"The chairman ran out of cigarettes during the meeting, and saw Deng Hua's pockets bulging: Do you still have your platinum dragon? This sentence came from the mouth of Chairman Mao Zedong, and it was said in the twilight of the civil war. At that time, tobacco was not only a good medicine for revolutionaries, but also a testimony to the deep friendship between comrades-in-arms. As Peng Dehuai's confidant and Chairman Mao's "smoker", Deng Hua won many feats with his foresight on the Korean battlefield. However, even Chairman Mao did not expect that behind this seemingly ordinary detail, there was a magnificent revolutionary process. What is the story of the pioneers of the revolution? Why did Deng Hua cherish those "platinum dragons" so much? Let's find out.
On the eve of the storm: the civil war was cruel, Deng Hua was awarded the "Platinum Dragon"
In September 1946, the smoke of the civil war had enveloped the land of China. The Kuomintang is running out of strength, but its remnants are still not to be underestimated. In this burning era, the Communist Party was also suffering, and the dilemma of running out of ammunition and food often occurred.
At this time, a small cigarette box has formed an extraordinary relationship between Deng Hua and Mao Zedong. One night in September of that year, Peng Dehuai led the Central Plains Field Army in a fierce battle with the remnants of the Kuomintang garrison in the Hebei-Shandong-Henan region. At the beginning of the offensive, the Red Army was on a fierce offensive and soon crushed the enemy.
Through this campaign, in addition to capturing a large number of munitions and weapons, the Red Army also captured many Kuomintang officers. On the captured officers, several boxes of "Platinum Dragon" cigarettes were found. It was the best grade of domestic tobacco back then, and it was difficult for ordinary people to taste it.
As a scholar, Deng Hua has been obsessed with elegant cultural relics since he was a child. Although cigarettes are small, they are also an item that the literati valued. Seeing this delicacies, he naturally salivated.
Deng Hua, who originally wanted to hand in all of them, was distracted by Peng Dehuai in a small move. That time, Deng Hua dodged the searchlight and accidentally dropped several packets of "Platinum Dragon" wrapped in his arms on the ground, and his cigarettes were spilled on the ground. Looking at Deng Hua's somewhat embarrassed picking up scene, Peng Dehuai smiled knowingly, and then generously asked his subordinates to hand over all the cigarettes to Deng Hua.
Since then, whenever the war has fallen into a stalemate stage, Deng Hua will take out a few "platinum dragons" and chat with a few cronies and friends to relieve fatigue. For him, the rich smell of smoke not only makes people enjoy a moment of tranquility, but also makes him full of yearning for the victory of the revolution in the future.
Outwitting MacArthur: Deng Hua predicted the battle situation and amazed Chairman Mao
When the Korean War broke out in 1950, American hawks came in to contain the deterrent power of the nascent regime in Chinese mainland. MacArthur, the metropolitan governor of the US military, was appointed commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Forces," and he was known as "invincible." In the face of this fierce enemy with rich combat experience, the Chinese volunteers need to deal with it carefully.
At that time, the Central Military Commission instructed Deng Hua, commander of the reserve, to deploy in advance and prepare to cross the river in due course to support. As a battle-hardened veteran, Deng Hua knows MacArthur's style of combat inside out. He knew very well that his opponent was cunning and reckless, and he would definitely carry out an integrated battle of land, sea and air that would advance hand in hand.
In view of this, Deng Hua wrote a top-secret letter to the Central Military Commission in early July, incisively analyzing the situation in North Korea. He pointed out that the DPRK military and civilians have huge deficiencies in defense and troop allocation, and they are simply unable to stand up to the iron hooves of the US military. The letter was personally met and highly appreciated by Chairman Mao.
Subsequently, at the end of August, Deng Hua joined Hong Xuezhi, the People's Liberation Army and others to write a letter to the Central Committee in the name of the four of them. They carefully studied and predicted that the US troops would land in Pyongyang and Seoul and adopt a flanking tactic against the Korean People's Army. For this reason, the volunteers should wait for the opportunity to wait for the enemy to gradually get better and the troops to stretch the battle line before they can surprise and counterattack and break the enemy.
Sure enough, the U.S. troops landed at Inchon 15 days later, and as expected, they fell into a passive situation. The foresight of Deng Hua and others made Chairman Mao sincerely admire, and also made post-war Korean historians admire him.
Plot a surprise victory: maneuver into Korea to defeat the coalition forces
Late at night on October 9, 1950, in a simple room in the headquarters of the Volunteer Army, Deng Hua and Hong Xuezhi enthusiastically discussed the upcoming Korean campaign. The meeting of the Central Military Commission presided over by Peng Dehuai had decided to send about 100,000 troops from the two corps to North Korea first, but Deng Hua and Hong Xuezhi were deeply worried about this.
"Brother, this time the enemy is not simple, MacArthur's 'United Nations Army' has approached the 38th parallel, with a strength of 420,000. 100,000 of us immediately played, it was really a mustard against the torrent of steel! Deng Hua said anxiously.
Hong Xuezhi also nodded slowly: "Yes, our firepower is too weak, and it is not so easy to win." It is better to suggest that the central government transfer two additional corps, so that four or five hundred thousand men and horses will face the enemy in the same formation, and there may still be a glimmer of life. ＂
Deng Hua pondered for a moment and said: "Although the strategy of increasing troops is good, we still need to put forward a practical and feasible deployment plan, otherwise it will be difficult for the central authorities to be convinced. So the two of them pondered and meditated, and finally sketched out a bold and subtle battle plan on that dark and windy night.
Early the next morning, Peng Dehuai was moved by the suggestion of the two, and immediately reported to the Central Military Commission and Chairman Mao, and soon obtained the approval of the whole army to dispatch. It was precisely this policy decision that "more is better than less" that laid the foundation for victory on the Korean battlefield.
The allied forces knew the Korean battlefield well, and once they found that the Chinese army had crossed the river, they would surely reappear to defend the 38th parallel. In the face of such a strong enemy, Deng Hua made careful arrangements and decided to adopt a roundabout outflanking strategy that was surprisingly successful.
He divided the main force into two routes, east and west, and the army on the eastern front went straight to the fortresses on the eastern coast of Korea, fishing in troubled waters to find a breakthrough; The army of the Western Front secretly marched into the remote mountain roads of South Pyongan Province, and went around to the enemy's belly and backpack to capture Seoul. At the same time, small groups of guerrillas were also arranged to harass the US military along the way, creating the false impression that a strong voice was attacking the west.
This series of meticulous deployments makes it difficult for the enemy to see through the whole situation only by the small details in front of him. In the end, the coalition forces were completely blinded by this "ghostly work" drama, and had to hastily split their forces to take care of themselves.
On October 25, 1950, the troops of the Eastern Front took the lead and stormed the outskirts of Pyongyang, causing the enemy to retreat one after another. The army of the Western Front took the opportunity to break out of the encirclement, flew across the Imjin River and the Fuchuan River, and outflanked the city of Seoul in one fell swoop. This shattered the resolve of the coalition forces, and three days later they announced that they had abandoned Seoul, and 10,000 people fled empty.
Seeing that the time had come, Deng Hua interrupted the offensive of the army on the Eastern Front and mobilized troops to concentrate on Seoul in a roundabout way. Just as the coalition forces were retreating in disarray, the Volunteers quietly occupied the suburbs of Seoul and took control of the entire Seoul city area on November 1, seizing the strategic initiative. The coalition forces were so badly damaged in the Korean war that they were forced to evacuate Seoul from November 24.
The key to this victory was Deng Hua's use of the art of war to seize the people and delay the troops to defend the city. He did not blindly pursue militarily, but strategized and allowed the enemy to retreat. It was not until the Volunteer Army was in place that it took control of Seoul, thus achieving the dual goal of recovering lost territory and saving casualties.
This stroke of genius greatly amazed Chairman Mao and other leaders. Mao Zedong sighed sincerely: "Deng Hua is our strategist, and he won this battle!" ＂
The smoke is full of knowledge: the chairman knows the heroes and gives treasures to cherish
After the victory of the Korean War, Deng Hua returned to Beijing with the army. His net worth was poor, and he was like many founding generals. Although he was given "Platinum Dragon" cigarettes before, he never saved his private pockets. On the contrary, Deng Hua regarded every tobacco as a treasure and carefully maintained the frugal style of the revolutionary years.
In 1953, Deng Hua was appointed commander of the Beijing Garrison. This winter, the situation was relatively stable. Deng Hua rarely had some free time, so he gathered the whole family to his simple but tidy dormitory to reunite with his wife and children to spend the Spring Festival in an ordinary family.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, he generously took out a few "white gold dragons" from his cigarette case and placed them on the table to celebrate. But whenever his children wanted to get a stick to taste, he would stop it in time. Deng Hua told them: "This is a good tobacco, you should keep it for smoking, and you can't waste it casually." ＂
Then, his wife took out an ordinary Zhonghua brand cigarette case, and Deng Hua happily lit the cigarette roll in it, and gradually smoked the room into a faint smoke. In this smoke, he talked about the arduous years of war, as well as the appreciation and encouragement of the leading comrades.
It was in this Korean War that Deng Hua's military talents were highly evaluated. In September 1951, Chairman Mao presided over a famous meeting in Beijing, after which he made a private appointment with Deng Hua.
During the meeting, Chairman Mao took out a box of cigars from his private storage and respectfully gave it to Deng Hua with both hands. This gift is by no means a trivial matter for Chairman Mao, because he is never arrogant. But this time, he took the initiative to choose the finest tobacco that he had treasured for many years, which meant a lot.
Chairman Mao explained: "I was amazed by your bravery on the Korean battlefield back then. What I admire even more is that you know the importance of being budget-conscious and thrifty. A cigarette is worth a few treasures, and you are a model among revolutionary soldiers. ＂
Speaking of this, Chairman Mao changed his words and commented: "The subtleties can show great wisdom." Your cautious and meticulous attitude is exactly what we leaders should learn from carefully. That's why I'm giving you this gift. ＂
After these remarks, Deng Hua knew how much appreciation the chairman had reached. He was extremely grateful for this, and immediately decided to cherish the origin and origin of the gift of "Platinum Dragon" in the future.
Since then, whenever there is an important occasion or a visit by a leader, Deng Hua will always put the box of "platinum dragon" on the side to savor it. On the one hand, he wanted to express his respect for his friends and comrades, and on the other hand, he also wanted to remember the fighting friendship with Chairman Mao and other proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation.
Time flies, when the stock of "Platinum Dragon" is gradually depleted, Deng Hua once ordered the tobacco factory to reproduce this classic old brand. Although the new recipe may change, the symbolism of the brand remains the same.
Whenever he tastes this puff of smoke, Deng Hua will always unconsciously think of the hard years when he was shy and thrifty in his pockets, as well as Chairman Mao's affirmation and appreciation of his integrity. This made him cherish the unique origin behind the "Platinum Dragon" even more, and regarded it as a witness to the birth of New China and the realization of revolutionary ideals.
The weight of this history is like smoke that fills Deng Hua's life. In that era of fireworks and gunpowder, a loyal red heart will never be extinguished, and it will persistently shine with the light of idealism.
Life is indifferent to ordinary things: stay together in honor and disgrace and spend all living beings together
Time flies, and the revolutionary war finally comes to an end. Since becoming famous on the Korean battlefield, Deng Hua's status in the army has become more and more transcendent, and he has successively served as the commander of the Beijing Garrison and the chief of the general staff. However, as he grew older, he began to think about how to survive the last years of his life.
In 1976, Deng Hua stepped down from the post of chief of the General Staff and officially left his military career. At that time, some relatives and friends advised him to become a government adviser so that he could slowly enjoy his old age. But he didn't think so, but said humbly: "I'm already a very old man, it's better to go back to my hometown to spend my old age in peace." ＂
In the autumn of that year, Deng Hua returned to his hometown in Shandong. Decades later, the hometown village is still simple and quiet, but the villagers have never heard of Deng Hua's reputation. Every morning, Deng Hua would open the door of his house, take a walk on the pastoral path, and then return to his vegetable garden to work hard. At the end of the farm work, he would draw a "platinum dragon" or two, admire the rusty medallion, and enjoy the last moments of old age.
In the face of compliments and tributes from outsiders, Deng Hua always declined. He said: "I am just a grass farmer, although I have made achievements in the army, but what I want to do most is to be a gardener, so that I can spend the rest of my life in peace." ＂
Although Deng Hua retired to the countryside in his later years, he was not always indifferent everywhere. He regarded his family and friends as priceless treasures, and whenever they came to stay for a stay, Deng Lao would do his best to treat them with courtesy.
Once, Deng Hua's old friend Hong Shou came here. The two drank and talked together and spent a few good days. Before leaving, Hong Shou said what he thought in his heart: "Brother Hua, you are really happy and healthy now, and you can reunite with your relatives and wander in the flowers, which is enough to live in peace." ＂
After hearing these words, Deng Hua pondered for a long time and slowly shook his head. "On the contrary, I am the happiest person in my old age," he said. When I was young, I only knew how to kill and fight, where did I experience the joy of family affection? Now Fang is fortunate to be with his wife and children and taste this happiness. It's a lot of fun! ＂
Although Deng Hua said sincerely, there was also some humility in it. Because in the eyes of others, he has already returned to his hometown and reunited with his family, which is really complete. But for Deng Lao, it was the greatest wish he had dreamed of in his life come true.
Many years later, when Zhang Chong, an old comrade-in-arms of the Southern Army, visited Deng Hua, he found that the old man was alone in a small uninhabited village. So he asked him, why didn't the heirs accompany him?
Deng Hua shook his head, picked up a cup of strong tea, and said slowly: "Alas, it's all old. At the beginning of the revolutionary years, his wife was separated and was destined to reunite in a few years. Later, his wife died of illness in Shanghai, and his sons wandered around to make a living. I live alone in this village, and occasionally my children come and leave in a hurry. ＂
Zhang Chong felt sympathy and felt that Deng Hua should move out of this remote place and reunite with his children. But Deng Hua waved his hand again and again: "No, no, no." I'm used to it. Although the village is small, it also has big mountains and rivers, and the scenery is pleasant; Tranquility of mind is just right for the elderly. On the day when I return to the West in the 100th year, I will be buried by my sons and daughters. ＂
Speaking of this, Deng Hua's gaze became a little soft and romantic. He seems to have traveled through the smoke and clouds of history to see the figure of the wife who had been with him in battle. When he was nostalgic, he raised the fragrant tea in the cup again and sighed softly: "Being able to stay with your family for a lifetime is really the greatest fulfillment of your life." ＂
Such a scene of loving his family and persistently pursuing romance made Zhang Chong awe of this vicissitudes of old hero. He thought that perhaps it was this spirit of diligent search that created the magnificent pages in Deng Huarong's career.