Five years later, he began attending Shandong University (then Qingdao Private College), completing a preparatory course in Industry in Commerce in 1926.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War he served as political commissar of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

This incident reached Yan'an in early 1940, which lead to a reexamination of the anti-trotskyite campaign in Shandong on a meeting convened by Chen Yun.

[1]: 617–620  During his leadership of Shandong the communist forces and territory grew, at the time of China's victory on the war against Japan the CCP controlled most of Shandong strongholds and communication lines, which were vital for communist victory during the Chinese civil war.

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