Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Song Shilun, Deng Guo, and Gao Zhiyuan had a strong personal bond because they had fought side by side. Both of them were members of the Military and Political Committee, and at the meeting, they opposed Xiao Zijing's execution of Gao Zhiyuan. They believed that if Xiao Zijing believed Gao Zhiyuan was problematic, he could be sent to Yan'an for training. Putting aside their personal bond from their previous battles, Gao Zhiyuan's execution was not appropriate for the future development of the Yireliao Advance Army. After Gao Zhiyuan's execution, what would become of the 31st Regiment? That was the unit Gao Zhiyuan had built during the Jidong Uprising.

What’s more important is that Gao Zhiyuan has a high reputation in the Jidong region.

If you execute a person like this who defected to the Eighth Route Army, his future development in Yidong will definitely be hindered. How can others trust the Eighth Route Army?

But at the meeting, three of the five agreed, with only Song Shilun and Deng Guo opposing. With a three-to-two vote, Xiao Zijing decided to execute Gao Zhiyuan.

Song Shilun had the most explosive temper, clashing directly with Xiao Zijing, commander of the Advance Army, even slamming the table during the meeting. Xiao Zijing ultimately punished Song Shilun, accusing him of being responsible for the failure of the Jidong Uprising. Song Shilun had no choice but to leave the Advance Army and go to Yan'an to study. This was essentially a disguised form of punishment.

Deng Guo is a smart man.

Seeing how Xiao Zijing punished Song Shilun, he was unwilling to stay in the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Advance Army and immediately expressed that he also wanted to go to Yan'an to study.

When passing through Jin-Cha-Ji, Marshal Nie learned about this and directly left Deng Guo in Jin-Cha-Ji.

"Let's not talk about that. The situation in Yanbei is becoming increasingly complicated. Yan Xishan has dispatched eight county governors to Yanbei to set up a county government there. To protect them, he has sent Bai Zhiyi as the Commissioner and Security Commander of the Tenth District, bringing with him over 8 men from the 1500th, 41th, and rd Regiments. Furthermore, the Japanese army is wary of the Eighth Route Army's rapid advance in Yanbei. The st Division has been transferred to Taiyuan and is poised to attack Yanbei at any time. Yanbei is under dual pressure from both the Japanese and puppet troops and the Kuomintang diehards, and urgently needs a general to take charge. Therefore, Commander Nie has retained Comrade Deng Guo and appointed him commander and political commissar of the newly established Fifth District."

Yang Quanwu briefly explained the current situation.

Actually, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region had no experience dealing with the Kuomintang's stubborn troops. This was because, unlike other Eighth Route Army military regions, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region's territory was recaptured from the Japanese by the Eighth Route Army, and there were no Kuomintang troops around.

So there is no conflict between the two sides.

But other bases are different.

There are many conflicts of all kinds.

"The 19th Regiment of the 19th Column has been fighting in the Yanbei area for many years and is currently stationed in Dingbei County. The 19th Division currently has no troops under its command, so the military district has decided to hand over the th Regiment to the th Division for command. You two can rest assured that the conflict between Comrade Deng Guo and I will not involve you, nor will it affect the officers and soldiers of the th Regiment."

Yang Quanwu is open and honest.

Yang Quanwu and Deng Guo did have conflicts, especially when the Pingxi Detachment was established, when they had a serious dispute over the division of the family. However, both men were considered upright and honorable men in history.

Even if two people have conflicts, they will never escalate them.

Both were Eighth Route Army officers, and they went wherever their superiors directed them. Consequently, their direct subordinates often served under the other. Despite their deep conflicts, they never took their own grudges out on others, or even targeted their subordinates. In this respect, both were truly respectful individuals.

So these cadres later spoke highly of both of them.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun nodded.

If it were any other cadre, Wei Hongjun would have really worried about the 19th Regiment being targeted. But Wei Hongjun trusted the character of Deng Guo, the veteran leader. Wei Hongjun thought for a moment and asked, "Commander, is the 19th Division only the 19th Regiment? If there is only the th Regiment, how can the th Division stabilize the situation in Yanbei?"

This is what Wei Hongjun is more worried about.

Previously, the First Division maintained a force of two main regiments in the Yanbei area. Combined with the 19th Regiment of the Eighth Column, the First Division maintained a force of three main regiments year-round. And if anything happened, there was support from the Second Division and the 120th Brigade of the 358th Division.

But now there is only one 19th Regiment in the Fifth District, and its military strength is too weak no matter how you look at it.

"Don't worry about that. There are plenty of officers and soldiers in the 11th Regiment who want to follow him. However, the 11th Regiment is part of the Ji-Re-Liao Advance Army, so it's impossible to take all of them with you. So the main force of the 11th Regiment was split in two. The remaining troops continued to be called the 11th Regiment, and the troops that followed to the 6th Division were given the designation of the 6th Regiment by the military district. So when the 19th Division was established, it had the th and th Regiments under its command."

"How many people are there in the 6th Regiment?"

“About 3000 people.”

Wang Qiuyun said in disbelief, "Commander, did the Ji-Re-Liao Advance Army allow so many troops to go to the Fifth Division?"

Xiao Zijing, the leader of the Ji-Re-Liao Advance Army, was a very experienced cadre. He was able to allow so many troops to leave the Ji-Re-Liao Advance Army. Yang Quanwu calculated on his shoulders and said, "If we don't give them, what will happen if the entire 11th Regiment runs away?"

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun were both full of praise.

The personal charm of the veteran leader Deng Guo is truly admirable.

Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun had only served under Deng Guo for a short time, so they weren't very familiar with him. However, many of the cadres who had worked with him had very positive opinions of him.

When the Pingxi Detachment was first established, he had originally intended to leave with the main Third Regiment. Unexpectedly, upon his departure, all the students he had previously recruited followed him. These students, then key figures in the political department of the Independent Division, left the Independent Division without a trace of regret for the uncertain future of the Pingxi Detachment. This outcome infuriated Yang Quanwu.

After all, Yang Quanwu was also a general who was deeply loved by the cadres below him.

One day, all the students under his command ran away.

Unexpectedly, Deng Guo, their veteran leader, had left the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army, sending the entire 11th Regiment into a state of disarray. The situation was, in fact, even more tense than Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun had anticipated. Upon hearing that their veteran leader was leaving, the 11th Regiment's officers and soldiers expressed their willingness to follow him. After all, the 11th Regiment was originally a unit of the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, the third regiment of an independent division, and its cadre consisted largely of members of the 115th Division. Returning to Jin-Cha-Ji felt like returning home.

They had no affiliation with Xiao Zijing, the commander of the Ji-Re-Liaoning Army. Although they were now under the Ji-Re-Liaoning Army, they were unwilling to obey Xiao Zijing's orders. Therefore, they did not give Xiao Zijing any face and directly expressed their intention to leave the Ji-Re-Liaoning Army.

However, the 11th Regiment was by far the most powerful and essential regiment of the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advancing Army, having established numerous bases in Rehe. Of course, the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advancing Army would not give up. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, with Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters also contributing to the balance of power between the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei and Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advancing Armys. Ultimately, the 11th Regiment was split in two.

It can be seen how much Deng Guo is liked by his subordinates.

Chapter 283 Exchange

"Oh, Commander. I heard Commander Huang from District Three is planning to form the Sixth Regiment."

"It's too late. The Sixth Regiment's designation has been taken away by the Fifth Division, and the military district has decided to give the Third Division the Seventh Regiment's designation. Commander Nie couldn't believe how happy he was when he learned that the Third Division was going to form a main force regiment."

The development and growth of the Third Division will benefit the entire Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.

Because the Third Division could block the Japanese troops from Shijiazhuang and Baoding, and could also directly support the Hebei-Central Military Region. Previously, because the Third Division was unable to establish itself, the First Division was under great pressure in Hebei. All the Japanese and puppet troops' raids were aimed at the First Division. In order to establish the Third Division, the military region had no choice but to continuously deploy troops from the First Division to the Third Division.

Now that the third district is gradually becoming stronger, it will greatly reduce the pressure on the first district in Hebei.

"Commander, since the military district has asked us to hand over the 19th Regiment to the th Division, we will obey your order. But shouldn't the military district also give us some compensation?"

"What compensation do you want?"

Wei Hongjun immediately said, "Minister Xu Luomin of the Second Branch of the Anti-Japanese University.

I heard that he will take about 20 students from the Second Branch of the Anti-Japanese University to serve in the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army. I hope the military district can assign Commander Xu Luomin and these 20 or so students to our 8th Column, and give the rest of the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army to them.

"Xu Luomin? Do you know him?"

"Commander, have you forgotten? Before the Anti-Japanese War, he was in the Red Fourth Division, and we were in the Red First Division. At that time, he was the regimental chief of staff, and our two units fought together. We even had exchanges afterwards."

"I can't quite figure it out."

Yang Quanwu shook his head.

But he didn't care. There were so many cadres in the Red Army and the Eighth Route Army, and it was impossible for him to know everything about every cadre. Yang Quanwu asked, "Why do you want him?"

"Didn't our Eighth Column accept a group of graduates from the Second Branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University at the beginning of the year? We found that some of them had very good training levels and a deep foundation. They were also very capable of training new recruits. So we did some research. They all said that Comrade Xu Luomin was the captain of the training team and served as the director of the training department when the Second Branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University was established. He is very good at training students and training troops. We now have a lot of new recruits in our Eighth Column, with tens of thousands of new recruits in the main forces and local forces combined. So we want Comrade Xu Luomin to come to our Eighth Column to help us train a group of grassroots commanders and improve their ability to train new recruits.

"Do you know what position he will take up in the Jireliao Advance Army? Deputy Chief of Staff of the Jireliao Advance Army and Director of the Training Department.

And he may be appointed as the chief of staff of the Yire Liao Military Region in the future.

What position can you give him?"

At present, the Central Committee and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters have high hopes for the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army.

The hope was that they could establish a strong presence in eastern Hebei and Rehe, and even expand into the Northeast. Therefore, when the leadership of the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army disagreed, Yan'an consistently supported its commander, Xiao Zijing. Even important generals like Song Shilun and Deng Guo were transferred. Furthermore, when it came to cadre deployment, the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Advance Army was prioritized.

Wang Qiuyun immediately said: "As long as the military region and the commander agree, we can make him the deputy commander of the 8th Column and concurrently the chief of staff.

"You guys are quite courageous."

Yang Quanwu smiled.

Wei Hongjun immediately said, "Commander, the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army is in such a mess right now, and who knows what will happen in the future. Comrade Xu Luomin will be of greater use to our Eighth Column. We need cadres like him even more now."

Hearing Wei Hongjun's words, Yang Quanwu immediately said, "Nonsense, you can't say such things casually."

The problems of the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning advance are too complicated.

Even Marshal Nie wouldn't intervene, let alone a few of them.

"We understand."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Without mentioning the qualifications of Xiao Zijing, the commander of the Ji-Re-Liaoning Army, both Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters have high hopes for the Ji-Re-Liaoning Army. So at this moment, Yan'an and the headquarters are supporting Xiao Zijing.

Therefore, the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, but Marshal Nie did not interfere in the affairs of the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army.

Yang Quanwu thought for a while and said, "Okay. Comrade Xu Luomin's appointment to the Yireliao Advance Army is still under discussion within the military region and has not yet been formally finalized. The Yireliao Advance Army may not be happy about his appointment, otherwise he would have taken up the post long ago, and you would have been able to take advantage of it. After I return, I will go to the military region to discuss it with Commander Nie."

"Thank you, Commander."

As the Eighth Column grew stronger and its territory expanded, the demand for cadres increased.

Cadres of all abilities are needed.

Xu Luomin was a versatile and capable general during the Red Army period. He served as a platoon leader, company commander, and was responsible for communications at the division headquarters. Later, he served as regimental chief of staff and briefly served as regimental commander in the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Very experienced.

And because he was from the Red Fourth Division, he, like Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun, was affiliated with the 115th Division. He participated in the important battles in the early days of the 115th Division and then went to the Anti-Japanese University to train students.

The Eighth Column is in great need of such cadres.

"Commander, shouldn't Political Commissar Deng also show some support? We've given him a fully equipped main force regiment right away."

Commander, you know the combat effectiveness of our 19th Regiment.

"Don't push your luck, kid.

Yang Quanwu smiled bitterly.

Even when the military district took away so many of his troops, he hadn't made any demands. He hadn't expected Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun to want everything. He had just agreed to Xu Luomin's request, but they weren't satisfied.

"Who do you fancy?"

"Comrade Cai Debao, former commander of the Third Detachment of Jidong and current deputy commander of the 15th Regiment.

"You guys are well-informed, huh?"

"Commander, our 11th Column's Special Forces Regiment is in Fengning County, fighting alongside the th Regiment. We also know something about the situation in the Ji-Re-Liaoning Advance Army."

Yang Quanwu did not agree directly.

But thinking.

Cai Debao was a military officer from the Red Third Army. Originally conscripted by warlords, he was captured by the Red Army and subsequently enlisted in the army. His valor and mastery of various tactics quickly earned him a reputation as an outstanding grassroots commander.

When the Fourth Column set out from the Pingxi base to eastern Hebei, they captured cities and territories along the way. When they attacked Changping County, it was Cai Debao who led the troops to the first place and reached the city wall.

However, it was this year that really made him shine.

After the Jidong Uprising, the main Jidong army followed the Fourth Column back to the base area. A small number of troops were left behind in Yidong, where they were asked to continue the revolution and wait for the main force to return. Among them was Cai Debao, who had just been promoted to battalion commander and stayed in Jidong with a company of troops to continue the revolution.

At the time, the Jidong Uprising had just ended. The Japanese 109th and 110th Divisions, along with troops from the Kwantung Army and four brigades of the puppet Manchukuo, were stationed in Jidong. They launched repeated sweeps into the region, often with small raids lasting three days and large raids every seven. Few of the troops left in Jidong survived these frequent raids. But Cai Debao persevered.

And his troops grew larger and larger as he fought.

Especially in 1939, when the North China Front Army dispatched troops to sweep the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, Cai Debao shined brightly. From a single company at the beginning, the force grew to people in half a year.

He already has six battalions and three independent battalions under his command.

Even his main force boasted a Type 99 rifle in every squad, a Zheng-style rifle in every company, and the soldiers all armed with Type 38 rifles. Among the troops remaining in eastern Hebei at the time, three developed most rapidly, including Cai Debao's. These three units were organized into the First, Second, and Third Detachments, with Cai Debao as the commander of the Third. Cai Debao's unit had the largest number of troops and the most rifles. These detachments were developed from the Fourth Column's remaining troops in eastern Hebei.