Chapter 5 Into Sichuan

After Manchuanguan broke through, the Fourth Red Army left behind the chasing enemy.Before the Battle of Manchuanguan, the enemy troops in Yanghucheng, Shaanxi Province did not know how powerful the Red Army was. After Chiang Kai-shek's severe reprimand, he mobilized his troops to follow the Red Army without stopping. Liu Maoen followed from the west of Zhangjiazhuang, arrived at Luoyu Street on the 17th, passed through Zhulinguan and Longjuzhai, went west along Shangluo Avenue, and arrived near Shang County on the 21st.On the 15th, the southern part of Hu Zong went from Manchuan Pass through Songshuping, Qingliangsi, Shanyang County, Cuijiazhuang, and Shilipu, and arrived at the Longtan-Liuling Street line on the 20th.Fan Shisheng's troops stayed in Yunxi, Hubei to prevent the Red Army from retreating.On the 19th, the Wumian Division of the Shaanxi Army rushed from Longjuzhai along Shanglan Avenue to Lantian County to encircle the Red Army.Zhang Ziqiang's Department of the Shaanxi Army deployed its defenses from Shanyang to the west.The Xiao Zhichu Department of the Forty-Fourth Division followed directly behind the Fourth Red Army, all the way to the southeast of Shang County.Among these troops, Hu Zongnan, the Central Army of the Kuomintang, ran the fastest. Hu Zongnan drove straight into Shanyang County along the road, hoping to stop the Red Army there.

The Red Fourth Front Army originally planned to build a base area on the Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi border. On November 13, they called the Central Committee: The objective reason for the failure to break through the siege in the war zone this time was the unbalanced development of the revolution... The elite of our fourth front army was heroic and generous.There are still 30,000 guerrillas in the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Chi areas, and they will surely be able to struggle and grow under difficult conditions.The Red Fourth Front Army has now reached the Hubei-Henan-Shanxi border, and it should aim to unite the Red Area and the Red Army in western Hunan-Hupei, the Hubei-Henan border, and the Shaanxi-Gansu border to form a consolidated Red Area and Red Army in the upper reaches of the Xiangjiang River.

However, the enemy's relentless pursuit forced the Fourth Red Army to give up the idea of ​​establishing a base here, and then headed westward, and the specific direction of the westward journey was unknown to everyone. It is fighting and doing, the current priority is to get rid of the enemy's pursuit and interception.After passing Manchuan Pass, the troops passed through a place called Yehuling, followed a narrow mountain path, crossed the mountain and entered Shanyang County in Shaanxi.However, Hu Zong took the main road in the south and arrived there ahead of time to meet our army.Finding that the enemy was heavily attacking, the troops quickly turned to the north, and the enemy's heavy troops continued to gather around, and all the main roads, passes and towns were controlled and occupied.The Fourth Red Army moved north and west in the mountains of the Qinling Mountains, and finally seized the Zhulin Pass, the dangerous pass out of the mountain.

Zhulinguan is located in the upper reaches of the Danjiang River and is a pass from the Qinling Mountains to the Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi.The enemy here is the two regiments of Zhang Ziqiang's Brigade of the Shaanxi Army, and the 35th and 36th regiments of the 12th Red Division attacked the enemy troops stationed.Zhang Ziqiang's troops were very knowledgeable, and they withdrew from Zhulin Pass without desperate resistance.The terrain of Zhulin Pass is dangerous, and the exit passage is a plank road built in an unknown age.The plank road on the cliff is volleyed in the air, and tens of meters below are full of rushing rivers and rocky beaches.The Fourth Front Army of the Red Army took the 33rd Regiment of the 11th Division of the Red Army as the vanguard. Under the leadership of the regiment leader Cheng Shicai, they passed the border first.Immediately afterwards, a team of more than 20,000 people lined up on the plank road.Due to the age, many planks of the plank road have decayed, and the feet rattled when stepped on.Tens of thousands of people passed by, people walked and horses stepped on, and many boards broke and fell down, forming a series of traps.Marching at night, I couldn't see them. Some soldiers and horses fell down and died on the river beach under the cliff.In order to reduce the load on the plank road, the headquarters had to order to reduce the equipment and reluctantly throw away some artillery and heavy equipment.After passing Zhulin Pass, Jingshang County, and crossing the Qinling Mountains, on November 27, the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army entered Guanzhong and approached the ancient city of Xi'an.

Xi'an is the political, economic and cultural center of the enemy's Northwest. The Red Army suddenly appeared at the gate of Xi'an, and Chiang Kai-shek and Yang Hucheng were terrified.Yang Hucheng urgently dispatched the 38th Army's Sun Weiru Division to stop the attack in Wangqu and Ziwu Townships, and the enemies who followed were Hu Zongnan's 1st Division, Xiao Zhichu's 44th Division, Liu Maoen's 35th Division, and Fan Shisheng's 51st Division Waiting to swarm.The Second Division and the Forty-Second Division of the Jiang Army rushed westward along the Longhai Road. The enemy's intention was to cast a large encirclement net in the Guanzhong area of ​​​​Shaanxi to encircle and wipe out the Red Fourth Front Army.Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao judged that the enemy in front of them, Yang Hucheng's Sun Weiru's troops, was weaker, and decided to concentrate their efforts on attacking it. On November 29, the 73rd Division and the 11th Division of the Red Army launched an attack on Sun Weiru's troops. The 33rd Regiment of the 11th Division, as the forward of the whole army, fought fiercely in Wangqu and Ziwu Towns for two days, annihilating two regiments in one fell swoop. More than a thousand people were captured and a large amount of supplies were seized.This is the first time since the Red Army marched westward that it has formed an organizational system to eliminate the enemy. It has also replenished food, ammunition and some winter clothes for the Red Fourth Front Army, which has not received any supplements for more than a month.Yang Hucheng and Sun Weiru were terrified in Wang Qu's first battle, but before the Red Army could take a breath, Jiang Jun came behind him.

On November 27, when the Red Fourth Front Army was struggling to fight, they received a reply from the Central Committee to their telegram on November 13.Chen Geng, who was injured in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaign in the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Soviet areas, had secretly gone to Shanghai to recuperate. He reported to the Party Central Committee in Shanghai the military and political situation in the Hubei, Henan, and Anhui base areas.At this time, the Central Committee still hoped that the Fourth Red Army would stay along the Yangtze River and the Ping-Han Railway, threatening the big cities of the Kuomintang, and did not want them to break away from the heartland of China to the west.The central government replied to Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, and Chen Changhao, hoping that they would establish a new base here:

After listening to Comrade Chen Geng's report, we believe that: ... (2) The task now is to have the Fourth Red Army establish new base areas on the borders of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi, mobilize the revolutionary struggles of the local masses, organize and supplement the main force of the Red Army, and expand the Red Army as much as possible so as to prepare for a counterattack against the enemy and continue to march westward. Shaan with long-term action is not appropriate. (3) It is of great significance to quickly get in touch with the Second Army of the Red Army and respond to its actions, especially in the preparation period for counterattacking the enemy.

(4) Help lead the Hubei-Henan border area, restore the Hubei-Henan border Soviet area, and launch guerrilla warfare in these areas... (5) After the main force of the Red Army has recuperated, rested and replenished, it should return to the direction of development, causing constant threats to Xiang, Fan and Wuhan. Therefore, it is very necessary to establish close contact with the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Soviet areas. The intention of the Central Committee is to hope that the Red Fourth Front Army will not leave the central area, but in the current situation, tens of thousands of enemy troops are trailing behind the Red Fourth Front Army. It is simply impossible.The law of war is to survive and destroy the enemy, the two are interdependent, but when there is no hope of destroying the enemy, the first thing to do is to survive.After analysis and judgment, Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, and Chen Changhao decided that the troops first need to break through the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" and find a relatively stable environment before making a decision.

On December 1, the Red Fourth Front Army continued to advance westward from Huxian County.Before going far, in a place called Danlu Village, the Red Tenth and Red Twelfth Divisions serving as rearguards were ambushed by two enemy brigades. The enemy's four divisions also surrounded the tenth and twelve divisions from the east and north.The 73rd and 11th divisions of the Red Army, which had already moved forward, each had a regiment. After hearing the news, they turned around and attacked the enemy back and forth.The next day, the troops went west and were attacked by enemy cavalry at Xinkouzi, forty miles away from Zhouzhi County.

On December 2, Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to all ministries: Since the bandits fled south, our army should get rid of the evil once and for all in order to avoid resurgence. The following regulations are hereby dealt with: (1) The two brigades of Yang Qutong and Wang Zhiyuan followed up urgently, and all Hanzhong troops rushed to Foping to intercept them; (2) The first division went through Mei County - Dasanguan Xiangfeng County - Liuba to suppress, targeting Hanzhong; (3) The 65th Division advances rapidly from the current site to Foping-Huayang, aiming at Yangxian-Xixiang; (4) The 44th Division advances rapidly from the present site through Ningshan, aiming at Shiquan-Zhenba;

(5) The various ministries stationed in Longnan gathered in Huixian County-Langdang blockade and suppression; (6) The Duan Xiangwu Brigade blocked and suppressed from Tianshui to Lueyang; (7) Wu hopes that the division commanders will encourage the soldiers to act as quickly as possible to annihilate the bandits, so as not to fail. It was near the end of the year, the sky was cold and the ground was icy and snowy. Not only did the Red Army walk on the ice and lie on the snow, but also the enemy pursuers who followed the Red Army like shadows complained endlessly.Despite Chiang Kai-shek's repeated telegrams, some of the chasing enemies were full of complaints. Xiao Zhichu of the 44th Division chased them all the way from Hubei, Henan and Anhui.Xiao Zhichu, the commander of the 44th Division, called Chiang Kai-shek directly and asked for a few days of leniency: After receiving the order, I should follow it and go out immediately. However, due to the recent severe cold and ice and snow on the road, our officers and soldiers still wear single clothes, barefoot and naked, and die of illness every day. , pursued from the rear, there is no time, the officers and soldiers froze to death, let alone count, and the cotton clothes of our division have all been transported from Huo, and they can arrive at the defense in ten days, so please send the above situation to Commander-in-Chief Jiang for request A little longer, to be supplemented. Chiang Kai-shek didn't wait to be a bit more lenient. After receiving Xiao Zhichu's telegram, Chiang Kai-shek replied: The teacher worked tirelessly, chased for more than a month, endured hunger and cold, and prepared for hardships. In addition to thinking about it, I hope to comfort him, but the bandits are eager to flee far away, fearing that they will disappear in a moment, and they will be out of reach. It is necessary to sharpen the soldiers and follow them bravely, so as not to fall short and cause endless disasters. Under Chiang Kai-shek's strict order, although Xiao Zhichu of the 44th Division of the enemy was unwilling, he had to obey the order and continue to follow the Red Army.Xiao Zhichu's military diary wrote: The troops of this division started to dispatch from Mei County on the 13th, and entered Ziwu Valley on the 14th and marched south.In the middle of winter, the roads were covered with snow, the mountain roads were steep and icy, and it was difficult to walk.Moreover, there are few people and few villages along the way, and there are still many camps at the stops. The officers and soldiers cannot bear the extreme cold. The enemy is suffering, and there is still hope for replenishment. Our army has left the base area and has no food, clothing, or supplements. If things go on like this, the stability and combat effectiveness of the troops will become problems.Considering the difficulties faced by continuing westward, combined with the central government's opinion that "going westward into Shaanxi and long-term operations are inappropriate", as a last resort, on December 3, the troops set off from Xinkouzi, crossed the Qinling Mountains and went south, passing Laojunling, Xiafo Ping, Duduhe, and Huangbaiyuan marched hard for several days and nights in the mountains of the Qinling Mountains, and finally arrived at Xiaohekou Town, Chenggu County, Shaanxi Province, at the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains on December 7.Arrived here, temporarily got rid of the enemy's siege and interception.After more than two months of fighting thousands of miles away, the troops finally had a chance to breathe.This is the first time the Red Army has entered a market town to rest after leaving Hubei, Henan and Anhui.Xu Shiyou, then head of the Red Thirty-Fourth Regiment, recalled: "During the poverty-stricken military career, being able to sleep peacefully in the house and having a meal with one's stomach free is a great enjoyment in life. and the greatest satisfaction." Since leaving the Hubei, Henan, and Anhui Soviet Areas, the troops have traveled thousands of miles, fought day and night, had no base to rely on, no support from the masses, had to eat and sleep in the open, and could not deal with the wounded and sick. In order not to affect the operations of the troops, they had to reluctantly entrust some of the wounded and sick to the local villagers.There is no grassroots party organization in the local area, and no one knows the future of these wounded and sick.What happened to the wounded and sick had a great impact on the mood of the troops. Leaving the base area in September, the soldiers wore thin summer clothes. Now it is severe winter. The temperature in the mountains has dropped to several degrees below zero, and everywhere is covered with ice and snow. Everyone in the large army of more than 10,000 people is shivering with cold, and the troops are seriously injured.All these difficulties converged into one question: Where is the troops going?If you continue to act aimlessly like this, the combat effectiveness of the troops will be greatly reduced.Suspicion and dissatisfaction began to spread in the army. Zhang Guotao was the secretary of the Central Branch Bureau, chairman of the Military Commission, and the main decision-maker for the direction of the troops.Since the breakout of the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Soviet areas, the Central Sub-bureau has not held a meeting to discuss the direction of action of the troops.What is the next step?Cadres, especially senior cadres, are worried about this.Where are the troops going?Fighting everywhere like this, without establishing a base, the troops will be dragged down sooner or later.Regarding these issues, Zhang Guotao, as the main person in charge, has never told the troops, especially the senior cadres above the division level.Combined with Zhang Guotao’s previous patriarchal style in Hubei, Henan and Anhui where one person had the final say and did not listen to everyone’s opinions, the main generals of the Fourth Front Army Zeng Zhongsheng, Kuang Jixun, Yu Dusan, Zhang Qinqiu, Zhu Guang and others had great opinions on this, and some cadres even It is planned to go to Shanghai to find the central government to report the situation.These opinions were reflected to Zhang Guotao through Chen Changhao. Under pressure, he immediately held a meeting, explained to everyone the reasons for the lack of ventilation, notified the central government's opinions on the actions of the troops, analyzed the current situation, and expressed acceptance of everyone's opinions.In order to strengthen collective leadership, the Central Sub-bureau and the Military Commission decided to rename the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Revolutionary Military Commission as the "Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission".The Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission is the highest military leadership organ, with Chairman Zhang Guotao, Vice Chairman Xu Xiangqian, Political Commissar Chen Changhao, Chief of Staff Zeng Zhongsheng, Director of the General Political Department Zhang Qinqiu, and under it is the General Command of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army (also known as the "Northwest Revolutionary Military Commission Headquarters") ”), the General Political Department, the General Staff Department, the Secretariat, the Pengyang Military and Political School, the Manager’s Office, and the Military Hospital. At the same time, a “Front Enemy Committee” was established to collectively discuss and make decisions on major issues. The Xiaohekou meeting was an important meeting held since the Fourth Red Army marched westward.The most important achievement of the meeting was to communicate and stabilize the thoughts and emotions of the senior cadres of the Fourth Front Army, ease the contradictions, and reach a basic consensus on the next course of action of the troops: it was decided that the troops should stop blindly advancing westward and create a new army in the Hanzhong area of ​​southern Shaanxi. Revolutionary base.At the same time, unify thinking and criticize Zhang Guotao's paternalistic style. It is worth noting that Zhang Guotao was deeply concerned about the criticisms and opinions put forward by Zeng Zhongsheng, Kuang Jixun, Zhang Qinqiu and others. "And other unwarranted charges, secretly killed. "Suppression of Rebels" was a terrifying political movement during that period. Since 1931, the "Suppression of Rebellions" movement was successively launched under various names from the Central Soviet Area to the Hubei, Henan and Anhui Soviet Areas, the Western Hunan and Hubei Soviet Areas, and the Western Fujian Soviet Area. Gradually expand, causing serious consequences.In the initial stage of the construction and development of the Red Army and the base areas, the sabotage and infiltration by enemy agents were indeed very serious. The impurity in the revolutionary ranks is also an objective fact. It is necessary to eliminate the enemy agents and saboteurs who have mixed into the revolutionary camp. Capital punishment is also an objective need.However, under the guidance and impetus of the ultra-left trend of thought, and under the slogan of blindly pursuing 100% "Bolshevism" regardless of objective reality and pursuing "pure and pure" proletarianization, the "elimination of counter-revolutionaries" movement was expanded without limit to In every corner of the Soviet area, a few words and phrases were spread infinitely, and reactionary organizations with various names such as the "reorganization faction" and the "AB regiment" were fabricated one after another, and then they arrested people randomly, and finally made a fool of themselves, turning a deer into a horse, extorting confessions by torture, Indiscriminate killing of innocent people. The expansion of the "elimination of counter-revolutionaries" has caused a large number of loyal communists and revolutionaries to fall under the guns of their own people. This is no longer a mistake but a crime. Objectively speaking, the "Eradication of Counter-Revolutionaries" movement has its complex historical environment and theoretical basis. There is a direct relationship between the immaturity of the child and the blind impulse caused by the pursuit of purity. The "Eradication of Rebels" movement is an extremely serious, painful, and unavoidable issue in the history of Chinese revolution, and it is a major topic in the study of the history of the Communist Party of China, the history of the military, and the history of revolution.It needs to be pointed out that in the process of expanding the "elimination of counter-revolutionaries", some people are influenced or poisoned by extreme leftist thoughts, political immaturity, childishness, rigid thinking, and dogma, which lead to suspicion of everything in thought and violent and indiscriminate killing in action , This is an unavoidable phenomenon during the growth of our party in a certain period; there are also some people who have both the aforementioned factors and personal quality problems, are narrow-minded, and only respect themselves. Remove political opponents.Judging from the facts that have been disclosed and understood, Zhang Guotao should bear the main responsibility for the expansion of the suppression of counter-revolutionaries in the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Sichuan-Shanxi base areas. With regard to the expansion of the "suppression of counter-revolutionaries", the central government has drawn historical conclusions, and I do not intend to discuss them in this book. After the Xiaohekou meeting, the troops stopped going west and turned south, preparing to establish bases in Hanzhong, Xixiang and other places. On December 9, the Red Tenth Division, as the vanguard, defeated the Northwest Army's blockade by Zhao Shoushan at Xujiamiao and Shengxian Village at the exit of the Qinling Mountains, and the whole army entered Hanzhong. The troops wanted to settle in Hanzhong, but when they got there, they realized that Hanzhong was narrow, with the Qinling Mountains on its back and the Han River in front. If the enemy blocked the roads at both ends, the troops would have no room to maneuver.What's more serious is that when the Red Army came, there was a disaster here, and the common people had nothing to eat. What should the troops of more than 10,000 people eat?It is severe winter, how to solve the winter clothes of more than 10,000 people?It seems that Hanzhong is not an ideal base.Zhang Guotao, Chen Changhao, Xu Xiangqian and others were worried about this.After repeated research, it is believed that Xixiang, Zhenba, Shiquan, Ziyang, Ankang and other places in the north of Daba Mountain have large mountains and dense forests, a large room for maneuver, and the enemy's ruling power is weak. Under the current situation, it is more suitable to settle down.Finally, it was decided to cross the Han River in the south and drive there. The Han River originated in Ningqiang, Shaanxi (now Ningqiang). The Han River near Chenggu still belongs to the upstream source. The river here is not wide, and the river is only one or two meters deep, but the water is fast.The troops of more than 10,000 people couldn't find the tools to cross the river for a while, and the bridge building could not be completed in a short time.Chenggu County is only twenty miles away from here, and Yang Hucheng's Northwest Army is stationed in the county.In order to ensure the safety of the entire army, Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao decided that the entire army would cross the Han River at night. According to the information provided by the local party organization in southern Shaanxi, the place to cross the river was Liulinpu, about 20 miles away from Chenggu. On the night of December 10, the whole army arrived at Liulinpu Ferry on the Hanjiang River.The selection of the crossing point was also quite troublesome. Several groups of people sent out successively came back to report that the water was too deep and the crossing was difficult.Seeing the dark troops waiting to cross the bank, Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao were very anxious. They brought some scouts to the riverside.Since it was winter, many people in the army did not know how to swim, so they stood on the shore and were anxious.Chen Changhao said to Xu Xiangqian, let me try.Regardless of the dissuasion of the guards, he took a wooden stick and strode into the cold water. He went into the water to test the depth himself, but he walked over smoothly. The deepest part of the water was only up to his chest.He shouted to the soldiers on the shore: "The water is not deep, you can wade through it." The actions of the chief of the front army inspired all officers and soldiers, and more than 10,000 people began to wade into the water.In the winter of the Han River, the water is icy cold, and when you step into the water with your bare feet, it hurts like a knife. When you walk in the middle of the river, your whole body is numb from the cold, and your feet only know how to swing mechanically.In addition to the wounded and sick, more than 10,000 people in the army, from the leaders of the headquarters to the ordinary soldiers, all entered the water barefoot.Xu Xiangqian still remembers crossing the river this time: When crossing the Han River, you have to race against time, so choose the night.There are very few ships, and most of our army needs to cross.We sent people to look at the terrain and came back and said: The water is too deep to pass.So, Chen Changhao and I rode scouts to the river to conduct another survey.Because it was the dry season, the water was not strong, chest deep at most, and we crossed the river on horseback.After choosing the location, our army crossed the river at night.Except for the sick and wounded and women who were transported by boats and horses, all the rest, from the leaders of the headquarters to the servants, all crossed.When they came to the river, the commanders and fighters jumped into the water one after another and rushed to the opposite bank until they reached the Shangyuanguan area.There I counted the number of men, and there were fourteen thousand and four hundred men in the whole army. The Red Army's crossing of the river this time also received strong support from local party organizations in southern Shaanxi.Yu Hongyuan, a veteran of the Red Fourth Front Army and former chairman of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Government, recalled: The leaders of the Red Fourth Front Army headquarters decided to cross the river from Liulinpu between Hanzhong and Chenggu.The riverbed of the Han River is deep and the water is fast-flowing. There are no bridges or boats at the three nearby ferry crossings (the ships along the river were all stolen by the enemy), and the only way to cross the river is to wade.At the time of the "March 9th" winter, the Chenggu Taohuadian Party Branch immediately organized hundreds of party members and masses who were familiar with the ferry and water, braved the severe cold and danger, served as guides for the Red Army, led and escorted the Red Army to cross the Han River.The water in the river course is deep and shallow, where it can be crossed and where it cannot be crossed, and whether there are enemies in the crossing, the comrades of the underground party are very clear, and they provided a lot of information, which played an important role in the smooth crossing of the troops. After crossing the Han River, the Red Army arrived at Zhongjiagou and Shangyuanguan in Xixiang. Hu Zongnan, who was chasing after him, was left far away in Guanzhong. Except for a very small number of enemy troops stationed in Nanzheng, there were no enemy troops in other places.After two months of arduous battles in the Western Expedition, the Red Army was in a situation where there was no enemy blocking and chasing for the first time. There were also party organizations and guerrilla activities in this area of ​​southern Shaanxi. Soon after the Red Army arrived, the underground party in southern Shaanxi quickly sent people to contact them. The Red Army also provided part of the guerrillas with equipment to help them establish local power.But looking at the overall situation, the situation in southern Shaanxi is not as good as originally imagined. Although there are no large groups of enemy troops stationed here, the local bandits are rampant. Dozens and hundreds of people gather in the mountains and forests to rob houses, kidnap people, kill people, and kill people. The activities of the people, coupled with years of drought, the food is extremely scarce, and the people are generally hungry.Now that the Red Army has a large team of more than 10,000 people stationed here, the bandits have been scared away, but food is still a big problem, and the conditions for establishing a base here are not met.Not here, where will the troops go next?Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao and others were extremely anxious. One of the biggest problems for the troops to fight thousands of miles away is the lack of information, the enemy's situation is unclear, and they don't understand the surrounding situation. The information on the deployment of the enemy's troops that they finally obtained is also vague, and sometimes some information is contradictory.When discussing the whereabouts of the troops, several leaders suggested that it would be great if they could get some newspapers to read.The headquarters of the Fourth Front Army immediately arranged to send scouts to search around. After knowing the needs of the troops, in December 1932, the underground party in southern Shaanxi sent several newspapers and maps of Sichuan in the Kuomintang-ruled areas. Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao and others felt like treasures.Newspapers reported the "internal strife" among various factions of warlords in Sichuan. The Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang led the big and small warlords and was fighting with another warlord Liu Wenhui.The melee between warlords led to social turmoil in Sichuan, and ordinary people suffered terribly.Song Kanfu, the former director of the Radio Station of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army recalled in "Days and Nights of Radio Work": "In mid-December, we went out of the Qinling Mountains and crossed the Han River to Yangxian County. From newspapers and enemy broadcasts, we learned that the warlords in Sichuan were fighting in a scuffle, so we thought of going to northern Sichuan to establish a base." Sichuan has good geographical conditions, rich products, mild climate, fertile land, high mountains and dense forests, and steep terrain, which is suitable for our army to establish a base.More importantly, due to the separatist rule of the Sichuan warlords, it was difficult for Chiang Kai-shek's forces to enter Sichuan, and the warlords melee created opportunities for the Red Army.The local people were deeply oppressed by landlords and warlords, and they were the main force that the Red Army relied on and mobilized.There is only Daba Mountain between Sichuan and southern Shaanxi. Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao and other main leaders of the headquarters decided to go to Sichuan and open up a new world in Sichuan. On December 15, 1932, the headquarters of the front army held a meeting of cadres above the entire army in Zhongjiagou.At the meeting, Xu Xiangqian made a report on the military situation, and Chen Changhao made a mobilization to enter Sichuan.After Chen Changhao reported to everyone the development of the Chinese revolution, Sichuan's political, military, public sentiment, enemy situation, terrain, etc., he announced on behalf of the headquarters of the front army that the headquarters had decided that the entire army of the fourth front army of the Red Army would immediately cross Daba Mountain and march into Sichuan, occupying the Tongjiang, Nanjiang, and Bazhong areas opened up new revolutionary bases in northern Sichuan.Chen Changhao demanded that the entire army should attach great importance to the construction of base areas. When the troops conquer a village, they must help establish the village Soviet regime; if they conquer a township, they must help establish the township Soviet regime; Until the construction of provincial Soviet power.We must elect the poorest and most revolutionary people to serve as the chairpersons of the Soviet regime at all levels through elections by the poor. Only in this way can we establish a solid revolutionary regime. Our goal is to redefine the whole of Sichuan and eventually establish the Chinese Soviet Republic.Chen Changhao, who studied in the Soviet Union, is both civil and military, and also extremely eloquent.Through his report, the action direction of the troops was officially clarified, and the commanders and fighters of the whole army suddenly saw a bright future, which greatly relieved the depression after leaving the base area.Xu Shiyou recalled in "Liberating Tongnanba": In the early morning of December 15, 1932, the air was fresh after the first fog after the snow, and a round of fiery red sun burst out, casting thousands of miles of golden brilliance on the frozen land of Hanzhong.Political commissar Xiong Guoqi and I set off from Duduhe privately and went to Zhongjiagou to attend the meeting of cadres above the regiment level held by the headquarters. ...When I walked into the venue, the comrades living nearby had already arrived first.This was the first meeting of cadres above the regiment level since the Western Expedition, so we were very concerned about the content of the meeting, but we asked several comrades, but none of them could explain clearly. I just found a place to sit down, and the meeting started before I finished a bag of cigarettes.The leading comrades of the Front Army first summarized the situation since the Western Expedition, praised our 34th Regiment and other combat meritorious units, and then announced the decision to march into northern Sichuan. This news caused a great shock in the venue. Since leaving Hubei, Henan and Anhui, the battles have been frequent and their whereabouts erratic. The majority of commanders and fighters are eager to end this passive situation of fighting without grounds.After arriving in southern Shaanxi, our army was warmly welcomed by the local party organizations and the general public, and everyone felt a joyful mood of "returning a wanderer".Now that the bench is not warm, it is too unexpected to go to climb the snow mountain again. However, after listening to the explanations given by the leading comrades of the Front Army, we felt suddenly enlightened and enlightened.Adjacent to the Bashan Mountains in the south and the Qinling Mountains in the north, the Hanzhong area is not only the political and economic center of southern Shaanxi, but also the hub leading to Sichuan and the Northwest. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times.Zhuge Liang in the book has already told us this bit of knowledge.Now, I heard from the leaders of the front army that the terrain in northern Sichuan is more dangerous than that in southern Shaanxi, with richer specialties and a wider maneuvering area; moreover, there are many warlords in Sichuan, who are currently fighting in western Sichuan, and the defense in northern Sichuan is very empty. Chance.Since there are such good favorable conditions, why not do it!After heated discussions, everyone unanimously agreed: immediately climb over Daba Mountain and occupy the Tongjiang, Nanjiang, and Bazhong areas. From Hanzhong to Sichuan, you have to cross Daba Mountain.The Daba Mountain is steep and the roads are difficult. Many places are full of cliffs and there is no road at all. What's more, it is winter now, and the Daba Mountain is covered with ice and snow. According to the local people, there are only a few people who collect herbs and Hunters dare to cross Daba Mountain, but no one has ever crossed it in the middle of winter. A large army of more than 10,000 people marched in the severe winter, and the roads were unfamiliar, so the danger can be imagined.According to the deployment of the headquarters, the 217th Regiment of the 73rd Division of the Red Army was the advance force for the whole army to enter Sichuan, and the task of exploring the way fell on the 73rd Division.Zhang Guangcai, the commander of the 73rd Division of the Red Army, sent Liu Zicai, the commander of the reconnaissance company, to lead several scouts into the hinterland of Bashan to understand the enemy's situation, scout the road, and look for local people familiar with the terrain to serve as guides for the troops.Liu Zicai learned about a famous local hunter here: Xiong Guobing. Xiong Guobing was born in 1898 in a poor peasant family in Xiongjiawan, Zhuyu Township, Tongjiang (now Wanyuan, Sichuan).When he was ten years old, because his family was poor and unable to provide for him, Xiong Guobing's father adopted Xiong Guobing to his fellow villager Xiong Bangjie in Jiaojiaping as his son.Xiong Bangjie has no children, he is a medical practitioner, and his family background is slightly wider. The couple regards Xiong Guobing as their own.In the second year after the adoptive family, Xiong Guobing was sent to a local private school to study. After two years of private school, Xiong Guobing knew a little about writing and ink, and could write and settle accounts.At the age of sixteen, his parents decided, Xiong Guobing married a peasant girl named Zhao, and they had two boys.Xiong Bangjie and his wife died in middle age. In order to snatch Xiong Bangjie's real estate, the local family members drove Xiong Guobing and his family away, and Xiong Guobing and his family had to return to Xiongjiawan.In his hometown, there was no land and no ridge. Xiong Guobing could only make a living by doing short-term labor and carrying sliding poles for others. However, no matter how hard and tiring he was, he could not support his family. Xiong Guobing simply went to the mountains to hunt.The Daba Mountain at the junction of Sichuan and Shaanxi is high in mountains and densely forested, and wild animals are infested in the mountains. Xiong Guobing has been with the wild animals in the mountains all day long. After several years, his footprints are almost all over Bashan.Whenever there is a local market, he trades the prey he hunted through mountains and rivers and the mountain products he picked for some grain and salt to maintain his family's life. After learning about Xiong Guobing's life experience, Liu Zicai believed that he was someone he could rely on, so he contacted Xiong Guobing in the name of a fur dealer, and revealed his identity, so that Xiong Guobing used hunting as a cover to go back and forth to scout the Sichuan-Shaanxi Passage and surrounding enemy situations.Xiong Guobing had heard about the Communist Party and the Red Army long ago, and knew that the KMT officers and local tyrants and evil gentry were afraid of the Red Army. Hearing what Liu Zicai said, he immediately said flatly: The Red Army is for our poor, and I am willing to lead the way for the Red Army.He also took the initiative to introduce to Liu Zicai the route of crossing Bashan Mountain and the local social conditions.After understanding the situation, Liu Zicai led Xiong Guobing back to Zhongjiagou and reported to Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao and other military and political leaders.The chiefs were very satisfied with what Xiong Guobing had said, and asked him to lead the way for the Red Army, and encouraged him to join the Red Army.