In 1935, Li Kenong opened an officer training course in Wayaobao, and the trainees were 120 officers of Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army captured by the Red Army. On the first day of the class, these officers of the Northeast Army were taken to a quadrangle.
Everyone thought that what was coming was a storm of punishment: verbal abuse, torture, and even shooting. The courtyard fell silent. Suddenly, a familiar Northeast song sounded, and I saw more than a dozen Red Army soldiers walking into the small courtyard and singing the song "Go Back to Your Hometown".
This song is full of power and evokes the memories of their hometown: the mountains and rivers of the Northeast, their parents, wives and children, and the Northeast Army in the past few years under the policy of non-resistance, the Northeast Army ceded the Northeast to the Japanese invaders, but they themselves left their homeland and were insulted by the Chinese people.
Tears welled up in their eyes when they remembered the discrimination and exclusion they had suffered as a ragtag army. Many people choked up, with tears in their eyes, and some even cried. The song awakened their dignity and pride and made them decide not to be silent anymore and to fight for the dignity of their homeland and nation.
Li Kenong was silent for a while, and said to the staff around him: "Our first step is to use a song to evoke their memories and stimulate their patriotic enthusiasm and love for their hometown."
Being able to move people to tears shows that they still have feelings in their hearts, and they are all Chinese with conscience. ”
Why did Li Kenong create this training course for PLA officers? This was because the situation was extremely serious. In 1935, our country was faced with the dilemma of internal and external troubles, and the Japanese army had occupied the three northeastern provinces and began to move south, occupying Hebei and Chahar provinces.
At the critical moment of national survival, Chiang's army, led by Chiang Kai-shek, adopted a policy of non-resistance, and also carried out "encirclement and suppression" of the Red Army everywhere.
After the victory of the Long March, Chiang ordered Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army to "encircle and suppress" with all its might. In the fierce battle between the Red Army and the Northeast Army, the Red Army successfully defeated three divisions of the Northeast Army in the battles of Laoshan, Yulin Bridge and Zhiluo Town, and captured a large number of officers and soldiers in the Northeast by virtue of its high fighting spirit and strong strength after the baptism of the Long March.
After the Wayaobao Conference, the chairman analyzed the situation and found that although there were many Chiang troops in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Soviet Region, most of them were not Chiang Kai-shek's direct troops. Zhang Xueliang had a deep hatred for the Japanese invaders, and the 60 regiments of the Northeast Army went into exile in Guannai after the fall of Northeast China, and their inner desire to recover their homeland was a favorable factor for resisting Japan.
In December 1935, the Liaison Bureau was established, with Li Kenong as its director. As soon as he took office, he took active action and disseminated anti-Japanese patriotic ideas to the captured officers and soldiers in Northeast China through contact with them.
On a warm morning, Li Kenong educated these officers and men on the earthen of the Red Army garrison, and announced: "Everyone can choose freely, and we welcome those who are willing to stay here and serve in the Red Army; If you want to go home, everyone will send three oceans. ”
The soldiers couldn't believe it, but Li Kenong firmly assured that it was true. The soldiers cheered, some chose to stay in the Red Army, and some took the ocean home.
After they returned home, they praised the Red Army's noble character and magnanimity in resisting Japan and saving the country.
In the first class, 120 officers of the Northeast Army listened to wonderful explanations from the chairman, ** Bogu and Deng Yingchao. They were deeply touched by the chairman's patriotism, and when he mentioned that "picking up a gun is an enemy, putting down a gun is a friend", the officers applauded enthusiastically.
Bogu recounted in detail the history of China and the magnificent rivers and mountains, and these courses gave the officers a deeper understanding of national pride and pride, and also ignited a strong patriotic fervor in their hearts.
The anti-Japanese upsurge gradually rose, and the officers spontaneously formed an anti-Japanese alliance and had heated discussions. It was said: "This study gave me a deeper understanding of the Red Army, and I wanted to become friends with them. ”
It was said: "Here I found my ideals and goals, and I hope to be able to join the Red Army." Another said: "The resistance against Japan requires the participation of all Chinese, and only by uniting as one can China have hope."
I decided to return to the Northeast Army and try to win over more people to fight against Japan. Li Kenong not only organized a study class, but also sent Liu Lanbo, Li Youwen and others to infiltrate the Northeast Army Secretariat as secretaries to publicize the unanimous anti-Japanese resistance and try his best to have a direct dialogue with Zhang Xueliang.
Gao Fuyuan, the squad leader of the study class, was originally the head of the 619th Regiment of the 107th Division of the 67th Army of the Northeast Army and was Zhang Xueliang's right-hand man. It is said that when Zhang Xueliang learned that Gao Fuyuan had been captured in the Battle of Yulin Bridge, he was very sad and did not eat for a day.
Gao Fuyuan showed a noble temperament, especially after studying, and his thinking changed significantly. He proposed to Li Kenong that he hoped to have a direct interview with Zhang Xueliang and jointly resist Japan. After careful consideration, Li Kenong believes that it should be treated with caution.
He planned to let Gao Fuyuan meet with Liu Handong, chief of staff of the 107th Division of the 67th Army, and ask to meet with Zhang Xueliang. Li Kenong reported the plan to Zhou Gong and was agreed.
At the beginning of January 1936, Gao Fuyuan returned to the Northeast Army and met Liu Handong, as well as Wang Yizhe, the commander of the 67th Division, whom Zhang Xueliang respected very much. In a conversation with Wang Yizhe, Gao Fuyuan shared his experience in Wayaobao and expressed his firm determination to resist Japan.
He stressed that if we cooperate with the Red Army, it is possible for us to recover the northeast and restore the prestige of the country. After hearing this, Wang Yizhe deeply felt the strength of the Red Army, and lamented that in such a short period of time, the young marshal's right-hand man was pulled to the side of the Red Army.
He decided to ask Zhang Xueliang if he was willing to talk to the Red Army. After the call, Wang Yizhe smiled and told Gao Fuyuan that Zhang Xueliang agreed to his suggestion and expressed his willingness to invite the Red Army to send official representatives to the talks.
Zhang Xueliang and Gao Fuyuan hurried back to Wayaobao and reported in detail to Li Kenong what he had seen and heard on the trip. After in-depth discussions, they decided to select more than a dozen capable personnel to form a negotiation delegation, with Li Kenong as the official representative and head of the negotiation team, to meet with Zhang Xueliang.
Before leaving, the chairman firmly said to Li Kenong: "Kenong, this important task will be handed over to you. Li Kenong solemnly promised: "I will definitely do my best to pick up this burden." ”
On February 21, when heavy snow fell, Li Kenong led the members of the negotiating delegation on a journey. They trekked all the way, through mud and landslides, and braved biting winds and snow for four days before reaching the outside of Fu County.
Gao Fuyuan entered Fuxian City to get in touch with a regimental commander of the Northeast Army, who warmly welcomed the delegation to the negotiations, and then escorted Li Kenong and his entourage to Luochuan on the afternoon of February 25.
Li Kenong's negotiation team made full preparations for the meeting with Zhang Xueliang. However, Zhang Xueliang could not come because he needed to go to Nanjing. This sent the negotiating team into a panic, and some people began to question whether Zhang Xueliang was running away from us.
Li Kenong made a sober analysis of the situation and proposed a solution: instead of waiting here, it is better to deal with Zhang Xueliang's troops first, feel the situation, and engage in local cooperation first.
There was agreement with this plan. Subsequently, Li Kenong and Wang Yizhe held talks and reached five verbal agreements. The contents of the agreement included the joint resistance of the Red Army and the 67th Army against Japan, mutual non-aggression, the restoration of the 67th Army's road from Ganquan to Yan'an, and the resumption of trade.
Li Kenong asked the team members to send the content of the agreement to the headquarters, and soon received a reply agreeing to cooperate. A few days later, the agreement reached the forces of both sides and could be implemented. A week later, Zhang Xueliang returned to Xi'an from Nanjing and came to Li Kenong's residence with apologies.
Dressed in a silver-gray robe and black velvet waistcoat, he wore a hat and sunglasses, and looked like a wealthy businessman. Li Kenong humorously asked him if he had disarmed himself and entered business, and Zhang Xueliang said with a pun that he was here to do business.
As soon as the two met, they sang and harmonized, as if they were old friends who had known each other for many years, and the obstacles were resolved between talking and laughing. On the afternoon of March 4, the two sides held formal talks, which lasted until 5 a.m. on the 5th, and three agreements were reached: our side sent plenipotentiary representatives to hold higher-level talks with Zhang Xueliang in Yan'an; send a representative to be stationed in Xi'an; Zhang Xueliang negotiated the issue of the passage of the Red Army representatives to the Soviet Union through Xinjiang.
Three days later, Li Kenong led the negotiation team to leave Luochuan and return to Wayaobao. Our side believed that Zhang Xueliang's attitude in the talks was sincere, and decided that Zhou Gong would be the plenipotentiary representative, continue to negotiate with Zhang Xueliang, and select Liu Ding to serve as a staff officer at Zhang Xueliang's office to be responsible for liaison between the two sides.
On April 7, Zhou Gong and Li Kenong set off with the guard troops. On the 9th, Zhang Xueliang arrived in Yan'an by plane and sent a special person to receive our delegation. In the evening of the same day, a church in the city of Yan'an was quiet and solemn, and the talks took place here.
Outside the venue, the military closely watched the movements around them.
Historical materials of the Northeast Army**: Our representatives Zhou Gong and Li Kenong, and the representatives of the Northeast Army Zhang Xueliang and Wang Yizhe, the negotiation atmosphere was friendly. They discussed issues of concern, including stopping the civil war, jointly resisting Japan, and conducting trade with each other, and the goals were basically the same.
Zhang Xueliang proposed: "We are secretly conducting peace talks, if Lao Jiang knows, he will definitely be unhappy, how can we hide it from him?" Zhou Gong replied: "We will not embarrass you, the Red Army handed over Wayao Fort to you in June, and you have an excuse to go to Lao Chiang." ”
Zhang Xueliang admired our leniency very much, and he took out 20,000 silver dollars and said: "This is my personal little heart, and I give it to the Red Army." Li Kenong took the silver dollar and said: "Thank you very much for your support, we will work together to resist Japan and drive away the Japanese devils The day is not far off." ”
The meeting, which lasted from evening to dawn, was in a warm atmosphere, and the two sides discussed various issues without distraction, and finally reached a consensus, including the cessation of the civil war and the joint resistance against Japan; exchange of permanent representatives; communicate with each other; The Northeast Army provided ammunition support to the Red Army, etc.
After the meeting, Zhou Gong and Li Kenong quickly returned to Wayaobao and reported the results of the meeting to the decision-making level, which was highly affirmed. Since then, the two sides have actively cooperated in accordance with the agreement and promoted the smooth progress of various tasks.
Through a series of solid and effective work, the Red Army successfully changed the thinking of the Northeast Army, especially Zhang Xueliang, and achieved the goal of jointly resisting Japan.