Li Mingyang's communist neutrality.
"Chen Yi's March into Taizhou" has long been a shining example of our party's United front work, which laid the foundation for the New Fourth Army's eastward March against Japan and its development. As a centrist, Li Mingyang is a miscellaneous army of the Kuomintang. He put national interests first and forged a profound friendship with the New Fourth Army. General Chen Yi, after consulting with him about joint anti-Japanese, ordered people to allocate 200 rifles, several rounds of bullets, cloth, towels, toothbrushes and other military supplies to the New Fourth Army to show their sincerity in resisting Japan. In the decisive battle against the New Fourth Army in Huangqiao, he strictly adhered to neutrality. The four regiments under his jurisdiction, which are adjacent to Huangqiao, have never participated in the "anti-bandits" action of stubborn troops, which made the New Fourth Army win a total victory and annihilated more than 1. 1 000 people in one fell swoop. Commander Li Shouwei drowned in the river while fleeing, and Brigadier Onda committed suicide in despair. When recalling the whole battle, Chen Yi said with deep feelings: The Yellow Bridge fought a decisive battle. If Li Mingyang moved, we would drink the Yangtze River water and be wiped out. He stressed that we finally defeated Han Deqin in northern Jiangsu and made a breakthrough in northern Jiangsu, which depends on the attitude of Li Mingyang and Chen Taiyun towards us and also on our attitude towards them. Li Mingyang and Chen Yi's "pro-* *" contacts do not avert suspicion, and he is not afraid of Han Deqin's revenge. When Chen Yi and others went to Taizhou to negotiate, he publicly posted a big slogan "Welcome to the Four Generals" in the city to show his sincerity to Chen Yi. On his 60th birthday, the New Fourth Army came to give him a birthday present, and he sent an honor guard to give him a grand welcome. He made a special trip to Jiangdu Wuqiao, the headquarters of the New Fourth Army, to learn the good style of strict military management and fair trade of the New Fourth Army, and also requested Chen Yi to send a group of political cadres to help his troops train political workers and improve their political quality.