After the end of World War I, when the peace conference was held, the expansionists in Fengtian realized that this was a good opportunity. Lao Duan's diplomacy failed, his prestige was ruined, and domestic resentment boiled. Moreover, after Lao Duan took charge of Beiyang, he continued to weaken other factions, and at the same time,
The relationship between the Zhili clique took a turn for the worse, and the two sides were in the same situation. Coupled with the southwest warlords and Sun Wen's gang members, the whole of China became a mess. Wu Junsheng and others believed that the time had come to fish in troubled waters.
"I'd like to say that everything should be done first, easy first, then difficult. You focus on the Russian Far East and send troops to Hailan. This will only offend the great powers. Don't forget that because of this, the world's public opinion has praised you very highly.
What a role model for young soldiers, but you have to know that Russia is a powerful country after all. Their civil war is over. You are just taking advantage of it. How can they not settle accounts with Fengjun? In my opinion, the safest way is to withdraw all the troops and then
Go south with all your strength, take control of Beijing, and our Fengjun army will one day rule the world!"
Zhang Jinghui followed Wu Junsheng's words and said, but while he was talking, he felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere of the scene. Several pairs of sharp eyes were fixed on him, which made Doufu Zhang's heart feel hairy. He also felt that
I made a mistake. I actually directly accused Zhang Tinglan of sending troops to the Far East for the sake of fame. This crime was not a small one. To put it on Zhang Tinglan's head was to offend all those who were close to Zhang Tinglan.
"Xu Wu, the commander-in-chief agreed to send troops to the Far East, and you can't just think about offending the Russians." Sun Liechen said with a stern face: "Where do we get so many machines and equipment? They are not all obtained from the Russians.
Are you here? If nothing else, if we don’t send troops to the Far East, can the Americans give us the production lines for rifles and bullets? Looking at China, which factory can produce hundreds of thousands of guns a year? Our army is well-equipped and the best.
The world is all based on clumsy words. If anyone picks up a bowl to eat meat and puts down his chopsticks to scold his mother, I, Sun Liechen, will not agree!"
Sun Liechen's words were also serious, but he knew that he had to say them, otherwise the trouble would be even greater, because when Zhang Jinghui started talking, Zhang Zuoxiang was already looking at him with a frown. It's no wonder that Zhang Zuoxiang was angry. His children worked hard to work for the army.
, I didn’t get a good word, and I was criticized. Anyone would be dissatisfied.
And it's not just Zhang Zuoxiang. Among the people present, Wang Yongjiang, Zhu Qinglan, Yang Yuting and others all have ugly faces. They all have a very close relationship with Zhang Tinglan. It has become a vague faction. Zhang Jinghui questioned Zhang Tinglan, maybe...
This will cause conflicts between the old and new factions of Fengjun, and only Sun Liechen can step forward to ease the atmosphere.
Zhang Tinglan frowned at the side. Suddenly he stood up and bowed to Zhang Zuolin and everyone present. Then he said: "Commander, can you give me a chance to express all my thoughts?"
Lao Zhang nodded slightly, and Zhang Tinglan waved his hand. He asked the map of the three eastern provinces to be hung in the hall, then stood in front of the map, scanned the whole place, and then said: "Look, everyone, the three eastern provinces are vast and rich in resources.
, is a rare and good place, but our strategic environment is not good. There is Mount Tai of Tsarist Russia to the north and the Japanese to the east. The two empires surround us!"
Zhang Tinglan pointed to the outer Northeast and the Ussuri River, and then pointed to North Korea, and then said: "You can see, the Outer Northeast and the east of the Ussuri River originally belonged to China, but were ceded by the Russians. They
It's not just for the resources here. It's because of profound strategic considerations. As long as we occupy this place, the sea outlet to the north of Northeast China will be blocked. We are just around the corner from the Sea of Japan. The Tsar's move has a very vicious strategy.
Planned!"
"Look at North Korea again. After the Sino-Japanese War, it was occupied by Japan. After the Russo-Japanese War, Luda fell into the hands of the Japanese again. Our east side was also blocked. Especially after losing Luda, the south of the three northeastern provinces
Most of the entrance to the sea has been blocked. Looking at the entire situation, we are actually in a cage, surrounded by swords and guns. If we are not careful, we will be shattered to pieces!"
Regarding the strategic situation of the three eastern provinces, everyone here has their own judgment, and it is very rare to be able to explain it so clearly like Zhang Tinglan. Yang Yuting and others on the side also nodded frequently and agreed with Zhang Tinglan's judgment.
"The general trend has been achieved. So far, although the strength of the Fengjun Army has improved, the pattern has not changed. If we head south rashly, the great powers will definitely hold us back. Moreover, over the years, the great powers have been avoiding the emergence of a person who can unify China.
The powerful government across the country adopts the method of divide and rule. After Lao Yuan came to power, they supported Sun Wen's party and continued to cause trouble. Now after Lao Yuan is finished, they continue to support the contest between the North and the South. All have only one purpose, which is
Let China fall into internal strife and be forever at their mercy."
"In fact, the situation is very clear. If we want to unify China, we cannot just compare our strength with the Beiyang government. This is meaningless. We should compare with the great powers. We cannot act rashly until we cannot challenge the great powers. Suppose we send troops to enter the customs now.
, after taking control of Beijing and the army moved south, the Northeast was empty and the Japanese were causing trouble in the three northeastern provinces. What should we do? In addition, the great powers can also support the Zhili clique or Sun Wen and let them continue to fight us. If there is a rebellion in the south,
Do we need to send troops?"
Zhang Tinglan asked two questions in succession, which made everyone present feel a little moved. Yang Yuting even said directly: "Commander, what I said is not wrong at all. Yuan Shikai was so strong back then that he almost controlled the whole country, but in the end he still fell behind.
Our reputation has been ruined. In the final analysis, our enemy is not the country, but the powers behind the scenes. We must not rush to send troops when we are not sure enough."
"Commander, if nothing else, war is about fighting for financial and material resources. The three eastern provinces' finances have improved greatly in the past two years, but the deficit is still large. There are more places to spend money. A large number of immigrants have not yet settled down. New
The reclaimed land has not yet reached its full potential. It might be better if we can wait three to five years for all work to be on track and then talk about mobilizing troops."
As the general manager of Fengjun, Wang Yongjiang also raised objections from his perspective. Zhang Tinglan, Yang Yuting, and Wang Yongjiang were representatives of the new faction of Fengjun. They opposed together and had a great influence on Lao Zhang. Zhang Zuolin
He frowned and said nothing.
"It's too much, it's too much!" Wu Junsheng said with a big tongue on the side: "Your views are too pessimistic. Although the attitude of the great powers is very important, we can't just think about going against the great powers. Can we also take the initiative to communicate?
Let's sit down and talk. As long as we promise to continue to safeguard the interests of the great powers, they do not have to oppose us. And what you said about challenging the strength of the great powers is easy to say, but difficult to do. Three
Can we afford to wait five years, ten or eight years, or even ten or twenty years?"
Wu Junsheng's Hua Li raised a very important issue. That is the issue of age. Zhang Zuolin and the others are not young anymore. They are around fifty or sixty years old. They are already considered old people in this era. If they wait for a while, can they
It is not certain that they can survive, so they are eager to enter the country in large numbers so that they can enjoy the treatment of some of the founding fathers!
Thinking of this, Zhang Tinglan was even more worried about Lao Zhang's attitude. After all, if Lao Zhang was unwilling to wait any longer, the situation would be really troublesome.
Politics is never as simple as right or wrong. It also depends on the perspective of thinking about the problem, that is, which side you sit on. But this kind of thing is a heart-breaking argument and cannot be said on the table. Zhang Tinglan can't help but feel a little anxious.
The whole scene was very quiet, no one said a word, and everything seemed to be frozen.
Zhang Zuoxiang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said: "Commander, I understand what Governor Wu said just now. In a nutshell, I want you to be Yuan Shikai's second best and continue to safeguard the interests of the great powers. To put it bluntly, you will continue to cling to the weak! This time
The faces of the great powers at the Paris Peace Conference have been exposed. They are a bunch of ferocious beasts that eat people but don’t spit out their bones. If you negotiate with them, in the end, you will inevitably end up like Yuan Shikai!”
At the end of the sentence, Zhang Zuoxiang stood up, bowed and said, "Yuting, how you decide depends on your thoughts!"
After Zhang Zuoxiang finished speaking, he turned and left the Tiger Hall, followed closely by Zhang Tinglan. Both father and son knew clearly that Lao Zhang did not clearly support their views this time, but in fact he acquiesced to the views of Wu Junsheng and others. They were both a little disappointed.
The two men returned to the mansion in tandem. Zhang Zuoxiang frowned and sighed: "I'd like to say that we have said everything we need to say today. It all depends on Yuting's choice. You don't have to worry too much."
Got it!"
"Dad, it has not been easy for Fengjun to be where he is today. I am really afraid that if I make one wrong move, I will destroy the foundation that I have built for many years. Moreover, Wu Junsheng and Zhang Jinghui's words seem to reveal that they have connections with the Japanese.
, if anything has anything to do with the Japanese, there will be trouble!"
Zhang Zuoxiang silently picked up the cigarette bag, took a few puffs, and then said: "Actually, Yu Ting is not a fool. In the final analysis, he is suspicious of us. If he continues to devote his energy to fighting Russia,
If we continue to work hard and keep a low profile, the power of Fengjun will be unbalanced and the conflict between the old and new factions will become more serious."
Zhang Zuoxiang was wily and calculating, and he immediately pointed out the key points of the problem. Now the new figures in the Fengjun army have risen to high positions in the past two years, and their influence is becoming more and more important. Moreover, because of the problem of fighting against Russia, the border defense force has become an independent force outside the country.
If this continues, Fengjun's factions will become unbalanced.
It's not that Zhang Zuolin didn't know the risks of entering the border. In fact, he just wanted to take a gamble. If he took control of the central government, there would be more room for maneuver, and the old-school figures could arrange better positions, and a new balance would be formed.
In fact, Zhang Tinglan and Zhang Zuoxiang are also involved in this matter, and some things are really hard to say. They are worried, and Zhang Zuolin in the commander's mansion is also the same. The old and new factions have different opinions. How to choose is also a test.
Lao Zhang’s choice.
"Dad, there's a call from Beijing. It's a telegram from Liang Qichao!"
"Bring it over quickly and let me see!"
Zhang Xueliang trotted and delivered a telegram to Zhang Zuolin. Lao Zhang took it and took a look, and his eyes suddenly lit up. It turned out that in this telegram, Liang Qichao expressed strong condemnation of Duan Qirui, and then strongly invited Zhang Zuolin.
He went to Beijing to discuss state affairs. The research department was willing to impeach Duan Qirui in Congress and oust Duan. In the telegram, Liang Qichao also expressed his willingness to help Zhang Zuolin contact other factions to jointly defeat Duan!
"Although Liang Qichao is a scholar, he has a lot of energy and a high reputation. If he is willing to help, it will indeed save a lot of trouble when he goes to Beijing." Lao Zhang glanced at Zhang Xueliang, and then said: "Xiao Liuzi, do you think dad should
Shouldn't I take this opportunity to go to Beijing?"
Zhang Xueliang frowned slightly, and then said: "Dad, Zhuoyan is so opposed this time, I think he must have his own reasons, it is better not to act rashly!"
"Don't always be a clumsy talker. You have to have your own opinion. Do you support what you say from your heart?"
When Zhang Xueliang saw that his father was a little unhappy, he could only lower his head and said after a while: "Dad, I don't know, I will let you decide everything!"
Lao Zhang snorted coldly. After all, Zhang Xueliang still had some resistance, but he just didn't want to say it clearly. Lao Zhang walked around for a few times with his hands behind his back, and then suddenly said: "Guo Songling has done a good job during this period. Let's promote him and let him take up the post."
Commander of the Fifth Division of the Three Eastern Provinces, the vanguard of the task force, you train the army with him and get ready for battle!" (To be continued...)