In July 1935, on the bank of the Wei River in Jingchuan County, Gansu Province. In the pouring rain, a tired Red Army unit was struggling to cross the river. The river is swollen and the situation is critical. Suddenly, there was a loud shot fire! The enemy pursued the troops, and the situation was reversed in an instant. At this critical moment, a young general resolutely led a small group of men and horses to rush towards the enemy formation.
【Han Xianchu's guide】
Who would have thought that among the generals of the Republic, there is such a hot-tempered and "disobedient" master? He is Han Xianchu. The founding general, who later shocked the Quartet, was a veritable "thorn in the head" when he was young.
Han Xianchu was born in poverty, and since he was a child, he hated the landlords and bullies who oppressed the poor. It's a pity that he is weak and can only watch injustice run rampant in the township. It wasn't until 1927 that an uprising shocked Hubei, Henan and Anhui that completely changed the trajectory of his life.
The leader of this uprising was Wu Huanxian, who later became the guide of Han Xianchu. Wu Huanxian is not an ordinary person, he is from a wealthy background, and there is no shortage of fields and shops in his family. But such a "son-in-law" gave an order to give all his land to the tenants, and burned the lease in public. This time, the poor people will be happy.
"Follow the Seven Phases to make a revolution!" This sentence quickly spread in the Huang'an area. Wu Huanxian's actions had a profound impact on the young Han Xianchu. For the first time, he saw that the children of rich families could also stand on the side of the poor.
[From stunned youth to the elite of the Red Army]
In 1932, Wu Huanxian rebuilt the Red 25th Army in Huang'an, and Han Xianchu was also conscripted into the army. At that time, Han Xianchu could be said to be a complete "stunned youth". In battle, you know that you can rush forward with a big sword, although you are brave, but you are also reckless enough.
Wu Huanxian had a discerning eye and transferred Han Xianchu to the pistol regiment. This is not an ordinary army, it is all carefully selected by various departments. Han Xianchu was like a fish in water here, and soon showed his extraordinary military talent.
Wu Huanxian personally summed up eight guerrilla tactics and often gave lectures to all officers and men. Han Xianchu was fascinated by what he heard, so he drew a sand table on the ground with a branch when he had nothing to do, and practiced the battle examples taught by Wu Huanxian over and over again. In this way, under the careful cultivation of Wu Huanxian, Han Xianchu gradually grew from a reckless guerrilla to an outstanding commander of the Red Army.
[The "tragedy" caused by an unexpected victory]
Han Xianchu can fight, but he is also a "troublemaker". Once, the 25th Army captured the county town of Luotian and captured a large amount of silver dollars. The military department deliberately selected a group of reliable cadres to retreat with this huge amount of money. Han Xianchu also received a bag of silver dollars.
Who knew that when the enemy pursued him halfway, a bullet hit the cloth bag behind Han Xianchu. Hundreds of silver dollars were suddenly scattered on the ground, and Han Xianchu was so anxious that he stomped his feet, but the battle was fierce, and he didn't have time to pick them up. In the end, it was his comrades who dragged him away from the battlefield.
It's miserable. Although that bag of silver dollars saved Han Xianchu's life, it was a big deal to lose so much money. Han Xianchu's battalion commander Li Xuexian was so angry that he criticized him bitterly, and put down cruel words: "Don't be your platoon commander, give me a stretcher, at least for two years!"
Han Xianchu felt aggrieved, but there was no way, who let himself get into trouble? But let him carry the stretcher, doesn't this kill him? Just when he was sad, Wu Huan knew about it first.
Wu Huan found Han Xianchu first, patted him on the shoulder and said, "It doesn't matter if you lose the silver dollar, you can take it back from the enemy." What is needed most now is a warrior who can kill the enemy! You're still going to pick up your gun and keep fighting!"
These words brought tears to Han Xianchu's eyes. Wu Huanxian continued: "You go and tell Li Xuexian, just say that it is my order, and ask him to send you a Hanyang Made." You should first be a platoon commander, fight a good war, and then you will be a company commander, battalion commander, and regiment commander!"
In this way, Wu Huanxian relieved Han Xianchu's "military law disposal" in time and let him return to his combat post. This battle was not tight, Han Xianchu was really promoted all the way to company commander, battalion commander, regiment commander, and finally became the founding general!
[The master-apprentice relationship between life and death]
In 1934, the Red 25th Army was faced with a difficult choice: should it go south to western Sichuan, or north to northern Shaanxi? At that time, almost everyone in the army advocated entering Sichuan, and only Wu Huan was the only one who insisted on going north despite public opinion.
Wu Huanxian's decision saved the Red 25th Army. During the Long March, Wu Huanxian and Han Xianchu, the master and apprentice, showed an unprecedented tacit understanding. In the battle of Dushu Town, in the face of several times the enemy's troops, Wu Huan first went to the front line to command.
Han Xianchu was worried about the safety of the political commissar and wanted the guards to pull him down. Wu Huanxian shouted angrily: "You give me a resolute resistance to the enemy, what are you afraid of!" No one is allowed to retreat!"
The battle entered the white heat, Wu Huanxian suddenly drew his big knife, jumped out of the position and shouted: "If you are not afraid of death, follow me!" The Red 25th Army was the best at white-knuckle warfare, and when they heard the call of the political commissar, they charged with their swords. Han Xianchu took the lead, taking the lead in breaking through the enemy's encirclement and fighting a bloody way for the troops.
This battle was fought beautifully, and Wu Huanxian praised the whole army after the battle: "Only Chu has talent, and Chu is an example!" This sentence has become the pride of Han Xianchu's life.
【Final Farewell】
In August 1935, the Red 25th Army encountered a sneak attack by enemy troops when crossing the Weihe River in the south of Jingchuan County, Gansu Province. In order to cover the troops to cross the river, Wu Huanxian personally led 150 people to block the enemy. In this fierce battle, a bullet hit Wu Huanxian's chest.
When Han Xianchu arrived, he only saw the body of the political commissar. He looked up to the sky and wept bitterly, regretting countless times that he could not stay by the political commissar's side. When Han Xianchu was sorting out Wu Huanxian's relics, he found a half-length photo. Since then, this photo has become his most precious treasure, whether it is on the Long March, or on the battlefield of the Liberation War and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he carries it with him.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Han Xianchu kept this photo on his desk. Whenever the children asked who the person in the photo was, he would solemnly say: "This is Wu Huanxian, my mentor, the old chief, and the person I respect the most in my life." You must honor him as much as I do. "
Han Xianchu often mentioned Wu Huanxian in his later years, and he would cry every time he talked about it. He repeatedly told his son Han Yi: "After I die, I must go back to my hometown in Hong'an, and I will be buried with the old chief Wu Huan first."
In 1986, Han Xianchu died of illness in Beijing. In May of the following year, his ashes were placed in the Hong'an Martyrs Cemetery, adjacent to Wu Huanxian's tomb. In this land of heroes, there are 22,552 martyrs with names and surnames, and 140,000 unsung heroes who died for the revolution.
Looking back, Han Xianchu has grown from a stunned young man to the founding general, and Wu Huanxian has made great contributions. They are not only a good story in the history of the revolution, but also show the most precious master-apprentice friendship in human nature. In that era of gunpowder, it was countless revolutionary martyrs like Wu Huanxian and Han Xianchu who forged the cornerstone of New China with their blood and lives.