After the Spring Festival, Xi'an is still in peace and tranquility.

In early March, the Seventh Army Corps of the Red Army held its second military technology contest in Xi'an to test the results of its training. This time the method was different from the first time, each division formed a team and went to Xi'an to participate in the competition. The Red 25th Army and the Red 27th Army also organized representative teams and participated in the competition.

After the competition, Liu Yimin directly ordered Zeng Zhao to send the first batch of 3,000 Bayi automatic rifles, 100 Bayi light machine guns, and 60 Bayi rocket launchers to Xi'an to train these backbone personnel in the use of new weapons.

Considering that this was a new type of weapon, which would not be used by cadres and soldiers, Liu Yimin took a day to explore and test the firing, and then asked all the cadets of the Red Army University, the teaching team, and the representative teams of various divisions to participate in the competition, and first talked about the design ideas, technical parameters, and essentials of the new weapon, and then performed automatic rifle and light machine gun shooting, and finally used bazooka to shoot armor-piercing shells, incendiary bombs, and smoke bombs in a lying and standing posture respectively.

After the demonstration, Liu Yimin asked the regimental teaching team to practice first, and then instructed the Red Army University cadets and the divisional teams to practice.

After the cadres and fighters practiced, they quickly fell in love with these three weapons, and many people directly held the guns for practice in their arms and refused to let go. Later, as soon as he heard that Liu Yimin was going to distribute the first batch of weapons to all six veteran backbone battalions and special operations brigades, the cadres of the four reading divisions, cavalry divisions, and units directly under the regiment were unwilling, and regardless of whether there were people or not, they shouted on the spot that the regiment commander was biased. In the end, in addition to the 620 men of the special operations brigade who had one Bayi automatic rifle, Luo Ronghuan was in charge and distributed the remaining 2,380 Bayi automatic rifles evenly according to 340 per division, and even the guard regiment was not assigned one. There were also 7 bazookas per division, the remaining one for training and 14 light machine guns per division. The remaining two field teaching teams are gone.

Seeing that the cadres and soldiers were so fond of new weapons, Liu Yimin had to strictly order Zeng Zhao to work overtime to produce another 6,000 automatic rifles, 200 light machine guns, and 200 rocket launchers by the end of June, and distribute them to all regiments. It is required to speed up the process of imitating field artillery and mountain artillery, and to equip artillery divisions as soon as possible.

By the end of April, Zeng Zhao had delivered 15 75 field guns, 20 75 mountain guns, and 60 75 mortars. Liu Yimin was overjoyed, and combined 15 field guns with the original 8 field guns of the artillery division to form an artillery division field artillery regiment, each field gun was dragged by six horses, and 20 mountain guns were combined with the original 24 mountain guns of the artillery division to form an artillery division mountain artillery regiment, and 60 75 mortars were allocated to 36 artillery divisions, and a medium mortar regiment was formed together with the original two medium mortar battalions. The remaining 24 75 mortars were allocated to the 11th and 12th artillery battalions of the 12th Division. All 60 mortars of the artillery divisions were assigned to the divisions.

At the end of June, the military factory finally produced 7,000 automatic rifles, 240 light machine guns, and 200 rocket launchers. Liu Yimin allocated 1,000 automatic rifles, 40 light machine guns, and 30 bazookas to the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 9th Army Corps and the Red Fourth Front Army, and left 2,000 automatic rifles and 50 bazookas to the Seventh Army Corps.

Liu Yimin distributed these 2,000 automatic rifles to the 11th, 12th, and 13th divisions according to the ratio of 389 to each division, so that the main regiments of the three main divisions could meet the standard of three automatic rifles per infantry squad, and the remaining 833 were allocated 400 to the cavalry division, 233 to the guard regiment, 100 to the engineer regiment, 60 to the baggage regiment, and 40 to the infantry battalion of the artillery division. The 50 bazookas are 15 in each of the three main divisions, and the remaining five are used by the traffic police guards.

After the handover of these new weapons, Liu Yimin ordered the military factory to suspend the production of guns and artillery, and concentrate on the production of ammunition, mines, and explosives packages.

This summer, Shaanxi province has achieved another bumper harvest. When there is food, the hearts of the common people will not panic. The stability of grain prices has made the markets of major cities in Shaanxi, such as Xi'an, Xianyang, Hanzhong, Baoji, Weinan, Tongchuan, Yan'an, and Yulin, very stable, and the supply of all kinds of materials is sufficient.

Unlike Nanjing's practice of abolishing the gold standard, prohibiting the circulation of silver dollars, and issuing special legal tender, Shaanxi's anti-Ming cooking axe implemented a mixed use of renminbi and silver dollars and copper yuan. However, due to the policy of stabilizing the people and the support of the masses, the renminbi is very strong. Coupled with the ease of carrying, the RMB is very popular among the people, and the market has shown a trend of RMB replacing the silver dollar.

In the city of Xi'an, due to the increasing number of people from other places who defected to the revolution, the floating population increased, and the market was extremely prosperous. In order to train cadres, the central authorities have successively opened the Central Party School, Xi'an Public School, and other educational institutions. The banking system, taxation system, and security system were also established one after another, and urban management began to take off.

Some enterprises related to people's livelihood, such as cement factories, brick and tile factories, soap factories, toothpaste factories, textile factories, etc., have also begun to put into operation one after another. However, most of these factories were invested and set up by manufacturers in Shanxi, Sichuan, and Beiping, and the sites were all located on the edge of the mountainous area of Chang'an County, which was convenient for air defense.

According to the order of the Shaanxi Provincial Military District, from the end of 36, all units in Xi'an began to build bomb shelters. After entering late May, the Shaanxi Provincial Military Region strictly ordered all schools in Xi'an City to evacuate to the suburbs, and if conditions permitted, to Zhongnan Mountain.

The early morning sun shone on [***] who was working at the desk, casting mottled shadows.

During this time, on the one hand, he paid attention to the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the situation in North China; On the one hand, calm down and delve into philosophy. Following "On the Strategy of Opposing Imperialism," he wrote three famous articles, "Strategic Problems of the Chinese Revolutionary War," "Theory of Practice," and "Theory of Contradictions," which were printed and distributed for study within the party and the army, and the philosophical connotation of the ideology was basically determined.

When Liu Yimin came, [***] who was working at the desk happened to stop writing and rest. After Liu Yimin saluted the report, he asked the chairman if he had any latest information on the developments of the North China Army.

Looking at Liu Yimin, with a smile on his face, he asked him if he was so concerned about the situation in North China, did he have any new insights?

Liu Yimin could not say that the Lugou Bridge Incident was about to occur on 7 July, but it was already the end of June, and the all-out war of resistance was just around the corner, so he said: "Chairman, Vice Chairman Zhou went to Nanjing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek, I don't know what the result will be, I feel that the situation in North China is becoming more and more dangerous, and our party should immediately take action, leave a hidden force in Pingjin, and quickly withdraw other forces." At the same time, as much as possible, mobilize Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nankai schools to move to Shaanxi. If the overall migration is not possible, it is also possible to mobilize some teachers and students to come to Shaanxi. ”

After thinking about it, he said: "Since our Chairman Jiang resolved the Liangguang Incident, he has basically achieved reunification, and his waist has become stiffer, and it is difficult to speak. The conditions negotiated by the negotiating group were also revised, one was to ask us to completely withdraw from Sichuan and Gansu, and the other was to disagree with the reorganization plan of our Red Army. He was only willing to let us reorganize into a few divisions, and if he had envisioned it, our Seventh Army Corps alone would have to remove two divisions. So how can it work? So, Enlai is fighting with him. We are not in a hurry, and we can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. When he said that he hurt him, he was in a hurry. Naturally, he will change his attitude when the time comes. ”

Liu Yimin was anxious, this great change was imminent, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were still not properly negotiating, did they have to wait for the army to fully invade China before Chiang Kai-shek agreed to the reorganization of the Red Army into the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, as in history?

But in a hurry, Liu Yimin knew in his heart that at this time, no one on either side of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party knew that the Lugou Bridge Incident was about to break out, and he couldn't be a god, even if he was a god, no one believed it. However, seeing that a big change is about to happen, and Liu Yimin is so inactive, it is more uncomfortable than killing him. Liu Yimin said to [***]: "Chairman, I have a suggestion, that is, our Red Army has not fought for so long, and although the training of the troops has not been put down, it is out of a state of rest after all. You see, did the headquarters give an order for the regiments to gather their troops and be ready to deal with sudden incidents at any time. As soon as Vice Chairman Zhou and Chiang Kai-shek have reached a good talk, we can quickly mobilize. Cadets of the Red Army University were also to urgently graduate and return to the troops. ”

[***] nodded and said, "Several legions are training very tightly, but exercises should be conducted. In this way, you go back and do a good job in the work of the Seventh Army Corps, and I will ask the General Staff Headquarters to draw up an exercise plan to prepare the whole army to conduct confrontation exercises, so that the troops can enter a state of imminent battle. Cadets of the Red Army University complete the course and can graduate early. However, the school still has to continue to recruit students. Even if the devil called, our Red Army University would continue to operate. We are not afraid of Chiang Kai-shek, and naturally we are not afraid of Xiao Yueben, they can't help us. ”

After Liu Yimin saluted, he went back to the Seventh Army.

At this time, at the Lushan Meilu Villa, [***] representatives Zhou Enlai, Dong Biwu, and Ye Jianying were meeting with Chiang Kai-shek and exchanging views with Chiang on the key content of the KMT-CCP negotiations.

Zhou Enlai, Dong Biwu, Ye Jianying, and others returned to Nanjing in April, and they had already talked with Chiang Kai-shek several times, and Chiang Kai-shek never let up on key issues. In the group negotiations, the two sides have basically reached an agreement, the Red Army will be reorganized into five armies, the Sichuan side will withdraw from the Mianyang and Nanchong lines, and the Bazhong and Guangyuan areas will be the boundaries, and the Gansu side will maintain the status quo. Unexpectedly, after arriving in Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek was furious when he saw it and reprimanded Zhang Qun for misleading the country. Zhou Enlai and others had to ask Chiang Kai-shek again and again, but they had already met three times, but there was still no result.

"Chairman, we have talked several times, and there are some issues that need both sides to face up to reality. The main force of our Red Army now has 250,000 men, and the formation of five armies is itself a bit of a loss, and besides, we have already made concessions in Sichuan. In my view, in the spirit of unity to resist and save the country, this agreement should be said to be acceptable to both sides. ”

As soon as he heard Zhou En's statement that the main force of the Red Army was 250,000 men, the anger in Chiang Kai-shek's chest suddenly rose. Niang Xipi, come and go, and suppress the red bandits to this extent! It's worth it! Immediately, he said coldly: "Enlai, we have known each other for a long time, and you also know my temper. In order to reach this agreement, first, you must withdraw from Sichuan and Gansu, and Shaanxi can be assigned to you as a base area. Second, it is impossible for the Red Army to be reorganized into five armies, and there are many of your soldiers who are old, weak, sick and disabled, so it is long overdue for them to retire and go back to farming. There are also peasants who have just dropped their hoes, and if you encourage them to become soldiers, the result will inevitably be the abandonment of the countryside. I think the Red Army is an establishment of three divisions, and at most you will be given an establishment of four divisions. If you agree to these two points, you can negotiate, you can sign an agreement, and you can also bear the military salary. Otherwise, you are not sincere. ”

Zhou Enlai was so angry that he wanted to laugh, glanced at Dong Biwu and Ye Jianying, and saw that Ye Jianying's eyes were about to burst into flames. After thinking about it, he can't rely on Chiang Kai-shek's surname, and he has to stimulate him at a critical time, otherwise he will think that the Red Army is afraid of him! Joke, is the current Red Army the same as the former Red Army? If it weren't for the sake of resisting, and talking to him about something, just fight directly.

Thinking of this, Zhou Enlai said: "Chairman of the National Committee, we have come to negotiate with the national political axe in order to resist and save the country." As the leader of a country, the chairman of the National People's Congress should unite and mobilize the strength of the whole country to fight together in the face of foreign invasion. Besides, with the current strength of our Red Army, it is not that we are afraid of the national political axe. If it weren't for the sake of resistance, or if the Nationalist wanted to negotiate with us, we wouldn't necessarily agree. Now, after a lot of work by both sides, the agreement has basically been negotiated. The chairman is so harsh, I can't figure out why. If not, we'll head back to Xi'an. When the chairman of the committee has figured it out, we will continue to talk. ”

Chiang Kai-shek's eyes flashed, Niang Xipi, dared to threaten, if it weren't for the fact that he didn't know the current affairs, Lao Tzu would have waved a large army to attack Xi'an, and you could still be there to demagogue, recuperate?

It is not surprising that Chiang Kai-shek had such thoughts. After the settlement of the Liangguang Incident, Guangdong was brought under the rule of the Nanjing Nationalist Axe, not to mention the army, and the air force alone was greatly strengthened. In addition, because he was worried about the expansion of the invasion, he also made active preparations for the War of Resistance, one was to pay close attention to the formation and training of German armorers, import cannons and other weapons from Germany, equip troops, and build fortresses; The other is to send people to contact countries and enlist international support. Even Chennault, who later became famous, had already traveled to China to serve as his adviser for three months. Chiang Kai-shek even sent people to negotiate with the Soviet Union to seek support and prepare for the signing of the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. At this time, Jiang Zhongzheng's confidence was extremely inflated, and if he had not invaded himself, he was sure that the Red Army would have been annihilated.

Seeing Zhou Enlai say this, Chiang Kai-shek still calmed down and said slowly: "Enlai, it is good for you to obey the leadership of the central government and give up your Soviet Republic and the idea of violent confiscation of land, and I am very pleased." However, this Sichuan involves the overall situation of the country's anti-Japanese strategy, and if you really unite to resist the anti-Japanese language, you should let it out. As for the number of units into which the main forces of the Red Army were reorganized, I don't think it would be possible to break through five divisions, and the rest would be demobilized, so that the soldiers would also go home to reunite with their relatives and enjoy the joy of family. It is also possible to retain a few thousand people to become local police officers to maintain local law and order. You go back and think about it, you don't have to rush to reply, and don't rush back to Xi'an. Let's talk slowly. When you figure it out, you can come back to me. I'm tired and need to rest for a while. ”

Zhou Enlai had no choice but to leave. When he went out, Zhou Enlai couldn't help but remind: "Chairman Jiang, I said that I have recently started to make trouble in North China again, and it is best to collect more information about them, just in case." ”

Chiang Kai-shek nodded and asked the guards to send Zhou Enlai out.

After Liu Yimin returned to the corps headquarters, he held a party committee, and then ordered the staff office to notify all divisions to end their rest and recuperation and enter a state of imminent battle, and all those who had taken leave returned to the troops to prepare for the all-army exercise. He also ordered the General Staff Office to issue maps of Shanxi and Hebei to the 11th, 12th, 13th, cavalry, 1st and 2nd divisions, and troops directly under the corps. The cadets of the regimental teaching team immediately finished their studies and returned to the unit. The logistics command acted quickly and secretly notified all the baggage regiments to be dispatched to the military factory to pull artillery shells, bullets, grenades, mines, and explosives packages, expand the reserves of ammunition, clothing, and grain and grass, and began to prepare for the use of ferries to build pontoon bridges over the Yellow River.

Zeng Zhongsheng was a little puzzled, since it was said to be a drill, why did he issue maps of Shanxi and Hebei?

Wu Zheng was also puzzled, saying that it was a drill, and seeing that the order of the corps commander was purely to kill Shanxi.

However, not understanding is not understanding, and orders must be carried out to the letter. The entire war machine of the Seven Legions has begun to wind up and work.

After deploying the work of the Seventh Army Corps, Liu Yimin rushed to the Red Army University and asked Xiao Jinguang to speed up the course progress, cancel the Saturday rest, and complete all the courses in early July, preparing for the early graduation of the students.

When he returned home in the evening, Liu Yimin told Tang Xingying that when he was free recently, he taught his parents to learn some military knowledge, at least he knew that he would shoot when he dodged an air raid. After all, they are Red Army cadres, and they must have the ability to protect themselves.

Tang Xingying asked if there was going to be a war?

Liu Yimin said that the Red Army will not fight in the short term and may organize exercises.

Tang Xingying didn't believe it, saying that he didn't believe in his wife, why did he think of letting his parents learn to shoot if he didn't fight?

Liu Yimin said with a smile: "I am the commander of the Red Army, the president of the Red Army University, and the commander of the Shaanxi Provincial Military Region. Besides, after all, it is a war era, even if there are guards, it is better to know how to shoot guns. Let others protect, where there is comfort that you have the ability to come. ”

Tang Xingying believed it.

After eating, Liu Yimin took his son for a walk in the yard. At this time, the child is already more than a year old, he will leave, and he will call his father, the immature voice, the staggering steps, and the eyes of the tiger Lingling, Liu Yimin is sweet at a glance. The little guy is also cute, and he didn't go far, so he opened his little hands and shouted for his dad to hug. Liu Yimin laughed, picked up his son, kissed him a few times, and then took his son for a walk in the yard.

Tang Xingying saw that her husband doted on her son so much, and she was so happy that she followed Liu Yimin closely, and the family of three walked sweetly in the yard.

Walking and walking, Liu Yimin's heart has already flown to the city of Beiping, I don't know if the 29th Army has any precautions against the Yue Army at this time, if it is still like in history, it will have to suffer. Tomorrow we have to think of how to remind them to be more vigilant. When I think about it again, I feel dizzy. The officers and men of the 29th Army have relaxed their vigilance one day! It's just that Song Zheyuan, who is in charge of their house, is vacillating and has illusions. At this time, Song Zheyuan is afraid that he is still pretending to be deep in his hometown!

Forget it, since I say that I want to invade and fight, then let them come. Let them be buried in the fire of the Chinese people's war of resistance! Xiao said, Lao Tzu can't wait! Grandpa is waiting for you!

(To be continued)