Chapter 7 Chapter VII The Great Officials of Frontiers

If we say that Li Mi, a vigorous anti-Japanese soldier, is recorded, then the Li Mi I met again ten years later is an unlucky general who has gone downhill.The same Li Mi, in the bloody battle of Songshan, personally led the charge and fought dozens of battles with Japanese invaders.But after he became famous in one fell swoop, became proud in the officialdom, became a high-ranking commander of the Kuomintang Corps, was pampered and popular, and became Chiang Kai-shek's most valued general, all this changed.I noticed the fact that after the Songshan battle, Li Mi had no chance of winning since then. He never won a decent battle again, and of course he no longer led the assault team to charge. The Corps was buried on the battlefield.No wonder the old man was so disappointed in him that he was sent to Taiwan to sit on the bench.

In fact, Li Mi also has grievances to hide.As an individual, how much can you do in the face of the general trend of history?Doesn't he want to win the battle?Does he not know how to fight?For example, the famous German Marshal Rommel, who won many victories in the North African battlefield, lost in the end because he could not fight?Not working hard?Was the Japanese army unable to stop the Allied attack because the imperial army was not loyal enough to the emperor?Many years later, Li Mi lived in seclusion in Dapinglin, Taipei. He lamented to his old visiting friends: It is going to rain, and my mother is going to get married. This is the general trend.I understand that this is the complex voice of an old general who has experienced complete failure.What's more, Taiwan is a small place, and there are so many dignitaries and dignitaries. He is a native of Yunnan, born as a commoner, and he has no royal relatives to back him, and he is not a native of Zhejiang. The army is thrown in Myanmar.

After Li Mi sat on the bench in Taiwan for more than half a year, an inconspicuous news in the newspaper changed his fate again.This news was quoted from overseas reports, saying that a national army unit defeated the superior Burmese government army in the mountains of Myanmar, which caused a shock in Yangon, and so on.The key point is that this news attracted the attention of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, and then Chiang Kai-shek quickly summoned Li Mi.It is said that the old man got very angry and scolded Li Mi, "Mother Xipi! Why did you throw such a fighting force in Burma?"

At a time when the situation in Asia was complex and changeable, the Korean War broke out, and the U.S. military immediately dispatched troops to the Korean Peninsula. Immediately afterwards, Beijing made a tough response that stunned the world by announcing the formation of the Chinese People’s Volunteers to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea.World War III is imminent.The Americans saw the potential value of Burma, while Chiang Kai-shek saw the dawn of hope rising from the triangular area in Burma, and planted a sharp knife in the back of the Communist Party. Isn't this the best opportunity to counterattack the mainland?

Li Mi, who had been scolded a lot, was finally comforted.Chiang Kai-shek personally appointed him two titles, one is "Commander-in-Chief of the Yunnan People's Anti-Communist National Salvation Army" and the other is "Chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Government and Director of the Yunnan Appeasement Office", which means he combines military and political power in one person.He was ordered to return to Burma immediately to gather his troops and establish a forward position to counterattack the mainland. Half a month later, on a rainy day, a middle-aged man wearing a black top hat and a suit boarded a passenger ship bound for Hong Kong. He drove lightly and tried not to draw attention from others.He will go to the Golden Triangle via Hong Kong and Bangkok, and his final destination is Mengsa.He is Li Mi, Lieutenant General of the Kuomintang Army.At this time, Li Mi has a heavy responsibility. He finally wants to bid farewell to Taiwan's cold yamen and cold benches, and go to a distant war zone to command the troops again.

In ancient times, this kind of commander-in-chief in charge of the Guanfang Great Seal was called the Great Official of the Borderlands. 2 If I hadn’t seen it myself, I would never have believed it. The famous Mengsa in the Golden Triangle is such a dusty, dirty town.People come and go on the street, there are row upon row of shops, there are many ox carts and horse-drawn carts, and there are also many businesses. There are also brothels and casinos, but there is absolutely no bustling city scene, like a noisy market in the mainland of China.Occasional cars pass by, kicking up persistent clouds of dust.

Qian Dayu explained: Due to the war, Mengsa Town has been turned into ruins many times, and the remnants of the heyday of the remnants of the Kuomintang are hard to find.For example, his grandfather's chieftain's mansion, such as the headquarters of the remnant army, the arsenal, the former site of the anti-communist and anti-Russian military university, etc., have all been destroyed in the flames of war.I looked at the disorganized city of Mengsa half-heartedly. I believe that this land has endured too many changes and sufferings, but this is by no means a reason for it to stand still.

In Mengsa, drug use is a semi-public behavior. I saw people lying down smoking opium, and some people secretly asked me if I wanted "Number Four" (heroin)?Therefore, I believe that the drug cartels must be very active.Qian Dayu warned me that this place is not comparable to your China, and the crimes are very serious. You must not go out casually, especially at night. I said is there any scenery to see at night?Qian Dayu grinned, showing a few big yellow teeth.He said that night is the time for men to have fun, whoring, gambling, and taking drugs. Do you want to try it?I said there is also robbery and murder?He replied yes, especially for outsiders, maybe someone is eyeing your wallet, maybe someone thinks you are acting suspiciously and is a spy of the government, then you may pay the greatest price.

I became more and more interested. I said that prostitutes and gambling should be exempted. I want to try drug use.Qian Dayu was taken aback, and he shouted: If you want to play with women, you can bet on your luck, why do you want to touch that thing?I have made up my mind, I said you take me there at night, forget about "No. 4", I heard that it is very powerful and addictive once you touch it, may I try a few mouthfuls of opium? To put it bluntly, he reluctantly agreed to my plea. After dark, he changed me into a Shan ethnic costume. I thought my appearance must be ridiculous, neither fish nor fowl. Fortunately, it was night, so others could not see my distress clearly.

We quietly came to a bamboo building outside the city. This is an underground smoke den, and the owner knew Qian Dayu.I saw other people in the room, they were not talking, they were lying and smoking side by side.Those smoking utensils are very similar to the bongs I saw with the mother-in-law next door when I was a child, only they are bigger and the pipes are thicker. They use iron brazing to stir up the crackling bubbles, put them on the smoke lamp to roast, and then burn them while smoking. Suck. I was dizzy after only smoking half a puff, and I didn't feel any pleasure. I just felt that I couldn't control myself, and I felt flustered and wanted to vomit.This is the first time in my life to experience how our ancestors were poisoned by opium. I think it tastes similar to that of northern Mohe smoke, which is very strong and strong, but the strength comes faster, dizziness is severe, and people suddenly lose weight. I was knocked down and couldn't stand up.I lay on the mat and thought pessimistically, I couldn't do it anymore, I was overwhelmed by drugs in an instant.If I become a heavy smoker, how will I complete this Golden Triangle work in the future?

Those people saw that I didn't look like a smoker, and looked at me suspiciously. I could also feel that their eyes were threatening and unfriendly.Qian Dayu hurriedly said something to them in Shan dialect, I guess it was to explain my identity, and then those people lay down and blew their own cigarettes in peace.I lay down for at least half an hour, supported by Qian Dayu like a drunk, and staggered towards the residence.When the cold wind in the mountain area blew, I felt sick, so I squatted on the ground and vomited, pouring out everything in my stomach. Then we heard footsteps behind us, and I could hear someone walking quickly towards us, and I instinctively realized that it was not a good person.I just yelled "Someone!" Qian Dayu quickly moved to the side of the road, took out a pistol, and yelled something at the person who came. The people who came were a few men dressed in local clothes. I could see that they were indeed desperadoes. Some were holding sticks in their hands, and some were carrying long knives. They seemed to want to rob.My heart sank, if they rushed forward together, Qian Dayu would be outnumbered.Unexpectedly, when Qian Dayu yelled at them in the local Shan language, the group of people turned around and ran away in a panic without saying a word, like a beaten dog. I was very surprised and asked Qian Daewoo, what exactly did you say to them?Qian Dayu said lightly, nothing, I warned them with slang words.What nonsense did I say?Qian Dayu took a look at me and said, don't get to the bottom of it, okay?Regardless of the white or the black, there are always rules.In the Golden Triangle, the rules are the law, and everyone must abide by them.I was a little terrified when I heard it, and I said suspiciously: Hey, friend, what on earth are you doing?He smiled and replied, what do I have to do with you?Come on dude, you hurry up and do your interview and stay out of trouble. I feel more and more that Qian Daewoo is a mysterious figure.This night I smoked opium for the first time, and I was frightened again, which made my nerves very excited. Many hallucinations appeared in my mind, and I couldn't sleep well all night. 3 After many inquiries, we accidentally learned that there was an old man surnamed Wu in Shitou Mountain outside Mengsa City, who was actually Li Mi's deputy chief (one said he was the chief of staff)! The old man lives in a Han village in Stone Mountain, which is actually a refugee village.The financial situation of his family does not look very good. The wooden house is dilapidated and the iron tiles are also rusty.It is a miracle that the old man is eighty years old, yet he is neither blind nor deaf.I wonder if it is the reason for returning to nature, thanks to the natural ecological environment with fresh air in the Golden Triangle? The old man is from Yuxi, Yunnan. He doesn't talk much, and basically asks and answers. Of course, he is lucky that he didn't refuse the interview, so I prepared enough patience to deal with him.He said that he was not some kind of deputy chief or chief of staff. That was rumored outside. He was just an insignificant staff member beside Chairman Li. Staff!According to the current fashion, it is a think tank, that is to say, he has more inside information than the officers who carry out specific orders.I said excitedly that Li Mi has been in charge of the Golden Triangle for two years. May I ask Mr. Wu, have you been advising Li Mi all the time? The old man replied: I can't say it is a suggestion. Chairman Li has a lot of staff, there are dozens of people. You can't tell whose ideas he will listen to. I said, did you participate in planning the counterattack against Yunnan? The old man suddenly gave me a vigilant look, and he said slowly, "I didn't go to fight the Communist Party. It was Taiwan's order to counterattack Yunnan. I will go back to the mainland in the future. Don't cut off my escape route." I hastened to assure him: I will not directly report your words.I need to know the historical truth, nothing personal, I assure you.Besides, fifty years have passed since those things happened, and the mainland has already reformed and opened up. I believe no one will care about it anymore. Only then did he feel a little relieved.I said that during the counterattack against Yunnan, why did Li Mi not set up troops?Was he dismissed from Taiwan because of this? The old man shook his head and said: This matter is complicated when you talk about it, and it won't be clear in a while.If you want to commit a crime in the officialdom, why do you have no reason to worry? I said when will you quit the Kuomintang army? He blinked and said, it was about... the fall of the forty-second year of the Republic of China (1953). I said why don't you go to Taiwan? He replied angrily: Chairman Li is under house arrest in Taiwan, what am I going to do there? A few days later, in another refugee village called Mantang, I had the honor to interview General Li Chongwen, another witness and witness to the historical events of that year.General Li's home is also simple, with a bungalow with a tin roof and a somewhat damp dirt floor. Like all locals, he also enshrines a Guanyin Bodhisattva in his living room.As soon as he opened his mouth, I knew he was from Yunnan, and he was from the west of Yunnan, because I was an educated youth in that area.Sure enough, he introduced himself as a native of Lincang, Yunnan. He joined the army at the age of eighteen and graduated from the infantry department of the Sixteenth Division of the Fifth Branch of the Whampoa Military Academy.At the age of 27, he served as the chief of staff of the colonel's division. At the age of 29, he was defeated in Guangxi and fled to Hong Kong with refugees.After meeting Li Mi, he was persuaded to go to the Golden Triangle to organize a team to counterattack the mainland. In the famous counterattack against Yunnan in 1951, Li Chongwen served as the commander of the 13th column and once set foot on the red land of Lincang, Yunnan, his hometown. Of course, the return home was destined to be short and failed.He experienced and participated in all major events and battles that took place in the Golden Triangle during Li Mi's era, until the remnants of the Kuomintang withdrew from Taiwan. Li Chongwen was pessimistic about internal struggles and the future, so he chose to disarm and live in seclusion. Lived here for nearly half a century.General Li set foot on the red land of his hometown again after the reform and opening up of the mainland. He returned to his hometown as an overseas Chinese to pay respects to his relatives.General Li did not become a foreigner, and he always insisted that he was a Chinese. Seventy-nine-year-old General Li is not tall, with white hair all over his head. He is neither deaf nor blind. He still stands upright like a soldier. His sons and daughters have settled in Taiwan and the United States.I asked him why he didn't go to Taiwan or America?He replied that he was old, and he was still quiet in the mountains. I asked the old man a haunting question: It is said that Chiang Kai-shek suspected Li Mi of rebellion and put him under house arrest in Taiwan. Did Li Mi really have this intention? General Li sighed: Chairman Li is doomed.If he wanted to rebel, according to his prestige and strength in the Golden Triangle at that time, Taiwan would be beyond his reach.But even if he has this rebellious bone, will the generals below dare?Liu Yuanlin, Li Guohui, and most of the column commanders probably wouldn't go with him. I said, is it an excuse made by Taiwan? General Li shook his head and said: Not all of them.Most of them are caused by Americans.You are young and don't know how many bad things Americans have done. You are really afraid that the world will not be chaotic. I was dumbfounded again.In my later interviews, I heard more than once these former Kuomintang generals deeply expose the Americans. Their hatred for American imperialism is far greater than that of the new generation in the mainland, so I think this is probably a historical truth. Therefore, it is necessary to restore the historical truth and remind us of the ugly nature of imperialism. General Li is an open-minded and enlightened old man. He not only answered my questions with his own experiences and memories, but also let me visit some treasured historical photos.I almost held my breath, because I saw a group of real historical pictures, a group of living soldiers came to me from the battlefield filled with gunpowder, and walked into the historical volume of a mainland writer fifty years later... 4 (Li Mi, who came from Taiwan, met Li Guohui, Tan Zhong and others, ordered them to hand over their command, and then went to Bangkok to remotely control the revival troops in the Golden Triangle. Li Guohui has since faded out of the historical stage, and Li Mi has begun to monopolize power.) 5 (In the month when the Anti-Communist National Salvation Army was established, the headquarters received a coded instruction from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense: "The President ordered your department to counterattack Yunnan with all its strength, first to capture one or several places, so that the communist army cannot see each other. Then take advantage of the opportunity to occupy Kunming and recover Yunnan and even the southwestern provinces. The counterattack plan should be telegraphed to the Ministry of Defense as soon as possible..." Yunyun . In March, a counterattack code-named "Torch" kicked off. )