Chapter 3: The Wind Rises in Guangdong Section 32: Encounter on the Road (1)

  After receiving Sun Yat-sen's telegram, Hu Hanmin immediately called a meeting with Minister of Military Affairs Xu Chongzhi and four advisors to discuss the participation of the Whampoa Academy Army in the war. Xu Chongzhi had always valued Chiang Kai-shek's talent, as he was personally promoted by Xu to be the chief of staff of the Guangdong Army. Therefore, Xu strongly advocated for the Whampoa Academy Army to participate in the southern front battle, with Chiang Kai-shek as the commander-in-chief of the southern front, unified command of the Guangdong Army's Zhang Mingda Division, Xu Ji Brigade and the Whampoa Academy Army, launching an offensive on the southern front. Gallen also believed that the attacking force on the southern front should be strengthened, and it was only natural for the academy army to join the battle on the southern front. The attitudes of these two men made Chiang Kai-shek extremely happy, as he would not have been allowed to command the armies of Yang Ximin or Liu Zhenhuan on the northern and central fronts.

  After the discussion, Hu Hanmin issued an order in the name of the acting commander-in-chief: The Huangpu Military Academy's First and Second Training Regiments and students formed a large student team to join the southern front, appointing Chiang Kai-shek as the commander-in-chief of the southern front. All troops participating in the southern front were under his command, and military advisor Galen accompanied the southern front troops to fight.

  Out of the conference room, Chiang Kai-shek finally let out a long sigh. Before receiving Sun Yat-sen's telegram, Chiang was always uneasy in his heart. When he handed over the letter requesting to go to war, he knew that there would be no turning back. If Sun Yat-sen still refused the request of the Whampoa students to go to war, he had no choice but to resign in order to maintain his reputation among the students.

  Yu Jishi waited outside Hu Hanmin's office, and when he saw Xu Chongzhi and Galen being called in, he had already guessed that the request of Huangpu students to go to war had been approved. He was very happy, but as Chiang Kai-shek's attendant secretary, the possibility of going directly to the battlefield was too small, so he was slightly disappointed again.

  After Chiang Kai-shek came out, Yu Jishi immediately went up to put the black cloak in his hand on him. Xu Chongzhi followed and said to Chiang Kai-shek: "Third brother, you can command with ease, don't worry about the Guangdong Army, I will make arrangements with them, your orders are my orders." Xu Chongzhi and Chiang Kai-shek were sworn brothers, privately they always referred to each other as brothers, Xu Chongzhi was the big brother, Chiang Kai-shek was the third brother, and the second brother was Zhang Jingjiang.

  Chiang Kai-shek said to Xu Chongzhi: "Thank you, big brother, for taking care of me." Then he bowed his hands and bid farewell to Xu Chongzhi.

  Commander Wang Shihe waited at the gate, saw Chiang Kai-shek coming down, immediately called the car over, and then opened the door. After Chiang Kai-shek got on the car, Yu Jishi got on from the other side, and Wang Shihe sat in the front row of the car. Two guards jumped up on both sides of the front door of the sedan, while the rest of the guards sat in another sedan.

  After leaving the gate of the General's mansion, Yu Jishi asked: "Principal, where are we going?"

  "Nan Ti." Yu Jishi knew that Chiang Kai-shek was referring to the Nan Ti No. 2 Huangpu Military Academy's Guangzhou office, so he told the driver: "Nan Ti No. 2, office."

  A few streets away from the South Embankment, the sedan was blocked by a procession of people carrying banners coming from the opposite direction. Among them were many young soldiers wearing various military uniforms, gray Guangdong Army uniform, yellow Guilin Army uniform, and blue-green Yunnan Army uniform, which could be clearly distinguished from afar.

  The driver honked the horn urgently, with a look of anxiety on his face. Wang Shih-wei was tense and looked around nervously, with his pistol holster open. Chiang Kai-shek asked Yu Jishi in puzzlement: "What's going on? Why are these soldiers marching in the streets?"

  Since the KMT and CPC united, parades have been quite common in Guangzhou, with several taking place every month. But so many soldiers marching together, and from all the different armies, is probably a first.

  Yu Jishi suddenly laughed and said to Chiang Kai-shek: "Principal, you forgot that today is the day when the Youth Military Union was founded. Wu Shan and others are holding a founding conference at Guangdong University, I guess they will parade after the meeting."

  Chiang Kai-shek only then remembered that two days ago, He Yingqin had sent him an invitation to attend a banquet, but with the outbreak of war, he had forgotten all about it.

  "Oh, I forgot." Chiang Kai-shek patted his forehead: "I shouldn't have. When the Cultural Revolution and Wushan Organization Representative Conference were held, I didn't attend, this time the United Conference should go."

  "It's not the principal's fault, if anyone is to blame, it's the Military Commission. They directly ordered us to go to war, so the principal can attend their founding ceremony." Yu Ji stepped in and explained on Chiang Kai-shek's behalf.

  "Hmm, what has Wen Ge been up to recently?" Chiang Kai-shek suddenly remembered the paper with fingerprints from Qi Lian.

  "Wen Ge doesn't know what I've been thinking about lately, I'm stuck in the seventh row. The day before yesterday, Shou Shan brother told me that Wen Ge and Wu Shan had a fight in the seventh row."

  "Oh." Chiang Kai-shek found this a bit strange. The two heroes of Huangpu were quarreling? Since entering school, although they belonged to different parties, their relationship had always been good. This time, when Zhuang Jihua caused trouble, Jiang Xiyun did not come out to attack, but instead hid far away. What made them quarrel? Chiang Kai-shek suddenly became interested.

  "Why?"

  "It seems to be about the Young Military Men's Association. Wen Ge was involved in this matter at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, but later he faded out and handed it over to Wu Shan and Jun Shan; Wu Shan invited him to attend the founding conference of the association this time, but unexpectedly Wen Ge refused, and also refused to join the association, Wu Shan was so angry that the two had a quarrel, if not for Yu Quan and Shou Shan holding them back, they would have fought."

  "Why didn't you join the United Association?" Chiang Kai-shek asked in surprise. This United Association was hatched from the Representative Assembly, and Zhuang Jihua was originally one of the initiators of the Representative Assembly. He had faded out of the organizational work of the United Association, which Chiang Kai-shek could understand, after all, he had caused a lot of trouble back then, and now he didn't even want to participate. Moreover, Jiang Xiyun was usually a steady person, but he actually wanted to fight. Chiang Kai-shek shook his head at this thought.

  "It's unclear," Yu Jizi explained, "Shou Shan said he wasn't at Lian Bu when they quarreled."

  At this time, the procession crowd on the opposite side came over, and the slogans were transmitted into the car.

  "We must win this eastern campaign!"

  "Down with Chen Jiongming!"

  "Down with imperialism!"

  "Down with the Northern Warlords!"

  "Long live the working class!"

  ….

  "Jiang Xianyun, ... , He Zhanchan, ... , that's Director Zhou." Wang Shihao said, seeing one by one Huangpu classmates in the newspaper.

  The driver had already stopped the car by the side of the road, but Chiang Kai-shek's Citroen was recognized by none of his Huangpu Military Academy classmates. Some people in the procession squeezed over this way, and Yu Jishi saw that they were going to be surrounded, so he hastily got out of the car and waved his hand at the crowd, signaling them not to come any closer.

  Wang Shih-wei also saw this situation, and suggested to Chiang Kai-shek that they might as well get off the car and go to the South Embankment, which was not far away. Chiang Kai-shek calmly said it was not necessary. The guards sitting in the back of the car had already gotten out and were standing around, forming a security circle without drawing attention to themselves. This was also because there were too many people carrying guns that year, and the citizens watching the parade only took a glance at them before ignoring them.

  Yu Jishi looked around outside the car for a while, and suddenly saw Zhuang Jihua and Song Xiliang standing at the street corner opposite with two soldiers, talking to Li Zhilong, Chen Gang, and several young men and women who looked like students.

  Seeing this, Chiang Kai-shek, who was inside the car, said: "Zhuang Jihua has come after all, and is with Song Xilian, over there, that..." As he spoke, he pointed for Chiang to see. The interior of the car was too low, so only a dense crowd could be seen.

  Chiang Kai-shek looked in the direction he was pointing at Yu Jishi, and through countless colorful small flags, it was indeed Zhuang Jihua and Song Xilian with Li Zhilong and others. What caught Chiang Kai-shek's attention were three girls among them, Zhuang Jihua seemed to have said something that made two of them giggle, Chiang Kai-shek was a bit unhappy, talking to women on the street... He said to Yu Jishi: "You go take a look, what are they doing?"

  Yu Jishi responded with a grunt and squeezed through the procession, only to find that two of the women among Zhuang Jihua's group were familiar: Pan Huiqin and Jin Huishu. He silently cursed to himself, as Jin Huishu had left a deep impression on many members of the Blood Flower Drama Society. However, he didn't recognize the other girl with short hair that reached her ears. Just a few steps away, Song Xiliang had already spotted him.

  Newcomer on stage, tickets please.