In the spring of 1943, an incident occurred in northern Jiangsu: Han Deloitte, chairman of the Kuomintang Jiangsu Province, was disarmed and captured alive by the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army, after which Han Deloitte signed a peace treaty with the Chinese Communists and was able to escape.
Interestingly, Han Deloitte was captured alive, but it was related to Zhang Aiping, deputy commander of the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army.
The commander of the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army was Peng Xuefeng, so how did he get involved with Zhang Aiping of the 3rd Division?
There's a little-known detail.
On March 12, 1943, more than 20,000 Japanese and puppet troops began a frenzied "sweep." In this "sweep," the Japanese army was very fierce with a large number of people, and first "swept" the Kuomintang Han Deloitte Department with the main force, and then "swept" the Yanfu district of the New Fourth Army. Suddenly, the Japanese army drove Han Deqin and his troops around.
Due to the accuracy of the intelligence, the main force of the New Fourth Army began to shift in advance, and only Zhang Aiping, deputy commander of the 3rd Division, led a command headquarters and a direct subordinate team to negotiate with the Japanese army on the inside line. One day, Zhang Aiping led his troops to move to northern Huai'an. Unexpectedly, one of Han Deloitte's aide-de-camps rushed to the door and said, "The Japanese army's 'sweeping' is too powerful, too powerful!" ”
When Zhang Aiping asked, he realized that Han Deloitte was being "swept up" by the Japanese army, and the whole army fled in all directions, with no place to rest. Han Deqin had a hard time finding out where Zhang Aiping was, so he sent an adjutant to the door to ask for help. The adjutant said to Zhang Aiping:
"Chairman Han sent me to consult with Deputy Division Commander Zhang, and wanted to borrow a piece of treasure land in your district in case our army temporarily resided, but Chairman Han really had nowhere to go!" As soon as the 'sweep' was over, our department immediately withdrew. ”
"Oh—you want to borrow a place from us?" Zhang Aiping asked.
"Mm-hmm, as soon as the devil withdraws, we will leave, never staying for another day!" The adjutant said.
Zhang Aiping believes that this is absolutely impossible to borrow. Chiang Kai-shek turned his hand into a cloud and overturned his hand into rain, and Han Deqin had a fire in his eyes and a knife in the dark, and he was an anti-communist veteran, and letting him enter the base area of the New Fourth Army was tantamount to attracting wolves into the house and raising tigers to leave a legacy. However, it was not easy to refuse directly, so Zhang Aiping asked:
"Chairman Han also withdrew with his troops?"
"No!" The adjutant said, "The Japanese army came rapidly and had to defend, and Chairman Han personally led his troops to retreat, but there was still no way to escape."
As soon as Zhang Aiping heard that Han Deqin was acting with the army, she immediately had a plan and said: "The devil is coming, and the requirements of your army should be met as much as possible." As for your army coming to me, this is not the best policy! ”
"Oh?!" The adjutant was stunned and a little discouraged.
Zhang Aiping went on to say: "Judging from the current rampant momentum of the Japanese army, the 'sweeping' will not end overnight, and our anti-'sweeping' may not be able to win immediately. Therefore, we also made preparations for the transfer. If your army is stationed here, two units are crowded together, whether it is to resist the enemy or withdraw, it is not convenient. However, I have an immature idea. ”
"Willing to smell high, willing to smell high!"
Zhang Aiping continued: "Your department can take a shortcut, pass through my base area, and enter the lakeside area of Hongze Lake, which is the defense of the 4th Division of the New Fourth Army, which is much safer than mine. In addition, if the devils chase after you, I can also block a Japanese army for you. ”
"The 4th Division of the New Fourth Army, we are not familiar with it, and people will not take us in!" The adjutant said anxiously.
"How hard is this?" Zhang Aiping said, "I can inform you, I will write a letter and ask them to greet your ministry." ”
"It was so good! Deputy Division Commander Zhang is really happy, willing to help, good people! ”
"You're welcome, I'm just doing my part." Zhang Aiping replied.
Therefore, the adjutant took Zhang Aiping's advice and went back to see Han Deqin's resume.
That night, he called Zhang Aiping and said, "Chairman Han is very satisfied with Deputy Division Commander Zhang's arrangement and asks me to thank you on my behalf, and we will immediately act according to Deputy Division Commander Zhang's plan." ”
Zhang Aiping said, "Well, I will immediately write a letter to Master Peng Xuefeng of the 4th Division, and you will act as planned." ”
The adjutant hung up the phone gratefully.
After Zhang Yeping put down the phone, she immediately sent a telegram to Peng Xuefeng, commander of the New Fourth Army and the 4th Division, explaining Han Deloitte's plan to borrow the road from the 3rd Division to the 4th Division to "hide from the devils", and then suggested that the 4th Division take this opportunity to eliminate the troubles and absorb the Han Department. Zhang Aiping then ordered his subordinates to make way for the Han Department, provide convenience along the way, and let them rush to the 4th Division's defense area without any doubts.
Under the pursuit of the Japanese army, the next day, Han Deloitte led his troops to set out according to Zhang Aiping's plan, and as a result, when they reached the shore of Hongze Lake, their foothold was unstable, and they were ordered by Peng Xuefeng to surround them all.
Subsequently, Han Deloitte asked to see Chen Yi.
In view of Han Deloitte's position, Chen Yi met with Han Deloitte, signed a peace treaty with him not to oppose communism and fight the New Fourth Army, and then sent someone to send Han Deloitte out of the country.
Two months later, the New Fourth Army's anti-"sweep" ended, and the Central China Bureau held an enlarged meeting of the party committee. Zhang Aiping and Peng Xuefeng both attended the meeting. As soon as Peng Xuefeng saw Zhang Aiping, he joked: "You really will borrow a knife to kill people, and Han Deloitte has suffered your big loss." ”
Zhang Aiping said: "Thirty-six plans, there is a 'borrowed knife to kill people' plan, I am learning to use it, which one wants him Han Deloitte not to fight devils, but to engage in friction with us?" Don't teach him a lesson, no! ”