Chapter 1040
Yellow Mud Falls into My Crotch
There's a saying: "Trying to cover up something only makes it more obvious."
Even if Zhang Anping insisted that this was not the work of the Communist Party, everyone present could easily guess the reason:
The petty thief wouldn't be so foolish as to rob someone in Jinhua Hutong, much less dare to confront fully armed secret agents.
Only underground party members would dare to do that!
They could only be underground party members.
Why did the underground Communist Party do this?
Kidnapping Chen Jieshan's family?
How can it be!
The underground Communist Party would never do something so despicable—this wasn't a kidnapping, it was a rescue!
Rescue Chen Jieshan's family who are being held hostage!
Why did the underground party want to rescue Chen Jieshan's family members who were being held hostage?
This answer sends chills down your spine.
But now that Zhang Anping has reached a conclusion, no one in the Sui Army will try to overturn it.
They could distinguish right from wrong—Zhang Anping did this for the sake of unity; if this matter were characterized as the work of the underground party, then Commander Chen in Tianjin would inevitably be investigated.
Moreover, given the nature of the Central Army, they would probably try to drive Commander Chen away.
However, changing commanders in the midst of battle has always been taboo. If Commander Chen is replaced in Tianjin now, there will inevitably be problems with the smooth flow of military orders and blockages. Given that Tianjin is besieged, this is a huge loophole.
The Sui Army could see Zhang Anping's worries, and the Central Army could naturally see them as well!
After exchanging a glance, Li and Shi immediately made a decision, with Commander Li speaking first:
"Director Zhang is right. The Communists in Beiping have been wiped out one after another, with less than one in ten remaining. They would not have the ability to take hostages by force. It must have been the work of some madmen who lost their minds."
Commander Shi added, "Deputy Minister Zheng, our next priority is to crack down on these petty thieves. We can't let them take advantage of the chaos to do whatever they want! If they dare to kidnap the families of high-ranking officers today, they'll dare to attack the garrison tomorrow! This trend must not be allowed to continue!"
Is Commander Shi really a supplement?
Do not!
He was reminding Zheng Yaoquan:
Don't even think about using this opportunity to cause trouble!
Zheng Yaoquan was a cunning old fox, so he naturally understood why Zhang Anping had labeled him a robber, and he also understood the meaning behind Li Shi and the other man's actions.
At this moment, he was rapidly weighing the pros and cons.
Is it following the story told by Li, Shi, and Zhang?
Or should we just be direct?
After hesitating for a few seconds, he chose to agree:
"This is my responsibility. I failed to capture all the troublemakers in Beiping. I will communicate with the police station to ensure that these criminals are thoroughly apprehended and severely punished!"
Li Shi and his companion visibly breathed a sigh of relief; they were genuinely worried that Zheng Yaoquan would act unilaterally.
Zhang Anping forced a smile and looked at Zheng Yaoquan, but Zheng Yaoquan did not respond.
Fu Huabei took in all the reactions from the Central Army, showing little outward reaction, but his heart grew heavy.
Chen Jieshan, he contacted the Communist Party behind my back?!
Although Zhang Anping suppressed the matter and labeled it the work of petty thieves, the intelligence system will inevitably intensify its investigation. The secrecy surrounding the upcoming peace talks must be handled with extreme caution…
The matter was then "skipped over," and the military affairs meeting continued.
The only outcome of continuing would be to strengthen fortifications and prepare for a fierce battle...
……
As the saying goes, large meetings determine small matters, while small meetings determine big matters.
After the military affairs conference, the Central Army and the Suiyuan Army each held their own small meetings, which were the meetings where important matters were decided.
Internal meeting of the Central Army.
Zheng Yaoquan brought his "godsons" to the meeting, and Zhang Anping, whose face was ashen, was naturally also present.
Originally, Li and Shi had been the chairs of the meetings, but this time, before anyone could sit down and before Li and Shi could speak, Zheng Yaoquan spoke first:
"The matter of Chen Jieshan in Tianjin should not be underestimated! I think we should send a special envoy to Tianjin to investigate!"
"I object!"
Zhang Anping stood up, leaning on his chair:
"This is too sudden!"
If I were an underground party member, and if I really had contact with Chen Jieshan, I wouldn't act hastily right now! Doing so would only alert him. It would be better to keep in secret contact with Chen Jieshan until he completely reveals his hand, and then act secretly!
Therefore, I believe this is a divisive tactic! Its purpose is to sow discord between Chen Jieshan and our Central Army in Tianjin, creating an opportunity for them to attack Tianjin!
Is Zhang Anping right?
That makes perfect sense—from God's perspective, you can even see the thief crying "stop thief!"
Having a valid point doesn't mean you can convince people!
"absurd!"
Zheng Yaoquan simply sneered:
"A divisive tactic? Zhang Anping, are you gambling the safety of Tianjin with your unsubstantiated judgment?"
Do you know that if Tianjin falls, Beijing will have no chance of survival? Don't you think you're being too arrogant?
Zhang Anping frowned, took a few breaths, and then asked, "But now that we're proposing to replace the general, what does Fu Huabei think? What does the Sui Army think?"
Zheng Yaoquan coldly questioned:
“You keep calling me Fu Huabei and Sui Army—Zhang Anping, you are the deputy director of the Party and State Security Bureau! Which side are you really on?”
Seeing that Zhang Anping was about to explain, Zheng Yaoquan continued his barrage of attacks:
"The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is a sharp sword in the hands of the Chief of Staff! But as the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, ever since you came to Beiping, you have been using the interests of my Central Army to feed the Sui Army!"
"Chen Jieshan's stance is now questionable, yet you're still fiercely protecting him. What are your true intentions?!"
Zhang Anping's sallow face turned red with anger from Zheng Yaoquan's barrage of questions. His gaze was icy, but his body swayed uncontrollably.
Seeing Zhang Anping's reaction, Commander Shi immediately chimed in, "Vice Minister Zheng has gone too far!"
"Since arriving in Beiping, Director Zhang has truly devoted himself to the cause! Moreover, everything he has done is for the greater good of the Party and the nation!"
After catching his breath, Zhang Anping tried to keep his voice calm:
“Vice Minister Zheng, I don’t necessarily want to contradict you, but the three regions of Beijing, Tianjin, and Tanggu are currently interdependent, and losing any one of them would be detrimental to our long-term defense.”
“Commander Chen possesses the essence of Fu Huabei’s defensive strategy, making him the best candidate to defend Tianjin. He must not be moved! Furthermore, we should not send anyone to investigate him—this will only demoralize the Sui Army!”
Zheng Yaoquan laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, but after the laughter subsided, his expression turned even colder:
"Zhang Anping, are you saying we can't even investigate?"
"Have you thought about what would happen to Tianjin if he had problems?"
Can you guarantee he's completely problem-free?
Three consecutive questions left Zhang Anping speechless.
“Commander Li, Commander Shi, I am not good at leading troops in battle, but it is my duty to share your burdens outside the battlefield. As for Chen Jieshan’s matter, I believe it must be thoroughly investigated and absolutely cannot be ignored!”
Zheng Yaoquan's righteous words left Li Shi and the other man speechless, and besides, they had a natural sense of wariness towards the Sui Army.
Previously, Zhang Anping adhered to the principle of unity, and although the two supported him, it was mainly due to their constant private communication and the influence of Zhang Anping's public-spiritedness.
But what will be the cost?
The price is that the Central Army is now divided!
Although these people did not outwardly comply with military orders, the two men knew that the rift had already spread—the "adopted sons" alliance was a prime example!
If they oppose Zheng Yaoquan and support Zhang Anping now, the already growing rift will only widen further.
Moreover, the two of them were not sure what was going on—if Chen Jieshan really had a problem, Tianjin would be lost!
Moreover, the Central Army has invested tremendous effort in the fortifications of Tianjin. If Chen Jieshan relies on the Central Army to defend Tianjin and ultimately reaps both fame and fortune, wouldn't the Central Army be merely benefiting others? "Vice Minister Zheng, Director Zhang's concerns are not without merit, but Vice Minister Zheng's concerns are also valid! Tianjin is too important; we cannot afford to gamble. How about this—"
Commander Li ultimately chose to compromise:
"Send men to investigate secretly, but do not make a big fuss. At the same time, send a telegram to our colleagues in Tianjin, telling them to be on their guard. If Chen Jieshan has any rebellious intentions, we can strike first! What do you think, Vice Minister Zheng?"
Commander Shi chimed in, "Commander Li is right—investigate what needs to be investigated, and if we're worried about affecting the unity between the two armies, we should investigate secretly!"
Zheng Yaoquan nodded:
"The two commanders' considerations are wise and insightful for the country's future. What does Director Zhang think?"
Zhang Anping closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to face the current situation, or perhaps deep in thought. Zheng Yaoquan did not urge him, patiently waiting for Zhang Anping's answer.
What he wanted was not Zhang Anping's answer, but Zhang Anping's personal approval.
He wanted to strip away the authority that Zhang Anping had built up little by little!
About half a minute later, Zhang Anping opened his eyes and sighed:
"Then let's conduct a secret investigation! But the divisions directly under the Tianjin Flood Control Headquarters must not be touched."
Upon hearing this, some Central Army generals couldn't help but look at Zhang Anping with disdain.
At a time like this, you're still thinking about your so-called direct supervisor?
Are you afraid that your pledge of loyalty will fail?
Of course, Li Shi and Zhang Anping knew why Zhang Anping emphasized this so much—the directly subordinate divisions of the Tianjin Defense Headquarters were now similar to military seals. Once the directly subordinate divisions disintegrated, in the eyes of the 100,000 Central Army soldiers in Tianjin, Commander Chen's orders would be worthless!
Zheng Yaoquan naturally understood Zhang Anping's considerations, and he nodded:
“I will emphasize that.”
Actually, Zheng Yaoquan wanted to say something else at this moment:
The Nationalist army's defeat in the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield was a somber affair. What is Fu Huabei's opinion on this?
Will Fu Huabei choose to surrender now?
But after much deliberation, he gave up on bringing it up—he had just criticized Zhang Anping for daring to "support" Chen Jieshan without any evidence, and if he were to bring it up, wouldn't he also be without evidence?
Let's not talk about this embarrassing situation yet; let's wait until we find the evidence.
……
A secret meeting of high-ranking officials of the Sui Army was held at Fu Huabei's official residence.
"Chen Jieshan couldn't possibly be flirting with the Communists behind Commander Fu's back! It must be a conspiracy! Either it's a scheme by the underground party to sow discord, or it's some spies deliberately trying to sow discord!"
At the start of the meeting, Sui army generals strongly supported Commander Chen.
One of the Sui Army generals said weakly, "I don't think Zhang Anping would do that."
“I believe he wouldn’t! This man has integrity, but what about Zheng Yaoquan? As soon as he arrived in Beiping, Deputy Division Commander Luo was killed by artillery fire—the so-called rescue of Chen Jieshan’s family in Jinhua Hutong was definitely orchestrated by him!”
“That’s right! Zheng Yaoquan has absolutely no sense of the big picture. Right now, he’s deliberately stirring up trouble. I think he just wants to get rid of Chen Jieshan!”
Commander Chen was in charge of the Tianjin Defense Headquarters, but he was a member of the Sui Army—not entirely, as he was also a guest general (originally belonging to the Jin-Sui Army. In the later stages of the War of Resistance, he broke away from the Shanxi system and entered the Sui Army system, but was not a true direct descendant of the Sui Army). Appointing such a person to be in charge of the defense of Jintang (Tianjin + Tanggu) without assigning corresponding military power (direct descendant of the Sui Army) seemed very muddled.
But was it really just confusion?
Do not!
Not only was he not confused, but it was actually Fu Huabei's brilliant move.
Because the troops stationed in Tianjin and Tanggu were basically the Central Army.
Before the Pingjintang area was surrounded, the Central Army had always wanted to retreat south. Even now that the Pingjintang area is surrounded, Fu Huabei still doesn't trust the Central Army and is afraid that the Central Army will be the first to run away.
Therefore, he dared not let the Central Army take charge of the defense of Tianjin and Tangshan—if they all ran away together, he would be left behind in Beiping, and he would be doomed.
This led to the personnel decision to appoint Commander Chen as the head of the Jintang Flood Control Headquarters.
The Central Army's plan to oust Commander Chen is theoretically plausible—if the Tianjin and Tanggu areas were connected, the Tianjin garrison could escape from Tanggu. This plan is not without possibility.
Faced with his subordinates' anger, Fu Huabei was unsure of what to do.
The incident at Jinhua Hutong seems to be solely the work of Zheng Yaoquan, but that's only what seems to be the case!
What if this was really done by the underground Communist Party?
This way, they can also demonstrate to themselves the "fact" that Commander Chen is communicating with them, even if it is not true. The other party's goal is to plant the seeds of doubt in them!
At the same time, doing so also sends a signal:
When disaster strikes, wouldn't everyone scatter and flee?
In other words, this was coercion against the entire Sui Army!
Just as others were denouncing Zheng Yaoquan, a Sui army general suddenly said quietly:
"Gentlemen, what if this is true?"
Is this true?
Did Chen Jieshan secretly hold talks with the underground Communist Party?!
The moment these words were spoken, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.
If this is true, then Tianjin is in imminent danger.
If Tianjin falls, how many more days can Beiping be held?
One of the generals tentatively asked, "Commander Fu, Chen Jieshan wouldn't really be having secret talks with the underground party, would he?"
Some objected, but their words were meaningful: "If the underground party wants to talk, they should talk to Commander Fu!"
Fu Huabei had contact with our army, and only the very inner circle knew about this matter. His subordinate generals might have guessed, but it was just guesswork.
Despite their speculations, they outwardly pretended not to know.
At this moment, the general pointed out the tacit understanding.
Did he slip up?
Do not!
Fu Huabei glanced at the general and saw the seriousness in his eyes. He immediately realized that this was not a slip of the tongue, but coercion!
Yes, it was coercion!
Clearly, the Nationalist army's dismal exit from the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield had worn down the patience of these Sui army generals, and they needed an answer.
What if we don't give this answer?
Commander Chen can talk—whether he really talks or not is not important. What is important is that if Commander Chen can talk, then all the Sui Army generals can talk too!
Moreover, they had been secretly in contact with representatives of the underground party before, but it was just contact, and they always maintained the attitude of unity between the Suiyuan army and the army, without making any promises.
Realizing this, Fu Huabei immediately spoke up:
"I'll send a telegram to Chen Jieshan immediately—Tianjin cannot be lost!"
Huh?
The Sui army generals were taken aback. What did they mean by sending a telegram to Chen Jieshan? Tianjin could not be lost?
Understood!!
The generals present realized the implied meaning behind Fu Huabei's words:
The loss of Tianjin is a crucial condition in our negotiations with them.
In other words, Fu Huabei gave these generals a sense of reassurance:
I will talk to them!
This extremely cryptic promise gave the Sui army generals a great sense of relief.
Let's talk, let's talk!
We don't want to end up like those Central Army generals in Chenguanzhuang!
With this veiled promise, the Sui army generals left the meeting satisfied, but Fu Huabei lingered, unwilling to leave.
For the first time, he experienced what it meant when morale was low and the team was difficult to lead!
He sighed, knowing he couldn't blame his loyal followers—Xuzhou and Bengbu had simply suffered a crushing defeat.
Suppressing the sorrow of a hero's demise, he then gazed towards Tianjin.
Chen Jieshan, you are my key bargaining chip in negotiations, you... you can't betray me!
"Someone, prepare a telegram!"
"Send a telegram to Chen Jieshan!"
After much deliberation, he decided to have a serious talk with Commander Chen about their relationship—they'd known each other for 32 years, and Chen Jieshan, you can't betray me at this crucial moment! (End of Chapter)