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Xiong Guobing, this name may be few people know now, but during the Red Army, he was a prominent general, and the Kuomintang even offered a high price of 2,000 oceans to reward his head.
However, such a general suddenly disappeared from people's sight, and even to the point of begging on the streets, he never went to the organization again.
What happened to Xiong Guobing?
Civilian Chairman
In 1933, the First Soviet Congress of Sichuan and Shaanxi was held in Tongjiang.
At this congress, Xiong Guobing, who had just become a party member for a year, became the protagonist of the congress, not only put forward many constructive suggestions at the discussion meeting, but also sang revolutionary songs such as "Song of the Poor" at the meeting, which made the delegates present excited.
Not surprisingly, Xiong Guobing became the chairman of the newly established Sichuan-Shaanxi Province by unanimous vote. Who would have thought that this "big leader" of the Red Army would still be a "mountain man" living in the mountains with a firewood knife a few years ago.
Chinese medicine
Xiong Guobing, a native of Tongjiang, Sichuan, was born in Xiongjiawan, and because his family was poor, he was "adopted" to Xiong Bangjie, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in the next county, as a stepson when he was a teenager.
It can be seen from the name that the two families are actually relatives in the Xiong family, so Xiong Bangjie treats this step-son as his own, not only teaches him to read, but also takes him to the mountains to collect medicine and learn traditional Chinese medicine knowledge.
Life always doesn't like to make people happy, and Xiong Guobing's life is the same.
When he was 16 years old, his adoptive father told Xiong Guobing a family affair, and just when the Xiong family was immersed in joy, his adoptive father accidentally drowned on the way to a doctor, and his adoptive mother died because of excessive grief.
Herb collection
Xiong Guobing didn't expect that the clansmen, who had been getting along well, saw the sudden death of their adoptive parents, and colluded with the local security chief to forcibly occupy his adoptive father's property.
In desperation, Xiong Guobing could only take refuge in his father-in-law, go out to work to make a living, he worked as a buddy, carried a sliding pole, and often followed his adoptive father to go into the mountains to collect medicine and sell some wild things by the way to pay back.
Perhaps it was the deliberate arrangement of life that allowed Xiong Guobing to meet Liu Tao, a Red Army scout disguised as a businessman, during a hunting trip. Listening to Liu Tao's communist thoughts, Xiong Guobing thought that he had found the path he should take.
Since then, Xiong Guobing has become Liu Tao's assistant in propagating revolutionary ideas in the local area, and he is also an active promoter of the local movement to fight local tyrants and divide the land.
Zhang Guotao
Soon, Xiong Guobing's enthusiasm for the revolution and his outstanding work achievements attracted the attention of central leaders, including Zhang Guotao.
1933 was an extremely important year for Xiong Guobing, who became a member of the Party in February, and then became a member of the Standing Committee of Sichuan and Shaanxi and the chairman of the provincial government.
Originally, the rough man who was digging herbs in the mountains, after being stained with the flame of revolution, has turned himself into a blazing torch, lighting himself and making others feel light and heat.
Xiong Guobing's "chairman" was not in vain; he not only opened up four transportation arteries from Tongjiang to Bazhong and Nanjiang, but also established six county Soviet governments within 10 days, and led the local people to launch a large-scale land reform movement.
The Red Army had grain and the peasants had arable land, but on the contrary, the Nationalist government hated him, and the Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang had a wanted notice for him that clearly stated "2,000 oceans per head".
Bloody Tiger Ditch
In 1935, when the Red Army withdrew from Sichuan, the Kuomintang troops took the opportunity to counterattack the Red Army and their families, Xiong Guobing's sister, younger brother and his biological parents were persecuted by the Kuomintang to varying degrees, his two sons were killed, and his wife also died on the way out.
Although he was very sad in his heart, Xiong Guobing was already determined to follow the Red Army, and he would never look back. However, not all people have the same enthusiasm for revolution as Xiong Guoping, and Zhang Guotao is a man who hopes to realize his political ambitions through revolutionary means.
It was precisely because of his erroneous thinking that some leaders of the Party and the Central Red Army were directly attacked, and the Central Red Army was forced to withdraw from Sichuan to start the Long March, and the so-called "Northwest Federal Government" was also established.
Regarding Zhang Guotao's decision, Xiong Guobing, who was straightforward, expressed his opposition in front of everyone, bluntly saying that this was contrary to the revolution.
If it were someone else, it is estimated that Zhang Guotao would have fabricated some charges to deduct his hat and make a board, but Zhang Guotao was afraid of Xiong Guobing's prestige among the people and the Red Army, and thought that he was a "big boss", so he was only "marginalized" and sent to the rear to manage logistics.
However, Xiong Guobing did not know that this was only the beginning of his "misfortune".
At the beginning of 1937, the northwest warlord Ma Bufang led a heavy army to pounce on the Red Army, and in the face of the "horse bandit army" several times its own, the Red Army could only choose to break through and retreat.
Xiong Guobing led more than 200 logistics personnel to Laohugou in Sunan County on March 18.
The reason why Laohugou is called "ditch" is mainly because it is surrounded by mountains on the east and west sides, forming a natural "water ditch", and the water in the ditch has frozen into a glacier at that time.
After learning of the Red Army's retreat route, the local "horse bandit army" set up machine guns on both sides in advance, sprinkled coal ash and sheep dung on the ice, and set up an ambush circle early.
On 20 March, the unwitting Red Army entered the enemy's ambush circle, was soon covered by enemy machine-gun fire, and then was scattered by a horde of horses, and had no choice but to retreat separately.
This Red Army was not the main combat force in the first place, and coupled with the enemy's fierce firepower and large numbers, the battle soon became one-sided.
When the bullets ran out, they used bayonets, stones, and even some people used the broken ice under their feet as stones to smash the rushing horses, but all this could not save the defeat.
During the battle, Xiong Guoping was knocked unconscious and fell into a snow pit to escape the search, and after being rescued, he continued to fight in order to cover his comrades' transfer of information, and was captured after throwing the last grenade.
The enemy saw that Xiong Guobing was older and dressed in tatters, and he didn't look like an official, so they locked him up as an ordinary man.
Fortunately, there were also captured strong men in the enemy ranks, and they took pity on Xiong Guobing, who was already injured, and secretly released him while the enemy guards were negligent.
In this battle, more than 100 Red Army soldiers were killed on the spot, more than 60 were seriously wounded and captured and then brutally buried alive by the enemy.
Disappeared for 23 years
Xiong Guobing, who escaped from the enemy camp, was wounded, and he walked in the icy and snowy Qilian Mountains for I don't know how many days, and I don't know how many times he fainted from hunger on the way to beg for food.
It's not that he hasn't been hungry, he used to dig grass roots and eat tree bark when he was on a long march through the grassland, but now his body is scarred and there are no comrades around him, he is colder and more tired, the kind of cold from the bottom of his heart.
Xiong Guoping was lucky enough to be taken in by the villagers when he was cold and hungry, and not only gave him food, but also got him some herbs to treat the frostbite on his feet and body.
However, Xiong Guobing knew that the "horse bandit army" was now arresting the Red Army everywhere, and the names and portraits of Xu Xiangqian, Chen Mingyi, and Xiong Guobing were all posted at the intersection of the county seat.
In order to survive, Xiong Guobing worked as a helper in a sauce and vinegar factory outside the county during the day to earn money and buy medicine, and at night he could only hide behind the statues of Taoist temples in the suburbs for the night.
After a long time, Xiong Guobing was discovered by the Taoist chief in the gym, but the Taoist chief did not report him, but got him a guest room and often talked to him.
The Taoist chief's persuasion gradually gave Xiong Guobing the idea of staying in the local area and inquiring about the news of the team while living, and the Taoist saw that he was honest and loyal, and introduced him to a local widow who was widowed to marry.
In this way, Xiong Guobing changed his name to Zhang Bingnan, ran a noodle restaurant and sold some oil and salt groceries with his wife, settled down in the local area, and lived a peaceful life.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, although the Japanese army did not occupy Gansu, the Nationalist Government increased various taxes, in order to increase income, Xiong Guobing's family returned to Jiuquan to make a living, and lived in an ordinary life until the founding of New China.
When he heard the news that the People's Liberation Army had won successive victories all the way, Xiong Guobing was very happy and excited, but he always suppressed the feelings in his heart.
When the People's Liberation Army team drove into Jiuquan, Xiong Guobing, who was already in his fifties and had gray hair, still couldn't help but burst into tears, but he didn't take the initiative to find an organization, and still ran his own small stall and lived the life of a small citizen.
In 1951, when the local people's government was registering basic population information, Xiong Guobing looked at the information questionnaire and hesitated for a long time, but still wrote down his name and position during the Red Army period, as well as the time and reason for losing contact with the Red Army troops.
This is not that he wants to "ask for rewards" from the government and the Party Central Committee, but that he believes that after all, it is his own experience, and there is no need to hide these from the Party and the government.
Because with the certificates of the old Taoist chief and some peasants, the local government was able to confirm his identity as a Red Army, but could not confirm his identity as the "chairman", so for the time being, he was given a temporary job as a handyman in the county hospital, and a small part of the subsidy.
Xiong Guoping didn't care about this, he gladly accepted the position, and did not report his "injustice" to the higher authorities.
During the three-year difficult period, when the lives of the common people were very difficult, someone asked Xiong Guobing: "At the beginning, the leaders of your Red Fourth Front Army were still alive, and there were many of your former subordinates who were senior officials, so why don't you go and find them for you?"
Xiong Guobing didn't know how many times he answered such a question, his neighbors asked, his wife also asked, but his answer was only one sentence: "When the battle was lost, so many soldiers were sacrificed, I can't say that there is no responsibility." Besides, now that I am so old and I can't continue to do any leadership work for the country, I should not add any more burdens to the country and my old comrades-in-arms. ”
In this way, Xiong Guobing continued to be his "flat-headed common man" until his death in 1960, and he, a famous general during the Red Army period, "disappeared" for 23 years.
epilogue
In fact, the central government has never forgotten him, and has been looking for him, but when they were dispersed, the "horse bandit army" was very tightly closed, and he also changed his name several times, so it brought great difficulty to finding him.
When the central government received the local report, he had passed away for many years, leaving only the octagonal hat he left for his younger brother, and the praise of his past from the mouths of the people.
This article was originally written by "On History and the Present", and has been opened for the whole network to protect rights, and may not be reproduced without authorization, and infringement must be investigated.