Beiping in the past and Beijing today are rare cultural capitals in the whole world, and they are also symbols of Chinese culture.
In order to save this land from the baptism of war, Chairman Mao and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China were intensively planning, hoping to solve the future of Beiping with a peaceful attitude.
In the winter of 1948, Fu Zuoyi, commander-in-chief of the North China Suppression, finally decided to contact the People's Liberation Army.
In the end, after many tortuous efforts, Fu Zuoyi finally accepted the agreement on the peaceful settlement of the Beiping issue and proclaimed the peaceful liberation of Beiping.
But there was also a small episode in it, when the 311th Division under Fu Zuoyi actually refused to hand over the West Third Gate.
Tao Zhu angrily reprimanded this: Don't want a head.
Peaceful liberation of Beiping
On January 31, 1949, just as the north wind was calling, the 121st Division of the 41st Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army slowly marched from Xizhimen into Beiping City.
This day not only marks the end of the victory of the Battle of Pingjin, but also symbolizes the peaceful liberation of Beiping, an ancient cultural city with 2 million souls and countless stories.
On the same day, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) took over the city peacefully from Fu Zuoyi, the Kuomintang headquarters of the North China "Suppression of Bandits" headquarters, without using a single shot or bullet.
But even at such a glorious moment, there were inevitably some small waves.
Especially during the handover of the defense of the West Third Gate, Sun Yingnian's division and the People's Liberation Army that had entered the city in advance almost turned into an unpleasant conflict due to some trivial misunderstandings.
The 41st Army of the Northeast Field Army, known as the top soldiers who entered the pass, was an elite unit that secretly entered the pass from the west of Jinzhou all the way from the west of Jinzhou after the Tashan Blockade War.
Along the way, they launched a series of pursuit battles in Kangzhuang, Huailai and Zhangjiakou, and each battle was as beautiful as flowing water.
The soldiers climbed mountains and mountains in a continuous march without day or night, and although their bodies were tired, their spirits were extremely high, and their hearts were full of pride in driving out the enemy.
However, when this corps was ready to show their majesty in Beiping, they found that the city of Beiping had been peacefully liberated almost without a war, and the kind of hard-fought battle they had expected had not been fought, and their original enthusiasm and ambition seemed to have nowhere to put for a while.
Originally, they thought that they would make great achievements in the battle of Beiping, but they did not expect that the bell of peace would ring so quickly, which caught them off guard.
When I set out from the Northeast, what I kept echoing in my mind was the heroic desire to "fire the first shot in North China", but now it can only turn into a sigh.
So, dissatisfaction and grumbling also slowly appeared.
However, when Ye Jianying, the new mayor of Beiping City, came to the 41st Army garrison at Qinglong Bridge in the western suburbs of Beiping, he said a word, and the soldiers' complaints were completely dispelled.
He said: "You must not only fight a tough battle on the battlefield, but also fight a good guard battle in the newly liberated big cities. It is not easy to enter the city this time, and I entered the city on behalf of our party and our army!"
These words rekindled the soldiers' self-confidence and sense of honor, and also made the previous dissatisfaction and complaints disappear.
Why?
Because this army is so reassuring.
The 41st Army once won the praise of Chairman Mao for its awe-inspiring discipline and extraordinary fighting spirit, and was known as a unit that "does not eat an apple from its fellow countrymen".
This unit was the first to enter Beiping, not only because of their bravery on the battlefield, but also because of their extreme care and respect for the masses, and they have almost become a model for revolutionary soldiers.
Chairman Mao and the Party Central Committee's trust in the 41st Army can be described as deep trust.
Therefore, when the 41st Army was selected as the first unit to enter Beiping, every officer and soldier of the 41st Army was extremely excited and excited.
As the day of handing over defense to Fu Zuoyi's army approached day by day, every cadre and soldier of the 41st Army made all preparations mentally and materially.
After all, Beiping is not only the political and cultural center of China for nearly a hundred years, but also its status in people's hearts is like a symbolic city representing the whole country.
In the eyes of the people, the occupation of Beiping is like the occupation of the whole country.
To be able to enter Beiping is more glorious for them than the usual military exploits.
Any small mistake at this moment can become a lifelong regret.
Therefore, from the division commander to the political commissar, to the cadres of the regiment, battalion, and company, and even every ordinary soldier and logistics personnel were fully prepared.
They all breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts, but they didn't want to lose the opportunity to enter the city at this juncture because of a little miss.
This is a major event written in the history books, and if something goes wrong, you will regret it for the rest of your life.
The day they had been waiting for for a long time had finally arrived.
Xizhimen is dead or alive
In the early morning of January 31, a group of well-equipped PLA soldiers stopped under the tower of Xizhimen.
In the city gate, the people of the capital had already gotten the news, and they were in groups of threes and twos, holding small flags, standing on tiptoe, and pricking up their ears, looking forward to the grand entry of the People's Liberation Army into the city.
However, the morning's wait gradually turned to a whisper of doubt.
"Isn't the People's Liberation Army already in the city?"
"It's indeed here, just outside the city, and the long queue is lined up for a few miles!"
"Then why didn't they enter the city for a long time?"
"Who can say this clearly!"
The sun is on the sun, and the expectation finally becomes a cheer.
The People's Liberation Army finally stepped into the ancient city with a majestic pace.
However, the city gate tower was still in the hands of Fu Zuoyi's army, and the soldiers who were defending the city were still nervous and resolute, and they didn't seem to intend to give in at all.
This situation has led the two armies into a delicate stalemate.
Fu Zuoyi's army, which guarded the city gate, did not interfere with the People's Liberation Army entering the city, but for the control of the city gate, it was stubbornly defended, and its determination was obviously not trivial.
The People's Liberation Army, which had already entered the city, was also in high morale when they saw this, their machine guns were set up, their guns were aligned, and the atmosphere was extremely tense for a while.
The People's Liberation Army shouted: "Hand over the city gates!" ”
And the gatekeeper still insisted: "Without the order of the superiors, it must not be handed over!" ”
In fact, at this time, the inside and outside of Beiping City had long been impassable.
The more than 200,000 defenders of the city have already disarmed and returned to the fields, but this last gate is still stubbornly resisting there, as if they do not know that the whole situation has passed.
This scene is unheard of and unseen by the people of the capital.
Those timid ones have retreated in a hurry, for fear that a misunderstanding will lead to criticism, and in the end "chickens and eggs".
And those who are more bold are tiptoeing, stretching their necks, poking their heads, wanting to see what is going on from this big scene, which can be regarded as a long insight.
After all, this kind of scene is not seen very often.
The negotiations between the two sides were still fruitless for a long time, and in the afternoon of that day, the atmosphere inside and outside the city of Beiping was tense and delicate.
Mo Wenhua, the political commissar of the 41st Army, couldn't help but feel a little impatient in the face of the immovable defenders of the Xizhimen Tower.
The situation was imminent, and he had to drive to Dongjiaomin Lane to find Tao Zhu, the deputy director of the Military Management Commission, who had entered the city with Fu Zuoyi.
When Mok Wenhua entered the door, the atmosphere was solemn.
He reported to Tao Zhu that the First Division of the 41st Army had successfully entered the city, but the tower of Xizhimen was still stubbornly guarded and did not listen to anything.
After Tao Zhu heard this, his face sank, and he immediately negotiated with Fu Zuoyi.
The negotiation process was intense, but the results were surprisingly fast.
After a while, the other party's reply flew in: "It was really a mistake on our side, and we forgot to inform the officers and soldiers of the West Third Gate that they should lay down their weapons." ”
At the same time, they also apologized one after another.
It turned out that as early as a few days before the announcement of the peaceful liberation of Beiping, Sun Yingnian, who was in charge of the defense of all the city gates of Beiping City and the maintenance of law and order in the city, received a clear order from Deputy Commander Guo Zaiyang:
The three western gates were guarded, and the other gates were handed over to the People's Liberation Army for defense. After the handover, our division went out of the city to Banbidian, and continued to serve as the defense of the West Third Gate so that it was convenient to enter and exit.
And the head is not necessary
In the early morning of the 31st, Sun Yingnian's phone began to ring non-stop.
The callers, without exception, were all guards of Xizhimen, Fuchengmen, and Fuxingmen, informing him that the People's Liberation Army had arrived at the city and was preparing to take over the city gates.
Sun Yingnian's answer was still the same sentence: We should explain to the PLA that we were ordered not to hand over the West Three Gates.
A short time later, the same call came again, this time with a hint of urgency: the People's Liberation Army had surrounded us and demanded that we disarm.
This news made Sun Yingnian's heart tighten, and even if there was an order from above, he began to panic.
In a hurry, Sun Yingnian hurried to Fuchengmen, and as soon as he arrived at the scene, he saw the People's Liberation Army waiting for him.
Seeing this formation, the beads of sweat on his forehead fell one after another like beads with broken threads.
He stepped forward and explained to the battalion commander who had taken over the defense that they had been ordered not to hand over the West Third Gate.
There are words in his words, which are intended to show that if the door is handed over to the People's Liberation Army at will, once the higher authorities are held accountable, these pawns will have to suffer a lot of consequences.
The battalion commander replied firmly, they were ordered to take over the West Third Gate.
This resolute tone made Sun Yingnian understand that if he didn't make a decision, the two sides might really have to fight each other.
Sun Yingnian had no choice but to propose to go with the battalion commander to Guo Zaiyang for instructions.
Guo Zaiyang, as Fu Zuoyi's representative, served as the deputy director of the Military Management Commission.
If they can see Guo Zaiyang, whether they are handed over or defended, they can at least have a clear instruction, so that they will not be in a dilemma on the front line.
When Sun Yingnian hurriedly arrived at the Military Management Commission with an anxious heart, the atmosphere was already on the verge of breaking out.
Tao Zhu was shrouded in anger, and the moment he saw Sun Yingnian, he asked loudly: "Do you still want a head?" Why don't you hand over the West Third Gate?"
Sun Yingnian hurriedly defended: "This is according to Commander Guo's order, he never said to hand over the West Three Gates." ”
When Tao Zhu heard this, he didn't wait for Sun Yingnian to say another word, so he hurriedly summoned Guo Zaiyang to confront him.
As soon as Guo Zaiyang saw Sun Yingnian, he pointed to his forehead unhappily, and said angrily: "When our men and horses went out of the city, they asked you to guard the city gates, but now that the city is empty, what is the use of not handing over those three city gates?"
Tao Zhu, who was standing on the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then added, half-sarcastically and half-seriously: "Senior Commander Sun, now you are also a member of the People's Liberation Army, and you should obey orders in all your actions. Go and tell the gates and hand them over, for if you delay any longer, your weapons will be collected!" ”
Sun Yingnian reacted at this time, hurriedly left the Military Management Committee, and went straight to Fuchengmen.
At the same time, he also notified by phone and ordered the defenders of Xizhimen and Fuxingmen to immediately complete the handover of the city defense.
The defeat is decided, and the war is called for peace
The person who can be separated from the peaceful liberation of Peking is Fu Zuoyi.
In December 1947, the wind was bitterly cold.
At this time, Chiang Kai-shek was determined to pacify North China, ordered the establishment of the "Suppression of Bandits" General Headquarters, appointed Fu Zuoyi as the commander-in-chief, and gave him almost all the power.
Under the leadership of Fu Zuoyi, the total number of troops was as high as 600,000 people, and for a time, on the land of North China, the military flag was like a forest, and the sword spirit was like frost.
However, the Kuomintang army before the Pingjin Battle was already in turmoil.
The victory in the Liaoshen Campaign laid the cornerstone for the liberation of Northeast China, and the Kuomintang army in North China faced the pressure of the Northeast Field Army to move south.
The Huaihai Campaign posed a great threat in the south, and it seemed that their way to retreat south had been cut off.
In addition, the areas controlled by the Communists were growing by day, and the Kuomintang forces were able to hold only a few strategic points.
Under these circumstances, everyone from the generals to the soldiers understood in their hearts that the defeat of this war was a foregone conclusion, and that war weariness and anti-war sentiment were increasing every day.
In the face of the tense situation in the whole country and North China, Fu Zuoyi undoubtedly felt a heavy pressure.
Chiang Kai-shek and Fu Zuoyi had their own opinions on the future strategy of North China, on the one hand, considering whether to retreat the whole army to Jiangnan, and on the other hand, hesitating whether to hold on to Pingjin.
Although the two have different plans, it is difficult for them to make a final decision, which makes their relationship even more complex and delicate.
Fu Zuoyi, the head of the local military group based in Suiyuan, although he was co-opted and used by Chiang Kai-shek, was by no means his direct general.
Chiang Kai-shek was suspicious of Fu Zuoyi, and even sent cronies to monitor him and restrict his movements.
However, Fu Zuoyi had already calculated in his heart, and he had already seen through Chiang Kai-shek's methods and the corrupt regime of the Kuomintang, and he had already remembered it in his heart.
Therefore, he would never be martyred for the sake of Chiang Kai-shek's crumbling regime.
Within the Kuomintang at that time, Fu Zuoyi may not be the first person to understand the situation.
But he had foreseen the inevitable defeat of the Kuomintang and the victory of the Communist Party?
Under this situation, the contradictions between Fu Zuoyi and Chiang Kai-shek became increasingly apparent, like an iceberg floating on the water.
Fu Zuoyi vaguely made a decision in his heart, that is, to cease war and seek peace.
If he can consider the interests of the Chinese nation, he will never mind breaking through the obstacles and achieving peace.
Therefore, Fu Zuoyi finally decided to lead his troops to accept the conditions of peace talks, which cleared the way for the peaceful liberation of Beiping.
This not only ended the war in North China, but also paved the way for the liberation of the whole country and the independence and reunification of the country, and made great contributions.
In the evening breeze on February 23, 1949, Chairman Mao met with Fu Zuoyi for the first time and gave a detailed description of the personnel arrangements for the prisoners.
Chairman Mao's cordial teachings made Fu Zuoyi's heart seem to be able to let go of the burden, and he sincerely felt the weight of history and the relief of liberation.
After the peaceful liberation of Beiping, Fu Zuoyi felt guilty for the mistakes he had committed during the war, and took the initiative to ask to surrender, believing that he should be punished by the people.
However, Chairman Mao not only did not blame the past, but instead justified Fu Zuoyi among the Communist Party members and the masses, and repeatedly emphasized his contributions.
What Fu Zuoyi received was not only political forgiveness, but also profound humanistic care.
In the following years, Fu Zuoyi always enjoyed the great trust and care of the Communist Party and Chairman Mao, and started a new life.
Resources:
Unforgettable Stories: The Red Flag That Won't Fall in the Flames of War, Volume 15[M]. 1992
Secret brewing peace talks in Shenzhou 2007