Chapter 22: The Reorganization of Tashi

Chapter 22: The Zhaxi Reorganization

The biting cold wind, swirling with scattered snow from the mountains of Zhaxi, Yunnan (present-day Weixin), lashed against the weary yet upright backs of the Independent Regiment’s soldiers. From the harrowing, blood-soaked battle at Qinggangpo in Tucheng to the hurried westward advance across the Chishui River, and throughout the long, grueling rearguard actions against relentless pursuers, Wang Lin and his "Iron-Blooded Rearguard Tiger Regiment" had stood like a monolith, shielding the entire army. In the battle of Tucheng, the Independent Regiment had fought with ferocious courage to stem the tide, plugging the gap on the northern line at the heavy cost of over 200 elite soldiers lost to the slopes of Qinggangpo. Now, as the troops finally reached the remote mountain town of Zhaxi in northeastern Yunnan, the regiment’s strength had dwindled from its peak of over 2,700 to just over 2,500. The camp, enveloped in the bitter wind, was filled with the exhaustion of battle and a silent, mournful grief.

Zhaxi, a small town shrouded in cold, damp mist, was destined to become a critical turning point on the Central Red Army’s Long March. On February 9, 1935, an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee was held here. The atmosphere was leaden with gravity: the defeat at Tucheng, the total obstruction of the plan to cross the Yangtze River to the north, and the crushing pressure of pursuers dogging their every step—all forced the Central Committee to make fundamental adjustments.

The resolution of the meeting spread through the troops like a thunderclap: "The Military Commission’s Order on the Reorganization of Army Corps." This was a complete and decisive rejection of the "moving house" style of marching! Its core was singular: travel light, remain mobile, and strengthen combat power!

"Reorganization?" Wang Lin, sitting in the regimental headquarters, stared at the full text of the order forwarded by the Army Corps. His brows furrowed, then slowly relaxed. The order stipulated that, with the exception of the First Army Corps, which would retain its divisional structure, the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Army Corps were to abolish their divisional levels, with the Army Corps commanding regimental units directly. A large number of cadres were to be transferred to the grassroots; "divisional commanders becoming regimental commanders, regimental commanders becoming battalion commanders, and staff officers filling out company ranks" would become the norm. The Fifth Army Corps, that heroic force known as the "Iron-Blooded Rearguard," which had suffered heavy losses on the Xiang River and throughout the Long March, was to dissolve its 13th Division and reorganize into three elite infantry regiments—the 37th, 38th, and 39th—under the direct command of the Army Corps.

Everything was for the sake of speed, for survival, and to carve out a bloody path through the narrow gaps between the strong enemies in the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou!

"Old Wang, Old Zhong," Wang Lin looked toward Political Commissar Wang Guangdao and Regimental Quartermaster Zhong Guangbang. His voice was low, yet carried a hint of realization. "The Central Committee has made a hard decision this time—they are cutting to the bone to treat the poison. Look at what the order says: 'thoroughly light-load,' 'strengthen combat companies,' 'increase mobility'... These are the lessons we’ve paid for in blood all the way from the Xiang River!"

Soon after, Corps Commander Dong Zhentang summoned Wang Lin. In the Fifth Army Corps' rather crude temporary command post, Dong Zhentang’s face was haggard, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.

"Comrade Wang Lin, sit." Dong Zhentang pointed to a stool and went straight to the point. "You’ve seen the order for the Zhaxi reorganization, haven't you?"

"Yes, Commander! I firmly support the Central Committee’s decision!" Wang Lin straightened his back.

"Good." Dong Zhentang nodded, his gaze lingering on Wang Lin’s face for a moment. "With this reorganization, the Fifth Army Corps will dissolve the 13th Division and maintain three regiments under direct command: the 37th, 38th, and 39th, with Li Pingren, Liu Peiji, and Dong Junyan as commanders." He paused, his tone heavy. "These are all battle-tested, excellent comrades. In the future... they will continue to shoulder the most arduous of rearguard missions."

Wang Lin listened in silence, a sense of respect and sorrow rising in his heart. The iron-willed rearguard had always paved the way with flesh and blood.

"As for your Independent Regiment..." Dong Zhentang changed the subject, his eyes glinting with a different meaning. "After deliberation by the Corps and approval from the Military Commission, it has been decided: the Independent Regiment’s structure will be preserved! It will not be dissolved or reorganized!"

Wang Lin was slightly taken aback.

Dong Zhentang stood up and walked to the map, his finger tracing the path the Independent Regiment had traveled. "From a spark of a few dozen men by the Xiang River to an iron fist of 2,500 today; from the surprise captures of the cities of Daoxian and Tongdao, to the stand at Qinkou, and finally the desperate defense at Qinggangpo in Tucheng! Wang Lin, you and your Independent Regiment have proven your strength and value through one tough battle after another! You yourselves are the model of 'light mobility, balancing firepower with assault'! The expansion and training model you used around Zunyi is exactly what this Zhaxi reorganization seeks to achieve—not a simple reduction in scale, but the shedding of excess weight to hone the sinews and bones, creating an elite force that can truly run, fight, and withstand the hardest battles!"

He turned back, his gaze burning as he looked at Wang Lin. "Preserving the Independent Regiment is about preserving this blade that has already been forged! It is about preserving the new model honed in actual combat by the 'Iron-Blooded Rearguard' spirit! Your very existence is the best interpretation of the spirit of the Zhaxi reorganization!"

"Commander..." Wang Lin felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"Don't be hasty," Dong Zhentang raised a hand to stop him. "The structure remains, but the losses must be filled! The 200 brave souls lost at Qinggangpo cannot have their spots left empty! The Corps has decided: from the other units streamlined during this reorganization, we will select the most capable veterans and squad leaders and prioritize their transfer to your Independent Regiment! You must restore your strength to the full complement of 2,700 men in the shortest time possible! These men are veterans who have survived the bloody battles since the Xiang River—they are the true 'sinews and bones'!"

Dong Zhentang patted Wang Lin’s shoulder firmly, his tone earnest. "Wang Lin, the Zhaxi reorganization looks like a 'shrinkage' or a 'demotion' on the surface, but its soul is 'refinement' and 'strength'! It is about our exhausted army being reborn! Your regiment wasn't 'shrunk' because you were already ahead of the curve. Now, the Corps is giving you the best 'flesh and blood' so that you can sharpen your blade even further! On this even more treacherous path of the rearguard, make it stand firmer! Strike harder! Do you understand?"

"Understood! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished! The Independent Regiment will not betray the Corps' trust! We will not betray the title of the 'Iron-Blooded Rearguard Tiger Regiment'!" Wang Lin’s chest heaved, his voice ringing with strength. At that moment, he profoundly understood the deep meaning behind the heavy order of the Zhaxi reorganization: traveling light was not about weakening, but about unshackling themselves so that their iron will and power could be more concentrated and explosive!

The order was executed swiftly. Soon, batches of resolute veterans and grassroots leaders, carrying the scent of gunpowder, emerged from other units of the Fifth Army Corps—units that were currently undergoing reorganization and whose designations were about to change—and silently merged into the ranks of the Independent Regiment. There was no grand ceremony, only silent salutes and firm handshakes. They brought with them rich combat experience, tenacious willpower, and the same "Iron-Blooded Rearguard" genes. The skeleton of the Independent Regiment was quickly filled and mended by strong "new flesh," its numbers steadily returning to over 2,700. Morale reconsolidated in an atmosphere woven with both tragedy and high spirits.

"Comrades! Gather around! Listen to me ramble a bit!"

"Comrades! Come closer, gather around this fire!" (Wang Lin rubbed his hands vigorously, exhaled a cloud of white mist, and stamped his feet.)

"This Zhaxi wind is like a knife—it hurts when it scrapes your face! But we can't let the fire in our hearts freeze! It has to burn! Right?" (He scanned his surroundings, his eyes bright.)

"I know, everyone has things weighing on their minds!" (He pointed to his heart.)

"From the bloody battles at the Xiang River all the way to Zhaxi, watching brothers fall by our side..." (His voice dipped for a moment, then rose.) "Yes, there are fewer of us. But now that we're at Zhaxi, the Central Committee orders a 'reorganization'? Does it sound like we're 'shrinking'? Like they’re tearing our setup apart? You're all murmuring and doubting, aren't you?" (He stopped, looking into the soldiers' eyes, as if waiting for a response.)

"Wrong! Dead wrong!" Wang Lin waved a hand, resolute and firm.

"Comrades! Put your hearts at ease! I, Wang Lin, see right through this Zhaxi reorganization!" (He slapped his chest firmly.)

"It’s not tearing our tendons! It’s giving us a frame of harder steel! It’s not throwing cold water on us; it’s adding the fiercest fuel to our furnace! Understand?"

He bent over, mimicking the act of carrying a heavy load, his face flushed red.

"Think about our journey! All those heavy, clunky machines—they were crushing our shoulders until they were about to collapse! That expensive X-ray machine—it’s a good thing, no doubt!" (He straightened up, spreading his hands, his tone questioning.) "But can it stop a bullet for us? Can it help us shake off the mad dogs biting at our heels? What were we doing before? Moving house! Dragging our whole families along! We were living targets! Slow and sluggish—that’s just waiting for death! Is that the truth of it?" (He scanned the crowd, seeking validation.)

"The Central Committee held this meeting and set a hard law: shed the baggage! Travel light and fight!" (Wang Lin waved his hand forcefully, as if casting off a heavy burden.)

"This is a hard truth bought with the blood of our brothers! Those pots and jars—if they need to be thrown away, we throw them!" (He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.) "What we're losing is the heavy, useless iron shell; what we're gaining is a steel blade to kill the enemy! Understand?"

He pointed toward the area outside the camp where the reorganization was taking place, his tone both understanding and powerful.

"Look over there! Is the structure shrinking?" (He made a "shrinking" gesture, then suddenly splayed his five fingers.) "That’s scraping off the excess fat to reveal the hard, lean muscle beneath! Are the cadres' ranks being lowered?" (He gestured a "lowering" motion.) "That’s sinking the true gold and silver—the best steel—down to the hottest front lines! Not a bit of strength in our bones is being lost! Instead, it’s becoming more concentrated, tougher, and more effective! Tell me, isn't that what it means?" (He looked at the newly joined veterans.)

Wang Lin suddenly straightened his back, his face filled with pride as he pointed to the Independent Regiment’s banner, snapping in the firelight.

"Then why is our 'Iron-Blooded Rearguard Tiger Regiment' banner standing perfectly still? Why didn't I, Old Wang, go become a battalion commander?"

He mimicked Dong Zhentang’s manner, tapping his own shoulder firmly, his voice booming.

"Corps Commander Dong told me himself: 'Wang Lin! Your Independent Regiment is the "live signboard"—the model—for our Zhaxi reorganization!'"

He quickened his pace, filled with soldierly excitement, counting on his fingers. "Daoxian! How fast did we fly to seize the city gate? Tongdao! How smoothly did we shake off the pursuers? Qinkou! How fiercely did we strike the enemy at the ferry! Tucheng and Qinggangpo! How hard did we stand to plug that bloody gap?"

With every point, his fist slammed heavily into his other palm.

"What did we rely on? We relied on being lean and capable, having fierce gear, and being nimble on our feet! This fighting style of ours was already on the golden path of 'light mobility'! Isn't that right?" (He shouted, the campfire reflecting his excited face.)

Wang Lin strode over to the newly arrived veterans and patted one on the shoulder.

"Now! What has the Corps given us?" (He pointed to their weathered faces.)

"The hardest 'old bones'! Men rolled in the blood of the Xiang River! Men tempered by the four iron chains! True men forged in a rain of bullets!" (He opened his arms as if to embrace the entire team.)

"This isn't just simple troop replenishment! This is taking the blade we’ve already sharpened and inlaying it with a diamond tip! Look to your left, look to your right!" (He signaled for the soldiers to look at one another.)

"This spirit, forged in a hundred battles and crawled out of piles of dead men, is the thickest, most resilient foundation our Tiger Regiment will have from now on! Do you believe it?" (His gaze was burning.)

Wang Lin walked back to the center of the campfire. The firelight stretched his shadow, and his voice became deep and powerful.

"Comrades! The Zhaxi reorganization—if you only look at the surface, is it 'shrinking' the structure? Is it 'lowering' ranks?" (He waved his hand, dismissive.)

"Bullshit!" He spat the word out with extra force.

"It’s a rebirth! It’s quenching in fire to be reborn!" (He first acted out the struggle of carrying a heavy load, then suddenly threw it off and assumed a sprinting posture.)

"Our Red Army, only by unloading the millstones that crush us to death can we run like the wind! Only by clenching a fist can we smash through the mountains blocking our path! Isn't that right?" (He looked at all the soldiers.)

He pointed to the pile of firewood crackling and sending flames toward the sky.

"Just like this fire! Does the wood look like less?" (He shook his head.)

"It’s burning more thoroughly! Brighter! Fiercer! The revolutionary spark we must protect has to be carried this way—light and fierce, burning all the way, burning until the ten thousand miles of our land are painted red!"

Wang Lin suddenly drew the Mauser pistol from his waist and held it high. His voice sounded like a thunderclap, drowning out the wind.

"Ahead! Are the endless mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou! Behind! Are the mad dogs biting and refusing to let go! Are you afraid?" (He roared.) "In the Tiger Regiment’s dictionary, there is no such word as 'fear'!"

He tapped his chest heavily with the muzzle of his gun. "What are we? We are the iron-willed rearguard! We are the tempered, sharpened blade! With this grinding at Zhaxi!" (He made a fierce sharpening motion.) "This blade is faster! Sharper! Deadlier!"

He holstered his gun, hands on his hips, his momentum like a rainbow.

"So! Take all those pointless worries and burn them to hell in that fire! Give me your full strength!"

He extended three fingers, then pressed them down one by one, increasing his volume with each.

"Remember this 'hard gift' Zhaxi has given us:

Light-load—mobility fast as lightning!

Elite troops—a fist hard as iron!

Veterans—injecting the courage of heroes!

Tiger Regiment—the name that shakes the heavens!"

Finally, he raised his arms and shouted, his voice shaking the wilderness.

"For victory! Let's give them hell!"

"GIVE THEM HELL!!!" "VICTORY!!!" The soldiers used all their anger, all their belief, and all their strength to let out a final roar that seemed to change the very color of the mountains and rivers! This roar was a declaration, a war drum, the dragon’s howl of an "Iron-Blooded Sharp Blade" drawn from its sheath after being quenched in Zhaxi! The cold night trembled because of it! Ahead, no matter how many dangers and obstacles lay in wait, this brand-new iron army was now fearless! Wang Lin looked at the boiling ocean of men before him and grinned. In that smile was absolute confidence and heroism!