Chapter 15: The Big Exam (Part 1)

  Due to Wu Qiview's defeat, the Red Army's Second Crossing of the Chishui River campaign was fruitful, capturing a large amount of equipment and supplies and reoccupying Zunyi. This made the Lingling Field Headquarters, which had already been withdrawn with Xue Yue's westward advance, bustling again. Although the Red Army could not retake it, since it was close to the front line and controlled the Hunan-Guangxi Road, many troops and supplies passed through. The Security Brigade naturally continued its glorious tradition: picking up and stealing small fortunes. However, the 23rd Division received a military order: escorting a batch of supplies to the front line.

  As troops occasionally pass by along the way, the small bandits on the transport route have long since scattered. It should be a safe trip.

  But Tan Xiao thought repeatedly and decided to send out the elite troops: First, be careful and cautious, after all, it was the first time to perform a task since the formation of the army. Second, although the bandits were gone, what if they weren't bandits but the Red Army who came to harass, which would be even harder to deal with. Third, due to the second reason, Tan Xiao didn't want to fight the Red Army, so he sent a strong enough force, just in time to avoid the Red Army's attack, and the Red Army wouldn't dare to challenge them head-on!

  So he decided to send a reinforced battalion of nearly 500 men to carry out the task, led by his top general, Peng Hanbo.

  Peng Hanbo is from Changde, Hunan. He has three brothers in his family. His eldest brother Peng Hanyan was a junior officer in the Xiang Army and was eight years older than him. Due to poverty at home, Peng Hanyan joined the army early on and later supported his twin younger brothers Peng Hansong and Peng Hanbo to attend the Hunan branch of the Huangpu Military Academy. After graduating, his younger brothers also joined the military, it can be said that the whole family is in the military.

  In the Peng family, the youngest Hanbo wore his brothers' old clothes from a young age and grew up in poverty. He was very stubborn and competitive. After graduating from military school, he became a platoon leader in the army due to his bravery and calmness in battle. During the fourth siege of the Red Army's base by the Xiang Army, his battalion was ambushed, and the battalion commander retreated immediately, leaving him behind. As a result, the company commander also fled, leaving only him to fight alone at the end. In the end, out of thirty people, either died in battle or were shot dead by him, while he himself chose to jump off a cliff rather than surrender when his ammunition was exhausted. Originally, as a brave military officer, he should have been promoted, but after being rescued, he was actually envied by the fleeing company commander for his outstanding performance and was hindered from being investigated for two months. Although he was not guilty, he also lost his merits. After returning to the army, due to the propaganda of that company commander, all soldiers were afraid of this officer who had forced a whole platoon to death and did not want to follow him. In the end, he could only idle in the waiting unit until Tan Xiao's temporary 23rd division was established and scoured for Huangpu students, finally recruiting him as a deputy company commander.

  He was first recognized when Tan Xiao borrowed wine to return and organize an emergency assembly, his company arrived the fastest and was fully equipped, with good military discipline. After that, he and his troops performed as one of the best in the whole division. Soon, he was promoted to a real battalion commander. This is one of the few high-ranking officers in the 23rd Division except for the division commander - Tan Xiao's highest commanding officer before the reorganization of the army was at the regimental level.

  Towards Tan Xiao, Peng Hanbo is both grateful and respectful: he is grateful to Tan Xiao for digging him up and reusing him all the way, and unexpectedly rising from a probationary company commander to a full-fledged battalion commander within two months. But he respects Tan Xiao even more, Tan Xiao's military level and style make this seven-term graduate of his senior brother admire him with all his might! Even so, he believes in the saying in the army: Shizuo is the reincarnation of Wuqu Xing, born to lead soldiers and fight battles! He not only completely learns from Tan Xiao's physical practice, fair and impartial, strict governance; regarding Tan Xiao's various training and combat technical theories, he is also tirelessly learning, and is a well-known training madman in the whole division. Plus, he originally had enough combat experience, his progress was rapid, especially in understanding new tactics, although the actual collective training was less than two months, his basic theory and practical command ability in Tan Xiao's eyes were already indistinguishable from those of the battalion commanders of later generations. Even more excellent, because no one among the battalion commanders of later generations had seen so many deaths.

  Let him lead the team, Tan Xiao is naturally at ease. The reason for holding a special meeting for this "first" military operation is to train soldiers: Military meetings are also training, practicing pre-war deployment.

  The final plan was for Peng Hanbo to lead his battalion and a machine gun company, along with two mortar teams, as the execution force for this operation. Along the way, they were to follow the Field Service Manual written by Tan Xiao, which included dozens of detailed provisions: whenever they stopped at a rest stop, they had to build fortifications; when they arrived at their campsite, they had to conduct reconnaissance and terrain measurements; throughout the journey, except in cases where weather conditions required protection for transporting supplies, they were not allowed to enter any existing buildings for shelter; scouting and searching along the route, contacting and responding to each other, etc. Each level of officer was also required to keep a march diary to review and study upon their return. Completing this task was equivalent to undergoing a long-distance field training exercise for the army, as well as an important test for the elite battalion.

  After a day of preparation, the transportation team set off on the second day. The leader of the transportation team was an old acquaintance: Sergeant Li Taifu, who had once fabricated accident reports to send equipment to the 23rd Division! Everyone didn't have much to chat about, so they formed up and set off in a grand manner.

  Watching the troops disappear into the distance, Tan Xiao suddenly thought: This is an exam for them, when will the Military Affairs Department give me my own exam?

  During this period, the 23rd Division has made great progress in all aspects, and its packaging has also become more perfect. As for those products that were rushed out to shock the world, they have been completed as scheduled. Now he is looking forward to the arrival of the delegation mentioned by He Yingqin. After all, resisting Japan is a matter for the whole nation, and relying on one person can only take care of a small area. He needs to quickly stand out, get more power and territory, in order to better play out his crossing effect. And undoubtedly, getting recognized by He Yingqin or even Chiang Kai-shek is the fastest shortcut. As for another key figure, Yang Yongtai, he had some understanding of him before seeing the materials brought by Wu Deguang. This was also thanks to his experience in the training base in the later generations: once in the cafeteria, he heard two trainee staff officers chatting, one of whom mentioned Yang Yongtai and said that the Red Army's Long March was largely due to this person. At that time, Tan Xiao listened with interest and remembered this man from Maoming, Guangdong.

  Yang Yongtai was called the modern-day Sleeping Dragon by Chiang Kai-shek, and he indeed had his formidable aspects: He proposed the strategy of "three parts military, seven parts politics" to suppress the Communists, implemented many special policies in the Red Army's base areas, such as purging local bullies and evil gentry, economically assisting the local people with soft tactics combined with baojia system and sitting law, and imposing strict economic blockade on the base areas, making the local people unwilling and afraid to contact the Red Army, fundamentally depriving the Red Army of its living space. Militarily, he implemented severe encirclement and suppression against the Red Army, while offering great rewards and preferential treatment to those who defected from the Red Army. Under his "three transformations" policy of "softening", "dividing", and "winning over", as well as his "three wars" strategy of "political war", "economic war", and "all-out war", the Eyuwan base area led by Zhang Guotao quickly disintegrated, and the Red Army was forced to go west. The Central Soviet Area in Jiangxi also had to embark on the Long March after holding out for a year. Moreover, in Chiang Kai-shek's successive defeats of Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, and other big warlords, as well as his current campaign against the Central Plains, all bore the mark of Yang Yongtai's handiwork, so it was not excessive for Chiang to call him the modern-day Sleeping Dragon.

  What's more important is that this person doesn't form cliques, the so-called "Political Science Faction" isn't a real group where everyone shares interests and fortunes, but just a collective term for political writers. Therefore, he gained Chiang Kai-shek's trust, his loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek was also extreme. He Xingzhen passed on messages to win this person's trust, it can be seen that He Xingzhen really wanted to help Tan Xiao.

  Tan Xiao felt that everything was ready, but he didn't know when the assessment would arrive, so he was a bit anxious and impatient. He returned to the office, feeling restless, and went onto the training field, but felt a bit lazy and didn't want to move. Of course, he didn't know that the big test had already begun!

  The big exam starts in Zeroling Old Town!

  The training base just a stone's throw away was eerily quiet, and Tan Xiao finally waited for someone to break the monotony: German arms dealer Gutz.

  This time, Gutz came without a hint of arrogance. The "2005 incident" had shattered the last bit of German pride, and this time Gutz was coming with an apologetic attitude and a secret mission from the German government. He obediently went to the guard post one kilometer away to report and wait, then met Tan Xiao at the simple reception room outside the training base.

  To show his friendship, he brought a gift that was indeed unexpected and made Deng Xiaoping very happy: a submachine gun!

  Tan Xiao had played with the Soviet PPSh submachine gun, which was only on display at the base, and as for the MP38 that looked cool in movies, he had no chance of touching it. Thinking about being able to touch its ancestor - the non-folding experimental submachine gun designed by the Erma factory around 1934, which was said to have been used only in limited police units, still made him very excited.

  However, the moment he opened the package, his face immediately turned gloomy: The German had brought him a Steyr-Solothurn MP34 produced by the former German and later Austrian company Solothurn! Although it was also a weapon that participated in World War II, it had no blood relationship with the MP38 he wanted!

  "No, this is not what I want!" Tan Xiao said in disappointment.

  Similarly disappointing was the Gutz who had intended to please Tan Xiao: "They... those foolish guys got it wrong? Oh, I even had them specially sent over by the Far Eastern Railway... Maybe I can send a telegram to have them correct it!" The Germans in front of Tan Xiao became very humble: "Sir, could you elaborate on the characteristics of the submachine gun you want?"

  "Oh! The difference is obvious even to a fool! This MP34 is blow-forward operated, the one I mentioned is free piston operated and it's made by Erma factory! Can't believe they got it wrong!" Tan Xiao said helplessly.

  "Alright, I'll correct their mistakes when I get back today..."

  Gutz had no idea that the telegram he sent back to Germany later that day would cause such a stir: The engineers at Elma factory suddenly jumped up after receiving the telegram and shouted, "Free machine...! That Chinese is a genius..." Then, Elma factory will send a team of designers to China...

  Because Guz felt he had messed things up and was very embarrassed, so he left soon.

  Tan Xiao quickly returned to his usual listless state and found that for some reason, he was restless today. After thinking about it for a moment, he still headed towards the training grounds.

  Wu Sheng and Ji Ping, who were left behind in the old city of Lingling, were not just restless at this moment! They were on pins and needles!

  When the two men had finished their tea and returned to the 23rd Division's temporary office after walking their birds, not long after, someone passed on a message: "Director He has arrived at the Lingling headquarters, please ask Commander Tan to meet him!" The messenger was a Central Army lieutenant colonel, standing stiffly in his uniform like a javelin at the door waiting for a response.

  He Jian has arrived? The two did not dare to slack off and immediately wanted to inform Tan Xiao at the training base, but unexpectedly, that major officer said that even if Commander Tan was not there, it would be fine, just a routine handover of work, and the two could go. So the two didn't bother Tan Xiao either, tidied up their military uniforms and followed that major to the camp.

  Upon entering the mansion, they saw: every three steps there was a sentry post and every five steps there was a guard station, which made the two of them feel a bit apprehensive. It wasn't until they entered the main hall that they realized who they were meeting - it turned out to be two officials surnamed Heo: He Jian, the Governor of Hunan Province, and another one named He Yingqin, the Minister of Military Affairs!

  Oh my god! Luckily, thanks to their good relationship with He Shaotang, the two of them didn't get too scared. But they had already caught wind of something unusual and wanted to inform Tan Xiao immediately, but unfortunately, they couldn't extricate themselves. The two He officials were unexpectedly easy-going and even invited them to sit down and have tea - real tea, not just a polite gesture! It turned out that they knew all about their hobbies too!

  The two men didn't dare to speak much, nor did they dare to ask questions randomly. They accompanied the officials with trepidation, only mentioning some local conditions and customs like Yongzhou's eight scenic spots in their conversation. However, the officials were really leisurely, chatting idly without touching on any substantial topic.

  It's actually just the two officials' good at keeping themselves entertained, they also feel bored, but have to wait - at this moment, Chairman is still lingering in the "Northern Expedition Light" Revolutionary Memorial Hall next to the camp.

  "The Light of the Northern Expedition" Revolutionary Memorial Hall is one of Tan Xiang's targeted series packages. He knows that for Chiang Kai-shek, his lifelong pride and turning point was the Northern Expedition War. From advocating for the Northern Expedition to successfully unifying China in name, during this process, many of those who experienced it firsthand later became corrupt and degenerate in pursuit of fame and wealth; but most of them were able to obtain Chiang's forgiveness and protection. The reason is that this period of history was too important to Chiang Kai-shek, so the people involved were also given a special color, becoming an emotional knot and attachment in Chiang's heart. Those who participated were very fortunate, as long as they could survive.

  Tan Xiao's time-traveling was too late, causing him to miss this great opportunity. However, someone who can appreciate it can also win the favor of a master - everyone needs resonance. So he designed this memorial hall.

  The memorial hall is located next to the Zero Ling Hang Camp, because he knew that he had to "take a big test", he bet that the examiners would stay here, so he bought all the courtyards on the edge of the camp and connected them into one piece. After some renovation, it became this memorial hall. The building carrier was easily solved, but the content inside was not simple: if it weren't for the fact that his later generation's base had a revolutionary history education museum attached to it, he wouldn't have thought of so many tricks. In order to do a good job with this memorial hall, he sent people to Guangzhou to fetch those old photos and materials, and as a result, he owed Chen Zhong many favors.

  Chiang Kai-shek was attracted by this memorial hall before he even started his campaign! Although the exterior is neither grand nor majestic, the two characters "Northern Expedition" on the horizontal inscribed board are enough! Chiang Kai-shek did not expect to see a memorial hall about the Northern Expedition here, and it can be said that Tan Xiao's trick worked. He actually came directly to the front of the hall without conducting a campaign, and happened to bump into an old man who was sweeping the floor - so the old man became his tour guide. This old man is not an ordinary person, but one of the poor and depressed scholars in Lingling carefully selected by Tan Xiao. He receives a high salary, and usually doesn't have to do anything, including cleaning and maintenance, which are done by others. He only reads books and studies materials about the Northern Expedition. It just so happens that during these few days around the New Year, all the servants went home, and he was sweeping the fallen leaves in front of the door himself. With his cultivation, he naturally recognized this fully armed general at a glance. People get more cunning as they age, and this old man deliberately pretended not to recognize him, only treating him like an ordinary military officer who had come to pay his respects.

  Chiang Kai-shek was in a good mood early in the morning, thinking that others wouldn't recognize him. He desperately hinted to his entourage not to reveal his identity and followed the old man into the exhibition hall. Several high-ranking officials and attendants from the Imperial Guard hastily followed suit.

  "The museum was just built and hasn't been officially opened to the public yet." The old man introduced: "However, after the New Year, there will be more people coming. According to the county's regulations, both public and private schools must bring their students here for a visit before classes start, so that those young students can understand the purpose of their studies, why they have such good learning conditions, and who unified China..."

  These few sentences moved Chiang Kai-shek's heart. On a stone tablet at the entrance, there was an inscription in plain language, signed by Tan Xiao! "... The revolutionary feat of the Northern Expedition is a summary of Sun Yat-sen's lifelong experience in national revolution and a call to action for the entire nation! Because of the Northern Expedition, the country was unified; because of the Northern Expedition, the traitorous warlords were overthrown; because of the Northern Expedition, the Chinese nation saw hope for revival... The Huangpu revolutionary army led by Chiang Kai-shek is truly the orthodox revolutionaries, they took over the revolutionary banner from Sun Yat-sen's hands and spread the sunshine of the Three Principles of the People across China, warming up the nine continents of Huaxia..."

  The inscription on the monument is full of flattering words, directly praising Chiang Kai-shek and his entourage from Huangpu. Especially the paragraph about the revolution's orthodoxy warmed Chiang's heart: when he established a separate government in Nanjing, he was scolded by the Guangzhou government for betraying the revolution, and people still say so today. The inscription on this monument seems to be the final verdict, making him feel like he has lived for a hundred years and seen his own legacy endure for centuries.

  As for the slogan-like ending in the last series of inscriptions, it seems extremely corny to later generations, but in Chiang Kai-shek's eyes, he seemed to have seen millions of people shouting their support!

  Chiang Kai-shek, who had finally calmed down, followed the old man into the long corridor: this flower corridor, which was originally built in the style of Suzhou gardens, had been transformed into a long historical scroll. Due to the urgency of time, the oil paintings that were originally intended to be carefully painted by famous masters were temporarily replaced with woodblock prints made by a large number of craftsmen. These woodblock prints recorded and told the story of the history from Chen Jiongming's betrayal of the revolution to the establishment of the Nanjing government in the form of linked pictures. The lines of these woodblock prints were strong and simple, with only two-color printing of large color blocks, which perfectly expressed the grandeur and tragedy of history!

  In these scenes, Chiang Kai-shek seemed to see the young revolutionaries of that year surrounding him on his northern expedition! He seemed to have seen Chen Mingren standing on the city wall of Huizhou with a horizontal knife, and seemed to have seen Jiang Dingwen, who was once as fierce as a tiger, bleeding profusely but not retreating from the battlefield... In an instant, he even remembered those who had long gone and forgotten, who died in battle at Zhangmu Head and Mianhu Lake, Huangpu's first batch of students... Countless faces flashed through his mind, including Ye Jianying, Chen Geng, and others who were now on different paths with the Communist Party... Amidst the heroic sacrifice, there was also warmth: He, Ye Ting, and Ye Jianying had guarded Sun Yat-sen, who insisted on going to the front line, with their lives. The situation was extremely critical, with gunfire just ahead... When reinforcements arrived, a fat commander came, and Sun immediately ordered them to go to the front line to help. Chiang Kai-shek, worried and unwilling to leave, was persuaded by Ye Ting's words: "With Tan Gong's marksmanship, which never misses its target, and his iron palms, the three of us together are no match! Let's go!" That day, he met Tan Yankai, who later helped him and Soong Mei-ling get married... Now, Tan Zu'an was also gone! Unconsciously, two lines of clear tears flowed down silently.

  The host shed tears, and the entourage did not dare to slack off. Some were truly moved, while others pretended to be excited. For a moment, the whole audience was in a state of solemnity.

  During the visit, someone came to report that Wu Sheng and Ji Ping had arrived. Chiang Kai-shek was reluctant to leave and ordered He Yingqin and He Jian to go first to receive them, as he wanted to see the entire exhibition!

  Inside the museum, a large number of old photos and memorabilia brought from Guangzhou also constantly evoke sighs and emotions from Chiang Kai-shek and a group of Huangpu veterans. They looked at this and unexpectedly made He Yingqin and He Jian drink clear tea for an hour!

  The end of the visit was quite interesting: Chiang Kai-shek came to a old photo of himself in military uniform riding a horse reviewing troops when he was young, smiling at the caption below the photo: "Chairman Chiang's majestic and heroic appearance during the Northern Expedition". Suddenly, the elderly guide seemed to have realized something, immediately knelt down, somewhat like the scene from modern TV dramas where an emperor's identity is revealed while traveling incognito. Chiang Kai-shek was overjoyed, helped the old man up, and with a harmonious expression told him that he was a revolutionary soldier, and nowadays in the Republic of China, one no longer needs to kneel before officials...

  Tan Xiao's big test has already begun without him knowing. In this exam that had no starting notification and no ending bell, under the examinee's own inexplicable circumstances, he got a perfect score in the first round!

  A new week begins, seeing my work on the chart makes me happy! Thank you everyone for your love and support!