On the night of August 20, 1949, Peng Dehuai's field army troops invaded Lanzhou. This is a well-trained and highly powerful team, which is completely different from the Ma Jiajun, the "King of The Earth" stationed in the northwest.
However, in the face of such an enemy whose face was inferior to that of the Communist Party, Peng Dehuai repeatedly reminded the besieging troops:
"Ma Bufang and Ma Jiyuan are all extremely reactionary guys, they are like red-eyed gamblers who have lost their bets and bet the last bit of their bets on Lanzhou." The Ma army used to fight back, and should not be careless with the enemy. ”
Yes, it is precisely because Lanzhou is regarded as their own inherent land that the reactionaries led by Ma Bufang can run amok here. But their evil deeds will eventually be destroyed by the onslaught of the field army; the people of this land will eventually be victorious and free.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > "digging heart" appears</h1>
Since the beiyang warlord period, the Qinghai region of Gansu has been in the midst of war. Qinghai, with its vast territory and abundant natural resources, is also the main road through Central Asia, and has been competed by warlords of all walks of life since ancient times.
During the kuomintang rule, Qinghai has always been the territory of Ma Jiajun, of which the period of Ma Bufang's reign is the most typical.
Ma Bufang controlled the Qinghai region for decades; during his reign, he allowed his generals to burn, loot, rape women, and commit countless crimes. The local people, who suffered greatly from its harsh rule, had long been looking forward to the liberation of Qinghai by people with lofty ideals.
On August 20, 1949, the First Field Army launched an attack on Lanzhou under the command of Peng Dehuai, and although Ma Bufang resisted, his long-term reactionary rule made him unpopular.
Only 6 days later, the field army marched into Lanzhou and drove away the Ma family army, and Lanzhou, which was regarded as an impregnable city by the Kuomintang, ushered in the liberation. Two months later, our army entered the Jiuquan area and liberated it.
Just as everyone was soaking up the joy of successive victories in the war, the intelligence department of our army detected a bad news. When Huang Zuxun, the commander of the Kuomintang 91st Army, fled Jiuquan, he secretly left behind a female soldier team of 40 people.
This female army is not ordinary, they are all good-looking women of the right age, planning to blend in among the people and find the right time to marry the cadres of our army to dig up intelligence.
After receiving this news, Commander Wang Zhen immediately reported the current situation to Peng Dehuai, and he believed that the female corps must be found and removed as soon as possible to prevent worse things from happening.
Wang Zhen called this female regiment the "Heart Digging Regiment" and assured Peng Dehuai that he would be wiped out within 5 days. With Wang Zhen's assurance, Peng Dehuai temporarily put aside the matter of the "heart digging regiment" and began to consider the whereabouts of the field army after that.
It was close to dusk, the yellow sand on the northwest Gobi Desert was rolling, and the wind was moving between the sand walls, making a whimpering sound. After the daylight disappeared, the nearby houses gradually lit up.
Peng Dehuai looked at the flickering candlelight, and what came to his mind was Huang Zuxun's "desperate survival" move: when the field army entered Jiuquan, Huang Zuxun's thief was not dead, and he ordered people to set fire to the houses and warehouses of the entire city. The citizens saw that there was smoke billowing outside, and they did not dare to go out of the city to escape for their lives, and their hearts could not help but despair.
There are not a few hostile forces like Huang Zuxun, who hide in this yellow land, pretending to be good people, but doing things behind their backs.
Huang Zuxun's act of setting fires in a hurry just shows that he is a thief who is not dead, always thinking of preserving his strength, and should be with Chiang Kai-shek and others, hoping that one day he will be able to achieve a counterattack.
Although everyone understands that hostile forces such as Huang Zuxun will inevitably perish, the actions of these mermaids to break the net still make Peng Dehuai very worried.
In fact, the arrogance of the Kuomintang had long since disappeared in the victory of the War of Resistance, but it was always like Huang Zuxun and the likes who strengthened their faith, which made Peng Dehuai feel deeply troubled.
At the same time, our army is already on the edge of Xinjiang, and recovering Xinjiang has become another major problem at present. When will it be able to enter Xinjiang? Is force needed? All kinds of problems make Peng Dehuai, who is on the front line, think of a thousand thoughts...
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" > arrest "heart digging group"</h1>
By nightfall, most of the homes in the neighborhood had turned off their lights. Peng Dehuai had been busy for a day, and at this time he already felt deeply tired.
He was living in the same room as Zhang Yangwu and the three guards, and while washing his feet, exhaustion invaded his brain, and he involuntarily dozed off. Only when the guards covered him with a blanket did he suddenly wake up.
Peng Dehuai himself was ready to stay up late, but he didn't want others to sleep badly because of him. He said to the guard, "It's not early, so go and rest." ”
He happened to have information about Xinjiang sent by Zhang Yangwu, and Peng Dehuai waved the information to him and said, "You sleep, I'll see it again." ”
When the data was fascinating, a loud noise pulled him out of the text, only to hear that the earthen walls around him seemed to be being beaten fiercely. Peng De said badly, and immediately got up from the bed, he casually put on a piece of clothing, and looked out along the gap in the window.
However, outside the window is still the endless yellow sand, and the desolate appearance makes Peng Dehuai suspicious. He immediately woke up the guards, and the two men picked up their guns and headed straight out the door.
Zhang Yangwu was also awakened by this strange sound, but unlike the two, he seemed more cautious. Afraid that there were really some traps laid by the enemy outside, he stopped the two men and said, "This place has just been liberated, and it is not safe for soldiers to panic and horses..."
Peng Dehuai insisted on going out, but Zhang Yangwu could not stop him. At this time, there was really a knock outside the door, and the sound of the banging interrupted the dispute between the two.
"Who?!" The guard asked. "Me, open the door." The person who came was Wang Zhen, "I guess I startled you, thinking it was an enemy situation." It's the wind, the wind on the Gobi Desert... I forgot to tell you last night, the wind on the Gobi Desert is very fierce, flying sand and stones, and the noise is not peaceful! ”
After explaining for a while, Peng Dehuai learned that this was a unique "view" on the Gobi Desert.
Because of the quiet of the night, the wind would occasionally pass through the rugged rocks and gravel, rubbing against the air and making strange sounds. Peng Dehuai had never been to the Gobi Desert on the ground before, and had never seen such a situation before he would be frightened.
The mystery was finally solved, the atmosphere gradually relaxed, and Wang Zhen's face also showed a smile. Knowing that Peng Dehuai was very concerned about the "heart digging group", he immediately reported to the former on the latest progress of the pursuit operation: thirty-seven people in the "heart digging group" have been found and arrested, but three people are still missing. ”
Wang Zhen said: "Before six o'clock, I will definitely catch them all!" ”
Peng Dehuai nodded while laughing: "You are very busy, for the windy things, do you need your wang beard to run a trip personally?" Just let the guards give a briefing. "You Peng are always disturbed, and I Wang Zhen should apologize to your face." "Hurry up and get your go!"
Peng Dehuai said to him, he looked at the watch, the pointer has exceeded the position of four o'clock.
He pointed to his watch and said to Wang Zhen, "After four o'clock, you can catch the enemy all night, and I will be happy all night without sleeping!" The two did not talk much more, Wang Zhen and the guards went on their mission, and Peng Dehuai also returned to the house to continue to read the Xinjiang materials.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > ready to enter Xinjiang</h1>
With the sound of the fierce wind, Peng Dehuai gradually fell asleep, but this dreamland is not sweet. It seemed that in his dream, he could also hear the strange sounds floating on the Gobi Desert, like crying, and like roaring, everything sounded so real and frightening.
In the intermittent sleep, Peng Dehuai ushered in the early morning. He saw the houses standing on the high slopes of the loess soil in the morning sun, and was surprised that they were able to survive the destruction of the wind and sand.
As early as late September, before entering Jiuquan, Peng Dehuai had already begun to consider how to arrange for large troops to advance into Xinjiang. Prior to this, the field army had no experience. What they can refer to is the historical data of the ancients' missions to the Western Regions.
Therefore, tang Xuanzang's westward journey to learn the scriptures, Zhang Qian's envoy to the western regions, Ban Chao's town to guard the border pass, and Zuo Zongtang's army into Xinjiang, and other familiar historical events, have become valuable experience of the field army at this moment.
Peng Dehuai simulated over and over again the path these people had taken and the difficulties they might encounter along the way, in order to find a way to deal with it.
On October 5, the First Corps held an oath-taking meeting to march into Xinjiang, and the soldiers shouted "not afraid of all sacrifices, not afraid of all difficulties, march forward courageously, and plant the five-star red flag on the Pamir Plateau", expressing their determination to dare to fight against all hostile forces.
After the Battle of Lanzhou, some Nationalist generals surrendered to the Communists, expressing their reluctance to fight with them anymore.
On the one hand, these generals only wanted a corner of peace, and they were already tired of the life of fighting with each other; on the other hand, they were afraid of the strength of the field army, afraid that after the war with one, their hard-earned family foundation would be destroyed. Peng Dehuai took advantage of this opportunity to expand more than 8,500 troops to the troops.
Among these surrendered generals, the most famous was Tao Zhiyue, who was the main peace faction in the Kuomintang and advocated peace with the communist army.
As early as the eve of the liberation of Lanzhou, he had a saying:
"You are all very clear about the situation in the northwest, after the People's Liberation Army captured Xi'an and Baoji, the situation was like a bamboo, and now the troops are approaching the city of Lanzhou, the nationalist army is falling apart, and the crisis is irreparable. Our Xinjiang troops claim to be 100,000, hanging high above the pass, scattered in defense, unable to support each other, and only striving for peaceful liberation is the only way out. In order to save compatriots of all ethnic groups from the conflagration of war, I am in favor of using the 'Beijing method' and the 'Suiyuan method' to solve the Xinjiang issue. As for the honor and disgrace of personal life and death, it has been put aside, of course, everyone has their own aspirations, and I will never impose my own opinions on others. Where to go, please choose. ”
The cooperation of Tao Zhiyue and others greatly alleviated the difficulty of the field army in recovering Lanzhou and Jiuquan, and also provided assistance to the field army to enter Xinjiang in a certain sense.
At the end of September, Tao Zhiyue and others officially sent a telegram calling for peace to the whole country: "After eight years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, following the civil war, people are suffering and robbing, and they are eager for peace. As the great righteousness of the revolution, the northwestern provinces of our country should urgently make clear their attitude and formally declare that they have severed ties with the Guangzhou government and returned to the people's democratic camp. Before the central people's government is established, it accepts the leadership of the people's revolutionary military committee. I wish to reach you here. ”
Their actions completely infuriated Chiang Kai-shek in the distance, and he immediately announced the dismissal of the main and faction generals headed by Tao Zhiyue, and secretly sent a secret telegram to his cronies: "All sides are trying to protect Xinjiang."
Chiang Kai-shek's side strengthened its defenses at the junction of Gansu and Xinjiang, and also prepared to destroy all towns and villages along the eastern xinjiang highway in Xinjiang, and moved its troops to the southern Xinjiang area to fight a long-term war with the Communists. Such an operation undoubtedly made it more difficult for the field army to liberate Xinjiang.
Also on October 5, the Second Corps held a party committee, at which it issued the Instructions on Preparations for the March into Xinjiang, which gave instructions on the movements of the troops.
Peng Dehuai knew that since entering Gansu, the thinking of some cadres had fluctuated. Some older cadres are not afraid of the harsh environment and difficult conditions they will face in the future, but they are afraid that they will not be able to start a family because of their age. In view of this, Peng Dehuai proposed to rectify the work style and discipline requirements of the troops.
Peng Dehuai also gave a detailed report to the Central Military Commission on the current situation, and in the telegram he mentioned: It is expected to lead the troops into Xinjiang in early October, and Wang Zhen will lead the Second Army and the Sixth Army, and then enter Xinjiang.
He mentioned a detailed plan: "Strive to be stationed in southern and northern Xinjiang by the end of December." Strive to complete the work of receiving and reorganizing the insurgent troops by the end of March 1950. ”
Mao Zedong pointed out: "Tao Zhiyue, Zhao Xiguang, and others are ready to settle a peaceful settlement with us. Xinjiang Chairman Bao Erhan has sent people to the vicinity of Ili (present-day Yining) to negotiate peace, and we have ordered Deng Liqun to lead the radio station in Dihua (Urumqi) within a day, so Xinjiang is no longer a war issue, but a peaceful solution."
In order to smoothly enter Xinjiang, it is not enough to do ideological work for the soldiers. From top to bottom, it is necessary to be well prepared and well-planned.
Peng Dehuai inspected the Second Army, inquired about the current protection of weapons and ammunition, and talked in detail about the protection of oil resources.
He also instructed his subordinate officers to always pay attention to the living needs of local workers and take good care of technical experts and backbones. "They are the pillars of the country, the treasures of the country!" Peng Dehuai said in an unmistakable tone.
Why didn't the Central Military Commission know Peng Dehuai's difficulties? After several telegrams and correspondences, Premier Zhou Enlai personally instructed the relevant departments that the needs of the troops marching into Xinjiang must be met as much as possible.
To this end, a large number of materials were dispatched from all parts of the country to support the troops entering Xinjiang: the northeast region urgently transferred 100,000 leather hats and 35,000 leather coats; the North China Military Region dispatched 120 cars; the Third Field Army and the East China Military Region dispatched 400 cars and formed two automobile regiments. It can be said that the matter of entering Xinjiang has been vigorously assisted by the central authorities and various military regions throughout the country.
The arrangements were in place, the material problem was solved, and the next step was to lead a large army into the mysterious treasure house of Xinjiang. Before leaving, Peng Dehuai had a meeting with Wang Zhen and others to discuss.
Wang Zhen held an optimistic attitude, and his words also revealed positive: "Xinjiang has 1.6 million square kilometers, the land is rich in land, Xinjiang's 'fine wool' and 'Ili horse' are well-known throughout the country, rich in mineral resources, there are oil, coal, iron, gold, jade, manganese, titanium, magnesium, copper, lead, zinc, rich in melons and fruits, commonly known as the three treasures of Xinjiang: 'Turpan grapes, Hami melons, Kucha girl a flower!'" ’”
Peng Dehuai was still unable to suppress his inner anxiety, and he was worried: "Before entering Xinjiang, we still have to solve the problem of eating and working hard, we must walk to Xinjiang by our feet, along the way is the Great Gobi and the Great Desert, we must be prepared to be frozen, and we must be prepared to be thirsty..."
After several exchanges between the two, Peng Dehuai's confidence doubled, he patted Wang Zhen's shoulder and said: "In the past, we used our feet to win the enemy's car and ran out of victory; today, we still have to use our feet to win the wind and sand, run away from hunger, and run out of new victories!" ”
Peng Dehuai's ambitious words inspired everyone present, and everyone's nervousness about the trip to Xinjiang was slightly alleviated. After dinner that day, Peng Dehuai also wanted to work with local officials and democrats to discuss the major construction of the northwest.
However, Wang Zhen knew his intentions early and immediately stepped forward to dissuade him. Peng Dehuai was worried on the way from Lanzhou to Jiuquan, and he still could not rest after arriving in Jiuquan; in order to deploy troops and deal with the "heart digging group" at the same time, Peng Dehuai almost did not sleep all night.
All these things were looked at by Wang Zhen, and he only wanted to let this comrade-in-arms rest well. But Peng Dehuai only took his friendship in his heart, and he said, "If you don't do work, what is the use of your life!" ", work until three o'clock in the morning to sleep.
If it were not for the advance of the Chinese Communist Party into the northwestern Gobi, the people here would still be in deep trouble; the Officers of the Kuomintang had fought for this fertile land several times, but no one had ever put himself in the position of the people.
This is the stark contrast between the rival faction of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Peng Dehuai, Wang Zhen, and others came to the northwest, and they were greeted by devastation and shattered rivers and mountains, but this group of courageous and meticulous Communists had the energy and courage, and they could always create miracles in desperate situations.