From the "Commendation" order to "Haodian", Chiang Kai-shek suddenly changed his face; For the transfer of the troops in southern Anhui to Jiangbei, Ye Ting spoke up.

Jiangxi. Shangrao.

The study of Gu Zhutong, commander of the Kuomintang Third Theater, was spacious and bright.

On the front wall of the study, there is a large portrait of Chiang Kai-shek wearing a military uniform, which invisibly adds a bit of solemnity and coldness to this study.

"Xiyi, you have nothing to do but go to the Three Treasures Palace, right? Say, what's the point? Gu Zhutong, who was sitting on the leather chair, smacked his oily lips, glanced at Ye Ting, who was sitting upright, and said in a relaxed tone, and there was no lack of ridicule in his words.

At this moment, Ye Ting was staring at Gu Zhutong, and on the east wall of the study hung a congratulatory couplet given to him by his colleagues on his forty-sixth birthday: "Guansai is a complete front, and the city of Yiergan is thousands of miles; After listening to Gu Zhutong's words, he couldn't help but smile faintly: "Mo Gong, in the sixth phase of our Baoding Military Academy, you are a well-deserved leader, and you are the most appreciated figure by Chairman Jiang. If you look at this couplet, it shows Mo Gong's pillar talent. Thinking of me Ye Ting, not only is he soft-spoken, but now he has become a wanted figure by the chairman. Ye Ting's reply was piercing, clearly expressing his dissatisfaction with Chiang Kai-shek's regard for the New Fourth Army as a thorn in his side and forcibly ordering it to move north of the Yangtze River within a time limit.

"Xiyi, my old classmate, do you really praise me, or do you hide a needle in the cotton to belittle me? But praise or ridicule, what I'm going to tell you is, Xiyi, don't you think it's a report for a report? Gu Zhutong said that he generously handed Ye Ting a cigarette, squeaked the match, sent the fire to Ye Ting first, waited for Ye Ting to light the cigarette, lit it himself, and then calmly shook the firestick, took a deep breath, and slowly spit it out, which has a playful meaning.

"Mo Gong, forgive me for being stupid, please tell me bluntly." Ye Ting also took a deep breath of cigarette, and gray smoke clouds rushed out like waves.

"Xiyi, if you are not forgetful, in the battle of Huangqiao in northern Jiangsu, the New Fourth Army was merciless to the national army, nearly 100,000 officers and soldiers were annihilated, this is an astronomical number! Can the New Fourth Army let this act of undermining the cooperation between the KMT and the CCP go unchecked? Gu Zhu said coldly in unison, with a thick cloud on his face.

"Mo Gong," Ye Ting listened to Gu Zhutong's words, as if he heard the sound of Chiang Kai-shek Huo Huo's knife sharpening, and stood up suddenly, "I really don't understand, who first provoked the dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and created friction?" Commander Han Deqin of the 24 th Group Army murderously mobilized more than 100,000 troops to attack Huangqiao in three directions, and the New Fourth Army, which was alone and alone, could only be forced to defend itself. ”

"Xiyi, I find that you are already a 100 percent Bolshevik. However, I would like to remind you that you are the commander of the army approved and appointed by the commission! Gu Zhutong knew that Ye Ting had an upright personality, had no city in his chest, did not use power, and would not disguise, so he raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling him not to be too impulsive and to sit down and talk if he had something to say.

At this moment, Ye Ting felt that he was indeed not a politician, he was not cunning, he had no gaps, and he was not good at arguing at the negotiation table. But he still hung his bowels and did not bend, and expressed his chest directly: "Mo Gong, the chairman appointed me as the commander of the New Fourth Army, and the Communist Party also agreed that I should be the commander of this army, because of the special needs of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, which I understand. Therefore, my mission is to implement the strategic policy of cooperation between the KMT and the CPC and the unanimous resistance against Japan. Mo Gong, I tell you frankly, I am neither a member of the Communist Party nor a member of the Kuomintang at this time. ”

A sneer appeared at the corner of Gu Zhutong's mouth: "Xiyi, you advertise yourself as a 'middleman', but why do you always speak for the Communist Party in your words and deeds?" ”

"Mo Gong, this is wrong! As the commander of the New Fourth Army, if I don't think about my own troops, wouldn't that be a crime of dereliction of duty! Ye Ting replied with a question, and his words were sonorous and powerful.

"Okay, Xiyi, let's talk less about politics between our old classmates, so as not to be unhappy with each other. However, I still advise you one last sentence, you should quickly move to the north of the Yangtze River according to the route designated by the commission, so as to save our classmates from fighting each other! ”

Although Gu Zhutong's voice was not loud, to Ye Ting's ears, he felt a gloomy, cold, terrifying and shuddering like a cannon.

It seems that Chiang Kai-shek is really going to take the New Fourth Army.

It's the darkness before a thunderstorm!

Isn't it? Still a few days ago, Chiang Kai-shek "issued an order to commend" Ye Ting's troops for their exploits in defeating the Japanese invaders in Jing County, and inspired the New Fourth Army to continue fighting and defend southern Anhui; However, a few days later, Chiang Kai-shek actually made a 180-degree turn and issued a telegram falsely accusing the New Fourth Army of "sabotaging unity and sabotaging the War of Resistance," that is, in the name of He Yingqin, chief of staff of the Kuomintang Military Commission, and Bai Chongxi, deputy chief of staff, the telegram called "Haodian" sent to Zhu De, commander-in-chief of the 18th Group Army, Peng Dehuai, deputy commander-in-chief, and Ye Ting, commander of the New Fourth Army, forcing all the New Fourth Army, including southern Anhui, northern Anhui, and northern Jiangsu, and the Eighth Route Army south of the Yellow River to be unconditionally transferred to the north of the Yellow River within one monthThe time of "Haodian" was October 19, 1940.

This is the signal of Chiang Kai-shek to launch the second ****!

The *** of the civil war has already made a "zizi" burning sound!

Soon after, Chiang Kai-shek sent an urgent secret telegram to Gu Zhutong, commander of the Third Theater of Operations: "The theater should make proper arrangements and preparations for the bandits in Jiangnan according to the previous plan. ”

After receiving the "Hao Telegram" and the "special urgent secret telegram" sent to him by Chiang Kai-shek, Gu Zhutong, commander of the Third Theater of Operations, successively convened a regular meeting of the Commander's Department and an emergency military conference in Huizhou, and in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's "death order" of the New Fourth Army's trilogy: pressing behind, blocking in the front, and attacking in the middle, as well as fighting even if it leaves, fighting if it does not leave, and completely resolving it on the spot, I am afraid that the strength of "no more tolerance" is insufficient, except for the 52nd Division, the 114th Division, the 154th Division, and the 108th Division of the Kuomintang that are already in southern Anhui. The 79th Division stationed in eastern Zhejiang, the 146th Division of the Sichuan Army stationed in eastern Jiangxi, and the 40th Division equipped with German-made Jiafu mountain artillery in southern Jiangsu were urgently mobilized, forming an encirclement of the rear forcing forward and blocking and flanking from both sides.

The military headquarters of the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui is in danger!

However, as a "personal decision" in the New Fourth Army, Xiang Ying was shocked by Chiang Kai-shek's "Haodian", frightened, panicked for a while, bent his waist in the dim light, lowered his huge head, and his former arrogant demeanor was gone, and a gloomy and miserable white halo appeared on his black face: "What should I do?" The waves in his chest were pounding violently, and the pain was unbearable. However, because Xiang Ying had always harbored illusions about the Kuomintang, and because he was worried that he would become nothing if he left the territory he had painstakingly managed in Jiangnan for many years, the "heroic" halo on his head that insisted on guerrilla warfare would instantly fade, so he raised his head and chest again, and stubbornly used various excuses to stranded the troops of the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui and moved to Jiangbei.

For this reason, the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao ** in northern Shaanxi were very anxious, on the one hand, they sent telegrams to He Yingqin and Bai Chongxi (for "Jia Dian") jointly signed by Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Ye Ting and Xiang Ying, refuting all kinds of trumped-up charges imposed on the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army by "Haodian", and with a relaxed attitude, in order to delay the outbreak of the ** war, it was clearly stated that "for the regular troops in the south of the Yangtze River, Dezheng intends to persuade them to take into account the overall situation and move north in accordance with the order"; On the other hand, he successively sent telegrams to Xiang Ying of the New Fourth Army Branch of the Central Military Commission, and every word was as urgent as a spark:

…… Nowhere in the country is there such hesitation, hesitation, helplessness, and determination as you......

…… Now, the question of towing or walking away is raised, what exactly are you advocating? Advocate dragging or go? It seems that there is no fixed vision, no direction, and you will suffer great losses in the future......

…… In addition to doing everything possible to overcome difficulties, it is necessary to destroy all confidential documents, leave no paper behind, and destroy the manuscripts sent and received every day......

A telegram is more serious than a telegram, a telegram is more critical than a telegram, and a telegram is more urgent than a telegram!

Whether or not they can be transferred to Jiangbei on time is related to the safety of 10,000 officers and men of the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui, how can the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao not be anxious?

At this moment, Ye Ting is in an anxious and contradictory psychological state.

For Chiang Kai-shek's "Haodian", Ye Ting saw the seriousness of the situation and hoped to move to Jiangbei within the period set by Chiang Kai-shek.

He believed that the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao ** had an extremely accurate view of the situation in the war, and they should act immediately, and any excuses would be harmful.

As a result, Ye Ting approached Xiang Ying and stated to him his opinion that he thought that the troops of the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui should be immediately moved to Jiangbei.

But at this time, Xiang Ying was no longer so arrogant to Ye Ting, but polite and respectful on the surface. First, he was afraid that Ye Ting would leave the New Fourth Army again, and he would be more severely criticized by the Central Committee and Mao **; Second, the contradictions between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are becoming increasingly tense, and Ye Ting's special identity is needed to coordinate the relationship with the Third War Zone and even with Chiang Kai-shek.

"Commander Ye, I also feel that the civil war is about to break out, and our military headquarters is in danger! However, Xiang Ying took the cup of tea that the secretary made for Ye Ting and sent it to Ye Ting, looking humble, and his words changed, "Our New Fourth Army troops used to be Red Army guerrillas in the eight southern provinces, and it has been more than three years since they went to southern Anhui to concentrate on reorganization, and they have established a relationship of life and death and flesh and blood with the local people. The task given to us by the central authorities is to open up anti-Japanese base areas behind enemy lines and expand the people's armed forces. If we want to go, we not only need to do work for the troops, but also need to explain clearly to the masses, and we must also leave some guns and ammunition for the local people to arm, so that they can continue to persist in the anti-Japanese struggle. You say, which job doesn't matter, which job doesn't need time! When Xiang Ying said this, he smacked his chapped thick lips from time to time, showing a bitter look of "thinking about what the people think".

Ye Ting saw that Xiang Ying's eyes were bloodshot, which was obviously caused by sleepless nights; The thick lips of the upper and lower layers were cracked, red and bloodshot, if he didn't care for the safety of the New Fourth Army and the local people, could he be in a hurry like this? Ye Ting, who "respects me a foot, I respect you a foot," felt that he wanted to make Xiang Ying make up his mind to march to Jiangbei as soon as possible, and what he could help to do was to immediately ask Chiang Kai-shek and Gu Zhutong for a batch of guns, ammunition, and supplies, so as to relieve Xiang Ying's worries about leaving the New Fourth Army.

Therefore, he drafted a "Report on Requesting Military Supplies" overnight, proposing to give the New Fourth Army a promotion fee, a casualty pension, and a supplement of 500 rifles, 100 light machine guns, 1 million rounds of ammunition, 20,000 hands**, food, medical equipment, etc.

"Xiyi, your appetite is too big, isn't it? Do you want these guns and ammunition for the New Fourth Army, or do you leave them for the local armed forces? The scheming Gu Zhutong looked at Ye Ting with a teasing gaze, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"The entire army stationed in southern Anhui has to be pulled out, and the consumption is so great that Mo Gong should be able to calculate it." Ye Ting solemnly said to Gu Zhutong, "The guns and ammunition we want have not exceeded the number of sending. ”

"Xiyi, with all due respect, I think you, the army commander, are going to become the minister of logistics." Gu Zhutong's words were both mocking and provocative, because he understood the gap between Ye Ting and Xiang Ying.

Ye Ting knew Gu Zhutong's intentions, so he came to a great wisdom and foolishness: "Mo Gong, the ancients said that 'the soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass go first'." Besides, the number of guns and ammunition we want is completely within your approval authority. You always talk about the friendship of classmates, and you will never refute my face and tell me to go back empty-handed, right? ”

Gu Zhutong laughed: "Xiyi, the friendship between classmates is mutual." The commission has already set the deadline for your promotion, and the army has no jokes! You have always dragged on and refused to leave, and the commission has been angry with me several times, and I, the commander of the theater, bear the responsibility for your crimes, am I not innocent? When he said this, he aggravated his tone abruptly, "Well, I will give you an additional 20,000 yuan in the opening fee, and no one will ask me about the fee from now on." If you continue to hold your ground, you will be responsible for all the consequences! Gu Zhutong, who had always been mild-mannered, suddenly had a face as heavy as iron, his eyes were majestic, and his expression was full of harsh coldness, as if he was about to enter a predatory demeanor, "Mo Gong, thank you for your care, and I am leaving." Ye Ting felt that it would be useless to talk about it any longer. This must have been Chiang Kai-shek's death order to Gu Zhutong.

"Xiyi, stay. In the middle of the night, I improvised graffiti and wrote a banner, which has been framed, and encouraged my brother. Gu Zhutong took out a hanging scroll in the bookcase and unfolded it, and asked Ye Ting to look at it:

Integrity, fortitude;

The heart of the piano is brave and the eyes are soft.

"Ah, Mo Gong, I didn't expect you to be good at calligraphy. These words, not only have the style of Yan Zhenqing's many pagodas, but also the opening and closing of Zhao Mengyu's gallbladder monument, and the shot is extraordinary! Ye Ting happily took it, "However, I am ashamed to make such an evaluation to me." ”

Although Ye Ting only needs 20,000 yuan for the opening fee this time, he can still solve some urgent needs. As for the guns and ammunition, Gu Zhutong categorically did not dare to give them without Chiang Kai-shek's special approval. Because, Chiang Kai-shek's original intention was to destroy the New Fourth Army, and when the battle is about to break out, he will give you guns and ammunition, which is not equivalent to giving his sword to the other side when the two sides duel!

Ye Ting had just sensed from Gu Zhutong's expression that the Kuomintang troops had formed an encirclement of the New Fourth Army, and that nearly 2,000 dependents had been transported to Jiangbei, and then said: "Mogong, I have come this time to inform the commander of the Third War Zone that my nearly 2,000 non-combatants and some family members, carrying some printing, clothing, repair and other equipment, will immediately drive to Jiangbei. Ye Ting felt that he didn't wait for me, and hurriedly expressed his intention.

"When? Be specific. Gu Zhutong heard that his body was bounced off by the chair. Apparently he was somewhat surprised.

"December 1st." Ye Ting replied very simply.

"Xiuwen also set off together?" Gu Zhutong asked with concern.

"Yes. But not to Jiangbei, but to Macau. Ye Ting replied in a relaxed tone, trying his best to keep the feelings of the husband and wife in his heart. He knew that when his wife Li Xiuwen knew that the New Fourth Army was facing a serious situation and that his family was going to Jiangbei, she was in a very bad mood, and she was worried about Ye Ting's body, because Ye Ting was busy with military affairs, so he didn't pay attention to his diet and rest, and the guards reminded him that he would still go his own way; Second, Chiang Kai-shek had already raised his butcher's knife to the New Fourth Army, and Ye Ting disregarded his personal safety as soon as he fought, so Li Xiuwen was really relieved. However, if you don't leave, you can't do it, how can the troops be dragged down by their families when they fight? Li Xiuwen has washed and ironed all Ye Ting's clothes in the past few days, and repeatedly told Ye Ting that he is in his forties, and he must take care of his body. It's really a bit of a middle-aged couple who want to say goodbye.

"Our idea is to start from Yunling, along Matou Town, Yangliupu, Sunjiabu, through Langxi, Nandu Town, to Zhuqiao Bridge, Shuixi area, and then cross the Yangtze River to northern Jiangsu through northern Jiangsu." Ye Ting was like a treasure, like a road map of the march in front of him.

"Hmm." Gu Zhutong hurriedly stood up and walked to a military map, observed for a moment, and suddenly turned around, "Xiyi, I agree." ”

Ye Ting also stood up after hearing this, and said bluntly: "Mo Gong, let's speak first, this route will pass through the defense area of the 52nd Division and the 108th Division of the 3rd Theater, and they are not allowed to intercept and make things difficult. Otherwise, I, the army commander, would never want to be the commander again, and I once again asked to resign. ”

Gu Zhutong smiled slightly: "Xiyi, the New Fourth Army is about to be launched, how can there be no commander." I guarantee with my personality that I absolutely guarantee that the first batch of northward migrants will arrive in Jiangbei safely. ”

"A gentleman's word."

"It's hard to chase a horse."

"Smack!" Ye Ting and Gu Zhutong's palms slammed together.