Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

Perhaps out of trust or to test him, He Ping'an, the county magistrate, was from a county that had just been liberated. Perhaps because the army had already cleared it out, the overall environment of the county was still acceptable.

In Northeast China, November is already winter. With no farming to distract him, He Ping'an acts swiftly and decisively... Every day, the moment he opens his eyes, he is busy arresting and killing people.

Opium dens, brothels, casinos, loan sharks—all sorts of shady businesses—were wiped out within a month, along with rural landlords and hidden enemy collaborators and traitors!

Then they organized work teams to go deep into rural areas to teach, and what they said most often was... for anything big or small, just go to the government!

At first, the people were too afraid to step forward, until the government rescued a girl who had been switched at birth by her parents, and then the people began to believe that the government was coming to their door one after another.

From the initial fights to the final trivial family squabbles, it was all just petty stuff... The staff of the entire Qingping County government never had a moment to rest.

As time went on, some cadres began to complain about He Ping'an. He Ping'an simply smiled and didn't care, but insisted that the orders be carried out. Two months later, He Ping'an again dispatched a work group to the countryside to promote the election of village cadres.

First, fight the landlords, then distribute the land! This changed the people's mindset when faced with problems, and finally, they chose their own village cadres. This entire process completed He Ping'an's comprehensive liberation of the countryside… ending thousands of years of imperial power remaining confined to the countryside!

"Imperial power does not extend to the countryside" is the most direct manifestation of clan culture.

Clan... is essentially a form of mutual support and solidarity. A group of people come together to help each other cope with natural disasters and man-made calamities. It's similar to the ancient saying, "A righteous spirit that transcends time."

However, for clans, their blood ties make their relationships closer and more reliable... but for the nation, they are seizing power from the government!

Oh, in the storyline of "The Courtyard Full of Birds," those three old beasts, under the guise of protecting the courtyard's honor, frequently presume to judge cases and prevent reports to the police. Just like the clan head and elders, this is a way of seizing government power!

His swift and decisive elimination of the scourge, coupled with his gentle and pervasive influence, resulted in He Ping'an achieving an outstanding political work evaluation within two months. The only exception was political work, because it wasn't yet time for agricultural work. Of course, this was also intentional on He Ping'an's part…

Otherwise, based on the experience of later generations, he could easily get good political evaluations by engaging in some commercial activities and half-baked scientific breeding.

He Ping'an was a celebrity, so naturally, he attracted the attention of influential figures as soon as he took office, which was one of the only two benefits of his remarkable achievements. His accomplishments in just two months were already on the desks of bigwigs in the Northeast and Northwest.

As expected, He Ping'an received a new transfer order... to serve as a battalion-level political instructor in an independent division. The number of our Party's troops in Northeast China was increasing with each battle, expanding daily. While there were many skilled fighters, political officers were scarce.

He Ping'an demonstrated excellent political work skills and had experience in intelligence work; to outsiders, he seemed like a natural-born political worker. Although he was also excellent in other areas, with the decisive battle imminent, military matters should take precedence.

In February 1948, on New Year's Eve, He Ping'an spent the day with his soldiers. After the festivities, gazing at the starry sky, he felt homesick!

In the courtyard house, the He family celebrated the New Year at the deaf old lady's house as usual. This year, with the arrival of a new baby, the deaf old lady and Li Guifen were overjoyed. He Daqing was also happy, except that Xiaoyushui had become a little thinner!

"Ze'an looks like he's gotten fatter again!" He Daqing poked the little dumpling's cheek and chuckled.

Li Guifen slapped He Daqing's fingers away, smiling broadly.

"Hmm, eating and sleeping all day long, no wonder you're gaining weight! But Yushui, how come you've gotten so thin? Maybe you should let me take care of you?"

After He Ping'an left, He Daqing did not entrust He Yushui to Li Guifen. He took He Yushui to be cared for by his teacher's wife in the morning and picked her up after get off work in the evening.

"No need, the child just misses her uncle, she'll be fine in a while!" He Daqing shook his head and refused. He didn't know why his brother didn't want the rainwater to get involved in the backyard.

This year, Yi Zhonghai is finally not alone; he's teamed up with the Jia family, mother and son, and the three of them chat and laugh, making for a lively scene. As for how much of it is genuine and how much is feigned, nobody knows!

After the New Year, while completing his political work tasks, He Ping'an gradually revealed his extraordinary military skills...

In marksmanship, bayonet fighting, and various tactical maneuvers, he was second to none in the entire division. Furthermore, he swept all first-place awards in the army-wide skills competition, gaining widespread fame!

Fighting, resting, resting, fighting... In the span of half a year, He Ping always took the lead in battle and made a name for himself. At the same time, his identity also changed from a political cadre to a military commander.

Becoming a battalion commander gave him a certain degree of autonomy. He Ping'an's combat methods became more flexible... night raids, decapitation strikes, every operation yielded results.

In September, Liaoning and Shenyang were shrouded in overcast skies and heavy rain. As expected, He Ping'an received another transfer order, this time to the main force as a battalion commander, and marched with the main army to Jinzhou!

Whether it's the main offensive or the second-line defense, survival is the same for He Ping'an: if there's danger, he retreats into open space. From being a pushover to a main force unit, he may have lost the title of deputy regimental commander, but the main force bears heavier responsibilities and offers more opportunities!

The decisive battle began in September and ended in November. At that time, He Ping'an was once again appointed deputy regimental commander. By the time Tianjin was captured and the main force surrounded Beiping, He Ping'an had been promoted to regimental commander of the main force!

From underground work to ruling a region, from political cadre to commander of the final main force regiment, He Ping'an, not yet 20 years old, only took 15 months.

Circumstances create heroes; one battle paves the way to a meteoric rise!

"Comrade He Ping'an, given your long experience working in the underground Communist Party in Beiping and your status as a native of Beiping, knowing every blade of grass and tree there intimately, the organization has a challenging task for you to complete!"

He Ping'an looked at the figures in the history textbook before him, stood at attention, saluted, and spoke with a strong and clear voice.

"Reporting to the commander, mission accomplished!"

"Hey...you should hear the mission details first before deciding! Otherwise...our unit might end up with another Luo the Great...ah, hahaha!"

He Ping'an smiled in agreement and waited quietly for what was to come.

"The story goes like this: for the peaceful liberation of Beiping, the father of a female comrade in our party risked his life to go into the city alone, hoping to contact old friends and promote peace talks!"

But as soon as he stepped out of the train station, he was assassinated by secret agents and tragically died! Our Party's female comrade also disappeared in the chaos. The Northwest Command instructed that no effort be spared to rescue her and avenge the old man!

Logically speaking, given your current status, you're not suited to infiltrate Beiping. But we don't have anyone more suitable than you right now; you've even raided enemy headquarters before. Beiping? How about it, confident?"

"Yes, sir!" He Ping'an saluted again. "Commander, is this a solo operation or a joint operation with the underground Communist Party in Beiping? When do we depart?"

"Take your elite squad and set off immediately... Someone will pick you up and take you into the city..."

"yes!"