History has its own life, it is like a person, both easy-going and self-respecting. ——Yu Qiuyu
In the Zhengzhou Martyrs' Cemetery Square under the cover of cangsong cypress, the Monument Pavilion of General Peng Xuefeng, born in Zhenping County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, is solemnly erected here.
Peng Xuefeng devoted himself to the revolution for 20 years, was born into death, fought in the southern expedition to the north, was wise and courageous, and made outstanding military achievements, and was praised by Chairman Mao and Zhu Laozong as "a good example for communists." However, on the eve of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Peng Xuefeng, then commander and political commissar of the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army, was unfortunately shot and killed. Upon hearing the news of his sacrifice, Chairman Mao silently burst into tears: "The little Balizhuang actually damaged one of my generals!" ”
01 Zhi captured the bandit leader Huang Jichang
In eastern Henan at the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japan, bandits rose up everywhere, or a gang of 3 people, or a group of 5 people, burning and looting, and doing no evil. There are also a large number of bandits of thousands of people, who occupy the land and claim the kingship, do not fight the Japanese, and harm the masses. People hated them to the bone and called them "Miscellaneous Eights".
As soon as Peng Xuefeng arrived in eastern Henan, out of consideration for the overall situation of the anti-Japanese resistance, he paid attention to the work of dividing and disintegrating these bandits' "miscellaneous eight teams." Those who are intimidated by the might of our army, take the initiative to surrender to the good faith and have the will to resist Japan can join our army after education; those who sabotage the anti-Japanese resistance and continue to do evil and endanger the masses will be resolutely cracked down.
Huang Jichang, the leader of the great bandits in Yongcheng County, nicknamed "Great Autumn Leaves", has a thousand trumpeters under his hands, who rob homes and houses, mutilate the people, and do many evils, which the masses hate very much.
Although Peng Xuefeng knew this "big autumn leaf" very well, he still hoped that he would change from evil to good and aim his gun at the Japanese devil. To this end, it was decided to do his united front work first, throw stones and ask for directions, and see how his attitude is.
Huang Jichang had long heard of the new Fourth Army's prestige in Yuwansu. He was reluctant to take the initiative to surrender, and he was also worried that the open confrontation would be eaten by the New Fourth Army.
Just when he was in a dilemma, the people sent by Peng Xuefeng arrived. "Big Autumn Leaves" were overjoyed, pretended to be enthusiastic, and constantly praised the New Fourth Army, expressing their agreement to reorganize their troops into the New Fourth Army and resist the Japanese together with the guerrillas.
After Huang Jichang's troops were incorporated, in order to win him over the Japanese, they basically remained unchanged for his troops. However, instead of thinking of making meritorious efforts to atone for his sins, the "Great Autumn Leaves" instead raised the banner of the New Fourth Army and wantonly committed evil, which not only brought greater suffering to the nearby people, but also ruined the reputation of the New Fourth Army.
Ordinary people have gone to the guerrillas to file complaints and grievances, demanding that the "Great Autumn Leaves" be severely punished. Peng Xuefeng thought about it again and again, and was determined to get rid of this scourge and squeeze out this.
One day, the guerrillas eliminated a japanese force and fought a beautiful victory, and the military and the people were very happy. Peng Xuefeng discussed with other leading comrades of the detachment and decided to hold a party to celebrate, and sent someone to invite Huang Jichang to attend.
Although Huang Jichang had doubts after receiving the invitation, he still decided to break in, and also took the opportunity to "shake the mighty wind".
During the banquet, Peng Xuefeng seemed particularly happy and frequently raised a glass. Several "service" personnel are also attentive to "hospitality". After three rounds of drinking, Peng Xuefeng casually asked Huang Jichang after saying some homely words: "What is the most precious thing for soldiers?" ”
Huang Jichang replied without hesitation: "Weapon! ”
Peng Xuefeng said: "Yes, weapons are the lives of soldiers. It's not easy for us to sit together today, so let's give you my pistol as a souvenir! After saying that, he took out the pistol in his waist and placed it in front of Huang Jichang.
When Huang Jichang saw the pistol, he stared wide-eyed. He had long heard that Peng Xuefeng's pistol was an eight-tone gun brought from Yan'an, which was often hung around his waist and looked very heroic. Now that I want to give it to myself, I am naturally overjoyed, and I do not push it, so I happily take it. Then he also pretended to be proud to pull out his pistol and handed it to Peng Xuefeng: "The commander can see his brother, Huang Mou is not an incompetent person, please accept this pistol as a souvenir!" ”
Peng Xuefeng said happily, "Thank you for your kindness." He took the pistol, swept it in his hand, looked at it, suddenly pointed the gun at Huang Jichang, and said sharply: "Are you convicted?" ”
"Big Autumn Leaves" heard the shout, and suddenly a cold sweat appeared, and her hair stood straight. After a little calm, knowing that it was not good, he hurriedly grabbed the gun that Peng Xuefeng had given him and pointed it directly at Peng Xuefeng.
Peng Xuefeng smiled and said, "Forget it, as the saying goes, 'Good has good retribution, evil has evil retribution, it's not that you don't repay, and the time is not enough', you have done many evils, it is time to repay." ”
Huang Jichang hurriedly pulled the plate machine, knowing that the bullets in the gun had been removed in advance. It was too late, it was fast, and two "waiters" rushed forward to arrest him. He screamed and trembled, ready to call, only to hear the shouts of "raise your hand" from outside, and his guards were disarmed. At this point, he knew he was finished.
After Huang Jichang was arrested, the leaders of the guerrilla detachment quickly conducted a study and decided to take advantage of the party to announce his guilt and execute him according to law according to the demands of the masses. After that, his troops were completely reorganized. The masses all praised Peng Xuefeng for his resourcefulness and removal of harm to the people.
02 Qiao sent the enemy leader Han Deloitte
In the spring of 1943, Han Deqin, a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Kuomintang Jiangsu Province and commander of the 24th Group Army, launched an attack on the anti-Japanese base area in Huaibei under Chiang Kai-shek's secret orders, in a vain attempt to eliminate the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army fighting here and occupy the Huaibei region.
The New Fourth Army, under the direct command of Commander Chen Yi, launched a surprise counterattack on a rainy night, led by Peng Xuefeng, with the cooperation of the 2nd and 3rd Divisions, killing the security commander Wang Guangxia and capturing Han Deqin alive.
After Han Deqin was caught, he was so frightened that he sifted through the chaff and kept begging for forgiveness.
When the soldiers brought him to Peng Xuefeng, he immediately changed his face, straightened his clothes, stood proudly, and bit back on his toes and said: "You are sabotaging the anti-Japanese resistance, I want to send a telegram to Chairman Jiang." ”
When the warriors heard this, they gritted their teeth in anger and shouted that they were going to kill him.
Peng Xuefeng stopped everyone, and then sternly refuted Han Deloitte's counter-accusations, counting his crimes of creating friction, opposing communism, and opposing the people, and took out a secret order from Chiang Kai-shek who had just been captured to let him attack the anti-Japanese base area in Huaibei. Han Deloitte did not expect that the secret order would be discovered by the New Fourth Army, and he was dumbfounded at once, and his anger plummeted.
At this time, Peng Xuefeng instructed him to go to the division headquarters and said that Commander Chen Yi would meet with him there. Hearing that Chen Yi wanted to see him, Han Deloitte was even more panicked.
Because during the Second Civil Revolutionary War, when fighting in the Central Soviet Region, he was a defeated general under Chen Yi and was also captured. Now that he has been caught alive, what face will he have to see again?
Han Deloitte's eyes rolled and his heart calculated that this place was more than 20 miles away from the division headquarters, so he played a rogue and said, "I will not ride a horse, tell me to go, I want to carry a palanquin." He knew that there was no palanquin here, but he just came up with this idea to make things difficult, and he pushed not to see Commander Chen.
When the warriors heard it, they were like frying pans, and they shouted one after another: "If you can't ride a horse, tie him up on a horse and take him with a rope." ”
Peng Xuefeng patiently explained by calling everyone aside: "We must not only fight tit-for-tat against the diehards, but also be reasonable, advantageous, and disciplined, and arrest him alive in order to urge him to resist Japan." If he is killed, chiang kai-shek will be given an anti-communist pretext and will be unfavorable to Japan. Only by letting him go to the division headquarters, forcing him to bow his head and confess his guilt, and withdrawing his troops to resist Japan is the goal. Now he can only be treated as a man. ”
After pacifying the soldiers, Peng Xuefeng thought about it a little and said to Han Deloitte: "It is okay to sit in a car." ”
"Do you have a car?" Han Asked uneasily.
"Yes!" Peng Xuefeng answered emphatically. After saying that, he mobilized the masses to find a large circle chair, tied with bars on both sides, and carried it to Han Deqin like a car. Han Deloitte could no longer play tricks, so he obediently agreed to go.
Han Deloitte is relatively obese, and no one wants to carry him. Commander Peng selected a few strong militiamen and repeatedly explained the reason before carrying him away. Although these militiamen listened to Commander Peng's words, they were always a little angry in their hearts. Along the way, it deliberately flashes and bumps. Han Deloitte was dizzy, nauseated and vomited, and secretly cried bitterly.
After arriving at the division headquarters, Chen Yi and Peng Xuefeng talked to him many times, exposed his plot, and knew the righteousness, and finally forced him to confess his guilt and agreed to withdraw the army from Huaibei to resist Japan and never violate the border. However, he had a request, that is, he was allowed to send a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek first, saying that he had "won" the war and asked the New Fourth Army to keep the matter of being captured secret. Master Peng smiled and agreed to his request.
The last group photo of several leaders of the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army: from left, Liu Ruilong, Peng Xuefeng, Deng Zihui, Zhang Zhen, Wu Zhipu.
03 Martyrdom rewards ambition
In April 1944, in order to open up the mainland communication line, the Japanese Kou launched the Central Plains Campaign and launched a large-scale attack on the hinterland of Henan.
According to the needs of the war situation, the Central China Bureau decided to set up an action committee composed of Peng Xuefeng, Zhang Zhen, and Wu Zhipu, with Peng Xuefeng as secretary. He was responsible for and commanding the westward march, eliminating the recalcitrant forces of Liu Ruiqi and Liu Ziren, recovering the XiaoXian, Yongcheng, and Xiayi areas, and opening up links with the Sui (County) Qi (County) Tai (Kang) area.
Under the leadership of Peng Xuefeng, the westward marching force crossed the Jinpu Road from the north of Su County and entered the area south of Xiao County. On August 23, 1944, the westward marching force captured the Xiaozhuzhuang stronghold in Xiaoxian County, annihilating more than 1,500 recalcitrant troops.
Subsequently, the New Fourth Army smashed the sweep of more than 2,000 Japanese puppet troops, and launched a powerful offensive by the Japanese puppet army, lianke Huangzhuang, Juji, Mazhuang and other strongholds, quickly restored the Xiao (county) Yong (Cheng) Su (county) area, and established a foothold in the Luxi area.
While waging a military struggle, the westward marching troops also cooperated with local cadres to mobilize the masses in depth, establish an anti-Japanese regime, and promulgated decrees on rent reduction and interest rate reduction and abolition of harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, thus expanding the influence of the Communist Party and the New Fourth Army and inspiring the fighting spirit of the anti-Japanese army and people.
In early September, the county party committee and the county anti-Japanese democratic government were established in Xiao County, Yongcheng and Su Counties, and more than 1,000 local anti-Japanese armed forces were organized.
The kuomintang recalcitrant army was alarmed by the gradual victory of the westward advance led by Peng Xuefeng, so it regrouped a large number of troops in an attempt to take advantage of the unstable foothold of the westward troops, expel them, and then occupy the Xiao Yongsu area.
In order to break the conspiracy of the recalcitrant army to attack, on September 10, Peng Xuefeng commanded the 25th Regiment of the 9th Brigade, the 32nd Regiment of the 11th Brigade, and the divisional cavalry regiment, surrounded more than 1,000 people of the recalcitrant Li Guangming's troops in Balizhuang Weizhai in Xiayi County, and quickly launched an attack. The recalcitrant army broke through in a hurry, and was charged and killed by the cavalry regiment of the 4th Division.
By dawn on September 11, all but more than 300 people had surrendered, and all the rest had been annihilated and captured. The frontline commander reported to Peng Xuefeng: "Commander Peng, we have won! ”
When Peng Xuefeng heard the good news of the victory, he was very happy and said to Zhang Zhen and Wu Zhipu: "Go, let's see!" Then the three of them climbed the wall of the South Gate together to inspect the battle.
Suddenly, a sinful stray bullet shot into his heart, and he fell into Zhang Zhen's arms, unfortunately and heroically sacrificed at the age of 37.
After Peng Xuefeng's death, the Central China Bureau immediately sent a telegram to the CPC Central Committee. On September 12, the Party Central Committee sent a telegram to the Central China Bureau and the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army, expressing deep sorrow for Peng Xuefeng's sacrifice and encouraging the troops advancing west to unite as one, expand the results of the battle, and consolidate the position in Luxi.
The Central China Bureau and the 4th Division decided to keep the news of Peng Xuefeng's sacrifice strictly confidential and not to publish it for the time being, and still use the name of Commander Peng Xuefeng to the outside world. Even his pregnant wife, Lin Ying, only learned the bad news after giving birth to a child a few months later.
Peng Xuefeng's coffin is temporarily buried in a temple on the shore of Chengzi Lake. His guards stood by the coffin day and night, pulling the general's favorite hometown song every day, so that he could listen to the melodious rhythm of the country tune there.
At the end of January 1945, the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army began to carry out activities to commemorate Commander Peng. All commanders and fighters wore black veils to show their condolences; the training activities of striving to become "snow maple shooters" and "snow maple throwers" were stepped up; documents exchanged by various organs, groups, and schools were all stamped with blue stamps; and a tuft of black veils was worn on the foreheads of cavalry horses.
Throughout the northern huaibei land, there was a lot of mourning, a plain. On February 1, the Central China Bureau and the Political Department of the New Fourth Army issued the Decision on Commemorating Comrade Peng Xuefeng:
First, Yongcheng County was renamed Xuefeng County; second, the fourth branch of the Kang Da Was renamed Xuefeng Military and Political University; third, the deeds of Comrade Xuefeng's glorious struggle throughout his life were written into a biography and published to the whole army as a teaching material for soldiers. ”
On February 2, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Headquarters of the 18th Group Army issued an obituary in the Liberation Daily: "Comrade Peng Xuefeng was killed in the Huaibei front in September 1944. ”
When the bad news came, there was a cry of mourning. From February 4 to 6, public festivals were held in huaibei. More than 7,000 people braved the bitter cold wind to go to the shore of Chengzi Lake to greet the division commander Lingxian. Along the way, more than 10 miles of villagers have set up incense cases, kneeling to greet coffins, and making sacrifices in pain. At the head of Dawangzhuang Village, where the division headquarters is stationed, a solemn and solemn spiritual hall has been erected, and the elegy and elegy of all walks of life in Huaibei, the CPC Central Committee, and the Central China Bureau have been hung around.
On February 7, 1945, 20,000 soldiers and civilians in Huaibei held a memorial meeting, and the ribbon hung on the meeting: "Twenty years of arduous undertakings are about to be completely completed, endure the brilliant achievements, be wise and eternal, be loyal to the communists, and be a good example for the Communists; tens of thousands of miles of broken rivers and mountains are waiting to be cleaned up from scratch, and the blood is splashing, and for the sake of sacrifice, full of sorrow and indignation, mourning heroes for the Chinese nation." ”
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent a telegram of condolences from Yan'an: "The love is full of rivers and rivers, and the rivers and mountains are colored; the merits are in the motherland, and millions of comrades hate each other." ”
Deng Zihui, secretary of the Central China Bureau of the CPC, delivered a speech in front of Peng Xuefeng's tomb: "As far as the state and the nation are concerned, Master Peng is a national hero defending the country and a loyal subject of the state; as far as the people are concerned, Master Peng is a mass leader who serves the people and is warmly loved by the people; as far as our troops are concerned, Master Peng is a military man and politician who is both literate and martial, and who has both wisdom and courage; and as far as the party is concerned, Master Peng is a model party member and a Bolshevik. ”
Write at the end:
Also on February 7, 1945, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army held a memorial meeting for Comrade Peng Xuefeng in the Central Auditorium of Yan'an, and Comrades Chairman Mao, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Peng Dehuai, Chen Yi and other comrades attended the memorial service.
Hanging high above the venue was the cpc Central Committee's elegy: "For the nation and for the masses, twenty years of struggle to be born into death, meritorious service to the motherland; fight Against Japan, fight against traitors, millions of compatriots are free and equal, ze was long-term Huai." ”
Chairman Mao burst into tears, wept with great talent, and wrote an elegy for his beloved general: "Comrade Xuefeng died in the struggle against the enemy, and the whole nation and the whole party mourn this loss." In order to compensate for this loss, we should learn from Comrade Xuefeng's heroic spirit, make greater efforts to expand the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, promote a coalition government and a joint command, enable the Japanese aggressors to be eliminated at an early date under effective joint strikes, and realize an independent and democratic new China at an early date. ”
General Peng Xuefeng's life course has been magnificent and magnificent. He was an outstanding senior general of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the New Fourth Army, and a famous military figure of our army; he made outstanding achievements in the agrarian revolution and the War of Resistance Against Japan, and his prestige was far and wide, and he made immortal meritorious contributions to national independence and the liberation of the people. Snow white thousands of miles, maple red for thousands of years, a generation of famous general Peng Xuefeng will always live in the hearts of the people.