Chapter 1041
The Directly Subordinate Division Falls Apart, Commander Chen Loses All Authority
Tianjin.
Yu Zecheng, who was in charge of supervising his direct subordinates, was currently having a completely baffling discussion with Zuo Lan about the current task.
Why would the organization issue such a strange order?
Yu Zecheng couldn't understand what it meant to say that if any regiment under the direct command of the division wanted to withdraw, you must stop them with a strong hand!
Ever since taking charge of supervising the hastily assembled direct subordinate division, Yu Zecheng has been secretly "stirring things up." His goal is to make the regiments of the direct subordinate division outwardly comply with Commander Chen's orders but inwardly defy him.
The best solution would be for each army to transfer its own regiment from its directly subordinate divisions. Once one army does this, it will trigger a domino effect, and other armies will surely follow suit, causing the directly subordinate divisions to fall apart.
However, through repeated probing, Yu Zecheng discovered that the several armies in Tianjin had all received telegrams from Li and Shi urging them not to risk public condemnation by transferring their own regiments. Therefore, he resorted to a less desirable option: trying to get the directly subordinate divisions to outwardly comply with the General Headquarters' orders while inwardly disobeying them.
He had been secretly working on this for the past few days, and it was starting to show results, when orders from his superiors arrived.
But what about this order?
They actually wanted him to stop the regiments of the directly subordinate division from withdrawing!
Not only does this contradict his work, but the most crucial point is—how could the three regiments of the directly subordinate division possibly be withdrawn?
Zuo Lan was equally confused, but after thinking it over, she said, "Zecheng, the superiors must have their reasons. It might be to protect you. In any case, carry out the orders!"
Yu Zecheng rubbed his forehead:
"Yes, I will carry it out."
……
Headquarters of the 86th Army.
Commander Liu looked at the telegram in his hand, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
"I told you that guy surnamed Chen couldn't be trusted! See, now there's trouble!" Division Commander Zhang said with a gloomy face, "Cutting flesh to feed the eagle, I knew this was a classic case of cutting flesh to feed the eagle!"
Of the three Central Army units in Tianjin, the 86th Army had the most complete organizational structure. The neighboring 94th Army had two divisions, but only one of them was an old unit, while the other was newly formed. The Guangdong Army's 62nd Army was similar, with one of its three divisions being newly formed.
Given this situation, when assembling the directly subordinate divisions, the 86th Army contributed one and a half regiments. The extra half regiment was cut from the 26th Division, based on the division of one regiment.
The warnings from their colleagues in Beiping have been met with the most vehement response, naturally from the 26th Division, which has suffered the most losses.
So after criticizing, Division Commander Zhang urged, "Commander, don't hesitate any longer, quickly recall our troops. If we're too late, it'll be like throwing meat buns to a dog!"
It's incredibly easy to incorporate a Nationalist army unit. Just detain all the officers above the battalion level, bribe the company-level officers a little, and an entire army will change its affiliation. Right now, the directly subordinate divisions are under the Defense Headquarters. If Commander Chen really does this, these units will never be able to be transferred back.
Faced with Commander Zhang's urging, Commander Liu said with difficulty:
"Commanders Li and Shi, as well as Vice Minister Zheng, have all sent me telegrams, instructing me not to withdraw my troops for the time being. We must not alert the enemy and keep the Chen family in check."
Upon hearing this, Commander Zhang said with great distress:
"Commander, they're just selling off their father's land without a care in the world! These soldiers are from our 86th Army. If they really fall into the hands of that Chen guy, it's our 86th Army that will suffer the loss! They're hiding in Beiping, where the city is strong and they have plenty of troops, so of course they don't care!"
"But we can't do that!"
"If that guy surnamed Chen uses swift and decisive methods to recruit us, and then coordinates with the Communist army to launch an attack on us, then with this in-and-out approach, we'll have essentially lost a division for nothing!"
The other two division commanders, who had remained silent until now, also chimed in:
"Commander, it's said that a general in the field may not be able to obey orders—this Chen fellow might be a communist sympathizer right now, we absolutely cannot hand over our heads to him!"
"Commander, hesitation will only lead to more trouble!"
Hesitation will only lead to more trouble!
These words woke up Commander Liu. Those bastards in Beiping were in Beiping. If something really happened, they wouldn't be the first to be hit. Of course, they could speak "fairly" like everyone else. But his 86th Army couldn't do that!
If problems arise, the 86th Army will be the first to bear the brunt!
But he wasn't stupid. If he were to return to his own troops, what if he stood out and got held accountable?
So he decided to drag his colleagues down with him:
"Contact Commander Lin of the 62nd Army; I want to speak with him personally. You two go see Division Commander Rao and Division Commander Yao of the 94th Army and communicate with them!"
"If the three of us return to the troops together, and the authorities in Beiping investigate, they can't punish everyone because there are so many of us!"
……
Flood Control Headquarters.
Commander Chen looked at the telegram sent by Fu Huabei from Beiping, completely bewildered.
This telegram, containing over three hundred words, conveyed a single signal in every single word:
Jieshan, we've known each other for 32 years now, so please don't betray me!
What does Commander Fu mean?
Commander Chen was completely bewildered.
Just then, a staff officer delivered another telegram.
When Commander Chen took the telegram and read it, he felt dizzy and saw stars.
What? I, Chen, am secretly negotiating with the Communist Party?
What a joke!
Who am I, Chen Jieshan? How could I possibly have secret contact with the Communist Party behind Commander Fu's back?
No wonder Commander Fu sent this telegram!
He understood the reason, but he just couldn't understand why Commander Fu would think that way.
Just as he was considering how to explain to Fu Huabei, another staff officer rushed in.
But he didn't bring a telegram; he only brought bad news:
"Commander Chen, something's happened—three regiments from the directly subordinate division are packing up; they seem to be planning to evacuate!"
Commander Chen jumped to his feet: "Are they crazy?!"
Before he had a directly subordinate division, the Central Army in the city could outwardly comply with his orders but inwardly defy him, but they still had to save face for him.
With the emergence of the directly subordinate divisions, Chen Jieshan felt secure with troops at his disposal. These divisions served as mobile forces and reserves, providing him with leverage to issue orders to the Central Army's army-level commanders in the city and guaranteeing his authority.
To put it bluntly, even if the cobbled-together direct subordinate divisions did not obey his orders, keeping them around was a symbol of unity between the Sui Army and the Central Army. Before the generals of the Central Army could outwardly comply but inwardly defy him, they would have to weigh the pros and cons.
But what if the direct supervisors fall apart?
No, we need to add another premise: he was suspected of being a communist sympathizer!
When Commander Chen thought of this, his face turned deathly pale.
If this happens, his orders will be ignored, and the various units of the Communist army attacking the city will lose their overall coordination and fight independently, which is tantamount to the collapse of the command system!
Commander Chen almost screamed:
"We absolutely cannot let them leave!"
"Notify the guard battalion to come with me to the directly subordinate division!"
……
"What?! All the regiments of the directly subordinate division are packing their bags? Going back to their respective units?!"
Yu Zecheng was stunned. He had made countless efforts in secret beforehand, and none of the army commanders of the Central Army dared to withdraw the regiments that had been transferred to their directly subordinate divisions.
As a result, not long after his superiors gave him the order, the regiments of the directly subordinate division were to withdraw.
[It seems the organization is pulling strings behind the scenes—but why must I be the one to stop it?]
For our army, the current disintegration of its directly subordinate divisions is undoubtedly a godsend.
Stopping it is just asking for trouble...
wrong!
Yu Zecheng suddenly realized that since those military leaders had decided to transfer their troops, even if Commander Chen from the Defense Headquarters came, it would be useless. He, a mere deputy stationmaster of Tianjin Station, would be even less of a concern to these military leaders who controlled large armies!
Trying to stop them, given their unwavering determination, is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
But what if you use drastic measures?
Drastic measures could not stop them from transferring troops, but they could deepen the rift between them and the National Defense Headquarters, as well as between them and Tianjin Station.
This is the real purpose of the higher-ups!
Realizing this, Yu Zecheng gave the order without saying a word:
"Operations Division, assemble your forces immediately and come with me to the directly subordinate division! Bring machine guns!"
……
The location of the directly subordinate division.
The directly subordinate division was a unit without a designation. To show his intentions, Commander Chen didn't even set up a division headquarters. To put it bluntly, the so-called directly subordinate division was actually just three regiments.
The absence of a division headquarters was Commander Chen's way of proving that he had no intention of annexing friendly forces. Moreover, in Commander Chen's mind, the so-called directly subordinate divisions were more of a reserve force.
Once the People's Liberation Army attacks a city, it can transfer troops from its directly subordinate divisions to support whichever side encounters a problem. In the case of support being provided at the regimental level, there is no need for an extra divisional headquarters to stand in the way.
It was precisely because of the absence of a division headquarters that when the three regiments of the directly subordinate division were about to leave, they didn't even have a legitimate and righteous person to act as a suppressor.
When Yu Zecheng led dozens of men from the action department to the headquarters of the directly subordinate division, the three regiments of the division had already packed their bags and were preparing to leave the camp.
Yu Zecheng stopped several officers and asked them to take him to see his superiors, but the officers ignored him and led their soldiers away on their own.
Seeing this, Yu Zecheng snatched a machine gun from his subordinate, fired a burst into the air, then squinted his almost invisible eyes and said coldly:
"Let's see who dares to leave."
"You really think my secret service's guns can't kill people?!"
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics still has a great deterrent effect. Previously, the officers of the directly subordinate division ignored Yu Zecheng because they had been specifically instructed by their superiors, but now that Yu Zecheng has pulled out a gun and threatened them, they immediately became obedient.
"Go back now!" Yu Zecheng shouted upon seeing this. "Without Commander Chen's orders, your unauthorized departure constitutes a mutiny! Go back now, and I can pretend nothing happened and not hold you accountable!"
mutiny!
The two words carried even greater weight, and the company commander involuntarily took a few steps back.
"What a joke!" A mocking voice rang out from behind the soldiers who were caught in a dilemma. As the soldiers parted their ranks, a colonel stepped forward:
“Deputy Station Chief Yu, some accusations can’t be thrown around lightly—our unit consists of soldiers from the 26th Division, and we are now ordered to return to our posts. How can you call this a mutiny?”
"According to the Party-state military regulations and discipline, it's a violation of regulations for Deputy Station Chief Yu to be detaining us now!"
Upon seeing a regimental commander emerge, Yu Zecheng breathed a sigh of relief, but his face betrayed his displeasure:
"Commander Jiang, you are now the commander of a directly subordinate division, and your unit is now a soldier under the direct command of that division..."
Commander Jiang interrupted Yu Zecheng directly:
"Deputy Station Chief Yu, is there such a directly subordinate division in the Nationalist Army's organizational structure?" This is illegitimate!
This is the biggest problem for direct supervisors.
Yu Zecheng, of course, couldn't dwell on the issue of staffing; he sneered and said:
“I don’t care about organizational structure—but you are troops under the Tianjin Defense Headquarters. Without Commander Chen’s orders, any unauthorized movement would be a mutiny!”
"Commander Jiang, the gun in Yu's hand is capable of killing! Commander Jiang had better not make a mistake!"
The colonel in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was naturally far superior to the colonel in the army. Some of the more arrogant deputy station chiefs didn't even respect most division commanders.
Faced with Yu Zecheng's threat, this time Commander Jiang, who was full of confidence, made the same threat with a cold face:
"Yu Zecheng, the gun in my hand can also kill!"
As if echoing his words, a series of clicking sounds were heard, and the soldiers behind Commander Jiang raised their weapons and pointed them at Yu Zecheng.
The agents from the operations unit behind Yu Zecheng were immediately enraged and raised their guns in response without waiting for Yu Zecheng's orders.
Faced with this standoff, Yu Zecheng strained to open his eyes wide:
"Commander Jiang, tell your men to put down their guns! Otherwise..."
Before Commander Jiang could answer, another voice rang out:
"Hey, you surnamed Yu, tell your men to put down their guns!"
"Deputy Station Chief Yu, military orders are absolute! Please forgive me if I have offended you!"
The other two regimental commanders appeared "in real time" at this moment, still in a good cop/bad cop manner.
Yu Zecheng's face was ashen, but he regretted that he should have killed someone to establish his authority earlier; now he couldn't even kill someone if he wanted to.
Fortunately, at that moment the roar of cars came, followed by squads of fully armed soldiers rushing in.
It's a guard battalion directly under the National Defense Headquarters!
When the guard battalion arrived, faced with the standoff between the two sides, they did not hesitate to raise their guns and stand on the side of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, which made the three regimental commanders who wanted to intimidate Yu Zecheng feel uneasy.
At this moment, Commander Chen appeared. Seeing the scene of both sides facing off with guns drawn, the veteran general's face immediately turned ashen, and he roared:
"Put down your guns, all of you!"
Yu Zecheng gestured for the agents in the action department to lower their weapons.
Commander Chen glared at the three regimental commanders, who nervously ordered them to lower their guns. Seeing this, the guard battalion also lowered their guns.
"All of you, get back!" Commander Chen said with a dark face. "No one is allowed to leave without my order!"
Seeing this, Commander Jiang retorted:
"Commander Chen, our unit is being transferred to the division headquarters on orders. This is a normal transfer!"
Yu Zecheng realized this was his last chance and immediately ordered, "Take them down!"
Commander Jiang, his eyes blazing with fury, roared, "How dare you!"
The agents from the operations department, who had been held at gunpoint, were already seething with anger. When they heard Commander Jiang shout "How dare you!", one of the agents who went to arrest the man took advantage of the opportunity to strike Commander Jiang in the ribs with his elbow. Commander Jiang almost fainted from the pain on the spot.
Seeing that Commander Jiang had been captured, Yu Zecheng said with a sinister look:
"Go back immediately! Otherwise, you will be executed on the spot!"
Commander Chen frowned repeatedly. He was very dissatisfied with Yu Zecheng's behavior, but considering that Yu Zecheng was doing it to protect him and the existence of the direct division, he had no choice but to suppress his dissatisfaction.
However, the other two regimental commanders realized that things were not going well—if they could not return to their units now, they would likely be purged by Commander Chen and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
After exchanging a glance, both men saw a resolute look in each other's eyes, and then said one after the other, "Yu Zecheng, release Commander Jiang immediately! Otherwise..."
"Deputy Station Chief Yu, are you really going to stand up for Commander Chen, who is a communist sympathizer?"
altogether?!
Was Commander Chen a communist sympathizer?
Yu Zecheng looked at Commander Chen in bewilderment. He saw that Commander Chen's expression was gloomy and terrifying, and his eyes were flashing with a terrifying killing intent. How could a dignified lieutenant general of the party and the country be slandered like this in public by a regimental commander?
"Nonsense!" Yu Zecheng was overjoyed; this was the perfect opportunity to escalate the conflict.
"How dare you slander a high-ranking Party and State general like this in public! Guards, seize him!"
The two commanders hadn't forgotten the scene where Commander Jiang was attacked from behind—Commander Jiang was still reeling from the aftereffects of that sneak attack. If they were captured now, would they have a good outcome?
One of the regimental commanders pulled out his gun and threatened, "Let's see who dares!"
At that moment, he had only one thought: this matter had to be made a big fuss! If it wasn't made a big fuss, the higher-ups wouldn't intervene!
If they don't show up, those three regimental commanders will only face certain death!
Like a domino effect, as he drew his gun, the soldiers behind him raised their weapons once again.
In response, the Secret Service and the Guard Battalion naturally took up arms at the same time.
Commander Chen was furious and, gritting his teeth, gave the order:
"Put down your guns, all of you!"
But this time, no one heeded his orders.
"Release Commander Jiang—Men, bring Commander Jiang back!"
Seeing that several soldiers were about to seize Commander Jiang from the agents, Yu Zecheng's eyes narrowed slightly and he suddenly made his move.
Instead of firing his gun, he swung his machine gun and smashed it hard on Commander Jiang's head, knocking him to the ground. He then stomped on Commander Jiang and pointed the gun at him.
"This is the last time! Go back now, and all past transgressions will be forgiven! Otherwise, you will all be treated as mutineers—executed without mercy!"
The more ruthless Yu Zecheng appeared, the more terrified the two regimental commanders, who had no way out, became. Faced with his threats, the two commanders stubbornly refused to show weakness and glared fiercely at Yu Zecheng.
Commander Chen was in a real bind. He regretted not bringing more men; with just one guard battalion, he feared he wouldn't be able to control the situation.
He now wants to quickly quell the chaos and bring the standoff to a close—if someone accidentally fires a gun in the heat of the moment, things could get really messy.
"Deputy Station Chief Yu, release Regiment Commander Jiang first—Regiment Commander Qian, Regiment Commander Zhou, you two should think carefully about the consequences! Put down your guns, and I, Chen, guarantee that I will let bygones be bygones. If this continues, military law is merciless! I'm afraid no one can protect you!"
Commander Chen issued an ultimatum, even stating directly that no one could save them.
Faced with the ultimatum, Commander Qian and Commander Zhou found themselves in a difficult predicament.
Once the standoff is abandoned, even if Commander Chen doesn't want their lives, he will definitely launch a purge of the three regiments under his direct command. Even if they return to the Central Army, they will not have a good ending.
Losing the unit would mean a very high chance of being executed.
But if the standoff continues and Commander Chen insists on taking their heads, will the Central Army protect them?
Faced with a choice that seemed destined for certain defeat either way, the two gritted their teeth and chose to stand their ground—gambling on the Central Army's protection!
The most crucial point is that the deputy station chief of the Tianjin station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) showed too much murderous intent towards them. If they could not obtain the protection of the high-ranking officials of the Central Army in the city and leave in disgrace, the BIS, which loves to settle scores, would use this as an excuse to eliminate them, leaving them with no way out!
“Commander Chen, we are just following orders—our superiors ordered us to lead the team back, it’s a military order! Please don’t make things difficult for us lowly people, Commander Chen.”
Commander Chen was so angry he almost jumped up and down. He had already said all that, but the two regimental commanders were still stubbornly insisting on their ways.
He gritted his teeth: "You...you really want to force me?"
Just as he finished speaking, a booming sound rang out from afar, not from artillery fire, but from the vibrations caused by a large number of troops marching.
Commander Chen's expression changed drastically:
"what happened?"
Yu Zecheng tossed the battered Regiment Commander Jiang to his agents and hurried off to investigate.
Just a few steps outside the barracks of the directly subordinate division, he witnessed a "shocking" scene:
A line of trucks led the way, each truck filled with armed soldiers, while artillery pieces were mounted behind the trucks.
Following the truck convoy was an endless column of infantry.
It was packed with people, a sea of people.
They're all Central Army soldiers!
Yu Zecheng was shocked. How did his superiors manage to do that?
They actually "mobilized" the Kuomintang army and put on such a show.
He turned and ran, and upon returning to the division's camp, he said to Commander Chen with a look of horror, "It's the 86th, 94th, and 62nd Armies! They...they might be planning a mutiny!"
Commander Chen glared angrily at Yu Zecheng: "Nonsense!"
mutiny?
He doesn't believe it!
But at this time, the Central Army came in with great force, and their purpose was definitely to take away the directly subordinate division.
Commander Chen was definitely angry, but no matter how angry or furious he was, he couldn't agree to what Yu Zecheng said.
In the blink of an eye, the convoy and fully armed soldiers stormed into the camp. However, under the officers' restraint, they did not raise their guns in a standoff. Nevertheless, the artillery pieces, the machine guns mounted on the trucks, and the soldiers standing at attention with their guns displayed a chilling atmosphere.
Three colonels then jogged over:
"Commander Chen, my unit is conducting a defensive drill under orders!"
The explanation, which only served to cover up the truth, almost made Commander Chen laugh in anger.
Defensive drill?
But he immediately understood what the Central Army meant:
Let's not tear off the mask of civility. Just give us back our soldiers—if you really want to tear off the mask of civility, then try it!
He was extremely unwilling. As the commander-in-chief of the Tianjin Defense Headquarters, how humiliating it was to be threatened by the Central Army like this!
But what can he do now?
They deliberately only sent three colonels; the meaning is very clear:
If you really want to cause trouble, then we'll play along. We'll show up and clean up the mess once things get out of hand—where will you, as the commander-in-chief, put your face then?
"It's time for a proper drill!"
“It’s definitely time for a proper drill—Yu Zecheng, bring your men back with me.”
Commander Chen ultimately decided to give up, but his straightforward nature made him glare fiercely at the three colonels.
Yu Zecheng said unwillingly, "Commander Chen, the teacher told me..."
"Shut up—come back with me!"
Yu Zecheng, helpless, glared resentfully at the group of Central Army officers and said bitterly:
"you……"
"They are traitors to the Party and the State!" (End of Chapter)