▁Z hang ▁Gu ota o ▁and ▁X u ▁X i ang q ian ▁in ▁S ich uan , ▁Gar z ê . ▁Ren ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁political ▁comm iss ar ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Second ▁Army . ▁With ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Long ▁March ▁in ▁October , ▁Ren ▁and ▁P eng ▁De hu ai ▁were ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁Political ▁Comm iss ars ▁for ▁the ▁Front ▁Command ▁of ▁the ▁C CP ▁to ▁resist ▁Hu ▁Z ong nan ' s ▁forces ▁that ▁were ▁in ▁Sh a an xi . ▁By ▁December , ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁Military ▁Commission ▁of ▁the ▁C PC ▁Central ▁Committee ▁and ▁the ▁Pres id ium . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War ▁( 1 9 3 6 – 1 9 4 5 ) ▁▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁P eng ▁De hu ai ▁and ▁Ren ▁alongside ▁Yang ▁H uch eng ▁went ▁to ▁X i ' an ▁to ▁plan ▁the ▁front ▁line ▁defense ▁against ▁the ▁Japanese ▁forces ▁through ▁mobil izing ▁the ▁Se vent h ▁Route ▁Army ▁and ▁the ▁N ortheast ▁Army . ▁During ▁August , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Military ▁Commission ▁which ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁ren aming ▁of ▁Commun ist ▁forces ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Route ▁Army . ▁By ▁ 1 6 ▁October , ▁Ren ▁was ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Political ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Route ▁Army ▁and ▁the ▁C PC ▁Central ▁Military ▁Commission . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁attended