Chapter 29 "I didn't get Zhu De, I got Xiao Ke"

The Southern Hunan Special Committee of the Communist Party of China disagreed with Zhu De's correct opinion that the troops should withdraw eastward and move closer to Jinggangshan.Because in their minds, there is no concept of the regime in the middle of the Luo Xiao Mountains, but only one Shonan.It is believed that the development prospect of southern Hunan is greater than that of Jinggangshan.Therefore, not only the troops from the southern Shonan uprising were not allowed to go to Chingkang Mountain, but even the troops from Chingkang Mountain were allowed to come from southern Shonan.

This is not groundless. In early March 1928, when the Southern Shonen Uprising was at its climax, the Special Committee of the Communist Party of China's Southern Shonen sent Zhou Lu, Minister of Propaganda, to Jinggangshan.The mission of Zhou Lu to go up the mountain was very clear: to convey the order of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, asking Mao Zedong to lead his troops to advance into southern Hunan and attack Rucheng, so as to connect with the five counties of Yi, Chen, Lei, Yong, and Zi and establish a political power in southern Hunan. In order to enable the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army in Jinggangshan to resolutely implement the instructions of the Provincial Party Committee, Zhou Lu also announced the abolition of the Front Enemy Committee on the grounds that "the action was too right" and "ineffective in burning and killing", which was tantamount to the removal of the former Party Secretary Mao Zedong.Even announced the expulsion of Mao Zedong's party membership.

In desperation, Mao Zedong had no choice but to leave some armed forces to stick to Jinggangshan, and led the main force to march to southern Hunan. They set off from Ningkang on March 12, conquered Ling County on March 14, and arrived at Zhongcun on the border between East Guangxi and Zixing on March 18. They stopped their advance there and took a rest while closely watching the movement of the uprising troops in southern Hunan. In late March, upon hearing that the Shonan Uprising encountered great difficulties, Mao Zedong sent Mao Zetan to lead a special agent company to Chenzhou to contact Zhu De's troops.

Mao Zetan led the spies to southern Hunan overnight, and got in touch with Chen Yi and Zhu De in Chenzhou and Leiyang.He informed Chen Yi and Zhu De that Mao Zedong had entered Ling County and planned to respond to the riots in southern Hunan, and at the same time learned about Zhu and Chen's next action plan. A few days later, Mao Zetan led the team back to Zhongcun, Ling County, and reported the situation of the trip to southern Shonen to Mao Zedong, who was leading his troops to stand by for cameras here. Mao Zetan said: "In Chenzhou, we met Chen Yi, who was the secretary of the CPC Chenxian County Committee. From him, we learned about the unfavorable situation of the riots in southern Hunan. Chen Yi told me that he was about to lead his troops out of Chenzhou. The head of the committee, Xi Kesi and Zhou Lu, disagreed to leave Shonan, but Chen Yi had made up his mind: 'Even if the heavenly king Lao Tzu gets in the way, I have to withdraw from Shonan!'”

After Mao Zedong heard his younger brother's words, he hurriedly interrupted and said excitedly: "Yes, Chen Yi has a backbone. Then what happened next?" Mao Zetan went on to say: "Three days later, we went to Leiyang again, and only after seeing Zhu De did we realize that the situation there was also very serious." "What's Zhu De's idea?" Mao Zedong asked again. "He said he planned to move to the Hunan-Jiangxi border." "Wow!" Mao Zedong said happily, "What does he ask of us?" Mao Zetan told his brother: "Zhu De said that if Mao Zedong could send troops from Zixing and Rucheng to block the Guangdong enemy, he and Chen Yi would be much better off."

Hearing that Zhu De's troops were attacked by the enemy from north to south in southern Hunan, Mao Zedong was very anxious. He immediately called a meeting of the cadres of the two regiments and pointed out that it was extremely important to send troops to assist Zhu De and Chen Yi's troops. , He Tingying, and Zhang Ziqing led the first regiment as the left wing, inserted into Guidong and Rucheng, blocked the enemy who came from northern Guangdong to pursue them, and covered the transfer of Zhu De's troops to Jinggangshan; Yuan Wencai, Wang Zuo, and He Changgong led the second regiment as the right wing, Advance in the direction of Zixing and Chenxian, and the camera prevents the enemy from chasing the peasant army in the counties in southern Hunan.

At this time, Mao Zedong was suffering from a bad cold and had a very bad cough. Everyone advised him to rest on the spot, but he refused no matter what, saying: "If I don't go to such a big event, I won't regret it for the rest of my life!" On March 29, Zhu De officially issued an order to move eastward to the First Division of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army and the peasant armies in various counties.Thus, a great strategic shift to Jinggangshan began. Zhu De and Chen Yi are divided into two groups, each other's horns.Zhu De led the main force of the First Division of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army to start from Leiyang, and planned to go to Ling County via Anren and Chaling; direction to move.

Mao Zedong personally led the first regiment of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army to march towards Guidong and Rucheng. On March 30, we arrived at Shatianwei in East Guizhou.Here, he helped to organize the Red Guards of Guidong County, and mobilized the masses to carry out the land division campaign.After staying for 7 days, Mao Zedong led his troops south to Rucheng. On April 6, more than a thousand people led by He Qilang, the head of the "Xuanfu Mission" in Rucheng, who attempted to block it, were defeated in Hanling on the border of Rucheng in Guangxi (East) in one fell swoop. On April 8, they captured Rucheng County and defeated the two platoons of Hu Fengzhang's bandits who were attacking the uprising troops in southern Hunan from northern Guangdong. On April 9, Mao Zedong saw that the purpose of going south to Guidong and Rucheng to support Zhu De's troops had basically been achieved. In order to avoid the enemy's edge, Mao Zedong led his troops to withdraw from Rucheng and prepared to return to Jinggangshan. On April 10, they entered Longxi Cave in Zixing County from Tianzhuang.

After days of fighting, the cadres and soldiers of the army are extremely tired.Mao Zedong and Zhang Ziqing decided to let everyone rest here for a few days before leaving.For the sake of safety, Chen Yi'an, the deputy battalion commander of the first regiment and first battalion, led a company of troops, went south to Longxi Cave, and searched and guarded in all directions. Soon, Chen Yi'an returned to the station and brought back an armed force from the southern Shonan uprising.That was the Yizhang Independent Camp led by Xiao Ke and others. Xiao Ke, a general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army after the founding of New China, served as the company commander and instructor of the "Iron Army" during the Northern Expedition. After participating in the failure of the August 1st Nanchang Uprising, he returned to his hometown Jiahe to continue the revolutionary struggle.When news spread that Zhu De and Chen Yi launched the Yizhang riot, he immediately rushed to Yizhang Huangsha District, participated in leading the Shi peasant riot in Huangsha District, and formed a peasant armed force with 600 people and more than 400 spears—— Yizhang was an independent battalion and served as deputy battalion commander.Under the leadership of the Party branch of the Communist Party of China, he was active in the Huangsha District in the southwest of Yizhang and the Mangshan area near the border of Guangdong.After the transfer of Zhu and Chen's troops, the enemy cut off the Yiheng Avenue, and the independent battalion lost contact with its superiors.

Xiao Ke and others led their troops to retreat into Qitianling surrounded by mountains, and persisted in the struggle for a week.From the information obtained, it was known that Yizhang, Leiyang, Chenxian and other places were all in the hands of the enemy. It was estimated that Zhu De's troops and the Yizhang County Party Committee had already moved eastward, so they decided to withdraw the team also to the east.They traveled day and night, avoided the enemy's sentry posts and the search of the militia, crossed the Chenyi Avenue, which was tightly blocked by the enemy, and arrived at Longxi Cave, Zixing County in mid-April, where they happened to meet Mao Zedong sent out to patrol. Chen Yianlian.

When Xiao Ke and others were led by Chen Yi'an to meet Mao Zedong on a small street with several shops in the village, the correspondent of the division headquarters shouted: "The Yizhang Independent Camp is here!" Many welcoming crowds came out from both sides of the shop.Xiao Ke hurriedly asked: "Where is Committee Member Mao?" A comrade pointed to a tall and smiling Red Army leader and said to Xiao Ke: "This is it." Mao Zedong strode over and took the initiative to shake hands with Xiao Ke and others, and said with a smile: "Don't call me Committee Member Mao, just call me Lao Mao!" This is the long-known Mao Zedong! Xiao Ke was so excited that he couldn't speak for a moment. Mao Zedong greeted Xiao Ke and others to sit down in the room, and kindly asked about the situation of the Yizhang Independent Camp. Seeing that Mao Zedong was so approachable, Xiao Ke's restraint was completely gone, and he briefly introduced the experience of the independent camp to Mao Zedong. After listening to Xiao Ke's report, Mao Zedong appreciated the arduous struggle of the Yizhang Independence Camp. He took Xiao Ke's hand and said happily: "Wow! I didn't receive Zhu De, but I received Xiao Ke!" His words made everyone burst into laughter. At the request of Mao Zedong, Xiao Ke and others led a team to follow Mao Zedong to continue to cover the transfer of Zhu and Chen's troops to Jinggangshan. In this way, the Yizhang Independent Battalion became the first Hunan uprising force to join Mao Zedong's troops.