In 1935, he was hand picked by Chiang Kai-shek as the commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army for exterminating the (communist) bandits. It was during this time that Zhu Shaoliang was the first to receive the prices offered to anyone helping the capture of the communist leaders during Long March: On September 7, 1935, Chiang Kai-shek sent a Zhu Shaoliang a most wanted list for their communist enemy via telegraph, including the rewards for assisting their capture: