Bright Sword's Bloody War of Resistance

Chapter 839 Merit evaluation and awarding

"Niang Xipi, you are guilty!"

"You ruined the party-state's hope of restoring its rule in Shandong, you ruined the 28th Group Army, and you ruined my plan to secure the Central Plains!"

For Huangpu students, especially the graduates of the first five batches, Lao Jiang has always taken great care of him and always regarded himself as the principal. This is the most severe scolding Li Xianzhou has ever received from Lao Jiang.

After arriving in Fuyang, an important town south of the Yellow River, Li Xianzhou and other personnel were immediately escorted to the mountain city. After being left out in the cold for several days, they were immediately taken to Chiang Kai-shek's official residence.

Facing Lao Jiang's rebuke, Li Xianzhou lowered his head silently, without the arrogant attitude of the past. Lao Jiang was obviously still angry, or perhaps extremely disappointed with him.

After scolding Li Xianzhou, Lao Jiang took out a pistol from the drawer and threw it on the table, with the obvious intention of asking him to plead guilty and commit suicide.

There is an unwritten rule among the warlords of the Republic of China. In a life-and-death battle between them on the battlefield, the loser will usually declare that he will electrify and go to the countryside to live in an apartment, not to mention harming his family.

Throughout the nearly two decades when Chiang Kai-shek was in power, local warlords were either annexed or eliminated, and warlord leaders were either entrusted with sinecures or dismissed from power. Han Fuju was the only exception.

Within the Central Army, the commander-in-chief of the group army, as a feudal official and a prince, must be a direct descendant of Chiang Kai-shek's confidant. There has never been a precedent for committing suicide.

Li Xianzhou knew that he had ruined the 28th Group Army and ruined the principal's plan to restore Shandong and manage the Central Plains. He felt deeply guilty, so he bowed deeply to the principal, then silently picked up the pistol and turned towards the door.

Just when Li Xianzhou walked to the door, Yu Jishi, the captain of the bodyguard who witnessed the whole process, grabbed the pistol. As Chiang Kai-shek's captain of bodyguard, he was definitely an observant person.

Yu Jishi had long seen that Chiang Kai-shek did not really want to execute Li Xianzhou, otherwise he could have ordered military law enforcement on the front line, and he would not have deliberately ignored him for a few days.

During the few days that Li Xianzhou was detained, people would plead with Chiang Kai-shek from time to time. Perhaps this was a deliberate threat and he had to serve as a stepping stone.

The two of them were both first-year students in Huangpu, so they had a certain affinity. Yu Jishi was willing to be a peacemaker at this time: "Principal, although Shouying is the chief officer of the group army, the blame for this defeat does not lie solely on him!"

"Due to the leak of secrets before the war, the Eighth Route Army was obviously well prepared. Our army was fighting in its base area with no information and was always under the surveillance of the Eighth Route Army. It was extremely difficult to supply materials and was already in a disadvantageous situation. Moreover, the 28th Group Army was unable to work together. Congratulations Cui and his ilk have other plans, and they are the main culprits of our army’s defeat!”

Regarding the defeat of the 28th Group Army, there has been a conclusion within the national army. Li Xianzhou, as the chief military officer, must of course take the main responsibility. Yu Jishi's statement also makes some sense. Some people even insinuated that the 28th Group Army was eager for quick success and changed its original plan to approach Shandong. , rashly fought with the Eighth Route Army in the Hebei, Shandong and Henan areas.

Of course, many people actually knew that Li Xianzhou did not dare to change the original plan rashly, but no one dared to accuse Chiang Kai-shek of micro-managing behind the scenes.

Even if someone else were to serve as the chief officer, with the intervention of Lao Jiang, it would be difficult to change the outcome of the defeat. It can only be said that Li Xianzhou shouldered part of the responsibility for Lao Jiang.

Old Jiang had no intention of executing Li Xianzhou. Finally, under Yu Jishi's persuasion, the board was raised high and then gently lowered. Li Xianzhou was relieved of his position as commander-in-chief of the group army and was assigned to serve as a senior counselor in the Military and Political Department.

Several major generals of the 28th Group Army were held accountable to varying degrees, which did not endanger their lives or property. On the contrary, Wen Hao, the director of the North China Office of the Military Command, was responsible for liaison before the war, but after the war he was suspected of leaking secrets.

Chiang Kai-shek ordered Dai Chunfeng to execute him within the military command. Since Wen Hao was in Luoyang, Dai Chunfeng gave the Luoyang Station of the military command a secret order to execute Wen Hao. He did not need to be escorted back to the headquarters, but was executed directly on the front line.

"Sixth brother, what should we do? This is a hot potato. Although Wen Yu is not popular within our military command, his old man still has some connections in the upper echelons. Once we take action, then..." Song Xiaoan was a little confused. He hesitated, and even suspected that Shangfeng was taking the blame.

Of course Zheng Yaoxian understands the importance of this: "We are really unpopular in the profession of being a spy. We are not included when we are rewarded based on our merits. But once the war situation is unfavorable, those generals will first put the responsibility on us!"

"Hey, Wen Yu is also an old man in the military command. Instead of being a good director of the political training department, he is obsessed with doing such a thankless job!"

"Xiao'an, you're right. According to the rules, the bureau headquarters should send someone to escort Wen Yu back. I'm afraid it's not easy for the bureau to handle it. Even though the old man is furious now, he has soft ears and has always been changeable. If someone blows the wind, it might happen, so don’t rush it in advance, it’s better to delay it for a while!”

Zheng Yaoxian thought for a moment, but he was also undecided. Even though Wen Rong's position was not high and he did not have much real power, this guy was related to both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. The old man in his family was a family friend of Cheng Qian, the veteran of the National Government, and Zheng Yaoxian The background of Wen Qi has not yet been truly clarified.

Based on this, Zheng Yaoxian just sent someone to keep an eye on Wen Hao secretly and leave him some time to move around. It would be best if someone could intercede for him, and the worst case scenario would be for Wen Hao to run away.

As a graduate of Huangpu and an old man in the military command, Wen Hao still had basic counter-reconnaissance capabilities, and he quickly noticed something unusual.

Originally, when he was in Luoyang, he attended drinking parties every day to socialize and win over people. However, in the past two days, these old friends were uncharacteristically uncharacteristic and seemed to avoid him. At the same time, he also noticed the tail following behind him.

There is no airtight wall in the world. Often, a small employee in a competent department may have a roundabout relationship behind him. Internal leaks of some orders and secrets within the National Government have become commonplace, but Wen Rong, the person involved, was the last to know. .

Wen Hao, who sensed that the wind was going in the wrong direction, made some inquiries and learned of Shangfeng's order. On the one hand, he mobilized his contacts to smoothen the relationship, and on the other hand, he made plans to escape.

The words were divided into two parts. After Zhou Weihan made deployments on the front line, he had returned to Heze where the headquarters of the Hebei, Shandong and Henan Military Region was located. This time the Eighth Route Army not only achieved its expected political intentions, but also gained a lot.

Zhou Weihan has been in Heze for several days. It is rare for him to have some leisure time, but the military region has to hold another meeting.

On the one hand, they have to do post-war summary and pension work, and on the other hand, they naturally have to reward according to their merits. Zhou Weihan doesn't care about this. He is very concerned about when Li Yunlong's 16th Brigade can be restored. "Don't be anxious. Political Commissar Luo of the Shandong Military Region sent a telegram the day before yesterday, praising the 16th Brigade for its ability to fight well and praising Li Yunlong. I don't think the 16th Brigade can be restored for the time being!"

"Although the issue with the national army has been properly resolved, the local Japanese and puppet troops in Shandong are still strong and need the sharp knife of the 16th Brigade to open up the situation, so keep your heart in your stomach!" Deputy Chief of General Staff said.

Zhou Weihan grinned twice when he heard this, thinking that this was more than a compliment. The 16th Brigade acted as a brother unit to support the operation, but Li Yunlong violated the orders of the Shandong Military Region and insisted on executing Liu Guitang.

On the surface, Li Yunlong's move seemed too reckless. In fact, he had already calculated clearly in his heart that even if the leading cadres of the Shandong Military Region were dissatisfied, they did not have the right to deal with Li Yunlong. At most, they could report it to the Hebei, Shandong and Henan Military Region, so Li Yunlong reported to Zhou Weihan early in the morning. Made a report.

"There are always worries, mainly because the troops on hand are not enough right now!" Zhou Weihan said.

At this moment, the Hebei, Shandong and Yu Military Region has begun a new round of army reorganization operations. The reorganization army includes the basic troops of seven subordinate military divisions, mainly in Zhinan, northern Henan, and southwestern Shandong.

The Northwestern Shandong, Yunxi, Taixi and Huxi troops under the former Western Shandong Military Region should, while reorganizing their armies, expand their base areas on a large scale and greatly reduce the living space of the local Japanese and puppet troops. The puppet army garrisoned the county seat.

This move is entirely to expand the area of ​​cultivated land and enrich the population of the base area, thereby enhancing the war potential of the entire Hebei, Shandong and Henan base area and laying the foundation for future large-scale operations.

The overall planning time is three months, and internal integration is expected to be completed before the summer harvest. If the expected goals can be achieved, the troops of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region will move closer to the Hebei-Shandong border, that is, the northern Shandong and southern Jin areas.

On the one hand, it restored the Eighth Route Army's local political power construction, and on the other hand, it cut off the connections between the Japanese and puppet troops in Shandong and Pingjin, Shimen and other places.

After the truce, Wu Qin's 14th Brigade received orders from the military region to head to Luxi to assist in the battle. Now they have arrived in Yuncheng and have joined forces with the brothers who taught the th Brigade.

"I'm not complaining. The main thing is that the main forces of the 13th and 15th brigades are going south to open up bases, and the 14th brigade is going north. Only 16 people led by the th brigade chief of staff Xin Tiebing are stationed along the Longhai Railway. Although there are some troops in the nearby Yucheng area, But most of them are helping local people resume production!”

The purpose of establishing the Hebei, Lu, and Yu Column was to conduct mobile operations. Obviously, the subordinates could not concentrate on fighting all the time. They would go wherever needed. However, Zhou Weihan now became the bare commander.

"This is indeed a problem. What do you think?" asked the deputy chief of staff.

"Although it is dangerous for the remaining 16th Brigade to be stationed at the Longhai Line, it is necessary. There are many Japanese puppet troops under the jurisdiction of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, and a considerable part of the brigade's material supply must be supplemented through external transportation. We are stationed at the Longhai Line. The Longhai Line can weaken the Japanese and puppet troops, and at the same time, it can restrain the enemy and reduce the pressure on the 15th and th Brigades!" Zhou Weihan said.

The deputy chief of staff chuckled. It turned out that Zhou Weihan came to him to ask for someone: "In that case, let the first regiment directly under the military region join the rest of the 16th brigade and station in Laowangji to put enough pressure on the enemy!"

Not long after, Tan Lin arrived late, and all personnel from the Political Department of the Military Region were present.

Post-war pensions, merit evaluation and awards were the main responsibilities of the Political Department. Logically speaking, director Xiao Hua should be in charge, but Yang and Xiao were unable to attend due to the Shandong-West war, so Tan Lin could only be in charge.

All the ministries participating in the war had already submitted their lists of personnel one after another, and there were already clear regulations on pensions. The Political Department of the Military Region only had to send people to the hometowns of the fallen soldiers to distribute pensions and pensions, and also contact the local government to provide family members with martyred treatment.

The Eighth Route Army has always attached great importance to the work of martyrs' families. Even when conditions were difficult, the pension food for the martyrs' families was never cut off. After the conditions in the base areas improved slightly, the pension standards were repeatedly raised.

This is not only because the soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country on the battlefield, but also to unite people's hearts. Even if the people are willing to hand over their children to the Eighth Route Army, who can guarantee that the soldiers will have no worries. It is obviously impossible to eradicate this simply by relying on ideological and political work. It must be guaranteed with real material conditions.

"The pension work must be done well, but the Political Department has limited manpower and cannot return visits frequently. I think it is necessary for local government departments to visit regularly and practically solve the problems existing in the lives of martyrs. Direct blood relatives or brothers and sisters of martyrs should be given priority in enrollment. Priority in joining the factory, priority in promotion and appointment!” said the deputy chief of staff.

Tan Lin nodded and said: "The policies related to martyrs' families are gradually being improved. I suggest that a separate department be established in the local government. It will not only be responsible for the pension of martyrs' families, but also be responsible for solving the problem of placement of military families or retired officers and soldiers. It is called the Military Family Department. How about ?”

This suggestion made everyone's eyes light up. With the establishment of many competent departments, the efficiency of handling various affairs in the base area has also been improved in an orderly manner, but it is obviously not perfect yet.

Zhou Weihan clapped his hands and said to Tan Lin: "This is a good idea. Take this resettlement of retired officers and soldiers of the National Army as an example. It really wastes a lot of energy. The army can't find the personnel specifically to connect them, so they have to come to you through me. Make arrangements!”

The deputy chief of staff, Zhou Weihan, and Tan Lin, as the main members of the Hebei, Shandong and Yu branch, decided to take advantage of the post-war pension opportunity to immediately set up a military department.

In contrast, the post-war meritorious service award work is more cumbersome. After the list is submitted, inspection and review are required.

On this list, the First Regiment directly under the Military Region is expected to receive first-class collective merit for its outstanding performance in the Battle of Xiaohuangji. The reconnaissance company of the Hebei, Shandong and Yu Column figured out the enemy's deployment before the battle and sneaked into Dayangji. After learning important information, I plan to receive first-class merit.

In addition, the 15th Regiment of the 9th Brigade fought bravely in the battle with the Japanese and puppet troops in Shangqiu and cut off the enemy's retreat. It is planned to receive first-class collective merit. The cavalry regiment contained more than 12 people in the remaining th Army and bought time for the main force. Receive first-class collective merit.

Subjectively, merit evaluation and awarding are fair and impartial, but objectively, they are affected by many factors. One is the recommendation of the superior unit chief officer, which has the impact of personal perception, and the other is the consideration of the history and origin of the unit.

Take Ding Wei's 15th Brigade as an example. The three regiments under it all participated in the battles between the National Army and the Japanese and puppet troops. All three regiments fought bravely and their commanders commanded them well, but why was it that the enemy's 9th regiment was the one who judged and awarded the prize?

First, the wartime command of the commander of the 9th Regiment was in line with Ding Wei's wishes. Secondly, the 9th Regiment was not the troops brought by Ding Wei from Tainan, but the local backbone regiments of the original Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region. Slightly weaker, it is more necessary to encourage morale through merit evaluation and awards.