After returning from the arsenal, Liu Yimin felt excited because he drank some wine, so he asked Tang Xingying to accompany him for a walk in the backyard.

While walking, I thought that penicillin would soon be produced, and the bullets and shells would be reloaded, and the gold mines would be found, and the iron mines, coal mines, and oil fields would just be found to see when the time was right. If nothing else, when the war of resistance against Japanese aggression breaks out in two years' time, the strength of the main forces of the Red Army will be greatly enhanced, and there will be a reliable large rear and a supply of weapons and ammunition.

I was proud in my heart, and I laughed out loud when I thought about it.

Tang Xingying didn't know what Liu Yimin was thinking, but she knew that her sweetheart must be extremely happy, so she reached out to hold Liu Yimin's hand and said, "What do you want?" Look at what makes you happy. ”

Liu Yimin glanced at Tang Xingying and said with a smile: "I'm thinking, will our beautiful Xingying dream of me when they dream at night?" ”

Tang Xingying leaned on Liu Yimin with a sigh. Liu Yimin hurriedly helped her and whispered, "There are soldiers all around. ”

Tang Xingying raised her eyes and looked at the guards and soldiers around her, and said, "Dead man, shame on me!" Then he said, "Let us go back, in case anything happens to you." ”

Liu Yimin nodded, asked Tang Xingying to go back to rest, and returned to the office himself.

After returning to the office, Liu Yimin still couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart, his head was like a horse, thinking about Sun Jiaqi from the pharmaceutical factory for a while, Zeng Zhao for a while, Shen Qianyi for a while, and then thinking about where to get a steelmaking expert and an oil refining expert. Thinking about it, I thought that Yan Xishan on the other side of the river is now building roads, opening mines, and running banks, and he is doing a good job, and I don't know if I can go to him to dig up some engineers and skilled workers.

As soon as he thought of Yan Xishan, Liu Yimin sighed in his heart, and felt that something was wrong.

If you think about it carefully, the current deployment of your Red Seventh Army is too scattered, and the 11th Division led the Second Division to confront the Central Army on the front line of Weinan and Tongguan; The 12th and 13th divisions went out of Tianshui and Pingliang in Gansu, looking like two fists, looking at Ma Jiajun; Feng Dafei's only division guarded Hanzhong, Zhang Hongtao's only third division guarded Tongchuan and Xianyang, Chen Dayong's only fourth division guarded Baoji, and the troops directly under the corps guarded Xi'an. In this way, there is almost no fortification on the Yellow River.

His original arrangement has always been based on the fact that Yan Xishan would not cross the river and advance westward, on the grounds that Yan Xishan was more than capable of defending and not attacking enough. The Jin Sui army was also a force that was good at defense. But what if Yan Xishan crossed the river and headed west? Isn't that Shaanxi opening its arms and letting the Jin Sui army go on a rampage?

Thinking about the history of Yan Xishan, I feel that my judgment is ridiculous. A person who dares to provoke the Central Plains War to win the world, why can't he cross the river and march west? This person can not be underestimated, in the history of the Republic of China, Yan Xishan's status is very important, he is not Zhang Xueliang, nor is he Bai Chongxi, who is not good at military and politics, from fighting with the Beiyang warlords to fighting with Chiang Kai-shek and then confronting with Yu Kou and [***], this person has always been political, economic, and military in battle, and ordinary people only see his three eggs dancing and the philosophy of "China", if you look at it this way, it is really to underestimate Yan Xishan, the intelligent commander.

Would it be so simple for Sun Yat-sen to discuss poetry and philosophy with Tagore on the great events of the North?

Besides, Yan Xishan's thirteen Taibao are all graduates of the Baoding Military Academy, not to mention Yan loyalty, he also has a hand in the military. Especially Fu Zuoyi, who is a famous general. Didn't Fu Zuoyi do the long-distance raid he carried out in history?

Thinking about the huge strength of Yan Xishan's 14 armies, 4 cavalry divisions, and 7 artillery brigades during the Central Plains War, Liu Yimin felt that he was Meng Lang. Although Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army at this time could not be compared with the Central Plains War, there were still four regular armies, one road protection army, three reading brigades, as well as cavalry and artillery, and the army could be expanded at any time. If such an elite force is exhausted and kills the Yellow River, then Shaanxi will face a joint attack by the Central Army, the Jin Sui Army, and the Ma Jiajun.

When the Red Army went on an eastward expedition, it was because it underestimated the combat effectiveness of the Jin Sui Army and returned in vain in the Battle of Duijiuyu. However, during the Liberation War, Yang Dezhi's attack on Yingxian, Chen Geng's Fenxiao Campaign, and the battle for Zhangjiakou all proved the combat effectiveness of the Jin Sui Army. Although he is not afraid of Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army, he can't help but consider the problem of ants biting elephants to death!

Originally, the idea of holding a military parade to deter Yan Xishan should have some effect, but it will definitely not have a decisive effect.

You must know that Chiang Kai-shek is as strong as steel on the [***] issue, and he is the best at winning over political forces from all sides, and he will not use such a huge force as Yan Xishan? I'm afraid that in order to pull Yan Xishan into the chariot, I don't know how much it will cost! Chiang Kai-shek's secret envoy is probably a guest in Yan Xishan's mansion right now!

What will Yan Xishan's next move be? What should I do?

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became, and the alcohol gradually dissipated. Liu Yimin walked out of the office again and walked in the courtyard.

On the night of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the moon was round and large, illuminating the courtyard brightly. It's a pity that the weather is a little cold, otherwise it would really have a bit of a moon-stepping song.

Liu Yimin felt that the moonlight was about to penetrate his heart, cold, as if he wanted to clean every nerve of his own, and his thoughts were also clear.

Yan Xishan must be stopped from participating in the war, otherwise, his Red Seventh Army will be under too much pressure from the enemy. Now it is different from the past, in the past, it was to fight and leave, not considering the issue of defending the territory, and now that it occupies Shaanxi, it is necessary to build it into a solid base area, how can people casually come and toss it? Besides, his purpose was to teach Chiang Kai-shek a lesson, hurt him, and make him stop the civil war and resist in unison, but not to consume all China's strength in the civil war. If they were to fight endlessly with Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan in Shaanxi, it would be estimated that Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan would collapse faster once the army invaded China in an all-out way, and the trouble would be great.

But how can we stop Yan Xishan from crossing the river and heading west?

The current situation of the enemy and us is very clear, in northern Sichuan, [***] led the 31st Army and 33rd Army of the Red 1st and 9th Army Corps and the 4th Front Army to confront Chen Cheng and Xue Yue's Central Army, Deng Xihou and Pan Wenhua's main forces on the South Sichuan Road, of which the Red 31st Army was also responsible for monitoring the main force of Yang Hucheng's 17th Route Army; Peng Dehuai and Xu Xiangqian led the main forces of the Red Third and Fifth Army Corps and the Fourth Front Army to confront the Sichuan Army and the Eastern Sichuan Army and the Northeast Army, and their Red Seventh Army was in the direction of Tongguan with the Central Army, Ankang had the 17th Route Army, the Jinsui Army on the other side of the Yellow River, and the Majia Army at the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu. There are base areas, there is strategic space, but the enemy's encirclement has not been completely broken.

Such a strategic situation is very bad, all the main forces of the Red Army are pinned down by the enemy, if there is a big battle, it will be fought on all sides, not to mention that he is a traverser, even [***] and his comrades-in-arms may not do this. Alas, it would have been nice if Ma Jiajun and Yang Hucheng had been dealt with at that time. If they are solved, not only can this strategic situation be improved, but I am afraid that Yan Xishan's idea of crossing the river and advancing west will be completely dispelled.

It seems that it is necessary to solve the problem of Ma Jiajun before Chiang Kai-shek takes action, so that the rear can be completely stabilized.

If Ma Jiajun succeeds, Yan Xishan will naturally be able to see the change in the strategic situation, and I am afraid that it will not be easily driven by Chiang Kai-shek.

It's just that the timing of solving Ma Jiajun needs to be carefully pondered, and now is the armistice period, and it is impossible for him to take the risk of sabotaging the armistice negotiations to work hard, and the central government will not allow it. It would be nice if Ma Jiajun took the initiative to attack, but unfortunately those guys are not stupid and will not take risks easily.

The only way is to delay the enemy at Tongguan and the Yellow River, concentrate the main force to advance westward, and after solving the Ma Jiajun, then wave the army to the east and return to the east to repel Yan Xishan and the Central Army.

One of the unstable factors in this is Yang Hucheng's department, I don't know if they will move when they hear the wind. For such a unit that has fought bloody battles on the battlefield of resistance in history, it is really impossible for them to do it, and it is best if they can accept the adaptation. But now it seems that the work of the central authorities has not been successful. Yang Hucheng's department is still a variable, and there must be troops to monitor and contain him.

When the soldiers are used, they hate less, and when they really face a big battle, they feel that their Seventh Army is still insufficient. It's ridiculous that when I was in a bad mood a few days ago, I was still thinking about cutting my own military power and dividing the troops. It's just brain water!

Forget it, let's not think about it for now, let's concentrate on completing the cantonment and large-scale military training first, and then talk about it, and when the chairman and them arrive, report to them, they are strategic masters, and they will definitely be able to help themselves.

Thinking of this, Liu Yimin stopped thinking, turned around and went back to rest.

Zhang Qun has had a good time these days.

Zhang Qun's post at this time was the chairman of Hubei Province, but as one of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted cadres, whenever there was a major event, Zhang Qun always undertook some important tasks, such as lobbying Zhang Xueliang to change his banner and being responsible for negotiations. So, when Chiang Kai-shek assigned him the task of negotiating with the Red Army, he accepted the task without hesitation.

Zhang Qun knew Chiang Kai-shek's cards, and his trip north was not so much to negotiate with the Red Army, but to win over Yan Xishan, so that Yan Xishan could concentrate his forces to cross the river and march westward, and together with the Central Army at Tongguan and the Ma Jiajun on the Shaanxi-Gansu border, he would flank the Red Army occupying Shaanxi.

However, Zhang Qun also had his own ideas, and he was also very dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's strategy in his heart. Zhang Qun, who knows Yue Ben very well, knows that he is eyeing him and is constantly stirring up trouble. It would be unwise to concentrate forces to fight the Red Army at this time. However, Chiang Kai-shek's orders could not be disobeyed, and he could only act according to them.

Fortunately, this trip has lived up to the trust, and looking at Yan Xishan's appearance, he has already been tempted. Jokes, Executive Premier, Minister of Defense, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, which position is not exciting? Especially the Executive Yuan, he hasn't even been a committee member yet, and Wang Jingwei is doing a good job! It's ridiculous that Wang Jingwei never dreamed that he was still giving orders vividly, and he had already sold him as a bargaining chip. This is politics, the politics that makes so many men intoxicated!

Zhang Qun, who felt that the big event was decided, was in a good mood, and took his staff to enjoy it in Taiyuan for a few days, and visited the Jin Temple and other famous places in Shanxi, and then asked to visit Yan Xishan again and let Yan Xishan express his position.

Unlike Zhang Qun's feelings, Yan Xishan was still in contradiction at this time, and the opinions of his generals were not unanimous. It was not that everyone was unwilling to fight the Red Army, but they were confused by the fact that He Jian was deflated, Xue Yue was damaged, and Hu Zongnan was annihilated. If you cross the river to join the war, everyone will be happy if you win, but what if you lose? The chairman's family has a big business, and it is nothing to lose a few people, but the current Jin army is not the Jin army during the Central Plains War a few years ago, where can it afford to lose!

Besides, the current Red Army is not what it was when it was encircled and suppressed in Jiangxi, its strength is much stronger than before, and after a great victory, its morale is high. It was really not a good time to go and fight the Red Army at this time.

However, if we do not cooperate with the Central Army to defeat the Red Army at this time and let them gain a firm foothold in Shaanxi, I am afraid that there will be no chance to defeat the Red Army again. The Red Army is not a warlord and is willing to stick to one place, but they have the world in mind, and if they don't fight them today, they may come to Shanxi tomorrow to develop. When the time comes, whether the Jin army alone can stop the Red Army, then only God knows. Besides, Chiang Kai-shek's conditions are really very tempting, and the positions of the Executive Yuan and Minister of National Defense are not arbitrary, not to mention that they only ask about Shanxi affairs! As for the deputy commander-in-chief, Yan Xishan doesn't want to, and his subordinates don't want to, it's not that he hasn't done it, that position is dispensable, it's easy to say anything if he has strength, and nothing if he doesn't have strength.

However, Chiang Kai-shek is unreliable, what he says never counts, Wang Jialie in Guizhou is a lesson from the past, and he will take advantage of the situation to enter Shanxi after destroying the Red Army. At that time, not only did the benefits not be reaped, but they were set on fire.

When Zhang Qun asked to see him, it was when Yan Xishan was worried.

As soon as he heard that Zhang Qun had arrived, Yan Xishan didn't want to lose his courtesy, so he hurriedly greeted him. The two of them exchanged pleasantries, put their arms in, and sat down in the living room.

Yan Xishan first asked Zhang Qun how he was playing in Taiyuan, and whether he could get used to eating and drinking.

Zhang Qun said: "Taiyuan is really a good place, no wonder Li Yuan and his son were able to start from this and sweep the world. Especially the Jin Ancestral Hall, Zhou Bai Hanhuai, Song Dynasty painting, difficult old spring water, make people nostalgic and forgetful. Fortunately, the weather is not right now, if it is spring, I am afraid that I want to live in the Jin Temple permanently, and I will not miss it. As for the diet, I am a Sichuan person, with a heavy taste, and I can adapt to the diet of the world. ”

Yan Xishan laughed and said, "Yue Jun, I won't call you chairman anymore, who let the two of us fall in love like this?" Let me tell you, when it is spring, on both sides of the Fen River, peach red and willow green, bring a can of apricot blossom old wine, enjoy playing along the river, watch the children of Shanxi working in the countryside, listen to the folk songs and songs, and the shepherd boy willow flute, that is the real pleasure! ”

Zhang Qun also stroked his palms and laughed: "Isn't that 'Mo Chun, the spring clothes are completed, there are five or six champions, six or seven children, bathing in Yi, dancing in the wind, and returning with a song." 'Artistic conception? Brother Baichuan is so interested! ”

Yan Xishan said excitedly: "Those who know me, Yue Jun also!" ”

Zhang Qun didn't want to talk about poetry and lyricism like this, so he said as soon as the topic changed: "Brother Baichuan, it's a pity that now is not the time for us to enjoy the idyllic scenery and release the cranes!" This is said that I am eyeing the tiger, and there is a possibility of trouble at any time. The red bandits also conquered the two famous cities of Chengdu and Xi'an, and they were arrogant. The state is difficult! ”

Yan Xishan frowned, this guy can't wait, is it a big mess! said slowly: "Yue Jun, I have been so restless recently, can't I see it?" Can't we concentrate our forces and energies on resisting the war? ”

Zhang Qunxin smiled, this old fox, at this time, you still tell me this, don't you know the policy of the commission to be outside the country and the inside, what are you giving Lao Tzu a daze? He said: "Brother Baichuan, the spirit of the commission is to exterminate the red bandits as soon as possible, stabilize the country, and then resist with the strength of the whole country." This method is also a way to cure the root cause, you are the father of the party-state, and you are clear about these policies. ”

Yan Xishan pondered for a moment and said, "Yue Jun, the problem is that this red bandit is not easy to fight!" Thinking about He Jian's three divisions, Xue Yue's 40,000 people, and Hu Zongnan's first division, it's terrifying! Instead of fighting them, let them go and fight against the Yue army. Wouldn't it be better to destroy them by the hand of the army? ”

Zhang Qun said: "Brother Baichuan, it's not that I haven't thought about this method, the problem is that [***] is extremely cunning, and he will not fight hard with the Yue army." What I'm afraid of is that he doesn't go to fight himself, but comes to Shanxi to grab land. In that case, with Shaanxi and Shanxi, it will become a prairie fire, and I am afraid that there will be no way to take them in the future. ”

Yan Xishan smiled: "Is this Shanxi where he wants to come?" How can my Sanjin children get along well, if he doesn't come, if he comes, he will definitely let him flee from the dust. ”

Zhang Qun stroked his palms and laughed: "Brother Baichuan said well, this is what the chairman wants." However, instead of letting them get rid of them when they poisoned Shanxi, it was better to gather and annihilate them in Shaanxi. It's better to fight this war on someone else's territory. What does Brother Baichuan think? ”

Yan Xishan said: "That's what I said, but things are not so simple. Now our army is on the defensive on all fronts, and the red bandits are aggressive. At this time, the most important thing is to defend the line of defense, and don't let the red bandits take advantage of the loopholes. ”

Zhang Qun smiled: "Brother Baichuan, the reason why our army is on the defensive is because the commission has to adjust its deployment. I came to negotiate with the Red Bandits this time, first, to find out their truth and truth, and second, just the two of us, you are the national leader, so I will not hide it from you, that is, to use the means of negotiation to buy time for the adjustment of the deployment of the commission. Once our army is deployed in place, the red bandits will surely collapse as the million-strong army is pointed at. ”

Yan Xishan thought to himself, isn't it the first time that your commission has encircled and suppressed the Red Army with a million troops, and has you not seen them completely wiped out once? He said, "Yue Jun, your million-strong army is all those troops, let me hear it." ”

Zhang Qun said: "Then I'll show off, Brother Baichuan is not strange." This million-strong army, the commission plan is 200,000 Liu Xiang's troops, and cooperate with Chen Cheng, Xue Yue's 200,000 elites and Zhang Xueliang's troops to attack northern Sichuan; Qinghai, Ningxia and Gansu troops attacked from the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu to Xi'an, Yang Hucheng's troops attacked from Ankang to Xi'an, and the elite of the Central Army was dispatched to break through from the Tongguan line and attack Xi'an; Brother Baichuan's 100,000 elites crossed the river to the west, attacked Xi'an, and commissioned another elite to be the general reserve. Brother Baichuan, in such a situation where the army is gathered and thousands of arrows are fired at once, I think that even if the red bandits have three heads and six arms, I am afraid they will not be able to escape the net! ”

Yan Xishan thought for a while and said, "Yue Jun, with all due respect, the arrangement of the commission seems to be seamless, but in fact, it is full of loopholes. It's hard to say how much combat effectiveness Liu Xiang's Sichuan army has, but Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army is now in ruins, and it will collapse after a defeat, Yang Hucheng is even more unreliable, and the red bandits have occupied his nest, and I haven't seen him fart! Ma Jiajun may still have the strength to fight, but if the red bandits concentrate on solving them, they will not be able to resist at all. At that time, we will only drive the red bandits from Sichuan to Shaanxi, and then from Shaanxi to Gansu. If this is how the commission is deployed, then I'm sorry, my troops can't cross the river and move west, because the river can't come back after the past. ”

Zhang Qun was in a hurry, he couldn't imagine that this old man was so stubborn, so he said: "Brother Baichuan, now the red bandit front is too long, once they fire, their forces will inevitably be concentrated in northern Sichuan, Tongguan, Shaanxi and Gansu borders, and the hinterland of Shaanxi is empty. Isn't the condition of the commission still satisfying Brother Baichuan? ”

Yan Xishan shook his head and said, "It's not that I don't want to make contributions, it's not that I don't want to attack the empty Xi'an. The problem is that it is impossible for your attacking troops in northern Sichuan to attack Shaanxi, and I know the terrain there well, and with the troops replenished by the Sichuan army and Xue Yuegang after being heavily damaged, there is no chance of victory at all. As for Shaanxi, it is now Liu Yimin's troops stationed. This man has unpredictable abilities, and I am afraid that before you conquer Tongguan and Jianmen Pass, his sword will be on the neck of my troops. I can't risk my brothers' heads. ”

Zhang Qun saw that there was no way, so he had to say: "Brother Baichuan, it is a matter of military secrets, I can't tell you in the first place, I will give you a letter now, and the committee also knows that the Sichuan Army and the Northeast Army are not enough to rely on, and it is very likely that the main force of the Central Army assembled in Wuhan and Yichang will secretly join the battle, surprise attack, and the battle will be decided." I won't tell you the specific situation, you can discuss it directly with the commissioner. ”

Only then did Yan Xishan say: "If this is the case, this battle can still be fought." ”

Zhang Qun immediately asked: "Then Brother Baichuan means that I can report to the commission?" ”

Yan Xishan weighed it for a long time and said: "I have begun to rectify and concentrate the troops, and prepare the equipment for crossing the river, as long as the northern Sichuan, Tongguan and Shaanxi-Gansu borders are opened, our army can cross the river and march westward, directly towards Xi'an, and divide the red bandit defense line." ”

Zhang Qun was overjoyed and said: "Brother Baichuan, when the Shaanxi Red Bandits are resolved, I will give you a pick-up in Nanjing and welcome you to be promoted." ”

Yan Xishan said happily: "Yue Jun is polite, don't talk about that matter for the time being, it seems that I sent troops just to be an official." It's not good, let's talk about it! ”

In this way, Zhang Qun, who was full of joy, said goodbye to Yan Xishan and rushed to Xi'an with his staff.

On the morning of the twenty-third day of the first lunar month, that is, on the morning of February 26 of the Gregorian calendar, Zhu De led the central column to Xi'an.

Along the way, seeing that all the units of the Red Seventh Army were engaged in large-scale training and reclamation, [***] and others were very excited, feeling that Liu Yimin was grasping training with one hand and training with the other, and walked in front of the whole army.

After arriving in Xi'an, [***] did not care about resting, and directly convened a meeting of the Politburo to listen to Zhou Enlai's report on the preparations for negotiations with the Kuomintang, Zhang Wentian's report on the preparations for the construction of Shaanxi's anti-Ming cooking political axe, and Liu Yimin's report on the situation of the occupation of Shaanxi.

After the report, Liu Yimin made a special report to the Politburo on the construction of the arsenal, the construction of the pharmaceutical factory, and the gold mining plan, and explained that in order to prevent the Kou from taking Shaanxi as the focus of the attack because of the robbery of resources, the gold mines and pharmaceutical factories were temporarily under military control and kept strictly secret, and only known to members of the Politburo level.

These news are like a bombshell, making [***], Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Zhang Wentian, and Chen Yun so excited that they want to drink to celebrate. Liu Yimin seized the opportunity to propose that banks be established as soon as possible, currency should be issued, and fiscal taxation should be unified, and he asked the central authorities to organize a delegation to visit the Soviet Union as soon as possible, and asked the Soviet Union to provide support for the armament industry, mines, iron and steel smelting, oil field exploitation, and smelting equipment.

Seeing that several leaders were inexplicably excited, Liu Yimin told Ni Hua again about letting Ni Hua set up a company in the United States, and proposed that the leaders should not be allowed to consider funds, and that he should be approved to implement the plan to raise funds in Pingjin as soon as possible.

Chen Yun said: It is imperative to prepare for the establishment of a bank, and now that the reserves are sufficient, there is no problem in issuing currency. As for steel and oil refining equipment, is there a mine in Shaanxi, don't get it back and trouble if you can't find a mine.

Liu Yimin said with a smile that there is coal, oil, and iron ore in Shaanxi, and it is recorded in the book that oil was found in northern Shaanxi during the Guangxu period, but at that time people did not understand, and it was not called oil. The Seventh Army Corps is responsible for all the prospecting matters, and the central government is responsible for the equipment acquisition.

As for the visit to the Soviet Union, the meeting quickly reached a conclusion, and after the negotiations with the Kuomintang were over, people were sent to set off.

As for going to Pingjin to raise funds, Mr. Zhu said that he was not allowed to go, and if Ni Hua set up a company, he needed money to pay from the seized funds. In the future, if the peace talks with the Kuomintang are successful, we will consider it again.

The meeting decided to take the lead in Zhang Wentian and Chen Yun to study and formulate land reform policies as soon as possible and implement land reform in Shaanxi. Zhou Enlai [***] was in charge of negotiations with the Kuomintang. Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De studied the current military situation to prevent the Kuomintang from using negotiations to launch an attack on us.

After the meeting, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Liu Bocheng, chief of the General Staff, left Liu Yimin and asked him to analyze the current situation of the enemy in Shaanxi and study countermeasures.

Liu Yimin reported the enemy situation that he had mastered so far and showed the situation of the enemy and us.

[***] asked: "Comrade Liu Yimin, according to what you said, this negotiation has been fruitless?" ”

Liu Yimin replied in the affirmative, and then said: "This negotiation should be a buffer for the enemy and us to adjust their strategic deployments. Chiang Kai-shek needs to redeploy troops, our army needs to train and train troops, and both sides need this buffer, so that the intention to negotiate can be reached quickly. The only drawback is that the armistice order was issued too quickly, if it was a few days late, when we solved the problem of Yang Hucheng and Ma Jiajun, then the next battle would be easy to fight. ”

[***] nodded and said: "This time Chiang Kai-shek fights again, it must be a big fight, and there must be killers." Judging from the current situation, there are two killers, one is Yan Xishan's Jin Sui Army, and the other is the reserve force of the Central Army. Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army must be killed in Shaanxi, attack Xi'an, and cut our army in the direction of Tongguan and our army in the direction of the border between Shaanxi and Gansu, and break each one. The reserve force of the Central Army is likely to be used in northern Sichuan, and when we are inseparable from Xue Yue, Liu Xiang, and Zhang Xueliang, this army will be killed and play a role in deciding the outcome of the battle. Therefore, our army must have strategic reserves. However, there is no such force at the moment. Therefore, the central government planned to hold the key points on the front line in northern Sichuan, and the main force was hidden and waiting, striving to eliminate all the way and defeat Chiang Kai-shek's encirclement and suppression. As for Shaanxi, whether Xi'an can hold it or not depends on the Seventh Army Corps. Big deal, we left Xi'an and continued the Long March. Comrade Liu Yimin, what do you think about this issue? ”

Liu Yimin saw that several leaders were looking at him eagerly, thought for a while, and said: "In order to win this battle, we must solve the problem of Yang Hucheng as soon as possible. Yang Hucheng is relatively progressive, and the equipment of the troops is not good, but the soldiers have strong centripetal force and are brave in battle. We should hurry up and negotiate with him to accept the adaptation. If it really can't be done, they accept his conditions and allow him to be stationed in Ankang and not invade each other. But I have to make it clear to him, if you dare to fish in troubled waters, our army will annihilate it after freeing up its hands. ”

Liu Yimin paused for a moment, looked at several leaders, and saw that no one spoke, so he said: "My idea is this, with the 2nd Division of the Red Army, to block the enemy's central army on the front line of Tongguan, and if necessary, to abandon Tongguan, attack, harass, and delay the enemy's attack; The 3rd Division was attached to the Liu Zhidan Division of the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi to defend the first line of the Yellow River. Concentrate the 11th Division, the 12th Division, the 13th Division, the 1st Division, the 4th Division, and the troops directly under the regiment, secretly move to the Shaanxi-Gansu border, and completely kill the main force of the Ma Jiajun at the first time when Chiang Kai-shek started fighting. Then, without any intention of occupying Gansu for the time being, we will quickly move eastward, and if Yan Xishan crosses the river and advances westward, we will defeat him and drive him back to Shanxi. Later, he confronted the Central Army near Weinan and beat it to the ground. If Yan Xishan does not send troops, we will directly set up an ambush in Weinan to clean up the central army. ”

Liu Bocheng said: "Comrade Liu Yimin, your plan is theoretically feasible, but the question is whether the troops in the Tongguan direction to block the enemy are weak and can resist the Central Army. It was also difficult for the river defense troops to resist the Jin Sui army. If you can't figure it out, you can't stop all the sacrifices of these two troops. ”

[***], Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De also looked at Liu Yimin with questioning eyes.

After returning from the arsenal, Liu Yimin felt excited because he drank some wine, so he asked Tang Xingying to accompany him for a walk in the backyard.

While walking, I thought that penicillin would soon be produced, and the bullets and shells would be reloaded, and the gold mines would be found, and the iron mines, coal mines, and oil fields would just be found to see when the time was right. If nothing else, when the war of resistance against Japanese aggression breaks out in two years' time, the strength of the main forces of the Red Army will be greatly enhanced, and there will be a reliable large rear and a supply of weapons and ammunition.

I was proud in my heart, and I laughed out loud when I thought about it.

Tang Xingying didn't know what Liu Yimin was thinking, but she knew that her sweetheart must be extremely happy, so she reached out to hold Liu Yimin's hand and said, "What do you want?" Look at what makes you happy. ”

Liu Yimin glanced at Tang Xingying and said with a smile: "I'm thinking, will our beautiful Xingying dream of me when they dream at night?" ”

Tang Xingying leaned on Liu Yimin with a sigh. Liu Yimin hurriedly helped her and whispered, "There are soldiers all around. ”

Tang Xingying raised her eyes and looked at the guards and soldiers around her, and said, "Dead man, shame on me!" Then he said, "Let us go back, in case anything happens to you." ”

Liu Yimin nodded, asked Tang Xingying to go back to rest, and returned to the office himself.

After returning to the office, Liu Yimin still couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart, his head was like a horse, thinking about Sun Jiaqi from the pharmaceutical factory for a while, Zeng Zhao for a while, Shen Qianyi for a while, and then thinking about where to get a steelmaking expert and an oil refining expert. Thinking about it, I thought that Yan Xishan on the other side of the river is now building roads, opening mines, and running banks, and he is doing a good job, and I don't know if I can go to him to dig up some engineers and skilled workers.

As soon as he thought of Yan Xishan, Liu Yimin sighed in his heart, and felt that something was wrong.

If you think about it carefully, the current deployment of your Red Seventh Army is too scattered, and the 11th Division led the Second Division to confront the Central Army on the front line of Weinan and Tongguan; The 12th and 13th divisions went out of Tianshui and Pingliang in Gansu, looking like two fists, looking at Ma Jiajun; Feng Dafei's only division guarded Hanzhong, Zhang Hongtao's only third division guarded Tongchuan and Xianyang, Chen Dayong's only fourth division guarded Baoji, and the troops directly under the corps guarded Xi'an. In this way, there is almost no fortification on the Yellow River.

His original arrangement has always been based on the fact that Yan Xishan would not cross the river and advance westward, on the grounds that Yan Xishan was more than capable of defending and not attacking enough. The Jin Sui army was also a force that was good at defense. But what if Yan Xishan crossed the river and headed west? Isn't that Shaanxi opening its arms and letting the Jin Sui army go on a rampage?

Thinking about the history of Yan Xishan, I feel that my judgment is ridiculous. A person who dares to provoke the Central Plains War to win the world, why can't he cross the river and march west? This person can not be underestimated, in the history of the Republic of China, Yan Xishan's status is very important, he is not Zhang Xueliang, nor is he Bai Chongxi, who is not good at military and politics, from fighting with the Beiyang warlords to fighting with Chiang Kai-shek and then confronting with Yu Kou and [***], this person has always been political, economic, and military in battle, and ordinary people only see his three eggs dancing and the philosophy of "China", if you look at it this way, it is really to underestimate Yan Xishan, the intelligent commander.

Would it be so simple for Sun Yat-sen to discuss poetry and philosophy with Tagore on the great events of the North?

Besides, Yan Xishan's thirteen Taibao are all graduates of the Baoding Military Academy, not to mention Yan loyalty, he also has a hand in the military. Especially Fu Zuoyi, who is a famous general. Didn't Fu Zuoyi do the long-distance raid he carried out in history?

Thinking about the huge strength of Yan Xishan's 14 armies, 4 cavalry divisions, and 7 artillery brigades during the Central Plains War, Liu Yimin felt that he was Meng Lang. Although Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army at this time could not be compared with the Central Plains War, there were still four regular armies, one road protection army, three reading brigades, as well as cavalry and artillery, and the army could be expanded at any time. If such an elite force is exhausted and kills the Yellow River, then Shaanxi will face a joint attack by the Central Army, the Jin Sui Army, and the Ma Jiajun.

When the Red Army went on an eastward expedition, it was because it underestimated the combat effectiveness of the Jin Sui Army and returned in vain in the Battle of Duijiuyu. However, during the Liberation War, Yang Dezhi's attack on Yingxian, Chen Geng's Fenxiao Campaign, and the battle for Zhangjiakou all proved the combat effectiveness of the Jin Sui Army. Although he is not afraid of Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army, he can't help but consider the problem of ants biting elephants to death!

Originally, the idea of holding a military parade to deter Yan Xishan should have some effect, but it will definitely not have a decisive effect.

You must know that Chiang Kai-shek is as strong as steel on the [***] issue, and he is the best at winning over political forces from all sides, and he will not use such a huge force as Yan Xishan? I'm afraid that in order to pull Yan Xishan into the chariot, I don't know how much it will cost! Chiang Kai-shek's secret envoy is probably a guest in Yan Xishan's mansion right now!

What will Yan Xishan's next move be? What should I do?

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became, and the alcohol gradually dissipated. Liu Yimin walked out of the office again and walked in the courtyard.

On the night of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the moon was round and large, illuminating the courtyard brightly. It's a pity that the weather is a little cold, otherwise it would really have a bit of a moon-stepping song.

Liu Yimin felt that the moonlight was about to penetrate his heart, cold, as if he wanted to clean every nerve of his own, and his thoughts were also clear.

Yan Xishan must be stopped from participating in the war, otherwise, his Red Seventh Army will be under too much pressure from the enemy. Now it is different from the past, in the past, it was to fight and leave, not considering the issue of defending the territory, and now that it occupies Shaanxi, it is necessary to build it into a solid base area, how can people casually come and toss it? Besides, his purpose was to teach Chiang Kai-shek a lesson, hurt him, and make him stop the civil war and resist in unison, but not to consume all China's strength in the civil war. If they were to fight endlessly with Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan in Shaanxi, it would be estimated that Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan would collapse faster once the army invaded China in an all-out way, and the trouble would be great.

But how can we stop Yan Xishan from crossing the river and heading west?

The current situation of the enemy and us is very clear, in northern Sichuan, [***] led the 31st Army and 33rd Army of the Red 1st and 9th Army Corps and the 4th Front Army to confront Chen Cheng and Xue Yue's Central Army, Deng Xihou and Pan Wenhua's main forces on the South Sichuan Road, of which the Red 31st Army was also responsible for monitoring the main force of Yang Hucheng's 17th Route Army; Peng Dehuai and Xu Xiangqian led the main forces of the Red Third and Fifth Army Corps and the Fourth Front Army to confront the Sichuan Army and the Eastern Sichuan Army and the Northeast Army, and their Red Seventh Army was in the direction of Tongguan with the Central Army, Ankang had the 17th Route Army, the Jinsui Army on the other side of the Yellow River, and the Majia Army at the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu. There are base areas, there is strategic space, but the enemy's encirclement has not been completely broken.

Such a strategic situation is very bad, all the main forces of the Red Army are pinned down by the enemy, if there is a big battle, it will be fought on all sides, not to mention that he is a traverser, even [***] and his comrades-in-arms may not do this. Alas, it would have been nice if Ma Jiajun and Yang Hucheng had been dealt with at that time. If they are solved, not only can this strategic situation be improved, but I am afraid that Yan Xishan's idea of crossing the river and advancing west will be completely dispelled.

It seems that it is necessary to solve the problem of Ma Jiajun before Chiang Kai-shek takes action, so that the rear can be completely stabilized.

If Ma Jiajun succeeds, Yan Xishan will naturally be able to see the change in the strategic situation, and I am afraid that it will not be easily driven by Chiang Kai-shek.

It's just that the timing of solving Ma Jiajun needs to be carefully pondered, and now is the armistice period, and it is impossible for him to take the risk of sabotaging the armistice negotiations to work hard, and the central government will not allow it. It would be nice if Ma Jiajun took the initiative to attack, but unfortunately those guys are not stupid and will not take risks easily.

The only way is to delay the enemy at Tongguan and the Yellow River, concentrate the main force to advance westward, and after solving the Ma Jiajun, then wave the army to the east and return to the east to repel Yan Xishan and the Central Army.

One of the unstable factors in this is Yang Hucheng's department, I don't know if they will move when they hear the wind. For such a unit that has fought bloody battles on the battlefield of resistance in history, it is really impossible for them to do it, and it is best if they can accept the adaptation. But now it seems that the work of the central authorities has not been successful. Yang Hucheng's department is still a variable, and there must be troops to monitor and contain him.

When the soldiers are used, they hate less, and when they really face a big battle, they feel that their Seventh Army is still insufficient. It's ridiculous that when I was in a bad mood a few days ago, I was still thinking about cutting my own military power and dividing the troops. It's just brain water!

Forget it, let's not think about it for now, let's concentrate on completing the cantonment and large-scale military training first, and then talk about it, and when the chairman and them arrive, report to them, they are strategic masters, and they will definitely be able to help themselves.

Thinking of this, Liu Yimin stopped thinking, turned around and went back to rest.

Zhang Qun has had a good time these days.

Zhang Qun's post at this time was the chairman of Hubei Province, but as one of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted cadres, whenever there was a major event, Zhang Qun always undertook some important tasks, such as lobbying Zhang Xueliang to change his banner and being responsible for negotiations. So, when Chiang Kai-shek assigned him the task of negotiating with the Red Army, he accepted the task without hesitation.

Zhang Qun knew Chiang Kai-shek's cards, and his trip north was not so much to negotiate with the Red Army, but to win over Yan Xishan, so that Yan Xishan could concentrate his forces to cross the river and march westward, and together with the Central Army at Tongguan and the Ma Jiajun on the Shaanxi-Gansu border, he would flank the Red Army occupying Shaanxi.

However, Zhang Qun also had his own ideas, and he was also very dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's strategy in his heart. Zhang Qun, who knows Yue Ben very well, knows that he is eyeing him and is constantly stirring up trouble. It would be unwise to concentrate forces to fight the Red Army at this time. However, Chiang Kai-shek's orders could not be disobeyed, and he could only act according to them.

Fortunately, this trip has lived up to the trust, and looking at Yan Xishan's appearance, he has already been tempted. Jokes, Executive Premier, Minister of Defense, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, which position is not exciting? Especially the Executive Yuan, he hasn't even been a committee member yet, and Wang Jingwei is doing a good job! It's ridiculous that Wang Jingwei never dreamed that he was still giving orders vividly, and he had already sold him as a bargaining chip. This is politics, the politics that makes so many men intoxicated!

Zhang Qun, who felt that the big event was decided, was in a good mood, and took his staff to enjoy it in Taiyuan for a few days, and visited the Jin Temple and other famous places in Shanxi, and then asked to visit Yan Xishan again and let Yan Xishan express his position.

Unlike Zhang Qun's feelings, Yan Xishan was still in contradiction at this time, and the opinions of his generals were not unanimous. It was not that everyone was unwilling to fight the Red Army, but they were confused by the fact that He Jian was deflated, Xue Yue was damaged, and Hu Zongnan was annihilated. If you cross the river to join the war, everyone will be happy if you win, but what if you lose? The chairman's family has a big business, and it is nothing to lose a few people, but the current Jin army is not the Jin army during the Central Plains War a few years ago, where can it afford to lose!

Besides, the current Red Army is not what it was when it was encircled and suppressed in Jiangxi, its strength is much stronger than before, and after a great victory, its morale is high. It was really not a good time to go and fight the Red Army at this time.

However, if we do not cooperate with the Central Army to defeat the Red Army at this time and let them gain a firm foothold in Shaanxi, I am afraid that there will be no chance to defeat the Red Army again. The Red Army is not a warlord and is willing to stick to one place, but they have the world in mind, and if they don't fight them today, they may come to Shanxi tomorrow to develop. When the time comes, whether the Jin army alone can stop the Red Army, then only God knows. Besides, Chiang Kai-shek's conditions are really very tempting, and the positions of the Executive Yuan and Minister of National Defense are not arbitrary, not to mention that they only ask about Shanxi affairs! As for the deputy commander-in-chief, Yan Xishan doesn't want to, and his subordinates don't want to, it's not that he hasn't done it, that position is dispensable, it's easy to say anything if he has strength, and nothing if he doesn't have strength.

However, Chiang Kai-shek is unreliable, what he says never counts, Wang Jialie in Guizhou is a lesson from the past, and he will take advantage of the situation to enter Shanxi after destroying the Red Army. At that time, not only did the benefits not be reaped, but they were set on fire.

When Zhang Qun asked to see him, it was when Yan Xishan was worried.

As soon as he heard that Zhang Qun had arrived, Yan Xishan didn't want to lose his courtesy, so he hurriedly greeted him. The two of them exchanged pleasantries, put their arms in, and sat down in the living room.

Yan Xishan first asked Zhang Qun how he was playing in Taiyuan, and whether he could get used to eating and drinking.

Zhang Qun said: "Taiyuan is really a good place, no wonder Li Yuan and his son were able to start from this and sweep the world. Especially the Jin Ancestral Hall, Zhou Bai Hanhuai, Song Dynasty painting, difficult old spring water, make people nostalgic and forgetful. Fortunately, the weather is not right now, if it is spring, I am afraid that I want to live in the Jin Temple permanently, and I will not miss it. As for the diet, I am a Sichuan person, with a heavy taste, and I can adapt to the diet of the world. ”

Yan Xishan laughed and said, "Yue Jun, I won't call you chairman anymore, who let the two of us fall in love like this?" Let me tell you, when it is spring, on both sides of the Fen River, peach red and willow green, bring a can of apricot blossom old wine, enjoy playing along the river, watch the children of Shanxi working in the countryside, listen to the folk songs and songs, and the shepherd boy willow flute, that is the real pleasure! ”

Zhang Qun also stroked his palms and laughed: "Isn't that 'Mo Chun, the spring clothes are completed, there are five or six champions, six or seven children, bathing in Yi, dancing in the wind, and returning with a song." 'Artistic conception? Brother Baichuan is so interested! ”

Yan Xishan said excitedly: "Those who know me, Yue Jun also!" ”

Zhang Qun didn't want to talk about poetry and lyricism like this, so he said as soon as the topic changed: "Brother Baichuan, it's a pity that now is not the time for us to enjoy the idyllic scenery and release the cranes!" This is said that I am eyeing the tiger, and there is a possibility of trouble at any time. The red bandits also conquered the two famous cities of Chengdu and Xi'an, and they were arrogant. The state is difficult! ”

Yan Xishan frowned, this guy can't wait, is it a big mess! said slowly: "Yue Jun, I have been so restless recently, can't I see it?" Can't we concentrate our forces and energies on resisting the war? ”

Zhang Qunxin smiled, this old fox, at this time, you still tell me this, don't you know the policy of the commission to be outside the country and the inside, what are you giving Lao Tzu a daze? He said: "Brother Baichuan, the spirit of the commission is to exterminate the red bandits as soon as possible, stabilize the country, and then resist with the strength of the whole country." This method is also a way to cure the root cause, you are the father of the party-state, and you are clear about these policies. ”

Yan Xishan pondered for a moment and said, "Yue Jun, the problem is that this red bandit is not easy to fight!" Thinking about He Jian's three divisions, Xue Yue's 40,000 people, and Hu Zongnan's first division, it's terrifying! Instead of fighting them, let them go and fight against the Yue army. Wouldn't it be better to destroy them by the hand of the army? ”

Zhang Qun said: "Brother Baichuan, it's not that I haven't thought about this method, the problem is that [***] is extremely cunning, and he will not fight hard with the Yue army." What I'm afraid of is that he doesn't go to fight himself, but comes to Shanxi to grab land. In that case, with Shaanxi and Shanxi, it will become a prairie fire, and I am afraid that there will be no way to take them in the future. ”

Yan Xishan smiled: "Is this Shanxi where he wants to come?" How can my Sanjin children get along well, if he doesn't come, if he comes, he will definitely let him flee from the dust. ”

Zhang Qun stroked his palms and laughed: "Brother Baichuan said well, this is what the chairman wants." However, instead of letting them get rid of them when they poisoned Shanxi, it was better to gather and annihilate them in Shaanxi. It's better to fight this war on someone else's territory. What does Brother Baichuan think? ”

Yan Xishan said: "That's what I said, but things are not so simple. Now our army is on the defensive on all fronts, and the red bandits are aggressive. At this time, the most important thing is to defend the line of defense, and don't let the red bandits take advantage of the loopholes. ”

Zhang Qun smiled: "Brother Baichuan, the reason why our army is on the defensive is because the commission has to adjust its deployment. I came to negotiate with the Red Bandits this time, first, to find out their truth and truth, and second, just the two of us, you are the national leader, so I will not hide it from you, that is, to use the means of negotiation to buy time for the adjustment of the deployment of the commission. Once our army is deployed in place, the red bandits will surely collapse as the million-strong army is pointed at. ”

Yan Xishan thought to himself, isn't it the first time that your commission has encircled and suppressed the Red Army with a million troops, and has you not seen them completely wiped out once? He said, "Yue Jun, your million-strong army is all those troops, let me hear it." ”

Zhang Qun said: "Then I'll show off, Brother Baichuan is not strange." This million-strong army, the commission plan is 200,000 Liu Xiang's troops, and cooperate with Chen Cheng, Xue Yue's 200,000 elites and Zhang Xueliang's troops to attack northern Sichuan; Qinghai, Ningxia and Gansu troops attacked from the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu to Xi'an, Yang Hucheng's troops attacked from Ankang to Xi'an, and the elite of the Central Army was dispatched to break through from the Tongguan line and attack Xi'an; Brother Baichuan's 100,000 elites crossed the river to the west, attacked Xi'an, and commissioned another elite to be the general reserve. Brother Baichuan, in such a situation where the army is gathered and thousands of arrows are fired at once, I think that even if the red bandits have three heads and six arms, I am afraid they will not be able to escape the net! ”

Yan Xishan thought for a while and said, "Yue Jun, with all due respect, the arrangement of the commission seems to be seamless, but in fact, it is full of loopholes. It's hard to say how much combat effectiveness Liu Xiang's Sichuan army has, but Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army is now in ruins, and it will collapse after a defeat, Yang Hucheng is even more unreliable, and the red bandits have occupied his nest, and I haven't seen him fart! Ma Jiajun may still have the strength to fight, but if the red bandits concentrate on solving them, they will not be able to resist at all. At that time, we will only drive the red bandits from Sichuan to Shaanxi, and then from Shaanxi to Gansu. If this is how the commission is deployed, then I'm sorry, my troops can't cross the river and move west, because the river can't come back after the past. ”

Zhang Qun was in a hurry, he couldn't imagine that this old man was so stubborn, so he said: "Brother Baichuan, now the red bandit front is too long, once they fire, their forces will inevitably be concentrated in northern Sichuan, Tongguan, Shaanxi and Gansu borders, and the hinterland of Shaanxi is empty. Isn't the condition of the commission still satisfying Brother Baichuan? ”

Yan Xishan shook his head and said, "It's not that I don't want to make contributions, it's not that I don't want to attack the empty Xi'an. The problem is that it is impossible for your attacking troops in northern Sichuan to attack Shaanxi, and I know the terrain there well, and with the troops replenished by the Sichuan army and Xue Yuegang after being heavily damaged, there is no chance of victory at all. As for Shaanxi, it is now Liu Yimin's troops stationed. This man has unpredictable abilities, and I am afraid that before you conquer Tongguan and Jianmen Pass, his sword will be on the neck of my troops. I can't risk my brothers' heads. ”

Zhang Qun saw that there was no way, so he had to say: "Brother Baichuan, it is a matter of military secrets, I can't tell you in the first place, I will give you a letter now, and the committee also knows that the Sichuan Army and the Northeast Army are not enough to rely on, and it is very likely that the main force of the Central Army assembled in Wuhan and Yichang will secretly join the battle, surprise attack, and the battle will be decided." I won't tell you the specific situation, you can discuss it directly with the commissioner. ”

Only then did Yan Xishan say: "If this is the case, this battle can still be fought." ”

Zhang Qun immediately asked: "Then Brother Baichuan means that I can report to the commission?" ”

Yan Xishan weighed it for a long time and said: "I have begun to rectify and concentrate the troops, and prepare the equipment for crossing the river, as long as the northern Sichuan, Tongguan and Shaanxi-Gansu borders are opened, our army can cross the river and march westward, directly towards Xi'an, and divide the red bandit defense line." ”

Zhang Qun was overjoyed and said: "Brother Baichuan, when the Shaanxi Red Bandits are resolved, I will give you a pick-up in Nanjing and welcome you to be promoted." ”

Yan Xishan said happily: "Yue Jun is polite, don't talk about that matter for the time being, it seems that I sent troops just to be an official." It's not good, let's talk about it! ”

In this way, Zhang Qun, who was full of joy, said goodbye to Yan Xishan and rushed to Xi'an with his staff.

On the morning of the twenty-third day of the first lunar month, that is, on the morning of February 26 of the Gregorian calendar, Zhu De led the central column to Xi'an.

Along the way, seeing that all the units of the Red Seventh Army were engaged in large-scale training and reclamation, [***] and others were very excited, feeling that Liu Yimin was grasping training with one hand and training with the other, and walked in front of the whole army.

After arriving in Xi'an, [***] did not care about resting, and directly convened a meeting of the Politburo to listen to Zhou Enlai's report on the preparations for negotiations with the Kuomintang, Zhang Wentian's report on the preparations for the construction of Shaanxi's anti-Ming cooking political axe, and Liu Yimin's report on the situation of the occupation of Shaanxi.

After the report, Liu Yimin made a special report to the Politburo on the construction of the arsenal, the construction of the pharmaceutical factory, and the gold mining plan, and explained that in order to prevent the Kou from taking Shaanxi as the focus of the attack because of the robbery of resources, the gold mines and pharmaceutical factories were temporarily under military control and kept strictly secret, and only known to members of the Politburo level.

These news are like a bombshell, making [***], Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Zhang Wentian, and Chen Yun so excited that they want to drink to celebrate. Liu Yimin seized the opportunity to propose that banks be established as soon as possible, currency should be issued, and fiscal taxation should be unified, and he asked the central authorities to organize a delegation to visit the Soviet Union as soon as possible, and asked the Soviet Union to provide support for the armament industry, mines, iron and steel smelting, oil field exploitation, and smelting equipment.

Seeing that several leaders were inexplicably excited, Liu Yimin told Ni Hua again about letting Ni Hua set up a company in the United States, and proposed that the leaders should not be allowed to consider funds, and that he should be approved to implement the plan to raise funds in Pingjin as soon as possible.

Chen Yun said: It is imperative to prepare for the establishment of a bank, and now that the reserves are sufficient, there is no problem in issuing currency. As for steel and oil refining equipment, is there a mine in Shaanxi, don't get it back and trouble if you can't find a mine.

Liu Yimin said with a smile that there is coal, oil, and iron ore in Shaanxi, and it is recorded in the book that oil was found in northern Shaanxi during the Guangxu period, but at that time people did not understand, and it was not called oil. The Seventh Army Corps is responsible for all the prospecting matters, and the central government is responsible for the equipment acquisition.

As for the visit to the Soviet Union, the meeting quickly reached a conclusion, and after the negotiations with the Kuomintang were over, people were sent to set off.

As for going to Pingjin to raise funds, Mr. Zhu said that he was not allowed to go, and if Ni Hua set up a company, he needed money to pay from the seized funds. In the future, if the peace talks with the Kuomintang are successful, we will consider it again.

The meeting decided to take the lead in Zhang Wentian and Chen Yun to study and formulate land reform policies as soon as possible and implement land reform in Shaanxi. Zhou Enlai [***] was in charge of negotiations with the Kuomintang. Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De studied the current military situation to prevent the Kuomintang from using negotiations to launch an attack on us.

After the meeting, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Liu Bocheng, chief of the General Staff, left Liu Yimin and asked him to analyze the current situation of the enemy in Shaanxi and study countermeasures.

Liu Yimin reported the enemy situation that he had mastered so far and showed the situation of the enemy and us.

[***] asked: "Comrade Liu Yimin, according to what you said, this negotiation has been fruitless?" ”

Liu Yimin replied in the affirmative, and then said: "This negotiation should be a buffer for the enemy and us to adjust their strategic deployments. Chiang Kai-shek needs to redeploy troops, our army needs to train and train troops, and both sides need this buffer, so that the intention to negotiate can be reached quickly. The only drawback is that the armistice order was issued too quickly, if it was a few days late, when we solved the problem of Yang Hucheng and Ma Jiajun, then the next battle would be easy to fight. ”

[***] nodded and said: "This time Chiang Kai-shek fights again, it must be a big fight, and there must be killers." Judging from the current situation, there are two killers, one is Yan Xishan's Jin Sui Army, and the other is the reserve force of the Central Army. Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army must be killed in Shaanxi, attack Xi'an, and cut our army in the direction of Tongguan and our army in the direction of the border between Shaanxi and Gansu, and break each one. The reserve force of the Central Army is likely to be used in northern Sichuan, and when we are inseparable from Xue Yue, Liu Xiang, and Zhang Xueliang, this army will be killed and play a role in deciding the outcome of the battle. Therefore, our army must have strategic reserves. However, there is no such force at the moment. Therefore, the central government planned to hold the key points on the front line in northern Sichuan, and the main force was hidden and waiting, striving to eliminate all the way and defeat Chiang Kai-shek's encirclement and suppression. As for Shaanxi, whether Xi'an can hold it or not depends on the Seventh Army Corps. Big deal, we left Xi'an and continued the Long March. Comrade Liu Yimin, what do you think about this issue? ”

Liu Yimin saw that several leaders were looking at him eagerly, thought for a while, and said: "In order to win this battle, we must solve the problem of Yang Hucheng as soon as possible. Yang Hucheng is relatively progressive, and the equipment of the troops is not good, but the soldiers have strong centripetal force and are brave in battle. We should hurry up and negotiate with him to accept the adaptation. If it really can't be done, they accept his conditions and allow him to be stationed in Ankang and not invade each other. But I have to make it clear to him, if you dare to fish in troubled waters, our army will annihilate it after freeing up its hands. ”

Liu Yimin paused for a moment, looked at several leaders, and saw that no one spoke, so he said: "My idea is this, with the 2nd Division of the Red Army, to block the enemy's central army on the front line of Tongguan, and if necessary, to abandon Tongguan, attack, harass, and delay the enemy's attack; The 3rd Division was attached to the Liu Zhidan Division of the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi to defend the first line of the Yellow River. Concentrate the 11th Division, the 12th Division, the 13th Division, the 1st Division, the 4th Division, and the troops directly under the regiment, secretly move to the Shaanxi-Gansu border, and completely kill the main force of the Ma Jiajun at the first time when Chiang Kai-shek started fighting. Then, without any intention of occupying Gansu for the time being, we will quickly move eastward, and if Yan Xishan crosses the river and advances westward, we will defeat him and drive him back to Shanxi. Later, he confronted the Central Army near Weinan and beat it to the ground. If Yan Xishan does not send troops, we will directly set up an ambush in Weinan to clean up the central army. ”

Liu Bocheng said: "Comrade Liu Yimin, your plan is theoretically feasible, but the question is whether the troops in the Tongguan direction to block the enemy are weak and can resist the Central Army. It was also difficult for the river defense troops to resist the Jin Sui army. If you can't figure it out, you can't stop all the sacrifices of these two troops. ”

[***], Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De also looked at Liu Yimin with questioning eyes.

(To be continued)