 Among these were Geng Biao, Luo Ruiqing, Yang Chengwu, Pan Zili and Yang Dezhi.In the Spring of 1949, Yang's now 19th Army besieged Taiyuan, where Yang worked closely with Xu Xiangqian's 18th Army.Following that battle, Yang reinforced Peng Dehuai at Lanzhou and remained with him into Ningxia through 1949.