Li Mingyang’s coalition is neutral

"Chen Yisan's entry into Taizhou City" has long become a shining example of our party's united front work, and also laid the foundation for the New Fourth Army to march eastward to resist Japan and develop and grow. As a centrist, Li Mingyang belongs to the Kuomintang's miscellaneous army. He puts the interests of the country and the nation first and has forged a deep friendship with the New Fourth Army. After General Chen Yi discussed with him the matter of uniting against Japan, he immediately ordered 200 rifles, several rounds of bullets, as well as cloth, towels, toothbrushes and other military supplies to be given to the New Fourth Army to show his sincerity in resisting Japan. In the decisive battle of Huangqiao, which was a matter of life and death for the New Fourth Army, he strictly adhered to neutrality. The four regiments under his command adjacent to Huangqiao never participated in the stubborn army's "bandit suppression" operation, which enabled the New Fourth Army to achieve a complete victory and wiped out more than 11,000 enemies in one fell swoop. Army commander Li Shouwei drowned in the river when he fled, and brigade commander Weng Da committed suicide in despair. When Chen Yi recalled the entire battle, he said with deep emotion: In the decisive battle of Huangqiao, if Li Mingyang made a move, we would drink the water of the Yangtze River and be wiped out. He emphasized that our final victory over Han Delqin in northern Jiangsu and our breakthrough in northern Jiangsu depended on Li Mingyang and Chen Taiyun's attitude towards us, as well as our attitude towards them. Li Mingyang's "pro-***" relationship with Chen Yi did not avoid suspicion, and he was not afraid of retaliation by Han Deqin. When Chen Yi and others went to Taizhou for negotiations, he publicly posted a large slogan "Welcome the Four Generals" in the city to show his sincerity to Chen Yi; when he celebrated his 60th birthday, the New Fourth Army came to send birthday gifts, and he sent an honor guard to give him a grand welcome. He made a special trip to the New Fourth Army's station in Wuqiao, Jiangdu, to learn from the New Fourth Army's good style of strict military management and fair trade. He also asked Chen Yi to select a group of political cadres to help his troops train political workers and improve their political quality.