Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

It was just that Wei Hongjun had fought his way up from the grassroots, while Ding Sheng had started as a serviceman for the central leadership. But after six years of the war, the gap between the two sides was already very obvious.

Ding Sheng is still at the regimental level, while Wei Hongjun is already the acting political commissar of the second-level military region.

Ding Sheng is proud.

But at this time, he also restrained his temper. Because he didn't want to continue studying in Yan'an, he wanted to join the army and fight. So he shamelessly asked Marshal Nie to give him a chance.

In fact, Shuai is not familiar with Ding Sheng either.

It’s because Ding Sheng’s resume is too thin.

Ding Sheng only spent a short time in the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Yi Army before returning to Yan'an. Even Yang Quanwu, known for his discerning eye for talent, didn't get to see Ding Sheng's abilities. Marshal Nie had even less of an impression of him.

But Marshal Nie is a kind man.

Since Ding Sheng wanted to join the army, he would not refuse.

Gong Sheng also knew this opportunity was rare. Furthermore, since he had returned to Yan'an in 1940, he was well aware of the names of Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun, who had built the Eighth Route Army. He knew that Wang Qiuyun and Wei Hongjun had created the miracle of the Eighth Route Army.

So I still admire Wei Hongjun very much.

"Comrade Ding Sheng, Commander Nie has explained your situation to me. However, our Yirecha Military Region currently has one-on-one positions for each regimental position, especially for positions like regimental commander and political commissar. Therefore, if you come to our Yirecha Military Region, I cannot immediately offer you a position as the commander or political commissar of a main regiment. Therefore, I would like to seek your opinion. I have three positions available for you to choose from.

"Chief, tell me."

Ding Sheng was not angry.

After all, as an outsider, it is impossible for me to get a position right away.

Wei Hongjun did not play him casually and even asked for his opinion. Ding Sheng was already very satisfied.

"The first one is to serve as the captain and political commissar of the military district's training brigade. You've spent a long time studying at the military academy, so you won't have any problems in any area. As the battlefield situation changes, we need a large number of grassroots cadres. The training brigade will be upgraded to a brigade-level unit.

Ding Sheng was very surprised.

I didn't expect Wei Hongjun to give me such a good position with just one move.

While not a combat unit, the teaching brigade is a crucial position in any military unit. It's formed to train grassroots cadres. Wei Hongjun also emphasized that this will become a brigade-level unit in the future.

That is to say, if you go to the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region, you can quickly become a brigade-level cadre.

He had been stuck at the regimental level for years, with no hope of promotion. Having spent three years in Yan'an, he knew that even if he joined a combat unit, he would at best be a regimental-level cadre.

I didn’t expect Wei Hongjun to be so nice.

But Ding Sheng didn't say anything. He wanted to see the other two positions that Wei Hongjun mentioned.

Wei Hongjun continued, "The second option is to serve as deputy chief of staff of a field brigade and concurrently director of the training department. Currently, our Ji-Re-Cha Military Region has the 1st Brigade, the 8th Brigade, the 9th Brigade, the Special Forces Brigade, and the Cavalry Brigade, and we will certainly continue to expand our forces in the future. The forces are expanding rapidly right now, but the headquarters is short of personnel. Once the military region increases its strength, we will immediately lower your rank and assign you to the field brigade as chief of staff."

Ding Sheng was weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

The teaching brigade is of high rank, but will not go to fight.

The brigade chief of staff was of a lower rank, but he was in a field unit and could go out to fight. Furthermore, the position Wei Hongjun gave him was still acceptable.

But Ding Sheng still didn't say anything.

He wanted to hear everything before making a decision. Wei Hongjun continued, "The third thing is to have you reorganize some local troops. Since the establishment of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region, all the main forces have gone to Rehe to fight. The county brigades and district squads from the previous base areas still exist, but the base area is now very safe and free of Japanese and puppet troops. So their current situation is very awkward. I don't want to waste these local troops."

Many county brigades and district squads have already been incorporated into the main force, but a number remain within the base area. I've been considering reorganizing these local forces. If you're willing, you can reorganize them. All of these units combined have a considerable number of men, around 4000.

When Ding Sheng heard this, his eyes immediately lit up.

Over the years, he had learned a great deal about military matters at the military academy. He had always wanted to go to the front lines and use what he had learned to fight the enemy. However, unlike his successive promotions during the Red Army years, he never had the opportunity to fight in the battlefields during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

While others were fighting in the war, killing enemies and making meritorious contributions, he was just a coward in the rear.

Ding Sheng has been looking for opportunities to return to the front line.

But even though he was Wang Jiaxiang's orderly, he couldn't find any opportunities. That's why he shamelessly approached Nie Shuai. Now, when he heard that Wei Hongjun was the third position, he was naturally excited.

Although in terms of rank, the captain and political commissar of the teaching brigade is the best.

But still in the rear.

This was the best option. Although it involved reorganizing local troops, they could exercise complete freedom within the unit. Therefore, Ding Sheng immediately said, "Commander, I choose the third option. If you trust me, I will go to the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region to reorganize these local troops. I will definitely bring a capable and battle-hardened unit to the region."

"it is good."

Wei Hongjun would be happy no matter which one Ding Sheng chose.

Because he brought a very outstanding and powerful general to the military region.

But Wei Hongjun hoped most that Ding Sheng would choose the third one. Currently, there are many local troops in the Yirecha Military Region, and Wei Hongjun has long wanted to reorganize these troops, but he has never found a suitable candidate.

Now that Ding Sheng has come to the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region, he will be given this unit.

In history, Ding Sheng led the 27th Brigade, a ragtag group of ragtag troops, to the main force of the 8th Column, and finally served as the ace commander of the 45th Army.

The construction of local forces in the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region is very good, and the start is much better than Ding Sheng’s 27th Brigade in history.

Wei Hongjun was expecting Ding Sheng to build a powerful force for the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region and to bring out an ace brigade for Hebei-Rehe-Chahar and Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei.

"Comrade Ding Sheng, don't underestimate the local forces you're reorganizing, like county brigades and district squads. The local forces our Yirecha Military Region has built are staffed by military and political cadres drawn from the main forces. These local forces are not short of guns. If they're inferior to the main forces, it's in their heavy weaponry. However, these local forces have all fought against the Japanese and puppet troops during the anti-mopping-up campaigns. I hope you can help the military region build a strong force."

"Yes."

"When can you leave for the military area?"

"I'm available anytime."

"Okay. Then you can leave once you're ready. I'll explain the situation to the military district.

Chapter 540 Report

Wei Hongjun was in a very good mood as he had gained a powerful general soon after arriving in Yan'an.

So everyone's temper improved a lot at the venue.

But within a few days, Wei Hongjun received an order. The Chairman wanted to see Wei Hongjun at his home. Wei Hongjun went to the Chairman's home, and sure enough, it was just like what he had seen on TV: an ordinary cave dwelling.

Besides the Chairman, there were the Commander-in-Chief, Wu Hao, Xiu Yang, Ren Peiguo, Peng Dehua, and Chen Yun. Although the Seventh Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee and the Seventh National Congress had not yet been held, the party structure had begun to stabilize by this time, and Marshal Nie was also present. Wei Hongjun was a surprise.

I originally thought that only the chairman wanted to meet with me unexpectedly.

After all, given his rank, being able to meet the Chairman was already quite impressive. He hadn't expected several Party leaders to be present; this level of status was reserved for military commanders and regional lords. This was Wei Hongjun's first time meeting so many Party leaders, and he felt a bit nervous.

To calm himself, Wei Hongjun said loudly, "Wei Hongjun, Acting Political Commissar of the Ji-Re-Cha Military Region, sends his greetings to all the leaders."

The Chairman smiled and said, "Haha, it seems that our battlefield hero, who dominated Chahar and defeated the Japanese and puppet troops, is nervous. Come, sit down, don't be nervous. We all have the same head and two eyes, there is nothing different."

"Yes.

Wei Hongjun was still nervous.

So he carefully sat on the small bench. Because the cave was too small, everyone sat outside. And it was done very casually. Many of these people were heavy smokers. The Chairman took out a cigarette and gave it to Wei Hongjun, saying, "Come on, don't be nervous, have a cigarette.

"Yes."

In fact, many of the Eighth Route Army's frontline commanders smoked.

It wasn't just because he was a heavy smoker; it was more to relieve stress. They were constantly on the battlefield, and a single moment of carelessness could cost them their lives, and even worse, the lives of many of their comrades. Therefore, these generals fighting on the battlefield were constantly stressed out. To relieve this tension, they had no choice but to smoke. Wei Hongjun was no exception. With so much to deal with every day, he sometimes needed a cigarette to perk up.

But Wei Hongjun really didn't dare to smoke here.

However, the Chairman lit the cigarette himself, so Wei Hongjun had no choice but to take it.

"Comrade Wei Hongjun, you don't act like a commanding general. I heard that at the Jin-Cha-Yi senior cadre meeting, you were at the forefront. You're not the type to be so cautious.

The chairman laughed out loud.

Wei Hongjun was even more embarrassed. The Chairman stopped laughing and asked, "Comrade Wei Hongjun, at the Jin-Cha-Ji Senior Cadres Conference, many people criticized Comrade Rong Zhen and Comrade Yang Quanwu. What do you think?"

Wei Hongjun became nervous again.

Because those who are here are the current top leaders of the party. Even for decades to come, they will be the top leaders of the party. Nie Shuai and Yang Quanwu are both Wei Hongjun's old leaders and are very good to him.

Wei Hongjun must protect them.

But how to protect them is also a science. If you openly speak in their favor, then it's either "factionalism" or "factionalism." So Wei Hongjun said seriously, "Comrade Yang Quanwu is my old leader, so let me first address Comrade Yang Quanwu's problems. Many people say that Comrade Yang Quanwu is factionalist and that he has the final say in the First Division. However, I believe that many comrades hold this view of Comrade Yang Quanwu primarily because of his rather unyielding character. Some criticize him for only prioritizing cadres from western Fujian. But this is inaccurate. After Comrade Yang Quanwu assumed command of the First Division, he promoted and appointed cadres from all corners of the country. These included cadres from the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, the Northeast Army, the 29th Army, and even students who defected to the Eighth Route Army after the July Incident. In the First Division, Comrade Yang Quanwu ignored factionalism and factionalism, prioritizing talent. As a result, many cadres who joined the First Division later rose through the ranks faster than many veteran Red Army soldiers and revolutionaries, many of whom were Comrade Yang Quanwu's former subordinates, including many cadres from western Fujian. Of course, Comrade Yang Quanwu had problems balancing these relationships and uniting his comrades, which led to many conflicts. When some conflicts arose, Comrade Yang Quanwu did not do a good job of appeasing them. But precisely because Comrade Yang Quanwu broke away from factionalism and seniority, he boldly promoted and reused some cadres from the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army. He drew on the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army's experience in regularizing the troops and applied it to the construction of the Eighth Route Army. Therefore, the First Division was the most successful in regularizing the troops among the entire Shanxi-Chahar Wing Army. So I think Comrade Yang Quanwu had some overbearing style and some problems in appeasing the emotions of the cadres. This should be criticized. After all, our revolution needs to unite more people. But I think it is biased to say that he engaged in "factionalism" and only valued cadres from western Fujian. In terms of cadre appointments, Comrade Yang Quanwu valued the cadres' abilities more than their backgrounds."

Hearing Wei Hongjun's words, several big guys in front smiled.

Because Wei Hongjun also criticized Yang Quanwu, but on the issue of Yang Quanwu's most serious "factionalism", he actually defended Yang Quanwu.

Yang Quanwu was a good general.

The central leadership knew this. With Yang Quanwu in Jin-Cha-Ji, the entire region would have been revitalized. Without Yang Quanwu's pioneering efforts to develop the First Division, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region wouldn't be as powerful as it is today.

It can be said that the greatest contributions to the current status of the Jin-Cha-Ji Army, besides Marshal Nie, were Yang Quanwu and the 8th Column. However, the 8th Column, after all, was derived from the Independent Regiment and the First Division. Therefore, every victory for the 8th Column not only boosted its own standing, but also indirectly elevated the status of its direct subordinates, Marshal Nie and Yang Quanwu. Otherwise, the Central Committee would not have appointed Yang Quanwu to the Jin-Cha-Ji Division Bureau, where he would have been the first among the military district commanders and political commissars.

Yang Quanwu has many problems, but he has also made great contributions, which is something no one can deny.

"Let's continue talking about Comrade Rong Zhen."

Wei Hongjun organized his words and said, "Chairman, fellow commanders, we in the Jin-Cha-Ji region certainly made mistakes when establishing our base behind enemy lines. After all, we were inexperienced in many areas when we established the Jin-Cha-Ji base. We were developing our base by trial and error, so perfection is impossible."

But these are merely work-related issues, and they don't amount to errors in the line. I think there's nothing wrong with criticizing Commander Nie's work mistakes. Even some of our cadres in the Jin-Cha-Ji region would have reported Commander Nie's mistakes to him. But to escalate these issues and label them as errors in the line is problematic.

"Then what do you think of Comrade Rong Zhen's 'underestimation of the enemy,' 'quick victory theory,' and 'city theory'?"

Wei Hongjun has slowly calmed down.

Wei Hongjun had also given these questions considerable thought. When the Chairman asked him about this, he immediately replied, "I believe Commander Nie did underestimate the enemy. Especially after the Central Hebei Military Region's victory against the mopping-up operation, there was a period of time when Commander Nie misjudged the situation, and this should be criticized. However, this 'underestimation of the enemy' is unrelated to the 'quick victory theory' or the 'city theory'. It has been six years since the July 7 Incident, and three since the outbreak of the Pacific War."

Even if there is some "underestimation of the enemy" and a desire to quickly end the War of Resistance Against Japan, this has nothing to do with the "Quick Victory" strategy. This is because China's War of Resistance Against Japan has already been very protracted. As for the "city theory," it is completely false. Our Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has always adhered to the mountain guerrilla warfare formulated by the Central Committee and has always implemented the strategy and tactics of surrounding the cities from the countryside. When the Jin-Cha-Nang Military Region developed its base areas, it first occupied the towns and villages and then gradually besieged the cities.

When our Eighth Column captured Zhangjiakou, we also first occupied the surrounding towns and villages, then captured the surrounding county towns, and finally captured Zhangjiakou.

Isn't this guerrilla warfare? Isn't this encircling the cities from the countryside? Just because we finally conquered a large city doesn't mean we were following the "urban theory" and violated the grand strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside. Isn't the ultimate goal of our strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside to capture the cities?"

The Chairman laughed out loud when he heard Wei Hongjun's words.

The same was true for Wu Hao next to him.

The chairman said to the other leaders, "Look, he's really a political worker. He's got a sharp tongue."

"But it does make sense. Just because the Jin-Cha-Ji troops captured a large city doesn't mean they were following the urban theory. That's just making excuses. We should say that the Jin-Cha-Ji troops' capture of major cities like Zhangjiakou and Baoding actually proved the correctness of our strategy of surrounding the cities from the countryside. As Comrade Xiao Wei said, the ultimate goal of our strategy of surrounding the cities from the countryside is to capture the cities."

The commander-in-chief gave his evaluation.

Marshal Nie and Wei Hongjun next to them were both very happy.

During this period, many criticized the Jin-Cha-Ji troops for being obsessed with conquering large cities, adhering to a "city theory" that ran completely counter to the central government's strategy of surrounding the cities from the countryside. Although this accusation was truly fabricated, it put considerable pressure on Marshal Nie, Wei Hongjun, and many of the troops from Jin-Cha-Ji.

Surrounding the cities from the countryside was a major strategy initiated during the Red Army era. It was only after countless casualties among the Red Army troops that it was finally proven suitable for the Chinese revolution. If one insists on accusing them of "urbanism," it's a matter of fact. The commander-in-chief's words can be seen as a validation of the Jin-Cha-Ji troops. He also stated that the Jin-Cha-Ji troops were the best model for surrounding the cities from the countryside.

The Chairman nodded and said, "That's very true. Comrade Wei Hongjun, I see you're still not quite finished. It seems we haven't finished discussing the topic just now. So please speak freely. We'll all be the audience today."