Zhang Aiping has a personality of Geng Jie, who is widowed with people, but knows Peng Xuefeng very well.
Peng Xuefeng, born in Qilizhuang, Zhenping County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, is 3 years older than Zhang Aiping.
When the two met in the Central Soviet Region, Peng was the backbone of the Red Third Army, successively serving as the political commissar of the Sixth Division, the Second Division, and the Fourth Division, while Zhang was the secretary general of the Central Bureau of the Young Communist Soviet District and the chief of the Central Corps of the Young Pioneers.
At the beginning of the Long March, Peng served as the commander and political commissar of the first echelon of the Central Military Commission, the director of the first bureau (operations) of the Central Military Commission, the commander of the Fifth Division of the Red Third Army, and Zhang served as the director of the Political Department of the Red Fourth Division of the Red Third Army. Peng Xuefeng's seniority is higher than Zhang's, and his ability is very strong, which is even admired by Zhang Aiping.
In February 1935, the Red Army was reorganized in Tashi, Yunnan, and the Red Third Army cancelled the division's name, and the regiment directly under the command of the regiment, Peng served as the commander of the Red Thirteenth Regiment, and Zhang served as the political commissar of the Red Eleventh Regiment. In June of the same year, after crossing the Dadu River, Zhang Tiao's 13th Regiment served as the political commissar.
Talking about his father's interaction with Peng Xuefeng, Zhang Sheng said:
"Turning over snowy mountains and crossing meadows with Peng Xuefeng can be said to be a life-and-death friendship."
"When he crossed the snowy mountain, he couldn't breathe, and Peng Xuefeng said, Are you sick?" Ride my mule! ...... The two of you pushed me to let go, and finally the wounded rode. ”
At the Red Army University, Peng and Zhang were classmates in the first period, and they had more friendship with each other.
In May 1939, when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered a stalemate, Peng Xuefeng, then commander and political commissar of the guerrilla detachment of the New Fourth Army, presided over the first meeting of the Party, Government and Military Committee of the Yuwan-Anhui Soviet Region to discuss the development direction of the guerrilla detachment.
In the end, Zhang Aiping went to northeast Anhui alone, and soon created an anti-Japanese base area in northeast Anhui, pulling up an anti-Japanese armed force, which made Peng Xuefeng look at him with astonishment.
Of course, Zhang Aiping went east to "start a business", Peng Xuefeng did not sit idly by, and under the instructions of Liu Shaoqi, he lent Zhang Aiping a regiment, which is undoubtedly a charcoal in the snow.
In December of the same year, the guerrilla detachment of the New Fourth Army was renamed the Sixth Detachment of the New Fourth Army, and the armed forces raised by Zhang Aiping were organized into the Fourth General Brigade of the Sixth Detachment, with Peng as the commander of the detachment and Zhang as the commander-in-chief, and they fought side by side against the Japanese army.
In January 1941, the Anhui Incident broke out. In the same month, the Chinese communists decided to rebuild the New Fourth Army headquarters and reorganize the troops of the New Fourth Army, and Peng Xuefeng's department was reorganized into the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army, with Peng as the division commander and political commissar, and Zhang to work in the Third Division.
In April of that year, Peng Xuefeng's troops were besieged by the Kuomintang diehards at the west of Jinpu Road, lost the battle, and were forced to withdraw east to northeast Anhui, and Zhang Aiping was ordered to command 2 brigades to respond.
When Peng Xuefeng saw Zhang Aiping, his first words were: "Fleeing to you." Obviously, he had no regrets about the struggle between the east and the west.
Zhang Aiping said comfortingly, "What is this?" I didn't come here to make you a rear base area! Don't think about it so much, this is the place for you. The two looked at each other and smiled, and walked forward hand in hand.
Subsequently, at the Renhe Assembly meeting summarizing Luxi's stubborn failures, some leaders advocated that Zhang Aiping succeed Peng Xuefeng in leading the Fourth Division, but Zhang resolutely disagreed and defended Peng Xuefeng:
"I'm not in favor of putting the blame on one person. The enemy is so strong, we are so weak, where can we win every battle? Because of a defeat, all the charges are added, what a good joy, do not carry out the instructions of the superior, calculate the general ledger, this is unfair. ”
"Failure is not terrible, it was common in war years, and I have experienced it myself. Peng Xuefeng's attitude is sincere, and I agree with this attitude, not prevaricating, and having the courage to take responsibility. ”
In August 1944, Peng Xuefeng was ordered to return to the Shijinpu Luxi base area, and he was determined to be disgraced, and unfortunately died in Balizhuang, Xiayi County, Henan Province in September.
Zhang Aiping was shocked to hear the bad news, cried bitterly, and wrote a long elegy for Peng Xuefeng, pinning infinite mourning. When paying tribute to Peng Xuefeng's funeral, his long poem was composed and sung by the Dawn Theater Company founded by Peng Xuefeng.
Subsequently, Zhang Aiping took over as the commander of the Fourth Division and the commander of the Huaibei Military Region, and the whole army was reorganized and quickly restored to the Luxi area, ushering in the final victory of the War of Resistance and completing Peng Xuefeng's legacy.
Whenever talking about Peng Xuefeng's sacrifice, Zhang Aiping always sighed with emotion:
"Where you fall, you get up, and Peng Xuefeng is such a person." When we broke up, he said, "Lucy's stronghold, lost my hand, and I will regain it." He's awesome! ”
For the camaraderie of Zhang Aiping and Peng Xuefeng, Zhang Sheng understands it like this:
Father and Peng Xuefeng have many similarities. They are all highly idealistic and enthusiastic men; they are all small intellectuals, well-read, good at poetry and poetry; they are both keen on fighting with real swords and guns, and they also like to delve into military theory.
In terms of temperament, they are all so untamed; even, the styles of the two people's names are so similar, one loves Ping, one snow maple, both with the same elegance and romance. ......
Perhaps it is this similarity that makes them feel sorry for each other emotionally; and in the establishment of merit, they will stubbornly follow their own trajectory, without hesitation.