After a night's march, at dawn, the Central Guard Division arrived at the border of Yuqing County, and the 1st Guard Regiment sent a battalion to the ferry to contact the 3rd Army Corps and the 5th Army Corps to defend the ferry, and the other battalions and the second echelon led by Liu Jianli were stationed in Yuqing County and camped in Yuqing County, preparing to cross the river after dark.

Taking into account the reconnaissance and bombing factors of enemy aircraft, the follow-up units of the guard division no longer rushed to the road, and camped in the villages on both sides of the road leading to the county seat in Yuqing.

Seeing that all the troops had entered Yuqing and there was no pursuit of the enemy behind him, Liu Yimin explained that Chen Dayong, the commander of the third regiment who was responsible for the rearguard task, raised his vigilance and strengthened his vigilance, and then took Li Chengyi's guard company to join Cai Zhong and rush to Yuqing County together.

After the two arrived at the county seat, they were relieved to learn that Gao Yuan had sent a battalion to control the ferry and contact the troops on the north bank of the Wujiang River.

After resting for a while, Liu Yimin was about to rush to the ferry and personally check the situation of the pontoon.

Gao Yuan said: "Division commander, after a night's journey, you take a rest, after the first battalion is in contact with the third and fifth army corps, someone will be sent back to report." ”

Liu Yimin asked, "Who brought a battalion there?" ”

Gao Yuan replied that Zhao Jie, the political commissar of the regiment, led the team.

Liu Yimin said: "You stay and camp, and the political commissar and I will go to the ferry to check the situation of the pontoon bridge." After speaking, he pulled Cai Zhong and left.

After going out, Cai Zhong said: "Division commander, ride a horse, you can hurry up." ”

Liu Yimin thought about it, and it was a pity that he didn't use the means of transportation, so he called Li Chengyi to bring the war horse.

Li Chengyi brought a white horse, Liu Yimin turned over and was about to get on the horse, Cai Zhong said "Huh", Liu Yimin hurriedly stopped and asked Cai Zhong what was the matter.

Cai Zhong said: "When did the division commander change horses, why don't I know? ”

Only then did Liu Yimin remember that his war horse was jujube red, and this horse was white. Just asked Li Chengyi what was going on.

Li Chengyi said for a long time: "The division commander's jujube red horse let Tang Xingying, a cadre of the logistics department, ride away, and this horse was given by the logistics department. ”

Cai Zhong said: "Playing the piano indiscriminately, can anyone ride the division commander's war horse?" Go and give me back. ”

Liu Yimin's shy and timid appearance appeared in front of Tang Xingying, so he said, "Forget it, if that girl likes to ride, let her ride." Commissar, let's go. ”

The two of them turned on their horses and galloped towards the ferry.

Horseback riding on mountain roads is not fast, but it is just to save some effort. When the two horses walked side by side, Cai Zhong said: "Division commander, the telegram we sent to the Central Revolutionary Military Commission before we set off yesterday has not been returned!" ”

Although this situation has been estimated, Liu Yimin was still taken aback when he heard it, which shows that the Central Revolutionary Military Commission is still not sure about its own methods, and it seems that it will have to seriously explain and report when it comes to Zunyi. He said, "Don't worry, there will be a callback." We are almost in Zunyi, as long as we arrive in Zunyi and meet with the central leadership, everything can be explained clearly. I believe that the leaders will stand taller and see farther than we do, and will agree with our approach. ”

Cai Zhong said again: "When you joined the Red Army late, I don't know how terrible it was when the Soviet area was suppressed. How many comrades who were killed in the rain of bullets were inexplicably arrested. What you said to Li De in the passage last time, after I knew it, I was almost scared to death. If you had been placed in the Soviet zone, it is estimated that you would have been locked up that day. ”

Liu Yimin said: "Haven't I been locked up? This shows a problem, their set does not work, and people's minds change. You see, now, [***] has in fact taken command of the Red Army, and in the future, we will take many detours. ”

Cai Zhong said: "I estimate that what you say in the passage will definitely be capitalized in history in the future." I just don't understand, I've been in the Red Army for so long, why don't you dare to say or do what a recruit dares to say and do? ”

Liu Yimin thought about it seriously and said: "Actually, what I said is nothing new, many Red Army cadres and soldiers have thought of it, but they don't have the opportunity to say it or dare not say it. This shows that the atmosphere of boiling in the open boil in our party is not yet strong, and everyone has misgivings in their thinking, and at the same time, it also shows that the sequelae of the expansion of the anti-rebellion campaign are very great. ”

Cai Zhong also said: "This time you go to attend the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, if you have the opportunity, you should sort out your thoughts well, strive to say them, and play a role in the decision-making of the Central Committee." You don't know how many people we sacrificed from the Soviet District to Guizhou, and it hurts to think about it. ”

Liu Yimin said: "My time in the Red Army is too short, and my qualifications are too shallow, so I guess on that occasion I just attended and listened. However, you can communicate more with the leaders and tell them their ideas, they are all smart people, I will say one, I guess they are not just the problem of three opposites, but at least nine or ten. ”

Cai Zhong also smiled: "You guy, you always see problems so thoroughly, and you have to say it." Ha ha. ”

When he arrived at the ferry, Liu Yimin saw that the pontoon bridge was still there, and he was about to walk up the pontoon bridge to take a look at the Wujiang River, when he heard Li Chengyi shouting that the enemy plane was coming. As soon as Liu Yimin raised his head, he saw an enemy plane hovering in the air, and he thought to himself, this must be the enemy's reconnaissance plane, which will immediately attract bombers, and the pontoon bridge is in danger. Sure enough, the enemy reconnaissance plane quickly flew away. Liu Yimin immediately ordered the first battalion to disperse and hide, organize machine guns to prepare for air firing, and asked for a rifle from Li Chengyi, which was loaded and ready to meet the enemy bombers.

Half an hour later, four enemy planes flew in from east to west. Bombs began to be fired at the pontoon, and machine guns immediately rang out from the positions of the first battalion, and the bullets chased the figure of the enemy planes, causing them to dodge left and right in the air.

Looking at the relatively concentrated fire on the ground, after the enemy planes pulled up, they directly pounced on the positions of the first battalion, and the smoke from the bomb explosion enveloped the positions of the first battalion.

Liu Yimin stood as quietly as a mountain with a gun.

Several soldiers from the guard company came up to pull him, but they were all scolded back by him.

Listening to the explosion of the first battalion position, Liu Yimin was anxious, it was his most elite unit, and now it was resisting stubbornly under the bombardment of enemy planes, and he didn't know whether the loss was big or not.

Here's your chance. After the two enemy planes dropped their bombs, they pulled up, and then the pilot saw Liu Yimin standing by the river, pressed the nose of the plane, and directly dived down against him.

Seeing this, Cai Zhong and Li Chengyi rushed over desperately, wanting to pull Liu Yimin back.

The bullets of the enemy planes hit the swarthy rocks by the Wujiang River, bursting out in strings of sparks, and the soldiers of the first company of the guard were anxiously shouting: "Division commander, climb down!" ”

Seeing that Liu Yimin did not move, the soldiers rushed out after Cai Zhong and Li Chengyi, wanting to use their own flesh and blood to protect the division commander.

At that time, airplanes would travel at speeds of five or six hundred kilometers per hour, and when they were diving downward, they would be a little faster. The enemy pilot looked at the stupid big man standing on the river and did not move, and a group of red bandits ran out of the shore, laughed cruelly, and pressed the machine gun switch.

At this time, the rifle in Liu Yimin's hand fired, and the bullet hit the pilot's head directly, and the blood could be clearly seen blooming on the pilot's head with the naked eye. The plane, which had lost control, plunged headlong into the Wujiang River crookedly.

Liu Yimin quickly withdrew the bullet casing, loaded the bullet, and aimed at another enemy plane.

Another enemy plane saw its long plane rushing into the Wujiang River, and was so frightened that it wanted to pull up and flee as soon as it pulled the nose of the plane. It was fast, Liu Yimin was faster, and at the sound of gunfire, it hit the fuel tank of the enemy plane, and a fireball immediately exploded in the air, and the enemy plane exploded in the air.

The other two enemy planes, which were bombing and strafing the positions of the first battalion, found that the two planes had been shot down, immediately stopped bombing, and prepared to pull up and escape, but were beaten by the machine guns of the first battalion, and only one of them staggered and fled.

There was a cheer on the shore!

Cai Zhong had already pounced on Liu Yimin when he shot down the second enemy plane, and pulled Liu Yimin to press under him.

Liu Yimin hurriedly said: "Political commissar, let it go, the enemy plane has been shot down." ”

Cai Zhong looked up and saw that there were really no enemy planes in the sky, so he turned around and shouted at Liu Yimin: "What the fuck are you called a hero?" Don't you know you're a teacher? Don't you know that you are responsible for more than 10,000 people in the division? I think you're a rookie egg, and you don't deserve to be a division commander at all! ”

After scolding, he shouted enough, and when he looked at Liu Yimin, this guy actually had a smile on his face, and he didn't mean to recognize the mistake at all. Cai Zhong was annoyed again, turned around and scolded Li Chengyi: "I think you are a fool to be a soldier, you don't know your mission, if something happens to the division commander today, you can't recover the loss if you are shot ten times." Don't be a company commander anymore, be demoted to a soldier, go to the baggage camp as a horseman! The Central Guard Division doesn't want soldiers like you who don't know their duties! ”

scolded Li Chengyi drooping his head, and tears fell down his eyes.

Liu Yimin said with a smile: "Political commissar, dissipate your anger, don't scold." I wanted to experience the combat characteristics and speed of the enemy's aircraft. Don't worry, as I said, the bullets and shells that can kill me in this world have not yet been made. Let's go and see how the first battalion is going. He turned around and said to Li Chengyi: "No matter what you do, the political commissar is angry, and it will be fine when the fire is over." You go and organize the troops to hide, the enemy planes will come in a while, and maybe more, let the fighters all hide, and the machine gunners stay. After speaking, he pulled Cai Zhong to the position of the first battalion.

When he went to the position of the first battalion, Liu Yimin immediately became angry, and after a while, the first battalion sacrificed 14 soldiers and wounded 32. Liu Yimin called Zhao Jie, the political commissar of the first regiment, and Wang Dahu, the commander of the first battalion, and directly trained them: "How did you two do it?" How did you practice shooting in the air? The casualties of the troops were so large that they were greater than the losses of one division of the enemy in the entire Xiaoshui battle. Wang Dahu, tell me, what is the problem? ”

Wang Dahu immediately stood upright: "Report to the division commander, these dozen or so sacrificed soldiers are all new soldiers who joined the army in Jingwu Prefecture and Qingxi Town, and they have not had time to train tactical movements yet. ”

Liu Yimin said: "I don't listen to your explanation, and you don't have to make any excuses." Regardless of when you join the army, you must first train basic tactical movements when you are assigned to a battalion. The first battalion is the sharp knife of the whole division, and at any time and in any place, it must be able to accomplish combat missions that other units cannot accomplish. You have brought me the first battalion, if you can't do it, say it as soon as possible, I will select a battalion commander in the whole division. ”

Wang Dahu held back his tears and saluted: "Report to the division commander, I promise to bring the first battalion well, and at any time and place, you can rush forward and achieve victory!" ”

Liu Yimin nodded: "Okay!" Tell the soldiers, just say I said, the first battalion wants to be the whole division's sharp knife, and it must strengthen training. Only by suffering can you sharpen it into a sword. If the first battalion fails to improve its combat training and there are heavy casualties like today's, I will give the number of the first battalion to other trained battalions and let the first battalion be the recruit training camp for the whole division. ”

These words made Wang Dahu's lungs almost explode, his eyes widened, and he roared loudly: "Report to the division commander, the first battalion will always be a sharp knife battalion, and it is impossible to be a recruit training camp." Listen up! With that, he turned around and left.

Liu Yimin shouted behind his back: "Leave me the light machine gun shooter and secondary shooter, and you will take the soldiers to hide." ”

Cai Zhong nodded from the side, Liu Yimin is simply a natural agitator, and he can incite the cadres and fighters in a few words. When he was in Xiaoshui, he said a word, whether it was coaxing or cheating, and he even instigated so many Hunan army prisoners to join the Red Army. I heard that on the way from Liping to Zhenyuan, the soldiers of the third battalion were incomparably glorious and proud. Today, he used the opposite words to stimulate the first battalion, and it is estimated that the first battalion will have to train desperately after it comes down. This desperate, isn't that combat power still rising slowly?

The more Cai Zhong thought about it, the more he felt that Liu Yimin was powerful, so he said: "If you become a political commissar, it is estimated that we old political workers will worship you as a teacher." ”

Liu Yimin sighed: "The troops have expanded, and the combat effectiveness of the first regiment has gone down, mainly because two battalions have been withdrawn, and there are too many newly replenished prisoners." When I arrive in Zunyi, I will mention it to [***], Vice Chairman Zhou, and Mr. Zhu, to see if we can send out two regiments and exchange two old Red Army Corps with the First Army Corps, the Third Army Corps, and the Fifth Army Corps, so as to increase the proportion of the old Red Army in the troops. ”

Cai Zhong said: "Your idea is too good, and I also feel that the expansion of the army is too fast, and the ideological work of the soldiers needs to be strengthened. Briefly, I would like to mention to the Central Committee that we need a number of battalion and company instructors and instructors, as well as a complete number of regiments, deputy regiment commanders, deputy political commissars, directors of political offices, and chiefs of staff. ”

Liu Yimin nodded, and said: "After arriving in Zunyi, the troops have a rest time, you go to the first regiment, the second regiment, and the third regiment, no matter what, we must ensure that the combat effectiveness of the three main regiments cannot be discounted, this is our capital to win the battle, and we must not take it lightly." ”

Cai Zhong asked: "What about the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh regiments?" ”

Liu Yimin replied: "You discuss with Liu Jianli and Li Qing, and let them each pack two regiments, one is to strengthen ideological education, and the other is to practice tactical movements, shooting, bomb throwing, and stabbing skills." Set a standard, and those who fail to pass the training will not be allowed to participate in the next battle. After I came back from the meeting, after the acceptance of one company after another, and the regiment had two or more companies that failed to pass the training, I exchanged the regiment with the main army. ”

Cai Zhong asked: "What if they are all qualified?" ”

Liu Yimin smiled: "If we are all qualified, we don't need to ask [***] for the old Red Army." You know, those corps commanders are not easy to talk to. ”

Cai Zhong said: "In any case, cadres must be wanted, and the more the better." ”

Liu Yimin said that the hero saw the same thing, and asked Cai Zhong to go to hide and go to the team of light machine gunners who had been gathered.

After receiving the report of the loss of three fighters by the Air Force, Chiang Kai-shek was furious and immediately determined that the main force of the Red Bandits was trying to withdraw to northern Qianbei through the Wujiang River. Niang Xipi, I wanted to slip away after taking advantage of Qingxi Town and Yangping Town, and the abacus was too shrewd. Since Xue Yue's troops have suffered heavy losses, are far away, and cannot catch up, then let the air force destroy you. Mother Xipi, I don't believe that the light firepower of the red bandits can fight against the planes in the sky? After thinking about it, Chiang Kai-shek directly ordered the air force to attack with all its strength and bomb the red bandits into the Xiangjiang River to feed the fish.

After receiving the strict order, the Air Force immediately dispatched eight planes and flew murderously towards the Huilongchang Ferry.

Since 3 planes had just been destroyed, this time the [***] Air Force was extremely vigilant, and the planes maintained altitude and strictly guarded against ground fire.

In this way, the accuracy of the bombing was gone, and it was bombed for a long time, not to mention that the pontoon bridge was not blown up, and even the shadow of the red bandits was not seen, but the bomb blew up the waves of the Wujiang River, and the old and high rolls looked very spectacular.

Seeing that the bombs were all thrown away, the group leader was about to give the order to return, when a squadron leader offered to dive down and break the pontoon bridge with an airborne machine gun. The group leader thought about it and ordered the squadron leader to bring his wingman to blow up the bridge together, and other fighters to cover it.

The squadron leader drove the plane in front and the wingman in the back, and rushed towards the pontoon bridge with the nose of the plane. Seeing that the pontoon bridge was about to enter the range of machine guns, the squadron leader suddenly found that dozens of flames were spewing out from under himself and his wingman, weaving himself and his wingman into a net of fire. A thought instantly popped into my mind: "Fuck, I've been tricked!" ”

Seeing that his two planes were turned into fireballs, the captain who led the team gave an order: "Rush down and shoot them with a machine gun!" ”

Six enemy planes roared towards the machine-gun positions of the guard division, and the airborne machine guns also opened fire in advance, causing mud to splash on the ground.

Seeing that he was about to go to his light machine gun firing circle, Liu Yimin gave an order, and the machine gun fired intensively in front of the enemy plane. The dozens of machine-gun shooters of the guard division did not look at the position of the enemy planes, but only formed a formation to fire at the air in accordance with the order, forming a dense fire net. The enemy planes crashed upwards like moths to a flame, and the two enemy planes that hit the fire net were hit and exploded in the air. The latter looked wrong, and hurriedly pulled up, and this time the formation was completely chaotic, and two planes actually fell into the rolling Wujiang River in order to avoid the collision of ground fire.

When the captain of the team saw it, he couldn't care about strafing anymore, so he quickly pulled up and ordered to return.

After returning to the airport, the captain of the brigade reported directly to the peak: "There are no red bandits on both sides of the Wujiang River, but the ground firepower is extremely strong, and four fighters have been lost. It is recommended to stop performing flight missions. ”

Chiang Kai-shek, who received the report from the Air Force, was really angry and couldn't laugh or cry, the Army lost the battle, the Air Force still lost, when did the red bandits who fled in embarrassment become so powerful? Immediately, he found Dai Li from the Blue Coat Society, and after scolding the rice bucket, he ordered to quickly find out where the main force of the red bandits was, what troops of the red bandits were fighting with Xue Yue, and what weapons were used to shoot down the [***] fighter.

After the chairman of the committee finished his anger, Dai Li took a step forward: "Report to the principal, the students have all been investigated." It was not the main force of the Red Bandits that fought with General Xue Yue, but the newly established Central Guard Division of the Red Bandits. This unit was the fish that slipped through the net in the battle of the Xiangjiang River, and it is said that it was compiled from the remnants of the 18th Regiment of the 3rd Red Bandit Army and the remnants of the Xiangjiang River, which were about to be wiped out by the Gui army at Gulingtou. The bandit leader's name was Liu Yimin, who joined the Red Army on the Xinwei battlefield. It is said that he led people to attack the artillery battalion of the Seventh Army of the Gui Army, and then led the 34th Division of the Red Bandits to escape from the encirclement of the Gui Army, and with a company of about 100 people at Gulingtou, disguised the Gui Army to surprise attack the 24th Division of the Gui Army, and completely annihilated the unit. After crossing the Xiangjiang River, the Red Bandits were reorganized into the 18th Regiment and first occupied the passage. After the main force of the red bandits turned to Guizhou, this group of red bandits set up ambushes in Xiaoshui and Xikou and completely annihilated He Jian's three divisions. Before leaving, he also blackmailed He Jian and got a lot of money and weapons. Then they marched day and night, ran long distances, and ambushed our central army at Qingxi Town, resulting in the annihilation of our 59th and 93rd divisions. Then he routed our reinforcements at Yangping Town, resulting in huge losses to General Xue Yue. It is said that Xue Yue and Wu Qiwei committed suicide at that time to apologize, fearing that the red bandits would continue to pursue and cause greater losses, so they withdrew their troops and held on. ”

Chiang Kai-shek asked, "Then how did Han Hanying and Tang Yunshan come back?" ”

Dai Li replied: "It is reported that Xue Yue negotiated with the generals and ransomed it with money. It is said that Wu Qiwei took it upon himself at that time, saying that it was to save [***] face, so he had to do it. If the commission is investigated, he is willing to be shot by the commission to apologize. ”

Chiang Kai-shek's anger also disappeared when he heard this, and asked: "Yunong, are your information reliable?" ”

Dai Li replied: "Report to the principal, absolutely reliable. The red bandits regard this Liu Yimin as a legendary hero and do not shy away from these situations. According to a report by the county magistrate of Liping, who escaped, after the bandit Liu Yimin won the great victories at Xiaoshui and Xikou, the main officers and men of the red bandits rejoiced in Liping, shouting the contents of the good news along the streets, and the bandits bought out all the firecrackers in Liping and set them off all night, with a sound boom of dozens of miles. ”

Chiang Kai-shek thought for a moment and said: "It seems that after the Red Bandits defeated He Jian's troops, their weapons, ammunition, soldiers and materials have been greatly replenished, and their combat strength has increased, we are all mistaken!" This Liu Yimin is not simple, he shot to fight the Gui Army and the Hunan Army, and in the end it got us on our heads. I said that the competitive Bai Chongxi didn't let go of his fart even if he hid on the side, it turned out that he also suffered a big loss. Yunong, is there any way to take down this Liu Yimin? ”

"It's very difficult at the moment. This group of red bandits has won successive big victories, and their morale is extremely high, but they are erratic, and our people have no chance to get close. ”

Chiang Kai-shek said: "Don't hurry, take your time, as long as the deep iron rod is sharpened into a needle!" The key is to find his weaknesses, women, money, status, I can give him, you can do it with confidence. Go ahead, I'm tired. ”

Dai Kasa saluted and went out. There was only one chairman left in the big office, and his head was more and more light, his nose was short, and his face was pale.

(To be continued)