In early 1962, the entire army held a construction equipment meeting. During the meeting, Lin Biao, the Minister of Defense of the Military Commission, personally talked to Xiao Jinguang and told him in person that he would let Li Zuopeng go to the navy to be the commander.
How should Xiao Jinguang answer this?
When Xiao Jinguang was in the Northeast battlefield, he was Lin Biao's deputy. Lin Biao served as commander of , Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, and Xiao Jinguang was deputy commander and chief of staff. Lin Biao is the marshal, Xiao Jinguang is a general, and the general is united. Lin Biao relies more on Xiao Jinguang.
Fourth Field The army headed south, and Xiao Jinguang led an army of more than 100,000, as an advance corps, heading south, and paving the way for Lin Biao's army. The war was not over yet, and Chairman Mao named Xiao Jinguang as the commander of the navy of New China. Lin Biao was still a little reluctant and wanted to keep Xiao Jinguang.
Xiao Jinguang always respects the old leader Lin Biao. In 1959, after Lin Biao replaced Peng Dehuai as Minister of National Defense, Xiao Jinguang was still the Deputy Minister of National Defense and Navy Commander. Lin Biao instructed Li Zuopeng to be the deputy commander of the navy, and Xiao Jinguang also agreed.
Why?
This is not because Lin Biao is the leader of the Military Commission. Xiao Jinguang, like Chen Yun, is a general who is not only loyal to the superiors but only to the truth. Xiao Jinguang agreed to Li Zuopeng's visit to the navy mainly because of his understanding of him. Li Zuopeng is from Ji'an, Jiangxi Province. He participated in the Red Army at the age of 16. He is a red ghost with a strong root.
experienced the struggle in the Central Soviet Area, and experienced the Long March of 25,000 miles. During the Anti-Japanese War, during the process of fighting against the Japanese army, Li Zuopeng blinded his eyes and was known as "Blind Li". He is definitely a long-tested and loyal to the revolution.
When he was in the Northeast battlefield, Xiao Jinguang used to serve as deputy commander and chief of staff, while Li Zuopeng was the chief of staff. He was a subordinate of Xiao Jinguang. He was smart and capable. He was a rare general and a rare talent.
Later, Li Zuopeng went to the front line to lead troops, serving as deputy commander of the First Column and commander of the 43rd Army, leading the army and taking the lead alone. He was the main commander of Liberating Hainan Island.
During the Liaoshen Battle , Xiao Jinguang led the army to besiege Changchun, and Li Zuopeng led the troops to besiege the aid, one besieged the city and the other besieged the aid. They cooperated very well, and Li Zuopeng completed the combat mission well.
After many contacts, Xiao Jinguang had a good impression of Li Zuopeng, thinking that he was more capable and highly valued by Lin Biao. When the Navy was first established, Xiao Jinguang suggested that Li Zuopeng come to work in the Navy and be his helper, but unfortunately Li Zuopeng did not come.
Li Zuopeng went to the General Staff Department and served as the Minister of Military Training Department. Xiao Jinguang considered that Li Zuopeng had been the Minister of Military Training for many years and was in charge of the training of the entire army. He should be considered an expert in how to do a good job in military training.
And there were some situations in the Navy at that time, most of which happened during the training process. Letting the military training minister of the General Staff serve as deputy commander of the Navy is undoubtedly extremely beneficial to solving many problems in the naval training process.
So, Xiao Jinguang welcomes Li Zuopeng to serve in the Navy. Unfortunately, Li Zuopeng's arrival is not as Xiao Jinguang expected. Although Xiao Jinguang and Li Zuopeng are both Lin Biao's old subordinates, Li Zuopeng is more respected by Lin Biao and is a darling, one of the so-called four great kings.
Lin Biao sent Li Zuopeng to the navy, not to solve the training problems of the navy, but to let him seize power, and what he seized was Xiao Jinguang's power. Wu Faxian became the political commissar of the Air Force, and Lin Biao wanted to further control the navy, so he sent Li Zuopeng.
During the conversation, Lin Biao asked Li Zuopeng to be the executive deputy commander of the Navy and be responsible for daily work. But before the official appointment letter was formally appointed, Li Zuopeng had already come to work in the Navy. Without seeing the appointment letter, Xiao Jinguang did not announce Lin Biao's appointment, and Li Zuopeng said that he opposed Lin Biao's instructions.
Just then, Xiao Jinguang was in poor health. He suffered from heart disease and . He was unable to work normally. The Military Commission instructed the Navy to be divided into three lines.Li Zuopeng, the deputy commander, was working on the front line, and Xiao Jinguang retreated to the third line, which was actually equivalent to standing aside.
Li Zuopeng pressed against each other and wanted to punish Xiao Jinguang. At this critical moment, Chairman Mao once again protected Xiao Jinguang. In 1966, on the Tiananmen Gate Tower, Chairman Mao and Xiao Jinguang shook hands and took a photo, scolding Li Zuopeng and others in person and said:
Xiao Jinguang is an old comrade, what did you do to him? After the September 13 incident, Li Zuopeng was suspended for review, and was later expelled from the party and sent to jail.
