Chapter 1034
The Plot is About to Be Closed: Zheng Yaoquan Draws His Sword
Zhang Anping's trip to Tianjin, in essence, involved two things:
Wholesale military ranks to win people's hearts;
The Central Army's losses enriched Commander Chen of the Sui Army.
The whole matter of issuing military ranks was ultimately an internal affair of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. If anyone had any objections, it should be raised by Mao Renfeng. Anyone else who dared to raise them would be asking for trouble.
However, the act of cutting into the Central Army to enrich the Suiyuan Army aroused serious dissatisfaction within the Central Army system in Beiping.
They didn't care about the Central Army in Tianjin "handing over" a regiment to make up a directly subordinate division; what they cared about was:
What if Zhang Anping wanted to promote this in Beiping for the sake of unity?
They approved of Zhang Anping's actions; as seasoned veterans, they naturally understood the importance of forming a directly subordinate division for the defense of Tianjin.
The problem is, they really do have a cow!
It's fine to be generous with other people's money, but it matters when it comes to your own!
At present, the 250,000 troops in Beiping consist of a small portion of the Sui Army and a large portion of the Central Army. Although the relationship between the two armies has eased due to Zhang Anping as a lubricant, the fundamental antagonism between the Sui Army and the Central Army remains unchanged!
Even now, many Central Army soldiers still complain about the Suiyuan Army:
If the Sui army hadn't been holding out, they would have already escaped by boat by now, instead of being trapped in Beiping.
The existence of such complaints meant that the Sui Army and the Central Army could never truly trust each other. Zhang Anping, as a lubricant, only made the rift between the two sides seem to disappear. In reality, it was just a matter of temporarily mending the broken mirror with a little friction and a thin layer of stickiness.
The generals of both the Central Army and the Sui Army understood this very clearly.
Now, Zhang Anping has staged another drama in Tianjin, and this drama seems to be able to significantly increase the trust between the two sides.
But the only problem is...
It was the Central Army that suffered losses!
So here's the question: if Zhang Anping were to "force him to resign" at the meeting, would they compromise?
No compromise means no unity!
If compromise is possible, the Sui Army's power will surge. Once the Sui Army's power overwhelms, no, just equals, the Central Army, with Fu Huabei's position as the head of the Suppression Headquarters, what will the Sui Army do then?
The Central Army repeatedly refused to come to the rescue, resulting in the loss of the Suiyuan Army's 11th Corps, its own son, and an entire army.
If the Sui Army gains too much influence, given their own circumstances, do we even need to consider what they would do?
That's why the commanders of the Central Army were so indignant!
The pressure shifted to the two commanders, Li and Shi.
"Anping this time..."
Commander Li hesitated to speak. From a rational perspective, Zhang Anping was acting entirely out of public interest and for the sake of the defense of Beijing and Tianjin, which was commendable in any case.
But reason is one thing!
The opinions of the Central Army commanders are not without merit!
Commander Shi said helplessly, "Let's meet with him and have a proper discussion about this matter. We shouldn't let him bring it up at the meeting."
"Hmm—however, we need to be careful with our words. Anping is ultimately acting out of a sense of public duty."
"I know."
Upon seeing Li Shi and his companion, Zhang Anping seemed to know what they were going to say and quickly stated his position:
I am the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and I would never harm the interests of the Central Army!
He then explained:
“The situation in Tianjin is special. The Tianjin station reported that our Central Army generals were outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant towards Commander Chen. Considering the occupation of Tianjin, I made this suggestion.”
“But the situation in Beiping is different from that in Tianjin, and Beiping itself has the strength of the Sui Army. Although it accounts for a minority, it is not without soldiers.”
“Even if Zhang were stupid, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths—besides, Zhang has always been wary of Fu Huabei. I hope the two commanders will understand.”
Li and Shi knew that Zhang Anping was different from other spies; he wouldn't do one thing openly and another secretly. Seeing Zhang Anping's explanation, the two were naturally completely relieved.
To express their apology, the two expressed their support for Zhang Anping, conveying a clear message:
In the Beiping secret service system, regardless of Zheng Yaoquan's position, the two of us only recognize you!
After making this statement, the two then "discussed" with Zhang Anping, the instigator, to attend a military affairs conference, where Zhang Anping would personally reject the possibility of Beiping following Tianjin's example.
Zhang Anping readily agreed.
Unbeknownst to Li Shi and his companion, an undercurrent was already brewing under Zhang Anping's scheme.
……
Just as Li Shi and Zhang Anping were meeting, some military commanders of the Central Army secretly began communicating with Zheng Yaoquan.
Previously, these military commanders looked down on Zheng Yaoquan, the so-called deputy minister.
They are far inferior to Zhang Anping.
But when Zhang Anping's actions threatened their own interests, the military commanders' thinking changed:
Zheng Yaoquan is indeed not very good, but using him to keep Zhang Anping in check is brilliant!
With Zheng Yaoquan as a check and balance, if Zhang Anping dares to speak recklessly again, he'll have to learn what it means to be abandoned by everyone!
Zheng Yaoquan was originally worried about winning people's hearts—Zhang Anping's actions of wholesaling military ranks at Tianjin Station had made the agents of the Beiping secret service eagerly anticipate his arrival.
A promotion in military rank not only elevates one's status, but also increases one's salary and even pension.
Being a spy is a job where you risk your life. Who wouldn't be happy to earn more money and receive more compensation?
Faced with these eager gazes, Zheng Yaoquan knew that if he couldn't flaunt his military rank like Zhang Anping, the Beiping intelligence system would definitely not follow him.
But this report is not easy to write!
At such a critical time, who would have thought that a group of high-ranking military commanders from the Central Army would meet with him one after another, even though they were all saying useless nonsense, they were all subtly showing their support for him.
This delighted Zheng Yaoquan.
A rare opportunity!
He immediately seized the opportunity to sincerely request two favors from these military commanders:
First, help him put in a good word with the Attendant's Office to ask for a promotion;
Second, transfer control of Beiping Minsheng Biological Resources to him!
The former needs no further explanation, while the latter refers to Zhang Anping using anti-communism as a pretext to ruthlessly exploit the powerful and wealthy in the city, then seizing the essential supplies they controlled, and finally selling these supplies at slightly higher prices at designated locations—using these essential supplies to exploit the millions of people in Beiping to the fullest extent, ultimately resulting in unimaginable huge profits.
When Zheng Yaoquan came to Beiping, the gluttons who were envious of Zhang Anping's control over the city's daily necessities did their best to help him.
Their purpose in helping is, of course, to make money effortlessly.
Now that the commanders of the Central Army in Beiping have come knocking on his door, Zheng Yaoquan naturally wants to take this opportunity to achieve his goal.
He originally thought that after taking control of the Beiping intelligence system, the control of civilian supplies would naturally fall into his hands. However, he did not expect that Zhang Anping seemed to have opened his eyes and had already made a separation early on—the civilian supplies were now jointly managed by the Central Army, the Sui Army, and the intelligence system. He alone could not take control of them at all.
That's why he took the opportunity to make demands.
Faced with Zheng Yaoquan's demands, the military commanders almost turned against him.
Although I knew you were a million miles behind Zhang Anping, I never imagined the difference between you two was so vast!
If Beiping is to be held for a long time, the livelihood of the people cannot be disrupted. Don't you know that?
Faced with the displeasure of the military commanders, Zheng Yaoquan could only offer a silver-tongued explanation:
Zheng's actions were not motivated by a desire for control over essential supplies, but by considerations of the greater good!
Now that the Sui Army also has control over civilian supplies, if they take this opportunity to recover and collude with Zhang Anping again, it will be the Central Army that suffers the loss.
It would be better to simply remove the Sui Army from the joint control. As long as we control the civilian supplies, the Sui Army will not cause trouble for the sake of the overall situation!
To be honest, his words actually swayed the military commanders.
They have already heard some rumors:
Some Suiyuan Army generals were making connections, attempting to replicate the Tianjin Defense Headquarters' directly subordinate divisions. Faced with this rumor, the Central Army commanders collectively went berserk.
It was because of you that our Central Army was trapped in the Pingjintang area, and now you want to push your luck even further.
A bunch of miscellaneous soldiers, thinking of leeching off the Central Army?
What unrealistic dreams are you having!
That's why they decided to support Zheng Yaoquan and suppress Zhang Anping.
Faced with Zheng Yaoquan's excuse of using the opportunity to put pressure on the Sui Army, the leaders of the Central Army felt that this step was entirely open to discussion.
After some haggling, they actually supported Zheng Yaoquan.
Overjoyed at his great success, Zheng Yaoquan immediately set about implementing the plan.
Besides sending a telegram to the adjutant's office requesting a large-scale conferment of ranks, he was already sharpening his knives for the upcoming military conference!
……
Military Affairs Conference of the General Headquarters for Suppression of Enemy Personnel.
The meeting had barely begun when the Sui Army preemptively launched its attack:
"Commander Chen from Tianjin sent a telegram saying that with Director Zhang's help, he is now confident that he can hold out for more than six months!"
"Commander Fu, Director Zhang's trip to Tianjin was very meritorious, and I think he should be highly commended."
After these words were spoken, the faces of the Central Army generals present turned ashen, and many of them glared angrily at Zhang Anping.
Commander Li was about to get up and retaliate when Fu Huabei asked in confusion:
"When the Communist army captured the outlying strongholds of Tianjin, Chen Jieshan sent several telegrams asking for help, claiming that if the Communist army launched a major offensive, Tianjin might not be able to hold out for even a month."
"Why is your confidence soaring again now?"
"Director Zhang's trip to Tianjin lasted only ten hours or so, so how did it make Chen Jieshan so confident? Is there a reason I don't understand?"
Even a fool could see that Fu Huabei was deliberately feigning ignorance, but someone from the Sui Army immediately stepped forward to clarify the situation.
He spoke at length, thoroughly explaining why a single directly subordinate division could turn Tianjin's crisis into safety.
Just one sentence:
If Beiping is to be defended for a long time, it must follow this example!
Fu Huabei was overjoyed upon hearing this and exclaimed in admiration:
"I heard that the chief of staff always likes to use the term 'little guy' to express his affection for Director Zhang. Now I understand how much the chief of staff likes Director Zhang!"
Then he changed the subject: "In the past, people outside said that Director Zhang was the last loyal subject of the Party and the State. I used to scoff at that statement—aren't all of you here loyal subjects of the Party and the State?"
"But now I realize that great reputations are never undeserved!"
"Director Zhang deserves the title of a loyal subject of the Party and the country!"
Well, first you pretended to be stupid, and now you're resorting to moral blackmail. A group of Central Army generals almost hated Zhang Anping to death—it's all your fault.
“Director Zhang truly deserves the title of a loyal subject of the Party and the State.” Commander Li finally found an opportunity to speak. He echoed Fu Huabei’s words with complete agreement, and then, mimicking Fu Huabei, changed the subject:
"I am truly ashamed that I waited so long without discovering such a huge loophole in Tianjin's defenses!"
"Fortunately, Director Zhang had sharp eyes and realized that it was a major taboo for Chen Jieshan to control Tianjin's defenses without his own trusted subordinates. He made the right remedy!"
Fu Huabei would feign ignorance and use moral blackmail, and Li Zuobin would also be sarcastic and obnoxious!
Are the vulnerabilities in Tianjin's defense really something we haven't discovered?
How do you, Fu Huabei, appoint people?
Inside Tianjin, there were 13 troops without your Sui Army, yet you still forced Chen Jieshan to lead 13 troops to defend Tianjin—don't you bear any responsibility?
Chen Jieshan had no direct followers, so Zhang Anping helped him!
Don't you, Fu Huabei, have any direct subordinates?
Commander Shi shook his head and said, "Commander Fu, Brother Zuobin, don't flatter Anping to the point of ruin!"
He glanced at Zheng Yaoquan, who was watching the show, and then said, "Anping is still a young man. Is it really okay for you to praise him like this to the point of ruin?"
This single glance contains a variety of meanings.
Some generals in the Sui Army were unhappy. They said, "We've dug such a big pit, trying to take a piece of fat from your Central Army. Do you think you can just make a small difference by eliminating them?"
no way!
"Director Zhang," a Sui Army general stood up and addressed Zhang Anping directly, "there are 300,000 troops in Beiping, but they are not of one mind. Do you think we should repeat the Tianjin incident?"
Upon hearing this, the room fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were on Zhang Anping.
The Central Army did not expect the Sui Army to directly reveal its intentions, openly declaring that it would rob the rich to help the poor.
At the same time, they couldn't help but worry – what if Zhang Anping didn't see the situation clearly and agreed?
Under such intense scrutiny, Zhang Anping slowly rose to his feet:
"No!"
The two words, firm and resolute, immediately deflated the expectations of the Sui Army generals, while putting the minds of the Central Army generals at ease.
“Tianjin is different from Beiping. Moreover, in Beiping now, our troops have already put aside past grievances. Suddenly withdrawing troops from various units will only create gaps in the defense, giving the Communist army an opportunity to take advantage.”
"Stability is the most important thing for Beiping right now."
Zhang Anping spoke calmly, but his words were full of dissatisfaction with the Sui Army's greed.
Seeing this, Fu Huabei sighed inwardly. He knew that the generals of the Central Army would collectively oppose it, but he hoped to find a breakthrough by dealing with Zhang Anping and then "profit" from the Central Army.
However, Zhang Anping, the instigator, firmly opposed it, so there was naturally no need to discuss the matter further—in fact, he was just thinking of taking a few shots anyway, even if there was no chance of success.
Success would be gratifying, but failure would be understandable.
Therefore, he immediately ended the conversation:
"Director Zhang is right, there's no need to bring this up again!"
He always prepared for both possibilities, just as he was negotiating peace while simultaneously reorganizing his army. He did not want this incident to widen the rift between the Sui Army and the Central Army.
Therefore, I took the initiative to end the topic.
However, he underestimated human nature.
Or rather, he underestimated the intricate details of Zhang Anping's plan.
He had barely finished speaking when Zheng Yaoquan suddenly stood up: "Commander Fu, I have some intelligence I'd like to report!"
Li and Shi exchanged a strange glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes—Zheng Yaoquan's status was higher than theirs, after all, he had a useless title of deputy minister, but under the current North China Suppression Headquarters system, even if Zheng Yaoquan replaced Zhang Anping, he was only the head of the intelligence system.
According to the tacit understanding and consensus they had reached with Zhang Anping, in military affairs, the intelligence system was to serve the two of them and its status was lower than theirs—the purpose of doing so was to ensure the integrity and unity of the Central Army system under the North China Suppression Headquarters.
Therefore, speeches at military meetings like these are always preceded by private communication to ensure a shared stance and concerted efforts.
Zheng Yaoquan had never communicated with them privately, yet he stood up and said he wanted to report intelligence.
The atmosphere... isn't right!
At this moment, Zhang Anping also frowned slightly, clearly puzzled by Zheng Yaoquan's standing up.
But did he truly not understand? (End of Chapter)