As soon as Song Zhewu and his entourage dismounted, Xu Fang, the acting commander of the Second Regiment, trotted all the way over and reported: "Report to the commander, the engineer battalion of the 23rd Division and the 60th Brigade of the 20th Division have been disarmed by us, and they are now taking prisoners and resting, please instruct the commander." ”

In the last battle of Zengjiazhai in southern Hebei, Xu Fang and Mengxi changed their battle plan according to the battlefield situation, and decisively decided to attack and defeated Han Fuyu's so-called 55th Division in one fell swoop. Although he made great contributions, he was demoted to the acting head of the regiment by Song Zhewu as a punishment because he did not report their decision because he had time to report.

Although he was demoted, Xu Fang didn't have any emotions, he knew in his heart that Zhang Yafei and Xiao Guodong valued him very much, and even Song Zhewu also admired him very much, so he wasn't worried about when he would be reinstated. After returning to the army, as if nothing had happened, he still laughed and scolded his brothers and concentrated on training. In Zhang Yafei's words, "The Second Regiment is now the most elite unit of his First Division. ”。

During the Fourth Route Army's trip to Hubei, although the Second Regiment did not show any brilliance in several battles, several battles were also remarkable, especially this time, when the 60th Brigade was cleanly surrendered.

Song Zhewu was very satisfied with Xu Fang's unchaotic and clever and resolute approach. I secretly thought in my heart, Xu Fang, the acting head of the second regiment, should also be taken away when he returns to Laiyuan.

Looking at Xu Fang, who was much more mature, Song Zhewu nodded and said, "Head Xu, you're doing a good job!" I have come this time to meet Li Wentian, commander of the 60 th Brigade, and if you find me a box, I will talk to him alone. ”

After receiving the praise of Song Zhewu, the supreme leader of the Fourth Route Army, Xu Fang was naturally happy and excited, with a happy look on his face, and said loudly: "Commander Xie praises, and he will continue to work hard to serve the commander." ”

Song Zhewu waved his hand and said, "Okay, let's go and arrange it." ”

Xu Fang called his subordinates to take Li Wentian, and he took Song Zhewu to his box, shouting at the guards to add tea and pour water, and even brought a plate of dried fruits and a plate of small leaf oranges.

Soon, Li Wentian was brought, and Ye Qing personally checked Li Wentian to see if Li Wentian still had weapons, which was one of the instructions of the third uncle Ye Changgui. Ye Qing is not only strong in martial arts, but also delicate in his mind, naturally a little thorough, some things are even more secure than Ye Changgui's doing, so that Ye Changgui is also happy in his eyes.

Ye Qing is the son of Ye Changgui's brother Ye Changfu, Ye Changfu visited friends in Jinan last year, just in time for the "Jinan tragedy", he couldn't bear to be slaughtered by his comrades, so he shot angrily and died in another country, and even the bones were not found. Ye Qing's mother heard the bad news and couldn't afford to get sick, so she left and returned to the West. This time he brought Ye Qing out, and Ye Qing's sister Ye Zi was also clamoring to come. Ye Zi has been practicing martial arts with his father since he was a child, and he is also very good at kung fu. It's just that although there are also female soldiers in the Fourth Route Army, in addition to literary and artistic propaganda, there are also doctors, and I heard that the military hospital will find some female nurses in the future. But Ye Zi, a girl who is used to dancing with guns and sticks, can't do these jobs, Ye Changgui has spent a lot of words, and in the end, Ye Changgui's eldest brother came forward and took Ye Zi to live at home, so he could persuade him. As soon as the relationship between Li Rujuan and Song Zhewu became clear this time, Ye Changgui moved his mind. Since she is the commander's wife, she naturally needs to be guarded, and the army is full of five big and three thick men, which is inconvenient, if you let Ye Zi be Li Rujuan's guard, it will be much more convenient, and she is also worthy of the spirit of the clan brother who has been very good with him since he was a child.

Ye Changgui had already told Song Zhewu about this matter. Song Zhewu is also very happy, if Li Rujuan is not in the army in the future, the security issue must be considered, although the protection of guards can be arranged, but there is a capable personal female guard, it is better and more convenient. Therefore, tell Ye Changgui that as soon as he returns to Laiyuan, let Ye Zi come over and be a guard for Li Rujuan.

Li Wentian entered the box with a calm expression and looked at Song Zhewu silently. He had already seen a lieutenant general get into the car under the escort of a group of guards, and he didn't know if there was a second lieutenant general in the Fourth Route Army, but from Song Zhewu's bearing, Li Wentian could determine that this lieutenant general was Song Zhewu.

Song Zhewu looked at Li Wentian, who looked indifferent, and pointed to the seat opposite, and said, "Brigade Commander Li, please take a seat." ”

Li Wentian was not polite, he didn't make a sound, and sat directly opposite Song Zhewu.

Li Wentian's attitude did not make Song Zhewu feel unhappy, Song Zhewu said with a smile: "Brigade Commander Li, when we meet for the first time, let's introduce each other. I am Song Zhewu, commander-in-chief of the Fourth Route Army, and I entered the Baoding Military Academy in October 1919. Of course, I did not enter the school to study in a dignified manner like Brigadier Li who was required by the regulations. Originally, my father wanted to spend some money to officially fill my name before graduation and mix my background. However, in the summer of 20, the Zhiwan War broke out, and Qu Tongfeng (former military academy principal), the former commander-in-chief of the Anhui army, was captured in Songlindian, and the 15th Division of the Anhui Army surrendered to the direct army. At that time, it was summer vacation, and the military school was used as a temporary shelter barracks. Because the 15th Division had been in arrears for several months, the junior officers were dissatisfied, and a mutiny broke out, and the military academy was looted and set on fire, and the military academy had to be closed. My father had no choice but to send me to the Dresden Infantry School in Germany to study military affairs. After all, Brigadier Li is still my senior. ”

Seeing that Li Wentian was still silent, Song Zhewu smiled slightly and said, "Since Brigade Commander Li is unwilling to speak, I will say it for you." ”

Song Zhewu looked at Li Wentian and said slowly: "Li Wentian, whose name is Canxuan, was born in Jun County, Henan Province in the first four years. The Li family was originally a prominent family in Jun County, but he lost his father since he was a child, and it was difficult to live in a big family, which was very difficult. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to the Baoding Army Military Academy and entered the sixth infantry department. After graduating in September 1919, he served as a trainee officer in Feng Yuxiang's 16th Mixed Brigade, and participated in the Zhiwan War in 1920, the First Zhifeng War in 1922, the Second Zhifeng War in 1924, and the "Yanjing Coup". When Feng Yuxiang took control of Beijing and Tianjin, he was promoted to the head of the regiment. In 25, he participated in the Battle of Nankou and the battle against the Zhifeng coalition army. In the second and sixth years, he participated in Feng Yuxiang's Five Plains Oath. In 27, he participated in the Second Northern Expedition. In 29, he served as the commander of the 60th Brigade of the 20th Division of the Northwest Army. Mrs. Rong Zhicheng, born in the ninth year of the year. She studied at the Zhili No. 1 Girls' Normal School in Tianjin, and after graduation, she taught at the Salesian Institute in Xiangshan, Yanjing. He was arrested and imprisoned for his cousin's involvement in progressive activities such as distributing leaflets, and was later released on bail. ”

Speaking of this, Song Zhewu couldn't help but think of the cause of Li Wentian's death again.

After the liberation of Nanjing, Li Wentian's old comrades-in-arms and subordinates He Jifeng and Guo Jiafang served as the chief and deputy commanders of the Nanjing Garrison Region. Later, Shanghai also entered a state of war, and Tang Enbo, who was the commander of the Shanghai garrison at the time, sent people to Li Wentian three times to bring plane tickets and invite him to Taiwan. Li Wentian replied: "I have never fought with [***], I have no grievances or hatreds, what am I running?" He refused the plane ticket sent three times, and arranged for his second daughter to be admitted to Fudan University, hoping that the children would have jobs after graduation, and he could retire with peace of mind.

After the liberation of Shanghai, Li Wentian's old comrades-in-arms Zhang Kexia and Meng Shaolian (former deputy commanders of the 59th Army and Li Wentian's close comrades-in-arms for many years) have made meritorious contributions to the uprising and have respectively served as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff of the Shanghai Songhu Garrison Region. Zhang Kexia called Li Wentian several times to recount the uprising, and Meng Shaolian arrived at Li Wentian's apartment twice and brought Mayor Chen Yi's words: "I hope Li Wentian can come out to study to understand the policies of [***], and it doesn't matter if he works or not." More on that later. He was going to apply for the East China Revolutionary University, and called Meng Shaolian to discuss, and Meng told him that it was better to go to the Military and Political University, where there were many acquaintances. At this time, Li Wentian realized that in addition to the old military uniform, he only had a few robes, and he couldn't wear robes to go to the Military and Political University!

At this time, his wife Rong Zhicheng was going to Tianjin to visit his seriously ill mother, and Li Wentian wanted to wait for her to come back to make a suitable dress. One day, when it was already dark, two villagers dressed as peasants came and asked, "Is this Li Wentian's house?" Come out and say something. Li Wentian went with them after leaving the house and never returned.

Two days later, Rong Zhi returned to Shanghai from Tianjin, and the maid told her that Li Wentian had been gone for two days. Rong Zhi urgently recalled his eldest daughter who had married and his second daughter who went to college, and they went to Zhang Kexia and Meng Shaolian separately, both of whom said that he had not been found in the relevant departments. Rong Zhicheng went to Nanjing to find He Jifeng, who was the commander of the garrison, and He Jifeng went to the Ministry of Public Security to inquire and said that he had not seen Li Wentian.

He Jifeng thinks that it is impossible for Li Wentian to be arrested, and even if there is a problem, he should be sent to the war criminals management center, because his rank is there! Moreover, the list of war criminals does not have him. However, Li Wentian did disappear from the world until 2007, five or seven years later, when the Jun County Public Security Bureau and the court in his hometown issued a letter of certification, clearly confirming that from 1949 to 1957, Li Wentian's name was not included in the list of local detentions, administrations, and repressions. When did Li Wentian die? Why did he die? To this day, it is still difficult to draw conclusions due to the lack of original sources. At present, some historical sources use the year of Li Wentian's disappearance in 1951 as the year of his death. In Song Zhewu's view, this must be Chiang Kai-shek's fear that Li Wentian would go out of the mountain to do things for [***], so he sent someone to assassinate Li Wentian.

Song Zhewu told his history in detail, which surprised Li Wentian. During this period, you only need to fill in your name and place of origin to join the army, and you don't need to fill in anything else. These are the old men in the Northwest Army, and no one can say clearly, and some details are impossible for outsiders to know, such as the matter of his wife's [***] cousin!

But where did this Song Zhewu know this, could it be that he wanted to buy himself and send someone to understand himself carefully? Thinking of this, Li Wentian couldn't help but show a mocking expression. A petty warlord who is bent on obeying Chiang Kai-shek, a new warlord, still wants to buy him Li Wentian?

Li Wentian looked at Song Zhewu and said with a sneer: "Commander-in-Chief Song, it seems that in order to deal with our Northwest Army, you have not bothered much?" ”

Song Zhewu knew that Li Wentian had misunderstood what he meant, but in fact, he just wanted to surprise Li Wentian, disrupt his defense, and pave the way for the frank communication between the two.

Song Zhewu took out his silver cigarette case, took out two cigarettes and handed one to Li Wentian. Li Wentian shook his head and coldly refused: "In our Northwest Army, no smoking or drinking is allowed. Moreover, the military salaries given to us by the central authorities have never been sufficient, because your Chairman Chiang knows that our Northwest Army is accustomed to hardships and does not need to have full military salaries. I now have only fifty yuan a month, and I have to support my wife and two daughters, but I dare not get caught up in this luxury. ”

Regarding military salaries, Song Zhewu knows something. As early as a few years ago, Feng Yuxiang complained to Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Kai-shek's answer was even a little embarrassing when Song Zhewu thought about it. Chiang Kai-shek told Feng Yuxiang, "At present, the central government's finances are very difficult, and it is difficult to raise military funds. If the whole [***] team is paid according to the same standard, the military budget will vary greatly. Most of the Central Army were the sons of wealthy people in the south, and insufficient military pay could easily lead to mutiny. The soldiers of the Northwest Army are all recruited in the north, and even most of them are recruited in the northwest, and these soldiers have long been accustomed to making a hard living in peacetime, and they can still hold on to their military salaries if they are less. ”。 It may be that Chiang Kai-shek also felt that this was a bit unreasonable, but promised that he would have a good financial situation in the future and would definitely supply the Northwest Army. However, when the finances will be abundant, only Chiang Kai-shek himself knows.

Song Zhewu smiled bitterly and said, "Brigade Commander Li, you have misunderstood me. The salaries of our Fourth Route Army are very high, even compared with the Central Army, they are far higher than them. The monthly salary of a soldier is five oceans, and the officer increases in turn, and the higher the rank, the greater the difference. For example, a brigade commander like you, in our Fourth Route Army, the military salary is 800 oceans per month. ”

"Eight hundred oceans?" This figure surprised Li Wentian again. But after thinking about it, I was a little relieved. Xin said: "If Lao Jiang doesn't give him more military salaries, how can he work so hard for Lao Jiang." ”

Li Wentian said indifferently: "Chairman Jiang gave you so much money, are you not selling your life to Lao Jiang...... Against our Northwest Army, it really can't be said. ”

Song Zhewu knew that Li Wentian still misunderstood him, and he also knew that the half of what Li Wentian didn't say was that he Song Zhewu was a thug or a dog leg for Chiang Kai-shek. I had to go on to explain: "The Central Committee of my Fourth Route Army's military salary has given us a part, but according to my military salary standard, it is much worse, less than half of the actual amount, and the insufficient part is solved by ourselves." ”

Song Zhewu didn't want to go around in circles on this issue anymore, lit the cigarette in his hand, took a deep breath, put away his smile and said, "What Brigade Commander Li didn't say just now probably meant that I was going to be a thug for Chairman Jiang to deal with the Northwest Army, right?" Is there anything wrong with the Fourth Route Army obeying the orders of the Central Committee to deal with the Northwest Army? ”

(To be continued)