Hearing that Chen Cheng had come to Yichang, Han Xing thought that a war zone-level official had finally arrived, and hurriedly went to meet Chen Cheng.

From a distance, I saw that Chen Cheng's guards had tightly sealed off the city government, and looking at the equipment, it was much stronger than ordinary troops, it was really a brand new uniform, and the weapons were strong, all of which were German-style submachine guns. However, there are not many people, and at most one battalion.

Haven't seen Chen Cheng yet, Han Xing's mind has gone through Chen Cheng first.

Chen Cheng, the word is repaired, and the number is Shisuo. Born on January 4, 1898 in Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province, he successively entered Gaoshi Primary School, Lishui Zhejiang Provincial No. 11 Middle School and Zhejiang Provincial No. 11 Normal School, graduating in 1917.

Chen Cheng went north to seek a job through Hangzhou to join Du Zhiyuan, then a member of the National Assembly, and worked in Beijing with Du Zhiyuan's help. In 1919, Chen Cheng borrowed a diploma from Chuzhou Middle School and impersonated himself to apply for the Baoding Army Military Academy. However, due to poor test scores and short stature, he could not be admitted.

Later, Du Zhiyuan dredged with Wei Zonghan, director of the Military Science Department of the Ministry of War and chief examiner, and entered the eighth artillery department of the Baoding Military Academy in the name of preparing for students. After the outbreak of the Anhui War, the military academy was suspended. He went south to Guangzhou, where he served in the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Division of the newly built Cantonese Army, and joined the Chinese Kuomintang in 1920.

Soon, the Baoding Military Academy resumed classes, and Chen Cheng still returned to the school to continue his studies. After graduating from Baoding Military Academy in 1922, he was assigned to the 2nd Regiment of the 6th Division of Zhejiang as a second lieutenant platoon commander.

In March 1923, Chen Cheng went to Guangdong with Deng Yanda to participate in the revolution, and served as a captain and adjutant in the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Division of the Guangdong Army of the People's Republic of China, headed by Deng, and transferred to the captain company commander to guard the Generalissimo's Mansion. In May, Chen Cheng accompanied Sun Yat-sen to quell the rebellion of Shen Hongying's rebels in Xijiang, and was wounded in the chest.

While he was recuperating and treating his wounds in Zhaoqing Hospital, Chiang Kai-shek, chief of staff of the Generalissimo's battalion, came to the hospital to comfort the wounded. This was Chen Cheng's first contact with Chiang Kai-shek.

In January 1924, Chen Cheng served as the commander of the artillery company; In September, he participated in the Second Eastern Crusade, bombarded Huizhou City, made meritorious contributions, and was promoted to the commander of the Second Artillery Battalion. In June, the Whampoa Military Academy was formally established, and Chen Cheng was invoked by Deng Yanda, deputy director of the school's coaching department, and deputy chief of the student team, and was transferred to the school in September as a special officer for captains (that is, supplementary officers) and served as an adjutant of education.

In the second year, the school set up an artillery department, and because Chen Cheng was born in the artillery department of the Baoding Military Academy, he was reappointed as an instructor of the artillery department and the captain of the artillery team.

In February 1925, the Guangzhou Nationalist Government was appointed commander-in-chief by Xu Zhengzhi and Liao Zhongkai as the party representative to organize the First Eastern Crusade, advance into eastern Guangdong, and sweep away the warlord Chen Jiongming, Chen Cheng was appointed as the captain and company commander of the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the School Artillery.

In mid-February 1925, Chen Cheng's artillery company overwhelmed the rebel firepower in the Battle of Mianhu, turning the tide of the battle into a safe one. In the first battle of Mianhu, the unknown Chen Cheng was appreciated by Chiang Kai-shek and He Yingqin.

In July 1926, the Guangzhou Nationalist Government decided to send troops to the Northern Expedition and formed the General Headquarters of the National Revolutionary Army with Chiang Kai-shek as the commander-in-chief. Chen Cheng served as a lieutenant colonel and staff officer of the General Headquarters of the National Revolutionary Army. In January 1927, the 21st Division arrived in Quzhou, Zhejiang, and served as a mid-route combat mission, fighting fiercely with Sun Chuanfang and Meng Zhaoyue in the areas of Longyou and Lanxi.

Chen Cheng led the 63rd Regiment to cross the river at Langshibu, northwest of Tonglu, and fought hard with the enemy's 3rd Division for several days, suffering huge casualties. Later, he led a special forces team to raid enemy headquarters in the middle of the night. The 21st Division took advantage of the situation to pursue, overcome Xindeng, and then entered Hangzhou, Zhejiang Naiding.

The Northern Expeditionary Army attacked Suzhou and Anhui in three ways. The 21st Division followed the East Route Army to capture Songhu, and Chen Cheng led the 63rd Regiment to capture Wujiang. In March, the 21st Division defeated Sun Chuanfang's main force in the battles of Longyou and Tonglu in Zhejiang, and took Suzhou in one fell swoop, with Chen Cheng's 63rd Regiment contributing the most.

In April, Chen Cheng was appointed deputy commander of the 21st Division. In June, he served as the commander of the 21st Division, and in October, he was dismissed by He Yingqin under the pretext of being dismissed, and was later sponsored to serve as the deputy director of the Military Affairs Department of the Military Commission.

In early 1928, Chiang Kai-shek made a comeback. In April, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Chen Cheng as the commander of the guard of the General Headquarters of the National Revolutionary Army. After Chen Cheng assumed the post of commander of the guards, he vigorously expanded his strength, forming a total of three guard regiments, commanding two artillery regiments, and commanding two military police regiments, which surpassed the strength of one army of the miscellaneous army.

In March 1929, the Chiang-Gui War broke out. Chen Cheng and Luo Zhuoying were responsible for drawing up the battle plan.

In April, by surprise of the enemy, he marched to Hesheng Bridge, cutting off the communication between the Gui system and Hunan and Hubei, causing Wuhan to fall into isolation. At this time, Feng Yuxiang's troops were in the Central Plains. On Chiang Kai-shek's orders, the 11th Division was stationed at strategic locations such as Xiang and Fan in northern Hubei in May.

Soon, the division commander Cao Wanshun was transferred to the commander of the newly formed first division due to mishandling, and Chen Cheng was promoted to division commander. As soon as Chen Cheng took office, he rectified the 11th Division. He openly put forward the conditions for the selection and use of cadres as follows: "not greedy for money, not afraid of death," able to lead troops, able to fight, have no bad habits, be loyal to Chiang Kai-shek, and obey his orders.

He recruited a large number of Huangpu students and used them as middle and lower-level cadres, and eliminated Cao Wanshun's old department. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the overall training of the troops and enhance their combat capability.

In October, Feng Yuxiang's troops left Tongguan and marched into Luoyang. Chiang Kai-shek's troops met in two directions. Chen Cheng was restrained by Liu Zhi, the commander-in-chief of the Second Road, and led the 11th Division to hold Xiangyang and Nanzhang. In the suburbs of Xiangyang, he fought fiercely with Feng's army for two days and defeated Zhang Weixi's troops.

At the beginning of 1930, the 11th Division left for Wuhan. In February, Chen Cheng sent troops to surround the remnants of Cao Wanshun's 66th Regiment stationed in Wuchang, disband them by force, repatriate the officers, and repatriate the soldiers to the regiments under the jurisdiction of the 11th Division.

In April, on the order of Chiang Kai-shek, the 13th Independent Brigade of Xu Shengyu in Hubei was incorporated into the 11th Division, and the 11th Division was expanded from the original two brigades and six regiments to a division of three brigades and nine regiments, and its strength was greatly enhanced.

In May, the Central Plains War broke out. On the 9th, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the whole front to attack. At this time, Chiang Kai-shek's troops, who had attacked Lanfeng and Qixian several times, were resisted by the Jin army relying on strong fortifications, and suffered heavy casualties. Chen Cheng volunteered to use the middle breakthrough tactic in an attempt to open a gap in Yang Guji and then roll into the wings.

But after two days of onslaught, it has not been successful. Subsequently, he cooperated with Jiang Dingwen and Zhao Guantao to advance to the left flank, but was blocked by Sun Liangcheng, Ji Hongchang and other troops from Qixian, and attacked for several days without progress. Later, he made a detour from the south of Qixian County, attempting to attack Kaifeng through Tongxu and Chen Liuqi, but was also resisted by Pang Bingxun, Liang Guanying and other departments, and launched a battle in the area of Weizhai and Chenzhuang.

On June 24, 1930, the position of the 61st Regiment was lost by a night attack by Liang Guanying's troops. The next day, Chen Cheng immediately ordered the brigade commander Li Mo'an to supervise the 61st and 62nd regiments to counterattack, and the fierce battle lasted all day, and the casualties were heavy and could not be captured.

In July, Chen Cheng was ordered by Chiang Kai-shek to lead the 11th Division to the Jinpu Line to participate in the battle against the Jin army. At the end of July, after the general offensive began, he led his troops to defeat the Feng Yuxi Department of the Jin army one after another, and occupied the palace and Loude Town; Defeated Li Shengda's army, occupied Lianhuayu, Huafeng, and Ciyao, fought fiercely against Fu Zuoyi's department, and captured the head of the realm, the White Horse Temple.

Immediately, along the railway line, through Wande, Zhangxia, Gushan, Dangjiazhuang, to Jinan.

On August 15, 1930, after Jiang Guangnai and Cai Tingkai's 61st and 60th Divisions, he entered Jinan. After the recovery of Jinan, the battle on the Jinpu line came to an end, and Chiang Kai-shek rewarded the troops. The 11th Division received a bonus of 20,000 yuan, and Chen Cheng was promoted to commander of the 18th Army, still serving as the commander of the 11th Division.

Chen Cheng was Chinese New Year's Eve at the age of thirty or four, and was known as a "Boy Scout." Late August. Chiang, Feng, and Yan fought a decisive battle in Zhengzhou. Chen Cheng and Xia Douyin, on the orders of Jiang, were organized into a column and served as the striker interspersed with tasks.

On September 6, 1930, the general offensive began. He and Xia Douyin led their troops, targeting Zhengzhou, using cone-shaped tactics to advance northward from the intermediate areas of Xihua, Yanling, Linying, and Xuchang, and boldly carry out interspersed attacks. Xia Shi was blocked from going to the five women's shop. After Chen Cheng occupied Shixiang Town, he attacked the Monk Bridge at night and drilled into Dongjiadian, which was seventy miles deep before and after.

After Ji Hongchang and other troops surrendered to Jiang, Chen Cheng's troops continued to drill into the vicinity of Weichuan and divided the outer positions of Feng's army in Zhengzhou. Chiang Kai-shek immediately ordered all his troops to attack and advance rapidly. At this time, a secret report from Zhengzhou suddenly came: "The enemy will retreat on all fronts." When Xinzheng was still in the enemy's hands, everyone thought that he could not be trusted.

Chen Cheng studied and judged the enemy situation in front of him, and thought that it was not false, so he surpassed Xinzheng and advanced forward as a supervisor.

On October 6, 1930, after Chen Cheng's Xiao Regiment defeated Feng's covering troops at Erligang, he ran into the city from the south gate of Zhengzhou. At this time, it was almost dusk, and Chen Cheng saw that the occupation of Zhengzhou was a foregone conclusion, so he galloped back to the division headquarters and immediately filled in the time and sent a telegram of victory.

At dusk that day, the plainclothes team of Shangguan Yunxiang's 46th Division also searched Zhengzhou East Railway Station, but did not enter the city. Chiang Kai-shek received a telegram from Dayue that the 11th Division would occupy Zhengzhou first, and immediately gave a bonus of 200,000 yuan.

In order to show that he "is not worthy of merit and is not greedy for money," Chen Cheng gave 2 yuan to each officer and soldier with the 100,000 yuan he earned, about 40,000 yuan, and the rest was collected as a provident fund. Later, the "Eighteenth Army Nantong Disabled Military Factory" and "Ji'an Farm" were founded to accommodate disabled soldiers and old and weak soldiers.

In November, Chen Cheng accompanied Chiang Kai-shek to Japan to observe military exercises as a military attaché. They also visited military schools and overseas Chinese circles, which greatly enhanced their political value.

From the winter of 1932 to 1936, Chen Cheng participated in the encirclement and suppression of the Central Red Army and held the main leadership position.

In the spring of 1937, Chen Cheng served as the political secretary of the Ministry of Military Affairs and the deputy director of the Wuhan camp. In April, he invited Zhang Fakui and Huang Qixiang to inspect the terrain along the coasts of Wenzhou and Taizhou. The subordinates asked him that the civil war had stopped, and the country had finally been unified. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party once cooperated in the Northern Expedition, will they be able to cooperate in the War of Resistance in the future?

Chen Cheng replied: "Sooner or later, we will have to resist Japan, but the chairman's political strategy and tactical thinking are not something we can speculate on. We only have to obey orders, and it is not good to speculate. ”

When the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, the Kuomintang government authorities were still undecided, and Chen Cheng thought, "It is better to survive than to die without a fight." He also put forward the strategy of containing the main force of the Japanese army and making the enemy move from east to west and prevent him from moving from north to south.