One day after the founding of the People's Republic of China, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a founding lieutenant general sent someone to visit General Chen Xilian, and Chen Xilian's wife, Wang Xuanmei, said to the guards, if you go and tell the chief, you will say that the chief sent someone to visit the chief.
First of all, I need to explain that Chen Xilian's original wife is called Li Ge, a Shaanxi Mizhi person, they got married in 1942, and the wedding day happened to be Liu Bocheng's 50th birthday. The comrades-in-arms of the good deeds played a riddle and told Master Liu to wish for a birthday and Brigadier Chen to get married.
The mystery is Chongqing. History is such a coincidence, in 1949, chongqing was liberated, Chen Xilian served as the first secretary of the municipal party committee, leading the people of Chongqing, opening a new chapter in history. Unfortunately, Rigg died of illness in 1948.
Under the introduction of the old comrade-in-arms' elder brother Chen Geng, Chen Xilian continued the string, and his new wife was named Wang Xuanmei, who was the sister of Chen Geng's ex-wife Wang Genying. Grandma Wang Xuanmei is still alive and is almost 100 years old.
Wang Xuanmei's words were a bit circumvented, what chief, why didn't Wang Xuanmei directly call the name of the person who came? Because this person's identity is too precious, it is disrespectful to call him by his first name, and he is indeed the old chief of Chen Xilian.
He is Zhan Caifang. Zhan Caifang and Chen Xilian are both from Hong'an, Hubei Province, and they are all from a township, they are both from Gaoqiao Town, and their hometown is very close. Now from Chen Xilian's former residence, drive to Zhan Caifang's former residence, that is, one or twenty minutes.
Zhan Caifang was born in 1907, he is 8 years older than Chen Xilian, that is to say, when Zhan Caifang embarked on the revolutionary road, Chen Xilian was still a doll. There was a revolutionary pioneer in Hong'an, Hubei Province, named Dong Biwu, who participated in the Cpc Congress and was a republican elder.
Coincidentally, Dong Biwu and Zhan Caifang are related, and he is the uncle of Zhan Caifang's brother-in-law. Under the guidance of Dong Biwu, Zhan Caifang came to Wuhan and embarked on the revolutionary road. Then, Zhan Caifang returned to his hometown to propagate revolutionary ideas and develop revolutionary armed forces.
For the sake of safety, Zhan Caifang used his identity as a tailor at the upper door as a cover to publicize the revolution, and Wang Jinshan, who was also born in Gaoqiao Town, followed Zhan Caifang to the revolutionary road. The same is true of Chen Xilian.
Chen Xilian lost his father at an early age, his family was poor, he could not stay at home anymore, and one night, at the age of 14, he secretly ran out and joined the nearby guerrillas. He was received by a chief of staff. The chief of affairs was very enthusiastic, getting food and drink for Chen Xilian, and also took out his own clothes for Chen Xilian to wear.
The leader of this guerrilla group was named Xu Haidong, and later the founding general, the deputy captain was Zhan Caifang. Hearing that a small team member had come, Xu Haidong and Zhan Caifang both came to see Chen Xilian and instructed the chief of affairs to take good care of Chen Xilian.
That was the first time Chen Xilian saw Zhan Caifang. Under the leadership of Xu Haidong and Zhan Caifang, the guerrillas continued to grow and develop. In 1929, the guerrillas were divided into two routes, one led by Xu Haidong into the Xiaogan area, and the other led by Zhan Caifang, to the area of Qiliping in Huang'an.
Chen Xilian followed Zhan Caifang along the way, and they were officially incorporated into the Red Army. By 1931, the Red Fourth Front was proclaimed in Qiliping, with Zhan Caifang serving as the political commissar of the Red 30 Regiment and Chen Xilian serving as the head of the communications squad in the political office of the regiment, and he was Zhan Caifang's old subordinate.
Under the leadership of Zhan Caifang, Chen Xilian participated in the Battle of Huang'an, captured the enemy division commander Zhao Guanying alive, and also participated in the Battle of Shanghuang and the Battle of Sujiabu.
At this time, Zhang Guotao raised the banner of repression in the Red Fourth Front and wantonly killed good party cadres. Unexpectedly, the little squad leader Chen Xilian was also purged, because he and his old comrades-in-arms, as well as some soldiers in the squad, pooled their money to go to the street for breakfast.
At this point, he was characterized as a member of the Eating and Drinking Committee, and the people of the Security Bureau arrested Chen Xilian. Poor Chen Xilian was still a child, and he didn't know what it was to be called a rebellion. If you are killed in this way, you are really a wronged ghost.
After Zhan Caifang heard about this incident, he personally went to the Security Bureau and demanded that Chen Xilian be released. He said, vouching for his party spirit,
Chen Xilian is a poor child who beats a small father, he followed me to do the revolution at the age of 14, I grew up watching, I have been doing guard work under my eyes, and it is by no means a counter-revolutionary.
Zhan Caifang also angrily rebuked the people of the Security Bureau,
You have no evidence, how can you arrest people indiscriminately?
With Zhan Caifang's guarantee and Xu Xiangqian's personal intercession, Chen Xilian saved his life and was released by the Security Bureau. Zhan Caifang was not only Chen Xilian's revolutionary guide, but also his savior.
It was a lifelong friendship.
At the beginning of Chen Xilian's military service, Zhan Caifang served as his chief for a long time. By 1933, the Red Fourth Front army entered Sichuan, expanded from four divisions to four armies, Chen Xilian was incorporated into the 30th Army led by Li Xiannian, and Zhan Caifang successively served as the political commissar of the Red 9 Army and the political commissar of the Red 31 Army, and he and Chen Xilian had no direct affiliation.
With continuous meritorious service, Chen Xilian eventually became a general at the level of a regular division from a battalion-level cadre, while Zhan Caifang was at the military level and the old chief of Chen Xilian.
After the Long March arrived in northern Shaanxi, the central authorities criticized Zhang Guotao's erroneous line, and some of the officers and men of the Red Fourth Front Army caused the "Anti-Great Turmoil" incident, and Zhan Caifang was also implicated and imprisoned. Fortunately, the problem was quickly clarified, and Zhan Caifang was released and returned to work.
However, this affected Zhan Caifang's later promotion to a certain extent. Chen Xilian was not implicated in the "anti-great storm" incident. When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, Chen Xilian served as a regimental commander in the main 129th Division and was promoted to brigade commander in the second year, and his position was promoted quite quickly.
After Zhan Caifang resumed his work, he held the position of captain of the second advance brigade of the Second Branch of the Anti-Japanese University, and it was not until 1940 that he served in the main force as the deputy commander of the Jin-Cha-Ji Third Military Subdistrict, and it was not until 1945 that he became the commander of the Eastern Hebei Military Region.
As the old chief of Chen Xilian, because of that storm, Zhan Caifang was taken in by Chen Xilian. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, zhan Caifang and Chen Xilian both became the commanders of the column, and Zhan Caifang served as the commander of the ninth column in the Northeast Field Army. Chen Xilian served as the commander of the third column in Liu Deng's army.
Chen Xilian's three columns were established early and were veteran columns, and Zhan Caifang's nine columns were established late and were new columns. In terms of troop strength, Zhan Caifang's Ninth Column was established from the very beginning, and the number of them was more than Chen Xilian's Three Columns.
However, Chen Xilian's third column was the main force of Liu Deng's army, while Zhan Caifang's ninth column was ranked in the northeast field army. As far as the national war situation is concerned, Chen Xilian's three verticals have a greater influence.
In 1949, the four major field armies were established, Chen Xilian was promoted to commander of the Third Corps, and Zhan Caifang was only a military commander. The position is lower than that of Chen Xilian. In 1955, Chen Xilian was awarded the founding general, and Zhan Caifang was only a founding lieutenant general.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen Xilian's position was very prominent, whether it was the commander of the large arms or the commander of the large military region, Chen Xilian's work was relatively frequent, and he always held the main post and was the leader. Zhan Caifang has long served as deputy commander of the Guangzhou Military Region.
In his later years, Chen Xilian went to Beijing to serve as vice premier of the State Council, presided over the daily work of the Central Military Commission, and was one of the important leaders of the state and the army. Zhan Caifang was completely surpassed by his old subordinate Chen Xilian.
(Zhan Caifang family portrait)
No matter how high his position and rank were, Chen Xilian always had great respect for Zhan Caifang. This is not only because Zhan Caifang was his revolutionary guide and saved his life, but also because Zhan Caifang's family sacrificed too much for the revolution.
In 1927, the four Zhan Caifang brothers participated in the great jute uprising together, and in the subsequent struggle, his twin brother Zhan Caiyin was brutally killed by the Kuomintang reactionaries, and his eldest brother Zhan Caihua was gouged out of his eyes, cut off his nose and head by the Kuomintang reactionaries, and died even more tragically.
Zhan Caifang's family is a revolutionary family, a family of martyrs, and a family that makes all the Chinese stand in awe. Every time Chen Xilian saw Zhan Caifang, he would trot over, salute a standard military salute, and respectfully shout out the old chief, the old leader.
Their relationship is very good. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhan Caifang sent his own secretary to visit Chen Xilian, so Chen Xilian's wife, Wang Xuanmei, said to the guards,
The chief of the chief sent someone to visit the chief.
Why didn't Zhan Caifang come to see Chen Xilian in person, but instead sent a secretary over? Zhan Caifang was not in good health in his later years, and he was basically bedridden after 1984. During his illness and hospitalization, many old ministers came to visit him, including Chen Xilian, which made Zhan Caifang feel very comforted.
In 1992, Zhan Caifang died of illness at the age of 85. In 1999, Chen Xilian died of illness at the age of 85.