The next day, He Long's troops set off for Liulin with this special team. Along the way, He Long walked with the children, telling them revolutionary stories, about beating the Japanese devils, and about beating Chiang Kai-shek.The children were very interested, and He Long seemed to have returned to his childhood. In the next few days, He Long's troops even defeated Liulin, Lishi, and Fenyang counties.Including Taolin, Wuchuan, Qingshuihe, Youyu, Pinglu, Zuoyun, Liangcheng, Shenchi, and Wenshui that were conquered before, a total of more than ten counties were liberated. On September 10th in Fenyang, the "Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiwu-Five-Province Joint Defense Force School in Shanxi" was formally established, and He Long personally served as the principal. At this moment, Yan Xishan was staring at the map.Taiyuan wasn't hot, but beady beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead. Watching county towns disappear from his territory, he felt a crisis was approaching. The 17-year-old Yan Xishan, who speculated on finance, went bankrupt and then speculated on the Revolution of 1911 and prospered, has been the local emperor in Shanxi for 34 years.After the Revolution of 1911, he was publicly elected as the governor of the Shanxi military government, and was commended by Sun Yat-sen, and has since gained political capital.Later, he embraced Yuan and proclaimed himself emperor. After failing, he participated in Duan Qirui's anti-fa protection movement, but failed again.Since then, he has been pursuing the "Three Nos, Two Musts Principle", that is, "not joining the party, not getting involved in foreign affairs, not using troops for personal rights, obeying the orders of the central government, and safeguarding local public security."Until 1924, he repeatedly refused to participate in the melee of warlords, which made Shanxi maintain a peaceful situation for several years. But Yan Xishan, who has always been speculative, failed to guarantee peace in Shanxi, and still participated in the Central Plains War.As a result, he was defeated by Chiang Kai-shek. In February 1932, he accepted the appointment of the Director of Taiyuan Appeasement of the Nationalist Government, and since then he has been in charge of Shanxi under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek.In Shanxi for so many years, he built water conservancy, opened mines, built roads, and set up factories, which gradually improved Shanxi's economy.During the War of Resistance Against Japan, it was also possible to raise the banner of national righteousness. Yan Xishan also developed a set of his own political philosophy, the so-called "philosophy of the middle". Contradictions should be analyzed with the dichotomy method in order to obtain "the non-contradiction of the contradictions", so that the contradictions can be eliminated to reach a moderate level in order to survive. Yan Xishan, who has always been regarded as the emperor of the land, knows the Confucian doctrine of the mean very well.When dealing with Chiang Kai-shek, Yan Xishan was really able to do a job with ease by relying on this set of "philosophy in the middle".Sometimes Chiang Kai-shek hated him so much that he gritted his teeth, but he couldn't help him. Yan Xishan also has an unchanging nature, that is, he is anti-communist.His anti-communist spirit penetrated into his bones.So when Chiang Kai-shek gave an order, he ran non-stop. But now that the anti-communism has just started, He Long has beaten him to the ground. In the Changzhi area to the southeast, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping are even more difficult to deal with. The strength of his 13 divisions is already somewhat overwhelmed. Just as Yan Xishan was being severely beaten by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping in the southeast, and He Long and Li Jingquan in the southwest, a decision being discussed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made Yan Xishan heave a sigh of relief. This decision is to "defend to the south, develop to the north, fully control Recha, and strive for the advantage in the northeast." At a meeting of the Politburo, Liu Shaoqi, one of the core figures in Yan'an, said: "Our policy today is to try to control the two provinces of Re and Cha, and control the Northeast. We must make up our minds, act resolutely, and be willing to lose other places. We must hurry up Take action and take advantage of the opportunity. Controlling Zhangyuan and Shanhaiguan makes it impossible for Jiang's army to enter the northeast by land." But in the northeast, our situation is not very optimistic.Under the pressure of Chiang Kai-shek, the Soviet Union clearly demanded that the CCP troops withdraw from Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, and Hiraizumi, and Lin Biao's war in the Northeast was not very optimistic. When he received a telegram from the central government requesting the main force to go north to launch the Suiyuan Campaign with the Jinchaji troops and attack Fu Zuoyi's troops together, He Long stood up excitedly: "The time has come!" It seems that He Long still can't forget that Fu Zuoyi shot in the back of our army's Suimeng troops who invaded Guisui City.He said that he would wait and see with Fu Zuoyi. He Long drafted an action plan for the Jinsui Field Army at the fastest speed: In order to cooperate with the national strategic action, control Yanbei and most of Suiyuan, open up the connection between Jinsui and Recha, protect the flanks of the Recha base, and strive for It is our urgent task to develop from north to south to establish a more solid position.For this reason, with the approval of the Central Military Commission, the policy of first concentrating the main forces in the north, attacking Fu Zuoyi and Ma Zhanshan's criminal troops, and temporarily taking a defensive position against Yan Xishan's troops. At the same time, the 358th brigade was ordered to quickly go north to Zuoyun and gather on standby. In September, autumn in northern Shanxi is bright and crisp. In the past, this was the battlefield behind enemy lines for the Anti-Japanese War, and the 120th Division commanded by He Long moved to this place.Looking back on the past, He Long suddenly felt emotional. During the Anti-Japanese War, Fu Zuoyi was his ally, and the two of them even commanded their troops to jointly counterattack the Japanese attack.But now, the two are going to meet again, but the relationship has changed.He Long deeply regretted that Fu Zuoyi, a patriotic general, stepped on Chiang Kai-shek's chariot.At this time, Fu Zuoyi was holding a meeting of senior generals in his headquarters.He has already learned that Nie Rongzhen and He Long of the Communist Party are going to jointly launch the Suiyuan Campaign against him. The soldiers were full of energy, singing military songs and striding forward.He Long was sitting in the car, planning the upcoming battle. After half a month of long-distance marching, at the beginning of October, apart from the 2nd Independent Brigade assembled in Shangdu, the 358th Brigade, 1st Independent Brigade, and 3rd Independent Brigade of the Shanxi-Sui Field Army all arrived in Zuoyun and Youyu areas for pre-war preparations. October in Yanbei already feels like winter.The cold wind blowing from Inner Mongolia crossed the Great Wall and hit the entire northern Shanxi plateau.The wheat has been harvested, and the leaves are gradually falling, as if winter is coming.On this day, He Long gathered the team to Zuoyun Chengguan Square to carry out a simple pre-war mobilization. He was wearing a thin jacket, carrying his never put down cigarette pot, walking back and forth among the cadres and soldiers.For a while, he joked with the soldiers and laughed heartily, and then asked the cadres about the situation, and also explained a few words. He Long stepped onto the temporary rostrum, with one hand on his hips and a smoking pot in the other, and began to mobilize. "Comrades! The Japanese devils have been defeated by us. We could have stopped fighting. Everyone can share the land and marry wives, and live a good life. But Chiang Kai-shek refuses to agree, and he still wants to fight. Comrades, we are not even afraid of the Japanese devils, but we are afraid of them." Chiang Kai-shek?" He Long waved his big hand, and the soldiers below answered "not afraid" resounding through the sky. He Long glanced at the excited venue, and continued: "Yes, we are not afraid. Chiang Kai-shek asked Fu Zuoyi to rob us of many places, and the entire Suidong liberated area was robbed by him. That is what we bought with blood and sweat , can we agree?" The soldiers shouted at the top of their voices: "No!" At this time, there was no chill in the venue, and He Long stirred up the hearts of the soldiers with his simple speech. "Yes, we don't agree. Therefore, we will fight Fu Zuoyi here with the Big Brother troops in Jinchaji to take back our lost places." I heard that Fu Zuoyi was beaten here with the big brother troops from Jinchaji. The soldiers all applauded. He Long raised his hands to signal everyone to be quiet, and continued: "In the past we fought guerrilla warfare against the Japanese devils, but now we want to engage in large corps warfare, mobile warfare, and the two major military regions must coordinate operations. Comrades, this is a new problem. We must We need to build a good relationship with the Big Brother army, cooperate with each other, and help each other. Comrades, can you do it?" He Long asked another rhetorical question, pushing the atmosphere of the whole venue to a climax. The brief mobilization encouraged the soldiers, all gearing up and eager to try. While He Long's swearing-in meeting was in full swing, Fu Zuoyi was leaning on the sofa with his eyes closed and meditating. He had already ordered Suidong's troops to be concentrated in Jining, Fengzhen, Zhuozishan, Taolin, Liangcheng, Xintang and Go back to the front line of Sui, and when the troops on the eastern front are assembled, they will take down Zhang Yuan together. Fu Zuoyi is 50 years old and took office as the commander-in-chief of the 11th War Zone of the Kuomintang a few months ago.When accepting the position given to him by Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Kai-shek took him by the hand and said, "Yisheng, with you here, North China can be established." It is conceivable that Chiang Kai-shek placed high hopes on Fu Zuoyi. Fu Zuoyi is indeed a handsome talent of the Kuomintang. When the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was considering launching the Suiyuan Campaign, it took him out and studied it carefully.When Fu Zuoyi was Yan Xishan's subordinate, he led the army to fight Fengjun in Zhuozhou, which fully demonstrated his military ability of attacking and defending well.In the subsequent war of resistance, the battle of Bailing Temple completely demonstrated his prestige.Later, he defended Pingxingguan against the enemy and defended Taiyuan alone, which can be said to be the best.Later, he won the second Blue Sky and White Sun Medal issued by the National Government after Chiang Kai-shek.This honor is the greatest compliment to Fu Zuoyi's patriotism and military talent.Fu Zuoyi was not only good at fighting, but also governing the country. When he was in charge of Suiyuan in 1931, the whole Suiyuan was full of bandits and the law and order were chaotic. He adopted the policy of "immigration, security of the border, development of production, and consolidation of national defense". Finance, dredging canals, and developing agricultural production.In just a few years, the appearance of Suiyuan has changed greatly.By 1937, the social order in Suiyuan Province had basically stabilized, and the economy had recovered to a considerable extent.During the Anti-Japanese War, he rectified the finance and administration while fighting the war, and vigorously developed the Hetao area.Anyone who has been to Hetao back then praised it as another Jiangnan.It can be said that Fu Zuoyi has devoted considerable energy to the construction of Suiyuan, and his feelings for Suiyuan are also inseparable. Fu Zuoyi does not have a deep hatred for the Communist Party, on the contrary, he still has a lot of affection.He actively supported the Communist Party's idea of ​​uniting and resisting Japan, and was a rare anti-Japanese vanguard in the Kuomintang camp. Later, he learned the experience of the Eighth Route Army, and carried out political work vigorously in the army, and cooperated closely with the Communist Party in all aspects. But it is a pity that he stood in the wrong team and was tied to Chiang Kai-shek's chariot and went further and further.At this time, Fu Zuoyi has become a pawn of Chiang Kai-shek against the Communist Party. Fu Zuoyi looked out the window, the sun had already set, and there was a red glow hanging in the western sky, like a ball of blood oozing from the broken sky.Fu Zuoyi knew in his heart that since he had already been involved in the KMT-CPC chess game, he had to make every move that Chiang Kai-shek gave him and defend Suiyuan. At this time, Nie Rongzhen and He Long had also made up their minds to stop Fu Zuoyi's troops from advancing eastward and control Suiyuan.Their deployment is: the three columns of the Jin-Cha-Hebei Field Army attack from east to west, divide the enemies on the outskirts of Jining and Fengzhen, annihilate each of them, and then attack Jining and Fengzhen; After the enemies of Liangcheng, Tiancheng, and Xintang, they swung their troops to the east and cooperated with the Jinchaji Field Army to wipe out the main force of the enemy in Jining and Fengzhen. On October 17, the autumn air was crisp and the sun was shining brightly.The Jinsui troops advanced from south to north, and the Jinchaji troops advanced from east to west.The battle of Suiyuan, which has been planned for a long time, is about to start. Before departure, He Long patted Brigadier Huang Xinting on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "Our army has many veterans and is very brave, but we must be careful not to be proud. We are going to fight in Suidong this time, and we must respect the local party organization , take care of the local troops, this point must be made clear to the troops. For the troops in Jinchaji, we must take the initiative to unite. Fighting is an overall action. Without the cooperation and support of friendly and neighboring troops, how can we fight well? What about battle?" After speaking, he jumped on the horse, crossed the ruins of the Great Wall, and set off with a mighty team. The ancient Great Wall, which has experienced thousands of years of ups and downs, has once again witnessed the majesty of the soldiers' expedition. On the 19th, He Long led his troops to capture Liangcheng and Tiancheng, and on the 20th, he captured Xintang. On the 22nd, Nie Rongzhen led two columns to attack Jining, and the 35th Army and 101st Division of the Kuomintang stationed in Jining hurriedly called for help from Fu Zuoyi. Fu Zuoyi's face changed drastically. His plan to attack Zhang Yuan was not realized, and he was first attacked by Nie Rongzhen and He Long. Fu Zuoyi paced back and forth in the headquarters with his hands behind his back. His cooperation with the Eighth Route Army during the Anti-Japanese War made him the essence of Mao Zedong's combat principle of "concentrating superior forces and annihilating the enemy one by one". He turned his back suddenly and shouted loudly: "Command!" The confidential secretary stood at attention with a "snap", and quickly wrote: the 5th Cavalry Division was withdrawn from Xintang to Liusumu, the newly formed 32nd Division was withdrawn from Fengzhen and Hongshaba to Fushengzhuang and Sandaoying, and the 67th Army The military headquarters, the secret service battalion and the newly formed 26th division were withdrawn from the front line of Jining and Guancun to the Zhuozishan area for emergency repairs. Fu Zuoyi shrank his troops to the vicinity of Guisui and organized defense. He Long's headquarters was set up in a remote mountain village. He was smoking his pipe while staring at Mount Zhuozi on the map. Zhuozi Mountain is located 75 kilometers east of Guisui, with a relatively high terrain.The Pingsui Railway runs through it, connecting Jining and Zhangyuan in the east, Guisui and Baotou in the west; the highway reaches Taolin in the north and Liangcheng in the south.It can be called the transportation hub of Suidong and the barrier of Guisui.Nie Rongzhen's tribe in Jinchaji was blocked by Zhuo Zishan in the Xinghe and Tianzhen areas and was unable to move westward. "Take it!" He Long shouted in his heart. He immediately went on to deploy: the independent 1st brigade left a regiment west of Liangcheng to contain the Kuomintang army near Guisui. The main force of the brigade, the 358th brigade, and the independent 3rd brigade all went north. Zhuo Zishan Kuomintang Army. After giving the order in one breath, He Long felt hot all over. This is the first battle to go to Suiyuan, not only involves morale, but also related to the next strategic trend, must be victorious! On the 24th, there were still 6 hours before the general offensive, He Long couldn't sit still, facing the autumn wind, he strode towards the 358th Brigade's position. At this time, the striker of Huang Xinting's 358 brigade had already exchanged fire with the enemy.Sporadic shells kept falling on the positions of the various regiments of the 358th Brigade. At this time, He Long appeared on the battlefield. He was smoking a pipe, wearing jackets, with a spring breeze on his face, as if nothing had happened. Huang Xinting's eyes widened: "Boss! This is the forward position! Go back quickly." On weekdays, He Long gave Huang Xinting orders. Today, Huang Xinting gave He Long orders. "Are you afraid?" He Long had a pleasant smile, ducking his waist to avoid a shell that had just exploded, "Your defenses are well done, and the shells can't hit them." Huang Xinting stomped his feet anxiously, and quickly sent his guards to protect He Long. He Long walked and watched, turned his head and asked Huang Xinting, "Are you all ready?" "Ready." Huang Xinting took out the battle map that had been marked a long time ago, spread it out in front of He Long and gestured to answer, "After the general offensive began, the 8th Regiment attacked eastward from Liusumu, occupied the northern highlands and divided the western part of Zhuozi Mountain. The enemy. The 716th Regiment attacked from the south of Zhuozi Mountain to the street. A battalion of the 715th Regiment attacked from the Zhuozi Mountain to the north highland. After achieving the goal, Zhuozishan can be surrounded." He Long nodded and said it was good, and then turned around the position of the 358th Brigade. At dusk, the general offensive began. The soldiers of the 358th brigade had already suffocated.Hearing the order, they jumped out, and each squad and combat team relied on the cover of night to advance deep into the enemy. When they got close to the position, the soldiers showed their bayonets, giving full play to the advantages of the Eighth Route Army in close combat and night combat.All I could hear were shouts of killing and howling from the opposite position. In the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, the 358th and 359th Brigades are the most capable of fighting tough battles. After the 359th Brigade went south in 1944, only the 358th Brigade stayed with He Long. In the two years of 1943 and 1944, He Long conducted two large-scale mass military trainings. Officers taught soldiers, soldiers taught soldiers, military instructors, and the battle of Zhuo Zishan was the embodiment of the results of the large-scale military training. After the 358th Brigade tore apart the enemy's line of defense, the Independent 1st Brigade and the 3rd Independent Brigade followed closely. The 2nd Independent Brigade went south from Shangdu and surrounded Zhuozi Mountain tightly. He Wending, commander of the 67th Army of the Kuomintang Army, was pale and kept calling for help from Fu Zuoyi. Fu Zuoyi was also in a state of desperation. He knew Zhuo Zishan's weight in his entire defense system, and immediately ordered the 101st division from Jining to quickly reinforce. The newly organized 32nd Division of the Kuomintang Army was alone on a small soil bag waiting for help. At this time, He Wending saw that the situation was over, wiped his face with mud, and fled with the guards. As dawn came, Zhuo Zishan's gunshots gradually faded away.The Kuomintang soldiers with their hands up bowed their heads and formed a long line on the top of the mountain. He Long was leading the soldiers to count the spoils of war happily.The 101st Division, which received Fu Zuoyi's order to rush to help, arrived at the Zhuozishan area before dawn, and was about to launch an offensive. He Long stayed in the west of Liangcheng and waited for a long time. The grenades of the 1st Brigade and 2nd Regiment of our army were like raindrops call. The 101st Division suddenly became a mess, and the bandit soldiers were too busy to take care of themselves, let alone reinforce Zhuo Zishan. After Fu Zuoyi heard the news, he collapsed on the sofa and waved his hand: "Get out!" Under the attack of our army, the enemy 101 retreated hastily. He Long stomped his feet anxiously on Zhuozi Mountain when he heard the report of the 101st Division retreating.But there was nothing that could be done. After the 2nd Brigade of our army received the order, Xu Guangda led the troops day and night.Helpless, Zhuo Zishan's battle developed too fast, and the 2nd Brigade had not arrived when the battle ended. He Long was extremely regretful that the 101st Division slipped away from under his nose, and during the escort, he let Zhang Shizhi, the lieutenant general commander of the enemy's newly formed 32nd Division, escape, which made He Long silent for a long time. But in any case, winning the strategic point of Zhuozi Mountain opened the door for the Jinsui Field Army and the Jinchaji Field Army to jointly attack Baotou and Suiyuan. Fu Zuoyi, who had lost Zhuo Zishan, was furious in the headquarters, and sent an urgent telegram to investigate and rectify He Wending's escape. At this time, in the conference room of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China in Yan'an, Mao Zedong and others were chatting and laughing around He Long's victory. Zhu De raised the victory telegram sent by He Long: "Chairman, Boss He is most worried about your safety when you go to negotiate. He took down Zhuo Zishan in one go to show you a victory return!" "Where is there! He is offering a gift to the new democratic China that is about to be established!" Mao Zedong waved his hand, raising the topic to a political level, and then said: "Comrade He Long said that the battle of Zhuo Zishan fully embodies the essence of the great military training. The result. I think it's right." "That's right. During the big military training, He Long even used the name of our Boss Zhu. The fighters who shoot well are named 'Zhu De Shooter'." Peng Dehuai also interjected enthusiastically. Zhu De smiled: "There is also Boss He himself. The 50-meter-throwing bomb is the 'He Long Bomber', and the assassination also has the 'Gaogang Assassin'." "When he did this, all the cadres and soldiers became interested. He was tired and bitter, and he forgot all about it." Peng Dehuai said. ... While the leaders of the Military Commission were discussing enthusiastically, He Longzheng and Nie Rongzhen celebrated the victory of the armies of the two regions in Zhuozi Mountain. Longshengzhuang was the place where the two bosses agreed to meet. When Nie Rongzhen arrived, He Long, who had arrived first, rushed out to greet him. It's only been a few months since they separated in Yan'an, and they never expected to meet again here and now. Nie Rongzhen and He Long hugged each other and smiled heartily. The troops of the two districts rested in Zhuozi Mountain for two days, played a friendly basketball game, and held a bonfire party, which was very enjoyable. The Shanxi-Sui troops of our army won the victory and took Zhuozishan, a strategic stronghold, in one fell swoop, which made the Military Commission quickly optimistic about the situation of the Suiyuan Campaign.按照军委的意图，如果傅作义固守归绥，则主力西进，先攻下包头、五原、固阳，然后主力东进，围攻归绥。也就是说，军委定的调子是先主力西进，然后再东进。 对于中央军委的意图，聂荣臻、贺龙、李井泉在地图上研究了很久。 傅作义不愧是个军事帅才。贺聂咄咄逼人的攻势，目的一目了然，就是要控制平绥路（北平到归绥铁路），守卫张垣，切断其军队去东北的通道。所以在他看来，打退贺聂的进攻即是胜利。 傅作义在司令部里和部将仔细研究双方优劣势后决定以守为攻，外围阵地用一触即溃的办法，把兵力收缩在一起，坚壁清野着力固守大城市。 “傅作义这一招厉害着呢！”贺龙在司令部踱着步子。 聂荣臻端着警卫员给他专门打的一壶烈酒，饶有滋味地喝着，良久才开口说道：“归绥城里的守敌都是被我们打进去的，可以说惊魂未定，立足未稳。归绥还是不能够放弃。贺老总，我看这样吧。我们集中一部分力量打归绥，同时派一部分力量去打包头，让敌人两头不能兼顾。” 军委虽然电令绥远战役由聂荣臻主要负责指挥，但贺龙打仗也是出了名的，在一些重大行动上，当然还要征求贺龙的意见。贺龙抽着烟，紧锁眉头，同意了聂荣臻的意见。 聂荣臻、贺龙站在沙盘前把归绥城防看了又看。归绥分新老两城，新城是傅作义主政绥远后一手建设起来的。其防御工事早在抗日时期就已修筑到位，城墙外围有壕沟，壕沟里面有地雷，壕沟外面又有铁丝网。一层一层，层层相扣。在城周围的各个高地和山坡上，到处都是明碉暗堡，开起火来那炮弹会像下雨一样散落下来。另外，城内储备了足够的粮食，支撑傅作义6个师2.4万兵力一年半载是不成问题的。 如果说攻下卓资山等于打开了绥远的大门，那么归绥就等于是大门里面的一座宝殿。无论石级有多高，都是要登上去的。不然，把大门打开便没有了多大意义。 对归绥一战，傅作义已经押了注：只能胜，不能败。如果归绥不保，他傅作义在绥远的处境就会很难了。 贺聂对归绥、包头的进攻几乎是同时开始的。 枪炮一响，归绥城坚固的城防优势就显现出来了。归绥后山居高临下的那一张火力网不说，就是傅作义精心构筑的那道壕沟就无法突破。野战军把所有的火力都发挥出来，但对归绥城仍构不成任何有决定意义的打击。虽然我军从四面进攻，有大军压境的气势，但只扫除了归绥外围的一些据点。 此时，我军围攻包头的情况也差不多。包头也是一座军事重镇，是黄河河套的重要门户。日本占领期间，就在城外东北角地势较高的禹王庙修筑了钢筋水泥的碉堡，能用火力控制城东、北两面。我军王尚荣指挥的独1旅、骑兵旅及晋察冀骑兵2团就是在禹王庙火力控制下受阻的，伤亡严重。有一次我军虽然突到城里去了，但因为禹王庙敌军火力太猛，我军后续部队跟不上，只能又撤出城外。 敌包头城防司令何文鼎在司令部得知我军攻击受阻，不免有些洋洋得意。 但傅作义还是放心不下。毕竟我野战军兵力占优势，并且打仗勇猛得很。傅作义连忙向南京请求援兵，蒋介石也知道绥远的重要，连夜致电马鸿逵，要求派骑兵增援包头。11月中旬，马鸿逵的骑兵师已经到达临河。骑兵，这个中世纪战争的产物，在那时仍然发挥着巨大的作用。速度快，机动性强，打一枪就走，撵都撵不上。 归绥、包头双双形成僵持局面，使贺聂会师卓资山以来的痛快心情一扫而光。两区野战军鞍马劳顿，天气又渐渐转寒，这样僵持下去，如果让傅作义逮住机会，来一个全面反扑，那后果不堪设想。 贺龙的意见是放弃归绥，集中全力攻打包头，然后再由西向东。实际上贺龙在一开始就是主张全力西取包头的。11月11日，我军黄新廷率358旅两个团一阵风似的赶到了包头增援王尚荣。 “这仗根本没法打。”一见到黄新廷，王尚荣就吐起了苦水，指着禹王庙说：“你看，那小土包全是碉堡。我们冲进去过一次，火力把城墙缺口一封，根本没法跟进。” 黄新廷没说什么，拉起王尚荣说：“走，先看地形去。东、北不行，我们就看看西、南如何。” 南城有一条河，但不宽，并且差不多已干涸；西城没有什么掩体，只是城墙工事牢固一些。 两旅长决定，主力从西南面突击，另派两支小部队在东北和西北佯攻，钳制敌火力。 战斗打响了。担负主攻的我军独1旅2团和358旅715团首先隐蔽穿插，担负佯攻的独1旅8团和358旅714团猛烈进攻。何文鼎令禹王庙火力堵住我军8团和714团，我军2团和715团伺机发起了进攻。西南守敌措手不及，来不及还手，2团和715团尖刀营已经攻入城内。 但傅作义事先令何文鼎在城内抢修了很多迷宫似的巷战工事，野战军一入城，敌人就亮起明晃晃的刺刀打起了巷战，这一招是野战军事先没有想到的。 这场巷战足可以称为一场最原始的战争。两个活生生的人，拿着刺刀就往对方身上捅，你一刀，我一刀，像是事先安排好的。刺刀杀丢了，就展开徒手战斗，用手，用脚，用嘴，只要是能用上的都用上了。 因为地形不熟悉，我军处处被动，几个时辰下来，包头西南城角，敌我双方已是血流成河。 子弹打光了，力气用完了，再战斗下去，伤亡将更多，王尚荣、黄新廷无奈下令全线撤退。 贺龙从两把菜刀闹革命开始就没有服过输，此时，贺龙一个人在指挥所里思考了很长时间。如果放弃包头，前功尽弃，将无法实现中央的战略意图；如果继续攻打包头，把握又似乎不大；如果不打也不撤，天气渐渐寒冷，围而不打也并非上策。 望着窗外瑟瑟秋风中飘零的落叶，贺龙这员身经百战的战将也陷入了左右两难之中。最后，他找到聂荣臻，下定决心准备率全部晋绥野战军向包头进发，在此情况下，背水一战似乎是上策。 此时的聂荣臻也在思考同一个问题：打还是撤。 11月16日，军委来电。令聂荣臻率晋察冀部队西进包头。 接到电报，聂荣臻皱起了眉头。他把自己的想法和理由，如实地反馈给了中央军委： 如果晋察冀部队主力西进，围城部队即转为劣势，而敌人必然乘机反击，全部战局有恶化的危险。如果以全部主力西进，去夺取五原、临河、陕坝，这样，就分为归绥、包头、河套三个战场，相距400多公里，势必兵力分散，三处力量皆弱，难以相互策应。绥远地区并非根据地，没有巩固的后方补给线，粮食、弹药无法迅速前运，伤员后送也是个大问题…… 一口气写了这么多，等着军委裁决吧！ 这封电报中央军委研究了好几次。军委领导们已经感觉到了绥远战役的难度，但在全国一盘棋上，军委还是主张贺聂一起西进包头。但最后又附带一句：我们不了解情况，请贺聂机动处理。 经过军委指示和贺聂权衡后，贺龙、李井泉率晋绥部队主力西进包头，聂荣臻率晋察冀部队继续围困归绥。 11月底的内蒙古已寒风刺骨，滴水成冰。包头城的防御，比以前进一步加强了。何文鼎作好了一切准备，等着贺龙来攻城。此时的贺龙胆囊炎发作，躺在担架上咳嗽不止。但他决心最后一试。成功，就能达成中央的战略意图；受阻，就马上撤出。 12月2日晚，包头城寒冷异常。贺龙发布了进攻命令。 呼啸的北风，刺眼的火网，坚固的城墙，注定了这又是一场没有结果的进攻。 那场攻城战斗中的悲壮场面，几十年后贺龙仍然记忆犹新。 就在贺龙攻打包头的同一时刻，蒋介石调集重兵准备袭击张垣。 12月12日，中央下达绥远战役结束令，贺聂撤出归绥、包头。