Rise of 1926 sodu

  That night, Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in Nanjing. It was already past 10 o'clock, and Chiang Kai-shek, wearing his pajamas, was pacing back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back. As a person deeply influenced by Chinese culture, Chiang Kai-shek had strict rules for everything, including sleeping early and waking up early. He had already fallen asleep when he was woken up by an urgent telegram from Zhang Zhizhong of Liuyang, which made him somewhat unhappy after reading it. His sleepiness immediately disappeared, and he immediately ordered someone to find Yang Yongtai and Lin Wei.

  There are two telegrams. One is the list of personnel appointments after the expansion of the security team, which can be handled entirely according to Song Zhe-wu's intentions, and he will not disagree with it. The telegram came just in case. The key is the second telegram, which made him somewhat suspicious.

  The contents of this telegram are also divided into two parts. In the first part, Zhang Zhizhong reported to him Song Zheyu's account of the reasons for forming troops, especially mentioning the Japanese issue. Chiang Kai-shek had a deep understanding of Japan. During his studies in Japan, he knew that there were many people in both the military and political circles who had a fervent ambition towards China, from low-ranking officers to high-level elites. He firmly believed that there would be a decisive battle between China and Japan that would determine the fate of the nation. However, he did not look favorably on China at present, despite being its leader. He thought that the gap between China and Japan was too great, not just in one aspect, but in politics, military affairs, economy, education, and social structure. The gap between the two countries was not just a difference of ten or twenty years, but thirty to fifty years. He believed that China could only develop quietly for thirty to fifty years before it would have the power to fight Japan. At present, he could only endure and retreat in the face of Japanese provocations, and must not give the Japanese an excuse to start a war. Therefore, he endured the Ji'nan Incident, which made him lose face in front of his people and was considered a great humiliation. However, as the leader of the country, there were many things that he could say but also could not say.

  He now only wants to unify the country's military and political power as soon as possible, and then quickly integrate it. Only a truly unified China will make Japan have some scruples. Unfortunately, after defeating the old warlords, a new batch of more powerful warlords emerged. What makes him even angrier is that they disregard the great righteousness of the nation and ethnicity, and actually collude with foreign forces. That Yan Baichuan has been in cahoots with the Japanese, during the Second Northern Expedition when we reached Hebei, the Japanese gave Yan Baichuan a guarantee, as long as the Shanxi army took down Baoding, they would guarantee his peaceful occupation of Beiping and Tianjin. If he wasn't afraid that Japan would stir up more trouble, he absolutely wouldn't have given Hebei to Yan Baichuan. And then there's Feng Yuxiang, who is actually colluding with Soviet Russia, although he knows that Feng Yuxiang is only using Soviet Russia to increase his own capital to oppose him.

  Chiang Kai-shek's gaze swept over the telegrams on the table again. This Song Wenge was not simple, and his insight into the Japanese wolves' ambitions was so clear. In the National Army, even among those politicians in the Central Government, it was rare to have such foresight. What was precious was that he not only thought about it but also started doing something about it. However, he was still young after all, and with his own strength, a mere 100,000 troops, how could they resist Japan's national power?

  The second part of the telegram was Song Zhiwu's analysis of the domestic situation, and his views on the Guangxi clique, Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, and Northwest Army were almost identical to those of Song Zhiwu. This made him feel extremely surprised. Especially the method of dealing with Bai Chongxi, which made him wonder. As soon as he saw it, he almost immediately suspected that someone had leaked the content of the meeting to Song Zhiwu, which made him very angry and even stretched out his hand to him! He decided at the time to settle the Guangxi clique first and then solve this Song Zhiwu. However, after thinking about it carefully, he dispelled this idea. The people who attended the meeting that day were all his confidants and would absolutely not leak the content of the meeting. Even He Jingzhi, who was two-faced towards him, would not do so. Moreover, these people had not noticed before that a young man was hiding in the mountains of Taihang. What's more, if someone leaked it to Song Zhiwu, he would not dare to show off in front of Zhang Zhizhong. If no one leaked it to him, then this Song Wenge was excellent and terrifying. Just by thinking of releasing Tang Shengzhi, this wolf-like person, Song Wenge had great courage, and he believed that neither Yan Baichuan nor Feng Huanzhang would or dare to do so.

  Although Song Zhe Wu has clearly expressed his support for the central government and himself, it's not just about what he says, but also about what he does. All of this needs time to prove itself. This Song Wen Ge is absolutely a sharp double-edged sword, if used well, can conquer all, making opponents tremble with fear; if used poorly, may end up hurting oneself. As for how to win over and use Song Zhe Wu, he is now very hesitant.

  Yang Yongtai and Lin Ju entered one after the other. Chiang Kai-shek rarely summoned people at midnight, and they both understood this chairman's lifestyle. They exchanged a glance, each hoping to find an answer in the other's eyes, but their gazes quickly turned away in disappointment.

  The two men's expressions were all in Chiang Kai-shek's eyes, and he pointed to the telegram on the table: "There are two telegrams from Wen and Bai sent back from Laiyuan. You take a look first." Chiang Kai-shek continued to pace slowly around the room with an expressionless face.

  For the telegram about personnel appointments, the two of them just took a glance and put it aside, they had known about the expansion for a long time. However, after reading the second telegram, both of them were shocked with their mouths wide open, breaking out in cold sweat, Yang Yongtai's glasses even slipped to the tip of his nose due to sweating, thinking that their chairman was going to investigate who leaked the information.

  Looking at the tense expressions of the two, Chiang Kai-shek knew that they were thinking the same as his initial thoughts, and he relaxed instead, sat back in his seat, and said calmly: "Don't think about leaking secrets, those who attended the meeting that day, I trusted them all, it's absolutely impossible for something like that to happen. Wen Bai has a good impression of Song Wenge, I'd like to hear your opinions."

  Both of them knew that Zhang Zhizhong had been following Chiang Kai-shek since the early days of Huangpu and was not greedy for merit, did not abuse power, and absolutely had no ambition. Such a person was the most trusted by Chiang Kai-shek. If Zhang Zhizhong made such a statement, it would be difficult for them to say anything else. The two looked at each other and remained silent.

  Chiang Kai-shek found the problem in his words just now, coughed lightly and said: "Don't worry, Wen Bai is a good man, an honest man, but honest men are easily deceived. Now I just want to hear your opinions."

  Chiang Kai-shek said so, and the two of them knew that they couldn't remain silent. Yang Yongtai thought for a moment before saying: "Since the Chairman has confirmed that it's not a leak, then this young man is indeed a talent, and a great one at that. At such a young age, he already has such a clear understanding of the current situation, which is truly rare. His analysis of the Guangxi clique, Shanxi-Suiyuan army, and Northwest Army is extremely reasonable, especially his approach to dealing with Bai Chongxi's Guangxi faction, which is identical to the Chairman's plan. A talent like this must be recruited by the Central Government at all costs, and cannot be allowed to be used by others."

  Lin Wei saw Chiang Kai-shek looking at him and knew it was his turn to speak. After some thought, he said: "I agree with Mr. Chang's opinion. This Song Zhe-wu is both literary and military-minded, not only does he have a clear understanding of the current situation, but in just two years, he has been able to train his troops to be so strong, he is a rare military talent. If we don't get him on our side, he will definitely become our enemy. We must bring him over. From the telegrams sent back by Wen Bai-hua these past few days, it can be seen that Song Zhe-wu's heart is still with the Central Government. As long as Chairman Chiang treats him with kindness, the chances of him joining us are extremely high. Another thing is whether we should transfer him out of Taiyuan and arrange a more suitable position for him."

  Chiang Kai-shek understood the meaning of both men, and they both believed that Song Zhiwu must be kept close, acknowledging that he was a talented individual. However, Yang Yongtai's words also carried a hint of caution, implying that such a person could not be used by others, and if he were to join Yan Baichuan and Feng Huanzhang, it would be a truly frightening prospect. Nevertheless, Chiang Kai-shek was not worried about Song Zhiwu abandoning him, as he did not believe that someone so intelligent would join another camp with no prospects for advancement. From the young man's actions, it was clear that he had ideals and ambitions, which could also be described as having a strong desire for success. Chiang Kai-shek had never been afraid of people with ambition; he only feared those without it. Having ambition and ideals made things easier, and he believed that Song Zhiwu would certainly understand that only he, Chiang Kai-shek, could satisfy his desires and realize his dreams, whereas Yan Baichuan and Feng Huanzhang lacked the ability and vision to do so. If Song Zhiwu were a mediocre person, it would be necessary to increase investment in him, but the key was that this young man was intelligent. Originally intending to offer more benefits to Song Zhiwu, Chiang Kai-shek changed his mind after listening to Yang Yongtai and Lin Yu's words. If Song Zhiwu knew that his intelligence had led to his own downfall, he would certainly slap himself twice, and those slaps would be loud and clear!

  Chiang Kai-shek, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked Yang Yongtai: "Yang, when can those reporters arrive at Laiyuan?"

  "They arrived in Zhengzhou yesterday, and I'll go ask about the specific itinerary tomorrow." Yang Yongtai and Lin Wei were able to reach this position, obviously both are exceptional people. Seeing Chiang Kai-shek didn't respond to their words, but instead asked about the journalists' itinerary, it's clear that the chairman already had an idea in mind, so he didn't say more.

  Chiang Kai-shek nodded and continued, "Tell the people at the Central Propaganda Department that they must arrive in Taoyuan by noon on the 30th of December. Song Wenke is a model for our party and nation, and during this difficult time for our country, we must vigorously promote him to boost morale and public spirit. Also, get in touch with Jingzhi and tell our people along the way to spare no expense in ensuring that the journalists arrive at Taoyuan on schedule."

  "Alright." Chiang Kai-shek turned to Lin Wei and said solemnly: "You go to the Military Affairs Commission tomorrow, have them issue appointment certificates according to this list. Then you take the certificate by plane to Beiping, show it to Shang Zhen and ask for his opinion. You also need to tell him that Shang Kuiyu is working hard in Hebei, caring about the people's livelihood, the Central Government knows about it, I Chiang know it too. Song Zheyu's appointment needs to be announced by him."

  Yang Yongtai and Lin Wei were both somewhat perplexed. Chiang Kai-shek did not explicitly approve or disapprove of their suggestions, but instead told Lin Wei to go to Laiyuan, which was tolerable. However, since the central government had already allocated funds to Song Zhiwu's unit, why did they still need Shang Zhen to announce his appointment? Wasn't this just making things difficult for others?

  The two of them received their orders and then retreated, but on their way out, Yang Yongtai had already figured out Chiang Kai-shek's intentions. Under Lin Wei's repeated questioning, Yang Yongtai let out a deep sigh and said, "The Chairman is indeed clever!"

  Lin Wei wanted to ask again, but a servant came running out and called for Lin Wei to return and see the Chairman. Yang Yongtai knew that the Chairman still had some secret matters that he wanted Lin Wei, who was from the Huang, Lu, Yi, and Zhe regions, to take care of, so he didn't mind and left in his car.

  Lin Wei returned to Chiang Kai-shek's study, where Chiang slowly and solemnly instructed Lin: "When you arrive in Taiyuan, find Song Zheyu alone and talk to him. See what demands he has for the Central Government. As long as his heart is with the Central Government, and his demands are not too excessive, you can represent me in agreeing to them." After a pause, Chiang continued: "The position of Provincial Chairman no longer exists, but you can tell him that in the future, he can choose one or two provinces in the north." Ignoring Lin's slightly shocked expression, Chiang went on: "Go immediately to Dai Li's place and get a set of codes. Give them to Song Wenke for use in contacting the Bodyguard Office."

  Lin Wei suddenly understood, Chairman, you want Song Zhe Wu's troops to be the vanguard! The northern provinces are now in the hands of Yan Lao Xi and Feng Yu Xiang. This is telling Song Zhe Wu that if he wants what he wants, he must help me. What he needs, he can take himself. I agree, it just depends on whether he has the strength to do so.

  Lin Wei went to the attendants' room to find Dai Li, who was a graduate of Huangpu 6th period and was waiting for him in his office. At that time, Dai Li was only Chiang Kai-shek's deputy attendant officer. After Lin Wei received the password and signed for it, he hurried back to prepare for tomorrow's itinerary.

  Thank you, Daoshuai, Luodi Fenghuang and Xingguang. With your support, I have gained confidence. Today's chapter was originally scheduled to be released at 10 pm, but as a thank you to all of you, I'm releasing it ahead of time. Hope you continue to support Deep Blue!