Speaking of classmates, many generals of the Kuomintang estimated that they would be full of emotion when they mentioned the Whampoa era. However, in addition to the Whampoa Military Academy, the Martial Arts School run by Cheng Qian, a predecessor of the Xiang Army, is also a breeding place for many military talents in modern China, such as Chen Geng and Zuo Quan. There is such a descendant who has a good relationship with Chen Geng- Song Xilian, although he has a little relationship with Chen Geng, but they eventually take the opposite two paths.
Song Xilian can be said to be Chen Geng's heel. The two are Fellow Hunan, Chen Geng is three or four years older than Song Xilian, the eldest brother is older and experienced, and Song Xilian basically follows Chen Geng in everything. Applying for the Xiangjun Martial Arts School run by Cheng Cheng in Guangzhou and the Huangpu Military Academy together, Chen Geng guided Song Xilian to study communism, knew Zhou Enlai, and joined the Communist Party in 1925. It is estimated that if you do not take the initiative to choose the road, you will not be so firm. Sure enough, the following year, after the Zhongshan incident, Song Xilian quit the party and started a civil war with Chiang Kai-shek, and he was promoted like a rocket.
Song Xilian has done good things and bad things. Participated in the Northern Expedition; participated in the Battle of Songhu, and every inch of land must be fought to resist the Japanese army; participated in the Battle of Nanjing, defended the Zhonghua Gate, and used a gun to resist Sun Yuanliang's 88th Division that was about to flee; the Defense of Wuhan, the Great Victory in the Southwest... But for the Communist Party, he did belong to the brotherhood. He encircled and annihilated Cai Tingkai's 19th Route Army, which had fought together, encircled and suppressed the Red Army in the Central Soviet Region, and even worse, he personally singled out Qu Qiubai, who had the invisible pseudonym, among the captives, and shot him. Do you know the significance of Qu Qiubai to Song Xilian? It can be said that Qu Qiubai is the first spiritual guide on the road of Song Xilian's revolution! Later, Song Xilian recalled shooting Qu Qiubai, and he said that he regretted it.
Although he had been a brother and sister, Song Xilian was a bloody soldier after all, and he was not at all ambiguous about the anti-Japanese resistance. He fought with the Japanese more than ten times, but did not fall behind, and was known as the "Eagle Dog General".
As early as when he was studying at the Japanese Army Infantry School, Song Xilian was hung up several times for responding to the anti-Japanese movement. After returning to China, the Battle of Songhu and the Battle of Nanjing are not to be said, and the most brilliant page of his life is the Southwest Victory.
In November 1941, Song Xilian was appointed commander-in-chief of the Eleventh Army and commander of the defense of Kunming. In April 1942, the Japanese attacked Burma. After the defeat of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma, the Japanese army drove straight in, and Kunming was in danger. Song Xilian hurriedly dispatched troops to the front line day and night to resist the enemy along the Burma Road. White-knife battles, position scrambles, darkness, bloody rain and wind, three days and three nights of vanguard combat effectively resisted the Japanese attack, and then with the assistance of follow-up reinforcements, finally completely annihilated the Japanese army across the river, driving the Japanese army out of the southwest border of China, great happiness! Old classmate Chen Geng also sent congratulatory messages.
In December 1949, Song Xilian was captured and pardoned in 1959. When he was released from prison, Chen Geng went to see Song Xilian. Many years later, Song also lamented Chen Geng's arrogant attitude towards himself who had never been a victor, and was quite grateful and respectful to Chen Geng.