Chapter 19

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  After Feng Yuxiang went east, Gansu again formed a separatist situation. Shaanxi's Yang Hucheng sent General Sun Weiru to occupy Lanzhou, controlling eastern and southern Gansu, while the Hexi Corridor was controlled by Ma Bufang. Yang Hucheng requested Nanjing to appoint Sun Weiru as Chairman of Gansu Province. Chiang Kai-shek saw through Yang's intention to dominate Northwest China, so he only declared Sun Weiru as the Pacification Commissioner of Gansu and allowed Ma Bufang to station troops in Hexi.

  Sun Weiru, in order to counterbalance Ma Bufang, sent someone to contact Ma Zhongying and then had Yang Hucheng apply to Chiang Kai-shek to reorganize Ma Zhongying's troops. Chiang Kai-shek agreed readily, "Yang Hucheng is very cunning, but he didn't think that the Central Government understood Ma Zhongying."

  Ma Zhongying's troops were reorganized as the 36th Division.

  Ma Zhongying reorganized his troops of over 5,000 men. Ma Zhongjie and Ma Hushan were appointed as brigade commanders, Ma Zhanxiang and Ma Shenggui as infantry regimental commanders, and Ma Rulong as cavalry regimental commander. Four directly affiliated regiments were also established: a handgun regiment, a machine gun regiment, an engineer regiment, and a special operations regiment. Yang Baoqing, a Communist Party member sent by Yang Hucheng, was appointed as the director of the 36th Division's political training department.

  The Political Department and the Political Bureau are all **friends**. There is also a Military Advisory Office, with all sorts of people, including Turkish Army Major General, and adventurers from all over the world who have come to join in, Commander-in-Chief is too curious, and welcomes anyone who comes.

  Gao Commander used the training method of the Northwest Army to train soldiers. Gao Commander truly felt the combat effectiveness of the Northwest Army in the Central Plains War. It is said that the Northwest Army confronted the Japanese army at Dagukou, and Feng Yuxiang ordered a unified step forward. As soon as the order was given, a team of over 1,000 people marched into the sea with great solemnity, stunning the Japanese army. China actually had such a strong army.

  "I will train such an army."

  Here is the translation:

  Ma Zhongying, as the commander of the Northwestern Army, selected the best soldiers to form a learning army and trained them personally. The learning army consisted of people from various ethnic groups, including Hui, Han, Sala, Dongxiang, and others, as long as they were brave men. Due to the enthusiastic propaganda by **friends**, the four counties surrounding Jiuquan were under the control of the 36th Division, with slogans and revolutionary slogans everywhere, giving this remote area a new look.

  Ma Zhongying appointed himself as the commander-in-chief of the Gansu-Qinghai-Ningxia United Army, with the flag bearing the inscription "Three provinces, severe politics, fierce tigers, seven guns hanging upside down to punish crimes". His revolutionary passion was even more intense than during the Great Revolution in 1926 and 1927.

  **Friends** who had left the organization for too long only knew that the Central Committee had established an armed force and a base in the south. They relied on Ma Zhongying, who also had an armed force and a territory in the distant northwest. This territory could be slightly expanded to enter Xinjiang and connect with the great Soviet Union, making it a world where red flags would fly everywhere.

  They believed they could transform Ma Zhongying into China's Shabyang or Liefu, and introduced him to "Destruction" and "Shabyang". Zhang Yeshao and Wu Yingji had watched the movie "Shabyang" in the Soviet Union. Commander Ma was fascinated by it and suddenly exclaimed: "The Cossack cavalry is so powerful, we can fight them just like fighting the Northwestern Army."

  "They are Soviet Red Army, supporting revolutions all over the world, it's impossible for them to fight us."

  "Ha! You've wasted your time in military school!" Colonel Ke exclaimed. "A soldier's camaraderie is forged on the battlefield!"

  "It's already the 20th century, and you're still full of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'."

  "Don't look down on 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'." Ma Zhongying cracked his whip and pointed at the young men leaping about in the drill ground, "The blood flowing through their veins is that of Zhang Fei and Ma Chao, the Dragon-Phoenix Halberd and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. I, Ma Zhongying, became a commander relying on Ma Chao's bravery, relying on the counterattack against the Western Liang that made Cao Mengde lose his helmet, armor, and even cut off his beard."

  Ma Zhongying took the whip to the drill ground for training, the formation training had already ended, and the soldiers were doing single-bar obstacle course training. The most critical was jumping over walls, a team of soldiers walked up the ancient Great Wall, with one command, they bravely jumped down, many people fell to the ground, after a long time struggling to get up, for the second, third time, until they landed steadily, then ran to sprint.

  One early morning, the student army quietly approached Ma Hu Shan's team led by Ma Zhanlin and Ma Heiying. The three ferocious green forest bandit cavalry teams were disarmed by hundreds of student soldiers and concentrated in a large drill ground. Everyone stared at each other with wide eyes, rubbing their numb wrists and elbows. Their team leader, Ma Hu Shan, Ma Zhanlin, and Ma Heiying, stood on the platform with their heads hung low, listening to Commander-in-Chief's speech. The three bandits were obedient and surrendered their military power, expressing their willingness to accept Commander-in-Chief's verdict. The three bandits became idle men for a while. The three elite cavalry teams were taken over by the student army and began rigorous military training.

  "This gang of bastards can fight, what they lack is a leader, someone to rein them in and keep their mouths shut."

  Colonel Ga was ruthless, and even more so to his brother-in-law Ma Hu Shan. "At ease! Attention!" Ma Hu Shan's legs had become bowed from riding horses, and he couldn't stand up straight. Colonel Ga went over and gave him a whip on the back, followed by a kick. Ma Hu Shan clutched his stomach, slowly bent down, and then slowly sprang back up.

  "You stupid cow, come again! Come again!"

  Ma Hu Shan stood up straight again, gritting his teeth and seething with anger.

  "Your stomach is bloated because you ate too much, just fart a few times and it'll be fine."

  Everyone burst out laughing. More than half a year of intense training had turned the five thousand soldiers into men with iron arms, iron legs and iron brains.

  The ancient city of Jiuquan, where Wei Qing and Huo Qubing once rode their horses to trample the Xiongnu, is a land of boldness and vitality, where the boundless desolation of the thousand-mile desert reveals both grandeur and vitality.

  This vigorous unit attracted progressive young people from thousands of miles away in Hexi, all of whom had read a few books and were dissatisfied with the chaotic and dark society. Many party members who had lost contact with the organization came to join the 36th Division from Longdong, Longnan, Longxi, and even from Shaanxi. As early as when they were in Shandong, Zhang Yashao and Wu Yingqi introduced Ma Zhongying to the Communist Youth League. As long as they could enter Xinjiang, they would have confidence in cultivating Ma Zhongying into China's Xia Boyang, the Red Army commander of the Great Northwest.

  Ma Zhongying had a group of progressive and talented political and military personnel. However, the commander of his troops was still Ma Hu-shan, a green forest hero, and the capable staff officers played a minor role, as he wouldn't listen to their advice. The staff officers then told him about the October Revolution, Sun Yat-sen University, and the Fyodorov Military Academy in Kiev, saying that those schools nurtured rebels of the world. His family, from Old Five Ma to Little Five Ma, were all prominent families in the northwest, but only he was a rebel, resisting the constraints of his uncle and cousin, and opposing the oppression of Feng Yuxiang. He talked to the staff officers about the experiences of Guan Li-ye, and the generations of rebels who shed blood. "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army were very powerful in the Central Plains and Jiangnan, but not in the northwest, where there was a severe drought, and water was scarce, only enough for one's own survival, and only sons could survive. Your revolution must take root in the northwest, without this blood, it won't work."

  Those highly educated staff members found it difficult to understand this land and also difficult to understand the mysterious philosophy.

  "Sand and clear water are the same, only those who have been to the last ocean will have such insight, mountains and deserts exist in this way." The staff were like astonished children, as if listening to heavenly scriptures. But they were sincere.

  They said: "We have ideological differences, but we can work for the 36th Division with pleasure." Ma Zhongying said: "I believe this, Yang Hucheng and Feng Yuxiang can use you, which shows that you are good friends."

  The big grey horse carried him onto the deserted beach, with the setting sun on his back like a quiver.

  The old man herding sheep said: "That's how Bao Dull was back in the day."

  Batu: Grandson of Genghis Khan, conqueror of Eastern Europe and Russia, founder of the Golden Horde.

  His aide said: "He is a good rider, a good soldier. By the standards of the Northwest, he should be an outstanding young man, but he is too young."

  In the summer of 1931, Hemi's He Jian and Hu Wang Rao Bo's armed resistance against Jin Shuren's oppression in Xinjiang was weak and unable to resist the provincial military's attack. They jointly invited Ma Zhongying to enter Xinjiang to assist in the war and divide Jin Shuren's territory. No one noticed Sheng Shicai at that time. The entire Hexi Corridor east of Jiayuguan had fallen into the hands of Ma Bufang, who also hoped for Ma Zhongying to enter Xinjiang for his own safety. The open and secret party members in the 36th Division were suddenly excited, as they had lost contact with the party organization for a long time and could go to the Soviet Union once they arrived in Xinjiang. Since the Republic of China, Xinjiang had been isolated from the outside world, and the central government was unable to control it. The Nanjing government also ordered Ma Chongying to enter Xinjiang. The entire 36th Division was in a state of excitement.

  In the late afternoon, the red sun was swallowed into the belly of the Qilian Mountains, and the mountain mouth was stained with a bloody red color. The sky above was a deep blue. On the main road, a man appeared from afar, followed by a donkey, on whose back sat a young woman, so beautiful that it hurt one's eyes, her eye sockets cracked open with a sharp line.

  "General's woman, General's woman."

  "Your bad breath is Mrs."

  "It's the lady, yes, it's the lady."

  The man leading the ox is Colonel's uncle. Uncle drank two pots of hot tea.

  "You, my son, are going to Xinjiang, you're really going, once you go in, whether you live or die is uncertain, don't make the old folks worry. The National Army has wronged your family greatly, you can't let the Ma family line come to an end, you should take care of things for your wife, and she will be a widow from now on."

  His wife's face was red, and she didn't dare lift her head. General Zhang brought her into the house, then abandoned her to go fight Feng Yuxiang, fighting until the chickens flew and dogs jumped, the sky grew dark, and he almost forgot about her.

  "Uncle coughed and said, 'I won't disturb you, hurry up and handle things properly, I'm going out.'"

  My uncle pulled me out of the house and left.

  For a whole week, things were done. The commander was in high spirits. My uncle smiled and said, "This young man is strong and healthy, I still worry that you can't fight."

  "Today is Jin Shuren's birthday."

  "Hey, Jin Shuren is our fellow townsman from Hezhou, spare him some mercy."

  "I know, I know."

  "I'm afraid you don't know, your kid is young and reckless, when you get to Xinjiang, you won't dare to be so arrogant."

  He Shu returned, his uncle's task was to leave some blood for the Ma family. Commander Ga wanted to send troops to escort him, but his uncle refused.

  "Are you afraid I'll lose your wife?"

  "Gansu and Lanzhou are all Ma Bufang's territory."

  "What's wrong with Ma Bufang? He dares to bully me, I'll cut him off. He dares to provoke you but not dare to provoke me. Who am I? I'm Gela Commander, his uncle."

  His uncle led the donkey back, could Colonel Ga let his uncle lead the donkey? Colonel Ga had two horses led over, one for his uncle and one for his aunt.

  "Can women ride horses?"

  "Ma Zhongying's woman, if she doesn't ride a mule or a donkey, then she rides a horse, a tall and majestic one."

  The general grasped the woman, and like a peasant throwing away a bundle of wheat, he threw her onto the horse's back. The horse jumped high into the air, the woman let out a long cry, then fell silent. She clutched at the reins, then released them again. The horse galloped up the mountain ridge, the red sun of Mount Qi Lian shining brightly, casting a reddish glow over the woman as well. The woman turned her body to glance back at her husband, shook the reins, and kicked, kicking, heading eastward.

  The old soldiers in the team sang the flower, the authentic Gao commander's flower in the team.

  The mountain slope is lush and green, with red peonies blooming on its lips.

  Steel guns and quick guns are all carried on shoulders, and big girls are tied to saddles.

  Originally planned to let the team leader Ma Shiming lead the troops to Xinjiang. The troops gathered and waited for departure, Ma Zhongying gave a speech to everyone, he asked the soldiers: "Is Jin Shuren afraid?"

  "We're not afraid!" the soldiers roared.

  "Is there a bigger Gobi Desert and sandy desert than our Gansu's dry riverbed? Are you afraid or not?"

  "Don't be afraid." The soldiers shouted louder and more fiercely. They were all eighteen or nineteen years old, fearless and reckless.

  "Ma Bufang ruined your mother, forcing me to flee to Xinjiang..."

  Ma Zhongying's temper flared up and he shouted along with the soldiers.

  "I'm still the commander, I'm not old, I lead my brothers to ride horses on Tian Mountain, jump to the top of the mountain, and make Jin Shuren wet his pants."

  The soldiers burst out laughing, like a landmine. The commander loved this kind of loud noise, and whenever a soldier let out a very loud fart, he would praise him: "This kid's anus is as powerful as a cannon." The staff officer reminded him that it was Ma Shuming who went to Xinjiang, not you.

  "It won't work, the first batch of noodles should be left for Commander Ben, Ma Shi Ming."

  Ma Sheming shouted: "Here!"

  "Ma Sheming, you damn well can't take advantage of this, I'm going to Xinjiang, you be my assistant."

  Ma Shuming became the deputy commander. The troops of the 36th Division, from company commanders to division commanders, were all called commanders.

  General Gare began to select his troops, he thought there were too many people, and it would be impossible to use a whole battalion for Jin Shuren, half a battalion was enough. Over a thousand young men stood on the large drill ground, each of them received an iron fist from General Gare, all of them retreated one step back. General Gare selected 500 robust young men, carrying light weapons, and began his new journey to Xinjiang.

  That was the scorching summer, from Su Zhou to Hami, a thousand miles of land, all vast Gobi. Endless black stones, not a single tree in sight, no withered wood, the Gobi beach was spotless, and the stones were scorching hot. The troops marched as if on a hot iron plate. Commander Ga did not stop urging everyone, he wore a rifle slung over his shoulder like a soldier, a pistol holstered at his waist, jumping and bouncing like a foal. The desolate Gobi was like a seesaw underfoot, he led the way in front, with everyone closely following behind. Five hundred robust young men, like a swift and fierce gust of wind, traversed deep into the desert.

  They marched over a hundred kilometers in one breath, and saw the wild camels. They entered the vast desert without seeing even an ant, nor any of the lizards that are commonly found in deserts. They rushed towards the wild camels, which were eating something, and they wanted to see what the wild camels were eating - surely not stones! The wild camels ran away as soon as they saw people, and the soldiers "whoa" all raised their guns, the gun bolts moving like a violent rain, the muzzles dark and silent, staring at the wild camels. The guns seemed to love the wild camels even more than the soldiers did. They saw what the wild camels were eating - in the northwest of Gansu and Ningxia, there are also deserts where camel thorns grow, which absorb some moisture from the sandy holes they grow in. But here, the camel thorns were like a ball of fire, growing out of the cracks in the rocks, the rocks scorching hot, the camel thorns even hotter, with sharp spines that seemed to be about to spit fire. Everyone dug up the roots, and under the roots, it was all sand and stones, emitting hot air. The commander said: "Look at its leaves, its mouth is on the leaves." The leaves were like buttons, round and shiny, blocking out the sun from above, absorbing moisture from below - from the air. The soldiers exclaimed: "It's sucking up our sweat! It's sucked away all the sweat from our bodies!" "As soon as we left Su Zhou, it started to absorb!"

  Everyone felt hungry and took turns drinking a mouthful of water from the gourd bottle. The commander said, "One meal, one mouthful of water."

  Moisten your throat, and then eat a pot cover stir-fried pancake. Someone brought eggs, heard that in Xinjiang's hot sand, you can cook eggs, the person who brought the eggs dug a hole, buried the eggs, after ten minutes, the eggs were indeed cooked. The commander ate one, too fragrant, choked, and people rolled their eyes. After resting for 15 minutes, the commander said to leave, waved his hand, everyone rushed forward, the Gobi Desert fell in large pieces like trampled mats. The sun was spinning circles in the sky.

  A long, long procession of people and horses, like a sharp knife, cut from the west end of Su Zhou to the east edge of Xinjiang, cutting the Gobi Desert in half. This is how Tianshan Mountain appeared, when the fragmented Gobi drifted away, a divine force suddenly lifted the earth up to the sky, all large boulders, with snow caps and silver helmets shining brightly. Someone shouted: "Qilian Mountain, Qilian Mountain is following us."

  Qilian Mountain disappeared at the border of Gansu and Xinjiang, like a group of wild horses, with a brown mane rising at the end of the sky. They looked south, only to see the brown stone array at the end of the sky, like a horse's back.

  No one had expected that this was a range of mountains in hiding, which suddenly appeared before them, no longer in its original form. The snow-capped peaks and glaciers shone with a silver light, the valleys were a deep blue, like the blued steel of rifle barrels, that kind of luster on new rifles that had never been used.

  "What a new mountain, my grandfather!"

  "Just like new wife."

  "No wonder it's called Xinjiang, Xinjiang is really new."

  "Ma Shuming's son wants to eat first sprout noodles."

  Ma Shiming chuckled, "It's the commander's order, I didn't rob it."

  "If I don't take you back, go to our hometown and eat sweet potatoes and stir-fried noodles."

  "I'm not going."

  Ma Sheming was kicked but still didn't go. Commander Gao played with him, Commander Gao could play with anyone, and after playing like this, everyone wasn't tired anymore, playing and fooling around was more relaxing than anything else. Everyone chatted and laughed, the stones on the Gobi Desert were rolling forward like horse backs. In a hurry under the Tianshan Mountains, the more they marched, the more urgent it became, the mountains rose and fell together with people racing.

  The long queue was also undulating, the queue followed the mountain, and the mountain shoulder carried an ice peak like a treasure sword. The soldiers' shoulders swayed with bayonets and gun barrels, they were chasing something. The mountain was also chasing something.

  "What's the hurry?"

  "Shan Zhui Jintang Renli, chase up and throw him off his horse."

  "Is there a saddle on the mountain?"

  "There is a saddle on the mountain."

  "Whoever has strength in their legs can ride."

  Everyone raised their heads to look at the mountain, such a beautiful mountain, who wouldn't want to ride it.

  Those five hundred melons were sold at a loss.

  Melon bear: Northwestern dialect, meaning fool.

  "Can't take that one punch from the commander, can't take it then pick up your pants and leave." They had never seen such a magnificent mountain range before, which was in line with their romantic psychology. They looked up at those majestic and majestic peaks again and again.

  "He is just like a general."

  "When the general was about to arrive here."

  Xue Rengui's expedition to the west was just like this.

  "Look quickly, there is a Fan Lihua ahead."

  "It is Mu Guiying."